Chapter Text
Distance
**
He watched him from afar, his heart clenching as his airy giggles reached his ears. The rosy hue in his cheeks from the mirth along with the cool wind off the sea, enthralled him. And it took all of Zayn's energy to keep from running to his side. His body demanded that he did, so did his heart, but his willpower was stronger.
It had to be.
He didn't want to feel this way about him.
In some ways he respected him, grudgingly.
He was without a doubt one of the bravest people Zayn had ever met.
He had dated a frigging vampire and lived to tell the tale.
Of course there was the time after the blood sucker left, and he had spiraled into almost nothingness. And then he was saved by the person who loved him almost as much as Zayn did.
Louis Tomlinson.
Even now, Louis was all over the younger man, constantly touching him. Making him laugh. Making Zayn angry.
He hated this feeling.
He tried to fight it, he really did, but it hurt.
So fucking much.
This whole imprinting thing was a laugh.
He didn't want it.
It made him feel powerless, unable to do anything about it.
He had no choice.
And in some ways it made Zayn resent him.
Oh, it wasn't his fault. Not really.
Thing is, he was good with weird. Always had been, so it wasn't that he would reject Zayn, but Zayn didn't want him to feel for him because of some magical bullshit.
His heart skipped a few beats as his big, chocolate eyes met his, a smile on his lips.
Was that smile for him?
He had made fun of the other imprints, laughing as their balls got snipped and they were made weak by having their feet swept from under them and bound to their partners, unable to function properly without them. Now, he was just like them.
The only difference between them and him was that he suffered in the privacy of his own inner hell.
He had always been good at hiding his feelings, keeping his thoughts to himself.
It was the way he had been conditioned into life.
He had always been a loner.
And he had to fight for what he wanted, all his life.
The aggression made it easy to dissuade anyone from invading his mind, and for that he was grateful.
He watched as Louis nuzzled the boy's cheek, making him giggle; again.
His fists folded at his side, and he had to check himself before he growled and drew attention to himself. Zayn took a calming breath and continued watching him, even though now he had turned away from him, talking to one of the younger pack members, Phoebe, it looked like.
He was so good with everyone.
Almost like Niall's double, but with an edge.
Where as Niall was sweet and wholesome, never raising his voice, almost submissive, he was different.
He stood up for himself.
Fought for what he wanted.
Defended the people he cared about.
The people he loved.
People like Louis.
That's what started this whole mess. Liam's love for Louis.
His mind went back to the day it happened.
The day he imprinted on Liam Payne.
**