They're so close yet so far.
This is my favourite chapter till now because i lowkey felt the feels while typing it sksjsksj. So y'all better shower some love pls cos not kidding i gave by blood amd sweat to this chapter lol so better sit somewhere it's a vv long chapter. Also, Its 5 in the morning, i should sleep :)
Do drop some feedback and love x❤️

~

when we collide
09| London

Zayn was shitting bricks, sweating waterfalls because look at Crystal. He couldn't stop staring at her. Not with her hair flowing on her pillow, her lips lightly parted and her hand on her stomach as she lied sideways. Her chest heaving up and down in rhythmic motions.

Zayn's head was in his hands as he keeps his weight on his elbows staring at Crystal. This is what he's supposed to match? Looking so peaceful and beautiful when he's scared that he might slip down his pillow due to his drool.
Also, that top. Is. Sinful.

Crystal opens her eyes slowly and the first thing she meets is a pair of hazel eyes. A scream leaves her mouth throwing Zayn off guard who falls back and down the bed groaning in pain. Crystal clutches a pillow to her chest as she stares at Zayn.

"What were you doing?" she demands, holding the pillow like a weapon as she stares at Zayn, who looks like a deer caught in carlight.

"I- you h-had something on your face." He responds, faking a smile to make it sound realistic. Crystal skims her hand all over her face because why was there something on her face and why was Zayn able to see it. Life is unfair they say.

"I'll go get my bags ready, you-you're still coming right?" As if reality kicks in Crystal stares at Zayn and then down at her hand to see the ring shining in all glamour and confidence. She nods gently and Zayn sprints out the door.

So this is what will happen now? Zayn waking up to see the mess of a sleeper she was? Well the only plus point here is she'll get to see Zayn too and she hopes he isn't a perfect sleeper. She hopes he's a messy sleeper so she can stare at him for hour long.

She's really doing this?

"Quick details to be a companion in my car." Zayn whispers as soon as she enters the passenger side after waving a goodbye to her family. She couldn't believe she'll be away from them for so long. All the whilst her father's words roam in her brain. 'if you ever feel you don't want to do this give me a call and I'll race down there to take you'

Their family was shocked because what sorts of bipolar humans had they contributed to earth. "Zayn seriously?"

"Yes, first of all you know you're seated in the passenger's seat so firstly, you should've mad DJ skills." Crystal stares at him for a while, as if questionning his existence and then blinks her eyes rapidly.

"Can you stop giving me that look?" Zayn complains, laying a little back in the driver's seat. "Sorry, it's not everyday that I hear utter nonsense like that."

"Whatever Crys," Zayn rolls his eyes passing the AUX cable to Crystal who instantly connects her phone to the car stereo. Zayn starts the car and starts driving. After taking a little glance backwards she breathes lightly. "So what do you have on you?"

"Goo Goo Dolls?" Crystal asks, smiling widely and eyes shining lightly. "The what dolls?" Zayn questions, glancing in Crystal's direction to see her staring blankly. "You haven't heard them?" she asks, as if Zayn just told her the sky is red.

"Obviously having a good taste I haven't-"

"YOU HAVEN'T HEARD POP ROCK?!" Zayn almost loses his grip on the steering due to her pitch. "What even in the fúcking hell is pop rock? It's either pop or rock. Honey, I'll suggest you to quietly take that cable out of your phone and jump out of my car."

He glances at Crystal to see her swiping her phone. Suddenly music starts playing in the car.
A light beat plays and then the song starts. Zayn nods his head lightly to the beat but then he actually starts to focus on the lyrics.

"And I don't want the world to see me," he hears Crystal lightly whispering the lyrics. "Because I don't think they'd understand."

"Name?"
"It's called Iris."
"Wow the good lords, because what absolute shít is pop rock and why do I like this?" Zayn questions, making Crystal clap her hands in excitement.

Half an hour passes with Crystal sharing eatables with Zayn and changing music all the whilst making small talk as well. Zayn accepts that Crystal isn't really a bad company while driving.

"This cake is really good, where did you buy it from?" Zayn asks taking bite of the cake Crystal passes him. Her cheeks tint the lightest shade of pink before she responds. "Actually I made it."

Zayn stares at the piece of cake in his hand and then back at Crystal. Taking a bite again he decides this is definitely bought. How is it possible to make such a good cake at home?

"This is amazing!" he cracks, taking a sharp right and then glancing at Crystal who lightly blushes. "Never thought you had it in you!"

"Zayn, I was literally specialising in baking and desserts. I went to culinary school." Zayn stares at Crystal and his face furrows into a look that screams impressed. Is this God's way of compensating for all the years he had to survive on two minute noodles.

"Woah, I didn't know. Why'd you drop out?" Zayn asks, overtaking a car on the road and rolling his window down. The wind sweeping his hair in all directions and a smile playing on his face as the air in his face refreshed him.

"It wasn't working for me. I had mild symptoms of depression and was super socially awkward. Ending years were disastrous, so I dropped out when I was in my last year. I still regret it because had I not I wouldn't be a waitress in a café but probably have my own bakery." Crystal sighs, fiddling with the blouse and looking out of the window.

Zayn stares at Crystal blankly, not able to give her a reaction. He didn't quite understand what made Crystal go, what was so bad that she had to leave in the last year.

"All that is sad stories, we shouldn't discuss," Crystal fake smiles making Zayn feel immensely bad. Everyone deserves to reach their dream and live it. He feels plain sad for her. "You tell me about your work?"

Smiling a little to himself Zayn talks proudly, "Work is amazing honestly. I get to judge paintings, do my own, scream at people. Everything is good."

"What happened with Lara?" Zayn takes a deep breath in, giving Crystal a glance before continuing to stare out.
"Money happened."

Crystal stares at Zayn, blinking her eyes ridiculously fast to show her confusion. "What?"
Zayn gives a breathy laugh, staring at her for a moment and then looking down.

"They hold these official parties each year, Lara was my date last year. We were engaged and I remember how we went inside. We were so happy." Zayn tells, a ghost of a smile on his face showing how he was reminiscing everything. "Who knew it wouldn't last,"

"My senior Abano was there too. Obviously. I never really clicked with him, from the very start of me working there. He always made me work long hours, talked shít to me 'cos he knows and the whole workplace knows I'm better than him at art, but I really couldn't do anything about it." Zayn stops the car and takes off his seatbelt. "This is the only stop, take anything you'll like."

Exiting the car, both start walking to the store crossing the road. "I noticed during the party how he was trying to be close to her, asking her to dance with him and taking her to corners. I was weirded out as fúck, but she looked gorgeous in that pink dress she was wearing and it was my first official party, so I didn't mention."

They slim down aisles, taking two packets of doritos and some crisps and packaged water.
"A week later, Lara comes to me saying she doesn't feel it anymore and the spark isn't there. I was taken aback because I saw really less of her all the week and she wouldn't even talk to me."

Billing everything, they take quick turns at restroom and quickly come back on road after much discussion. Crystal comes on the driver's side while Zayn takes rest.

"Then one day Margaret called me, saying how she saw Lara giving head to Abano at work and before I could confront her next day she comes to my office. She got the internship she always wanted." Crystal makes a disgusted face as she glances at Zayn and on the sound of the GPS takes a right turn.

"She works one post over me. She even wanted to initiate things again and I remember I had really given her a piece of my mind. Now she reminds me everyday how I work under her. Gives me shítload of filework even when I'm not in charge of that." Zayn takes a puff of the cigarette he lighted up in the middle of the conversation as he keeps his feet on the front deck.

"Margaret, my work acquaintance, the one I was talking to that day? She calls Lara 'yours truly' so she could bítch about her easily. Most of the time Lara is in Abano's office and it disgusts me to no end."

The lot officially enters London and Crystal takes in the beautiful city, the cool air whipping her face as she drives through the busy streets. "She got the money, the power, the position. Everything she wanted and I'm just a loser over here trying to get over her." Zayn complains, sighing a little. Crystal takes note on how he says 'trying to' but she lets it pass because she never saw Zayn so defeated.

"But how long can she live on that old peanut sized díck?" Crystal sasses. Zayn bursts out laughing, chucking the packet of crisps on Crystal who laughs with him. "And for the starters for 'trying to move on', you've got a delicious plate of Crystal Hogward." she says, licking her finger lightly and brushing it up her arm jokingly.

Zayn smiles at her, shaking his head lightly as he stares out if the window. "I'm really sorry I hurt your feelings when I called you stupid, I really thought you already knew." Crystal's lower jaw falls as she slams the bag of crisps back at Zayn, who laughs wholeheartedly. "You're amazing, I mean it." he whispers, looking at Crystal with admiration who smiles back at him.

"I can bet on it with my life, you'll start giving me a lap dance if I start crying."

"OKAY ENOUGH!" Crystal yells, laughing lightly as Zayn tells her to stop the car. "Why did we stop?" Crystal asks, looking outside to see lanes of beautiful typical London houses.

"Because we're here?"
"Hold on a fúcking minute, you live HERE?" She asks, staring at the beautiful brown walled house in front of her.

"Uh. . . Yeah?" she breathes loudly, as she stares back at the house. "I refuse to believe this."

Zayn laughs lightly as he takes out the luggage from his car, and passes a jacket to Crystal. "It's way cold over here than Bradford. Wear it if you don't want to catch a cold."

Picking up the maximum bags he could he opens the main gate and walks to the red entrance of his house.

"Zayn?" he looks to the left to see Martha smiling at him across the gravel wall, she walks and leans on the it. "You're back early sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd stay here some days before continuing work but then figured I'll join from tomorrow." he smiles hugging her petite figure.

"And who might that be, a friend I assume?" she asks, staring at Crystal who stares back with wide eyes. This woman is so beautiful. She has no grey hair and those eyes, THOSE EYES.

"H-hey." Crystal whispers, walking towards the pair and smiling lightly. "That's Crystal. Uh- we're sort of engaged." Zayn whispers, getting a weird look from Crystal.

"Sort of?"
"ENGAGED?" Marths screams, staring at Crystal and her eyes instantly moving down to her hand noticing the ring shining.
"Oh my god, how did this happen? This is wonderful! My name is Martha." she squeals as the pair stare at her creeped out to the soul that everyone was going haywire except them.

"Crystal."
"We'll chat soon, we sort of need to settle in." Martha nods at Zayn, jogging in to her house shouting for her husband to share the news as Zayn and Crystal stare at her vanishing in her house.
"Wow you've got amazing neighbours."

". . . I guess?" the pair enters the house and Crystal's thrown off guard again.

"This is beautiful." Crystal mumbles, taking the staircase, and the floor work. She was mesmerised. "Welcome to my humble aboard." Zayn lightly smiles. He picks up the luggage and gets the bags in not before glancing at Crystal who looks around aimlessly.

He almost closes the door behind when an air shrieking scream throws him off guard. What in the world? Bolting to the bedroom that's on the ground floor and slamming open the door he sees Crystal, her expression something between lines of semi traumatised and 'I want to die' as she stares at the mess.

Zayn breathes, taking in a very necessary second of his day to whisper 'Holy shít' because how could he forget this?
"Oh my god, Zayn, you're disgusting. It's like an earthquake hit here. Wait- HOLD ON! is-is that a used cond-" Zayn pulls Crystal out of the door and slams the door shut. Picking up the sheets and the cans of beer lying aimlessly here and there. For a minute or two he clears up as much as he can.

Finding a lace panty he has no idea belongs to whom, in the process. The level of embarrassment he was feeling was understandable. He gently opens the door when he feels he's ready to face the tsunami glancing around to see Crystal sitting on the staircase glaring at him.

Passing an embarrassed smile, which is more forced than he thinks it looks, he manages to say, "Story of my life, I knew better but I did it anyway."

"You're fúcking disgusting."
"No I'm -"
"You're arguing? You seriously feel you can argue with me right now!?"

Zayn sighs, trying to maintain his smile because he could no longer stare in Crystal's eyes if she's going to pass those dagger equivalent stares at him a second longer from now.

"Why don't we go see other rooms, babe?"

Crystal glares at Zayn, rolling her eyes in process. "This ain't no movie. Keep your babe to you. It's not going to work." Stumping loudly, Crystal stalls upstairs making Zayn rush behind her for safety measures.

He had assumed that he shouldn't give Carolina an off. Atleast his house would be in better condition.
"Can you stop with those eyes please? I didn't know I'll bring back a fiancé alright? Cut me some slack."

"I'll cut you, and hang your organs right on this wall, Malik. Try me. You better maintain a safe distance from me." Crystal almost opens the knob to the second vacant bedroom and Zayn feels his kidneys jumping up to his mouth in nervousness.

Wasn't that the room where he did it with Geppa? Gemma? Why does he care?

"STOP STOP STOP!" he stands in front of the door, blocking Crystal's way. Her head slamming on his chest leading to her face scrunching in frustration.

"What about the next room?" He asks, visibly nervous. Crystal's eyes turn to slits as she stares at him with a big question mark in her head.

"Martha?" she tricks Zayn as he turns to left to check giving Crystal an opportunity to sneak in through the gap.
"Crystal stop!"

The room was no different. A big mess of sheets, the carpet looking like it wasn't sent to get dry cleaned for years. The pullover messily lying on the floor and the room making Crystal almost choke. She marches to open the window and slides the curtains away but then her eyes fall on something.

She ducks down picking up a blue lace bra in her hands and staring at it with disgust. Giving a glance at Zayn, who looks blue, ironically.

"I didn't know a girl lives with you." Crystal asks, her voice scarily low that Zayn feels the hair on the back of his neck rising in terror.
"No-o girl lives here."

"When did you start wearing a bra then?" Crystal challenges, raising one brow to challenge him to utter a single word more.
"No-I uh- actually! We had this fancy dress at our office. Ask Martha, she knows!"

"And you wore a bra to it? What were you again?"
"Uh- Ariel? The Mermaid. Yes!" Zayn internally pats his back because how smooth was that?

Crystal stares at him with a bored look. "Sure."
Her monosyllabic answer throws him off guard as she throws the bra on his face. Removing it and throwing it on the floor, cringing all the whilst, he runs behind Crystal who's about to exit.

"Wait, Crystal!"
Sighing lightly, Crystal turns glaring at Zayn like it's physically hurting her to do so. "See- I'm sorry you weren't supposed to see that I-"

"Ariel? Seriously Zayn? How dumb do you think I am on a scale of one to ten?"
"Five?"

Crystal gasps, swatting his arm and stalling out the house.
"No-no! I mean zero. I'm sorry, just listen. Please, you can't go."

Crystal turns hesitantly and crosses her arm as if this was the life death situation Zayn should've been ready for. Now it was snooze or lose.

He pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing lightly.
"See Crystal I-I know I massively fúcked up. That's the worst first impression and fúck I-" Zayn blows out lightly and then looks at Crystal with the most puppy-eye pouty face he could muster.

"I know I fúcked up. I know you want the truth and you deserve it. See, I-I used to have one night stands. I know that's disgusting for you but that was a phase. I'm-I'm a better person now-"

"When was the last time you. . ." Crystal trails off, staring at Zayn in defeat which turns his heart in different ways than he could ever decipher.

"Three weeks." Crystal raises a brow, challenging Zayn to continue with his lies. He feels his walls falling as he groans frustratedly.

"Two weeks." this time Crystal crosses her arms to prove her point. Zayn sighs in defeat as he stares at her. "A week." he mutters lightly.

Crystal shakes her head. "I'm sorry I can't. This is too much, Zayn." Zayn's eyes widen as he stares at Crystal.

"No listen- I-I listen, I'm sorry. I can't take back all the things I did, but just pass me a last wish and I'll ask for another chance." Zayn moves forward, taking a step closer and clutching her hands. Crystal stares at their hands then back at Zayn with the extremely melting puppy face and pouty lips.

Life was so unfair to her. She swears on god.

"How many years has it been, that you haven't cleaned your house?" Crystal asks, walking out with a box of junk. Zayn had so much rubbish stored. Old canvases, broken lamps and what not.

She finds him passed out in the living room, as he raises his fingers to make a zero. She shakes her head in disapproval.
"Also why the héll do you have fifteen boxes of instant noodles in the kitchen? Jesus!"

"DON'T TOUCH THEM!"
"Zayn, they're expired."

Zayn furrows his brows, thinking for a minute. "Doesn't matter, everyone has to die one day."
"Did you hit your head somewhere or what?"

Zayn rushes in the kitchen, taking the two cans of instant noodles Crystal was examining, putting them back in the shelf and slamming its door shut.
"Not everyone can manage a meal you know?"

"Why do you have Carolina then?" she asks purely out of curiosity. "I just pay her for the dishes and cleaning the living room. She's just kind enough to fix me a breakfast someday or clean my bedroom. She's got a son, my age so sentiments. Not like I mind."

Crystal lips form into an 'o' as she takes in the information. Zayn had an amazing house, except the irritating rooms, but his bedroom was amazing. It was fresh and the bed was soft. It smelled like him too.

But Crystal will never tell Zayn how she lied in his bed, breathing his sheets. That's creepy and clingy. She doesn't need Zayn to throw her out on the streets because he doesn't want a creepster girl.

"You've got so much junk in here I swear. That broken lamp-"
Zayn turns to her in such haste that Crystal almost skips one breath. "Where is the lamp?"

". . . I threw it?" her stomach churns in weird ways when she stares back at Zayn who stares at her with such a neutral expression that it's next to impossible for her to know whether she committed a crime or no?

"Martha was so happy, said she's thankful I got rid of the hideous lamp." Zayn walks to the living room and sits on the couch without answering. Crystal walks behind him to carry the last box of junk when her eyes land on photo frames in the living room. All of them turned around, so the only thing you could see was the back.

But one majorly gets her attention is the one near the side table, turned around and the broken glasses of the frame lying on the counter.
"I swear Zayn, why do you have all this junk here? What's that broken frame doing there?"

She goes to pick it up to chuck it in the box of junk but before she can grab it a massive force throws her in the wall. Her head spins lightly and her eyes tear up when she sees Zayn holding the frame in its downward position.

"It's been less than a day and you're already skimming my stuff." he whines.

Crystal sniffs making Zayn's face soften a little as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Shít, I didn't mean to hurt- Crystal!" he marches behind Crystal who runs to his bedroom and locks the door. "Crystal, shít, fúck. I'm sorry. Dàmn I'm an asshóle. Please, I didn't mean to hurt you, Crys."

He bangs on the door constantly trying to get a reaction but sighs in defeat when he gets none.
"Why do I fück up all the fúcking time?" Zayn mutters to himself, sighing lightly as he bangs one last time.

"Crystal please!"
"You're such a handful, Zayn Malik. Fúck you!" she yells, her voice stammering lightly indicating she's crying.

"I know, trust me. I know I'm a handful, snowflake."
"DON'T SNOWFLAKE ME!" Zayn sighs. What sort first day was this. He wasn't expecting this at all. At all.

"Crystal just come out, would you?" Zayn complains, starting to lose his patience.
"Make me!" he could feel she's throwing stuff around.

"Súck it, Crystal!" Zayn yells, angrily, banging the door harshly. "In your dreams Zayn! Small objects have choking hazard!"

Zayn's brows furrow after the offensive comment. He might've laughed it off if the comment wasn't on him and his member. He shakes his head. "Fine then, come out when you feel like. Yeah? I'm sorry."

Zayn opens his eyes, realising how he slept his tension (and fatigue after driving the car) away. His eyes move to the clock to see the time as ten minutes past ten in the night.

Voices of cutlery hitting each other makes him turn to the dining table to see Crystal putting plates on it. She's still on the cleaning thing?

"Are you hungry? I'll order some chinese takeout if you want." Crystal turns back with a bored look then shakes her walking into the kitchen.

Standing up, Zayn yawns stretching his body and walking to the table. That's when he smells something. And not just something, something really really good.

"You cooked?" Zayn stares at the bowl of roast chicken and curry and he feels his eyes watering.

"Yeah." Crystal replies flatly, getting a bowl of steamed rice and keeping it on the table.
"Sorry it's not much, I didn't have much tim-"

"We're having homemade food!?" Zayn squeals. Crystal stares at him for a second or more because did Zayn make that voice? That highpitched excited voice.

"Isn't that what everyone has Zayn?" Crystal asks in a 'duh' tone. Zayn completely oblivious to her rudeness, in too deep in the happiness of the delightful food in front of him that he couldn't think straight.

Crystal stares at Zayn as he dives in his food almost instantly scared that he'll have a mental breakdown almost any second from now. "If making you angry means I'll get to eat this everyday then-" he stops midline when he notices the death glares.

"Sorry." he squeaks, finishing his plate and moving to keep it the kitchen. "Leave it." Crystal whispers dully, as she carries her and Zayn's plate to wash them. Zayn sitting on the chair and waiting for her. Minutes later she comes in to see him sitting there.

"What?"
"Uh I was confused if you- I- you want to share a room or take a diff-"
"I'll take a different room. Thank you." Zayn visibly gives out a breath of relief. "Sure. Yes. Cool. By the way the food was really good."

Crystal goes on to open a free room but is interrupted by Zayn almost immediately. "Could you take another room? Please?"

Crystal stares at him for a second, trying to break in why in the world was he saying that. They had cleaned about all rooms and areas. Not to the best of their ability. There was still a lot of mess here and there.

"Why?" Zayn smiles lightly, not answering her as he guides her to the ending room on the floor.
"If you need anything-" she slams the door on his face making him take a deep breath in. Was this what he had to live with for the rest of his life?

She was hesitating, but she couldn't stop. Not at all right now, now that she was almost across the hall safely. She peeps in Zayn's room to see him sprawled on the bed. Doesn't look like he'll wake up for a light year.

She walks down the stairs and enters the livingroom, glancing back in fear of Zayn catching her. How embarrassing would that be now? But she just couldn't sleep without knowing it. She clutches the frame and turns it around slowly almost fearing what she'll see next.

She shouldn't have.

She stares at the picture for a minute or two. That's Lara? That's what she's supposed to own up to? How in the world.

She starts sweating. Why does Zayn still have these at home? Didn't they end things. Didn't he say he felt nothing for her. No more. She turns around flipping all the photoframes revealing different pictures. One at beach. One at home. One of Lara standing near a pool in a bikini. One of them kissing.

Grabbing her favourite shawl, she rushes outside the house, breathing heavily as she sits down on the stairs, holding her hair back as silent tears slowly cascade down. This is a home Zayn build with her. They've memories inside, they've build it up together. How in the world will she ever-

"Sweetie, why are you outside?" Crystal sniffs fastly, clearing her cheeks off the tears and smiling at Martha who looks at her almost terrified.

"Are you alright?" Crystal nods her head, mumbling a 'yeah' as she sees Martha exit her main gate and enter their. "Why are you crying? Is everything alright?"

"Y-yeah, just- you know missing home." Marths nods lightly as she brushes her hair lightly. "It happens, it's alright. Is Zayn up? Should I go wake him-"

"No, it's okay." Crystal interrupts her abruptly, smiling again.
"Something tells me there's more to this but whatever has you comfortable." Martha mumbles, passing a soft smile to Crystal, brushing away the tangles of her hair with her fingers.

"Can I ask you something?"
"Obviously, sweetheart."

"Have you ever felt homesick for a person you haven't even met?" Marths stares at Crystal, confused for a minute as to why was she talking all of this at midnight.

"Is this about Zayn?"
"Yes." she lightly mutters, blowing air in her hands to warm them. Her body felt too cold. "What happened?"

"Do you know his ex fiancé?"
Martha stares into nothingness and smiles. "Lara? Yes obviously."
"Was she a good person?" Crystal asks, almost fearing her answer.

"She was sweet to me and Zayn was very happy with her. But then they broke up. As far as Zayn told me, there were misunderstandings. I remember him going into such a bad phase." Martha whispers lightly, as if scared she'll alert someone.

"Why are you asking this?"
"I cared a lot once," Crystal confesses wryly. "And it ruined me. I'm just really scared to step this up." Martha sighs lightly, smiling and staring at Crystal.

"Did you see the pictures at his house?" She asks, catching Crystal off guard. "I take that as a yes." she trails once she notices her wide eyes.

"We tried getting rid of them, me and my husband. But Zayn really yelled at us to not interfere in his personal space. Understandable," Martha shrugs. "We've always counted him as our son, we lost our son to a car accident. He was twenty one."

"Oh my god." Crystal lightly clutches Martha's hand, almost stunned by the warmth her hand had compared to her cold one. "His office acquaintance, I always forget her name. She even broke one of the pictures and I remember Zayn not talking to her for a week."

Crystal sighs lightly, staring up at the sky. A silence welcomes itself as the women sit near each other. "What do you do when you're given something that is broken?"

Crystal stares at Martha, pondering on her question for a second. "You replace it?" Martha gives out a breathy laugh standing up and brushing her night gown.

"I was hoping you'd say, you fix it." she smiles weakly, exiting their main door and closing it. She starts walking but then comes back leaning on the door.

"It's right there sweetheart. Your broken, beautiful masterpiece. It's upto you how you rebuild it now. Whether you sit outside on stairs lurking on the thoughts of what if's, or you go right in and make it yours." passing a smile she enters her house closing her maingate.

"And don't worry. This secret is ours."

"Zayn?" Zayn lightly turns around on the call of a soft voice. He tries opening his eyes to see clearly. "Crystal?" he glances on the side clock to see the time is four in the morning. He had work tomorrow but that didn't stop his concern.

"Is everything alright, you need anything?"

"Uh- yeah. I couldn't sleep there. It's too silent and lonely." Zayn chuckles lightly. "Yeah this house can be creepily lonely at times."

"How do you live with it?" she asks, grasping her pillow in her hand tightly and staring at him. His hair flowing in all directions and his naked chest, the tattoos trying to reveal their identity. "Gah, just got used to it."

"Can I sleep here?"
"Of course, I'll take the couch."
"No," Crystal interrupts. "Remember not making things awkward?" Zayn nods his head lightly and Crystal walks to the other side of the bed, lying down.

This time Zayn doesn't make a wall of pillows separating them, yet Crystal never felt this close yet so far from him with their backs facing each other.

"I just wanted to apologise- I- see Crystal I don't want you to get hurt yeah? Trust me I'll throw these pictures soon but you promise me you won't go see them please. I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I've no right to harm you in any way."

Crystal swallows the lump that forms in her throat. How in the world does she tell Zayn that the deed was already done. The harm was already caused.
"It's okay, Zayn. You didn't mean to." she replies softly. Ten minutes pass but she feels her eyes not catching a single ounce of sleep.

"Zayn?"
"Mhm?" he replies groggily, the sleepiness nakedly visible in his voice. "You've work tomorrow right?"
"Yeah." Zayn mumbles, pulling the comforter closer to his body.

"When do you have to wake up?"
Zayn finally opens his eyes, sighing internally. "Around seven. But I'm not able to, so around nine."

After Crystal hums, Zayn's eyelid start closing again. "And where's the iron?" not so easily.
"Zayn? The iron?"

"No need to repeat, Crystal. I ignored you fine the first time." Zayn mumbles, looking over his shoulder at her sitting comfortably on the bed.
"You're so bossy." she complains.
"I'm not bossy, Crystal. I just know what you should be doing, like sleeping and letting me sleep."

Crystal sighs lightly, lying down again and turning. "By the way it's in the living room, third shelf." Crystal replies with an 'oh' and tries closing her eyes. Keyword: tries.

"Do you like pancakes?"
"Wild guess; you weren't overburdened by school, college or work like ever? Am I right?" Zayn says, sitting up on his elbows and staring at Crystal as if she grew two heads.

"I-"
"What did you have for breakfast? Dumb flakes?"

"Forget it." Crystal mumbles. Zayn falls on his pillow in relief, closing his eyes and smiling lightly to himself. Finally.
"Uh, Zayn?" A very low, sob like voice escapes his mouth, so low that Crystal couldn't hear it.

"Yeah we're on question seven, let's just complete the twenty one game." Zayn mumbles in pillow, his voice almost sounding drunk.

"Can we cuddle?"
The breath gets knocked out of his lungs as his eyes open immediately, the sleep vanishing to thin air as he hastily gets on his elbows turning to stare at Crystal, who looks outside the window. Refusing to look at him.

"I think I misheard you this once, I beg for your pardon." Zayn's voice unintentionally accusing and rude, didn't make Crystal feel any better.

"Forget it." she whispers, getting inside the comforter and closing her eyes to drown herself away from this embarrassment. Why on earth in the fuckíty fúck fúck did she say that?

"My sleep has vanished to thin air, I'm going to scream." Zayn mumbles, his voice coming out muffled as his face stays in the pillow. No way was he facing Crystal.

"Why didn't you let me sleep in that room?" Crystal ponders openly, as she constantly stares outside the window, the moonlight illuminating the room lightly. "I couldn't let you sleep on a bed that I shared with some other woman." Zayn whispers, his voice much clear.

"This room?"
"No, this is my room. Never."
"Why?" Crystal asks, her voice barely over a whisper because why was Zayn saying all this and why was she scared to turn and face him or look at him?

"Waited for a woman I gave a fúck about to share my personal space with."
"Not even Lara?"

She feels in her peripheral vision that Zayn was now staring at her. "No, we generally spent time at her place."

"Did you lose your v-card to her?" Zayn almost vomits his saliva out, she feels the bed moving, guessing that Zayn sat up. She imagines him sitting behind her, elbows crossed glaring at her. She could imagine the moonlight cascading his face like light rhythms moving in a song. But she dares not turn.

She knows if she does, a part of her wall will fall down.
"Do you hear yourself? Are you insane?"

"Sanity is overrated."
A silence lingers and Crystal almost decides that he slept again.

"You saw the pictures didn't you?" she takes a sharp intake of breath. It was Zayn. The Zayn Malik that knew her since the start of the world. The Zayn Malik who's irritatingly smart.

"You're a moron, Zayn."
"Well then if you're gonna be such a smartàss you better try being smart because right now you're just an ass."

The bed dips again and she sighs. Three fights in a day. Where's the world record for the most toxic semi-relationsh-
"You did see them?"
"Yeah."

"You know you weren't supposed to." Zayn mumbles, his voice clear for her to guess that he's facing her. "Yes." A minute passes and it happens almost immediately that she doesn't get time to comprehend when she feels hot breath on her neck. She turns around finally to see Zayn dangerously close to her.

"W-what are you-"
"You wanted to cuddle didn't you? You wanted the closure?" Zayn asks, softly.
"I-I-"

Soon she feels his strong, gentle hands moving along the silk fabric of her stomach, cradling her into him that her back hits his' stomach. She was internally freezing and her blood drained when Zayn placed his face right above hers that they were cheek to cheek. Her breathing was fast because why was Zayn so warm why was he so close.

She could feel his naked chest. She was going to pass out. She so was going to.

He draped his leg over hers.
"I'm not making you uncomfortable?"
"N-No."

"Good because I haven't felt this warm in a while. Don't force yourself at anything yeah?" Zayn whispers, his thumb making circular patterns on her stomach. Soon it stops, she feels him drifting to sleep. But something had stolen the sleep from her eyes.

Calm before the storm is what it feels like right now. Everything was still, silent. None of them was moving, nothing was happening. That's how she knew whatever was coming was terrible. Terrible.

Right the moment when they danced together, they're bodies close. She knew she had to beware. He was a storm at the horizon. The deadliest of all, because people sit around anticipating for its arrival instead of preparing themselves to withstand it.

And she didn't realise until she turned her neck lightly to find her face inches away from his. The moonlight hitting it at all the right places. She realised the blunder she was in when she feels Zayn's breath cascading her face lightly like the first rain of the storm declaring there's no way out.

She used to get bored when her father made her watch geographic channels and she still remembers this one saying she heard. The worst storms come silently. Boy, were they right.

But she wasn't scared anymore as she stares at Zayn, who holds her hand tightly. She knew she wasn't scared because the moonlight had made it's masterpiece and now it was her chance to fix hers.

________
Hello babies! ❤️
I'm not going to write a long ass author's note cos I'm sleepy as f lmao.

Drop some feedback heree?

Theories, what do you think will happen in the morning ❤️

Ghost readerss, i rlyy want to know y'all too, start talkingg you cutiez.

CHARACTER QUESTIONS! (inline here!) 🌞

LAST CHAPTER CHARACTER QUESTIONS

CRYSTAL
Q. What do you think of Zayn as your lover?
As a lover? Well right now i feel we're going to face a lot of problems. A girl can definitely dream though. But yk it sucks to fall in love w a guy you know will never fall for you?

Q. What do you think of your life in London with Zayn?
I think it'll be one hell of ride for me. I don't know if we'll work or no but I'm sure there's something we're both trying to hold on. Unless i find another bra, that guy won't see another daylight ever again. Period.

Thank you everyone for supporting and constantly reminding me this book is worth it! Y'all know who you all are and massive love you to all! 🌞❤️ Until next time xoxo