Vulnerable (Zayn Malik AU)

Chapter 17

Lilly and I spent about an hour working on Econ homework. I didn't have my book, so she told me vocabulary words and I just googled them. We used to do work together all the time, but for some reason the whole situation felt foreign.

When my dad came downstairs to go to work, Lilly made herself scarce. After some witty banter, my father was gone as well. I pulled out my phone immediately, sending a text to Zayn.


To: Zayn<3
- Come over.


After not even five minutes, there was a knock on my door. I got up from the couch to greet him. 

"Hello." He smiled and bent down to kiss me. "How was the pest?"

"Fine. We did the Econ vocab." I ignored his name calling.

"How? I have your book."

"There's this neat thing called google. You should check it out." I laughed and walked toward the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" I searched through the cabinets and noticed Zayn had locked the front door before following me. I feel that most girls don't like the protective thing, but I found it endearing.

"Depends. What are you making?" He grinned.

"Oh, you don't wanna use your amazing cooking skills?"

The repartee continued for awhile before we decided to just order a pizza. I grabbed my homework and asked Zayn if he wanted to copy, but he said he already did it and had planned on letting me copy. For once we both actually did our own work.

We were on the couch when the doorbell rang. I had just gotten comfortable with my legs draped over Zayns, so it was definitely bad timing.

"I'll get it." He said after I groaned, then lifted my legs up and placed them behind him on the couch. He spoke briefly with the delivery boy as he paid, then graciously took the box and locked the door back up. "Well come on, lazy."

"I can't eat in my own living room now?" I laughed.

"Oh. I didn't know if that was allowed." He laughed and brought the box, plates, soda, and bag of seasoning over to the couch.

"I think you should know by now I'm allowed to do whatever I want." The one thing every kid wanted, but the situation was bittersweet.

"I'll get some cups for the soda." He said patting my knee.

"So I have a question." I called out to him.

"What's up?" He returned with two glasses.

"What are you doing for Halloween?" I asked as he poured our drinks.

"Uh...nothing? I've never really celebrated it. Why?"

"Not a thing across the pond?" I quizzed him, taking a bite of my pizza.

"Not like it is here. I think it's becoming more commercialized now, though." He shrugged, handing me my drink.

"Hmm." It still blew my mind that we grew up so differently. "We got invited to a party."

"We?" He said stuffing his face.

"Yeah. It's a costume party."

"Where?" I took a long pause before answering, knowing how he was going to react.

"Frankys.."

"Absolutely not." Ok, maybe a little more stubborn of an answer than I expected.

"C'mon!"

"Why would you want to? He's the reason you keep leaving class upset, Dais. I know he is. I'm not gonna bring you around him if I don't have to."

"Well Lilly invited us, so I say we go." I could tell by the look on his face he was less than convinced. "Baby, please." I put my hand on his thigh and I could hear his breath catch in his throat.

"If you wanna go, we can go..." He said weakly.

"Are you ok?" I stifled a laugh.

"Uh...yeah. You've never called me baby before...you know that?"

I tried to think on a time where I had. "I guess I haven't, huh?" Looking back, he was always the romantic one, the one with the pet names, the one who said he loved me...

"What are we gonna be?" He interrupted my thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a costume party right? How are you gonna dress up?"

"Can we do a couple costume?!" I jumped, excited.

"Like what? Pirate and maiden?" He smirked.

"Keep thinking."

"Peanut butter and jelly?" He asked and I shook my head. "Woody and Jessie."

"You suck at this."

"Cop and criminal?"

"Too cliche."

"Why don't you come up with stuff then, Miss Judgmental." He said, flicking a crumb at me.

"Well first off, I'm not wearing one of those skimpy, revealing outfits."

"Hell no. Wouldn't allow that, anyway." 

"What about...Batman and Batwoman? Superman and Wonderwoman? Power Rangers?"

"What about Danny and Sandy?"

"From Grease? I'm not blonde..."

"And I'm not white. That means nothing."

"I don't think people will get it."

"Fine. I like the power rangers idea. I'll go black you go pink."

"Excuse me you sexist...jerk." I laughed. "Despite being a girl, I'm not a fan of pink. Dibs on white."

"Why white?"