Barefoot │Ziall Horlik AU

Chapter 1 - The Stories That I Can't Explain

             The first time Zayn decides to paint Niall is after a soft snow fall and his skin his red, his feet in the cold snow and he watches the frozen pond. Zayn wants to offer him clothes to warm him, but he is too serial not to draw...So, Zayn grabs his sketch book, plants himself against a tree and watches him for a long moment.

             Niall is dressed in raged old pants, barley long enough for his slender legs. He has a long sleeved shirt on and it has a hole in the elbow. His eyes look tired and lifeless, yet beautiful and full of wonder and Zayn wondered if he can capture that in his drawing.

             Niall mouth is hung in a straight line and one of his knee is brought to his chest, the other dangling into the white overlay. It’s cold, really cold and a cloud cover threatens more snow, but Zayn doesn’t have the might to ruin the picture. He stars with is black pencil, sketching out the bench he’s sat on, snow covering it, other than the spot he’s cleared for himself. He doesn’t make a sound, doesn’t move and Zayn’s sure he knows he’s being drawn.

             Zayn sketches his hair, soft and messy, like the homeless boy had ran his fingers through it one too many times and Zayn can only imagine how greasy it must be...but he draws it anyways.

             He draws the soft blush on his skin, and the thinness of his face and his pink ears. He draws is soft blue eyes and his tethered clothes. He draws the pond he’s looking over and he sketches the sky gray. When he’s done, he smiles at his picture. It’s beautiful, every inch absorbed in wonderful detail and he wonders how he managed to capture the boy’s face so perfectly.

             When he looks up from his picture, Niall is gone from his spot on the bench and looking at him. He’s stat on the snow not twenty feet in front of him, his knees bent under him and he looks curious, covered in freckles and moles up close.

             He moves a little closer and his knees till he’s nearly right beside Zayn and he glances at the picture he’d drawn. He looked for a long moment and Zayn just took him in. the dips in his neck, the way his skin curved over his V like collar bone and his feet. His warn feet that are tucked beside him, red from the cold snow and Zayn can’t help but look at them. How long had he gone without shoes? Did he even wear shoes?

             Zayn hoped not...They were like a book that held all kinds of stories, so many journeys and so many emotions. Zayn looks back up then and Niall is smiling, faint yet breathe taking and for a long moment he looks at his lips. They dip perfectly into little dimples and their kissed red from the cold.

             Niall looks up again and his smile drops. He pushes himself to his feet and runs away, Zayn’s eyes following him all the way. He watches the stranger disappear behind trees and he doesn’t bother to follow, knowing he would see him again, He had to.