Dreary|| zarry

Eight||

LATER THE SAME DAY

Zayn waits outside of the bathroom for Harry to return. He leans against the wall, eyes searching the area to see some sight of his other friends, but he can't really see through the crowd of families and teenagers.

It's around five now, so the sun is beginning to set which creates a lively glow of orange and pink in the infinite sky.

The man relaxes, deciding to take in the glow and the wind brushing past him. He watches as a couple walks past him, smoke releasing past their lips with a cigarette stick between each of their fingers. Zayn swallows thickly, looking down at the ground and attempting to ignore the sight. The smell of smoke burns his nostrils and he grimaces as his skin begins to tingle.

Zayn bites his bottom lip and turns to walk inside the bathroom himself. He sighs heavily, walking over to the sink and he splashes some water on his face. He makes sure the water is cold enough to snap him out of this agitated state.

"Boo!"

"Shit!" Zayn exclaims, turning around to push off whoever just decided to scare him at this moment but he instantly untenses when seeing Harry's playful forest eyes. He's not used to them.

Zayn let's out a breathy chuckle. "You really scared me." he sighs shakily.

"Are...are you sad?" Harry furrows his brows, looking over Zayn's face. He doesn't sound sure and Zayn knows that Harry isn't great at picking up on emotions if one doesn't explicitly show or say something.

The man shakes his head, reaching out to lightly brush his hand but doesn't grab it. "I used to smoke...but I've been trying to stop and lately I've been feeling withdrawls." Zayn says.

"Like what?" he says.

"Headaches, agitation, sensitivity to sound and light, weird sensations under my skin...it could just all be in my head." Zayn mumbles the last part.

"You'll feel better. I know you will." Harry says, shocking Zayn a bit as he makes eye contact with him again. His face is expressionless, making Zayn aware of his sincerity. Zayn smiles slightly, reaching out to grab his hand lightly, and Harry thankfully lets him take it.

"Thanks, babe." he says, running his thumb along his knuckles. He hears the man let out a shaky breath, making Zayn smile slightly from his nerves as Harry stares at their hands with concentrated eyes and furrowed brows. 

"I like holding your hand." He says. Zayn's smile brightens. "Do you like it?" He asks.

"Yeah, more than you know." Zayn snorts.  Harry flushes, biting back a grin.

As the night goes on, the more games they play, but with Harry uncomfortable in the crowd, he tended to begin to disappear either sitting on a bench alone or standing under a vacant tent.

No matter how much Zayn encouraged him, he still walked off without him noticing looking content with being away from a crowd.

So, Zayn decides its time for a meal. He knows eating brings people together, no matter how much the other person does not like people.

The five of them sit at a bench, AJ snacking on nachos with cheese and chili, Liam sipping on some water as he scrolls through his phone, Louis is chowing down on his third pizza slice and Zayn continues to nibble on his second, watching Harry cut into first slice of pizza with a knife and fork. The emerald eyed man insisted he needed to eat with silverware since it is proper etiquette and Zayn understood, no judgment there. In contrast, Zayn had to force Louis not to be rude and say something as he always does. 

"So, whats your name?" AJ speaks up, asking the man next to Zayn. Zayn looks at Harry, noticing he isn't paying attention to any of them but to cutting his pizza into small pieces. Zayn leans over slightly, bumping his shoulder against the man's and Harry looks up, looking at Zayn then at AJ.