Storm, Zayn + Louis, gen
500 words
For junkshop_disco!
Zayn is fast asleep until Louis comes crawling into his bunk, hitting his head against the ceiling and cursing loudly. He folds himself into the corner at Zayn’s feet, eyes wide, and Zayn sits up, blinking blearily against the need to just ignore Louis and lie down again.
“There’s a storm outside,” Louis says thinly, hugging his knees to his chest. “I just thought I’d check on you to see if you’re afraid of storms. Are you?”
Zayn squints and then rubs his eyes. Now that Louis has mentioned it, he can hear the howling wind and feels the bus shake a little; there’s thunder and the sound of rain hitting the bus. “No,” he says. “‘m not afraid.”
“Good. Good. I just wanted to make sure,” Louis says, but doesn’t move, staying in his corner like it’s the safest place on earth.
“Are you scared?” Zayn sits up fully, leaning against the wall of the bunk. Now that he’s awake he can’t really go back to sleep so easily.
Louis barks out a laugh and shakes his head vehemently. “Me? Oh, no. Don’t be silly.” He looks like it, though, hair all standing up and face pale despite his tan, hands curling around his knees.
“Should we get a cup of tea?” Zayn asks and shifts, carefully sliding to the floor when Louis nods. Louis follows a moment later, overtaking Zayn, tugging up his pajama trousers while he pushes the door to the front part of the bus open. Zayn closes it again, careful not to wake the others, and sets to making tea while Louis curls up on the bench, playing with his phone.
Zayn finishes their tea - mint for himself, English Breakfast with milk for Louis - and sets their cups on the table, squeezing into the booth opposite from Louis.
“It’ll be over soon,” he says and takes a careful sip, wincing at the heat. “And we’re driving away from it too.”
Louis makes a disapproving noise and sips at his tea, turning his phone over and over in his hand until Zayn reaches out and snatches it away, putting it on the table. “Stop it, you’re making me all. Jittery.”
“Jittery.” Louis puts his cup down and gives him a look, brows raised, half-smirking, but the effect is somewhat ruined by how tired and small and just-out-of-bed he looks. He seems to want to continue, but then a sudden thunder shakes the bus, rattling the cups in the cabinet. Louis jumps, holding onto the table. He laughs, but doesn’t let go, and says, “That was. Really loud. Startled me. Easily startled when half-asleep. You know that.”
“Yes,” Zayn says after a moment, feeling a little awkward. “That was really close. Maybe I am scared now.” He gives Louis a little smile. “Could we bunk together?”
Louis breathes out a long sigh and nods. “Of course,” he says, voice weak. “I wouldn’t leave you hanging like that.”
“Thanks, mate,” Zayn says. “I knew you wouldn’t.”
For junkshop_disco!
Zayn is fast asleep until Louis comes crawling into his bunk, hitting his head against the ceiling and cursing loudly. He folds himself into the corner at Zayn’s feet, eyes wide, and Zayn sits up, blinking blearily against the need to just ignore Louis and lie down again.
“There’s a storm outside,” Louis says thinly, hugging his knees to his chest. “I just thought I’d check on you to see if you’re afraid of storms. Are you?”
Zayn squints and then rubs his eyes. Now that Louis has mentioned it, he can hear the howling wind and feels the bus shake a little; there’s thunder and the sound of rain hitting the bus. “No,” he says. “‘m not afraid.”
“Good. Good. I just wanted to make sure,” Louis says, but doesn’t move, staying in his corner like it’s the safest place on earth.
“Are you scared?” Zayn sits up fully, leaning against the wall of the bunk. Now that he’s awake he can’t really go back to sleep so easily.
Louis barks out a laugh and shakes his head vehemently. “Me? Oh, no. Don’t be silly.” He looks like it, though, hair all standing up and face pale despite his tan, hands curling around his knees.
“Should we get a cup of tea?” Zayn asks and shifts, carefully sliding to the floor when Louis nods. Louis follows a moment later, overtaking Zayn, tugging up his pajama trousers while he pushes the door to the front part of the bus open. Zayn closes it again, careful not to wake the others, and sets to making tea while Louis curls up on the bench, playing with his phone.
Zayn finishes their tea - mint for himself, English Breakfast with milk for Louis - and sets their cups on the table, squeezing into the booth opposite from Louis.
“It’ll be over soon,” he says and takes a careful sip, wincing at the heat. “And we’re driving away from it too.”
Louis makes a disapproving noise and sips at his tea, turning his phone over and over in his hand until Zayn reaches out and snatches it away, putting it on the table. “Stop it, you’re making me all. Jittery.”
“Jittery.” Louis puts his cup down and gives him a look, brows raised, half-smirking, but the effect is somewhat ruined by how tired and small and just-out-of-bed he looks. He seems to want to continue, but then a sudden thunder shakes the bus, rattling the cups in the cabinet. Louis jumps, holding onto the table. He laughs, but doesn’t let go, and says, “That was. Really loud. Startled me. Easily startled when half-asleep. You know that.”
“Yes,” Zayn says after a moment, feeling a little awkward. “That was really close. Maybe I am scared now.” He gives Louis a little smile. “Could we bunk together?”
Louis breathes out a long sigh and nods. “Of course,” he says, voice weak. “I wouldn’t leave you hanging like that.”
“Thanks, mate,” Zayn says. “I knew you wouldn’t.”