Chapter 53
(Kat's POV)
"Let's end the night with one of the Christmas classics, all I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey." I spoke into the mike before hitting the button to play it.
I was at the radio station, finishing up my last shift of Christmas Eve. Zayn and I both had work today, but we were released at the same time. Caroline was out of town this week, so that meant we didn't have to be as secretive while we worked. But I remembered what dad had told me, "more than just Caroline will have their eyes on you", and I always got a bit terrified remembering that.
Anyways, Christmas was tomorrow and I was spending it with Zayn. Mom had told me that her and her family were going out of town to see her in laws. She didn't even bother inviting me, already knowing my answer. Instead, she just invited me to come the week after she came back, to "hang out". Still, I was a bit hurt by this. But anyways, I was spending Christmas with Zayn. Which was better than anything.
"I hope you enjoyed that. From B.U.R.N radio, this is Kat wishing you all a merry Christmas." I said the last words before hitting the stop button.
Alex gave me a thumbs up from behind the glass as I walked up to him. "Great show," he complimented.
I smiled at him, grabbing my phone from the counter. "Thank you very much."
He reached over and shut the "on air" button. "You heading home?" He asked.
I nodded, "what about you?"
"Gotta go home for the holidays, finally."
He shut the studio as he and I started towards the door. "I'll see you after Christmas," I said to him as we both took our separate ways.
"You too," he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Merry Christmas, Kat."
"Merry Christmas Alex," I waved to him.
I watched as he turned left and walked towards his car. I, on the other hand, turned right and walked into "The One and Only", Caroline's place. I walked inside to see everyone locking up. Zayn was at his piano, collecting his last papers. Louis was cleaning the counters, some other people were stacking the chairs. Everyone was so busy, they didn't notice when I walked inside.
I walked over to Zayn, but he didn't see me, he was looking down at his piano. "Excuse me, sir?" I asked him.
He immediately looked up, thinking it was a customer, but softened when it was me. He smiled, "yes ma'am?"
"Do you know where to find Zayn, he's my ride home?"
He walked over to me, pecking my lips before saying, "haven't heard of him."
Our attention was taken by the opening of the front door. In walked Harry, he held a cake in one hand, and balloons in the other.
"Everyone, stop what you're doing, we've got a birthday song to sing!" He announced.
Zayn took my hand as everyone in the restaurant walked over. "It's Louis' birthday," Zayn whispered to me. I watched as Louis walked over to Harry and smiled huge. "Happy birthday babe," Harry said to him before pressing his lips to Louis'.
Once they pulled apart, Harry clapped his hands. "Alright everyone, on the count of three, let's start to sing."
Harry counted to three and everyone began singing Happy birthday to Louis. He was blushing, and Harry wrapped his arms around his waist. "Happy birthday to you!" Everyone finished.
"Thank you everyone," Louis grinned.
After a while of exchanging birthday presents and wishes, everyone started to leave. Louis was so happy for what Harry did, his smile didn't disappear for a second.
"Merry Christmas," Zayn yelled over his shoulder as we began walking out the door.
"Merry Christmas!" They shouted back.
Zayn and I sat in his car, already freezing from the short walk from the store. He immediately turned on the heat and turned to me, "you alright?"
I shivered, my teeth hitting against each other. "Yeah, fine. Just a bit cold."
He looked around, trying to find a sweater for me to wear. But after he couldn't find any, he looked at me apologetically. He took both of my hands and wrapped his around them, rubbing against them to make me warm. He blew against my skin, heating me up, and I smiled.
I watched him as he desperately tried to keep me from shivering. I smiled and spoke, "I'm fine Zayn."
He looked up at me, "are you sure?"
I nodded, but he still didn't let go if my hands. Instead, he grasped both of my hands with one of his, and started driving with the other one. I looked up at him, the street lights reflecting through the window and shining on his face. I took in everything at that moment.
The way that he cared about me before even thinking about himself. How he kept me warm even when he was freezing. How he loved me even though I caused him pain. How he protected me with everything. He was my everything.
We pulled up in front of his flat and we got out of the car. He wrapped his arms around my waist, sheltering my body from the cold with his. The ice was slippery on the floor, making it hard to walk to his flat. But he was extra careful, making sure I got in before he did.
Once we got into his flat, he shut the door behind me. I switched on the light and kicked off my shoes. Immediately, I sneezed, still shivering. He walked over to me after turning up the heat, "go take a shower babe."
I looked up at him, "it's okay, I'm not that cold anymore."
I sneezed again and he bent down and kissed my nose. "Go take a shower, I'll make some hot chocolate. Okay?"
I nodded, realizing that taking a shower may be a good idea. "Okay," I replied, walking into the bathroom.
I stripped off my clothes, feeling cold as I did so. I noticed the goosebumps on my arms. I quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself to keep me warm as I checked the water. I switched on the water, standing outside of the shower but reaching my hand inside the tub to feel the temperature. It was freezing. So I put it on full heat, but it was still cold as ice.
I couldn't shower in this.
I wrapped the towel around me tightly before peeping my door open just a tad. I peeked out and called, "Zayn, I need some help!"
"Coming!" He shouted back. I waited, then he walked into his room and towards the bathroom. I opened the door to let him in, and I saw him smirk.
He scanned me before saying, "nice outfit."
"Shut up," I smiled.
He chucked, "what's the problem?"
I pointed towards the water, "it's freezing."
"Ah," he said, walking over and switching the water off. Then he walked to the toilet and flushed it three times before walking back to the shower. He turned it on and waited. When it got warm, he called me over.
"Is this okay?" He asked.
I put one arm out to feel the water, the other arm held my towel up. The water was warm. I smiled at him, "perfect."
He nodded at me, then I realized the short distance between us. He stared at me and I stared at him back, not saying a word. He bit his lip before bending down and placing a kiss on my bare shoulder.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered in my ear, sliding his hands down my forearms which gave me more goosebumps than I already had.
Once he stood back up, coming face to face with me, I bent up and placed a kiss on his lips. His lips felt warm against mine and for a second, I forgot all about being cold.
"Thanks for fixing the water," I said to him as we pulled apart.
He smirked, "my pleasure. Now get in there before the water gets cold."
I nodded as he walked out of the bathroom. Once he shut the door, I took off my towel and climbed in the shower. The water felt so warm against my back, washing away all the goosebumps. Some from the cold, some from Zayn's touch.
When I got out of the shower, I dried myself with my towel. I slipped on a tank top and some sweat pants. I combed my hair before walking out of the bathroom and into Zayn's room.
When I saw what was there, I gasped. The whole bed was covered in rose petals, Christmas lights and candles lit up the entire room. Then I realized that this wasn't here before I went in the shower. Zayn wasn't in the room, so I walked outside excitedly to find him.
"Zayn!" I cheered, looking for him.
That's when I noticed that he had put lights on the Christmas tree also. Candles were on the tables, and Christmas music was playing from his laptop.
"Yes my love," I heard him say from the kitchen.
I turned and saw him in the kitchen, shirtless while facing me with his pajamas hung low on his waist. Before anything, I attacked him in a hug. He laughed, hugging me back tightly.
"Thank you so much," I whispered to him.
He planted a kiss on my neck, "of course babe. It's our first Christmas together, so I wanted to make it special."
"You already have," I spoke.
Once we pulled apart, he reached over and handed me a red mug. "Hot chocolate," he said. "Made it myself." I brought it up to my lips and took a sip. It was delicious. He chuckled at my expression and we both walked to the couch.
"You did all of this while I was in the shower?" I asked as we sat down.
"Yeah. I was supposed to do it during my lunch break at work but then I couldn't leave the store because it got too busy." He took his own hot chocolate and sipped it, admiring his work.
"This is really incredible," I said in awe.
"Oh, it's nothing. I thought that since we're both alone this Christmas, and we're spending it with each other, might as well make it memorable." He smiled.
"Well, it's not even Christmas yet and I can already tell you that this is probably the best Christmas I've ever had."
An excited look plastered on his face, "really?"
"Really," I replied, taking the last sip of hot chocolate before setting down my cup as he did the same.
He began humming to the Christmas song that was playing. His hands slid around my waist as he picked my up and slid me on top of his lap. He leaned in and pressed his forehead to mine, shutting his eyes. I shut my eyes too, and we both just sat there quietly. The only sound was the music in the background. I felt his minty breath against mine, and his lips hovered over mine. For a moment, we sat in the silence.
"Kat," he finally said, breaking the silence.
"Hmm?" I hummed.
"Do you think mom's missing me right now?"
I opened my eyes to meet his, he looked at me as if he really needed an answer. His hazel eyes softened as I said, "of course she is Zayn."
He sighed, as if this wasn't enough. I brought my fingers to his chin, lifting his head just a bit. "Zayn, she's always going to be your mother. She's always going to miss you, even if it's not Christmas."
He didn't respond to this, instead he just stared at me. He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, his temptation getting the best if him. Our lips moved together as he brought his tongue into my mouth, claiming his dominance. I ran my hand up his bare chest before placing my hands on the back of his head, pulling him towards me.
We pulled apart for a second, in which he said, "let's not worry about anything but us right now."
I nodded and he didn't waste a moment before pressing his lips back to mine. He moved me to where I was pressed against the couch, and he was hovering above me. He trapped me in between his arms but I didn't mind. I kept my hands where they were, instead just letting him control me.
"Zayn," I whispered into his mouth.
He chuckled in response but didn't break his grasp. He bit my bottom lip, causing me to whimper. I dug my nails into his hair as he ran his fingers down my sides. Here come the goosebumps.
Our kiss was disturbed by the faint ringing of my phone. We pulled apart, "I think it's dad." I said.
"Don't answer it," Zayn croaked, moving his lips down my neck.
"I have to Zayn," I replied.
He sighed, falling beside me. I reached over and grabbed the phone from the table, sure enough, it was dad.
"Hi dad," I spoke into the phone.
"Hey sweetheart, how are you?" He asked.
I looked at Zayn who was playing with his fingers patiently. "Good, how's the honeymoon?"
"It's fantastic! You won't believe what happened to us this morning!" He began, telling me about something that I wasn't listening to. I looked over at Zayn who was not looking up at me. Without a word, he got up and walked into his room.
I sighed. Once again, dad ruined everything. Not that I would've been upset to hear his story if I was alone at home, but I was with Zayn. And I just completely bailed on him. "That's awesome," I replied as excitedly as I could after he finished.
"Yeah," he replied. "So did you already move in to your apartment?"
"Oh yeah, right after you left."
"You couldn't wait, could you?"
"Nope."
He laughed, "alright so I just wanted to wish you a merry Christmas. I'm sorry for not being there."
"It's fine."
He sighed, clearly not convinced. But then I heard Cora's voice in the background, and he said, "I have to go. I love you, merry Christmas."
"Love you too, merry Christmas."
Once Dad hung up, I didn't think twice before shutting off my phone. I didn't want anyone to bother me when I was with Zayn. This was our Christmas. I got up and walked into Zayn's room, I saw him laying on his bed. He was turned to his side, the blanket pulled on top of him.
I walked over and sat on the bed, "are you asleep?"
He didn't reply.
"That's too bad," I shrugged. I brought my fingers to trace his forearms, and he stiffened. "I guess I'll just be going home then."
I stood up off the bed and began walking towards the door. He immediately shot up off of the bed, stumbling on the blanket, and running after me. I was one step away from walking out of the room door when I felt his hand take hold of my arm. He didn't think twice before pushing me against the wall. I winced as my back hit the wall, hard.
"You're leaving?" He spoke, trapping my arms in his hands which were pinned against the wall.
I tried to escape his grasp, "I was going to."
His face was centimeters from mine. His breath smelt like smoke and mint against my skin as he chuckled against me, "you're not going anywhere."
I raised my eyebrows, "yes I am."
"Okay," he said, "so you think that you can answer calls whenever we're making out? And you think you can leave my flat whenever the fuck you feel like it?" He growled at me, his tone somewhat teasing.
"Yeah, I think I can," I teased back.
His stare became hard, "fine. Then leave." He let go of my wrists, freeing me to leave. I stared at him, then slowly began walking away. Even though I wasn't really going to leave, it was fun playing around with him. As I was once again, a step away from walking out of the door, he grabbed my hands again and brought me back into the same position I was before; trapped in between his arms.
"Zayn-"
"Just stop talking," he cut me off before smashing his lips to mine. I smirked under the kiss. It was amusing how much he wanted me, how much he needed me.
He ran his tongue across my bottom lip, tugging on it with his teeth. I was unable to move my hands, because he had pinned them against the wall with his own. He noticed me struggling to escape his grasp, so he held on tighter.
"Please," I whispered into his mouth, wanting him to loosen his grip. But he didn't listen, instead he inserted his tongue into my mouth, roaming freely. I caught his tongue in between my teeth and bit down on it. He moaned, and I smirked.
He immediately broke the connection with our lips, and I whimpered, wanting more. I wanted his lips against mine. But I soon grew satisfied as his lips traced my jawline. I desperately tried to loosen his grip on my wrists, but he didn't budge.
"Please Zayn," I begged, "let me touch you."
What he did next made me feel weak. He brought both of my arms above my head and instead of using both of his hands to hold my hands, he easily used one of his hands to hold mine above my head. He bright his free hand down, tracing my sides. I caught my breath, my body stiffening.
"I hate you so much," I spoke as he bit down on the skin of my neck.
"I know baby."
"I'm going to get you back," I croaked.
He ran his tongue over my skin, "yeah right."
It was as if fire suddenly ignited inside of me as these two words escaped his lips. "Let go of my hands," I ordered him.
He chuckled, not falling under my trick as easily as I fell for his. He moved his hand down my back side before he dug his nails into the back of my thigh. He was winning.
I pressed my body to his desperately, my only weapon. His lips separated from my neck and he stood face to face with me. I clenched my jaw, giving my everything not to kiss him.
"Shall we play fair?" He asked me.
I shrugged, "If you don't, it's your loss."
He raised an eyebrow, impressed with my tone. But he finally let go of my hands, realizing that it would only benefit him. But I didn't use them on him just yet.
I pushed him back, causing him to stumble. He watched me as I faced him and brought my hands down to my tank top. I slowly and carefully stripped off my shirt, showing him that I too, could play his game.
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