Tangerine

Chapter 65

Soundtrack: Crosby, Stills & Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

Dedication: jen (@JenDalHoran) i loved seeing you make your way through tangerine as you read and voted for each chapter so quickly, i really hope you're enjoying the ride so far :) thanks for reading x

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It's become dark outside, the party is in full swing and Harry and Louis are still missing.

Niall and my band arrived not too long after Naomi and I got here, just as Zayn predicted earlier. The Bradford lad spent a solid ten minutes blow drying his cousin's hair in the middle of the party, as everyone was just starting to drink. Liam stood close by to watch the whole thing, laughing at how Zayn wasn't actually so bad with a hair dryer and a brush. Must be due to his hands-on graffiti talents, he supposed.

Now that we all have drinks on the go, it's all anyone is focused on.

Drinking- and banter, as always.

Keith is chatting a large group of girls scattered by the mantle. Pete and Liam are caught up playing a drinking game in the kitchen with Zayn and some of his older family friends.

Elijah is with me on the living room couch, along with a few others. I've had my legs rested over his lap for the past couple of minutes. He's a comfy one, my drummer. He's really been getting on with Zayn's cousins, I can tell, and I'm happy for him. He was kind of bummed for a little while because of how fixated he was over Zayn, and how Zayn has always seen him as just a friend.

Elijah is still entirely fond over the tattooed singer, of course ‒ How could he not be? This is Zayn Malik we're dealing with ‒ but he's accepted that their friendship is so much better than anything less. He's just happy to be so close to such a talented, magnificent person, in the end.

I smile at the thought. Aren't we all?

Zayn's cousins have been picking up on Elijah's theatrical sense of humour like second nature. I spiritedly involve myself in the conversation we're all having about socks and sandals, and if such a fashion catastrophe should be legal, but I still feel myself looking for more.

Then I see them.

Naomi is sat in an armchair by the window, scrunching her face adorably as Niall is having a laugh, flicking her nose ring back and forth with the tip of his finger.

"Doesn't that hurt?" I chuckle aloud as I gaze over at the two.

"Not really," Naomi giggles, turning around to spot me, "just feels a bit weird, is all!"

"Are ye callin' me weird?!" Niall gasps dramatically, holding his hand in front of his gaping mouth.

"Oh, stuff it, Niall!" Naomi shoves him in the knee. "Everyone already knows you're the weirdest of the lot!"

Niall winks, rubbing his leg just for show, "Don't hurt my knee, babycakes."

"You and I both know it's your other knee... babycakes," Naomi pokes fun at Niall's sweet pet name, but even I can see her faint blush from all the way over here on the couch.

These two.

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I make my way through the large, people-filled house; stalling as I stumble upon Nadia and her sister beside the stereo system. I stay with the girls for a few minutes ‒ chatting and taking a few pictures with them while we're together ‒ before I make it to where I had originally planned to end up in the first place: the kitchen.