A Journey to a Zarry X'mas (Zarry Au) 💚💛

December 15th 🎄

"What's that?" Nathan asked watching the journal in Zayn's hands.

"Oh, nothing, let's go," Zayn said putting the notebook into his messenger bag.

Nathan was his long-time friend from
Nashville and he was visiting his brothers Caleb and Jared for the holidays in the city.

Zayn works as a photographer in a leisure magazine but he's looking to get into the Chicago Tribune or maybe the Times in New York or LA someday.

"So, how are your brothers?" Zayn asked Nathan.

"Good, their bar is doing great, you should come this weekend," he said.

"Sure, I'd try," Zayn said. He knew that he wasn't going to but he didn't say it. He isn't fond of crowds.

"So, what do you want to do first?" Zayn asked.

"Mmh we are near the Public Library, aren't we? I've heard it's a beautiful building here," Nathan said and Zayn nodded guiding the way.

After walking several blocks, they got to the place and came inside. Zayn began taking pictures and Nathan too, he was so excited about it and at the end, he wanted some souvenirs for his folks and his girlfriend in Nashville.

"There's the gift shop, I need some cute things to buy. Come in with me?" Nathan said.

"Sure, let's go," Zayn said and in that moment he received a phone call from the office and he motioned to Nathan to go inside without him.

Harry was inside the store in the middle of his shift sulking about his diary, the notebook was a gift from his grandmother who passed away the year before.

"29.99 please," he said.

"Here, erm, are you a local right? What do you do during the holidays here?" Nathan asked Harry.

"Erm... yeah, mmh ice skating... Christmas markets," he answered uninterestedly.

"I see, any recommendations?" I'm from the south and I'm visiting, y'know?" Nathan said smiling at the guy.

Harry remembered when he first came to the city from his small town in Wisconsin, he was so excited to be here too.

"Erm... Millennium Park has an ice rink and a market. It's cute," Harry said with a fake smile.

"Thanks! See ya!" Nathan said exiting the gift shop and Zayn was sitting waiting for him outside.

"Done?" He asked.

"Yes, let's go. The employee told me about some Christmas markets, maybe we can go later? It has an ice rink," Nathan said excitedly.

"Sure," Zayn said.

They walked around the city for the rest of the day, they went to the classic touristy spots and the skyscrapers.

"It's late now... we walked a lot today man," Nathan said.

"I know, it's normal in here. Erm...I gotta go home, I need to work on something," Zayn said.

"Sure man, let's go to that market tomorrow, yeah?!" Nathan said excitedly.

"Of course, let's do that," Zayn said sighing and hugging his friend.

He walked towards the subway to go home, he lives by himself in a modest studio that's above a Chinese restaurant. Therefore most of the weeknights, like this, he picks up some noodles and rice for dinner.

He arrived at his place and he remember the curly boy from the subway and... the little book that he found.

He sat comfortably in his dining area, with the takeout on a little service table beside his bed, or better said his mattress, and took it out of his bag.

He examined the object, it was tattered and visibly worn out, he could distinguish some random words on the cover and some initials on the spine H.S., Zayn wasn't sure the diary belonged to the boy he was staring at on the subway, he was hoping it was though. He opened the journal and it had a full name on it: Property of Harry Edward Styles.

"Harry Styles," Zayn said and smiled.