fOoL fOr YoU (Zarry) *discontinued*

5.5

harry knows zayn. he knows how the older boy hates the feeling of new clothes, and almost never buys any until it's really needed. he knows that neither of them —or any of their friends— own a flannel in that colour nor that big, and that it's too ragged for it to be new.

he also knows he lost any and every right to ask zayn whose it is. and why he's wearing it. so harry pretends he never saw zayn cross the road. he'll pretend that it isn't zayn passing by. it'll be easier for both of them that way.

except when it happens, harry can't help but stop after a few steps, and look back, just to catch another glimpse of who once used to be his. but zayn's there, too. frozen in place. and harry knows zayn knows it's him. he's so fucking tempted to just walk back and hug zayn, just for a moment if not more. just to remember the feeling.

he doesn't.

harry forces himself to turn around again and start walking. forget what could've been. what should have been. he wraps his arms around his middle, feeling that everlasting sadness again. he shouldn't be sad, it was his fault after all. but fuck, harry really just wishes he had just walked back to zayn and talk to him. he didn't, though.

but zayn does.

when a tattooed hand wraps around his arm, harry freezes. he knows that tattoo all too well, being it the one he helped zayn draw. the tattoo is new though, it wasn't there last time. fuck. why would he do that? doesn't he remember what it is? why they drew it? harry clenches his jaw. he should walk away, save his heart— both their hearts another heartbreak. save themselves the ache. but when zayn's hand is in his... how is he supposed to do anything?

so they stand there in the middle of the sidewalk, holding each other's hand, and neither of them looks at the other. until, zayn pulls at harry's hand and starts walking to wherever he was going, taking harry with him. harry gladly follows after him. fuck, he'd follow zayn to the flames if the boy asked him to. without any hesitation whatsoever. forgetting about his car.

harry expects anywhere, really. anywhere except tesco. zayn's taken him to do the fucking groceries. and if that isn't the most them thing to do, then nothing is. harry almost bursts out laughing. almost. if the weight on his chest hadn't been this heavy, he might have.

zayn makes him drive the cart, while he walks next to him. and harry knows how hard he has to resist to loop his arm through harry's. he knows because he has to do the same. he really just wants to grab zayn's hand and hold it and never let go again.

it's in the cereal isle that harry breaks, but only because zayn grabbed harry's favourite cereal and put it in the cart. he would've stayed silent if zayn hadn't. though maybe he should have thought it through better, because starting a conversation with, "what the fuck are we doing?" might not be the smartest thing to do.

"we're grocery shopping," zayn bluntly says, grabbing coco pops, louis favourite, and dropping them in the cart. "did you not notice that?" he sarcastically asks, looking at harry with his eyebrow raised.

"why are we doing it together?" harry asks, dropping a packet of gummy bears into the cart. zayn drops in another one. and harry knows it's stupid, but they never needed two packets, they do know and it fucking hurts.

"i don't fucking know. i saw you and my mind went blank and all i could think off... was how fucking badly i wanted to do this with you again." zayn's voice goes quiet towards the end.

"fuck you. you always fucking do this. you ask me for space, you walk away, and whenever it comes out best for you, you come back. it isn't fucking fair, zayn," harry grumbles, keeping his voice as low and as steady as possible, so they don't attract any attention.