The One...

Chapter 1. The one with the first time (mature)

*These stories are total works of fiction based on real events and interactions between Zarry, but it is totally my fabricated interpretation of things, and don't take any of it too seriously! I'm telling the stories through both Zayn and Harry's perspectives so look for the bolded name at the top of the sections to tell you whose perspective I'm writing from. 

2011

Zayn

Zayn. 

Zayn. 

"Zayn." 

Zayn cracked an eye open, lifting his now-red cheek off of the van window. Liam was leaning over the back of his seat, looking at him with a goofy smile. He leaned away instinctively, uninterested in having Liam in his face. "We're at the hotel," Liam said. 

"Thanks," Zayn grunted, and wiped at his mouth, hoping that he hadn't been drooling. He glanced across the backseat where Harry was similarly slumped against the window, mouth hanging open. Liam reached over his seat to swat at Harry, messing with his hair, but he didn't stir. Zayn smiled and lifted his foot, kicking Harry in his thigh. "Rise and shine, Curly Sue. We're here." 

Harry looked up with as menacing of a glare as he could muster, which wasn't really menacing at all. His expression softened as his eyes landed on Zayn's grin and he sighed with a smile, stretching out dramatically. He returned Zayn's kick, getting him sharply in the shin. "Oh, you dick," Zayn muttered and Harry snorted a laugh. 

"You guys are crashing with Louis and Niall tonight," Liam sighed. "I'm going to be with Paul and Ben." 

Zayn barely listened to him, just happy to be out of a van and stretching his legs. He and Harry swatted Paul's guys away from their bags after thanking them for offering to help. None of them had been able to get comfortable with having people work for them. They chatted shit back and forth about the new setlist and complained about their call time in the morning. Once they were in the room with the other guys, Paul all but locked them in, chastising them not to get into any trouble. 

Zayn let his bag slump off of his shoulder, rubbing at his eyes. Ever since they had started working nonstop, this was the very moment he craved throughout the day. The moment that he could just crash and dream that in some version of this life he absolutely loved his job and was happy all of the time. 

He kept one eye on Harry, who tossed his stuff onto one of the beds. Zayn had every intention of grabbing the spot next to him, until Niall sat down on the other side. Harry paused slightly as he did so, and slid a glance over in Zayn's direction. 

Zayn cleared his throat. "Niall, switch with me," he said, walking over to the other side of the bed. 

Niall looked up at him in confusion. "Why?" 

"I want to sleep next to the window so I can smoke later," he lied and Niall rolled his eyes. Zayn kicked him lightly in the shin, not caring whether he believed him or not. "Come on, then." 

"I hate sleeping next to Louis," Niall muttered, getting up to move. 

"Hey!" Louis scoffed from the corner of the room. "What the hell?" 

"Sorry, but you kick all damn night," Niall argued back. 

Zayn pulled his attention away from their bickering to Harry, who glanced away from him as soon as their eyes met with a small smile on his face. Zayn's heart thudded a little harder and he itched to get under the covers. 

Zayn didn't know what the hell he was doing. Hell, Harry probably didn't know what he was doing either. They had an unspoken agreement to sleep in the same bed together whenever they could. Nothing had happened... yet. Zayn liked to pretend that he hadn't let his mind wander when he got into bed with Harry and that he didn't feel the sparks flying in the few inches of space between them. The last few nights, Harry's leg had found its way over to Zayn's side of the bed, pushing up against his or tangling their ankles together. Zayn kept reminding himself that it didn't mean anything, really, because it was just a small, meaningless touch, but... he hadn't pulled away.