Dazed (Zarry AU)

Chapter 2

Harry knew deep in his gut that there was no way he was getting out of this. Well, mentally anyway. While his eyes focused on the subtle, tiny hairs along Zayn’s jaw, all he wanted to do was run. A memory of his last encounter with Colin struck him then, giving him what he needed to get himself out of there. 

“Have a good day...” Harry mumbled before giving them both a weak smile and quickly stepping out. 

After walking a block or two down he had finished off his latte, annoyed at forgetting to ask for little ice. The scone was fairly good, one of the best he had ever had, but he had now lost his appetite. 

A thick patch of dark clouds began to cover what was a pleasant afternoon and a loud rumble of thunder sent Harry running to his aunt’s ’98 Honda Civic. It wasn’t the best looking car, but all he cared about was that it got him from here to there and that he felt comfortable enough driving it on foreign land. The loud pounding of rain against the windshield sent a soft wave of calmness through him. The heavier the better, Harry always thought.  It was almost metaphorical how everything around him was constantly filled with chaotic stress, yet there he was trapped in his own mind. He was now enclosed, afraid of opening up about anything to anyone. He had lost his inability to trust. To see the good in (most) people. 

After what happened, Harry never thought he would have feelings for anyone again so his automatic attraction to Zayn caught him by surprise. It frightened him most of all. Harry didn’t want to feel this way. It was all too soon. If it had been any other day he would have driven off without a second thought. He could have been back at his aunt’s already, yet there he sat in childlike confusion unsure of how to proceed. 

A while ago he had made a brand new twitter account due to personal reasons and found himself stumbling upon it. Barely any followers at all, but he was okay with that. He stared at the screen hard in thought as his fingers slowly typed whatever he needed to get out. 

@HStyles Something’s finally clicked...I think. Maybe. Maybe not. 

The rain stopped almost instantly about two minutes later and with a bit of newfound courage, Harry stepped out of the car with a bit of a point to prove. To himself, mostly. As wrong as this felt, as nervous as he was, he stepped back into the cafe with sweaty palms and stomach knots. This was so fucking hard and although he should have understood why, it frustrated the hell out of him. 

The cafe had emptied out mostly since he had last been there and it only took a short moment for Harry to spot...him. Far off in the back corner Harry watched as Zayn gazed intently at some artsy magazine while sipping an iced beverage similar to what he had earlier. 

“Quit being a pussy. Just get over there.” Harry mumbled to himself. 

Without thinking he did just that, pulling out a chair and sitting straight across from him. 

“I knew you’d be back.” Zayn muttered lowly with a bite of his lip. 

Harry felt his mouth go dry as Zayn gazed up at him with a look that had him scratching at his leg. 

“What do you mean you knew...” Harry questioned almost cautiously. 

“Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.” 

Fuck.

“I’m Zayn by the way. And you?”

“Harry.”

“Deep, sexy accent you have there. English?”

Harry nodded and even smiled at how surprisingly at ease he felt. With all thoughts aside, he was thoroughly enjoying this moment. New country, new beginning and even a new...friend? Already?

“Tell me about you.” Harry asked a bit shakily, trying to keep his cool and hoping Zayn wouldn’t catch on to his nerves. He was eager to know all about the gorgeous lad, although still cautious on the inside.

“Me?” Zayn laughed. “Not much to know about me. I’m working here full time for the summer and hoping to graduate from Bowdoin sometime next year. I’m way into art and graphics and comics. But more importantly, I’ve been on the lookout for someone. A special someone. Someone like you, maybe.”

Harry felt his heart pound hard in his chest as he gripped the edge of the chair. He couldn’t possibly mean him.

“Have you?” He asked, his voice embarrassingly high and airy. 

Zayn nodded, sitting forward and inching himself closer to Harry’s face. 

“You break is done, Zayn! Get back here!” An older woman yelled from behind the counter. 

Zayn waved her off, never breaking Harry’s gaze. 

“We’ve just met, but I could tell you’re the one I’ve been waiting for.” He stated simply.

Harry watched, utterly confused but with complete adoration as Zayn scribbled a number onto a napkin.

“I need to go now, but feel free to text me whenever and I’ll reply when I can. No need to be shy with me, Harry. I want to know everything about you. Everything.”