Zayn and Harry walked along the shoreline after they'd finished eating their ice cream cones. Zayn had decided they try something different instead of getting the normal Vanilla and Mint Chocolate Chip. She had suggested they try a peach ice cream that had little pieces of peaches in it, telling him it probably tasted as good as it looked. Harry gave in and surprisingly, she wasn't wrong. It was delicious and it really was good to have something different for a change.
Harry's shoes and socks were off as well as Zayn's sandals. So sand from the beach was getting all between their toes. Neither minded it though. In fact, Zayn loved walking side by side with him, shoes in hand. She soaked in the moment as much as she could.
"Want to go closer to the water?" Harry suddenly offered.
"Why? So the water can sweep me away and drown me? No thank you."
"Come on, the waves are barely crashing Zayn. Plus, its not like I want to swim or anything. I just want to sit there and get wet together."
Her heart fluttered at the word together. They had done a lot of things together. But for some reason when it encompassed the night stars and the beach, it meant a little more. "Are we even allowed near the water at night?"
"We are, if we go hide where the giant rocks are."
"The giant rocks? All the way over there?" She pointed. "Are you kidding me?"
"No, I'm not. Let's go." Harry slipped his hand in hers and began running, kicking up sand as he went. Even though she knew they were breaking the rules, she still allowed herself to be dragged until they were safely behind the rocks and out of sight.
"You're making me do bad things. You're bad influence." She teased and she felt the water rush over her ankles.
"I know. You think anybody saw us running over here?" Harry asked.
"No. You?"
"Nope. Which means we truly are alone."
Her smile lit up as they sat their shoes on top of one of the rocks where the water couldn't sweep them away. "Good."
He grabbed her hand again and gave it a squeeze. "It'll be even better when we go stand out in the water."
"Harry." She groaned and she snatched hers away.
"What? We're getting wet, remember? That's our whole purpose for coming over here."
"There's enough water at our feet. Why would I want to go out there?"
Harry could see how scared she was getting. "Its okay Zayn. I've got you. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
"How do I know that?"
"Have I ever?"
Zayn paused, trying to think about all the times when Harry kept her from drowning. Even before she was a female, whenever they went near water, Harry watched Zayn and kept him above water. He always felt safe around him. "Uhm, no..." She said, maybe with a hint of skepticism.
"Okay then. Certainly I can keep you safe now." Harry answered.
She looked down where the water was already rushing against their ankles and she pictured this shoulder deep. It was scary thinking of the water and its entirety, and she found herself pondering over how one person could not possibly drink all of it in one setting if there was ever a need.
She let herself be pulled and she felt herself being led out one step at a time. As the water began to rise higher and higher, she secretly wished to be on the dry part of the sand.
"Harry stop. I want to stop here." She said, feeling the water halfway up her torso. Only the water wasn't that high. It barely touched her hips. The movement of the waters just made seem it that way.
"Okay fine. We'll stop here. Its okay."
She held onto Harry as if she were holding on for dear life. She felt like she was. "Good. Now, hold onto me so the water doesn't carry me." She demanded as she rubbed her eyes on the dry part of his shirt to dry tears she was hoping he didn't see.
"It won't carry you away."
"It won't if we go back." She stated.
"Wait just one more moment."
She shoved her face into his neck right beneath his chin. "I don't want to."
"Well, you have to."
"Why?"
"Because you're missing what's in front of you." He urged as he ran his fingers through her still dry hair. "See? You're missing it."
"What am I missing?"
"Everything."
She sighed and turned her face from his neck but didn't lean off of him. "What is everything?"
"The night skies, the stars, the moon glistening off the water... everything."
She clung to him harder and focused on what he was focusing on. "Yeah It is beautiful. It's breathtaking."
"It is." Harry nodded as he looked at her. But right now, he was looking at an even more breathtaking view. One that no body of shimmering waters could rival. "Still want me hold you, scaredy cat?" He mocked, straying from his own thoughts.
"Definately not." She rolled her eyes and splashed a few drops of water up at his face. But the grin told everything. So he grabbed her by the hand and granted her request by pulling her until they were at the rocks again, with the water rushing over their ankles.
"Land is so much better than water and that is a fact." She spoke as she sat down on the wet sand with her back up against one of the rocks. Harry sat down right next to her.
"You think so?"
"I know so." She laughed lightly and looked at Harry. October just started and you're already trying to get me sick before the winter gets here. We need to call it a night and go home and get ready for work tomorrow."
"I'd rather risk getting sick, than leave early. It's wonderful out here."
She gave in and crossed her legs. "True. It is wonderful. Let's just talk then."
"About what?"
"How we know enough about each other."
"Do we need to? I know pretty much everything there is to know about you. I've known you since the eleventh grade."
"But I haven't always been a girl."
"So?"
"So, you don't know as much as you think you do."
"That's hilarious. Quiz me."
"Fine." She said and she looked up into the sky in thought. "What is my middle name?"
He tilted his head and made a quiet humming noise. "Is it still Javadd?"
"No, it's Julia now. It's on my driver's license."
"Alright then, give me another one. I bet I nail this one."
"What's my favorite flower?"
"Flower? As far as I know, you don't have one."
She smiled. "Correct, but do you know what my favorite food is?"
"Yeah, it's um... uh... Actually, I don't know."
"Aha. So you don't know everything."
"I didn't say I did. I said I knew pretty much everything there is to know. I know that you're a girl."
She folded her arms. "That's obvious."
"Then how about this. I know that you're a pretty girl."
She scoffed but she still grinned hard. Wanting to get a better view of her smile, Harry maneuvered himself so that he was face to face with her. Then he put his hand flat against the rock right next to her head. "Maybe if you asked better questions, I would know the answers."
"Better questions?"
"Yes, I don't have to know the answer to what you're asking. You're going to be like this for the rest of your life. I will have plenty of time to get to know the new side of you. I plan on sticking around, just so you know."
"That's sweet but I still have more questions. So tell me... What is my favorite color?"
"Oh, that's easy. Green."
"Nope. It's purple."
"You changed it? Why? What's the point of changing it? If it's your favorite, it's your favorite, right?"
"People change their minds all the time. It was red before it was green by the way. And you sure are one to talk when you never could make up your mind about what your favorite color was. You went from orange to blue to every color in the rainbow."
"Fine. What color are your eyes? Hazel? That's my favorite color now."
"Ha. Cheesy."
"Actually, I think it raises a legitimate question now. Did you change your favorite color from green because you got bored of it or do you just not find my eyes very attractive anymore?"
"Neither. I didn't pick that color for your eyes in the first place."
"Sure about that?"
"Positive."
"Well, the word on the street is that you find them very attractive."
"Then you're on the wrong street. I'm not into men who are as self interested as you seem to be right now."
He rested his forehead up against hers. "That's too bad then. Because I am strongly attracted to you right now."
"Strongly?"
"Strongly. You don't even know."
Zayn chuckled quietly but in a blink, she felt Harry's nose touching her nose. She knew he was unusually close but she liked the feeling it gave her. It gave her some sort of comfort. It made liking Harry okay and in a way, confirmed that having feelings for him wasn't a bad thing after all.
Without thinking, she adjusted her head so that her lips touched his. But intead of kissing him, she turned sideways just a bit, almost disappointed with herself for what she'd just done. "I don't even... I don't even know what I'm doing." She whispered.
"I do." He whispered back. His eyes closed and he rubbed his nose with hers too. "This isn't talking anymore."
"I know."
Harry chuckled. "Did you want it to be? Or was this headed somewhere else? Because I get the feeling that it was headed somewhere else. And I just want you to know that I am not opposed to it."
"You're not?"
"Definitely not."
As soon as he said that, she felt Harry quickly peck her lips. That shocked her.
"Did you just kiss me?"
Another peck. But it was slower this time.
"Harry what are you doing?..." She became frantic, looking around to see if anyone saw, but Harry stopped her by kissing the corner of her mouth. She looked at him and her eyebrows were arched showing she was somewhat lost.
She was sitting there wondering how they even ended up like that. They were just talking. Now he was kissing her. And even more so, why was she making it so obvious to him that she found him hovering over her alluring and that his kisses weren't the worst thing in the world?
She was still thinking about that when she saw him lean in. Before he could really press his lips on hers, she met him halfway and captured his lips in stride, the whole time moving them slightly to an offbeat rhythm in her head.
Harry let out a noise, one of surprise. But he liked the fact that he wasn't doing it all. He liked the fact that he was kissing her and she was kissing back. And he adored the softness of her tongue as it brushed against and tangled with his.
They'd probably kissed for a minute or so before Harry immediately began leaving more soft pecks on her lips afterwards. But when they pulled apart, Harry cheesed at her.
"Mmm. Peaches."
"What?" She asked. A hint of confusion displayed on her face.
"The peach ice cream we had."
"Oh, what about it?"
"It was delicious but I think it was even better tasting it on your tongue."
Zayn rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"What?" He questioned.
"Nothing. It's just... You are such a dork. That's all."
"You love this dork."
"Friendly love."
"Same thing."
She lightly pushed at his shoulder. "Whatever."
It was quiet for a moment and he relaxed in front of her. "So... does this mean this is something that will happen again? You kissing me exactly like that?"
She thought for a second. "Maybe."
"Oh, never mind. You probably could never kiss as good as that again." Harry said and it was such a sad attempt to get her to challenge him. She saw right through it. But she still played along with him anyway. "I totally could."
"I doubt it."
"Don't doubt it."
"Why not?"
"Come closer and you'll get your answer." She pulled him to her, making him laugh.
"Ooh demanding kisses. I like that."
"Interesting."
He held her face in his hands now. "Only a little."
And after silent laughter at how silly, yet slightly cute and romantic he was being, she did eventually began kissing him the same way she had done before. But this time, the rhythm was no longer considered offbeat. Her rhythm matched her thumping heartbeat, along with the feel of Harry's hands running through her hair.