nebula :: [malik]

[ xlix :: pillow talk ]

"I wouldn't say you look ten, so..."

"Dammit," she grins before shooting him a quick glare through her bathroom mirror. "Smart-ass."

He lets out a loud laugh.

"Hey," he begins as Anais spits into the sink and runs water through her hands. "Could you see me? Like, at all from backstage?"

She hums, splashing her face with cold water. She grins, smiling through the droplets. "Saw you next to Lou for a sec. You should know," she pats her face dry, "everyone was talking about you."

"What?" He frowns. "Why?"

"'Cause everyone wanted to take turns fucking you, that's why," she laughs. "You looked better than half the models up there."

"Yeah?"

"Yup," she grins slyly. "But, it's whatever."

He snorts, although he's kind of blushing a little. "Thought you knew how sexy I was, Ana."

"Apparently I forget," she grins.

He tilts his head. "Yeah?"

"You should remind me more often."

His brow spikes. "Really?"

"Just a thought."

He pulls back, watching as she, laughing to herself, shuts off the bathroom light and joins him in her bedroom.

He grabs for her hand, and she narrowly side-steps his reach.

"You flirting with me?"

"Ha-!" Anais grins, "Flirting is for dates, Zayn."

"Yeah?" He reaches again for her, "Where've I heard that before?"

"Good question...And about that," she pauses, "when're we double dating with Zach and Jourdan?"

"Pssh," he snorts, fingers skimming her thigh, "maybe when Zach grows a pair and asks her out," he laughs. "Just a thought."

Anais stares at him, a smile on her face as she shakes her head. "Some friend you are."

"The best," he grins, smiling with teeth this time. "And about that," he finally takes her in his arms, hands upon her waist. "We haven't gone out in like, ages. You realize that, don't you?"

"Yeah..." She replies, nodding slowly. "Wow. We really haven't, have we?"

"We need to change that."

She hums in agreement.

"Well," he begins, waving her on, "Go on. Whe're you taking me?"

And Anais scoffs as Zayn laughs that squinty-eyed laugh of his because, despite it being ridiculously late, he feels really, really good in this moment before bed.

Why?

Because Anais isn't stressed out. Because she doesn't have to worry about this show, anymore.

Because Ana isn't uptight and she isn't working and she's finally relaxed and laughing and joking and because Anais is that hilarious, bright-eyed, beautiful, smart-ass he'd fallen in love with upon the roof in Astronomy 001.

Because for the first time since he and Anais had gotten back together, it feels like Zayn's actually gotten his girlfriend back.

"Y'know," he pushes some hair from her eyes, "you're quite fun when you don't have shit to do."

Anais laughs, welcoming the warmth of his fingers. "Cara's been saying that to me for years."