The More I Try (An One Direction Fan Fiction)

Why, Just Why (Chapter Thirty Four)

"Are you sure you got everything you need?" Zayn asked for the millionth time- looking at Thalia carefully from where he sat across from her.

Chuckling as Thalia sipped at her smoothie, she nodded.

"I mean, you didn't get anything really- well, uh-"

"I didn't get a lot? Or anything pretty? Or fancy? I didn't splurge a lot? Or get anything I want but don't need? Zayn, this isn't a shopping spree. This is you lending me money until I can pay you back. I got enough clothes for a week without laundry, everything I need for, sanitation, and I don't really need anything else." Thalia answered simply, ending her speech with a shrug.

"Well, I wouldn't mind if you did get something just for fun.." Zayn mumbled, his eyes finding his lap and staying there meekly.

There were a couple moments of silence and Zayn looked back up again when Thalia cleared her throat.

"Well, thank you for buying me the stuff." She said slowly, tapping her fingers against the table- her eyes wandering around the outside of the cafe they were at.

It was surprisingly quiet, as was the mall when they'd gone to- especially for a member of One Direction and the most talked about person, possibly of all time.

Zayn decided to break the silence, leaning forward with an excited look.

"Wanna do something?"

Thalia could only raise an eyebrow, figuring that he had something in mind.

"We could go into London, like we spoke about earlier. Give you the real British feel." He suggested, sliding his chairs closer to her's with a smirk.

Thalia thought for a moment.

She was wearing fresh clothing, and she'd bought some makeup with her own money to hide the worst of her bruises- so it wasn't like she shouldn't be seen in public.

But would what happened at the airport repeat itself?

Could Thalia really be in public with Zayn without being hounded?

Thalia decided to risk it.

"Ok- show me the greater side of England, Zayn Malik." Thalia said, smiling as Zayn's smile grew bigger and he stood- offering a hand out to her.

She took it, and then he was tugging her into the car and they were telling the driver that they'd need him to drop off their shopping after they'd dropped them off in London.

"Hey," Zayn said, hoping to lift the awkward silence. "Let's tweet a picture. Just to prove how happy we are."

Frowning at first, Thalia eventually agreed, smiling into the camera on Zayn's iPhone.

"Taking the most perfectly kind, smart, and beautiful girl I know, to the most beautiful city I know." Zayn read aloud what he was writing- glancing up once Thalia started laughing.

"That doesn't sound under 140 characters." She said, smiling bashfully at the compliments he'd given her.

"Well, I'm going to have to lose the kind, smart and beautiful then. Just say perfect- even though you're just so much more." Zayn said, smiling as Thalia blushed a dark shade of pink- softly telling him to shut up and punching him playfully.

"We're here, Bridge street- just off the Big Ben." The driver said, both of them just noticing where they were as the car was pulled to a stop.

They got out of the car, and Thalia looked around- her eyes wide and sparkling as she took it all in, absent mindedly closing her door and stumbling forward.