zesty grapefruit [zarry] ✔️

20

Harry loves being on stage, always. It's even better tonight, knowing that Zain is here, watching him for the first time. It makes him want to try even harder and maybe he flirts a bit more with the crowd, knowing that Zain is somewhere to his right, maybe he struts around a bit more and leans into his songs more dramatically.

"Broke a finger knocking on your bedroom door / I got splinters in my knuckles crawling across the floor," he sings, closing his eyes against the sudden burst of emotion. He hasn't written this song for or about Zain, not exactly, but he had been at the front of his mind, still, the way he'd been happy to go along with Harry, had been so sweet, but never taken the initiative. Maybe he had misinterpreted everything.

He still remembers the way his stomach had dropped when Zain had pushed him away after months of not mentioning his girlfriend, who had never been mentioned on their semi-regular phone calls. Like it wasn't something that would be of interest to Harry.

He still can't stop wanting to talk to Zain, and Zain still answered, listening and humming in agreement, laughing at Harry's jokes. Harry made sure to ask after his girlfriend each time, hopefully more subtly than he felt, and he had yet to hear that they had broken up. It's been months. He should give up, accept the fact that for Zain he had not been anything more than a holiday romance and now was Gemma's little bother, someone he got along well with, but nothing more.

It's difficult, though, when simply knowing that Zain was watching him right now makes him want to prance around, showing off, makes him hope that Zain would be caught up in him as he was in Zain.

🌱

"Hi," he breathes, still high with adrenaline and sweaty, wrapping his arm around Zain and kissing his cheek. "So happy you're here."

"You were amazing, babe," Zain whispers, his breath hot on Harry's ear and making sparks shoot through Harry. It's unfair that he's just. Zain. And that Gemma got to him first.

"Thank you," Harry grins, forcing himself to let go. "Oh, hi," he adds, catching sight of the girl next to Zain who is looking at Harry with large eyes. She looks like a fan, the way she is staring at him, but Gemma and Zain wouldn't just take someone with them randomly.

"That's Hannah, my girlfriend," Zain introduces, wrapping his arm around Hannah's waist.

It feels more like a punch to the gut than it ever should. Harry swallows and forces himself to remember that he has no right to be upset. "Hi," he says, hoping Zain and Gemma won't pick up on the slight stiffness in his words. "Happy you could come."

"It was amazing, thank you," Hannah gushes slightly, a blush on her cheeks. "I'm so happy Gemma asked me along."

Harry feels slightly satisfied that she obviously has a crush on him, despite Zain being her boyfriend. Like that makes anything better. He shouldn't be petty, he should be happy for Zain and not want his girlfriend to look at other guys like that.

"Yes, I'm glad," Harry smiles, before turning to hug Gemma tightly. "Why?" He whispers, kissing the side of her head in greeting.

"Why what?" Gemma asks, hugging him tightly. Harry is not sure if she's playing clueless or if she truly is. It's killing his performance high quicker than ever before, making him want to wallow in a dark corner somewhere and maybe cry a bit about how Zain doesn't like him. His emotions were always so much more intense after a show, like the elation made it easier for other emotions to creep through.

"Why did you invite his girlfriend? Couldn't you have at least warned me?" he whispers quietly, pressing his face into her hair for a second.

"Oh, Harry," she sighs. "I warned you." She hadn't known then. It makes it worse somehow, to hear her sound like that, sad and worried and slightly aspirated.

Harry closes his eyes, wincing slightly.

"I'm sorry," Gemma adds with a sigh. "I should've warned you at least."

"It's fine," Harry reflects, pulling back. "Where's Jo?"

"Couldn't make it," Gemma shrugs, still looking at him with a worried frown.

Harry grins at her, trying to play it off even though he can't quite bring himself to look at where Zain's still got his arm wrapped around his girlfriend. He hadn't realised just how badly it would hurt until he met her, hadn't quite realised how badly he had it already until just now.

"All right, you staying a bit or are you driving back tonight."

"Staying," Zain says, "We even got a hotel room."

"I'm staying with you," Gemma adds and Harry swallows against the irrational annoyance that rises inside him. He does not like the thought of Zain in a hotel room at all. Not without him.

"Cool," he says, wrapping his arm around Gemma's shoulders. "Let's go out, yea." He could use the distraction and he needs a way to unwind.

"Let's," Gemma says, kissing his cheek with a smack.

Harry turns to focus on her, trying very hard to forget the reason why he might be bothered by the girl pressed against Zain.

💟

ya'll wanted Harry's POV so here you go i guess