Caring for Zayn: 1D Fanfiction
(remember, in no way is this supposed to represent the boys. This is merely fanfiction and basically has nothing to do with them)
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Zayn couldn't remember the last time he felt so ill. Maybe it was when he forgot to take a coat outside when it was raining in western London, or when Johnny, the new guy on his management team, yelled at him for an hour because his voice wasn't 'up to date'.
Zayn buried his head in his pillow in the single hotel room they shared (no other room was available and they wouldn't want it any other way anyway). He felt Harry rise from his side of the bed, his lips kissing the side of Zayn's head before sighing and going towards the kitchen. He opened his eyes just wide enough to watch Harry make tea and turn on the bright lights. He groaned and through the white duvet over his head.
In true Zayn fashion, he used his arms to get up, stretching like a seal before he collapsed back down. Weird, it wasn't like his arms to be this weak. His head lolled to the other side, watching as Niall scrolled through what he believed to be social media.
"Nialler?" Niall hummed, a sign that he'd heard Zayn. "Can you get me a glass of water?" And suddenly, it hurt to look at Niall again; Zayn covered his face with his tattooed covered hand, whimpering softly as needles started to prick his brain.
Thankfully (or perhaps unthankfully), Niall didn't hear him and went to the kitchen, talking rather loudly to Harry. Zayn hissed and covered his ears as Louis, who until that moment was drowsily trying to start his day, lost his temper with Niall. Zayn's protectiveness flared up, but only for a moment. Niall didn't seem to be bothered; it was too much effort to try and yell at Louis anyway.
"Here you go, darling," the Irish boy put a glass of water next to Zayn's bedside table. His voice was still incredibly loud and Zayn couldn't help but turn from the noise. "Zayn?" A pair of cold hands, too cold hands, grabbed Zayn's bare shoulders and turned him up, sending Zayn into a near faint. The lights were too bright, the lights were too bright.
"You're too hot," Niall commented, a frown upon his soft face. Zayn, even though he felt absolutely shitty, felt a smirk growing on his face.
"Really, love?" Zayn tilted his chin up, letting his lips brush gently against Niall's. Niall rolled his eyes and kissed him lovingly before standing up, letting his fingers turn through Zayn's long hair. Zayn arched his back, sending a snicker through Louis.
"You're so cute," Louis replied, jumping on the taller boy, thinking that the noise of discomfort was just his sudden weight against the leaner boy. "And damn, Niall's right," something akin to concern crossed his eyes before it disappeared. Louis looked up and Zayn, being the curious lad he was, looked up to what could've caught his attention so quickly.
Suddenly, Zayn felt a flutter go through his chest as Liam walked through the door, shirtless, covered in sweat, (he scrunched his nose up at the awful smell) and with a small towel wrapped against his shoulders. Liam frowned as he looked at the disgruntled and sleepy looks of Zayn and Louis and the almost opposite cheery looks of Niall and Harry.
Liam came and sat on the edge of Louis and his bed, watching as Louis lost interest and started pecking Zayn all over his annoyed face. "You do know that we have to be in the studio in ten minutes, right?" He started to wipe himself down and pulled Louis off of Zayn, kissing the eldest's soft jawline.
"Why?" Zayn moaned, going underneath the covers. He had forgotten that today was the first practise session in London. "Can we not?" He wanted, no needed, more sleep.
"It's only going to be for four hours," Niall pointed out, picking up Zayn's untouched glass of water. He held the glass up to his lips and instead of Zayn just taking the glass from Niall, he began to sip eagerly. Niall, after a moment's shock, sat down and supported Zayn's head as he drank nearly the entire glass. "Honestly, you're too hot,"
Harry perked up, having come back from changing into his plain white t-shirt and blue jeans. "Woah, Niall. Don't you think it's a little too early for that now?" Even though he was the youngest, Harry enjoyed teasing Niall about things like that.
"It's not like that, Hazza," Zayn could almost see the pout on Niall's face. "He really is rather warm," Liam gently got Louis off him, ignoring his grumbles as he reached across and put his hands against Zayn's neck.
"Oh my God, guys he's burning up!"
Zayn got up, his protesting muscles aching. "Oh, don't go all 'Daddy Direction' on me Payno," his hands locked tightly against each other around Liam's neck as he hauled himself up. Niall supported his back as Louis picked Harry to curl up against.
"You look awful, dear," Harry's deep voice rumbled, his fingers absentmindedly twirling in Louis' hair. "We can always do it tomorrow,"
"I promise I'll be careful," Zayn said, standing up and stretching. His breath shortened as he realised all eyes were on him. He kissed Harry's head softly before wandering into the bathroom, not knowing where this day was going to lead him.
The new guy, Johnny, took Zayn by the hand, his voice cheerful but his grip anything but. He waved to the other boys and announced that he'd just be taking Zayn away to fix his makeup. Harry joked with the others that Zayn was just perfect without makeup. Zayn disagreed immensely. He was ugly and nothing to anyone. Except for maybe the boys. But he bet that they didn't think he was a good boyfriend; they probably were with him because it'd be awkward if they weren't.
"What the fuck, Malik," of course, you could never tell if the management people were going to be nice to Zayn or not. "I told you that you needed to add those high notes in there!" He let him go roughly and Zayn stared as his wrist turned red.
"My throat hurts," Zayn mumbled, coughing harshly. It was worse than this morning. His chest was killing him. "Please, just let me take a little break," he needed a nap. A nap with his boys. Even though they didn't love him, Zayn loved them so much.
"No," Johnny snarled, his nails biting into Zayn's wrist. His other hand slammed against Zayn's bottom lip, making him cry out. "If you say a fucking word, then you'll regret it," Zayn knew he was referencing the boys, so he nodded quickly. He bit his lip, wincing as he felt flushed and bruised skin. "You're useless, boy. Remember that,"
Zayn walked around the corner back to his boys. Without looking at him, Harry looped his arm around the small of his back. Louis came closer, his morning attitude apparently gone and tried to kiss Zayn, his hands wrapping sneakily against Harry's waist. Zayn ducked his head, wincing in pain as Louis' lips barely grazed his. Instead of the hot kiss Louis was expecting, Louis ended up kissing the top of his head, a small sound of confusion escaping his lips as he stared at his boyfriend. Zayn kept his head down as the conversations stopped. Damn it, he should've just let Louis kiss him. Then all this unnecessary attention wouldn't be on him.
"What's wrong, babe?" Louis asked, trying to catch Zayn's eye. Harry put a soft but forceful grip on his chin, forcing him to look up. Louis' happy and confused expression immediately disappeared. He snarled, taking Zayn into his arms. Niall's hands were on his face as they tried to calm down.
"Is it really that bad?" Louis' grip tightened on Zayn's waist almost painfully before Liam brought him to the couch, making him sit on his lap as he checked out his face. Zayn adverted his eyes as Liam brought in Zayn for a hug.
"What happened?" Niall asked, the only one who seemed to be acting pretty normal. Liam looked like a lost puppy, Louis was angrily seething against the wall and Harry . . . The youngest One Direction member looked like he was about to cry.
Zayn opened his mouth, ready to spill anything and everything that Johnny had said and done, but instead coughed. Hard.
"Breath, babe," and Louis was at his side at once, holding his hands as he talked like he would with Harry when he had an asthma attack. "It's okay, just breath in and out," Zayn's breathing slowly matched with Louis' as the eldest slowly sat down next to Liam. "What happened, Zayn?"
Zayn suddenly gained some of his self-control back; he couldn't tell them. Not now. "Can't tell you," he replied with pleading eyes, facing Louis as he buried his head in Liam's broad shoulder. Louis' eyes turned stern as Zayn heard the door close with an audible click. Damn it, Harry.
"C'mon, Malik," Harry said, calmly kneeling down in front of them. Even though Zayn couldn't see his face, which he imagined had tears running down it and those beautiful green eyes blinking with something nearly akin to love, he did feel Harry's large hands running up and now his spine.
"Johnny hit me," he mumbled, so soft that only Liam would hear. He yelped as his hands dug into his hips but they quickly loosened as Niall hit them. "He said that I was -" he stopped, not daring to get Johnny in trouble.
"What, darling?" Niall asked, sitting on Liam's other side and running a few fingers through his long hair. Liam's hands trailed upwards to his neck, where they touched the tattooed words engraved on his collarbone. Harry's hands were still running up and down his back and Zayn found it rather hard not to melt right then and there.
"I was useless," Zayn whispered fearfully. He was the residential 'bad boy' of the group, but even he was scared shitless of Johnny's tall frame (taller than Harry) and burly body. (more muscles than Liam.)
"I want you to listen to me very carefully, Zayn," Harry said roughly, hopping over the couch so that he could look Zayn dead in the eye. "You are the most beautiful, talented, extraordinary person in the world and nothing will ever change that," Niall nodded along, taking Zayn's hand in his.
"Darling, don't listen to whatever that man fucking said," Zayn raised his eyebrows as Niall swore; it wasn't like him to unless the situation was extremely serious. Louis didn't say anything, but judging by the murderous gleam in his eyes, he bet that Johnny would get a solid talking to soon.
"We'll get him fired, Zayn," Liam promised, kissing his eyebrow gently. "But for now, we'll cuddle," Harry's eyes lit up from the promise and he to the corner, the pile of pillows obviously there for the occasion. With some gentle prodding from Niall, Louis got up too, helping pull out the couch as Zayn stood up supported by Liam's chest.
Zayn snickered as Harry and Louis stood back, admiring their makeshift cuddle spot. Liam gently shoved Zayn against the onslaught of pillows and collapsed gently on top of him, rolling them over so that he was sitting up and Zayn was leaning casually against his chest. Niall was on the left, sitting against both of them and tilting his head back, enjoying it Zayn massaged his hand and Liam kissed him lightly. Louis took the right, sitting in the same position Liam was and opened his arms up for Harry to fall into. Zayn let his other hand start twirling around in Harry's hair, making him gasp in delight.
But suddenly, the boys' moment was ruined by a simple observation. "What the fuck is on your wrist," Louis snarled, grabbing his hand as Zayn hissed. "Did he hurt you?" After seeing the pain and plain truth in Zayn's eyes, Louis got up, knocking Harry's head over in the process. Zayn chilled; if Louis didn't even apologise to their youngest boyfriend, then you knew something was up.
"I'll be back," he promised, seething as he slammed the door behind him. Harry and Zayn exchanged glances, unsure whether to be worried for Johnny, Louis, or both.
"He's gone," Louis said, satisfied. Zayn watched with wide eyes as he sat down, wisely choosing not to say a word. Liam reached over and kissed him gently as Harry made himself comfortable on Louis' lap. Louis grabbed Zayn's wrist carefully, wrapping it in gauze. Zayn resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"Thank you, love," he said instead, stealing him momentarily from Liam and kissing him passionately. He immediately pulled away as he started to cough again, hiding his face in his arms.
"Why don't we go home and watch old movies?" Niall asked, looking down at the boys. Harry looked ready to complain, obviously not wanting to get comfortable for the third time. "Then, we can really take care of Zayn,"
Zayn wasn't sure in what way Niall was talking about, but he did know that he couldn't wait to find out
