1D - One Shots ᶠʳᵃᵗ ᵇᵒʸ ᵉʳᵃ ۶ৎ Imagine One Direction In College

study breaks and starry nights - Zayn

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Title: "Study Breaks and Starry Nights"

<3

The library was unusually quiet for a Thursday night. You sat in your usual corner, headphones on but no music playing, half-listening to the faint whispers and the rustling of paper. Finals week was looming, and the collective stress in the room was palpable.

You glanced up from your notes, stretching your neck to ease the tension, and that’s when you saw him—Zayn Malik. The name carried a weight on campus. Everyone knew him: the brooding art major with tattoos that told stories no one dared to ask about. He wasn’t the kind of guy you’d expect to see in a library.

But there he was, flipping through a sketchbook instead of a textbook, his pen scratching lightly against the paper. You couldn’t help but stare, caught between fascination and curiosity.

“Caught you staring,” a voice interrupted your thoughts.

Your cheeks burned as Zayn smirked, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed casually.

“I wasn’t staring,” you lied, though your face betrayed you.

“Right,” he drawled, his deep voice dripping with amusement. “What are you working on, anyway? Looks intense.”

“Just psych notes,” you replied, waving vaguely at the mess of highlighters and flashcards. “Nothing exciting like...whatever you’re doing.”

He raised an eyebrow and tilted his sketchbook just enough for you to catch a glimpse—a quick, intricate pencil drawing of someone sitting in the very corner of the library. Your corner.

“Wait, is that...me?” you asked, stunned.

“Guilty,” he admitted, a soft grin tugging at his lips. “You looked focused. Couldn’t help it.”

Your heart skipped a beat. “You could’ve asked.”

“Would you have said yes?” he challenged.

You hesitated, unsure of how to respond. His confidence was unnerving, but there was something endearing in the way he shifted slightly, almost shy under your gaze.

“Well, maybe I’d say yes if you helped me study,” you teased, gathering your courage.

Zayn chuckled, closing his sketchbook with a deliberate snap. “Alright, deal. But only if you let me draw you again after.”

The hours passed in a blur of whispered jokes, shared secrets, and occasional bursts of focus. By the time the library was about to close, neither of you had made much progress on your respective work. But somehow, it didn’t feel like a waste of time.

“Thanks for the...unique study session,” you said as you packed up.

Zayn smirked, slinging his backpack over one shoulder. “Anytime. Same time tomorrow?”

You pretended to think it over before smiling. “It’s a date.”

As you walked out together under the starry night sky, you couldn’t help but wonder if this study break would turn into something more.

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