The next morning Zayn wakes up with the sound of somebody yelling. His eyes open wide to see Perrie yelling on her phone. She pauses to blow a kiss at him, then walks out of the room, continuing to yell. She's probably on line with her brother who doesn't follow her diet plans then complains about her stupid programs on 'finding yourself'.
Zayn's smiling until he realizes what had happened last night. The feeling of regret washes over him, and he shakes his head, proceeding to take a shower. He had promised himself and Perrie that he would never let anything like that happen again.
The breakfast is eggs, which aren't his favourite but Perrie tells him that he 'needs energy' to work and eggs are important. She doesn't ask him any questions about last night, and he's thankful for that. "A little too much alcohol?" She finally asks when he's sipping on his tea and glancing at the cover photo of TIME magazine. "Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. I wanted to wait for you but my head was starting to hurt." Zayn apologizes.
"It's okay, love. Do you need me to make some mushroom soup for you?" She asks him while putting the plates away. "Maybe for lunch?" Zayn asks. She nods with a smile, placing a kiss on his lips before making her way towards the kitchen, humming happily. Zayn remembers leaving his phone in his art room. He needed to see if the principal had done anything about his promotion.
He's walking upstairs, he could hear Perrie ask him something. "What?" He yells back when he's opening the door. He doesn't even mean to look at his window when he picks up his phone from the table beside his paint cans. Harry's right there, staring at him.
"Harry is a nice guy, yeah? Try spending more time with him. I really feel bad about his parents splitting up since he's close with his father!" Perrie yells at him from the kitchen. Harry's smiling then, all teeth and dimples. Then he starts taking off his shirt and Zayn stares like the shameless man he is.
But he doesn't do anything else. He grabs something from his nightstand, it's his phone. He points at it and then points at Zayn. Then, Zayn's phone beeps. The art teacher looks at his phone to see a new message from an unknown number.
UN: Save my number.
Zayn doesn't have to think to figure out who it could be. But then, Harry's closing the curtains and he's frowning.
Z: That wasn't supposed to happen.
H: Shut up, Zayn. I'm so tired of your bullshit. You tell me that you don't want it, then stare at me like you want to devour me.
Z: Then you should stop stripping when I walk into this room.
H: No, it's fun to watch you.
Z: when Perrie and I first came to see your family... you were staring a lot at her, I thought you were onto her.
H: oh that
H: I was just wondering how you'd bruise her skin while fucking her
Z: fuck, I don't bruise her skin.
H: Figured, she's too soft according to you. She isn't a fan of the hard, dirty work, she wants to be clean and prepared.
Z: stop talking like you know everything
H: she's easy to read, mate. Don't you blame me.
H: I just reallllly wanted to suck you off
Z: Haha no
H: that's not what you'll be saying when you see me on my knees
Zayn wants to come up with a witty remark, but just imagining Harry on his knees, with his pink lips and his hair down, he forgets to type. "Zayn?! Are you even here?!" Perrie's yelling again. Zayn decides not to reply and walk downstairs.
He might actually be better off with The Walters beside him.
In the evening, Zayn and Perrie meet Liam and Nakshathra in a café just to talk and mainly because to discuss the wedding. "We're having our wedding in Italy." Nakshathra says. "Liam's wanted to have it done there, and I love Italy. So yeah, a bit expensive but we're fine with the amount for now."
"Oh, that's nice. You'll still be living in your house here, yeah?" Perrie asks. "Will be horrible if you guys move out. Liam's our baby and we'd like to see him every other day."
"Of course, Perrie." Nakshathra is laughing, Liam is smiling too. "We'll be living here. We just wanted you to know that it's all set up and we're just planning on a proper date."
"That's good, yeah. So happy for you, little bean." Perrie's pulling Liam's cheeks and Nakshathra is laughing. Everything is moving so fast, Zayn's trying to find out the meaning behind each of Perrie's words, wondering if she's feeling like they're going too slow. He needs to make sure they're on the same page.
"Zayn," Nakshathra says, catching the dreamy boy's attention. "I showed your painting of Perrie to one of our professors in the university. Said he'd like to meet you and stuff. He's in touch with loads of art institutes and they offer so many scholarships, you might get into UAL with that."
"What?" Zayn asks, completely surprised by the topic. "That's great but... why did you..."
"I might have something to do with that." Liam says, eyes shifting to Perrie who grins. "Me too." She says.
"Oh come on, you guys." Zayn says. "You didn't just do that for me."
"Excuse me, I did it. I told Nakshathra to talk to the professor. Perrie might have sent me the picture. I told her that since you've already done a foundation diploma in Art and Design, you might as well continue with your work. Not as a middle school art teacher, I tell you." Liam says. Zayn wants to cry, but he doesn't. He laughs and tells Liam he's an idiot.
Then he excuses himself to go to the washroom, and of course Liam decides to go along with him. When they're in private, Zayn pulls Liam into a tight hug. "Fuck, I love you." He mutters on his shoulder. "You actually got me a chance."
Liam doesn't say anything. He smiles and pats Zayn's shoulder. "Well mate, I just tried. Now you've got to do your best and impress the dude. I heard he's pretty tacky. But nothing that Zayn Malik can't handle, yeah?"
"You bet your arse." Zayn states proudly with a laugh when he lets go of Liam.
Zayn's so happy that he's all smiles on the way home. Perrie notices that and smiles too, her arm wraps around Zayn, then she asks, "Can I go to Mindy's party tonight?" Zayn's smile disappears at that. "Why?" He asks.
"Because...Mindy is our boss. And she invited us for a really nice party at her beautiful apartment in One Canada Square. Come on Zayn, you can always ring up Liam to crash at?"
"You're staying there?"
"She might have told some of us to stay over for a good morning routine." Perrie almost whispered when they were at their door. The thing is, Mindy King is one of Perrie's 'leaders' in the institution where she worked. The 'leader' might be one of the people that tops Zayn's most hated people's list. "Pretty please?" Perrie whispers when she closes the door behind her.
"Fine, but only because you're allowing pizza today." Zayn says. Perrie grins and nods happily before kissing him hard on the lips.
Harry's flipping through pages. His phone has been getting notifications from a group he had been added in. He wasn't a social person, but he needed to get in touch with people here and make friends. He reads the messages, doesn't try to put his own thoughts into whatever conversation the people were currently having.
He's made three friends since the first semester. Or something. Josh and Joshua, those two dark skinned guys. He remembers their names because they're basically the same and because they helped him find his classes. Then there's a red head named Roger. Harry tried not to make a joke out of that.
It's almost dark and people are asking him if he's up for a party. He really isn't. He was sat on his porch, staring outside and wondering if they should get a dog or something. Then he sees her, Perrie walking out of the house looking all pretty. She waits on the sidewalk for a moment before a car stops right in front of her. She's laughing when she gets in, and waves at someone.
Then Harry sees Zayn stood on his porch, looking smug and waving like a dead man. The car drives off, and Zayn stands there for some more minutes. Then his eyes land at Harry, he doesn't do anything else. He gets in and Harry starts to think. Maybe Zayn's going to be alone tonight.
"Mom!" He calls off from the porch as he gets up. "I'll be back in a minute!"
And then he rushes off, straight to Zayn's door. He rings the bell three times. Zayn opens the door with a devastating look on his face. "What do you want, Harry?" He asks. Harry pushes him aside and walks inside. Zayn curses and tells him to take off his shoes, Harry tries to take them off slowly but he ends up kicking them to a side.
He pushes Zayn to a wall and sinks on his knees. Zayn's brain is panicking and his heart is beating so fast, he doesn't know what to do anymore. "Fuck Harry, what's up with you?" Zayn asks, trying to push his head but ends up pulling at his hair which results into a delicious moan from Harry.
Harry pulls his jeans down and starts mouthing at his clothed cock from his briefs. Zayn's hands tangle into Harry's hair, unable to take it as he finally stops pushing Harry off him, and started holding him closer. "Wanted this, for so fucking long," Harry whispers, taking his briefs down and then Zayn's cock slaps at his face. He whimpers at that, but then wraps his hand around it and starts jerking off slowly.
"Shit, Harry." Zayn grunts. "Didn't know you wanted it this bad."
"You don't know a lot of things, Mr. Malik." Harry says with a smile as he licks at the leaking head. Zayn's hands are on his head, pushing him closer to take it all in. Harry's a fucking tease, he takes his time, kitten licks around before wrapping his lips around the head and goes down slowly.
Zayn's a moaning mess, his back aching against the wall, his hands going numb around Harry's hair. The younger lad is doing everything he can to turn Zayn into a miserable man, more than he already is, and Zayn's falling into it. Deep. "Stop, I'm about to come." Zayn barely breaths out. Harry does pull off, but continues jerking him off fast.
"Come on my face." Harry says. The words are enough to let it all out. Zayn comes with a pant, breathing heavily as he looks at Harry who's rubbing his eyes then licking his fingers happily. "Are you okay?" Zayn asks him, covering himself up and pulling his jeans up.
"Yeah, I'm fine as hell." Harry says, getting up. "I think I'll see you soon, Mr. Malik." Then he heads for the door.
"Wait, wash your face," Zayn's saying, completely panicking as he holds Harry's arm. "Oh." Harry mutters, turning back. "Maybe we can have another round. Maybe you can fuck me."
"Uh, you know what, you should just go." Zayn suggests. Harry laughs, his face still looks a little fucked up, but nothing too suspicious. Then he walks out and closes the door. He recollects the image of Harry on his knees, his lips around him and his god so beautiful face covered in all of Zayn.
Then Gigi's image pops into his head, and she's laughing. 'This is you, Zayn. You don't change.'
He might need to light up a cigarette to feel better about the horrible things he had done in the past few days, and the horrible things that he's sure that he's going to do if his god so beautiful neighbour boy continues jumping on him like that.
The next day is a Monday, and he remembers that he has to meet Nakshathra after his classes today. Perrie isn't home when he leaves for school next morning, she had texted him saying that she'll be leaving for work from Mindy's house and then she'll be sure to treat Zayn very nicely.
He tries not to think too much about yesterday and focuses on his work. "Mr. Malik," One of the students called out for him. His breath hitched at that, remembering just how Harry called him out yesterday. "Yes, Steph?" He looks at the little girl in the front row with a frown on her face.
"You told us to draw any person that we like for our project. Can you draw someone that you like too?" She asks with an innocent smile. Everybody in the class went silent and waited for Zayn's answer. "Okay, I will." Zayn replies.
"Nice. But not your girlfriend, sir. You've already showed us, don't trick us!" She says with a laugh, everybody in the class starts talking about Perrie then. Zayn frowns and sinks down on his chair, glancing at his phone on the table which beeped. A message from Harry.
Harry: You coming to McDonalds?
Zayn: I'm in class
Harry: I thought you worked???
Zayn: I'm a teacher
Harry: right
Harry: Mr. Malik (:
"No phones in class, sir!" A boy calls out. He rolls his eyes and starts talking about the submission dates for the assignments given to the kids. He wonders whom he should draw for the project. Drawing Perrie is simple, she'd even pose if you ask her to. She'll stay in the same position for a long time and Zayn was grateful for that. She'd keep him running.
The times passes quickly, he finds himself placing his files on the desk as Michelle looks at him suspiciously. "What?" He finally asks with a frown when he grabs his bag. "Something has changed." She says. "What are you hiding?"
Zayn's heart is beating like a drum when she asks that. Then she starts laughing so loudly that everybody in the teachers' lounge has to look at her to make her stop. "Sorry." She apologizes quickly to the people before looking back at Zayn. Her red lip seemed more dangerous than usual. "I knew something was up. This trick always works, what did you do?" She asks excitedly.
"Nothing. I need to go now, see you tomorrow." Zayn huffs and leaves in a hurry. Michelle watches him go before going back to correcting papers. He drives towards UCL, humming to the song playing on the radio. He hasn't heard it before, the sound is new and the singer has to be new. He's been so disconnected with music after he started working in this school and forgot that the television existed, it sucked.
He remembers singing in a band when he was in the university. Liam said he was good and Perrie wanted them to continue with music. But then Zayn got disconnected with the rest of the members, who were Luke and Ashton, then they left for Australia and he was just here. In their time they performed small gigs in bars and around. People liked them because they could sing a bit and because they were a group of good looking guys. He still has their number in case they wanted to meet up. They knew where he lived so it was alright.
Luke and Ashton kept in touch with him. They're currently engaged to each other and are still learning music. They're hoping to make it big someday. Zayn hopes that they do. He would tell Perrie about Luke and Ashton being together and doing what they do best, but he knew that the news of people getting 'engaged', 'married' or even 'having kids' made her a little weird for a few days.
Zayn knows that she wants him to do it. His parents want him to do it. But he's scared, he doesn't know if he could. He does think about it when he looks at her when she isn't looking at him, he was sure for some days then something or the other comes up and he's scared again.
And now, now couldn't be the best time to think about marriage.
When he parks his car on the side, he stares up at the university building. God, he hates this place. Just looking at it makes him remind of his days as a student here. All of his mistakes coming back to him, everything that he had done. Everyone he had broken in here. He gets out, makes his way inside and looks around for Nakshathra.
"Mr. Malik!"
He doesn't have to think twice to figure out who's calling for him. It's Harry, jogging towards him with a smile on his face. He's wearing a stupid green beanie which covers his wild hair, and bloody shorts which show off his legs. The t-shirt says 'rock n roll' and his dimples are popping like always. "Missed me too much?" Harry asks with a grin.
"No. I came here to meet a friend." Zayn says, looking around until he spots Nakshathra sat on a bench, typing on her laptop. Zayn starts walking towards her and Harry decides to follow him around. "Yeah? Why?" Harry asks.
"I have a meeting with a Professor here. Art stuff." Zayn replies. Nakshathra is quick to look up from her laptop, smiling at Zayn and waving happily at him. "Hey, sorry, I was going to come over to the gate to see you but I really have to finish this assignment here." She says when Zayn sits down beside her on the bench.
"Oh it's alright, this is Harry," Zayn introduces his neighbour. "He's a freshman here. He actually shifted some days ago with his family beside me."
"Hello, nice to meet you. What are you studying?" Nakshathra asks him while grabbing something from her bag. "Management studies. And you?" Harry asks.
She closes her laptop and places it carefully in her bag before putting on her student id. "Designing. Come on, we should go. Professor Spencer doesn't like waiting, and he's going for a meeting today so we shouldn't be late." Zayn's nodding, she walks ahead of him, waving a goodbye to Harry too.
"I'll see you," Harry says. "Tonight."
"Fuck you." Zayn mutters, turning around to follow Nakshathra. "You will be, Mr. Malik!" Harry basically yells shamelessly. Zayn wants to be angry and maybe turn around to slap him, but he's walking away with a smile on his face.
He's fucked. Again.
When Harry was a child, his father was like any other doting one. They went out to play football, his father loved the sport and made Harry love it too. But when Harry came into his pre-teens, he became distant with the old man. Mainly because he worked all the time and barely came home. There would be times when he'd feel his brain go crazy and his heart rate increasing suddenly.
He was sure that he was going to die back then. But his mother would always tell him that everything would be fine, he was going to be fine and the pain that he felt happened to every growing child. His dad would never ask him how he was doing. Whether he was sick or the world was ending—when he was there, he would always make him play on the field.
All the pain and sadness did wash away. He started ignoring the ache in his heart when his father wouldn't be there for his birthday, or when he achieved something in his classes. Gemma on the other hand was used to the old man not being there, so he started learning it all from her. Then again, his mother was the best parent he could ask for.
His father always made him play football when he was home. And he would make Harry run for it, roll in the mud and reach out to the goal. They would play and play until Harry couldn't stand anymore. When his father gave him a chance to live with him when they split up, he completely denied him and decided to stay back with his mother.
Desmond Styles was surprised at that. But he didn't utter a single word. He just looked at Anne and said, 'My doors are open if the children need me.' Anne was crying then; Harry didn't know what it was so emotional about it so he kept quiet. He noticed that even Gemma was in the verge of tears. He was half sure that he might be dying. He wanted to be sad—but every night that Anne had spent crying made him hate his father even more.
"You coming in for some?" Josh asks him when he's thinking about his father. Harry chuckles before shaking his head. The three guys groan disappointedly. "Come on, Harry. Don't you want to open up? Feel the world stop and enjoy the moment? Just one try, you'll start loving it." Roger is saying, wrapping his arm around Harry's shoulder while grinning at Joshua.
"Well appreciated lads. But I need to go, got a family thing today." He lies.
They buy it. They leave him alone and he finds himself walking back home. It's far, he always takes a cab but now it was time to save money for once. Jesse had tried calling Harry and he almost cried when he saw his old mate's name flash on the screen. He wouldn't pick up. At least not yet. Jesse and him weren't the closest, but they talked almost every week during school. Jesse was the one who tried to help him get laid.
When he's by his porch, he could hear music playing from his neighbour's backyard. Somebody is playing the guitar and singing beautifully. He's curious as he makes way to his own backyard, and is surprised when he sees what's actually happening.
Zayn is sat on a bean bag, tuning the guitar and laughing. Three guys that he has never seen before are cheering, and Perrie isn't there. Zayn can see him; he knows it well. The fence separating them is small enough to jump through, but Harry stays where he is and tries not to step on the plants that Gemma had warned him about. 'I spent a lot of time in that, Harry. If you accidentally break any, I'm shaving your head off.' He remembers those words quiet well to be careful. The three guys are facing Zayn, they don't notice him and he's glad about that. They're all sat on bean bags and he remembers that he had to buy one for his room.
"Alright, so this one that I had wrote back then," Zayn is saying loud enough for him to hear. "The one that Luke tuned, and the lyrics that I forgot. I remembered some, so it's something." And then he starts playing his guitar. Harry is smiling like an idiot when Zayn looks right at him.
'Well, I like the way your hair falls in your face
You got the keys to me
I love the dimples on your face, oh
I've never been so wrapped up, honey
I like the way you're everything I ever wanted.'
Zayn's looking at him when he sings. Harry would hide behind a tree just to be careful, but his backyard doesn't have a tree, so if any of the guys turn around, he's fucked. So he's at the door of his backyard, ready to run in if they turn. Zayn's almost laughing as he finishes. Harry decides to go inside when two of the guys get up and cheer loudly.
His mother is right there, staring at him like he's a ghost. "What were you doing back there?" She asks before laughing. "Zayn sings! His voice is lovely, isn't it?" She continues to pour water in the kettle. Harry rolls his eyes before heading up to his room. Gemma doesn't seem to be home right now.
He sits down on his bed and stares out of the window. He could see Zayn's art room. At first when he noticed Zayn looking at him when he was changing, he hadn't meant to keep the curtains open. But he was in a hurry and he didn't think anybody would see him from there. But the lights came out brightly all of the sudden from the other side and he saw the man staring at him.
The next time he saw Zayn just there as if he had been waiting for Harry, he wanted to put on a show. It was an awful idea, but when he saw Zayn touch himself, he didn't feel that embarrassed. He doesn't want to do this to Perrie. The woman is nice to him, she's probably nice to every human. But from the moment he saw Zayn, and the way that they first met, something was bound to happen.
'Such a cliché, Styles. At least you're getting some.' Jesse would have said if he was here.
Then he lays down on his bed and decides to get away from reality for a while.
"We sold everything and went to Malibu." Ashton is saying while munching on potato chips that he had bought along. Boy needed to eat. "We were so scared, but we started performing small gigs. In public and shit until this dude from a fine restaurant gives us his card and asks us if we'll be interested to perform there. And damn, Zayn. People loved us."
Luke is nodding with a smile. Zayn is surprised that he actually got a lip piercing. He used to tell everyone that he would get one soon, but Zayn thought he was just kidding about it. "And then we performed around Cali, decided to come back to Australia and chill when he had enough money. Made quite a few, and now we have a meeting with Sony Music Entertainment. Sony, Zayn. Sony."
"Good for you lot." Zayn replies with a smile. "Just glad that you're doing what you wanted."
"Would've been great if you were with us." Luke finds himself saying before looking at Ashton who nods with a laugh. "But hey, here you are. Teaching kids about art."
"Shut up, arsehole." Zayn mutters with a smile.
"Where's Perrie? You guys are married or what?" Ashton asks. Liam laughs. "Married? Far from it. They live together. Perrie must be working now. She works at a Yoga Centre, the popular one around here. I don't know what it's called. All hippie stuff."
"Oh, that's nice." Luke says with a smile. "It's nice to know you're still together. She's really nice, yeah? Knows you for years and stuff. You told her about us?"
"Yeah. She knows that you're on your path to being famous."
"No, not that. About us being engaged. Since you have to come to the wedding." Ashton says before Luke could. "The date and stuff isn't decided but it's definitely going to be in the States."
"Jesus, I'm going to be poor after I go to the states, then Italy. God." Zayn grumbles, eyes shifting to Liam who's smiling innocently at the duo. "At least you both are doing well. If you need any promoting, you can always put up Zayn's photos as album art. People like pretty things." Liam suggests.
"That's a nice idea." Luke and Ashton say at once. Zayn might hate his old friends.
Perrie's been distant.
He knows it. Zayn knows it very well. She doesn't talk much unless it's about food or his family, or anything else that doesn't include them. When he tells her that the professor that he met for his work wanted to see him again on a Saturday, she smiles and tells him that he was going to get it. That's it. Then she starts her hippie music and starts her usual yoga routine in the living room.
The realization hits him. Something isn't right, Perrie isn't this reserved. She loves to talk about anything. She'll talk about the wonders of the planet if she wants to. So when they're in bed within an appropriate distance, he asks her if something is wrong.
"Just tired. Mindy was like, going crazy today. Had to run from first floor to fourth floor, too tired. You think too much, baby." She says with a laugh. Zayn chuckles and shrugs it off. Then she's asleep.
Zayn doesn't believe that.
The next few days go by fast, and Easter is here. Harry still gave him the shows and he watched intently. They don't talk, they text sometimes because Zayn is busy with school and Harry has his assignments in the Uni. Zayn draws in his free time. He draws what he likes for the project he had given to his students.
When Easter holidays hit him, he realizes he has two weeks to sleep soundly. But his parents have something else in their minds.
"You should visit! All the girls are here and it would be lovely to see you and Perrie again." His mother is talking sweetly on the phone. Zayn isn't sure. "We're going to visit this summer, mum."
"It wouldn't hurt if you do visit now." She's angry, he can feel it. She's on the verge of yelling. "I'll talk to Perrie about this. Yeah?" He's almost at the door. He had just got off from work and Michelle had wished him a great Easter free of kids who weren't going to pester him for eggs. She didn't know that Perrie was just like a kid when it came to Easter.
"Good. And have you thought about it?" She asks the question. "No. I'll call you later." He replies before cutting the call. He's far from that phase and he knows it. He's not sure if Perrie wants this anymore, ever since she became a little distant, she won't even let him touch her. "It's that time of the month, Zayn." She always says.
She said that for three days. Then Zayn stopped trying and she didn't mind. It's clearly wrong.
When Zayn tells her about meeting up with his family, she lights up. "That's great! I wanted to see your sisters again. Maybe we could stay there for two days? I do have work, you know." She's excited. She's checking her phone and telling him about all the chats she had with Safaa about her college and Walihya wanting to join a strip club instead of studying—which made Zayn freak out but then Perrie assured it was a joke, and Doniya completely busy with her work to even sleep on her bed.
Perrie's on the phone with his mother and they're chatting happily. Everything seems fine again, so Zayn doesn't think too much. Soon they're packing their bags and Perrie's so happy that it felt like those gloomy days were just a lie. Maybe it was just the time of the month.
"Hey, can you give this to the neighbours? Gemma let me borrow it." Perrie's handing him a fancy bag. "Not my bag, do not look at me like that." She continues with a smile. Zayn rolls his eyes but nods. It's about nine and it's so dark outside, it all feels creepy. He rings the doorbell and waits.
Of course it's Harry who opens the door. "Oh my, you missed me. Didn't you?" Harry asks with a grin. Zayn wants to scoff but he stares at the boy for a moment. His hair was tied into two ponytails which looked ridiculous—and adorable as hell. Then again his dimples always made Zayn swoon. "Yes, terribly. Take this, Perrie borrowed this from Gemma." Zayn says, handing Harry the fancy bag.
"Okay." Harry replies, taking it. They stand there awkwardly for a moment before Zayn looks around his own house, then behind Harry. "What are you doing?" Harry asks with a frown.
Zayn takes a step forward, his hands on Harry's cheeks as he pulls him closer and presses his lips against the younger male's. Harry almost has let go of the bag he was holding, it felt like fireworks were exploding inside his stomach and it was such a rush that he forgot how to breath. Zayn biting on his lower lip and licking into his mouth like it was his favourite thing to do.
Something like they did always—but this was the first time Zayn had touched him like this, and he had to kiss his lips, making him forget what he was doing. Zayn's lips were soft against his own, and Harry felt like he needed to kiss him every single day.
Zayn Malik—the neighbour he decided to have fun with was kissing him like he was the only one he cared about. Harry melted into the kiss for a moment before Zayn pulled back quickly and laughed. "Oh well, I do things without a warning. Forgive me for that." He's blabbering but Harry's looking at the ground, wondering what had just happened.
"Anyways, I'll see you around. Yeah?" Zayn says before walking out of their property. Harry stands there for a second before touching his lower lip with his index finger.
Zayn Malik—the neighbour who was meant to be nothing, the one who should have fucked him like he had thought Zayn would when he realized he just wanted fun, was his first kiss ever and it made him lose his mind.
"Harry? What are you doing there? Who was it?" It's Gemma. Yelling like she always does, looking down at Harry's hands and snatching her bag. "Oh. Perrie must have returned it." She's saying. Harry quickly presses his lips together and nods before rushing back inside. Gemma watches him suspiciously, but he doesn't care about it.
Zayn Malik was fucking everything up.
Holidays hit fast. Harry's staring up at the ceiling of his room. The weather here hasn't been good to him lately. He loves spring, he really does. It's when Gemma and Anne make the best dishes and his favourite cousins decide to pay a visit. Easter should always be in spring according to Harry's mind and it's snowing right now.
His room is cold, the heater isn't working in here and his mother had knocked on his door seven times warning him to come out or he'll freeze in there. He wishes that he could. The moment the heater broke down, only his heater, he wanted to die. Gemma offered to give her room up, Anne said he could always share the bed with her and she'll cuddle him just like she did when he was a baby. Gemma laughed so hard at that, Anne had to calm her down. Harry was just scoffing before putting his pride before needs, telling them he was meant for this weather.
He manages to groan his way out of the bed and take a hot shower. He really doesn't jerk off to the thoughts of his hot neighbour.
When he walks out of his room looking like a decent human, he can already smell the aroma filling up the house from the kitchen. He rushes downstairs and walks into the kitchen to see Gemma humming to some music while taking out a pie from the oven. "Gem, is that..." He starts off when he looks at the masterpiece in her hands. She cuts him off with, "Yes, little bean. It is the chocolate bourbon pecan pie you've been dying for."
He almost squeals, hugging her tightly and placing a wet kiss on her cheek. "Ew, go away." She shoos him off but her dimples say different. Anne is talking on the phone quietly, her eyes heavy as if she didn't get much sleep last night and she's sat on the sofa, staring at the television which was telecasting local news.
The moment Harry settles down peacefully on the couch, their doorbell goes off. "HARRY!" Gemma's already starting to yell. He grumbles while getting him, his feet barely making their way fast enough to the door. The person on the other side rings the bell three more times which only makes Gemma yell louder. "OH MY GOD GEM SHUT UP!" Harry yells back when he's at the door.
He opens it with a frown but he's instantly hugged by two people. "Oh my, what is up with your hair? I thought you were going to cut it!" Matty's hands are in his hair, pulling the ends and Ben is quite amused too. "Leave the boy alone," Ella's voice is heard behind them.
"I thought you said long hair suits me?" Harry's saying but Matty has already moved in, yelling Gemma's name. "He's just here for the pies, leave him. I think you look adorable, Haz." Ella's hugging him now, he grins and hugs her back.
Anne is back from her call, hugging all of them and kissing their cheeks as they talk about Ben's band practicing for the X-Factor, Matty's deal with Tara Ivan's fashion line and Ella's interview with JK Rowling. It's all a great conversation, but Harry's eyes are glued to the window. He can see Zayn walking out with Perrie, there's a guy who gets the bag from Perrie's hand and starts laughing at something. Then they disappear into a car and drive away.
"Earth to Harry!" Matty's all over his face. "Who's got you so whipped? And how's Uni coming along for you? Smoked a blunt yet?"
"Matty!" Anne is furious at that, more likely surprised but Ben and Matty high-five each other while laughing their arses off. Gemma is telling everybody about her pie, and Harry's eyes are on her but he can't seem to hear the words.
Zayn.
That's all he could hear. It made him want to laugh, and cry. He wasn't sure if he was planning on this.
Perrie's singing along to a song Zayn has never heard before. He doesn't ask her about it when she's telling him that she's in love with this tune. His family lives in Bradford and he loves being here. This was the only place he could lie down on his bed and stare at the posters, remembering his school and college life here. Going to London for further studies changed him so much, this place was the realization and his mother always cries when he visits after an interval of at least three months.
It should be annoying, really, but he just smiles and pulls her into a long hug. His father asks him about his work and Perrie about hers, that's all that it takes for two hours of Perrie's broadcast to the Malik family about every funny incident that had happened when she was home. His family loves her, he knows it well, that's why when she's helping Safaa out with her homework they look at him and their eyes say do it.
"I'm thinking about it." He finally says it. Trisha was so happy when he said that, his father looked pleased too and Perrie didn't even bother listening when Walihya continued to tell her about the events that had happened in the drama class.
"Oh God no, I need all the chocolates. Bourbon, throw them on my face." Matty is saying when Gemma's showing them the Easter eggs that she had gotten. "No, definitely not throwing them on your face. Maybe Harry's." She replies with a smile. Harry's eating his chocolate pecan pie peacefully, he doesn't care if his cousins bully the hell out of him. Ella's showing some pictures to Anne who couldn't stop smiling at them and Ben is telling Matty about the grounds nearby where they could hunt since their backyard was too small.
"There's still time for Easter Sunday." Harry mutters.
"Shut up, Harry. Where you always this boring?" Ben asks with a smile. Harry doesn't bother replying and continues to eat. Gemma just gives him one of her 'looks' before calling Louis again. Her boyfriend was supposed to visit on Sunday. "You can swim in money when you get married. He probably has a pool of money hidden. Maybe a torture room too." Harry says when she's gushing about her 'incredible' boyfriend making time to visit her.
"And the funny Harry is back." Ella announces. Harry smiles.
Zayn's never been this depressed when he's spending time with his family. Everything is wrong. Perrie's the same, she compliments his mother's cooking and his father's incredible tea skills. Then she lets Doniya put makeup on her for a tutorial to be up on her channel. She accompanies Walihya outside for a run and plays a video game with Safaa.
But Perrie isn't the same. She doesn't tell Zayn that his face shouldn't be so gloomy all the time. She doesn't yell at him when he stays too quiet during the family dinners and forgets to eat. She doesn't cuddle with him during the night. She doesn't tell him that his room still looks like a teenager's room and he should probably change it. She doesn't bring up Easter hunt. She doesn't tell him to stop smoking when he opens a window.
Fuck. He realizes something is terribly wrong. Their last night in his house, he's lying awake in his bed while Perrie ties her hair into a bun. She puts down the fitness book that she's been reading for the past few days and turns off the lights. The moonlight lights up the room well enough that when Zayn turns his head, he can see her staring at the ceiling. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah." She replies.
"I know something isn't right. Just tell me what it is. Something that I did?" He asks. He doesn't look at her, but he feels her eyes on him. "I—I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a good thing. Us being with your family and all, but Zayn, I can't—I don't get it." She's saying, her voice is breaking and he's confused.
"I don't know if you still want to be with me." She says. "I did get your daily dose of glooming and drawing but I walked into your art room. I know you said you don't want any living soul there without your permission but I wanted to clean the room."
Zayn's heart is beating fast.
"Then I see your canvas, there's an ongoing painting that I think is beautiful, it's Harry. Isn't it? Your drawing?" She's asking him. He doesn't say anything for a moment. "Yeah. It's Harry. Just, wanted a muse. You know? My students wanted me to draw someone and it shouldn't be you because you're the only one that I used to draw. I had to think about someone fast."
"Could be one of your sisters. If you needed inspiration, that is." She says. Then she laughs. "But hey, I thought you were drawing...Gemma. They look similar, don't they? Then I noticed that I could clearly see a room from your window. My heart died when I saw Gemma walk in there and wave at me. I thought you spend so much time there because you watch her."
"Pez, no." Zayn says. His mind is mushed up and he can't believe what he's hearing. "That's Harry's room. I see that teenager sometimes and he doesn't even notice me. You thought that I..."
"Yes." She cut him off. "I thought you were cheating on me. Again."
That word makes his body numb. "But hey, I was being such a child. Should have asked you straight away. I'm so sorry for that, I really shouldn't have kept quiet. How dare you smoke in my presence?" She's back into her old self. Zayn laughs at that, but his heart aches from the lies that she almost caught.
If Gigi knew about the mess he was currently in, she would just laugh and tell him that it's exactly who he was.
He tries to sleep with Perrie's arms around him,but eventually shifts to the side when she's in deep slumber. He can't evenlook at her.