THE WATERS :: ZAYN

noodles

???

Zayn captured the squid he had been examining and set him in a tank, separate from the other fish that were to be released today. He didn't need them anymore and most were just species he liked to look at.

He set the five large tanks on a dolly type of thing with wheels. His muscles strained from how heavy everything was but he eventually got it all on there.

"Phew," he huffed and wheeled out of the lab and towards the front door of the house.

"Oooh," Solána held Rhino in her arms and looked at the creatures in the tank, "what are you doing with them?"

"Putting them back in the ocean," he grunted and opened the door, "you mind helping me?"

"Why would you put the squid back? He's still sick."

"He is?"

"Yeah, I can feel it," she set the dog down and walked over to the squid, "it's a bacterial thing. You've got to put him in new water."

"Okay," he watched Solána set the squid's tank down with ease, "are the rest okay?"

"Yes," she replied, taking over and wheeling the dolly outside, "you could've just asked me, Zayn."

"I just did," he shrugged, feeling the cool air outside and resorting to stripping his sweatshirt away but keeping it on to rest over his hair, "I should have did it earlier then, huh?"

"Duh," she rolled her eyes and walked further along the shore, "where to?"

"Right here's fine." Zayn opened the first tank and with the help of his mermaid friend, they carried it a little further into the ocean. Zayn knew Solána's legs stung because of the water, not being a mermaid for almost a month felt weird to her. "You okay?"

"Yeah," they put the tank down and slowly tipped it over, watching the fish swim away, "it just feels weird."

"I get it -- well, no, but--"

"Shut up, Zayn," she laughed, carrying the tank by herself and setting it down so they could start the process over again.

"I'm just saying--"

"There you go, talking again."

???

Solána was too into a movie to notice the food in front of her.

"Hey," he nudged her and she blinked, looking at him holding the plate out to her, "what are we watching?"

"I don't know. Something about bipolar and...weird plot. Terrible acting skills on this white girl's part."

Zayn looked at the TV and then snorted, because she was talking about Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook. "Sheesh, no remorse for the poor girl."

"She doesn't deserve my compliments," she rolled her eyes and crawled to the couch, "what's with this stuff?"

"What stuff?"

"Romance movies. Like what's the appeal?"

"If you're single like me, they're supposed to make you feel like you ain't shït, ain't never gon' be shit. Ugly as hell, even for a Jennifer Lawrence, of all people."

"All of that?"

"Not only that, but it's one of those things that, if you're with someone, it makes you feel special. I mean, you don't feel all those things when single unless you just like to mess around, ya know?"

"I asked for a reason, so. I don't know at all."

"Solána."

"Kidding!" she smiled and Zayn did too, twirling his noodles on the fork absentmindedly, "what's your favorite movie?"

"Don't have one, really. Except Scarface."

"Which is?"

"Like, really really cool, man. I'll show it one day."

"Okay," she smiled then pouted, "listen, I don't want to bother you, but...I can't eat this."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Well, I want to use a fork and I can't."

"I can teach you, Solána," he frowned at her, "you can ask me anything, you know that, right?"

"Now I do," she admitted sheepishly, "I'm sorry."

"No worries. Come on," he got up and walked to the kitchen, setting his bowl down and looking at her across the counter. Got a fork?"

"Yes."

"Okay," he put the fork upright in his bowl, "do this."

"Okay," she did the same thing and Zayn started moving his fingers so the fork could twirl slowly.

"Wait--"

"Just don't think and do as I do."

Solána frowned and twirled the fork with ease, as if she had did it before. "Ohhhhh."

"Yeah."

"Wow," she kept twirling the fork and smiled big. Zayn just watched in amusement, the noodles were around the fork in a bigger ball than what she could actually put in her mouth. "Oh man I messed up."

"It's fine, just shake it -- no, no!" he stopped her and realized what he said, knowing she was probably going to throw the food across the kitchen.

"What?" she asked innocently and Zayn really almost cried at how adorable she was.

"No, let's not..." he carefully took the fork away from her, "let's not do that, just... Do this."

"Oh," her hand jerked good enough to get the noddles off and she clapped her hands, "that was fun!"

"You didn't even eat anything yet!"

"It's not the destination, it's the journey."

"Whatever. Eat the noodles," he just chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"What if I say no?"

"Then...you'll starve."

"Oh, it's like that? What do you kids say on the TV? Cool. So cool, I swear."

"Please leave."

"Really?"

"No, I'm kidding," he laughed harder, pinching her cheeks, "that's cute."

Solána just huffed, leaning into him, "dinner was disgusting."

"You didn't even eat it," he repeated.

"I know, that's the sad part. You suck."

"Jesus, Solána, you make one small pot of oatmeal and now you're Aunt Jemima."

"What the frick?" she put her hands to the side of her face and grimaced at him, "stop that."

"What the fuck? Say it. Fuck."

"I'm not cussin' for you. That's mean."

"You said hell the other day!"

"Hell, is in the Bible," she pointed at his chest and frowned playfully.

"So is fuck," he retorted with a grin.

"No it's not. Don't you read the Bible?"

"Not at all. I read the Quran, thank you very much."

"Does it have the word fuck in it?"

"Yes, actually."

"Zayn."

"Yes?"

She huffed and continued stirring her noodles. "Stop playing with God. You're going to hell."

???

I hate having friends bye:)