Wild Heart z.m.

4. names and 'just friends'

"fancy seeing you here," she called out as usual. for the past week zayn had been going to dynamo diner at the same time everyday and nat had taken an hour long break just to talk about anything and everything with him.

"nat, what a surprise," he deadpanned. he took off his jacket and slid into his usual booth.

"i like the name nat. it's cute," she said as she sat across from him. she set down the tea and cookies she had carried over.

(basically, the story is that he decided to call her natalia because she still wouldn't spill her name and he had to call her something. their conversation went something like:

zayn: seriously, tell me your name.

nat: oh, what's in a name. the only reason you want me to tell you is so you have a way to identify me. but by letting you choose my name, you have more free reign on what you want to call me, which, if you think about, is actually pretty cool.

zayn: but I told you mine.

nat: and i thank you. and anyway, what's life without a little mystery? then she winked.)

"so what's the discussion topic today?"

"right. well." he cleared his throat. then cleared it again. then one more time.

why was this so difficult all of a sudden? it wasn't nearly as nerve wracking when he practiced in front of his mirror.

"i was wondering if... if you'd like to, like, go to a wedding with me? in two weeks?" then quickly added, "but you don't have to, only if you want to. like, i won't make you, or anything. i won't be sad if you say no- i mean i will, i will be sad but i don't want to pressure you or anything..."

nat calmly sipped her jasmine tea(it tastes like flowers and i love it, she'd once said when he asked her "why jasmine?") waiting for him to finish his rambling.

"like, as a date you're asking me to go, or as friends?"

"friends of course! unless you wanna go as... something else?"

she quickly shook her head. "just friends. i just... i don't have a good relationship with relationships. it always ends badly, so i'd rather not do that..."

and zayn was content with going with her as 'just friends,' although, maybe one day, they could be more than that.

and maybe natalia(who's name is actually naomi, but prefers the name he gave her solely because he gave it to her) was thinking the same thing.

but they would never admit that.