Three Willows {Harry Styles - One Direction Fan Fic}

Chapter 1:

Zayn chuckled a little at her using his surname. After the initial misunderstanding of what his name was, it was something she did when joking around or trying to make situations light. He more than understood why she was using it this morning.

Given his slightly darker complexion, when she had been told his name was Malik, Kat had assumed it was his given name and had continued to call him that until he’d had enough and started calling her Murphy. After she had confronted him about his rudeness, in front of some of the other station hands, she had been mortified to learn that it was in fact she who had things wrong. Not being one to let the men on the station see they had the better of her, she’d simply smirked and shrugged her shoulders as she walked away calling back to him. ‘Handy to know Malik.’

It was at that moment Zayn had felt himself falling for the stubborn woman in front of him. But Zayn was simply a Station Hand and she was the bosses daughter and no matter how many times he’d tried to flirt with her, he’d never really gotten anywhere. Even though he knew they’d both felt the common attraction.

When Zayn had shown some interest in flying after the Three Willows pilot had resigned his position, Tommy had encouraged him. Although Tommy would always muster his cattle on horseback, he’d also seen the merits of using a helicopter to locate them. Especially on a property the size of Three Willows. Having Zayn take over as his pilot had seemed to be a perfect resolution to the problem. Someone who had already worked the station and knew the land, as well as his expectations.

Three Willows sat in the East Pilbara region of the state of Western Australia and was approximately 2,000,000 acres with a head of cattle between 8,000 to 10,000 depending on conditions. Mother nature often impacted on the count with the sometimes unforgiving conditions she threw their way. In particular after the wet season and the heavy rains, flash floods could wipe out thousands of cattle in one hit.

What Tommy hadn’t planned on was that once Zayn was an accredited pilot, he found himself in demand all over the outback, as more and more stations were wanting to use the same method Tommy was. The only problem was at that stage helicopters were considered a luxury and rather scarce. Tommy had struck a deal, which allowed Zayn to freelance, while also using the Three Willows chopper. The use of the Three Willows chopper bound Zayn to the station and also meant that Three Willows and it’s needs would always come first. It may have meant there were times when Tommy and Three Willows didn’t have a chopper on hand, but it had been a sacrifice Tommy had readily accepted in order to keep Zayn as part of the station.

It was around the same time Zayn could also feel Kat’s resolve wearing thin. He knew that he almost had her accepting that there was something more than just friendship between them.

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Most of the regular Station hands had made the trek up to Port Hedland for the yearly muster celebrations. After the meal and a few drinks, Kat had agreed to go for a walk with Zayn to the coastline.

They had been leaning against the railing on one of the many wharfs, watching the sun sink into the Indian Ocean. Every so often Zayn would look over and see the breeze capture a strand of her long hair. It was usually pulled back in a ponytail off her face, but tonight she had brushed it out and it lay in long silky waves. Most of the time it looked warm brown in colour, like her fathers, but as the late evening sun hit it, he could see the brown mixed with the deep auburn he’d seen in photographs of her mother.

Zayn had gathered up enough courage to take one of her hands in his. She hadn’t pulled it away like in the past. When he’d leaned his shoulder into hers and whispered how beautiful she was, a small smile had formed on her lips. Buoyed by this he’d pushed on gently tracing a finger down to her chin, turning her face to his.

Her lips were very soft when he’d brushed his against them. He’d felt her turning to him and his arms wrapped around her waist pulling her closer until their bodies pressed and melded together. He had deepened the kiss as Kat had traced her hand up his back resting it on the nape of his neck. Zayn tightened his grip on her waist, drawing her hips closer until they were pressed firmly against his.

They had remained in their embrace as the sun dipped further into the ocean. Neither daring to the let the other go. Not finding it necessary to speak, just sharing intermittent kisses. When not kissing her, Zayn hadn’t been able to remove the smile from his face. He had wanted this for so long. And finally he was holding her in his arms as she snuggled into his chest, before pulling away to kiss him once again.

After breaking from a kiss he’d summoned the courage to tell her. “Kat you have no idea how long I have wanted to tell you this.” Zayn had started, before he heard his name being called. They had pulled from their embrace and greeted the new arrival.

And that had been it. His chance of convincing her that they should be together over almost as soon as it started. Their new companion had offered Zayn congratulations on the short term contract he’d secured in the Northern Territory. Anger and hurt had reflected in Kat’s eyes, but she had remained quiet until they were alone.

As the wind picked up dockside, they stood face to face arguing. She’d yelled at him that he knew one of the reasons that she didn’t date Station hands because of the transient nature of the job. That she had only changed her mind about him after all this time, as she thought he’d never move on, that he would stay. Stay for her. She was going to make an exception for him. But now she knew differently. Not only was he not planning on sticking around – she had ranted –but he also hadn’t been truthful with her, and how she couldn’t trust him. He had just proven to her she was right from the outset.

Zayn hadn’t backed down and insisted that she be fair. That this contract needn’t change how they felt about each other. It didn’t mean they couldn’t be together. He explained how he had intended to tell her before anyone else, that he hadn’t even told Tommy, and didn’t know how anyone had found out.

Kat eventually accepted he was telling her the truth in relation to him wanting to tell her first, but the fact remained he had gone ahead and accepted the job without even thinking about how she would feel about him being gone. He insisted that they could make it work, that he didn’t know why she was overreacting and making such a big deal about it. He’d be back and forth to Three Willows all the time.

At that point her stare had turned icy as she vehemently spat back at him. “Overreacting? So when am I able to get upset about it? When I find out that you’ve knocked up one of the many girlfriends you have scattered throughout the territory? We all know what you fly boys are like.” He’d watched her bite her lips right after she’d said it – it was one of her tells, he knew she was regretting her words – but she’d still stood there, not taking them back, defiantly staring him down. Her comments were unfounded and had hurt him, but he knew it was the disappointment and stubbornness of a woman who would not be let down by a man talking, and not the Kat he loved.

Even though he knew that, he’d been lost for words as he’d stood there wounded. “Right.” Kat had snapped. “I think it’s best if we just avoid each other. It will be better that way.” And with that she had stalked off to the hotel. Still smarting from her harsh words Zayn had just stood and watched her go.

She had been true to her word and from that night she had distanced herself from Zayn. It took two weeks before she would acknowledge his presence. Conversations were only held if there was at least a third party present And Kat always found an excuse to make sure she never found herself alone with him. It had remained that way until six months ago.

Zayn snapped out of his recollections and realised he was standing by the side of the jeep when Kat had called for her dogs to ‘jump in’. As they started driving he gave her some brief details on what he’d been up to “Been up and down the coast a few times. Up to the Territory. Took a trip over to Mount Isa. Same old stuff really.”

Once Zayn had finished, they drove the remaining distance in silence. This was the first time he’d been here since Tommy’s passing. It seemed the same, as if nothing had changed, but he knew that to be untrue. Everything had changed back then and in so many ways.

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