I hate Wednesdays.
Mainly because they're smack dab in the middle of the week meaning it's been too long since the last weekend, but there's still three days till the next one. But also because on Wednesdays, my best friend makes me go out to lunch with him.
"Eat your kale Tara, or I'll shove it down your throat." I eye my plate of boiled grass with disgust and push it away from me. "I can't Harry, I honestly can not. Even if I wanted to, my body can only digest edible things."
"Since when was sperm classified as edible?"
I choke on my tea and look around to see if anyone else has heard him. Harry can be so vulgar sometimes. "You're the skank, Styles. Your mother should've named you Skanky Styles."
"Okay whatever you say. Now finish your food." I groan inappropriately loud. I was hoping my teasing would make him forget. He has some fixation with my diet and makes me eat a healthy lunch at least once a week. Preferably Wednesdays, hence why I hate them.
"I'm already skinny!"
He rolls his eyes at me. "Skinny doesn't equal healthy." The reply is almost instinctual now; we have this conversation every week. He leans back in his chair, having already finished his own lunch and rapidly taps at his phone. His eyebrows are furrowed and he's chewing on his bottom lip which I've come to learn is a habit of his when he's nervous.
"Who're you texting?" I'm a tad too invested in Harry's personal life, some would say. But I've known him for three years and we've become close enough to share some pretty personal things, so I know he wouldn't mind me asking.
"Zayn."
"Who? That sounds like an energy drink." Speaking of which, I'd much rather have that than this unsweetened tea shit Harry ordered for us.
It takes a good fifteen minutes for him to finally face me, during which I stare at the rabbit food in my plate, wishing the intensity of my glare would make it disappear. Eventually, he turns to me. "He's the guy in apartment 3B. The one I've been telling you about? He wants me to lend him my stereo system for this party he's throwing tonight." I roll my eyes in recognition. The new tenant constantly blasts music and hotboxes the whole hallway - I can barely ever get work done anymore.
"And why would that make you nervous?" Harry is a really easy-going, confident lad, one of the most sociable I know. He only ever gets nervous when he's talking to boys he lik-
Oh.
Harry has a crush on this Zayn character. No wonder he's been gushing about him for days. He even threw a hardback novel at me when I said I hoped the guy fell down the stairs. It hurt. In my defense, Zayn had opened the door to let his smoke out and, in doing so, fogged up the entire hallway.
"So Hazza... are you going to this Zayn guy's party?" I ask, my voice softer and more sympathetic after this realisation. He furrows his brows at my change of tone but looks away at his phone again. "Yeah I might. I will if you come with me?" I shake my head. "He seems pretty trashy to me."
"Because he smokes weed? Tara, you smoke weed."
"Shh!" I look around yet again to see if anyone is eavesdropping and glare back at my not so best friend. "You snitch! I smoke occasionally, there's a difference and I don't air it out for everyone to choke on."
"Oh, how humane of you!"
I blink in surprise. Sassy Harry was a rare occurrence. Kinda like smiling Kanye. "Woah, someone's being abrasive." His eyes soften and he voices an apology.
"There's the Harry I know and love!"
He smiles wide enough for his dimples to become prominent dips in his cheeks. "Whatever. But will you please help me carry the speakers to his apartment? He offered to come over and help but I don't feel comfortable letting him in my place when it's still half filled with Xander's shit." I cringe at the mention of Harry's ex, but try to hide my less than pleasant reaction when I see the pain still evident in Harry's eyes. Xander was actually a cool guy, too bad he cheated on Harry and knocked up some chick.
"I mean I could but why would I want to?"
----
"Harry, it's slipping! It's slipping!" We carefully place the heavy speaker down for what seems to be the hundredth time.
"We can't carry this by ourselves you know."
Harry sighs, knowing I'm right. Usually, he'd get all Bob The Builder and tell me we could do this, but even he can't deny that we're both little bitches.
"Go knock on Zayn's door and ask him if he can help us." We both stare at the door for a solid moment.
"No."
"Tar-
"Why can't you do it?" He glances nervously at the door in question and shrugs, "No reason, I just think you should."
Liar!!
I roll my eyes at his pathetic lie. "No. We can do this by ourselves."
Harry huffs and rakes a hand through his hair. "Maybe if you would've finished your kale tod-"
"You know what? I'll go and call him, stay here." I get away from the health nut as quickly as possible and bang on the Zayn's door impatiently. This Wednesday has impressively shit, even by my standards. Why won't he open? I tap my foot impatiently. Maybe he's really fat and it takes extra long for him to get u-
Holy shit.
Forgive me father for I have sinned.
I think I gasped when the door finally swung open. You can't blame me though, the sight of an angel snuck up on me.
"Can I help you?" I'm asked but I don't answer. I can't. He is hands down the most beautiful creature I've ever laid my eyes on. His hair is all over the place in a silver mess but boy does he look classy. His prominent cheekbones are covered with stubble. I can only imagine what he looks like with a full grown beard.
The epitome of perfection.
I don't get it though. He doesn't fit my expectations at all. This dude looks like he wipes his ass with hundred dollar bills. Realistically, he can't be Zayn. He must be a friend, helping Zayn settle in or something.
Please be my neighbor. Please be my neighbor. Please be my neighbor. Please be my neighbor.
Well, there's only one way to find out. "Hi, I'm Tara and I live in apartment 5B?" There's a small smile on his face. "Tara." The name rolls off his tongue so beautifully, the thick British accent only adding to this sex god image he's got going for him, and I find myself hypnotised by him. "Tara means star in Urdu." It takes me a while to process what he's saying, and then even longer to think up a response. In the end all I say is "Oh." Real clever Tara, I'm sure you really caught his attention now.
"I was wondering if Zayn's home?" I cringe at the uncertainty of my own voice but he smiles politely at me.
"You're looking at him. What can I help you with babe?"
"I...um...uh...Harry...system." Fuck, this guy got me shook. He's making me realise how shallow of a person I am
Get it together Tara!
I open my mouth a second time but only once I trust myself not to screw up. "I'm friends with Harry Styles in apartment 6B and we were carrying his stereo speaker over here but...um..we can't do it ourselves soo..."
"You need help?" But I'm no longer listening. My mind has wandered off to a very dark place as I think about all the things he could do with a pair of plump lips like that.
"Tara?" I snap back to reality and my cheeks flush. He probably knows what I've been thinking about. He's probably got girls drooling over him all the time. I bet he has a super fit and healthy girlfriend. I really should have finished my kale.
"Yeah....yeah I'm sorry. I'm just super tired." And horny. "But yeah we need your help, so if you could please follow me?" He obliges and when he places his hand on the doorknob to pull it closed behind him, I choke on my own spit.
He has a hand tattoo. And not just any tattoo, but a beautiful mandala. I glance at his other hand which is also inked and I ask myself, How sexy does this guy get? Call me basic, but tattoos are my downfall.
"Hey Zayn!" Zayn and Harry do that man handshake/hug thing and I suddenly realize that I've broken at least five different best friend codes. But it's not like I'll act on my thoughts or anything. I'm just innocently observing the gift God has placed across the hall from me. Harry would totally do the same if the roles were reversed.
"Tara are you going to help us or just stand there?" I glare at Harry, something I find myself doing a lot, and bend down to grab a corner. We attempt to lift it but it's too heavy even for the three of us but thankfully we hear footsteps approaching us and a voice offering to help.
I smile at the random stranger and all three of us thank him once he successfully helps us set down both speakers in Zayn's apartment.
"So Harry, you showing up to this thing tonight or what?" Harry shrugs nonchalantly but one discreet pinch from me is enough for him to change his mind and nod, wide eyed.
"And what about you Tara? You going to come and keep an eye on your boyfriend?" Me and Harry immediately recoil from each other, repulsed by the thought.
"Gross. Harry's basically my brother!" Zayn's eyebrows shoot up. This information obviously surprised him. A smirk pulls at the corner of his lips and he turns to Harry.
"You wouldn't mind if I asked your sister to be my date tonight then would you?"
____
Hello! Welcome to our new thug!zayn fic, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. If you did please don't hesitate to vote comment and share. This chapter was highkey sorta dry but its only the first. Shit gets real chapter 2-3. My ass is tryna fit in as much steamy scenes before Ramadan as I can😩😂 so next chapter gonna be lit get your horny asses ready. Feedback would be much appreciated.
If you don't ship zaylena you can imagine Tara as whoever you want idrc.
Follow Jazi (@zjmhabibi) and I (@zapsrocky) on Twitter if you'd like 😊💖
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