Tattoo Heart (Zarry)

Three

***

Zayn was panting. He could vividly feel the small beads of sweat sliding down his forehead, and the deliberate dampening of his back that makes his shirt sticks disgustingly onto his skin. He only has six more minutes left until he'll be marked as  late again, which would be his fourth time this week.

It was Louis' fault that he's late.  Again. If it weren't for Louis accidentally locking the bathroom from the inside, Zayn wouldn't be in such haste, though Louis argued that it was Zayn's fault as well for losing their bathroom key. The twat also had the nerve to tell Zayn to calm down, that getting fired from a movie theater wouldn't be much of a loss anyway. Zayn has to remind him  that his work at a movie premiere is the reason why they can see free movies from time to time.

He was fully sprinting the moment he got off  the bus that was 200 meters away from his work. Paul made it clear that if he turned up late again after the twelfth time he had for the last two months, he'll be scraping gums off the cinema seats.

When his watch made a sound that alerted him that it's 8:00 - the time Paul considers late - and he's still a block away from the cinema, Zayn stops sprinting and opt for walking instead. Well, if he's late, then he's late.

No matter how fast he sprints, he'll still be marked as late and he'll still be penalized.

When he finally got to the theater, he was surprised not to see Paul by the entrance, tapping his foot impatiently with his face set into a hiss as he waits for Zayn like he always does when he realizes that he's most cavalier employee whom is always fashionably late to everything is not on his post.

Zayn sighs in relief, maybe Paul hasn't realized that he's late.

"Zayn!" He turns to look at Mira, the one whom apparently said his name. She beckons for him to come with an enthusiasm of a child. He went to the ticket booth, where she and their other colleague, Mitch  were seated behind the counter.

"Hey." Zayn greets when he gets in front of them.

"I just want to say thank you!" She gushes at him. Zayn looks at her in wonder, cocking his head to the side. "The bloke  you recruited is here and he is so fit! I hope he's my match!" She gushes.

Zayn was confused for a moment till he remembers Harry, the strange bloke Louis suggested to Zayn as a replacement for Jacque. It has been weeks since Zayn has no help in taking orders and serving food and drinks at the theater's concession stand, and it is a relief knowing that someone would be helping him from now on. Zayn forgot that Harry's first day as an employee at the theater would start today.

"You didn't tell me you had a fit mate, Zayn!" Mira playfully slaps him on his arm.

Zayn shrugs, because up until three days ago he doesn't even know any bloke named Harry.

And to think that he and Harry had been texting every now and then ever since Louis gave him his number is ridiculous.

When Zayn received a small pink paper containing eleven numbers with a happy face and a winking face next to it, Zayn thought Louis' fucking with him. He had been skeptic of wanting this unorthodox bloke to work at his workplace from then on. And when Zayn texted Harry if he wants to work at the Royal Cinema theater, he replied at three in the morning, asking if the position he'll be applying for is the manager's, which he subsequently replied with 'Joking, mate. Sorry not sorry ;)' then proceed to ask if Zayn listens to Lionel Ritchie.

He and Harry text often enough which is saying a lot, because he'd only gotten his number three days ago. Even when Zayn's out toking a cig and feels his phone vibrated, Zayn doesn't need to check whom it's from, because he all ready knows it's from Harry.

In only three days he'd known that  bloke, Zayn all ready has an idea that Harry will have trouble understanding the term of personal space.

"God, I can't wait to officially meet  Hazzy." Mira swoons.

"Hazzy?" Mitch cringes "Does he even know you exist?"

Mira glares at him. "Of course! I'm his match."

"He's not your match for the tenth time." Mitch rolls his eyes.

"You wouldn't know that!" She glares at him before turning to Zayn "Anyway, I still can't believe  you hid that kind of information from me."

"What information?"

"About having an attractive friend!" She exclaims as if it should've been obvious to Zayn.

"Uhm well..." Zayn doesn't know what to say. He doesn't want to go into a long explanation that he doesn't  know  Harry  till three days ago. Plus, he doesn't know what Harry actually looks like, so he can't comment about Harry's looks.

"What do you think about me asking him on a date?" She grins.

He shrugs "Actually, he already found his soulmate." Zayn gives her an empathetic smile "Sorry, Mira."

Mitch  lets out a booming laugh "Well, that's just disappointing." He teases "You can wipe  the drool off of your mouth now, Mira."

"Shut up, you twat." She punches Mitch on his arms.

"Is Paul here?" Zayn asks interrupting Mitch and Mira's banter.

Mitch nods "He's been talking to Harry ever since he got here-"

Zayn sighs in relief "So, he doesn't know I'm late? that's good."

"Malik!" The familiar, agitating voice of Paul made Zayn bristle. He turns to look at the glaring man. "Why aren't you in your post?" Before Zayn can think of a lie, Paul holds up his hand and shakes his head "You know what, we'll talk about that later. Here's Harry, he'll be helping you at the concession stand."

Zayn doesn't know how he doesn't notice Harry sooner, but looking at him made Zayn's right hand tingle. There was something about him that vitalize and calm Zayn all at once. 

Looking at him sparks something inside Zayn. Harry. That's his name. This unbelievably beautiful person's name with an attractive curly hair, glowing skin, and mesmerizing eyes. Under a fluorescent light and a clear daylight that's passing through the open, Zayn can see his eyes clearly. It was the most remarkable eyes Zayn had ever seen. They were laughing eyes, at once both joyous and tender: they were the radiant dark green that can be easily compared to an Amazonian forest.

Zayn was overwhelmed with the feeling of wanting him close, as if his whole body and mind is being gravitated to him. Harry, without doubt, is one of the most beautiful person he had ever have the pleasure of seeing. It was a face so finely cut that it cast the oldness of this cinema into stark relief - a beauty that burned so fiercely that it put the glare of electric lights to shame. His skin was so white and clear that it seemed to have a light shining behind it. The lines of his jaw and his throat were so perfect that he almost looked like a statue were it not for the much disheveled curly hair strand that falls into his face.

Zayn was stunned to silent by Harry's beauty. He didn't know that the Harry he's been texting is an attractive person. Jesus Christ, Zayn's been texting a person that looks like a God. He suddenly wants to read his previous messages and replies to Harry to see if he had made a fool of himself in their messages.

It was Harry whom broke the silence and their strange stare off first. "Hi." He whispers in a melodic, enchanting voice "You're Zayn, right?"

His throat feels dry "I am, and you're Harry. Hi." Zayn waves idiotically.

He didn't miss the way Harry's eyes flicker to Zayn's  wrist, where a ton of bracelets are covering his burned tattoo. He frowns, and Zayn suddenly feels like he did something wrong.

"Zayn," Paul snaps "Stop staring at Harry as if it's your first time seeing a boy." He scoffs.

Zayn suddenly wants the ground to open up and swallow him whole "Help Harry. Oh, and don't think that I didn't know that you were late. I better see you on your knees scraping off gums after your shift." With that he turns around to go back to his office, leaving Harry and Zayn stupidly glancing at each other, and by some unknown reason to Zayn, if the world ends  today, he feels like he wouldn't even notice as he stares at the most enchanting  green eyes he has ever seen.