Long chapter.. it's finally here. Some Zrose action 👀

Zayn

I couldn't sleep at all. Rose would have her night shift in a few hours and I really wanted to sleep those few hours before she'd come. I didn't want to fall asleep on her in the old cracky hospital room, but it was difficult if I couldn't sleep.

My leg was constantly bouncing up and down and my mind was going crazy for some reasons. I could only think about yesterday how she was so beautiful and smiley all the time while being outside. My stomach had turned probably about a thousand times every time I heard her laugh.

Thoughts were flowing through my head but they didn't make me tired this time. They only gave me more energy. I had put the thought of her liking me aside and just enjoyed her. Everything Caroline said helped a lot and she was right. I just had to spend time with her and enjoy it, not thinking about it all the time.

I couldn't wait to see her. Yesterday made me realise how intriguing she was to me. I just wanted more and more of her, in an appropriate way. Ignoring the thoughts I sometimes had at late nights, but I was still a guy, I couldn't always stop them.

I turned on my side and glanced at the clock, seeing she really wouldn't be here for in at least five hours. I sighed a little and closed my eyes. I needed to sleep.

I slapped the leg which was only bouncing up and down and I tried to pause my thoughts. Eventually, after a long time of trying I finally fell into a deep sleep.

So deep, that I didn't hear her coming in after those five hours to check if I had taken my medication. I was far away in my sleep and I didn't realise that she was staring at the sleeping me for a long time, because she felt the same. She wanted to see me.

I woke up around twelve- thirty and I quickly stopped my alarm clock as I had put the sound way too loud. I probably caused my neighbor patient to wake up as well, which wasn't my intention, obviously.

I traded my pajamas for fresh sweatpants and a black shirt, brushed my teeth, wore my beanie and quietly left my room.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the living room was that Rose was standing near the stairs already.

She smiled once she saw me, "No elevators today. We both didn't really like them." Rose started walking up the stairs and I already smiled, rushing my way over to her and walking up the stairs myself.

She started to run faster and I followed, like my body was hypnotized by hers. I barely even noticed that I was copying her actions. We started running up but while she was still looking full of energy my lungs and throat started to hurt and the muscles in my legs were already overused. I couldn't take much because I had lost a lot due to lying in bed for days.

Rose slowed down, she probably heard me unattractive breathing like a horse, "You okay?"

I felt like lying but I didn't feel like going on until I really couldn't take it anymore, something I always did. It wasn't good for me.

I licked my dry lips and nodded, "Yeah, sorry. My physical condition isn't that good anymore because of the fevers and being in bed all day long." I bit my lip and stared at my shoes as I felt ashamed.

"I get it." She said sweetly, "Then we'll walk. No problem with that."

We silently walked all the way up to the eighth floor and we quickly ran away once we entered it, disappearing into the dark long hallway.

I looked up one more time before opening the door and closing it behind Rose. She climbed on the bed and opened the skylight, smiling instantly when her eyes met the sky.

We both sat down on the bed and Rose cringed when she heard it creaking. "I can't imagine that you weren't scared when you were here on your own."

I chuckled, "It's not that scary here. I mean, yeah, it's dark and dusty and cracky but.. I like it."

"That's because you're aesthetic. You see art in everything. I start thinking about old dead people who can still be here, haunting the whole room." Rose sighed dramatically, making me laugh.

"You need to stop watching horror movies then." I grabbed the pillow and placed it against the headboard of the bed so we could sit down against it.

Rose noticed and she moved closer to me as the pillow wasn't that big, so our thighs had to touch. She didn't seem to mind though, and neither did I. "I have never watched a horror movie in my whole entire life."

"You didn't? Then why that fear?" I asked curiously.

Rose shrugged, "I don't know! I just don't like the dark. It'll always give me stupid thoughts like that, I can't help it." She pouted.

I enjoyed the adorable view of that and smiled, "Well that's why I slept with the nightstand- light on when I was here."

"Seriously?" Rose frowned then laughed. "You're afraid of the dark?"

"I'm not saying I'm afraid of the dark but I have to admit I'd rather sleep facing the whole room than facing just the wall. You can never know what'll happen behind your back. That's kinda scary." I admitted.

Rose smiled, "Then how do you sleep here? Your bed is not standing against the wall. Your back is facing the room no matter what side you lie on since it's in the middle of your room."

"Just don't think and sleep." I chuckled, "I'm usually too tired to think about that here. Those pills make me sleepy."

"I get it. You're the first guy to ever admit something like this, though. That's quite cool," Rose nodded her head and smiled cheekily.

I pouted, "Guess I'm a weird softy then."

Rose frowned and shook her head, "Not at all. Do you really think you're the only one? Those guys just want to act cool but every girl knows that guys are scared of things too. They just don't swallow their pride."

I chuckled.

"What I'm trying to say is that you're special." Rose said, her face looking extremely serious.

"W-what?" I gulped as the heat started rising to my cheeks. I didn't know if she was being serious right now, but it sure did something to my feelings.

Rose started laughing, "I also like how you're thrown off guard and flattered so easily."

I breathed out deeply. So she was joking, or was she saying the truth but tried to hide it by acting like it was a joke?

"Hey, I can't help that you're so intriguing that-" I gulped again and bit my cheek on the inside of my mouth so hard that it actually started to hurt.

More blood was rising to my cheeks as I realized what I had said. I literally told her that I thought she was intriguing and that was something she didn't have to know.

Rose was staring at me with a slight expression of confusion written on her face. "What did you say?"

"You're so.. so," I stopped, "I don't remember what I said." I blushed, hoping she didn't see it and hoping she would believe me.

See, that's how intriguing she really was. She made me blush, she made me stutter, she made me feel some type of way no one else could make me feel like.

Rose luckily changed the subject, but it did make me confused as if she really didn't hear it, or pretended not to hear it. "So, did you ask your mother and Caroline about the Christmas thing?"

"Shit," I cursed quietly, "I forgot.. I'll ask them tomorrow, okay? I promise."

Rose laid her hand down on my bare arm as I was wearing a short sleeved shirt and it gave me goosebumps immediately. "There's no rush, Zayn, I was just wondering."

"Yeah, okay."

"What's your hometown like?" I didn't know if she felt my awkwardness, but she moved a little away from me and sat up straight, her legs crossed.

I thought about Bradford, "It's cool. I've lived there for all my life so I don't know better, obviously. But there's nice people and I think it's a beautiful city."

"That's cool. I'm curious about it." She smiled softly and slowly played with the silver bracelet around her wrist.

"Maybe you will." I smiled back. "What about you? Has London always been your hometown?"

Rose looked up at me and nodded, "Yeah, kinda. I grew up in a different area, though. It was more peaceful and quiet there. We later moved to the busier side of London because of my dad's job."

"I understand. Did you mind?" I asked. I wanted to get to know her even better.

Rose chuckled. "Well, yeah. I had a lot of friends there, including my crush. I was twelve when we moved so I had a hard time making new friends as that's exactly the time where girls are all close and gossiping and stuff, you know?"

"But it was okay. I got used to the busy side of London soon enough and I became friends with one girl who's still my best friend. And oh, I also don't have a crush on that person anymore so I don't miss him." Rose laughed softly and looked up at me. I could tell she meant what she said. Her eyes were twinkling and I couldn't help but smile.

"I had a very good youth, did you?" She asked.

I nodded, "Yeah definitely. I had some friends and everyone was very supportive when I became sick at the age of five. My parents got a lot of support and comfort. It made me appreciate the people from my city even more."

"I can imagine. That's sweet." Rose moved a little closer to me and kept staring at my face for a short while.

"You've got a freckle in your eye." She said, moving her face even closer to mine as she stared right into my eye.

It made me feel shy. It had been for over a year since I had done something with a girl and this was already slightly intimate to me. She was so close to my face and my eyes almost automatically stared down at her lips.

Though, I recovered myself and looked back into her eyes, seeing her slight frown as she was still staring at the freckle. "Yeah, I know. It's weird, isn't it?"

Rose moved her face away and smiled, "No it's not. It makes you even cooler. I wish I had something like that. I'm literally so boring."

"I don't think so. I like your dark eyes, it's something else than the cliches about blue eyes." I said quietly. I caught myself playing with my fingers, something I did when I was nervous.

Rose smiled slightly, "You think so? My ex boyfriend always said he wished I had blue eyes. He said I would be prettier because apparently my dark brown eyes made me look dull." She then frowned a little and looked up at me.

I frowned as well, "He did? What an asshole." I murmured. "I think your eyes are beautiful. I mean.." I moved my face closer to hers and stared into her dark brown irises.

I saw how all the thin and small lines connected around her pupil and how there were a few spots with a shade lighter than the dark brown if you looked close enough.

I then caught my eyes trailing down to her lips, noticing that they were only a few inches away from hers.

I looked up, into her eyes and I saw how she was staring into mine, her expression giving nothing away but purity and beauty.

Moving my face even closer to hers, I noticed that she did the same. I felt my heart starting to beat extremely fast and my hands started to become clammy. I knew I had to do it now, or I'd ruin my chance.

So I slowly brought my hands up to her face and carefully cupped her smooth cheeks, feeling her shivering underneath the touch of my cold hands. I took a deep breath and looked into her eyes for one last time. She was still staring at me and it was so quiet that I could swear I heard her heart beat fast as well.

That's when I did it. I leaned in and as our eyes both fluttered shut at the exact same moment, my lips were pressed on hers.

The kiss tasted sweet, like some faint remainder of fruity lip balm she may have had applied on them this morning. I could feel the feelings she was pouring into it and it made me feel warm. Her lips were smoother and softer than I thought they would be and it made me want to kiss her more. I slowly moved my lips and she immediately reacted to that. She carefully pressed her hands to my back and I laid mine down on her soft long hair, slowly playing with her long loose strands.

I couldn't think about anything else but her. Butterflies were going insane in my belly, like they had just left their cocoon and where experiencing their wings for the first time. They wanted to get out, but they still hadn't figured out how. Blood was rising to my cheeks, causing them to have blushes as this moment was something I had been looking for since ages, something I had dreamed to feel for ages.

Rose's lips, on mine.

I was feeling so happy at the moment, so warm and for a moment I felt like I was healthy, no sick guy but just a boyfriend showing his feelings towards his girl.

I couldn't decide if it felt like ages or just one split second, but the moment we pulled away I noticed that Rose had rosy cheeks as well. She was smiling shyly while she slowly removed her hands from my back.

I smiled back, then looked up.

You were right, Nate.