𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 ( 𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 )

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭

Zayn woke up the morning after, alone but Harry's side of the bed was still warm; a clear indication that he'd only just left. He could hear him in the hall probably on a call with someone so he stretched long and languid, he could feel the smile on his face. He couldn't stop smiling if he tried, last night with Harry had been perfect. He made his way into the bathroom, did his business, put on a pair of track pants and made his way into the hall.

Harry was in fact on a call, with his mother . He could tell they were talking about him, he'd heard his name a few times. Harry sounded shy and that made his heart all warm. He didn't want to eves drop on their conversation but he was curious so he stood just round the corner quietly listening in with a smile on his face. His mum seemed to be insisting on meeting Zayn and Harry was promising her that eventually she would. She  sounded a little sad then, saying she hasn't met him in a very long time and that he was supposed to be at home this past month and that she understands that what he was doing was probably more important but she missed him still, Harry was consoling her but suddenly Zayn didn't want to listen in anymore. He felt responsible that Harry's mother had been away from her son for so long and the smile that had been on his face all morning was gone.

○○○○○○

He was eating a bowl of cereal in the kitchen when he felt Harry wrap his arms around his bare torso and place a kiss on one of the hikeys he'd left on his neck the night before. " Morning babe. I didn't know you were up. " Zayn shrugged non- committaly. " What's wrong? " Harry had moved from behind him to sit by Zayn's stool on the floor, holding his hands, looking up at him. Zayn just looked at his eyes for a second before looking away and taking his hand from Harry's grip, Harry tried not to let the hurt show on his face and placed himself on the stool across from him waiting for an explanation, " I heard you on the phone with your mum." Harry nodded, waiting for him to continue, " She was talking about how you hadn't been home in so long and how you were supposed to be home this past month. You didn't tell me you were supposed to be home Harry." Harry, still looking a little confused said, " This seemed more important love, I am going to visit her later on. " Zayn just shut his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair, pulling for a second before saying, " That isn't it. I just feel like lately you've been setting a lot of things on the back burner because of me. I just hate that it has to be that way. I feel like I've off loaded all of this baggage onto you and just let you deal with it and I hate that. I hate being this weight you have to drag around. " Harry looked at him with wide, slightly teary eyes, he took Zayn's hands in his again and held on tighter this time, " Yes you have baggage Zayn, you have baggage. You were practically tortured for  three years, no one comes out of something like that unscathed. But you're not some broken thing I have had to fix you did that yourself. You are so strong and brave and you give me hope. I don't know what goes on in that head of yours but here is what I know, It's sunny outside, your birthday is in a month, it's time for breakfast and I am in love with you." Zayn looked shocked into silence so Harry continued, " So I will do whatever it takes to help you build yourself back up, you didn't deserve any of what happened to you and I hate that it did. I can't change the past but I can try and make where you go from here beautiful and I will give it my all to do that, I'll do it cause I love you and you can't convince me not to. " As they hugged then they were both crying and Zayn was whispering " I love you" repeatedly into Harry's hair.

That is how they spent the next few weeks, wrapped up in each other in their own little world with enough love for a few different worlds.

When it came time to leave Zayn left a part of himself in that little island, as he watched the Italian landscape all but disappear the further up in the sky they got he knew he was returning a different person and with Harry's hands in his he knew he loved this version of himself.

●●●●●●

Eric and Adylyn's wedding was exactly what Zayn had pictured it to be. It was picturesque, with both their artistic backgrounds very clear. It was friends and family. It was warm, even on a cold winter's day it was warm. Eric wore a dress and Adylyn wore a suit despite being the one that walked down the aisle. The both of them cried although they each insisted only the other did. There was food and drink and dancing and Zayn had spent nearly the whole evening with Harry, currently however he was with Eric and Adylyn as they thanked yet another guest as they were congratulated yet again.

Zayn's eyes had been searching for Harry, he felt Adylyn tap his shoulder and when he turned to face her she said, " I saw him go into the balcony." He nodded and was about to leave when Eric cut in with, " I expect all the details about this little development by the way." Reminding him that he in fact hadn't yet told her how Harry and him had gone from friends to boyfriends. He chuckled and nodded, turning to leave only to turn back around upon Eric calling him, "Zayn, He makes you sparkle." She smiled and winked at him. He blushed, nodded and finally left to find his man.

Harry was in the balcony as Adylyn said he'd be, he had one of his feet up on the railing leaning on it with a drink in his hands, looking out at the night sky and the London cityscape below. Zayn joined him, nudging him lightly on his shoulder and laying his head on in, Harry wrapped his arms around Zayn's waist pulling him closer, " I love the way you survived. Survival looks good on you. There are no dark marks under your eyes. Maybe deep inside but I like the way you look through them and laugh at life. You did it gracefully. You walked over glass and through fire and honestly, I'm not interested in people who haven't lived and died a few times. Who haven't yet had their heart ripped out or know what it feels like to lose everything. I know what you've been through and I want to thank you for surviving and I want you to know that you now have someone willing to stand with you, for as long as you'll have me." Zayn kissed Harry's chest through his shirt, not saying anything cause there was nothing to be said. He was here with a man that loved all of him just the way he was, his best friends had just gotten married and the love in the air was palpable it breathed a warmth into the cold December air. Zayn was here, he was at peace after a very long time and he was in love.

~ ℯ𝓃𝒹 ~