linley's pov
Everyone we pass eyes us up like we were the biggest group of freaks they had ever seen. Niall, Louis, Olivia and Alicia laugh as they sing loudly and obnoxiously, jumping around the place - an evident sign that the alcohol that they consumed has already worked it's way into their system.
The rest of us hang back as we make our way through the festival grounds. We try to be as quick as possible, seeing the commotion we cause - especially the boys and Ed - as recognition is slapped onto the faces of those around us.
Jonny and Kenzi had left a little over an hour ago to get ready for their show - that they reserved us front row seats for. With Jonny gone, that left me more time to sit and obsess over the words he had said to me; exactly what I didn't need.
An insanely large crowd has formed in front of the stage, letting us know that the show is about to start at any moment. We all try to grab on to one another, to be sure that we don't lose a member of our group in the terrifying mosh pit of fans. Zayn fingers tangle within my own, causing heat to creep up my neck, heating my face with an embarrassing blush.
People send us dirty looks as we push past them, making our way to the front of the crowd. This crowd is much rowdier and aggressive than the crowd that was there for Sable and I. So once we get to the front, it's damn near impossible to fit all of us, as the people behind us try their hardest to push to the front row.
I can feel my heart pounding loudly in my chest as my anxiety begins to creep forward. I look around at everyone all around me, all much taller and larger than I, with wide, terrified eyes. With Zayn attached to my one hand, and Sable on my other, I cling to them desperately.
Everyone else seems to be thoroughly enjoying the excitement of the mosh pit. Niall and Louis jump around, screaming and laughing like two stereotypical teenage boys pulsing with energy and liquor. Even Liam and his girlfriend seem to be enjoying themselves as they laugh to one another.
Everyone seems to be feeding off of the energy of the crowd, besides myself. Perhaps I should have had a drink or two before coming.
"Here," A deep, husky voice breathes into my ear, belonging to no one beside Zayn, of course. Goosebumps travel up the tip of my spine as he places his hands on my hips and puts his body between mine and the rest of the crowd. It's as if he's using himself as a shield to protect me.
My body is pressed against the strong metal gates in front of me, digging in to my rib cage. If I couldn't feel the warmth of Zayn's body against my back, I don't think I could handle it.
But before I even have time to think about how incredibly uncomfortable I am in this sticky, sweaty environment, the crowd starts to scream and cheer loudly.
My eyes look up to see Jonny leading the rest of the band on stage, wearing that confident smile of his. Kenzi looks beyond happy as well as she stands beside Jonny only a few feet away from us. The two of them look down at our group, giving us a friendly smile.
And of course Jonny gives me a discreet wink, causing my mind to tangle itself into confusion once again.
"Hello everyone!" Jonny says, adjusting the hat he's placed atop his head, "Thank you so much for coming! We're gonna make it worth your while," He wears that charming grin of his, making me smile in return.
"Our first song we're going to play for you is called 'Let It Go'," Kenzi announces, causing the crowd to take their excitement and multiply it by a thousand, this being the song that really kick started their career.
I try my best to keep my mind off of the crowd behind me as I cheer loudly, distracting myself with the music. But I can only do so much...
"We're from a little city with expensive taste,
where the cars don't burn 'til the engine breaks."
Jonny sings into the microphone, causing my heart to do little jumps. But unfortunately it's not from his incredibly voice, instead it's leaping in my chest from the amount of pressure that's being put on me from all sides.
Though I can tell Zayn's trying to fight against it, he's being shoved into me, causing the metal bar in front of me to dig deep in my ribs. I let out a cry of pain as I try to push myself away from it without any luck.
I'm being smothered from all sides.
Soon my lungs feel as if they're shrinking by the moment. The sweaty sea of bodies on all sides of me, causes it to become nearly impossible to breathe. It doesn't help that everyone's jumping around with their hands in the air, causing them to elbow me and stomp on my feet.
I close my eyes, trying my best to take deep, low breaths. I'm not going to let my anxiety take over, not when I've been dying to see The Young and the Stupid perform for longer than I can remember.
Being as stubborn as always, I try to sing along, but the moment I let go of the bar in front of me, the crowd shoves Zayn with ferocity, causing the bar to hit me in the stomach with great force. My stomach churns as tears well up in my eyes.
Not being able to take it any longer, I turn around in Zayn's tight grip. His eyes - muddy with concern - meet mine quickly.
"I need to - I nee - " I stutter, unable to get enough air in my lungs to make a comprehensible sentence.
Zayn reads every complicated little thought that pulses through my brain, a task I never thought another human being would be able to do. He nods and glances over his shoulder, trying to figure out the best way to get out of this ridiculous crowd.
"Get on my back," He shouts to me, trying to be heard over the music.
He quickly bends down, getting low enough for me to wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his small, fit waist. Though the handcuffs make it rather difficult, Zayn still manages to hold on to me tightly, making sure I'm not going anywhere.
"Excuse me!" He shouts as he shoves his way through the crowd. I tuck my head in the safety of the crook of his neck. Though it's hotter than hell in the midst of this crowd, his warm flesh against my cheek gives me a sense of comfort.
Zayn continues to shout as he pushes his way through the crowd, that's not being cooperative at all. As we get in the middle of the large crowd, he gives up trying to be polite and ends up shoving people out of the way.
I focus on breathing - a task so simple that I hate myself for it being so difficult. I hide my face from those around us, feeling weak and fragile for needing to be fucking carried out of the crowd. I've never been so ashamed before. I used to be able to hide my anxiety - along with all my other problems - so well.
The song ends just as we reach the back of the crowd, where the people become less aggressive, and it becomes easier and easier to breathe. Yet I still hold onto Zayn as tightly as I can.
The crowd erupts into loud cheers as the song ends. I let out a grateful sigh as I thank my lucky stars I'm not in the middle of all that commotion any longer.
Zayn puts me down, setting me carefully on the ground below us, but he lets his hands rest upon my lower back as he leans in to talk to me.
"Are you okay?" He asks, his warm breath hitting my face as our noses nearly brush against one another's.
"Thank you," I whisper, my cheeks flushing an embarrassed shade of red.
He lets out a relieved sigh as he rests his forehead against mine, an effortless smile appearing on his soft, pink lips - lips that have never looked as soft as they do right at this instant.
"You scared the hell out of me," He lets out a breathy laugh as the next song starts up, this time a much, much slower song.
The mood instantly shifts with the ballad playing in the background. My chest no longer feels tight because my anxiety is trying to drown me, instead it feels tight because Zayn has never looked so beautiful before.
"I'm sorry," I confess, feeling truly apologetic for putting him through all the shit I have, "For everything," I tell him, allowing my hands to rest against his strong, sturdy chest.
Zayn's smile gets softer and softer the longer he looks at me. His fingers that are still resting at the base of my back, dance in little circles against the fabric of my shirt. The moonlight that shines down from so far away rests against his face so perfectly.
He's like one of those paintings you see, and you want to cry, because you're scared you'll never see something so beautiful ever again.
"If it were anyone else but you, I would mind," He chuckles, pressing against my back ever-so-slightly, eliminating the space between the two of us.
In the distance I can hear Jonny singing, his voice echoing across the open festival grounds, singing one of my all time favorite song of his; 'Slow it Down'.
"Some love was made for the lights.
Some kiss your cheek and goodnight,"
My body trembles for a moment, shivers taking leaps all down my spinal chord. I look up at Zayn and the two of us exchange a smile, a smile so full of meaning and wordless confessions that nothing could falter it.
Without even realizing it, the two of us start moving to the music, slowly waltzing into one body. Our handcuff hands drop beside us as our fingers tangle within each other's. Then our free hands take refuge at the small of the other's back, putting nothing between our bodies.
I rest my head against Zayn's chest as we move with the music, slow dancing right here and now as the world keeps moving around us. Though the outside world starts to blur as we enter in our own personal Eden momentarily.
"Slow it down, Angie come back to bed.
Rest your arms, rest your legs."
I can feel Zayn's heart beating quickly within his chest, making me not feel so bad for my own excessive pulse. I've never been so terrified, yet felt so safe before. It feels as if I'm opening myself up for Zayn, and he's still choosing to cradle me in his arms.
It makes no damn sense.
"And when she stood she stood tall,
She'll make a fool of you all.
Don't ask for cigarettes.
She ain't got nothing left for you."
Zayn takes his head off of mine, where it had been resting, causing me to glance up at him, my eyes wide and naive; that's exactly how I feel when I'm around Zayn. I never know what to expect, for he's tugging my brain and heart in a million directions when I'm with him.
My heart stops beating rapidly, freezing within my chest as he stares down at me, not muttering a single word. He just stops moving, neither of us daring to move a muscle.
My breathing becomes staggered as I cling onto him, my fingertips pressing against his strong lower back, being able to feel his flesh beneath his thin flannel.
Everything feels as if it were moving in slow motion; the people around us disappear, the music becomes a low hum in the background, our movements become slow as if we were weighed down under water.
My eyes focus in like a lens that only can see one thing and one thing only: Zayn. If it weren't for my tunnel vision, I probably wouldn't have noticed the way his face inches towards mine at a painfully slow speed.
I hold my breath, my entire body tensing up as I watch him carefully. I can feel his staggered breaths hitting my face as his lips freeze only a few inches away. The anticipation sends painful fires at every nerve ending.
Soon I can't take it any longer, and I allow my body to take over. Going up on my toes for a fraction of a second, I press my lips against Zayn's.
The velvet beneath my own pair of lips causes my entire mind to shut down. I become putty in his hands. I have never felt something so intensely wonderful in the pit of my chest before; so new and foreign, even though I've kissed numerous boys before.
Nothing mattered as much as this does.
Soon our lips become ships crashing against waves of passion. With his free hand, Zayn clings onto my lower back, pulling my body against his even more, not allowing even an inch of space between us. My hand goes up to tangle itself in his hair at the nape of his neck, slightly damp with sweat from the hot summer's night.
I've never been so aware of every nerve in my lips before as they become swollen against Zayn's. It's as if he's opened a portal within myself that has been waiting for someone like him to come and work his magic.
I can't help but to let out a small moan against Zayn's delicious mouth, tasting exactly as I had imagined it would; like pure heaven. My heart pounds against my rib cage, begging to escape and burst into the warm night air.
My mind floats on this cloud of ecstasy, reaching this high that no performance, no drug, no amount of liquor can even compare to. After all this time I had thought I was protecting myself from something painful and unbearable, when I've been missing out on this.
All too quickly, Zayn's pulling his lips from mine, keeping his firm grip on my body. My eyes slowly flutter open, admittedly a little frighten to face reality. But I'm greeted by the warmest pair of eyes I've ever seen, shining down on me.
I suppose reality isn't all that bad either...
A smile escapes upon my face as I the joy felt deep inside my chest infects my entire body, making me feel invincible.
Then, without any explanation whatsoever, I start running. I grab hold of Zayn's hand, and I run as if something were chasing me. Zayn throws question after question at me, but I simply laugh and throw him a smile over my shoulder.
My legs work double the amount to keep up with Zayn's long strides, but my adrenaline carries me. I grip onto Zayn's hand tightly, never wanting to let it go. The further we get away from the other, from the festival, from life, the easier it is for me to breathe.
"Linley," Zayn says my name, making it sound like pure poetry as it comes off his tongue.
"Shhh," I bring my finger to his lips as we slow down outside of our camper.
He opens his mouth to say something else, completely ignoring my demand, so I turn around and lead the way into the camper. Zayn stumbles over his own two feet as he struggles to follow behind me.
Once we're engulfed in the darkness and emptiness that is the camper, my heart starts to pound loudly again in my chest. I turn to look at Zayn, curious to know if he's feeling the same sort of nerves deep in the pit of his stomach as well.
"Linley, this- we- you don't-" He stutters over his words as I reach out to run my fingers along that perfect razor sharp jaw line of his.
We're still running far away from it all, and I can tell it scares the hell out of Zayn. He isn't like me. He doesn't want to run away from something as beautiful as this. He wants to take his time and savor every moment.
But I don't think I'm brave enough to do that.
"Zayn, right now you look incredible, and I want to enjoy every part of you before I come to my sense, is that alright?" I speak to him in soft whispers, avoiding his eyes as I run my fingers down his chest, unbuttoning as I go.
"I don't want you to do something you'll regret," He says sharply, placing his hands on top of mine, stopping my fingers in the middle of their task.
Finally, I force myself to meet his eyes. Sincerity and concern pulse through the dark eyes, making them glow in the dark light of the camper. Here those words of his were supposed to keep me from indulging in him, but it only made me want him more.
"Don't worry about me," I speak in a low husky voice, my animalistic tendency coming out, making my blood boil beneath my skin.
I don't wait for Zayn to say another word, I lock my lips to his, my fingers moving quickly to unbutton the flannel, exposing a bare chest, soft and smooth to the touch. The moment my fingertips skim across his bare chest, Zayn joins in, meeting my level of ferocity.
He works quickly to pull my jacket from my shoulders. Our clothing doesn't quite abandon us, as it hangs loosely from the handcuffs, our only roadblock, but we don't let that stop us.
I let out a moan of desire as Zayn slowly - as if he were trying to drive my body mad - runs his fingers up my sides, pulling my t-shirt as he goes. Our tongues paint against one another's, creating a beautiful masterpiece between us; one that neither of us would ever forget.
We stumble around the camper, knocking into walls and cabinets in our fit of passion. A giggle escapes my lips, causing Zayn to let out a low moan of pleasure, rumbling deep in his chest. I roll my eyes back as everything he does has an effect on me.
Finally, we make it to the bedroom, finding the bed quickly as if it were the treasure chest at the end of the journey. Zayn lays me down on the bed gently, treating me like fragile glass in his hands. I lay there in wonder in how his touch can be so tender, yet have the perfect touch of aggressiveness to it.
He moves between the flesh of my thighs, his skin so incredibly soft. His fingers continue to dance across my flesh, leaving goosebumps behind. He makes my body feel as if it were on fire, in the most pleasurable way possible.
The room becomes a sanctuary full of soft kisses to warm flesh; full of harmonizing moans of pleasure; of pure and complete ecstasy as it continues into nighttime.
It becomes a room that I will forever associate with that messy-headed boy with the soft lips and broad shoulders.
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an: fjkdsla;fds;kajfdsafdsajfdsa i'm seriously dying right now guys. i don't even know what to say. i hope you all enjoy your early christmas present <3 fkl;da
so many zinley feels, i feel like i'm drowning ugh
leave your thoughts, please please please. i'm sure you have a lot of them haha
love always,
perksofbeingaweirdo
[ps. follow me on instagram @moniquescheidler and at 8tracks @macklemonique thanks ily!]