Strings and Schemes

Chapter 23

Zayn rests his head against my chest, something brimming his eyes I don't recognize.

"I can not call you that if you'd prefer," I try to back down from the pet name, realizing I may have crossed a line, may have flown too close to the sun too soon.

He shakes his head, "I love it. No one has ever called me that besides my mom, and that doesn't really count in the same way."

I smile, "Jaan it is."

He kisses me softly.

"How did you learn Hindi?" He asks

I smile, "Honestly, I was so fucking bored I just thought, why not try something new? And if I'm honest, Hindi isn't a super complex language to speak once you get the basics."

Zayn chuckles, shaking his head. "Only you would learn a whole new language out of boredom."

I grin, brushing a stray curl from his forehead. "It was either that or get really into chess."

He smirks. "You're telling me you don't already have a secret underground chess obsession?"

I gasp dramatically. "Are you accusing me of being secretly good at chess?"

"You are alarmingly good at mind games, Raina."

I hum in agreement, stretching against the sheets, feeling the warmth of the afternoon sun filtering through the curtains. His hand lazily trails up and down my arm, and for a moment, it's just... easy. No overthinking, no second-guessing. Just this.

"As are you, Sir."

He eyes me, "Out of necessity yes. And what did I tell you about calling me Sir?"

I smirk, "Actually, it was Mr. Malik," he towers playfully over me, a single strand of hair falling to the middle of his forehead.

"You are testing my restraint, Ms. Addams..." he says in a low voice. Tempting me, daring me to take the bait. But I don't.

I kiss him softly, pulling back and pulling him into my neck, hugging tightly.

Zayn pulls back, holding himself up with his elbows over me, watching me carefully. "You look different."

I blink. "Different how?"

His fingers trace slowly over my arms, "Lighter. Like you're not carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders for once."

I exhale, my smile softening. "I feel lighter."

And I do. For the first time in years, I feel like my life is finally mine. No suffocating expectations. No political games. No tiptoeing around what I want.

Just me. Just this. Just him.

Zayn's gaze darkens slightly, but not in the way that means he's about to kiss me senseless again. It's thoughtful. Careful. I pause. It's not a challenge, but it is a statement. One I don't quite know how to answer.

I'm not used to being seen even when I'm not saying anything. Part of me wants to accuse him of being hypervigilant, but the other part of me recognizes that this is exactly what I was hoping for. Someone who sees all of me - even the parts I'm uncomfortable with.

Zayn sighs, rolling onto his side to face me fully. "You're avoiding talking about it."

I swallow. "Talking about what?"

His jaw tenses. "The fact that when we do leave this love shack, not that I'm suggesting we do," he kisses my jaw gently, "we are going to be trending online."