At First {ZM}

Chapter 29

He unlocks the door of his father's old business. His fingers jingling with the keys as his head is turned up looking at me.

"So what are you going to do for your birthday?" he asks.

"I normally spend it alone." I force a smile. I am lying through my teeth. My birthday for the past year was spent with Blane. Hell, every waking hour was spent with Blane. Before him, I spent my birthday with my best friend.

"Your family doesn't do something special for you?"

"No, they're the busiest around this time." He finally gets the door to open. He flicks on every light switch immediately. This room is different from when he first showed me. With the lights on I can see the glassy black tiled floors. I can see the red walls. The pictures of the birds are still hung up from the last time. From the outside, this would repulse me. But the arrangement inside here is beautiful. Aside from the stained ceiling due to leaky pipes I'm assuming. With a clean up and a fresh coat of paint it could be easily repaired.

He rushes into a closet, "Wow. That's really depressing and lonely. It's your special day. It's suppose to be fun and...." His voice becomes strained as he finishes his sentence. "Exciting." He comes from the closet with his sleeves rolled up and veins streaming down his arms. The dark ink painted into his skin. His usual kept hair has fallen into his face.

I find myself staring with a smile. He drops the box on the ground and looks up at me.

"Well we're going to have to change that."

"How?" I ask.

"I'll take you some where we can do something together."

Suddenly excited I gush, "Where to?"

"I don't know but it has to be fun for you." His words are similar to Blane's words. Blane said the same to me when he heard of my original birthday plans.

"Oh damn Harper, that is the worst birthday ever. I'm going to make it better." When I asked how his grin turned into its cheeky smirk, "I don't know but it's going to have to be fun for you."

He gets on his knees tearing through the box. As he finally gets it open he runs his fingers through his hair. The unkept look, returns to it's perfection. Though either way, he looks breathtakingly beautiful. He is such a sexy man.

"This is what I wanted to show you."

He pulls out a book that looks like it's been tattered and torn. He smiles down at it and flipped a pen in his hand.

"Avery." He practically sang my name.

"Zayn." I said playfully in return.

"My grandad bought me this book. And he was very special to me. So I only draw special things in here. Things that signified something to me." I stare at the deep big brown orbs that were staring at me intently.

"I would really like to draw you in here. I know we haven't defined us? But at least you know what I think of you."

It means a whole lot to me that he wants me in his special book. Especially after I basically wanted to end whatever he and I were starting earlier today. But being his friend only won't be enough for me. But then again I don't think it's smart to start something after only being single three months.

I nodded my head at a loss for words which is still very new to me.

He snickers, "Is that a yes to me drawing you?"

"Yes. Oh my god yes." He seems amused by my response. His blank look and small smile brings me to wonder. I wonder what goes on his mind. He can be guarded and mysterious which is something I like about him. He's my complete opposite.

"I don't want to do it here. I want to do it at our bus stop." He notices my face drop. It's my poor legs that just haven't gotten used to walking so much around here. He smiles pitying me.

"Don't pout." He says touching under my chin. The touch sends a buzzing in my fingers and a sensation in my chest. The sensation sinks to my stomach. I glance down at his lips and he smirks. This isn't going to work just being friends isn't going to work.

As if hearing my thoughts he shakes his head. He pulls back taking my hand and bringing me out the building locking it up again. He takes my hand in his and it sparks the buzzing in my fingers. Trying to rid the feeling I squeeze at his hand. He glances down at me holding his book at his side and pulls me into his side. The scent of cologne floods my nostrils and I feel warm and safe. It's something I can't deny having felt before.

We come to a stop as the cars drive by. I feel him stiffen on my side. I look up at him, his eyes aren't focused and he seems to have deserted his body.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask.

He twitches and glances down at me, "I wasn't." He states. He walks fast and I stare at his bony twig legs moving so fast. I have thicker legs than him. He squeezes at my hand trying to get me to move quicker. I jog trying to keep up.

When we reach a bus stop I sit my back to the booth's bench.

"Stand. Avery when I first saw you, you were standing by the booth closer to the sign. You were watching the busy streets with a small smile." I tuck the loose strand behind my ear.

I giggle aloud, "You stalker."

"I call it observant." He says. He sits at the booth on the bench while I stand. His brown orbs exploring me and I watch the way his hand move with the pen. It is a blue pen. I can see the ink on his finger tip. A bus screeches beside us.

A man shouts, "Are you two getting on or not?!"

Zayn doesn't reply so I prepare to. He stops me, "Avery don't move. No we're not!" He returns to his drawing and the bus screeches on. After standing too long my legs are beginning to hurt. He comes close to me and tucks the strand of hair behind my ear.

"I'm done." He says with a small smile.

I reach for it, "Great let me see." He pulls the paper back shaking his head. I raise a brow. "Your serious?"

"Dead ass love." I snort and it makes him laugh. He has a beautiful laugh it makes him look less perfect, human. It only makes my heart scream. Just friends will be agonizing. I grab onto his jacket fisting it in my hands. I press my lips firmly to his.

He smiles, "What did I do?"

"Your human." I mutter. His face twist into amusement. He smiles goofily and brings his hands to my waist. For a moment we're just staring at each other. The back of my fingers absent mindedly brush over his beard and his eyes flutter closed.

He shakes his head again, "We can't be just friends. I don't want to be."

"I don't want to be either." I tell him. Finally we're on the same page. Until someone brings up my age again. I push that thought away and plant a peck kiss to his lips.

"Then we won't." He says. I smile giddily and he looks around us as if someone could catch us. I try to ignore that and just savor this. I think we just made us official.

He takes my hand, "Let me take you home."