Near To You (One Direction Fan Fiction)

Epilogue

Epilogue

The snow fell gently on the quiet street, leaving a soft blanket of white everywhere it touched. It had to be nearing midnight now, but I was anything but tired. After a full day of classes I had run across to the publishing house where I recently started my internship underneath Jude as his assistant (the most hellish time of my life, I assure you) and had only been released from this torment a few moments earlier.

It had been two months since Zayn and I had decided on the street, in the middle of a crowd to start over, and even though we had barely seen any of each other because of our opposing schedules I knew for certain that this was the happiest I had ever been since I came to London.

Instead of heading back to my dorm, however, where my room laid in a mess of boxes and fragile objects wrapped in old newspapers for the big move to my own flat somewhere in the City, I was going to someplace else very familiar, and much more my home. Rubbing my hands together to generate some heat I turned the corner, abruptly meeting what felt like a wall.

“I'm so sorry!” I exclaimed, cheeks reddening from embarrassment. “I should be watching where I go more closely.”

“Finally you admit it.”

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, until I recognized the person I thought to be a stranger, and I began to assault them with my fist.

“What are you doing here?” I cried. “I thought you weren't going to be back until next week!”

“I snuck away a few days early.” Zayn wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling my in for a tight hug. “Being away from home was becoming unbearable.”

“You're unbearable,” I muttered into his jacket before untangling myself from his embrace. “Why didn't you tell me? What if I had gone home instead of going to the shop?”

“You just bought the shop from Franky, I know that you're going to be there day or night.”

I blushed. It was true that as soon as my father agreed to give me access to my account after the success of the film, once he was certain I wouldn't spend it all, and once he saw the squalor I lived in as a university student, that I frivolously bought the shop from Franky who was thinking about closing the place down.

I had been spending the time I wasn't with Zayn refurbishing and trying to put some money into the place to spruce it up, and I was quite proud of my work.

“Shut up,” I finally replied. “You're stupid.”

“I missed you too.”

Before I could call him the list of colourful names I had prepared neatly in my mind, he kissed me firmly, and all thoughts were thrown out the window. I placed my hands against his cheeks, pulling back so that I could study his face closely, the face I had missed so much for weeks now.

“I'm still not used to kissing you,” I told him honestly. “I find it a bit weird. Nice, of course, but weird.”

“Why is it weird?” he questioned with a frown. I smoothed his wrinkled brows with my fingers, smiling.

“Because any girl in the nearby vicinity would probably kill me if she knew.” I bit my lip. “In fact, I quite fear for my life every time you kiss me.”

“Well what is life without a little danger?” He chuckled, giving me a quick peck before folding his hand around my own. “Come on now, you little workaholic, let's go back to your dorm.”

“Will you help me pack?”

“You've started packing already? I thought you hadn't heard back from the owners yet if they accepted your offer.”

“I'm certain they will.” He gave me a look. “What?”

“What are you going to do if it falls through and they get a better offer?”

“I don't know, probably look for another place.”

“Well...” he stopped, playing with my fingers.

“What Zayn?” I asked nervously. “Have you heard something about the place? Why are you being so quiet?”

“I'm just...” he paused again. Resolutely, his eyes met mine, saying the words which caused my heart to stop:

“Why don't you just move in with me?”