Midnight • (Zayn Malik)

spring break: lost in London pt. 2

The drops of water fell steadily down on the both of us, mixing in with all of the heat and making every touch flow like the rain. His luscious lips felt like a welcome home to me and I drank up the sweet greeting with one of my own. I didn't think about if I was any good at kissing or anything, I just wanted to dwell in this moment for a while without letting my head get in the way for once. Zain had one hand pressed to my face and his other arm wrapped tightly around my back, joining us together like one star in this terribly beautiful sky. The rain was perfect, despite what some might think about it. It heightened the feelings I admittedly did have for Zain and I thought that I wouldn't ever want to kiss him under a sunny sky because he was the sun all on his own. This is what I needed, all along I decided. I wouldn't let the points that Zain was annoying or moody or what his past or my past were like. He was drenching my skin in oranges and yellows and reds everywhere he touched and it livened my dull life. I was full of color, I was a fucking rainbow in the rain with my sun and I didn't want either to ever leave. Of course, I knew that light was fleeting and trying to catch a piece of the sunshine in my hand was futile. I knew that when the moon rose, the sun would have to leave, but for a brief moment they both shined in the sky. For a moment the stars aligned and everything was right for the very first time in my life.

When Zain stopped kissing my lips he spotted kisses along my slick neck in the same way the water drops fell there. My heart was beating like rain and I don't think I had ever experienced something quite as extraordinary as this. Zain was extraordinary, every part of him. And it felt extraordinary that he wanted me when he could have anyone in the universe. Why he chose to talk to me and ignore literally everyone else in the art room that first day, I didn't think I would ever know, but knowing that was enough.

I felt his jeweled fingers comb through my hair until he reached for the drenched flower crown on my head and put it on himself so that he didn't have to worry about it falling off as he ran his hands through. He tucked a few soaking white locks behind my ear and I thought he'd kiss me again but he gently touched his forehead to mine and bore his glowing golden eyes into the pale blue of my own instead. He was breathing just as heavily as I was and I just hoped with everything inside of me that I wasn't the only one who felt like the Ancient Greek goddess Iris had burst inside me.

"Luna..." he began to search for something to say but I touched a few of my fingers to his lips to tell him he didn't need to.

He closed his eyes as he brought his hand up to my wrist and kissed my fingers that held his words inside. He kept ahold of my wrist and brought it to his chest as he opened his eyes and I put my other hand on the back of his neck, twisting the wet strands of his ink black hair between my fingers. His arm stayed pressed up against my back and we stood contently in the pouring rain for a while, soaking up every last bit of what just happened into our skin. Like a tattoo of sorts. And I thought that fit pretty well.

Zain set my wrist down gently by my side before tracing lines across my face. We had been quiet for so long- letting the patter of the rain fill the noise- it almost scared me when he spoke again.

"I think you're right... your nose definitely needs a diamond stud right here," he poked my nose where he was referring to. I was almost relieved when he was annoying. I thought it would make me regret giving in but it reassured me that it wasn't weird.

I shook my head, "Of all things to say."

He smiled, amused at me, "Would you rather me awkwardly not talk and try to avoid you the entire way back?"

I was silent for a second.

He gave me a look, "Exactly. Anyway, we'll have to wait until we fly back to get you pierced up because I left all of my stuff back home in Bradford."