You can be my other half

And tell me once again how I'm stupid for feeling like a lonely one

Baby, I'm your only one.

- "Lonely One" || Dresses

____

"Isn't that Zayn's?"

"What? What're you talking about?"

Cara narrows her eyes. "Seriously? Seriously, you're wearing his clothes now?" She scoffs. "That's just pathetic."

"Um, excuse you," Anais whispers. She fingers the wool scarf of his he'd given her weeks ago, "He gave this to me to wear and -"

"You've neglected to return it," Cara coughs, "Whipped."

"Hush," Anais exclaims. "I am not whipped."

"Right," and Cara clasps her hands and bats her eyes. "You're in love. Birds sing when the two've you are together and clouds part and double rainbows form. Yeah," she hisses, since they've literally just come from their British Lit test and have decided to wait outside for both Magdalena and Chanel. "Okay."

"One day, you'll be pussy whipped for some boy and-"

"What? Wait, wait wait," Cara laughs loudly, her voice ringing through the halls. "No you did not just say 'pussy whipped!' You're fuckin' outrageous, Anai-"

"Excuse me," and now the girls have clamped their mouths because their professor is glaring at them from the door. "Girls, take the conversation elsewhere if you're going to disturb your classmates."

"Sorry."

Cara nods. "We'll just be going..."

They take a few steps from the door. 

Magdalena is laughing from her desk, shaking her head. "Dipshits," she mouths. 

"Fuck you," Cara mouths back. 

"Anyway," Anais continues, quieter. "As I was saying, one day you'll be-"

"Right," Cara rolls her eyes. "One day I'll be 'pussy whipped.' Carry on."

Anais laughs, "-for some boy and you're gonna be all loved up on him and for once in your life, you'll have more than a fuck toy."

"Eh, or not."

"Sure will," Anais nods smugly. "You'll be wearing all his clothes and shit. Might even take his last name one day. Who knows. Oh, right. I do. I know."

"Whatever. Just 'cause you're from France doesn't mean you know everything."

Anais has to cover her laugh with her hand. "You're outrageous."

"No, I'm truthful," she replies as Anais rolls her eyes, pulling out her phone. Cara peers over her shoulder, "So where are we meeting Zayn, then?"

"How did you-"

"He's the only person you text. Duh."

"Not true, but okay. Think that, anyway."

"It used to be Lucky 'till he got kicked to the curb."

Anais snorts. 

"Like yesterday's trash."

"Okay, so now you're making me feel bad," Anais says at once, because just days ago when she ran into him on the street he had been pretty adamant about hanging out. She did miss Lucky, but she'd been so preoccupied with Zayn that everything else seemed not to matter. And Anais didn't want to be that girl. She didn't want to be the girlfriend that neglected her other friends. 

"What? It's just the truth."

And so Anais texts Zayn - since she wanted to meet him at that bar Jesse and Zach and their band had played at - and then she texts Lucky, next. 

Let's go to lunch sometime yeah?

"See, there," Anais sticks out her tongue. "I'm not a bad friend."

"Guys!"

And Anais and Cara both turn, because Magdalena and Chanel are exiting the classroom. 

Chanel falls against Cara, "That test was so hard, my asshole hurts from the being fucked bareback."

They laugh aloud, walking now through the halls of their humanities building. 

"Well," Cara begins, "We're going to Mac's so you can heal your raw asshole with a few drinks."

Anais laughs aloud. "Cara, I'm embarrassed by you."

"So am I," Magdalena says, pulling her scarf tighter around her neck. "But, I'm about to love you 'cause if we're gonna go to the bar,  I'm gonna get wasted." 

Anais laughs loudly, catching stares as the girls walk through the halls towards the building's exit. After studying for what feels like, forever, they've finally taken their test and possibly, maybe failed it.

It was worth like, 30% of their grade.

But, hey.

Life goes on.

"Literally that's it," Chanel says. "That was it. Today's the last day I'll have an A in that class. You guys have witnessed my 92% get flushed down the toilet with the biggest shit ever."

"Well, Chanel, you mainly studied for Spanish, so..."

"Maybe you shoulda took Liam's advice and let him help you."

"Oh, yeah. Okay," Chanel replies. "That would've helped. Thanks girls."

Anais laughs. "I'm noting sarcasm..."

Chanel rolls her eyes. "Gold star for Anais."

"What happened to you being the nice one?" Cara asks. 

"It's not you, now. I'd give it to Joan," Magdalena adds. 

Anais nods. "Yeah. That's right. Especially since Chanel cussed out Liam in Nero-"

"'Cause the little prick had it coming. And ladies, I'm not mean. I'm nice,"  she stresses, before pausing. "Ana, isn't that Zayn's scarf?"

"Fuck you guys! Yes. Yes it is!"

"It's magic," Magdalena whispers. "Anais aced her test 'cause Zayn channelled the power of his attractiveness and gave it to her. Secret's out."

"Shut up."

"I needed that," mutters Chanel. 

"You're not the only one," Cara nods. "'Cause I can't be the only one who's been physically and emotionally scarred from only ten questions."

"You know what? Forget it," Anais laughs. "It's Friday. Let's forget about this test and go have fun and -"

"Get drunk," Cara claps her hands together. "Couldn'tve said it better myself."

Anais only chuckles, sighing as they ride the elevator to the first floor. "God," she leans her head against the wall. "I'm literally gonna sleep all weekend, guys."

"Oh, but you're not, remember?" Cara exclaims. "Remember you said you'd do community service with me? Remember, Anais?"

"Shit," she groans. "I'm tired," she says, because the Art Gallery was in a little over a week and Soo's party - the giant bash Louis was throwing for her - was in less time. 

And she knew she had to attend both. 

Sue her for planning ahead. 

"Aren't you like, actually doing this for Psych? Isn't this part of class?"

"Yeah, but you need service hours, don't you?"

"Um..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Cara nods smugly, walking from the elevator as the doors open on the first floor. "C'mon, Ana. Just get it over with. Do it with me."

Magdalena grins. "I'm doing it too, Ana."

Anais rolls her eyes. "Fine."

"I'm not doing it," Chanel says. "Don't look for me, guys."

Cara snorts. 

"I'll come if Zayn does," Anais says, just as her phone buzzes in her hand. 

It's from Lucky, of course: HELL YES LET'S GO OUT 

"If you ask him, he will," Cara replies. "That's literally not an issue."

"Um, do you know how long he sleeps? Because he sleeps so long, Cara."

She rolls her eyes. "Either way, he'd make time for you," and Cara fingers the wool around Anais' neck. "Remember? You're pussy whipped. I know you couldn'tve forgotten."

___

"Cool shirt," nods Zach as he slides the girls drinks down the bar. 

"Yeah," Jesse nods, leaning his elbows against the bar. And he squints at the 'Cool Kids Don't Dance,' sprawled across Anais' chest. The girls have gotten comfortable, taking off their multiple outer layers in the warm bar. "Wait, isn't that Zayn's?"

Magdalena nods, grinning as Jesse pushes himself over the bar to give her a quick kiss. "You know they're domestic, now."

"Please stop."

"What? Why?" Zach drawls, dragging out the 'y.' "I think it's cute."

Cara grins, nodding as she sips on a Vodka and Red Bull. "So fucking cute."

"Right," Anais nods. "Jesse, meet Cara. You two are the worst."

"What?" Cara pouts. "Thought I was as cute as you, Anais."

"She's so cute, no one compares," Zach grins. "Anais is so, so, so cute. Adorable, even. Just fuckin' charming as hell."

"Okay," Anais laughs, because damn it, Zach never fails to make her laugh. "That's enough. I'm over you."

"You're not," he replies, winking as he leans on the bar. "You love me especially 'cause I give you free drinks."

Cara nods. "True."

Anais shrugs. "Debatable."

That only makes Jesse laugh harder. And Anais watches him, thinking first, that she had no idea that he and Jesse and their band only played at the bar because Jesse worked there after classes, and secondly, that she really really needed to find him a cute girlfriend because he deserved love in his life. 

"Zach," she says, finishing her drink,  "I need to get you a girlfriend."

"Or not, 'cause Anais doesn't meddle in relationships," Zayn says, surprising her and their friends at the bar because he's shown up. "Right?"

And Anais laughs, spinning around in her chair to greet him. 

"I thought Zach was the exception," she grins as he bends down to kiss her. 

"I think this's the first lie I've heard you tell," he replies, and then he takes in her ensemble as she laughs against him. 

"Never," she says.

"Anais?"

She hums. 

He lifts an eyebrow. "Is that my shirt?"

She laughs, "Uh..."

"Yes," Cara calls. 

"It's cause you're domestic, now," Jesse says, and Anais shoots both him and Magdalena a glare.

But, Zayn also fingers the blue cardigan atop his tee. "This's like, mine too, isn't it?" He asks. 

"Uh..."

Cara lifts a hand to the side of her mouth. "Whipped."

"Shut up, Cara!"

"I've been looking for that," Zayn laughs.

"I'm sorry," she replies. "I wore it last time I was over and like, haven't given it back," she grins sheepishly. And she begins to shrug out of it, "Here. Take it back."

"No. S'alright," he shrugs, because he really, really likes how Anais looks in his clothes, and he really, really likes how he's paired his shirt and his sweater - which are literally swallowing her - with a skirt and tights and boots and she just looks really, really good. 

And Anais watches as his eyes narrow, tongue lingering between his lips. "You're sure?"

He hums, pushing her legs apart to stand between them. His fingers play with bottom of her skirt, fingers dancing higher upon her thigh. He really really likes her in his clothes but he's thinking that he'll probably like them even more as he's taking them off. 

"I'm sure."

They remain with their friends at the bar for fifteen extra minutes before Zayn practically drags her to his apartment. 

"Someone's eager," Anais laughs, as they stand outside his door and he fumbles with his key. 

"True," he says, surprising her. 

"Are we-"

"Fuck it," he mutters leaving the key unturned in the lock, because he's grabbed her, pushing her against the door. 

She squeals, laughing. "Zayn!"

"Anais," he replies lowly, and she drapes her arms over his shoulders because his eyes are lidded and his pupils are dilated and he hadn't even had anything to drink at the bar. That was all Anais, and she's all the way turned on, going from like a 10 to 10,000 as his lips meet hers roughly. It's snowing, (because all it does is snow, lately), and Anais is blazing  because Zayn's lips are on hers  and then they're along her jaw and it's when he licks from the start of her neck to her ear that she turns and grabs the key and opens the door herself because it's way time to get inside and get into his room. 

Zayn can barely close and lock the door because his only focus at the moment is Anais. 

He slips out of his coat, tossing it onto the couch to help her with hers. 

She's taking off her jacket and his cardigan and she's untying the wool from around her neck when he pauses. 

"Is that my scarf, too?"

"Heh..."

He only throws it upon the couch. "It looks better off," he growls, and Anais' knees kind of buckle a little - but don't tell anyone because seriously, her friends would never let her live that shit down - as he pulls her back against him and backs her against the wall. 

Her hands are in his hair and his lips are everywhere, hands crawling beneath her - his -  shirt, his knee parting her legs. Ana's eyes flutter, hips bucking as he sucks on her collarbone. He nibbles her skin, blowing cool air softly on the places he's sure to have left marks, soothing her skin before increasing tempo and fervor in the assault of his lips. Anais did not expect this, but she's totally along for the ride as one of his large hands grips the skin beneath that shirt as the other feels up along the outside of her thigh, pushing her skirt in the process. 

This is the way to get over a fucking test. 

And when his fingers hook along the waistband of her tights, tugging them down, Anais moans, and she moans loudly, which causes a - "Holy shit. You guys couldn't even make it to the room, eh?"

Zayn groans, but Anais jumps. 

"Really, Niall?" Zayn grits out. He's glaring at his friend, who's laughing, mind you, because he's staring at his friends who are both sporting swollen lips as Anais pants, gasping for air and attempting to pull down her skirt and fix herself. 

"I mean," Niall shrugs, "I'm surprised the two of ya' didn't hear me in the kitchen."

"Well, we didn't," snaps Zayn, who has now grabbed Anais' hand. He can tell she's kind of embarrassed, but honestly he's happy that it was Niall who caught them and not Louis, or else they'd both be embarrassed and the world would know that he and Anais were literally less than a minute away from getting caught naked on the couch. 

 Niall only shrugs. "Carry on, then," he says, lifting his Coke bottle, and he sends Anais a wink, "Go easy on 'im," he says before pausing, pointing at her. "Isn't that shirt - ?"

"Yes," Anais exclaims, throwing up her hands. Zayn now, is laughing. "Jesus, guys, okay. Yes. Yes, it's Zayn's. Yes I'm wearing his shirt. And his scarf. And maybe his sweater but give me a break about it, would you? You're worse than Cara."

Niall only laughs harder. 

"Ha-!" He exclaims, eyes wide. "Whipped."

-~*~-

It's getting hot in hurr... Lol. 

Had to bring Jesse and Zach back cuz I heart them. (gif of them laughing fyi)

ANAIS IS GONNA HANG OUT WITH LUCKY HOW IS ZAYN GONNA TAKE THISSSSS?

Guys can I seriously tell you how much your comments make me smile? Like, i read them and so many of them are hilarious and so accurate that I'm laughing most of the time. Thank you soosoososs much for enjoying this story, and thank you to everyone who's begun to read/commented on Polarize  bc I think that's probably my new baby...espesh since it's got #zeigh and 5sos and Charming is ending. 

Comment and vote! I luh chu. xx