In the Shadows~zayn au~Completed ✅EDITING

~Chapter 65: Worth It All~

MERRY CHRISTMAAAS, Happy Hanukkah, and other holidays/celebrations that I apologize for being ignorant of!!!  Hope you all are having a fabulous holiday season! Here's my gift to you! Also, if you all are anything like me then you might need a nice distraction from family drama and other such things that develop during holidays. Have a lovely time and enjoy!

It's a bit mushy, but I loved writing this chapter. You get to see a bit more of Zayn's personality in it, and it's an aspect that he doesn't get to show very often. <3 and look: Sleeping Zayn because he's fucking precious.

She awoke to the feeling of pain first. Everything was sore, everything ached. She moaned as she moved, then comprehended that she was disturbing someone else's repose as well.

Zayn had fallen asleep with her once more. She could look at him now unencumbered. He appeared dreadfully vulnerable while he slept. His soft lips were plumped a bit from the way his face was set against the pillow, his expression was calm and free of worry, and his breaths in and out were accompanied by the littlest of noises.

How she wished they could stay like this. The idea of being with this man gave her so much joy and calmed her simultaneously. She didn't want to return to Elysium, not really. There were so many problems that faced her there. The selfish part of her wanted to run away, leave with her lover, and go someplace where they wouldn't be forced to relinquish this final elation. What atrocity of fate had determined that they would forever suffer so that others could live?

She reached up, slowly, carefully and cupped his face in her hand, running her thumb along his cheek. He sighed in his sleep and drifted fingers down her back in response, seeming to revel in the physical contact. She stared at him a bit longer before sleep beckoned her again.

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"Kalysta." The voice was a gentle whisper. "Kalysta, how are you?"

Opening her eyes hurt a bit as the light coming through the portal was intensely bright.

A hand moved up, blocking the light from hitting her eyes so directly and it was then that she saw Zayn, still lying next to her, his face furrowed in concern.

"How do you feel?" he asked next. "Can you speak?"

She opened her mouth, tried to voice an answer, but ended up simply making a mixture of incomprehensible syllables as her throat failed to cooperate. The failure hit her hard and she groaned in defeat. Breathing still hurt, but less than it had the night before. Had the salt water really caused that much damage?

"That's alright, darling," he assured her, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. "Don't push anything. Can you nod?"

She did, quite emphatically. There had to be a better way to communicate, but she couldn't think of one. Her mind was still befuddled.

"Very well. Do you hurt still?"

She nodded.

"Where?"

She groaned and shook her head.

"Everywhere?"

She nodded again, surprised he was able to decipher such a vague complaint.

"You'll stay in bed, then," he supplied. He sat up, but she whined. "What's wrong?" His face was confused.

She pulled on his shoulder until he laid back down next to her. He still looked bewildered, so she shifted forward and kissed him softly. Her anger had lasted a couple of days, but it wasn't worth it. What was done was done and she wanted to spend the remainder of their time together like this. She had no time or energy for anger at the moment.