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“Louis said he wasn’t going to drink tonight, but I find that highly unlikely. And ok, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and believe him about not drinking this time, but I know he’ll just get high instead and it’ll be just the same anyway.” Harry frowns again, for what feels like the bloody hundredth time in the past ten minutes because he still hasn’t gotten any sort of response from Zayn. He’s moved from topic to topic, and his boyfriend has been unresponsive.
They’re on their way to Liam’s party, one of Zayn’s friends from his university days and Zayn’s driving. Harry can’t excuse Zayn’s lack of response due to his driving, because one, they always talk while driving, and two, Harry blew Zayn while he was behind the steering wheel once and that was fine. So the apparent silent treatment has nothing to do with concern for safety while driving. No, it’s to do with something else and Harry can’t stand it.
He’s tried to provide different topics for them but Zayn is being a prick and will only occasionally reply with a “mhmm” or just not say anything at all. Harry’s so confused because they were talking fine and then they went to the bottle shop to buy something for Liam and when they came back to the car, over ten minutes ago, Zayn apparently lost his ability to formulate fucking words.
“Why are you ignoring me?” Harry asks, his annoyance clear in his tone.
“I’m not.” Comes Zayn’s easy reply.
“Yes, you fucking are.” Because Harry can’t stand when Zayn doesn’t pay attention to him. “You haven’t said a word to me since we got back in the car! Why?”
“You’re being so childish.” Zayn’s tone is harsher now, Harry can slowly see him become worked up, but he’s most certainly not going to back down because Zayn’s being a dick and especially because he just called him childish.
Zayn fucking knows how much Harry resents being called childish. There’s a five-year age gape between them, with Harry being 19 and Zayn 24 and Harry hates when Zayn plays the age card. He hates how he can become a pompous prick and throw it in Harry’s face when it suits him because he’s experienced more than Harry has, because he finished his university degree and Harry has just gotten started. He hates it.
“Me?! I’m being childish! You’re fucking ignoring me for god knows what reason and I’m the childish one?” And Harry is yelling now. Zayn doesn’t respond to him and Harry can see his boyfriend’s grip tighten on the steering wheel. But he does.not.care because Zayn’s ignoring him again. “You’re the fucking worst.” Harry spits.
And that seemingly does it because Zayn’s attention is fully on Harry now, maybe too much for someone that is driving, but it’s nothing new for them, “I’m the worst? Fucking me? Tell me who took the bloody shop assistance’s phone number at the bottle shop while their boyfriend was standing right there? Because it sure as hell wasn’t me!” Zayn yells at him.
“Are you kidding me? And you were calling me childish!” Harry is buzzing now. Harry was gearing for a fight before and Zayn has given in to it. He has to stop himself from smirking because he knows how possessive Zayn is of him, he fucking knows and he loves it. The lady at the bottle store did give Harry her number but he wasn’t going to do anything with it. Of course he wasn’t, and Zayn probably knows that. But he’s too proud of a person to let something like that slip. Especially since it happened right in front of him. “What’d you want me to do? Throw it in her face? I just took it; I don’t even know where it went!” Harry defends himself. He truly didn’t take it to upset Zayn; he was simply being polite because he knows how much rejection can suck.
“That’s because I took it and threw it in the fucking bin on the way out! You could’ve said sorry I have a boyfriend!”
“You’re punishing me for something that wasn’t even my fault!”
“Well where’d she get the idea that it was ok for her to give you her number? You must have done something that was suggestive!”
“How dare you? I would never fucking do anything like that to you! I love you, you dickhead!” Harry growls, because it hurts so much that Zayn could accuse him of anything but being loyal.
“Look we’re almost at Liam’s, can w-” Harry doesn’t wait for Zayn to finish what he was about to say, because he just dismissed what Harry said and this whole thing is getting really old.
“Say it back.” Harry demands and he sees Zayn rolling his eyes. “Say it back!” Harry’s eyes are stinging with the tears he’s holding back because there has never been a time when Zayn doesn’t reciprocate the ‘I love you’ and to do it in the middle of a fight, where Harry needs that reaffirmation kills him.
“We’re here now ok and I don’t feel like saying it right now.” Zayn says in a more measured tone as he parks the car in front of Liam’s house and Harry hates him for making him feel so immature about this right now.
“Well fine, because I don’t feel like saying it ever!” Harry hates, hates, hates that Zayn’s made him feel so stupid.
“What does that mean? We’re breaking up?” Zayn’s measured tone is long gone and it’s back to the yelling. Zayn’s twisted his body towards Harry and he can see the anger in Zayn’s eyes.
“No. We’re just on a break.” Harry says through a breath as he gets out of the car and walks towards Liam’s front door.
Zayn scrambles out of the driver’s seat and chases after Harry. His hand grips around Harry’s arm and manages to turn Harry’s body towards his so they’re facing one another. If Harry wanted to he could just inch his head up slightly to kiss Zayn and this thing could be forgotten. If Harry didn’t get off on fighting with Zayn he would’ve done that. But the thing is, he likes fighting with Zayn too much to do that.
“You can’t just say we’re on a break and walk out of the car like that do you understand?” Zayn’s hand around his arm is still there, it’s not tight or anything like that to cause Harry any form of pain what so ever, but the touch is making his skin burn. He wants to kiss Zayn. Wants to leave this party and have hot, angry sex, ripping clothes off, biting skin, scratching, the whole lot. And the way Zayn’s looking at him isn’t helping. He’s so angry, his eyebrows furrowed together, jaw clenched, heavy breaths and he’s just the hottest thing Harry’s ever seen.
Zayn is the most attractive person in the whole world. Especially now. Especially like this, when Harry’s the cause of the anger. Because he’s the one that Zayn gets possessive over and it makes him feel so good. It makes him feel so great about himself that someone like Zayn, someone so utterly beautiful could feel so strongly towards Harry.
“Well I just did, didn’t I?” Harry pulls his arm out of Zayn’s grip, turning back towards Liam’s front door and walking with his head held high.
He hears, what sounds like a growl, emit from Zayn who’s chasing after him again and this time he doesn’t hold back his smile.
“Hold my hand,” Zayn demands as he catches up to Harry and knocks aggressively on the front door, “the whole party doesn’t need to know we’ve had a tiff because you were a jerk.”
Before Harry could protest and tell Zayn that he wasn't the one at fault, the front door swag open and Zayn automatically grabbed Harry's hand. Liam, who was the one to greet them, didn't seem to notice the abrupt movement and greeted them with a horribly loud "hey".
"Happy birthday Liam!" Harry says before Zayn, tugging his hand out of his boyfriend's and hugging Liam. When they break from the embrace Harry hands over the bottle of scotch they had bought for him from the bottle shop.
"Thanks guys!" Liam smiles.
"Happy birthday mate." Zayn smiles. Harry doesn't wait for the two of them to break apart from their hug before he steps past Liam into the house. Though, he goes no further than that because he thought it would be rude to go into the party without Liam. He only does it to escape the chance of Zayn holding his hand again. He agrees that the other partygoers don't need to know about their relationship, but he doesn't want to be next to Zayn right now. Especially because Zayn is trying to pin this all on him.
"C'mon Li, it's cold," Harry says from the doorway, "and I want to get you more drunk!"
"Yay!" Liam cheers as he grabs Harry's hand and leads them quickly inside, disregarding Zayn.
Harry laughs and glances over his shoulder to Zayn who looks so mad. Harry is certain that if it was any other person that took Harry's hand and away from Zayn, Zayn would've fought them. But because it's Liam, and because they're on their 'break' he just stands back and looks so angry, Harry is scared he might burst a vessel.
There have been countless times where Zayn has almost gotten into a physical fight whenever a guy doesn't get the hint and lingers around Harry too long. Zayn will storm over, yell abuse at whichever guy attempts to talk/dance/flirt with Harry, and won't throw a punch only because Harry drags him away.
He pulls him away with a ‘baby, please just come with me’, and his hands slipping under Zayn's shirt and touching his hips. Zayn will walk away, always if Harry requests it and will kiss him so passionately it leaves Harry so breathless he will feel faint afterwards. And when they stop kissing Zayn will bite, suck and lick at Harry's neck until it's all marked and red and he's whispering into Harry's ear "mine", which Harry can only respond to with "yours".
Harry will always have the loveliest "ZAYN'S" stamped on his neck and he loves the attention and the love and the possessiveness.
Though, not tonight. No, tonight is different. Zayn stands back and watches Harry go and Harry's still angry enough that he doesn't care.
He does a shot with Liam and a few other people, all with Zayn's eyes on him, and then goes off to Louis who is nursing a drink in his hand.
"Hey you said you weren't drinking tonight!" Harry laughs when he reaches Louis.
"Well I guessed I lied," Louis smirks and hugs Harry hello. "What aren't I allowed to hug you now?" Louis asks with a frown and a nod of his head at Zayn, who is glaring behind them, leaning against a wall.
Harry just sighs, "no it's fine," he reassures, "we just had a bit of a tiff and we're on a break." Harry explains.
"A break? You're telling me there's actually a way to separate you two?"
Now it's Harry's turn to frown. He's aware that him and Zayn are close, many of their friends describe them as codependent, but they're not that bad. They've had breaks before, many actually. Though they've always been at home when they've happened and it only lasts all up 5 minutes before they're having hot makeup sex. Today was different, today they were going out and the option for them to fuck their frustration out isn't available to them at the party.
"Yes, there is." Harry says, eyebrows furrowed together.
"Alright, don't get mad lil one. You need another drink I think." Louis laughs.
Harry wants to yell at him for calling him "lil one", he's sick of Zayn and Zayn's friends belittling him. But the prospect of another drink keeps his anger subsided.
"Yea I think I do." Harry smirks.
-
Harry's shitfaced. There's no other way to describe it. He’s lost count of how many drinks he’s had and his head is spinning with every single motion. He’s not usually this loud, but tonight he’s that obnoxious drunk who can’t keep his mouth closed. Harry’s not putting it on exactly, he’s just exaggerating how he normally acts because he wants Zayn’s attention on him.
And it’s working. Zayn’s eyes have not left Harry all night. His glaring is so piercing; Harry can feel it before he sees it. Ever once in a while Harry will catch him snarling whenever someone comes too close to Harry. Though majority of the guys that approach him all do it in a friendly manner, only because all of them know Zayn and he are in a relationship. But for those that don’t know he’s spoken for, Harry doesn’t indulge them. He was never interested in testing Zayn like that. He was never the one that sought out other guys, it was always them coming to him. So he just ignores whoever comes up to him, only because he knows Zayn won’t come up tonight to tell them off and he doesn’t want to cause any long-term damage to his relationship.
The cup in his hand is now empty and that simply just won’t do. “I’ll be back in one second,” Harry yells over the music that’s playing to the girl he was dancing with. He’s pretty sure her name is Ella and she’s Sophia’s best friend, but keep in mind he was introduced to her straight after a vodka shot, and then proceeded to another shot with his new friend.
Ella, nods her approval and Harry is off in the direction of the table set up in the corner where Liam has kindly provided alcohol. Though, on his way there he’s stopped by something. Or rather, someone as his brain catches up and realises there’s a familiar hand on his hip.
Zayn pulls him in close to whisper in his ear and Harry’s buzzing, “I think you’ve had enough to drink.” Zayn says in a warning tone.
“Well I dot think I have.” Harry pouts.
“Harry,” Zayn says in an almost growl, “I don’t want you to drink anymore ok?”
“Tough because I don’t want you to ignore me but you do it anyway.” Harry retorts with a roll of his eye as he frees himself from Zayn’s hold.
“I’m your boyfriend for fucks sake, listen!”
“Nope, have you forgotten we’re on a break?” He says as he saunters off towards the table.
Harry was originally going to be fancy and mix a drink, though that’s a horrible idea. He needs an immediate hit and he needs Zayn to see him. So Harry downs another shot of vodka past his lips and turns back to grin at Zayn who looks positively furious and it’s the sexiest thing ever.
When Zayn sees the grin plastered on Harry’s face he snaps and storms off, to have Ant follow him. Harry should feel bad, but he’s a twisted soul and loves pushing Zayn’s buttons. Zayn’s shouting. Harry can tell even though the music is too loud to hear what he’s saying. Ant took him to the other side of the room and Zayn’s going for gold. He’s gesturing at Harry over Ant’s shoulder, clearly filling in his best friend on what’s happened between them. Harry smiles because he’s sick and Zayn’s so worked up over him. God it feels so good.
The two talk for what seems like forever. Harry’s over it. Zayn’s not paying attention to him now and that’s not what’s supposed to be happening. Harry’s supposed to be the centre of Zayn’s attention all the time, but especially now when he’s drunk and everyone else is paying attention to him.
Harry starts to get louder, starts to dance a little more wildly, starts to talk to guys, place his hand on their shoulder but Zayn’s not even looking at him. He’s engrossed in the conversation with Ant, and it’s Harry’s turn to be furious because he’s being ignored fucking again.
Before he can think of what to do he’s moving. He storms across the bloody room, all hot tempered and needy.
“Get away from my boyfriend.” Harry orders Ant when he’s reached the two.
They both look at him with a confused glance, Zayn’s being taken over by a smirk in about point 5 of a second. Though Ant doesn’t catch on and simply goes, “what?”
“Fuck off and get away from my boyfriend.” Harry repeats as he steps into Zayn’s space and wraps his arms around Zayn’s neck.
The smirk on Zayn’s face has turned triumphant as Zayn circles his arms around Harry’s waist.
“Whatever dude, you’re both fucked.” Ant grumbles as he walks off.
“Boyfriend aye?” Zayn teases, “what happened to being on a break?”
He doesn’t want a smug Zayn now, he’s too drunk to counteract him, so Harry kisses him. The kiss is strong; their hands grasping at one another in a desperate manner as Zayn pushes Harry back against a wall.
“Stop ignoring me,” Harry pants out against Zayn’s lips. “You’re doing it again, stop.”
Zayn laughs while their lips are still touching before he pulls back and presses their foreheads together. He brings his hands to either side of Harry’s face to hold him in place, “you’re fucking impossible. You’re such a spoilt, needy brat.”
“But I’m your brat.”
“I could never ignore you if I tried.” Zayn says simply and Harry’s heart flutters.
“Say it back.”
“I love you too.”