Heartstrings ➳ z.m.

twenty-nine - zayn

Chapter Twenty-Nine – Zayn

            Zayn doesn’t know how long he’s known her—days, weeks, months? Every moment feels like a lifetime, and it seems that he’s been in love with her forever. 

            Zayn can’t even remember a time in which he wasn’t in love with Skylar; when his thoughts weren’t ‘I need to ask what shampoo she uses she smells really good is she busy now she’s at work I wonder what she had for dinner’.

            She’s changed him, no doubt about it. There’s times when Zayn wonders what he would be like if he hadn’t met her, and perhaps he gets a certain look on his face when he does, because Skylar’s always there, fingers tangling in his hair and kissing his thoughts away.

            “You look lost, mate,” Liam chuckles, and Zayn knows he does. It’s been a week and a half and he’s only seen his girlfriend twice (they’ve always had conflicting schedules) and he feels like he’s missing the better part of himself.

            “I’m just—”

            The door opens then, halting his speech, and then Skylar’s there, and she’s in his lap, and her touch is on his skin.

            “Why don’t you ever answer your phone?” She whines to him, fingers running over the nape of his neck, and Zayn really wonders how he managed to resist her for so long. “I’ve tried calling you at least three times. I wanted to do dinner—lunch; whatever it is.”

            “Phone’s in my room,” he mumbles, tucking her body to him. He’s almost glad that he didn’t answer the phone, because he just wants some alone time with her. They barely have privacy as it is with the boys always around, and he really isn’t in the mood to have the whole world in on his relationship too.

            “I figured.” She presses her grin into his neck, loosely lacing her fingers within his own, thumb stroking the back of his hand. “What do you want to do today?”

            Nothing. Zayn just wants to be with her. Just like this; on the couch. Nothing more.

            Instead, he shrugs. “What do you want to do?”

            “I’m kind of content like this, if I’m honest,” she tells him, and Zayn hums in agreement, pulling her closer even though they’re close enough as it is.

            His heart kind of stutters in his chest when he can feel her pressed solidly against his chest, and he wonders if that feeling’s ever going to fade.

            Not that he wants it to.

            “You guys are so in love that it’s actually gross,” Liam scoffs, but he’s smiling nonetheless, chucking the remote at them. “I’m heading out with Harry and Louis—the singles—and we’re going to a pub. Guess you’re not joining us anymore?”

            “Are you seriously asking me that, Liam?” Zayn asks, and that’s enough for the younger lad to grab his coat and leave, laughing.

            (Zayn thinks he hears a ‘Don’t go in there, Niall, they’re about to snog’ from the hallway, but he might be imagining things.)

            (Niall doesn’t enter, either, so maybe not.)

            “You heard that too, right?” Skylar laughs, turning in his lap so that she’s facing him completely.