Following In Your Direction [One Direction: Zayn Malik Romance]

11. Real or Not Real?

Tingles.

They were spreading through my body, as well as warmth that clenched at my heart desperately, telling me that I was underestimating my feelings for this boy. A handful of butterflies had long since implanted in my stomach, demanding attention and for the source to work harder at its job to make them stay. I couldn't help but notice the fact our lips molded together perfectly as well as our bodies as he pulled me closer against his body.

Our lips, though, moved in perfect sync. As my hand tangled in the hair behind his neck, his arms wrapped around my waist possessively, his tongue racing across my bottom lip for entry. Giggling, I allowed access, the kiss turning into a French one. My earlier, frantic thoughts about my body and my self-consciousness drifted away - as well as everything around us - and it was just Zayn Malik and I.

"Come on, lad, you can fool around later. Get in the damn pool!" Harry shouted in at us, the sounds of splashes pulling me out of my trance.

Opening my eyes, Zayn and I reluctantly pulled away from each other, Harry giving a successful smirk before sliding the screen door shut again. Both of us were breathing heavily, our position still suggestive what with his arms around me, holding me in place.

"I... Wow." Was all I could bring myself to mutter.

"Agreed." Zayn said.

"We, um... We should go out before they come in again." I mumbled shyly, pulling out of his arms and walking towards the door.

My lips and cheeks were on fire at the fact I had just kissed Zayn. That wasn't a simple peck on the lips like we had done for show - that was a real kiss, seconds away from becoming a heated make-out session, if it hadn't been already. When I slipped outside, I barely had time to yelp before Niall pulled me into the pool right alongside him and making all my thoughts drift away.

When I surfaced, I was laughing, pushing his shoulder playfully. "Awesome, pull me in when I'm not paying attention."

Niall shrugged, grinning at me. "Expect worse for the prank, darling."

"Oh yeah..." The prank. The guys were going to attack Louis and I! "Louis, get over here! We have something to discuss!"

Louis did a cannon ball into the water right in front of me, the waves in the pool pushing me away from Niall as a startled laugh escaped my lips. He swam over to me, flipping his brown hair as his blue eyes explored mine amusedly, wondering why I called him over.

"Yes?" He questioned.

"They're planning revenge!" I hissed, glancing around us watchfully.

"They wouldn't try anything until we're trapped on the bus again." Louis said dismissively.

I grinned evilly. "Maybe we should get them twice in a row, before they can get to us. We'd be the Prank Masters!"

And that's how our plan formed.

We all hung out by the pool casually before it was time to start up the grill, which Zayn would be in charge of. As the other guys hung around the pool in the lawn chairs on the deck and such, I set up my chair beside the grill as Zayn fired it up, tossing a few burgers on. We hadn't had a decent conversation since the kiss, but he was still protective over me.

Examples? The second I got out of the pool, he was the one to attack me in a hug and wrap his arm around my waist, guiding me to the string of chairs the guys set up. When Harry and Niall were cracking jokes about getting girlfriends, he pulled me on his lap and wrapped his arms tightly around me. Liam and I would share a look that we both knew meant 'Is he being weird or what?' every once in a while.