This Means War [One Direction]

Chapter 24

I was with Zayn back at my flat and we were watching a movie. We weren't really paying attention though and my thoughts kept traveling back to the fact that he was right next to me, one hand on my leg and the other arm around me.

"Natalie?" Zayn asked and I turned to look at the raven haired beauty. He was so perfect it was hard for me to not stare.

"Y-yes?" I stuttered as his hand tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"Can I...." He frowned and dropped his hand. What was wrong? Did he finally come to his senses and realize I wasn't worth it?

He saw my confused glance and let out a long sigh. Yep, my fantasy was over. He turned away and my heart dropped. I went to scoot over so I wasn't crowding him when he stopped me and turned my head, pressing his lips forcefully onto mine. I froze for a second but quickly came back to reality. I moved my lips in sync with his and my mind was screaming. I was snogging Zayn Malik.

"What the fuck?" I heard an Irish accent yell and I ripped my face away. I stood up to face the Irish boy and saw his face heating up. "Just when I was starting to think I, for once, had a chance with a girl she turns her back and starts snogging my band mate." He turned and left.

"Niall!" I called out but didnt move. Two things circled in my head, Niall just walked in on Zayn and I kissing, and the fact that he said 'band mate' and not best friend, or even friend.

"I, eh, I should go." Zayn mumbled before following Niall's path. I sank down to my knees when I realized I had hurt not just Niall, but Zayn as well, and he was probably never coming back.


I woke up panting and my body covered in sweat. I pushed the duvet off my small body and made my way to the bathroom. I splashed some cold water on my face and dried off with a towel. I returned to my bedroom and checked my phone. It was two-thirty am, I had barely gotten three hours of sleep. I laid back in bed and stared at the ceiling. I realized I would have to stay away from Zayn and Niall unless I wanted that nightmare to become a reality. I turned from side to side, trying to fall back asleep but I couldn't. I finally settled on plugging in my headphones and listening to my music. I closed my eyes and listened to the peaceful melody of Bella's Lullaby. Luckily that did the trick and I was soon falling back into a deep sleep.

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"Hmm." I was at my job at the zoo and I was trying to figure out how the feeding schedule went. "Koalas, Chimps, Pandas and then what?" I looked over my shoulder at Jenna, who was working on some paper work.

"Penguins." Jen reminded me for a third time today. I wrote down the order on my hand and stared out side the nursery window. I huffed out a sigh and could hear the shuffling of papers behind me. "You still upset about the dream?" She came over and asked me. I had told her everything once she stopped by to carpool with me for work.

"Yeah, but it's just that......" I trailed off my voice suddenly wavering. No, you will not cry over some stupid dream, I scolded myself.

"Listen, why don't you take a break? I could give you the day off after the animals are fed." She smiled at me.

"No Jen, I don't want to leave you here to work alone." I said even though I was seriously considering taking her up on her offer.

"Don't be silly, Talie. Rebecca's coming in after lunch anyways." She made me look up at her and said "Go. Seriously, you deserve it." I sighed and went through the back door towards the little play pens. I smiled and picked up a fuzzy koala named Lola and began to stroke her behind the ears. I slipped her a piece of eucalyptus and she nibbled on a corner. I placed her back down in the pen to let her finish eating. I walked over to the chimpanzee cage and saw BoBo. He swung over to me and held out his hand for me to do the special handshake I had taught him earlier. I laughed and pounded my fist against his before handing him a banana.

"Your a good little fellow, eh?" I asked BoBo and he nodded his furry head. I smiled and waved before walking off to the panda exhibit. I had to open the cage and actually walk up to where they group of black and white animals were. I saw a small lump huddled by the tree and chuckled silently to myself. Usual camp out for the little cubs.

"Penny! Pan! Pandora! Come get some yummy nummy bamboo!" I said in a singsong voice. Immediately, a head raised and I laughed, Pan was always the first one to come when it was feeding time. He reminded me of Niall. I held out three sticks of bamboo and Niall, I mean Pan, took the biggest one. I rolled my eyes and set the other two down on the ground.

"When your ready come and get it! " I said and immediately the song by Selena Gomez started playing in my head. I started bobbing my head to the mental music and closed the cage gate. "Now what was the next animal...." I looked down at my hand and saw the word 'penguin' the same time I heard that ear piercing squawk. I rolled my eyes and walked over the the pen. It was really cold but I figured I didn't need a coat since I was just going to be in there for a second. I grabbed the pail of fish and I stood up to see about twelve pairs of eyes staring at me.

Oh shit.

"Squawk!" I heard little Ramon and he started waddling after me, followed by the other half a dozen penguins. I ran and tried not to slip on the ice, however my black converse were not holding up as well as I'd hoped.

"Ah!" I screamed as I fell on my butt and slid down to the water. I turned back to see Ramon and the others sliding on their stomachs. I either was A. Going to get attacked by a flock of small Antarctic birds or B. drown in an ice pond. My attention swiveled to the metal bucket in my hand and I threw it into the water as if my life depended on it, well actually it kinda did. I covered my head to brace the impact of the ice water and instead I heard a bunch of splashing around me.

I was on the edge of the ice and the penguins slid past me into the bone chilling water to eat the fish. I heaved out a shaky, cold breath breath and stood up, shaking the realization that I just got chased by penguins out of my head. I wrapped my arms around me and exited the exhibit, practically running to my car. I turned on the heater and just sat there, trying to warm up my hands so I could drive. Finally, I saw the blue fade from my hands and I started up the car. I drove back in silence and pulled up to the small flat complex. I walked up to my door and shivered as I grabbed the keys. I walked in and was greeted with a note from my parents.

Went out to explore London. -x

I chuckled and walked into the kitchen. I was pulling out the tea bags when I heard a crash from the other room. My eyebrows rose in suspicion and looked around for the nearest object, a pan. I grabbed it not really caring that it was actually the most ghetto thing to do, and crept over to the other room. Another crash. This person must not know how to rob a house quietly.

I saw the back of the person and I ran at him quietly. He whipped around and I swung the pan. His face came into contact with the metal and you could hear the ringing of the pan. Seriously. The person dropped to the floor with a groan and covered their face.

"God Nat." I heard the thick British accent and I dropped the pan. I jumped on top of him.

"What the fuck? Harry?!" I tried to pry his hands away from his face and he let go with a groan. I saw swelling around his left eye and the color drained from my face. Crap, I was in trouble.

I got up and ran to the freezer, grabbing an actual ice pack, not some vegetable, and rushed to him, not bothering bothering to wrap it. I pressed it his eye and he let out a hiss. I smirked and then something dawned on me.

"Wait, how the hell did you get in here?" I narrowed my eyes at the taller boy who was curled up in the corner.

"Your parents let me in. I had to talk to you and they said you were going to be back soon." His hurt expression made me want to apologize but after all it was he that was in my house.

"And you were doing what with my stuff?" I say gesturing to the box of pictures and gifts he was in.

"I saw the pictures and was looking at the first one on top and my necklace came off and fell in there. I was trying to get it when you came and hit me with.... What did you even hit me with?" He took the ice pack off and stared at me.

"Oh um.." I scuffed the top of my shoe on the carpet and looked down. "It might have been a pan..." I trailed off, my cheeks heating up.

"Well damn." He muttered and I walked over and sat next to him. He turned and looked at me and I winced when I saw his eye.

"Here." I got up and got some cream from the cabinet.

"No. I'm not putting that on." He backed away from me and I stood there. Was he serious?

"C'mon Harry. It's just medicine." I unscrewed the cap and came closer to him. He shook his head and crossed his arms. I sighed. Well I would just have to do this the hard way. "Ok fine." I put my hands up and he smiled on of his victory grins. I crept up without him noticing and pushed him to the ground, sitting on his stomach.

"Nat!" His eyes got all big and he squirmed under me. I quickly swiped some cream onto the bruise and he froze. I smiled proudly with myself until he flipped us around so he was hovering over me. My breath hitched in my throat with how close he was.

I tried to squirm out but he pinned my hands next to my head. "Um hi?" I awkwardly smiled and he had those teasing grins on his face.

"Now your mine."

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A/N: Yes, a longer chapter because I have no idea when the next chapter will be up. School starts tomorrow! Eh, we'll the positive is that my birthday is next Sunday so WOOO! Well yea. Some of you probably hate me right now so, I'm gonna go.
-Yasira xx