Roses | ziam.

Lying Latent

It was his scent that did him in.

It was impossible to put it into words; exactly like how it was impossible to describe the color red to a blind man. The aroma was a potent cocktail of the freshest flowers and the most seductive chocolate. It was surprisingly subtle, easy to lose track of as it vied fruitlessly with the other cloying perfumes and woody colognes that permeated the air of the vast ballroom.

But once Zayn had caught a whiff of that hormone-rousing fragrance, he couldn't get it out of his mind.

The hall was charmingly decorated in complimentary shades of pale gold, coupled with matching streaks of silver and white. The polished French windows were flung open invitingly, welcoming a warm night breeze into the room. Thick, luxurious curtains were appropriately pulled to one side, illuminating the full moon, accompanied by the twinkling stars that sparkled like precious jewels. White, heavy chandeliers dangled from the high ceiling and tossed flattering crystals of light onto the people that occupied the room.

An orchestra was performing a calming serenade, and Zayn could hear the endless jangle of expensive diamond bracelets donned ostentatiously by the ladies. Dignitaries from all over the world were milling and chatting, the low hum of conversation peppered with the foreign sounds created by different accents.

Gleaming baskets held crunchy breadsticks prepared to a crisp golden, and every sort of meat was available and cooked to perfection. Little tubs of tiramisu, drizzled generously with liquor, were paired with rich chocolate truffles for dessert. Most of the guests were queuing up patiently at the buffet table.

And of course, it was no surprise that Niall Horan was at the head of the queue, an expression of pure delight on his face as he assaulted the buffet table voraciously.

"Brilliant dress, by the way," Zayn praised, flashing a lopsided grin at Barbara Palvin. She was clad elegantly in a figure-hugging, mermaid style aquamarine dress that illustrated her slim figure. She patted her hair self-consciously and returned Zayn's smile.

"Can you smell that? No, not the food, but this... gorgeous, unique smell..." Zayn queried, his mind snapping back to the matter at hand. When Barbara shook her head, Zayn took Barbara by the hand and together, the pair threaded their way towards the general direction of the scent.

"Oh! Something like... flowers?" Barbara piped up eventually, her face brightening. Zayn nodded vigorously, his eager golden eyes cruising the scene in front of him to try and pinpoint the exact origin of the fragrance.

And then he felt his heart skip a beat.

Liam Payne stood tall and elegant, devastatingly business-like in a sharp blue suit. Knotted impeccably around his collar was a molten gold tie. The light cascading from the chandelier increased his attractiveness by ten-fold, and Zayn remained stock-still for a moment, admiring the way the shadows played coquettishly on the brunette's face.

A glass of champagne was nestled comfortably in Liam's right hand, and his left hand was tucked casually into the pocket of his tailor-made designer pants. He had lost weight, and there was an arresting quality about him that even the most indifferent onlooker would feel drawn to, and as Zayn's eyes took a lazy tour of Liam's body, he couldn't help but feel a mounting sense of excitement.

Two men were beside Liam, and Zayn noticed Charlie Texas, the Prime Minister, in his peripheral vision. Another man, the blond was dressed in the casual elegance of wealth, but the raven-haired lad only gave those two men a fleeting glance before replacing his attention fully back onto Liam again.

"Hey, what're the both of you doing there?!"

Jerking out of his little bubble of lust, Zayn turned around. Niall had already settled down on a nearby table, looking very satisfied with his bounty from the buffet table. A small avalanche of food was piled precariously high on Niall's plate. There were mounds of colorful coleslaw, slathered liberally with creamy sauce, succulent pieces of grilled lamb and pork, huge baked potatoes drenched with landslides of melted butter and a teetering tower of little frosted cupcakes.