six
it was three a.m and jane elizabeth was standing on the side of the window on zayn's living room, the cold rush of september air hitting her face. she tightened her hold of the sweater embracing her body. the others were passed out sleep somewhere along the guest room as she was alone, her eyes staring at the empty, dark sky.
she felt a presence beside her and looked to her left, seeing zayn. he was only wearing a black jacket over his bare chest and his soccer pants were clinging onto him. she smiled and so did he.
"what are you doing awake so late, jane elizabeth?" he asked, propping his shoulder and titling his head to her side. she shrugged and looked down.
"just staring at the sky, trying to find something common. you know, it's weird seeing the sky so empty for the first time." she said, holding the brown-eyed lad's gaze.
"indeed. when you stare at it intently, you'll find multiple things. loneliness, joy, and uncertainty mixed into the shades of blue and black at starry nights like these."
"sometimes, it's nice seeing the sky bare. it makes me feel.. safe gazing at the inky azure—let's me know that i'm not the only one." and even though jane elizabeth made an unfathomable comment, zayn understood. he understood what she meant and knowing that made him vaguely smile.
"it's nice knowing someone who appreciates the beauty of nature." he said, staring at her the whole time he spoke.
"can i tell you something?" she asked, her voice small and doubtful. their eyes never left each other's gaze, only when zayn had to read her lips.
"anything, jane elizabeth." he nodded and she found herself smiling at the sight of seeing him say her name.
"just jane, please." she mumbled but zayn didn't seem to care (or hear or see) because he was waiting for what she was about to say.
"sometimes, there are days when i find myself wondering why i moved here in the city. because when you live in a city with no stars to wish on, you have to wish on your life and each other. but what do you do when you have no one?" she stopped and zayn's mouth had curved up a little because my god, jane elizabeth was something much more comely catastrophic than she led on.
she was a magnificent mystery and all he wanted was to pull the pieces together and solve it. he was intrigued by her. he wanted to know everything about her, her every inch and curve, her lonely gray eyes and the way she smoothed out her faded purple hair. he wanted to know every secret, every little thing that makes her who she was- jane elizabeth, a beautiful tragedy.
"then, you find something to survive for. or better yet, find something you would die for." he replied. jane elizabeth's eyes went a little wide at the comment but smiled anyhow.
"yeah, maybe. maybe i don't have to die alone after all." she said, gazing at the moonlight. zayn had looked at her a moment too long and after a while he sighed, his hands inching closer to hers. the seconds went by too slow and when he finally had a touch of her milky skin, her head jerked to his direction. her eyes were darting up to his fiery eyes to her hands where she was praying that somehow, zayn's hand could end up on hers sooner than he realized.
his soft yet rough hands glided themselves across the back of her palm and the connection was worth while it lasted. his thumb caressed her skin, zayn's eyes finding hers and he saw something undeniably eager inside which was something he didn't expect.
the purple-haired aesthetics' lips were immediately dry when his hands lightly touched her. it felt ghostly, barely there but at the same time the electrifying feeling than ran across her whole body said otherwise. her fingers twitched as zayn carried their hands together and in slow seconds, it was intertwined. her heart was thumping louder and faster than ever before, quivering each time she let out a nervous breathe. she looked down at their hands. it looked like her heart finally found the piece of puzzle she lost and somewhere along, zayn felt the same way.
"yeah, maybe you won't die alone." he barely whispered and his voice had so much meaning and truth and determination to it that jane eliabeth almost believed it. then, she had to remind herself something she knew her whole life.
people always leave.
***
