°• 𝙰𝙻𝙱𝚄𝙼 𝙰𝚁𝚃 •°[ 𝚣𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢 ]

Watermelon sugar 🍉

ZAYN

Strawberries on a summer evenin'
Baby, you're the end of June
I want your belly and that summer feelin'
Getting washed away in you.

Zayn had no idea why he just couldn't stop staring.

He stood near the coffee machine in the backroom of the studio, fixated on Harry through the window of the adjacent room. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, but Zayn didn't even like coffee—he always brought his own tea, which was now sitting untouched on his desk just a few feet away. Yet here he was, frozen in place, unable to make his way to either the tea or the coffee machine he so desperately wanted to reach. The frustrating truth was, he wasn't ready to admit to himself that it wasn't the coffee or tea he wanted—it was Harry.

Why was Harry around so much, anyway? Zayn had worked with a handful of artists before, and while some liked to be involved in the creative process, none came to the studio as often as Harry did. It was puzzling, especially knowing how swamped Harry must be with the pressure of being one of the biggest names in the industry. His album release was just four months away, and yet, Harry seemed to effortlessly pop into the studio nearly every day.

Zayn admired the grace with which Harry carried his celebrity status—never overbearing, always warm and approachable. He was, quite simply, a delightful person to be around. But right now, as Harry chatted easily with the team nearby, Zayn felt increasingly like a voyeur caught in a private moment, stealing glances that he knew he shouldn't. His heart thudded unevenly as he noticed Harry's eyes flicker around the room, scanning for someone or something amid the small group gathered around him.

Realizing he had stood in the same spot for nearly fifteen minutes, Zayn suddenly felt ridiculous. There was nothing to be afraid of. Harry had no idea about the strange feelings Zayn had been harboring. No neon sign hovered above his head flashing warnings or confessions.

With renewed resolve, and all the dignity he could scrape together, Zayn decided to stop hiding. He wasn't going to run away just because he heard Harry come in. He took a steadying breath and made his way back into the studio.

Harry's searching gaze landed on him immediately. His eyes passed over once, then did a subtle double take before settling on Zayn with a warm smile.

"Thought you hadn't come in today," Harry said, excusing himself from the group and walking over.

From behind Zayn came a sharp scoff.

It was Imogen—his typography expert and one of his closest friends. She had witnessed his near stumble while rushing into the backroom and knew all too well about Zayn's secret fandom. She'd been teasing him relentlessly about how Harry seemed to come into the studio just to hang out with him. Zayn knew that wasn't true—Harry was genuinely just friendly, making sure everyone felt comfortable working with him.

Zayn turned around and shot Imogen a deadpan look that silenced her for the moment.

Refocusing on Harry, Zayn struggled to hide how distracted he was by the little details—the way Harry's eyes crinkled when he smiled, the faint scent of his cologne, the casual confidence in his posture.

Questions buzzed inside Zayn's mind, but he had no answers. He didn't even know what he was feeling. And he was almost certain that if Harry knew, he wouldn't feel the same way. After all, Harry had a boyfriend—a fact Zayn couldn't help but think about, especially given how strange he'd been acting around Zayn lately.

The knot in his stomach tightened as Zayn forced himself to stay present, to keep the growing turmoil hidden behind a professional smile.

A.N. I am sorry I was gone such a long time. I was stuck in the state I attend college in for 60 days and had no way back home, I have made it back home now though so things are good.

P.S- HOW GOOD IS THE WATERMELON SUGAR MV?!?!?!