grab your tissue (don't listen to sign of the times while reading this)
Also, major thanks to Oshi (biebersmalik) for editing the first part of this chapter because I didn't feel like it. Love youuu
-
"I wasn't always like this before, you know," Zayn begins. "When I was younger, around seventeen and eighteen, I used to be the exact opposite of how I am now. I used to be rowdy, naive, out of control, got into a lot of trouble in and out of school; I even used to smoke a little. During high school, I wasn't exactly a loner, but I didn't exactly have many friends either. I was just known as the school misfit and the brother of one of the most popular girls in the school - my sister, Doniya.
It wasn't until maybe a few months in my junior year when I was approached by a group of people. I've never heard from them before in my life. They were some of the popular people. I knew this 'cause my sister hung with a few of them. I wasn't so rowdy, but I did get into some trouble. I haven't started smoking and stuff at this point. They tried to talk to me, but sometimes I would shrug them off. I didn't want anything to do with them, but then they started to grow on me. Eventually, I allowed myself to be sucked into their group. This was the point when I started to change. I dyed my hair, changed my wardrobe, developed this 'fuck off' attitude, disobeyed my parents, smoked and drank. Not much though; I was changing. My parents noticed too because I started to isolate myself and left the house a lot. They didn't pester me about it, but they did tell me to try not to get into trouble.
My sister warned me not to get too involved with them, but I didn't listen. I guess this pissed her off because we stopped communicating a lot. Whenever we were around each other, we'd either be silent or find a way to get into an argument. I should've listened to her, but my stubborn self told me that I was wrong - that my friends weren't how she told me they were - manipulative and conniving. But boy, was I wrong."
Zayn takes a moment to take a deep breath, tears falling from his eyes. Justin rubs Zayn's back soothingly, encouraging him to let it all out.
"We were good friends for a while. We told each other a lot. The latest drama going around the school, what was going on with our grades and stuff like that. Eventually, it got to the point where I started to tell them my secrets. I told them that I was attracted to guys, but they just shrugged it off and said that they didn't mind - that didn't change who I was. I believed them, too.
But after a while of being friends, maybe until January of my junior year, they started to change. When I came around, they were acting more secretive than usual. Sometimes I'd ask what they were talking about and they would make up some lie, and sometimes I would just shrug it off. They were my friends, and I trusted them. They started to become more distant towards me, which made me sad because at this point no one else wanted to be friends with me. We started to hang out less, and I blamed it on myself. I thought they were pushing me away. I had confronted them at a point. They told me they were sorry. That since they were seniors, I don't think I mentioned I was the only junior of them which was a sign that I should've seen, that they were more busy picking out colleges and stuff like that. I believed them blindly because my sister was doing the same thing.
And then suddenly... it was as if everything changed. They were always around me now, always wanted to hang out with me, always wanted to know what I was doing, and I didn't think anything about it. Of course, at first, I found it weird. But then they just told me that they missed spending time with me, and I believed them. The weirdest things were they actually started to be super nice to me. We were kind of, uhm, assholes to each other all the time. There wasn't a moment that we weren't back talking each other or saying stupid stuff but they actually were being nice to me. Me, being the oblivious person I am, didn't notice what was going on at the time. I was happy to have my friends talking to me a lot again, so I didn't let it bother me.
Then one day, they invited me to go out with them again. We hung out a lot, so again, it didn't bother me. But, they didn't show. They invited me out to a party. I've been to a few parties before, but apparently, this one was going to be the 'talk of the year' since it was going to be mainly seniors and college students."
Zayn scoffs bitterly, "That was a bunch of crap. When I arrived, nobody was there. When I tried to walk up to the door, the dog chased me away. When I got home, I texted them but never got a response. I texted them all throughout the weekend since the 'party' was on a Friday, but never got a response. When we went to school on Monday, I asked them about it, and they said the party was canceled and that one of them texted me. The girl, Gigi, pulled out her phone to show me that she did but when she opened her messages, she realized she didn't send it. When I asked them why they didn't respond to my text, they told me that none of them got it. They even showed me their messages to prove it. I figured that it was just my phone messing up, so I told them it was okay. I shrugged that off, thinking it was just an honest mistake.
The next time that we were supposed to 'hang out' was two weeks later. They were being their weird selves again - being extremely nice to me and pampering me. We were supposed to go to the bowling alley. I've never been to one in Bradford before so they sent me the location. When I arrived and went inside, none of them were there. I figured that I was early, so I just sat around and waited for them to show, but they didn't. I waited for over an hour for them to show, but they didn't. I was so embarrassed, honestly. The man that was working kept asking if I was waiting on somebody, and I told him that my friends were supposed to be coming, but even I started not to believe that. When it got late, I left. And I knew they ditched me. I got home, and I didn't talk to anybody. When I approached them at school the next day, they told me that they did go to a bowling alley, but it was the one on the opposite side of the town. We figured out that they showed me the wrong one, and apologized profusely, blaming it on the fact that Bradford was a large city. I actually believed that they were sorry.
The third time was my birthday party. I just wanted it to be close friends and a little party thrown in my backyard. They promised that they were going to show but, of course, they didn't. I had my dad barbecue and everything. When it was a few hours after the time they were supposed to show, I stormed out the house, angry and sad. My parents tried to stop me, but I was already in my car and driving away. When I'm mad, I go out for ice cream. So I arrived at the ice cream parlor, went inside, but wasn't expecting to see the sight that I had seen. My friends were there, laughing and looking like they were having the time of their lives. I could tell that they didn't remember that it was my birthday. I didn't even get my ice cream. I felt like a complete idiot and betrayed, so I left. At school, I didn't even bring it up, and neither did they. I guessed that they really forgot about my party and birthday when I, on the other hand, had their birthdays saved on my phone.
At this point, I was more skeptical when it came to them making plans. I realized their pattern at this point. They didn't ask me to hang out until two months later - April Fools day. I knew that they spent time all the time because of their social media, but I never brought it up. I was betrayed, of course, but they were seniors. That day they told me that there was going to be a party since April fools were known as a joking day. They told me that everyone was going to be dressed up in funny costumes and doing stupid stuff. I was hesitant, and they noticed. They convinced me that it was a joke or something and that they were completely serious. I gave in, eventually, and they had this smile on their face that was so devious but me being me, I ignored it.
So a few hours later, I arrived at the school dressed up in a costume. One of the most embarrassing things to be honest. It was a chicken. I heard the music outside, and I saw all the cars parked, so I knew that they weren't lying about a party. I went inside and to the commons where the party was being held and was greeted by everyone dressed normally. I froze in my spot, and then I was put on the spot. One of my 'friends' shouted, 'Hey, look everyone! It's Zayn!' and everyone's attention was on me. My friends were on the stage smirking, and everyone started laughing at me. I couldn't even bring myself to move at this point."
Zayn chokes up on his tears and buries his head in Justin's shoulder. Justin looks down at his boyfriend sadly, his heart breaking as he listens to the story of what his boyfriend went through.
"I-I felt so embarrassed, cheated, and most of all, betrayed. Betrayed that the people that I trusted did this to me. And they didn't stop there. They revealed some of my darkest secrets that I trusted them with. That was when the whole school found out that I liked boys. And the sad thing is, that wasn't even the worst part. My freaking sister got on the stage and revealed that she was behind everything they did to me. She called it 'getting back at me for not trusting her.' That's when I realized the kind of person she was. When she was done, I ran. I went to my car, took off the freaking costume, and bawled my eyes out for what it seemed like hours. When I went home, I ignored my parents asking me what's wrong and just cried. I never told them what happened that night or what Doniya did to me.
After that night, none of my so called 'friends' communicated with me. Well, they did, but not in the way that was nice. They started bullying me along with everyone else in the school. The teachers knew as well but didn't do anything about it because of my reputation. I went from being well-known for hanging out with seniors to well-known for being bullied. I couldn't even find it in myself to fight back against what they said. I just let them say it because I felt as if it was true. My parents were worried about me and recommended that I go to therapy. I didn't believe I needed it. Since then I became this shy, distant, introverted guy. I didn't let anybody in for a while.
And then I met Liam."
A smile plays on Zayn's lips, but it's anything but a nice smile. More like a dark one.
"A few weeks after the 'party,' Liam moved to the school. I found him so handsome and attractive, but that's what attracted everyone to him. He was bound to become popular, and he did. He was in most of my classes but didn't notice me until a few days after he moved there.
We were partnered up for an assignment. When he saw me, I knew he was shocked. I looked like a total freak - dark clothes, a weak and small body after suffering from an eating disorder and bags under my eyes. We were silent at first, but we got our stuff done.
I was expecting him to leave me alone after the project, but he didn't. He began to sit beside me, talk to me, and he even sat with me during lunch. Keep in mind that I sat by myself. At first, I ignored him, hoping that he would eventually leave me alone. When I thought he was, he surprised me and told me that he was never going to leave me alone, that he was going to break me out of my shell. That's exactly what he did.
I knew he received questions like why he was going around with the school freak trying to talk to him and I knew at this point, he heard what happened to me being the gullible guy I am but he didn't mind, I guess. He shrugged them off. When I noticed this, I started allowing myself to become less tense and guarded around him. I started talking back to him, and he seemed happy about it.
It was inevitable that I started to fall for him, but I thought it was going to be an unrequited thing. Because of him, I started trusting again, and I let him in. That's when I knew what really was happening and I didn't know how to stop it. He surprised me one day by admitting his feelings to me, and he even kissed me. I was so happy but scared. What if he did the same thing my 'friends' did? I should've listened to my heart that day.
We started going out on dates and around the school, and I was happy. My family could tell too, but they didn't know what was the cause of it, except my sister. I didn't mind her, though. I was just overwhelmed because someone was actually there to stay and that's what I wanted.
But everything started to go wrong. I caught Liam talking to my old group of friends one day. At this point, I was sure I loved him with everything in my body. I couldn't tell what they were talking about, but when he turned around, he looked pretty annoyed. I guessed they approached him about something. When I asked him about it, he told me to let it be. I asked again, and he snapped, and that's when I learned to keep my mouth shut. I didn't want Liam to get mad at me anymore.
That day, we went to his house, and he apologized for snapping at me. I forgave him, and we started making out. Keep in mind we were barely going out for a month at this point. He slipped his hand under my shirt, and I knew what was happening. I didn't stop it because I trusted Liam with my virginity. I wanted him to have it. Things escalated and we, uh, had sex. It was one of the best days of my life. After we finished, I told him that I loved him. He tensed up but then told me he loved me as well. I was so happy, and what sent me over the moon when he asked me to prom since he was a senior. I said yes, of course. It wasn't the most romantic way to ask, but I didn't care. He was the one I loved, and I was happy to go to prom with him.
Two weeks later and it was prom, also known as when everything went downhill. When we were dancing, they called prom king and queen. It was Liam and Ariel. I was happy for them, no matter what Ariel did to me. But one thing that shocked me was when Liam just plain and smack dab kissed her. Everyone gasped, and Liam and Ariel looked at me with a smirk. Liam took the mic and told me that he never loved me, that I was just a conquest and that he only wanted to get in my pants. I shook my head in disbelief and was bawling my eyes.
He started spitting every bad thing out at me. I was already feeling every part of my heart break but what really sent me over was when he pulled out his phone and started playing the video of us having sex. Everyone gasped, looked at me, and called me a whore, bitch, slut and other derogatory names for giving it up to him so quickly. The last thing I remembered was whimpering out his name and his smirk morphing into worry before running out the school.
I couldn't understand why everything was going wrong in my life. While running, I just asked repeatedly, 'Why me? What did I do? Why did I have to feel this way once again? ' Once again, I was heartbroken by people that I loved. I asked myself, 'When was I going to learn?' My heart was meant to be broken.
Eventually, I came to a stop at a pond. I just stood there, watching the water and letting the tears flow down my face. At this point, I was contemplating if ending it would just make it all go away, so I decided to try that out. At this point, it seemed like I couldn't control my body, so I threw myself into the water, and since I couldn't swim, it made everything easier. I had to fight the urge to try to fight the surface and just allowed myself to drown. After that, everything was a blur.
I remembered waking up in the hospital, not knowing how I got there. My whole family was there, tears rolling down their cheeks. And surprisingly, Doniya had the most remorse. When they noticed I woke up they came and surrounded me, bombarding me with questions. When I realized what happened, the heart monitor went haywire, and the doctors told everyone to leave as they tried to calm me down. I cried, asking myself 'Why couldn't I die? Why didn't I die? Who saved me from ending myself? Why didn't they just leave me to?' And everything went black.
To this day I don't know who saved me. And honestly, I don't want to know.
A few days later, I was out of the hospital, but I didn't go home. I was admitted into rehab. I threw the biggest fit, and I they sedated me. When I woke up, I became this empty shell. I didn't talk to anyone for a while, and my eating disorder worsened. It got to the point where they basically had to force food down my throat.
When it came to my therapist, it took me the longest time to open up and trust her. Eventually, I did, and I told her the whole story. When I finished talking, I didn't have hatred in my heart. I had sympathy. I had sympathy for the people who had to deal with me, and what they did to me. My therapist told me that it was normal, but I had to learn over time that it wasn't my fault. I guess I managed to trick her into believing that I actually stopped blaming myself. I was wrong, though. She knew I was faking, and she did everything to prove to me that it wasn't my fault, but it got to the point where I believed that it was both my fault and their's.
Rehab actually helped a lot. Since it was the end of the school year and I had decent grades, I passed. I was in rehab until the beginning of the next school year which was about four months. When I got out, I was how I kind of am now. I got social anxiety, anxiety in general, depression, and for a while I had sleep apnea and insomnia. I was shy, didn't talk much, and I had this hard interior. My therapist told my parents that this wasn't a bad thing - that it was my method of coping. She also recommended that I become homeschooled, so that's what happened. I got homeschooled for my last year, and after it had ended, it was time for college. I decided that I wanted to study in the United States and I told my parents this. They were on the bad side about it, but once they saw how badly I wanted it, they hesitantly allowed me to. They paid for me to get into a good college and to get a good home there. I just wanted to be away from this town. I wanted a fresh start, and that's what I got.
Now you see why I'm the way I am and why it's hard for me to let people in. That's why I was scared and surprised when I found myself to let you in, and why I was scared that we were moving on too fast. I want us to last, but I have my insecurities gnawing at me and telling me that we may not. That's why when I had seen Liam, everything came crashing down. That was my first time I saw him since high school."
After Zayn finishes telling Justin everything, Justin just sits there in silence, letting everything sink in. Once it does, he just wants to wrap Zayn up in a protective shell and never let him out. Justin's sad, angry, and in the mood to kill. He's sad his boyfriend had to go through all that. He's angry at Zayn's 'friends' for doing this and leading Zayn on. He's in the mood to kill Zayn's sister and Liam. How dare a sister do this to her own brother? And why would Liam want to break someone's heart like that? Everyone is human, and they don't deserve heartbreak.
Justin feels tears rush to his face and he has to calm himself down before he breaks into sobs. He thought that Zayn had it harder than he did.
"I'm sorry," Justin says softly. He looks at his boyfriend with glassy eyes, meeting Zayn's cold ones. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that by yourself. Zayn, no matter what you think, you didn't deserve what you were put through. You're human, and you were bound to do things but that was downright cruel, and people like that deserve every bad thing that comes their way." Justin wanted, no, needed Zayn to believe him.
As Zayn stares into his boyfriend's brown eyes, he finds himself sinking down, his eyes becoming the ones that Justin loves to seeing when he looked at Zayn, and exhaustion hits Zayn like a freight train.
"Can we please not talk about it right now? I just want to sleep and forget that this last hour happened. I finally accepted and began to get over what happened in my past and as bad as Liam clawed at those old wounds when I saw him, I refuse to let him allow me to backtrack. I'm finally allowing myself to trust people again and I don't want him to ruin that."
Justin stared at Zayn for a moment, and then a small smile approaches his face. That's his boy. "Alright," he starts, "Let's go to sleep. I'm so proud of you, baby."
Zayn smiles at his boyfriend before getting off the edge of the bed and going to the already messed up comforters. He gets inside, and a few seconds after he does, he feels Justin sink inside. Once they settle in, Zayn finds himself gravitating towards Justin. When he does that, Justin places a soft kiss on Zayn's lips before sighing and closing his eyes.
Soon, the two are in a blissful sleep, knowing they took a huge step in their relationship.
-
Zayn walked down the stairs sleepily, feeling the heat coming from the fireplace in the living room before he even got off the last step. He made a turn for the kitchen, and his eyebrows furrowed once he saw the light on.
"Doniya?" Zayn asked confusingly, his body tensed.
Doniya turned around, sending her brother a soft smile. "Hi, Zayn."
Zayn felt his heart rate increase. "What are you doing here?" He asked. His sister didn't live here anymore, and she usually just came for Christmas.
Doniya shrugged her shoulders, taking a sip from the mug in her hand before saying, "Mum told me that you were in town, so I decided to come."
Zayn looked at his sister confused before scoffing, going over to the refrigerator, opening it and grabbing a bottle of water. "Why would you care?" He asks before opening the bottle and taking a sip.
Doniya sighed. She was expecting this. "Are we ever going to get over what happened Zayn? I know I hurt you, but I've been telling you that I'm sorry."
"Well sometimes sorry doesn't cut it," Zayn snaps. "Actions speaks louder than words, and by the way you're acting, you don't mean it. I'm sorry, but you're a few years late to be trying to prove that you're actually sorry."
"I'm not perfect Zayn," Doniya voice rises, her grip tightening on the mug. "I'm bound to make mistakes, and I did. I hurt you, and I regret it, so please don't tell me that I don't mean it when I mean it from the bottle of my heart."
Zayn couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I know you're bound to make mistakes, but your mistake almost made me die. Doniya, I love you, you're my sister, but honestly, I can't see our relationship getting any better. You turned the whole school against me and got my heart broken by multiple people." Zayn didn't miss the pained look that flashes in Doniya. "Now if you excuse me, I have a boyfriend that I need to get to."
"Boyfriend?" Doniya asked, heart, soaring for her brother. He deserves someone who makes him happy, especially after Liam. "Is he treating you right?"
"Better than you ever did. He actually likes me, so don't try to get him to break my heart too," Zayn mutters bitterly, taking the water bottle. Before Doniya could respond, Zayn says, "Goodnight Doniya," before making his way out the kitchen.
"I hope you know when I say that I'm sorry that I mean it Zayn," Doniya speaks, and Zayn stops, but doesn't turn around. "I was young, dumb, and it hurts that my brother didn't believe me when I was trying to look out for him. But now I saw my faults, and know I have a lot of making up to do, and I plan on doing just that."
Without responding, Zayn continued to walk and go upstairs, tears slipping down his cheeks again.
-
Justin walked down the stairs, a starving mess. He and Zayn didn't eat last night because of what happened. When he went to sleep, he didn't feel as hungry as he did now, but right now he felt like he could eat a whole buffet.
Justin smelled the overpowering aroma of food as he got off the stairs, making his way inside the kitchen. When Justin entered the kitchen, it was like the hunger went away and the feeling in his stomach was replaced with fear when he saw Zayn's mom and dad in the kitchen, cooking breakfast.
When they heard the footsteps stop, Trisha and Yaser turned around, making eye contact with a wide-eyed Justin. The two parents stop what they were doing, turning their attention to their son new boyfriend.
"Look who it is," Trisha grinned, flipping her long hair to the side. She pointed to the stool with her spatula. "Hello Justin, take a seat."
When Justin recovered from his shock, he obeyed the woman command, slowly making his way over to the stool. When he sat down, Yaser sat the plate he was holding down, and made his way over to Justin, leaning against the counter, staring at him with those intimidating brown eyes that were possibly sending Justin into a heart attack.
God, Justin thought. This man was more intimidating than my own father.
"So Justin," Yaser started, voice dark and serious. "How did you and my son meet?"
"U-uh," Justin stumbled out nervously. "Uh, we work together. I'm a history teacher.
Yaser raised an eyebrow. "Oh," he says. Justin tilts his head curiously. Yaser then looked over at his wife. "That's all I got. You wanna take over?" Justin looked at the man like he was a chicken with its head cut off.
What?! Justin screamed mentally.
Trisha rolled her eyes. "My pleasure," she says as she turned the stove off. She then went beside her husband, and Justin was shocked to see the seriousness and worry in the woman features. "Please tell us this: Are you serious about our son? He has a fragile heart, and we don't need you to break it if you're just going to break up with him."
Justin felt his confidence rise as he said, "I'm not going to break your son heart, Trisha. I'm entirely devoted to Zayn." And he was serious. He didn't plan on letting Zayn go.
Trisha lets out a small smile. "Good," she replies softly, looking down. When she looked back up, Justin's heart clenched when he saw her eyes began to water. "I can tell that Zayn really likes you; I mean, he brought you all the way here to meet us," Trisha chuckles forcefully. Yaser placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, squeezing it gently as emotions got to him as well. "Just please, don't break our son's heart. I don't think we can bare him going through the pain he went through when he was younger, especially now since he's thousands of miles away. He doesn't deserve that, no matter what he did. I know he told you the story - I overheard you two when I was coming to get you two for dinner. I know he didn't tell us the full story of what happened, it just seems like a piece is missing, but please, don't break his heart. He learned from his mistakes and trying not to remake them. That's our baby, and we want him happy."
Justin wanted to cry himself when he saw a few tears slip down Trisha's face. He even swore he saw Yaser tear up. He wanted them to know that he was completely serious about Zayn.
"I have no false intentions with Zayn. I'm with him because we like each other. No matter what mistakes Zayn made in the past, I won't let that affect our relationship. Yes, he did tell me the story, and I don't know what all he told you, but from what he told me, Zayn was just a teenager, doing normal teenage things. He was just caught in the crossfire with bad people. He didn't deserve that, but then again that's what shapes him now." Justin paused before saying, "I'm falling in love with Zayn, and I hope he's falling in love with me too; only time will tell. I will do everything I can to make him happy, even if I have to sacrifice my own."
The tears flew freely down Trisha's face but disregarding that she smiled. "Good," Trisha sniffles. Yaser smiled warmly at Justin, and he smiled back. "Welcome to the family Justin. Now, would you like some breakfast?"
Justin grinned and nodded his head, already loving his new additional family.
-
"Zayn gets easily attached to people," Doniya started. Justin stopped chewing and looked at her. "That's always been his problem, no matter what he says. As soon as he lets you in, he's attached to you. Don't hurt him because of that."
While Justin was eating, Trisha and Yaser had run out the house to take care of some business. A few minutes after they left, Doniya walked inside of the kitchen, seeing Justin, and immediately knew who he was. When Justin noticed that she was present in the kitchen, it wasn't hard for him to figure out who she was, and his hatred towards the girl came full force.
After she got her breakfast and sat down next to him, it was silent for a few minutes before she said that he's sure he knew who she was, which he responded with by saying yeah. With that, the got straight into the conversation of Zayn.
Completely ignoring what she said, Justin asked when he finished chewing, "Zayn told me you two relationship is strain. Why is that?" Though he knew the reason, he just wanted her to voice it.
When Doniya finished sipping her coffee, she clenched her jaws. "I'm pretty sure Zayn told you the reason why."
Justin shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, but I want to hear your side of what happened."
"I'm not going to waste my breath telling you something you already know," Doniya snapped. "My brother isn't a liar, so you should believe him."
He raised an eyebrow. "I never said he was, so stop trying to put words in my mouth. I just want to know why you decided to be a bitch when your brother needed you."
Doniya grits her teeth. "I don't have to explain myself to you," she seethes.
"You may don't, but you have to Zayn. He's hurt cause his big sister decided to be a bitch because he didn't listen to her, and he so desperately wished he would've. While you were being a bitch, you should've been helping him. And the sad part is, Zayn still believes that it's his fault when it's actually yours, and he also never told your parents that you were the cause of his suffering. Apparently, he didn't want them to look at you differently. How would mother and father react if he tells them?" Justin asks, smiling darkly. He was raging on the inside though. He wanted to put Doniya through what she put Zayn through. He was so tempted to tell Trisha and Yaser what Doniya did when they got home, but it wasn't his place too.
Justin wanted to scoff when he saw the tears well up in Doniya's eyes. No matter how much remorse and guilt she felt Justin would never feel sorry for her. He knew then that they would never like each other, and that was okay by him.
Without saying a word, Doniya got up and stormed out the kitchen, and a few seconds after that Justin heard the front door open then shut. He scoffed and went back to his breakfast.
A few minutes went by, and Justin soon felt arms wrap around him, and he felt a kiss on his cheek. He swallowed his food before smiling and turning to face his lover.
"Good morning sleepy head," Justin mumbled before kissing Zayn lip.
Zayn smiled at him, murmuring against his lips. "I can't believe you're up this early. I thought you'd be worse than me, and I've been doing this for years."
Justin rolled his eyes, wanting to mention that he knew that Zayn got up in the middle of the night, but he decided not to. Justin was really tired though. "Yeah, yeah whatever. Fix yourself a plate and eat.
Zayn rolled his eyes before doing what Justin instructed him to do. When he had everything he wanted, he sat beside Justin. He started to eat, his right hand holding his fork and his left holding Justin's hand.
Justin looked over at Zayn, who was engrossed in his food. He seemed alright after what he told Justin the story. In fact, it was as if a significant baggage was off his shoulders. Justin found himself smiling. He was proud of Zayn, and he hoped that Zayn was proud of himself as well.
"Thank you for listening last night," Zayn said suddenly before facing Justin. "It was nice telling somebody the full story; not even Louis and Kendall knew that my sister was the cause of it." Zayn teared up before croaking out, "I'm so thankful for having you in my life Justin. Thank you for being there for me."
Justin dropped his fork before smashing his lips against Zayn. Justin moved his lips against Zayn, and wrapped his arms around the man, pulling him closer. He couldn't voice his feelings, but he hoped the passionate kiss he was giving Zayn spoke for him.
Justin pulled back and said, "I'll always be there for you, Zayn." I'll always love you Zayn. "I should be the one thanking you for letting me be myself and giving me a second chance to fall in love with someone." If that wasn't enough, Justin didn't know what was.
Zayn smile widened, and he pecked Justin's lip before unwrapping himself from the man, going back to his food. Justin just smiled at Zayn, though the man wasn't paying attention to him.
If he wasn't sure before, he's sure now. Zayn was the one.
-
Since it was Christmas Eve, after the two finished eating, they decided to go out and do more shopping. In the family truck, Zayn and Justin went around Bradford, doing last minute shopping. Like always, people had the same idea, so the malls and stores are crowded with people. Most of the time, Zayn and Justin stayed close by for their sake. Zayn didn't want to have a panic attack, and Justin didn't want to lose Zayn, but when they got to stores that they wanted to go alone in, the other would usually stay outside or close.
By the end of their trip, they both had many bags. When Zayn asked Justin who did he get stuff for, Justin just shrugged his shoulders and said that he was shopping for Zayn's family, then he got some things for Maisie that wasn't in the US either. Zayn heart clenched, and he felt himself growing emotional hearing that. Justin didn't even know Zayn's family well, and here he was buying gifts for them. Zayn told him that he didn't need to, but Justin insisted because his family was now his family as well. He also told Zayn that he got him some more stuff for Christmas, and by the smirk that was on his face, Zayn knew that it wasn't very appropriate and he blushed.
By the time they finally finished shopping, it was four, and they were both exhausted, so they decided to call it a day. They made their way home, and when they got there, they took a nap. By the time they woke up it was dinner time and Trisha cook, so they ate for about an hour. Doniya wasn't there, which Zayn and Justin were relieved about. The rest of the family sat down around the table, bonding with the newfound member.
After they had finished eating, Justin and Zayn went to different rooms to wrap their gifts with the wrapping paper that Trisha luckily had. When they finished, they both had a few gifts and gift bags, which they put under the tree. After that, the two decided to go upstairs, take a shower (not together, considering how horny they've both been they past few days), and once they finished they both dressed in their matching Christmas pajamas, then laid down in bed, watching a movie on the television. Half way through, they both found themselves tired, so they called it a night with one thought in their mind.
They both couldn't wait for Christmas tomorrow.
-
Justin and Zayn walked down the stairs, hand in hands, smiles on their faces as they heard the sound of chattering coming from the living room. When they made it down the stairs, everybody attention went on them, everybody, except Doniya, with a smile on their face. Zayn blushed and hid his head behind Justin's back, and Justin chuckled.
"Time to unwrap presents!" Waliyha squealed, causing everybody to laugh as she went to find a gift with her name on it, which was from her parents.
In the Maliks household, they would always let one child got at a time, and since Safaa went first last year, it was Wahliya's turn. When she unwrapped the present, she screamed one she seen what was inside of it. "No way! You guys got me an iPhone 7 Plus?!"
Zayn eyes widened, as well as Justin, once they saw the phone. Waliyha went over to hug her parents as her sister Safaa whined that it's not fair. When she finished hugging them, she went back over to the gifts and got the gift bag from Justin and Zayn. When she looked inside, her eyes widened as she stared at her brother and his boyfriend in disbelief. She took what was inside the bag and everyone eyes widened as she said, "And you guys got me an iPod?!"
Zayn scratched his head nervously. "Uh, I-I guess we should've asked you guys before I got it. I know you've been wanting one lately, but you have an iPhone now. Maybe I should take it back-"
Waliyha growled as Zayn reached for the box. "No way! I'm using this for my music and editing apps!" She then threw her arms around her brother and his boyfriend, bring them close. "Thank you guys so much," she whispers
"Welcome, spoiled brat," Zayn says, and everyone laughs. "Keep opening your presents. We don't have all day!"
Waliyha rolled her eyes at her brother but nonetheless went back to unwrapping the presents. Her gifts consisted of cases for her devices, gift cards that Justin bought for her, clothes, and some makeup kits from Doniya that she wanted. When she was finished it was Safaa turn, since Zayn nor Doniya wanted to go yet, and she got almost the same things. Her parents brought her a phone as well, but it was an iPhone 7, but she was still grateful. She got gift cards from Justin, some clothes, and she also got a new laptop since Waliyha broke Safaa's when she was grounded.
Next, Doniya went, and despite his feelings towards his sister, Zayn got her Kylie Jenner lipsticks and makeup palettes since he knew how much his sister loved makeup. She gave Zayn a hug, which he didn't respond to, before going back to her gifts, which weren't a lot. Despite Justin's feelings towards Doniya, he got her gift cards to clothing and makeup stores, and he was surprised when the woman actually thanked him. After that, she got some clothes, jewelry, and makeup from her parents and sister.
Now, it was Zayn turned, and the first thing he went for was a small box that was from Justin. When Zayn unwrapped the gift, he gasped, and his eyes watered once he seen the little jewelry box. Everyone else gasped as well, except Justin, who took the box out of a shaking Zayn's hand. When he opened it, he swore Zayn eyes almost bulged out of their sockets and Justin had to swallow back a laugh.
"J-Justin," Zayn whimpered, but Justin shook his head.
"I'm not proposing to you Zayn, it's not an engagement ring," he said, and he chuckled when he seen Zayn visibly relaxed. "Is being engaged to me be a bad thing?" He teased. Zayn gaped, and Justin quickly added, "Just kidding. Like I said, it isn't an engagement ring, but it is a promise ring." Justin sighed before continuing. "I want you to promise to always be there by my side, especially if times get roughed. I want you to promise that you'll always comfort me when I need a shoulder to cry on, and when I need someone to vent to. I want you to promise to stand by me until I actually get the courage to ask you into marriage. I want you to promise to give me all of you, Zayn."
By the time Justin finished, Zayn wasting no time in saying, "I-I promise to all that." Justin mouth slowly inched into a smile, and he took the ring out the box. He threw the box on the ground and slide it on Zayn's finger. After he did that, Zayn quickly wrapped his arms around Justin and pulled Justin into a kiss, causing gasps and aws to fly around a room.
"Good," Justin whispered against Zayn lips when they pulled back. "Now finishing unwrapping your gifts. I have another one in the room, but I'll give it to you later." And by the seductive look, Justin had, Zayn could tell it was inappropriate.
Zayn blushed and pulled back, going back over to his gifts. When he unwrapped his next gift, he swore everybody was trying to kill him today because of the expensive thing inside of it.
"You guys got me a camera?!" Zayn squealed like a child, looking over at his parents.
Yaser threw his arm around his wife. "We know how much you've wanted to get into photography when you were younger, but you were too committed to your art. We want you to continue to pursue that, along with your art," he says.
Zayn looked at the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR before putting it down and going over to his parents, hugging them. "Thank you guys so much," he whispered.
"You're welcome sweety, now continue," Trisha shooed, causing everyone to chuckle.
Zayn finished unwrapping his presents. The next few gifts were from none other than his boyfriend, who got him art supplies that Zayn has been wanting but never gotten a lens for his camera, and memory cards. When Zayn looked at him, Justin told him that his parents told him what they had gotten him and that he looked into some things that he might need.
The rest of his presents consisted of more art supplies, not surprisingly, clothes and his sister Doniya got him a Rolex watch, some cologne, and an I'm sorry card. When he looked over at his sister with teary eyes, his heart almost broke once he saw the tears in her eyes as well. He went over and gave his sister a hug. No matter what she did to him, she was always his sister who he loved dearly. He whispered thank you in her ear, and she squeezed him before he pulled back.
"Lookie there," Trisha grinned, and everyone looked at her. "It's Justin turn."
Justin looked down at the tree confusingly, and his eyes widened once he seen that he had a few gifts under the tree as well. He hesitantly grabbed the first box, which was from Doniya. When he opened it, it was a Rolex watch; the same kind that Zayn had. When he looked over at Doniya, she raised her eyebrow at him.
"You did this on purpose?" He asked. She shrugged his shoulder. Justin scoffed. "You can say you did."
"Want me to take it back?" She retorts bitterly. Everybody eyes widened.
He resisted rolling his eyes. "Whatever, thank you, I guess." He then looked over at his boyfriend and grinned. "Look like we'll be twinning."
Zayn nodded his head with a smile, despite the curiousness of why Justin and his sister seemed to dislike each other. He'll have to ask Justin about that later.
Justin grabbed the next gift, which was from Zayn, and unwrapped it. His eyes widened in happiness and shocked when he opened it. He pulled out the two bracelets inside of it and looked at Zayn who now had his left arm raised with bracelets almost the same on them.
"What are these?" He asked.
Zayn smiled. "They're called distance bracelets," he mumbled. "When you're away from your partner, they're supposed to make them feel close to you; like there's a piece of them still with you. It's not a promise ring, but it's special."
Justin grinned, pecking Zayn on the lips. "You're right; they are special." Justin put the two bracelets on before saying, "Thank you, I'll never take them off."
Zayn smiled and whispered, "I have a gift for you in the room as well."
-
The majority of the morning consisted of the family opening presents. Zayn actually got Justin way more than everyone thought. Zayn got him some clothes, new supplies for his job, some hair dye because Justin was talking about dying his hair a darker color, some gift cards for stores, and a scented wax warmer because Justin always said that he liked Zayn and the scents that he always has. Overwhelmed by the amount of gifts he received, Justin pulled Zayn into a heated kiss, but he had to refrain himself from taking Zayn. He didn't think that his parents would like that.
After that, the parents opened their gifts. Justin and Zayn got them a new bed set, tickets to a spa date, and a vacuum cleaner than moved by itself. The other gifts they received were candles, clothes, body/health products, and a 'get rid of the kids for a week' card that they joked and said they'd have to use soon.
Once they were all finished with unwrapping the gifts, they threw away all of the wrapping paper and cleaned up the living room. They moved things to their rooms, then gathered back downstairs so they all could have hot coffee and watch a movie on the television. On one couch were Yaser and Trisha cuddled up, on the other was Zayn and Justin; Zayn in between Justin's legs, Doniya sitting in the chair, and Waliyha and Safaa on the ground, messing with their new gadgets, looking up at the movie every while.
During the movie, the doorbell rang, and almost everybody groaned. Zayn sighed and got from between Justin's leg to open the door, but Justin pulled him back.
"Zayn," Justin whined. Zayn refrained from rolling his eyes, which he seemed to be doing a lot lately.
"I'll be back, don't worry," he says and leaving before Justin could stop him. He could hear the man whined, causing him to laugh at his silly man.
When he got to the door, he looked through the peephole to see who it was, but the person has turned around. Eyebrows furrowed, Zayn unlocked the door, being hit with the cool gust of wind. When the person heard the door open, they turned around, and Zayn felt the color drain from his face as he gasped, gawking at the man in front of him. The man sent him a nervous, sad smile. Zayn, on the other hand, began to start shaking as it took him a while to finally stumble the man name out of his mouth.
"L-Liam?"
-
Oooh, that cliffhanger doe. 😛
I didn't want this to seem too rushed so I cut it off. It was supposed to be longer lmao.
This is the longest chapter so far whew! Hope it's not too boring lmao.
So guess what? Updates will be coming every 3-4 days now :) I have most of the remaining chapters written, that's why it took so long for this update. Hope you guys understand ;) Sorry for any mistakes, I'll be editing it later.
Once again thank you Oshi for editing the first part of this chapterrrr.
Until next timeee.