Vulnerable (Zayn Malik AU)

Chapter 50

"You don't have to do this." Zayn was sitting on his bed playing some game on his phone while I finished my makeup.

"Of course I do."

It was Christmas morning. We'd just finished breakfast when Zayn's mom got called into work, so we were saving the presents for later. 

"I just don't see the point, like... You have nothing to prove." It was almost time for lunch, which meant it was almost time for my grandmother's annual Christmas party. Joy.

"He said he was sorry, Zayn. I owe him the respect of showing up today."

"Personally, I don't think you owe him shit, but whatever." I shot him a warning look, which he returned with a shrug. "Just my opinion."

"Do me a favor, keep your opinions to yourself today. I'm already nervous to bring you around that side of the family, so don't think I won't make you stay here." I joined him on his bed, trying to relax before getting dressed.

"As if I'd let you go without me." 

"True." I reached for his phone and locked it, making him look at me instead of his game. "What are you going to wear?" We were both still in our pajamas.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. Do I go casual? Black jeans and a sweater? Slacks and a button-up?" 

"Maybe a combination of both? If you go too fancy, my dad's family will make fun of you. But, too casual and it'll be even worse." His eyebrows scrunched at me, his nerves meeting mine.

"Ok..." I wasn't sure what made me more nervous: being around my dad again, or his family meeting Zayn. I wasn't sure they'd ever even accepted me, so how were they supposed to accept my boyfriend?

"I think jeans and a button up." He nodded and got up, putting together his outfit. 

That was my queue. I got up and retrieved my dress from the right side of the closet. I'd kind of taken over that side when we finished unpacking my things from the trash bags. 

Zayn went to iron his shirt, so I stayed in his room to change. I went and bought a new dress right after I got my haircut, but Zayn hadn't seen it yet, so I was actually excited to put it on. It was red, velvet, and had a cutout on the chest with an X over it. The sleeves were tight on the majority of my arm, but fanned out at the end like bell bottom jeans. I covered my legs with black tights, and wore black, heeled boots on my feet. I was pretty proud of the whole outfit.

"Wow." Zayn said when he came back into the room. "You look fit." The smirk on his face was evident.

"So do you." I met him in the doorway, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He was wearing a white, button up shirt and his black jeans. The boots on his feet were brown leather, and definitely new. "When did you get those?"  

"I bought them when you were shopping for that." He gestures to my dress. "Do you like them?"

"I love them.." They were different from his usual clunky boot. Good different.

"Shall we get going?"

•••••••

"It's the next right." Pulling up to my grandparents house it was clear we weren't the first ones to arrive. The whole court was full of cars, some parked legally, most of them not. 

"Bloody hell. How big is your family?" Zayn's eyes were ready to pop out of his head.

"The party just started. This isn't even half of the crowd." I laughed as he scoffed at me. "My dad's side is huge. Half German Half Irish. Wholly psychotic."