The Romantic & the Cynic

"Fuck," Zayn swore as he crashed into the rented house after the drive from the studio to the house in Malibu. "Why don't you just leave the hell alone! I didn't do a damn thing that wasn't deserved by that scumbags and you've already made you points perfectly clear."

Zayn's frustration had started at the studio and in truth wasn't completely directed at his friend who had followed him in from the car. The biggest part of it was what had happened when they had all left for the day. He stood with his fists clenched as he had stared at Louis trying to organize his crashing thoughts.

They had packed up their belongings, the mood happy and light even though he could see that Sky was still obviously nervous about what was waiting for her outside in the parking lot. Paul had called Rob and told him that they were ready to go and were heading downstairs. According to Rob, the men from that morning were still there and had been joined by several more. The news had angered Zayn, his guilt over bringing her into this still there.

Paul had assured them that the situation was under control. He had asked for Sky's keys and brought her car to the front door so that the men would have little chance to get a chance to take a photo. The group grabbed the last of their things and headed down the curved staircase to the front door. Sky hesitated at the top and Zayn held out his hand towards her, silently assuring her that he would take care of her. She seemed to trust him and started down the stairs but stopped herself from taking his hand. He let her walk by him but followed close behind with his hand on the small of her back.

The group reached the front doors, Sky's car waiting for her. Rob was standing halfway in between, his eyes trained on the group of men who hovered nearby. They seemed to be aware that something was happening and were looking for the moment when they could get their shot.

"Okay guys, I'm going to let Sky go first. Rob is going to follow her home to make sure they don't pull anything and she gets there safe." Sky was going to say something but Paul immediately put his hand up to quiet her. "I know, you're a big girl, can take of herself, all of that I am woman, hear me roar crap. But I have dealt with these guys for too long and there is no way anyone working for me will not be protected. So Rob is going to drive behind you and make sure you get home and he will be there when you drive in here tomorrow morning. And the same will happen until there is no one waiting for you to show your face." The words were firm but not harsh.

Sky looked immediately chagrined. The group began to get ready for her to leave, her saying goodbye to them as she had thrown her bags over her shoulder and followed Paul out of the door and towards her car. It was then that the mayhem had happened. You wouldn't think a situation seeming so innocent would turn so chaotic but when she had appeared, the men were immediately there to get their moment. Rob had tried to get between her and them but there were more than there had been this morning and Paul was still partially focused on his main charges inside. A photographer had broken the invisible barrier and had gotten right beside Sky. She froze at the intrusion, her yes wide with fear. The man brushed against her and her bag dropped to the hard pavement. She bent to pick it up, obviously concerned that none of her equipment had gotten damaged. But in doing so, she had fallen down herself, landing hard on the ground. That had caused an anger in Zayn to surge and despite the warnings only a moment before from a very firm Paul to stay inside until they had dealt with that situation, he had felt himself running to help her up. He reached her side and helped to pick her up with Paul, her eyes looking at Zayn with obvious gratefulness. After they had gotten her steady on her feet and in the car, Zayn heard the comment from beside him. The one that had set him off. It had come from a baseball capped photographer who had hovered around the edge of the group, a greasy smirk on his face.

"Trying to protect your new fangirl, Zayn," he said as he raised his camera to snap another shot. "Better ask Louis where she's sleeping tonight before you make any plans."

And that was what had sent Zayn over the edge. Before he realized where he was, he found himself standing up in front of the arrogant man. His hands were clamped on the hoodie the guy was wearing, the terrycloth fabric wrinkled between his fingers.

"What did you say?" Zayn squeezed the words through clenched teeth, his blood boiling at the words and the insinuation towards Sky.

The taller man held his hands up in surrender, his smile dropping from his face slightly. "Hey man, I was just kidding. Take a pill." He raised his eyes to where Paul and Rob were, both of them making their way towards the confrontation. Zayn saw them as well but didn't care. He wanted to make this creep pay for such a sick comment. But he soon felt thick hands on each of his shoulders and he knew that Rob and Paul had come to stand beside him. They pulled gently at him, making sure that he understood that he was to back down. He did so with regret.

The scene had calmed down after that. The other photographers had grabbed some shots so he was sure that they would be on some type of entertainment program or website but he hadn't cared. The comment had been out of line and the photographer needed to know it. Rob had ushered the group of photographers away while Paul had gotten a shaken Sky into her car. Rob joined her after a moment, insisting he was going to drive her back to the apartment whether she wanted him to or not. Even easy-rolling Louis had agreed that the precaution was a good choice. Zayn had watched the car pull out into traffic, his anger moving from a boil to a simmer. Paul quickly got everyone into the waiting SUV and started to drive them back to Malibu.

The ride had been silent and cold most of the way. Each of the car's occupants had been shaken by the interaction at the studio and the look in Sky's eyes as she had fallen to the ground. She had grown to be a part of their group in the short time she had spent with them and to see her scared was uncomfortable for all of them. It was when they had turned off of the highway and onto the small road that led to the house when Louis had started in on him about Sky and the whole incident.

"You want to tell us what happened back there," he had said as he had looked out the window beside him. He had wanted it to come off as a casual question but Zayn heard the heat behind the words. "Rob and Paul could have handled it without anything happening."

Zayn had taken a deep breath, not wanting to react in anger like he had been only days ago when they had expressed concern. It had been Liam he was expecting to give him trouble over what had happened, not Louis. He rubbed his face with his hands and looked at Louis. "That guy had it coming. He said something that was sick and disgusting and demeaning to all of us and he needed to be shown that we won't let him get away with it."

"Yeah but Paul had told us to wait inside. If you had, he would have helped her up, gotten her in the car and sent her on her way with Rob. Exactly what happened minus the addition of the pictures of you going a round with a photographer."

"You're telling me that you didn't want to do exactly the same thing." Zayn desperately wanted to light a smoke but couldn't in the car. Only five more minutes and they would be at the house and could inhale the calming scent. "I've seen you when they come after Eleanor."

Louis sighed. "That's a little different. Eleanor and I are dating and the things they have said about her and me and that whole Larry Stylinson bullshit are pretty disgusting. Sky, according to what you told me not twenty-four hours ago, is no more than a friend. And the scene this morning will only make her more interesting to them. What should have blown over by tomorrow will now be the talk of the internet chat groups for at least another day."

Zayn had looked around at the others in the SUV for some scrap of report. He saw none as each of them looked away as his eyes swept over them. The rest of the ride was silent. But when they pulled in front of the house, Louis couldn't stop himself.

"We saw you guys in the studio today," he had said as they had walked towards the front door. "We saw you guys holding hands. We saw how you were looking at each other. We know that you re looking for something in your life and we're scared that you may be thinking you have found it in her."

And so they stood like this now. Louis with his hands across his chest as he stood in the open door, Zayn with his clenched at his sides as he stood in the kitchen. Each of them seemed to have drawn their lines and weren't going to back down. And the rest of the group had quickly dispersed, not wanting to be drawn into the drama.

"I'm not going to leave you alone because I care about you and I care about Sky. And I care that after what happened today she may just pack up and head back to Austin because hanging around us might be too much to handle." Louis' voice had calmed now, his tone evening out after Zayn had sworn at him.

Zayn tried to emulate it. "Look Louis, I was only trying to help a friend. I have no interest in her other than that, especially after dealing with all of the Perrie bullshit. I probably should have stayed inside but I was scared when I saw her fall. And when I heard what that guy said, I just reacted without thinking. You know what it's like when those guys start their crap. I'll talk to Paul and apologize. And I'll talk to Sky tomorrow and make sure that she doesn't go back to Austin."

Louis seemed mollified for the moment. He let his arms fall and closed the door. "Just fix it, okay?"

"I will."

Louis left then, heading to his room to relax before dinner. And that left Zayn by himself. He made his way to the deck and threw himself into one of the loungers.

He slid his heavy eyes closed, trying to let his mind smooth itself out from the emotions of the last hour. He thought back to the scene where Sky was on the ground and his muscles clenched at the memory, the look of fear on her face. But Louis was right, again. He had to get his thoughts and actions under control. The conversation he had had with Sky the previous day about how he felt about love and romance and the non-permanence of relationships was something he still believed. The emotions that he had been feeling were only wishful hopes of his heart that refused to listen to his brain. He knew this to the core of his being. His recent actions had hardly backed it up though. But he had to stop them. And the last thing he wanted to do was drag Sky into the middle of his own messed up shit. She had become a touchstone for him, a solid piece of ground in the middle of the earthquake that was his current life. He didn't want to lose it.

He had to find a balance. A way to remain her friend and not allow the moments of tenderness to go into the intimate zone. Because if he did, she would leave his life. She would become another bump in relationship highway that he would steam over and keep moving beyond.

He heard his phone ringing in his pocket, the sharp trill sounding hard on his ears. He dug the phone out and saw that it was Perrie calling, her sweet face smiling up from him on the screen. He quickly hit the decline button. He didn't want to hear the excuses she was going to give him as to why they should get back together. And he was pretty sure that the call was due to the articles regarding Sky. Perrie had always had a jealous streak in her.

But the image did do one good thing. It reminded him what happened when he believed the lie of love. When he ignored his brain and listened to his heart. When the special person left his life. He would not let that happen with Sky. He couldn't. They had to be only friends. If they were more, it would be disaster to his already tenuous sanity and to her sweet version of life.