Daisies • Zarry

14. Nervous

Nervous [nur-vuhs] adjective. Highly excitable; unnaturally or acutely uneasy or apprehensive.

Nervous [nur-vuhs] person. Zayn Malik.

In a few days Zayn would be on his way home to New Hope, Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving. His sister, Doniya, was flying in from Miami to join him and his mother, as well as his younger sister Waliyha who still lived there, and of course his father would not be attending because he hadn't seen him since he was seven years old. Zayn was mostly looking forward to seeing his mother, whom he was quite close to, but he still felt this surge of uneasy energy racing through his core, because he was planning on finally coming out to them about being gay. He thought about this moment so many times and every scenario Zayn made up in his mind always made him feel queasy. His family was religious, traditional, and not exactly the type of family where they just openly said however they were feeling, and they especially shied away from discussing controversial subjects.

"Hey," Zayn whispered to Elias, shoving his body lightly as he attempted to wake him up from a deep sleep.

"Hmm?"

"I'm planning on leaving earlier than usual today. I want to stop into Daisies before class, so no need to make breakfast."

"What time is it?" Elias asked groggily, turning over.

"Quarter to seven."

"Do you want some company?" he asked, his eyes fluttering open.

"Yeah that'd be nice if you're feeling up for it," Zayn replied.

Zayn knew that Harry wouldn't be working the morning shift, which was why Zayn was planning on swinging by that early in the morning before class, and he was only really stopping in because he had told Anne that he'd come by soon and Zayn felt bad if he didn't keep his word. He got up and started getting dressed, slipping on a pair of dark jeans and a long sleeved back t-shirt sporting an evil eye in the center, to ward off bad energy, watching as Elias climbed out of bed stark naked from his peripherals, smirking to himself.

"Have you thought about how you're going to say it?" Elias asked, opening his closet door and scanning his clothing for something to wear.

"I have no fucking idea," Zayn responded, sighing. "I played out a bunch of different ways this conversation could go and somehow all of them ended up in my mom crying."

"Zayn..." said Elias, frowning at him. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you think. Be positive."

"Yeah, right."

* * * * *

Zayn and Elias entered the coffee shop forty minutes later, bundled up in parkas and scarves as the late November air had suddenly gotten much colder, and Anne looked up from behind the counter looking so delighted to see Zayn.

"There's my favorite customer," she rang out in that chipper morning voice only Anne could have. "And who might this be?" she added as Zayn and Elias walked toward her.

It hadn't dawned on Zayn in that moment that Anne hadn't been there when Elias came in with the giant display of roses and apparently had no idea that he was gay.

"This is Elias...my boyfriend," Zayn replied.

He realized it was the first time he had ever introduced Elias as his boyfriend to anyone since Elias was typically the one who always did the talking, and Anne didn't even look phased in the slightest when he said it.