Everybody wanna steal my girl

Everybody wanna take her heart away

Couple billion in the whole wide world

Find another one 'cause she belongs to me.

- "Steal My Girl" || One Direction

_________

"So, how's the fuck buddy?"

"I think you mean boyfriend, don't you, Cara?"

"Aren't you both hilarious," Anais hisses as she follows behind her friends into the coffee shop. They've got a half hour until their design class.

Jourdan looks around with feigned shock. "Who's laughing? I don't see anyone laughing, Ana."

"Neither do I," Cara nods. "Soo, do you see anyone laughing here?"

She giggles, looking up from her phone with a shrug. "Don't think I do, doll."

"You guys are the literal worst," Anais groans, because she's frowning heavily since there are no blueberry scones. She pulls out her phone.

"We are the literal best," replies Cara. "And you love us, you do."

"Do I?"

"Of course," Soo replies, grinning as she reads a text over her shoulder. "Just not as much as Zayn."

"See! Look at her! She's grinning like a Cheshire Cat!"

"Am not!" Anais exclaims, cheeks growing warm.

"You are!" Jourdan beams, as the girls find a seat in the shop. "He's texted you, hasn't he?"

"You're telling me the bad boy sends texts?"

Anais rolls her eyes. "He's not a bad boy, Cara."

"Of course," she grins, sipping her English Breakfast. "You know because you've seen a softer, more loving side of him than everyone else sees, yeah? You know the real him, don't you?"

Anais flicks some of her foam at her. "You're so ridiculous."

"Hey," she shrugs, "I've read enough romance novels to assume."

Jourdan rolls her eyes. Soo laughs.

"Hey, Ana," Jourdan begins, raising her cappuccino to her lips.

Anais breaks off a piece of the cinnamon roll she didn't want. "Yeah?"

"What's with the scarf?"

Anais shrugs. "It's cold out."

"But, you're inside."

"I know."

"Want to take it off?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because, I'm cold."

Cara laughs. "You're drinking a coffee."

"So wha-Soo!"

"Anais!"

"Holy shit!"

"Damn, Ana!" Cara exclaims with a laugh, as Anais hurries to cover the embarrassing marks along the side of her neck. "You're not fucking him? Right," Cara sips her tea. "Okay."

"I-I'm not, okay!"

The girls are all laughing-Cara and Jourdan the hardest-as Anais re-fixes her scarf.

"Shut up. Just, all of you, honestly shut the hell up."

_________

"Someone's in a good mood...and it's Monday."

"Mhm. I wonder why."

"Don't know what either of you are talking about," Zayn says, looking up from his phone.

"You're smiling," says Louis, as if that explains it.

Zayn lifts a dark brow. "And?"

"And your texting. You're smiling and you're texting, and I doubt you're talking to Liam."

Zayn rolls his eyes with a scoff. "I love Liam," he states. "Think you're just jealous, mate."

Niall laughs aloud, as Louis snorts. "Never mind the fact that I'm way cuter."

Even Zayn can't help but smile at that.

"It's ten in the mornin'," Niall exclaims, as he slips on a hoodie and rummages around the kitchen for something to eat. "You're never up this early."

Zayn shrugs casually, as Louis sips his tea.

"C'mon," he says. "Out with it, then."

"Out with what?" Zayn laughs.

He motions with his mug towards the phone. "Who're you texting, then?"

"Ah," Zayn nods, "I wish that was your business, boys," he grins, "but it isn't. Sorry."

Niall decides on toast. "Wow. And I thought what we had was special."

"Ah, Nialler, we do," Zayn grins, ruffling the blonde's head.

"So, you've replaced me, then? Yeah? Is that what it is?"

"Who would I replace you with?"

"But must you make me say it?" Sighs Louis.

"Maybe I don't want you to answer, mate."

"Anais, Niall," Louis says with a shrug. "It's happened. Anais has replaced not you, but me, too."

Zayn's smiling, peering down at his phone as he laughs, again. She's just sent him a text complaining about how it's too early for Nero to have already run out of scones and so now she must starve. He's rolling her eyes, tongue between his teeth because she's so dramatic and it makes him laugh.

He texts her back.

You should've had breakfast with me then :) x

"See! Look, he hasn't heard a word I've said!"

"What?" Zayn looks up. "I did!"

"Tell me. Go on, tell me what I've said, then."

Zayn pauses, mouth agape because he was definitely not listening. He smiles. "Ha-Can I like, can I phone a friend?"

Niall laughs aloud. "Wow."

"Impossible," Louis throws up his hands. "Y'couldn't even lie to me. Couldn't even do that."

"You must really be into her."

"I'm-" Zayn halts that sentence. He is into her. Like, a lot actually, but based on the knowing looks his friends are shooting him, he doesn't give them the satisfaction of admitting it. "They owe us drinks, don't they?"

Louis eyes light up, and he nods. "Sure do. Let's get those this week, yeah?"

And Zayn nods.

"Can I come?" Asks Niall, as Zayn's phone buzzes once more.

I think I should've since my friends suck

"What? Of course you can, Niall!" Louis exclaims. "That'd be fun, yeah? I'll tell Soo t'invite another of her friends. How's Wednesday night? Sound good to you, Zayn?"

Zayn isn't listening, though.

Niall laughs aloud. "He can't hear you, Lou."

He's laughing at Anais, instead.

"Yep. Great talk. Thanks, mate. Wednesday it is, then."

"Sure, Wednesday sounds fine, you prick," he replies, only before texting Anais.

The boys are laughing around him.

Why babe? x

Honestly... comes her response.

You should just see for yourself.

___________

"Anais?" Zayn chuckles, as he follows her through the darkened apartment.

"Yes?" She hums, as she takes his hand, tugging her down the hall towards her bedroom.

"You're scaring me, love. Is everything alright?"

"You tell me," she laughs, flipping on the lights in her room, shutting the door behind them.

"Um..." Zayn hikes a thumb over his shoulder. "S'there a reason you've shut the door?"

"Yes," Anais replies, as she takes off her coat.

He raises a brow. "Care to share?"

Anais scoffs. "I'm not going to murder you, if that's what you think," she laughs. "I just don't want Soo to come in and make stupid assumptions," she grimaces, "Like she's been doing all day."

"Really?" He asks. "Because there's only a few assumptions she might make if the door's closed..."

She opens her mouth, pausing as she grabs onto her scarf. "Good point."

Zayn laughs, plopping onto her bed. "Oh well," he nods towards her. "What is it, then?"

And Anais sighs. She takes a few steps towards him, pushing her hair to one side of her neck before she takes hold of her scarf.

"Remember yesterday?" She asks.

He nods, and then his face lights up. "So you turned in the essay, yeah?"

"Yes!" She exclaims. "Oh god, thanks a million for that, too," she sighs. "I swear, had you not come over I'd have probably been up until four working on a conclusion."

Zayn shakes his head. "That's a lie, but um, fine," he grins. "Glad I could help."

"You did," Anais sighs. "And you also left me something else..."

Zayn's brow furrows, "What?" He asks.

And Anais responds with a shake of her head as she takes off her scarf, throwing it beside him upon her bed.

"These."

Zayn's lips form an 'o' as he takes in the sight of the deep purple bruises lining the side of her neck. Peppered below her jaw and above her collarbone, they immediately bring Zayn back to Anais' couch, just the afternoon prior, when he asked to kiss her, and then kissed her, and then helped her finish her Beowulf essay, and then possibly, sort of spent the rest of the afternoon kissing her again and again between whatever movie they'd decided to watch on Netflix.

Zayn hadn't really been paying attention to the movie.

"My friends made fun of me all day," she pouts, eyeing herself in the mirror. "I swear, I could not catch a fucking break-"

Zayn laughs, grabbing onto one of her hands.

"Yes?"

He shakes his head, tugging her towards him.

She stands between his legs. "Zayn?"

He peers up at her, bottom lip between his teeth. "I like them," he states simply.

Anais snorts. "My friends, or-"

"I don't know your friends, really," he replies, rising to a stand. "I mean, I'm sure they're um, like, I'm sure they're nice, but," he pushes a few hairs from the exposed side of her neck, "but, I was kind of talking about these."

Anais takes a sharp breath as Zayn traces his finger lightly upon each of the bruises. He smiles to himself, liking the way he's raised goosebumps upon her skin.

"You like my hickeys?"

"I do," Zayn replies, and he stares her in the eyes. "I love them, actually."

Anais laughs. "You're serious?"

He grins, nodding.

"Please explain why."

A smile grows upon his face, and he leans close and then closer. "Because, like," he whispers, "I gave them to you."

And Zayn chuckles again, loving the way that Anais' pulse has quickened beneath his fingertips, and loving the way her eyes have widened at his words.

"Zayn..."

"I like you," he blurts, and Anais almost doesn't believe that he's actually said the words he's said.

"I-" She pauses. "What?"

"I like you," he whispers, cursing himself for not waiting for a more opportune time to share this development. "I, um," he clears his throat, "I like, really really like you, Anais."

Her heart is pounding and Zayn can feel it.

"I like you, too," she says.

And the smile he gives her is so bright that Anais catches her breath. She's beginning to wonder how Zayn Malik could possibly be real because he's just so outrageously beautiful.

Zayn is still beaming at her.

"So, breakfast tomorrow then?"

She laughs. "If I can get a-"

"Blueberry scone," he rolls his eyes as she grins, pleased that he knows. "I know, I know..."

"Then, 'yes,'" is her happy reply. "I guess I can squeeze you in before class."

And Zayn leaves a kiss upon the bruise along her collarbone-Anais inhales.

"Zayn-"

He leaves his lips beside her ear. "Be over around eight, yeah?"

"I-Uh..Uh-huh. Yeah-Yes," she stutters, as he leaves a kiss upon each mark along her neck.

"Good."

"G-great."

Zayn grins to himself, his happiness hidden as he remains with his arms around Anais' waist, his face in the crook of her neck.

He blows cool air along the skin dampened by his lips.

Anais cannot stand this. Her eyelids flutter. "Zayn-"

"Ana! Anais, are you home?"

It's Soo.

Zayn smiles against her. "Breakfast, then."

Anais nods, wishing and wishing and wishing that her roommate had come home later.

"Tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow. "

-~*~-

Why do I enjoy writing this story so much?

YOU GUYS' COMMENTS ARE SO GREAT OMG. I TAKE IT YOU LIKED THAT LAST CHAPTER, HUH? *Insert angel face emoji since now you can pick the races ayyeeee*

Comment and vote my loves! If you're reading Charming, I'm sorry I was supposed to post it this weekend but didn't save and it f-ed up my progress so now it's gonna have to come this week. Sorry guys sorry sorry. :) xx