Morning Routine (A Ziall Fan Fic)

Words: 2300
Warnings: Ziall & Fluff (ALL AGES)

Zayn's Point Of View.
I wake to the grinding sound of my phone vibrating on my white hotel nightstand. I roll over and look at my phone; the bright screen blinds my eyes for a few moments while they adjust to the light. 3:55am. I crawl out my bed and pop in my headphones, letting the fast paced R&B music play quietly. "I have to be quiet, I don't want the boys to know I'm up" I think to myself as I blindly stumble through the kitchen and out the hotel room door. "Thank goodness the hallway is lit" I walk down the hall in my sneakers, grey tracksuit pants, light blue V-neck shirt with a black leather duffle bag hanging off my shoulder.

I turn my music up as I enter the hotel gym and make sure no one else is there. I set the treadmill to four, "this will be a good workout" I think and I start to run on the treadmill, I turn my music up loud and feel all the heavy beats pumping though me, pushing me to work out harder. I keep an eye out for other people, I don't want anyone to see my skinny body trying to work out, it would just be embarrassing and I would hate for the paparazzi to get a photo of me. I start to get paranoid and debate about leaving right now, but I push them thoughts out of my head and keep working out. I want to look me best for the fans and Nialler. "Oh Nialler, why don't you ever notice me? "I feel a tear forming in my eye so I smash my fist into the treadmill control panel and it goes up from level four to level eight… "Oh shit," I think to myself, I feel my legs barely being able to keep up with the fast spinning black track. Now I find myself sprinting and my legs are getting warn out, I can feel sharp cold pains at the bottom of my lungs, and my running technique is getting sloppy. I feel sweat starting to run down my face and my breath gets weak. I desperately slap the controls down to level two and feel my whole body going numb from exhaustion. I hear my phone alarm go off again, it reads 4:20am and then I realize that I'm starting to cut it close. I quickly stretch and head for the hotel room.

Before heading back inside I turn my iPod back down and sit out on the hotel balcony and proceed to light a smoke and take rough bites out of a crisp green apple. I start to feel guilty as the nicotine fills my lungs, I know its bad for me but it really does relax me and gets my nerves back in check. I still keep an eye out for the boys. I lied to them a while ago and said I quit. Ever since Nialler and I got into an argument about smoking and he yelled that it was wretched and filthy!

"Wretched and filthy"…. The words linger on my mind as I smoke, feeling disgusted in myself I throw the smoke over the balcony rail and take another bite of my apple before heading to the bathroom.

4:30am. "Lets do this" I think to myself as I pull out a bunch of beauty products out of my duffle bag; razors, shaving cream, shower gel and a bunch of ointments begin taking up most of the surfaces in the bathroom. I hop in the shower, and let the water wash all the sweat off my tense body. I let my mouth fill with warm water and I gargle it, trying to get the taste of the filthy smokes off my tongue. I grab the large louver and I fill it up with shower gel and I being to exfoliate my entire body, lathering up my shoulders, my worn out legs… I always find my back the hardest to clean. I then pour exfoliator into my hands and massage my face, I can feel the small blue balls scrubbing away the dead skin but I can also feel my facial hair getting scrubbed, and I get annoyed… I wish I wasn't Muslim; I would do anything to not have such thick black fast growing body hair. I hop out the shower and begin to cover my fuzzy body from my collar to my feet in hair removal cream, "I look like I'm wearing a white jumpsuit," I think to my reflection. I smile then I start to load my face with shaving cream and being cutting the rough stubble away. After rinsing off all the excess shaving cream and my white lathery suit. I pluck my brows of extra hairs and I start to apply skin moisturizers, ointments, deodorant and other creams to my face. All in my attempt to be kind of attractive. I stare at the mirror and frown, I'm so happy there is no paparazzi here right now, I stare at my face, I can see the small acne bumps around my temples, the dry skin around my beard line and the small blackheads on my nose.

A depressing sigh leaves my mouth. When will I ever be able to just wake up and let people see this version of me? This is why I'm still a virgin, I mean I can make out with someone on a dance floor for hours, but the idea of someone waking up next to me, with no beauty products seriously scares me. "Why can't I have some confidence?"
I sigh again and reach down to the bag and pull out some foundation and apply it to my face to hide all the flaws. I stare at myself again and a slight smile forms on my face. Suddenly I hear banging on the door! "HURRY UP ZAYN, I NEED TO PEE!!!"

It was Niall. I look at my phone and my eyes widen: it was 7:03am. "Give me a sec Niall," I bark out and I quickly rush to put away all my stupid products, as I rush I try to be quiet and think to myself: "Oh my god! Three and a half hours it took to look like this: I'm really ugly"… I start to stop paying attention and just throw stuff in my bag.
"FUCK" I yell out as a bottle of cologne calls of the counter and smashes on the ground.  "COME ON MAN, STOP WANKING AND OPEN THE DOOR, I'M ALMOST LEAKING!!!!!" Niall yells and bangs on the door
I quickly zip up my bag and open the door; "watch out for the broken bottle, I'll clean it up in a second" I say as he barges past, his hair is a mess I notice. I wish I could be that relaxed and pretty without trying. I sigh happily. Then I realize the door is open and I hear Niall starting to pee and I rush back to my room to start working on my hair.

7:45am and we are all laying about in the kitchen, I am sitting in a suit jacket, a button up blue shirt and some grey slacks, while everyone else in the pajama's besides Harry who is only in his underwear.
"So what was all the ruckus this morning?" Louis asks with snappy tone
"Yeah, hey you woke me up too" Liam chimes in
"Zayn happened" harry says and they all laugh at me.
I know they are all joking and I join in. But on the inside I'm hurt, having to fake laugh about your biggest insecurity really does ruin an ego. I look over to Niall and I notice he isn't laughing; he is just shoveling his bacon and eggs into his mouth, staring right at me, with no emotions.

I feel my chest caving, "why is Niall giving me death glares? The guy is normally so relaxed and chilled. I knew Niall isn't a morning person. But does he hate me now?" Niall suddenly looks over at Liam and his big grin appears. He starts making jokes with his breakfast and mucking around with the eggs. Boy did Nialler love to eat. "Cocky and confidant." That is how I would describe Niall. He always has something funny to say, and he has so much confidence. He has no problem defying the management with his shower of cunts jokes and his constant flirting with everyone, from the boys to girls to interviewers but never me. I sigh and keep eating my small breakfast portion.

"All right Lou and I are heading the gym," Harry says with a grin. We all know what he means though.
"I got to call, Danielle" Liam says "its almost 7pm in England"
before I know it is just me and Niall sitting there, in an awkward silence.
"Dude, what was that all about?" Niall casually questions me with a low volume.
"Pardon? You're the one who gave me death stares," I say with defense.
"You know what I mean, laughing along with the boys jokes about your vanity" he says while putting a slice of egg in his mouth, still staring at me.
"Oh… its just easier that way" I say, shy glancing down at the counter,
"Bullshit… It's not vanity you lack, its confidence," he says, stabbing his knife into the sausage.
"Thanks buddy" I say sarcastically. I feel hurt "its easy for you to say, mister attractive flirt" I say, letting the room fill with tension.
"You know you are attractive, but you don't need to be so uptight about it" he quickly retorts, he voice actually gets louder.
"What, are you talking about?" I say, pretending to be dumb.
"Are you kidding me? You wake up like four hours before all of us just to get ready," Niall says and he slams down his knife and folk on to the bench.
"… Umm err my words stumble out my mouth, I get up and leave the kitchen. Nialler really did hit a sore patch for me, I can feel my emotions welling to the top.
"Wait, Zayn I didn't mean it like that" he says with compassion and he stands up.
I turn around at stare at him with tears in my eyes then I slam my bedroom door
"ZAYN!!" Niall yells out.

I lean with my upper back against my hotel room door and then I start sliding to the ground till I'm sitting on the ground, with my head on my hands, and I start to cry, feeling very emotional and insecure.
I hear Niall quietly knock on the door, and whisper: I'm sorry Zayn… please let me in
"No Niall" I say with no emotion or leniency.
"Fine, but I'm just going to wait here till you open this door," he says again not very loudly but with lots of compassion.
I hear him drop the ground his back leaning against the door. I continue to cry.

After about five minutes, I feel I just can't cry anymore. My body is drained and so is my heart. I lift myself up, lie down on my queen bed and sigh. Covering my face with my arms, I hear my door slowly creaking open and I sit up.
"What are you doing Niall? I told you to leave me alone. After all I'm just an insecure fuck right?"  I say with a sharp tongue.

"Your wrong Zayn, I don't think your anything bad. I'm sick of seeing you beat yourself up. You sacrifice so much sleep with all this extra time to clear up a blackhead or two." He says calmly.  Niall steps in closer and messes up Zayn's hair and gives me a big grin.
He then pulls me up of the bed by my wrists; he puts his arms around me and hugs me. Not just some normal hug but a real Horan hug I can feel his warmth and I nuzzle into his neck. And we fall on to the bed.
He kisses me on the forehead, and says nothing. We just lay on the bed and I fall asleep in his arms, with no worries about my appearance or how I would look when I woke up.


Epilogue  

"It's been two months since Nialler and I had our argument and slept in the same bed," I scratch into my diary. "After I woke up we had a chuckle and then we got dressed and got some lunch. Lately I find myself worrying less about my appearance and sleeping more, and you know what? Sleep has been amazing! I think its what my body needed, there is less stress on my face and I have lots more energy. People say I look warmer lately, I guess its because all I do now is wash myself with soap and I have actually stopped smoking."

"As for my lunch with Nialler, we just hung out like mates, like we used to before I got my crush, I noticed after a few weeks that all my romantic feelings have worn away. I don't think I was attracted to Niall, but rather I think his confidence and chilled attitude was something I wanted." I smile and close my diary, and place it in my top draw before hearing Niall bang on my door.
"Hurry up bro, you need to get up" he opens my door with a hurry.
"What? Your still in your PJ's Zayn!" he says angrily and starts rummaging through my wardrobe. Before throwing an outfit at me.
"LETS GO" and he start clapping his hands loudly.
I just look at him and smile for a minute, he notices and he just smiles backs quietly.