"That bitch." Harry frowned, his spoonful of ice cream paused in mid air.

"Yeah, I guess she was a bitch." Zack chuckled.

He and Harry were on the couch surrounded by junk food, basically complaining back and forth.

"I still miss her though. More than anything." Zack admitted.

"Well that's understandable. You two were together for a long time and it's only been two weeks since she broke up with you." Harry said.

"Really? You don't think I'm pathetic?" Zack asked.

"No! Of course not." Harry said, eating more ice cream.

"Okay." Zack said, feeling a little better.

"You know, I think this is the first time since the fight that I've felt like I could breathe properly." Harry admitted.

"You know, not...crippled with anxiety and depression." He added when Zack looked at him.

"Well that's good, right? I'm helping." Zack said.

"Your ice cream is." Harry said. "Which I've eaten most of. I'm sorry."

"I gave you the container and a spoon for a reason, Harry. It's okay." Zack assured him.

"Still, I should stop." Harry said, putting it on the coffee table.

Zack shrugged, eating more chips.

Harry checked his phone, gasping when he saw that Zayn had read his messages over an hour ago.

"What is it?" Zack asked, glancing at him.

"He's officially ignoring me. He read my messages an hour ago." Harry said, feeling angry again.

"I'm sorry." Zack said quietly, not sure what to do.

Harry sighed, tossing his phone aside and burying his face in his hands.

Zack watched, feeling awkward when he realized Harry was crying.

"Harry....maybe he's just trying to figure out what to say. Maybe he's planning a big apology. You know, with gifts and stuff." He tried.

"Or maybe he's just being an asshole." Harry cried.

"No. I know Zayn, he wouldn't do this to you on purpose. Something's really wrong." Zack said.

"Well what am I supposed to do?" Harry cried louder.

"Just- calm down, okay?" Zack said carefully.

"Why won't he talk to me? What did I do?"

"Nothing! P-Probably. Look I don't know why he's acting like this but...crying over him isn't solving anything." Zack said.

Harry swallowed, wiping his cheeks with his sleeves.

"You're right. He certainly isn't desperate to talk to me or crying over me. He's probably over at Niall's or Niall's at his house." Harry said bitterly.

Zack bit his lip.

Just as Harry was beginning to seem okay it all came crashing down again.

"He probably is desperate to talk to you. He just doesn't know how. Maybe he's embarrassed." Zack shrugged, wanting Harry to be okay again.

"I don't care anymore." Harry muttered, lying.

"What?" Zack asked quickly.

"I don't care. He can ignore me all he wants, I'm ignoring him too. I don't care if he's struggling to talk to me. He's put me through hell today. Fuck him." Harry said, more tears falling.

"Harry...this is Zayn we're talking about. I know you don't really feel that way." Zack said.

"Yeah? Well maybe I need to say that. Maybe I just need to say that right now so I don't feel c-crazy, or pathetic! So I don't feel like he doesn't want me. So I don't feel so alone." Harry cried.

"Hey, you're not alone okay?" Zack asked quietly, moving closer to comfort him.

Though he wasn't really sure how.

He awkwardly patted Harry's shoulder. "I promise you Zayn will come through and explain. I promise you he wants you. This is just a bump in the road."

Harry looked at him with tearful eyes.

"You're not pathetic or crazy either." Zack added softly.

"That's how I feel. You never realize how much someone really means to you until your relationship hits a bump in the road. He's making me feel alone. He's making me feel pathetic, and crazy, and unwanted. All of it is bothering me so much because of how much he means to me. I hate it." Harry cried quietly, flinching as Zack's cold thumbs wiped his tears away.

"I understand completely, okay? I really do. But trust me, it's going to work out somehow. You need to at least try to not get so worked up about it or you'll end up in cardiac arrest or some shit." Zack said, making Harry chuckle down at his lap.

"But...I'm sorry he's making you feel all of those things. He shouldn't. He's your boyfriend." Zack said quietly, leaving his right hand up to wipe another tear away.

"Yeah. I shouldn't be sitting here crying over it either. Like I said before, I don't care." Harry said, swallowing.

"At least not right now I don't. Right now all of that never happened." Harry said, taking a deep breath.

"Right now, everything is fine. We're just hanging out, and...that's it. Eating good food and having pleasant conversation. Just us." Harry nodded, looking at Zack, who chuckled.

"I mean it. That's how things are. No more crying." Harry said sternly.

"I like that idea." Zack smiled.

Harry smiled back at him, oddly feeling a little better.

He wasn't sure if he'd truly hit rock bottom and was delusional, or if his own words actually made him feel better.

Zack spoke, but Harry hadn't heard him.

"Hm?" Harry blinked, realizing his eyes were puffy now.

"I asked if you needed anything, I'm going to get a drink." Zack said.

"Oh, um, maybe a paper towel with some cold water? My eyes are swollen and I don't want you to have to look at that." Harry said.

"Your eyes look fine." Zack squinted.

"No, I can feel that they're all puffy and ugly." Harry argued.

"Ugly? Harry please, nothing about you is ugly." Zack said.

Harry looked at him, surprised as he felt his cheeks get warm.

"W-What?"

"I said nothing about you is ugly. When I first saw you my first thought was how lucky Zayn was. Of course then it was just about looks. Now that I've gotten to know you a little better I know that Zayn is insanely lucky." Zack said.

"Yeah?" Harry asked softly, his spirits seeming to lift.

"Absolutely. That's how I know Zayn wants you. Someone would literally have to be blind to miss how stunning you are." Zack told him, his tone softening.

Stunning?

Harry blushed even worse, biting his lip to try and keep a serious expression.

Zack was staring straight into his eyes, green locked with green.

"Thought you were straight." Harry said quietly, letting his lip snap back into place.

Zack was the one to blush now.

He glanced over Harry's face, his eyes lingering on Harry's lips.

"I thought I was too."

Moments later, it wasn't Zack's eyes that were on Harry's lips anymore.

×××××××××××-Zaydrian