eternity. ♡ zarry ♡

20: tomorrow

Age 18

When Zayn came over on Harry's eighteenth birthday just an hour before the party began, he had a cupcake with a single candle inserted and the widest smile Harry's ever seen.

"Gimme your lighter," Zayn demanded the minute they stepped inside of Harry's bedroom.

"Who says I'm still smoking?" Harry muttered. He unwillingly took his lighter from the bottom drawer of his desk and handed it to Zayn.

Zayn grinned. "I know you, Styles."

"It's hard to quit when it's the only thing helping with this stress. Who knew senior year would be this difficult?" Harry sighed.

"Possibly every person who made it to their senior year." Zayn held the flame to the top of the candle until the fire caught. "Plus, it's almost over. We finish at the end of April, so just a couple more months and we're done."

Harry took the lighter and stared down at it. "Have you heard back from any of the schools you applied to?"

"No, have you?"

His body visibly relaxed, his expression softening. He placed his lighter back into his drawer and stepped toward Zayn. "I haven't, but that's okay, right? It'll be fine. Let's just enjoy today."

"Yeah." Zayn held out the cupcake. "Make a wish!"

"Sing to me first."

"But later on—"

"You think I'll hear you over Niall? That dude thrives off of being loud and obnoxious." Harry smiled and clasped his hands together as if he were about to pray. "It's my birthday, do it for me. Please."

So, with a bit of hesitance, Zayn sung Harry 'happy birthday'. It wasn't the first time he heard Zayn sing, so he already knew the sweet sounds of his voice, but he loved it most when Zayn was singing for no one other than him.

"Happy birthday to you," Zayn finished. He looked up from the candle and to Harry. "Now make a wish."

Harry waited a moment before leaning forward and blowing the candle out.

"What did you wish for?" Zayn handed him the cupcake.

"Nothing," he answered. "I've got everything I'll ever want. I've got family, friends, food, a house.. and you."

"And what am I?" Zayn was grinning again.

"You're you. I'm me. You and me, ya know?" Zayn's expression turned blank and bored. "What?"

"Such a lame response. I was hoping you'd say 'boyfriend' or 'lover', something along those lines."

The words made Harry's stomach flutter. He knew that's what they were, after all they've done and after how close they've become, that's the only right label for them, but it still left him dumbfounded. He'd seen Zayn as nothing but the friend he's adored for so long, and now, things were the same, yet, different.

It wasn't like before when he stared at Zayn as if he put the stars in the sky and Zayn didn't notice, but he stared at Zayn as if he were life itself and Zayn was finally looking back at him.

Harry shyly shrugged, placed the candle on his desk then took a bite of his cupcake.

"We have about an hour until everyone comes," Zayn said as he stepped closer to Harry who leaned against his desk.

"Yeah?" Harry placed his half finished cupcake on his desk, his smile fading a bit when he felt the warmth of Zayn's hands moving up the front of his shirt.

"Maybe I could give you your real birthday present." He licked his lips. "If you know what I mean."

"And what's that?" Harry's stomach was twisting with anticipation. "Go on, tell me."

Zayn pressed his finger against the button of Harry's jeans. "We've never touched each other. Don't you think that's weird? We've spent all this time together, kissing and cuddling and neither one of us thought to take it further."

Harry was nervous and eager. He's thought about Zayn in so many ways and in so many positions, but never did he think Zayn, the seemingly goody-two shoes out of the two, would bring it up.

His heart beat faster and faster with every movement of Zayn's hand. He gripped tightly onto the desk and sucked in a deep breath.

Zayn unbuttoned and unzipped Harry's jeans."You know what I mean, don't you?"

He couldn't respond, his mind could only muster up a hazy image of Zayn with his mouth open, waiting for him.

"Zayn—"

"Don't you?"

Zayn's hand was just above the waistband of Harry's boxers.

"I think I—"

"Do you want me to?" Zayn pulled his waistband and let slap back against his skin. "It's your birthday, I'll do anything you ask me to."

"I think I.." Harry's mind went blank.

"Just say the word and I'll do it."

"..love you."

It was quiet, Zayn's hand fell back to his side, his eyes a bit wide and his cheeks going pink. He didn't say anything, he didn't move, he didn't even seem to breathe.

"Are you sure?" Zayn asked.

"No, of course not. I said I think." Harry took a deep breath to calm his shaking hands. "It's so hard to know for sure, because I can love you today, but will I love you tomorrow?"

"Okay. Then, do you love me today?"

"I do. More than anything." Harry cupped Zayn's cheeks and sighed. "Today, you're my sun, but tomorrow, I don't know."

"That's what you think you love me? Because you aren't sure if your heart will still cry for me when we're apart?" Zayn laid his hands over Harry's.

"Yeah. Is that okay?"

Zayn smiled. "That's more than okay, because I think I love you too."

********

Thank you for reading. :) I love to read your comments.

If there's any sort of mistakes, sorry. I haven't read over it.