nebula :: [malik]

[ xxviii :: games ]

Show me, what it means to take it slowly

Friendship into love takes growing

Knowing it's a long long road to love

Leads back to you.

- "U" || Mikky Ekko

______

"You're cleaning?"

"You never clean."

"What's got you cleaning?"

Classes are cancelled again.

It's Tuesday of the following week - an exact seven days has passes since Zayn has first heard the words, 'I love you' slip from his girlfriend's mouth.

Seven days.

But, who's counting?

"Shut up, Lou," and Niall rises, standing from where he was fixing the couch cushions. "You too, Zayn."

"What?" He laughs defensively. "It was Louis, mate. Not me."

"S'always Lou," Niall groans, before narrowing his eyes at the dark-haired friend of his fighting a smile. "So that's not much of an argument, Z."

"Aww, c'mon, Nialler," Zayns grins, throwing his arm around his friend's neck and ruffling his blonde head. "What's with ya today?"

"He's cleaning," Louis states, biting into an apple. "He never cleans unless his mum's coming to visit."

Zayn's eyes light up. "Your mum's coming to visit?"

"No, my mum is not coming to visit," exclaims Niall, exasperated.

"What is it, then?"

"Cara's comin' over."

The snowstorm this winter is out of control. Classes have never been cancelled like this, in all of Zayn's years of being in college, albeit them being few. Never has the entire city been impacted before. Never has he been alive to see the subway so filled up with snow.

"What?" Louis exclaims, arms out as he falls backwards (and dramatically) into Zayn. "Cara? Cara's comin' over, here? To this house? To see who? Anais?"

Zayn turns at the mention of his girlfriend. "What do you mean by that, Lou?"

"Oh, please," Louis tuts. "She's over enough she might as well live here, yeah? You're sharing a bed and all..."

Zayn decides not to answer this. He was just about to go for a smoke when he realized it was too cold to even do that, and when he climbed back inside he decided to text Anais because he missed her and she was the only thing that could distract him from his nicotine craving.

That's when Louis had walked into the living room.

That's when they both noticed Niall.

"Well, guess we've got a full house," Louis announces, eyes transfixed upon his phone. "Haz says he and Liam are bored at theirs so I've told them to come over-"

Niall lifts a newly fluffed pillow and slaps Louis upside his head with it.

"Hey!" He exclaims, as Zayn laughs silently, leaning against the wall for support. "Wha's wrong with you?"