zesty grapefruit [zarry] ✔️

17

"Hey," Harry whispers as he slides into bed beside Zain.

"Gemma's gonna kill us both," Zain grunts, not opening his eyes. He was just about to fall asleep after a lovely dinner and a relaxing day, and part of him is annoyed to be kept awake.

"I locked the door," Harry answers, pressing his thigh between Zain's and throwing his arms across Zain's waist. It's different from the way he first made advances on Zain but also not, the same boldness in both.

"That's gonna help," Zain slurs.

"But this way we can have sex in the morning," Harry says around a yawn. "Sleep well."

"Kay," Zain answers and drifts off with Harry's breath against his neck.

💟

"You do look a bit tan now," Zain observes, still trying to catch his breath, tracing his fingers over Harry's cheek. "But your nose is peeling."

"Annoying," Harry complains, pressing a wet kiss to Zain's jaw. "I'll put aloe on, that should do it. But I told you about tanning."

"Still were a bit optimistic," Zain chides, thumbing his lower lip. "How come you're working on your holiday. You haven't really got a job that can't wait, have you?"

"Promised my manager that I'd check my emails at least once, so I picked like, the halfway point," Harry says, tracing the letters on Zain's collarbone.

"Yesterday wasn't halfway. You're only staying three days longer than Gems and me," Zain snorts.

"Well," Harry hedges. "I might have forgot and I wasn't gonna skip going to the beach for emails, am I?"

"Guess not," Zain says.

"What's that say?" Harry asks, tapping Zain's collarbone.

"'s just dumb," Zain shrugs. "It's English actually, just not Latin letters."

"Still can't read it," Harry says, rolling his eyes slightly. 

"Be true to who you are," Zain answers. He's still not quite sure what made him get it, but he likes it still. Even if it was a bit ridiculous to use Arabic letters for an English phrase.

"Does it?" Harry ask curiously, "That looks way too long to be 'are'."

"Other way around," Zain says with a yawn, even though the way 'be true'. "You read right to left."

"Oh," Harry says, frowning at the letters in concentration like he's magically going to decipher them.

"Can I ask a question?" he asks, watching Harry blink slowly as he focusses back on Zain.

"Sure," Harry says slowly. "What?"

"Just. You got really upset yesterday," he says slowly, not sure what's making him ask. "You're not regretting where you are now, or anything?"

"I- I mean," Harry says, haltingly looking past Zain towards the window. 

"You don't have to answer, forget I ask," Zain says, bushing the hair off Harry's forehead.

"No," Harry says, looking back at Zain with a small frown. "No one's ever asked me. Like. They ask what I'd do if I weren't famous, but not if I regret it you know. I don't," he adds quickly, interpreting the frown on Zain's face correctly. "But just. It was really reckless, you know. Giving up school for something that might have turned out different. Like, sometimes I think about that. And also," he hesitates, biting his lower lip. "Just. How things would be different now. But I don't regret it," he finishes, like he wants to reassure Zain, pressing his lips to Zain's sweetly.