Why Don't We Imagines

zach herron | struggles

it was friday night, the night air was cool, the clouds gathered in small grey bunches. you walked downstairs in your hoodie and sweatpants

'i'm going on a walk!' you yell to your mom

'don't be out too late!' she yelled back from the office

it was typical for your mom to work late, ever since your dad left, she struggled to pay off the mortgage for the house and the various bills. you started working 2 jobs to help keep the 2 of you afloat. the longer you walked the colder it got, but that never fazed you. as you walked, you decided to go to the small hill overlooking the city. it was the spot you sat at if you were ever stressed or needed some time alone. as you reached your destination, you spotted someone sitting in your spot. the person had on black pants and a black hoodie.

'hello?' you called out to the figure

the dark figure quickly wiped their eyes and turned, zach herron?

'um hey y/n' he quietly said

'what are you doing here?' you ask sitting next to the boy

'i needed a place we're it's quiet and peaceful' he sniffles softly

you didn't understand why the boy was crying. he was the main bully at school, he portrayed a bad boy persona. he always came to class late, he skipped classes and got in trouble often. you knew him before he started bullying, but the friendship quickly fell apart after he started his bad boy phase.

'it's been a while, what's up with you?' you look at zach

'it's nothing y/n, i'm fine' he states

his cheeks were redder than normal and his nose was red from the cold. you could see visible tear stains on his cheeks, he's probably been out here for a while.

'well things obviously aren't ok if you're sitting here crying alone' you reply

'i'm fine!' he shouts

you flinch at his sudden outburst, he sees your discomfort and lays back

'i'm sorry, i didn't mean to yell at you' he quickly folds his hands

'it-its ok' you stutter

'i'm just so alone' he breaks the silence, 'i always thought that having this bad boy persona would make me look tough but it's not, it's breaking me y/n. everyone hates me y/n, things at home are getting worse and i just need people to stay'

you look at him in shock, you obviously knew his struggles at home but never knew his feelings.

'but you're not alone, i'm here' you whisper

'i know, right now you are, but you're not going to be in the future. i'm gonna ruin our friendship again, and i'm going to lose you. and i never wanted to lose you but i did' he cries

'you never lost me zach, i've always been here, i was just waiting for you to want me back' you rub his shoulder

'why were you so scared to lose me' you question

he wipes his eyes once more, he turns his head and you look into his tired, bloodshot eyes

'i was scared to not only lose my best friend, but the love of my life' his voice quavers

his eyes search into yours for a reaction and finally gives up when he doesn't find one. he looks away from you as you sit there, slowly absorbing the information. your hand finally travels up to his jaw and turns his head towards yours.

'you love me?' you ask the boy

'yeah, i have for a while' he slightly smiles

you smile as the two of you start leaning forward, slowly closing the gap. then finally, you kiss the boy who's made your heart flutter for years, who's laugh always brought you joy and happiness, and who's smile always brightened the room.

he pulls away and leans his forehead on yours, 'i love you'

'i love you too' you say breathlessly

'i never want to lose you again' he slowly cups your face

'you won't, not unless you let go of that bad boy persona. i miss the old zach' you say to him

'i promise that i'll be better, and don't worry, i'm going to apologize to everyone i've hurt on monday. even if my friends hate me after that, it doesn't matter cause i have you' he smiles back

you chuckle in response as he pulls you into his lap. you lay your tired head on his chest and listen to his slow heartbeat.