𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃𝐒 .

12.

᪥᪥᪥

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯.

the comfortably shaped room, decorated in shades of cream and chocolate brown smelled richly of something sweet, heavy in it's maturity and yet strong. it was the same scent, mixed in with others, that mahi'ai's hair wafted into the air, coming from the many products lined up against the boy's small vanity. a few candles were lit, illuminating the purple haze cast over the room by the small strip of lights randomly tossed on the wall by the boy who was not at all done decorating. even so, the room had a small personality of its own; little trinkets, gifted, or collected here and there sat on his tv stand. there were lightweight curtains hanging from his bed, somewhat like a mosquito net that would've been used in  hotter climates or presumably, the one he was from. the singular window was hiked all the way open, even despite the temperature outside.. jewelry lay, decorating the floor that it was thrown across..

somewhat ironic, it had already taken on the warm aura that the boy who hated being it it carried. it had to have; otherwise, zayn wouldn't have been able to remain seated while mahi'ai rummaged everywhere, flipping over clothes as he continued his persistent search. zayn watched him from the queen sized bed, clad with soft white sheets and stuffed animals he had been ordered to sit upon while mahi'ai found the remote to his tv. the brunette's observant eyes scanned over the four walls of the homey bedroom; he had been in a lot, but he quite liked his.

"found it." mahi'ai said finally, squatting as he pulled the remote out from underneath a discarded shopping bag. the fifteen year old walked over to his bed, sitting down next to the brunette before turning on the tv, eyeing the older next to him. "do you care?"
"no."
"kay." mahi'ai hummed, who was all too fine with putting on what he wanted to see. he scooted fully into the left side of the bed- the one he slept on- adjusting himself and making sure that both of them had ample space before the older once again caught his eye. "...you need me ta move? cause you sittin 'alfway of the bed.."
"nah, you good."

"okay.." mahi'ai said, still staring over at the brunette who insisted on leaning somewhat over the edge of the bed so that he wasn't  actually in the bed. it irritated mahi'ai, who couldn't give reasoning to zayn's subconsciously defensive behavior; even inside of  a home, his guard was one that he didn't seem to let down physically or mentally; even down to the way he sat, he seemed to be prepared to almost .. fight his way out of something. it was a stubborn instinct- one that mahi'ai knew well in his father and brother and thought he knew well where it came from, but the truth was he had no way to know just what triggered such a barrier of suspicion in the handsome, quiet boy's green eyes; he just knew he would have to break it down, no matter what. "...so t'en don't sit in my bed like t'at."

zayn glanced over at the younger, who offered him a calm, somewhat motionless expression in the wake of those somewhat foreboding green orbs that seemed to question the very intent of mahi'ai's existence.


"it'll ruin the matress." mahi'ai added.

mahi'ai's heart pounded hard at his silence, somewhat intimidated despite the way he refused to show it, making sure his eyes were level. everything about zayn's eyes were frigid with an emotionless cold that somewhat claimed unpredictability; truthfully, mahi'ai had no idea how the somewhat flippant boy would react, but something in his darkened gaze genly whispered to him whatever it was he wanted to do, he would have no trouble in performing. the anger, blatant but always consistently living just behind the surface of zayn's mere resting expression seemed to visible in that moment; taryn could see it, in the little traces of detail that created his perfect features, seeming to serve as a reminder of just how deep those beautiful yet tired green eyes were and how they seemed to almost pine to be challenged. the boy couldn't help but to slightly falter as he softened at his simple thoughts of what could've possibly hurt him like that- something had to have, especially when one was quiet- quiet like he was.

right?


"aight, my bad." zayn murmured, glancing away as he eased into the bed, still a bit unintentionally stiff though he held no particular distrust towards mahi'ai. it was just the way things were- it would've been the same if it was any other person on the street, and usually the brunette wouldn't have moved. in fact, the statements issued to him would've usually been enough for him to get up and leave. zayn did not take people at their word; he learned real early about that, and not to mention he didn't give a fuck about no mattress- but that wasn't what it was about.


his eyes felt honest.
they sparkled, like carved amber bathed freshly in the sunlight and forged in the darkest, purests of yellow, and at times they crashed. they blanked, with nothing but questioning and dependency like they had a moment ago. zayn trusted him right away, like it was instinct; he just didn't accept it.


mahi'ai offered a smile to the mixed boy whom said nothing, instead residing in the same silence he clung to so tightly, offering him the same fixed glance. mahi'ai's heart raced just underneath his chest, the focus of his gaze slowly leaking into the younger boy who could not help how warm his neck felt as he made sure to look directly down at his food, unwrapping it.