What if the road to a way you always decided to go on is closed? Then you'll have to take the other one. Don't forget to comment and vote ❤️ where my babies at who spam me with comments and make me happy :( i miss y'all sm

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when we collide
07| it's official

"Zayn its enough, are you still sleeping?" Trisha yells, entering her son's room to find him lying lazily on his bed passing a bored look. "No I'm training to die."

"shall I serve you a brunch? Now that it's one in the evening, you must be really confused what to eat hmm?" Trisha sarcastically smiles at Zayn who passes a hand through his hair lazily, a yawn escaping his mouth.

"I slept around four mum, some mercy please?" lifting himself with much efforts, Zayn walks to his room, removing the curtains and sighing. It wasn't that Crystal and Zayn returned around four, as far as can recall they returned around two. But then, overthinking happened and trust Zayn, sleep was the last thing he could imagine at that point owing to the fact that Crystal and him were at the end.

Everything they made over years was down the drain in a single night. Trisha's eyes perk in curiousity. Doniya had mentioned what she witnessed at the door but till four o'clock. Did they talk till four o'clock?

"Oh uhm- why?" Zayn shrugs not necessarily wanting to share any information with his mother so she could make silly assumptions. She's already done a lot of garbage to his life.

"Doniya told me that she saw you yesterday with Crystal, is everything alright between you both now?" Zayn hisses lightly, slamming his hand on his head in irritation. Why does he have a sister again?

"DONIYA!" he shouts on the top of his voice catching his mother off guard who clutches her chest in shock. Doniya peeks from her room shouting a 'what'

"Come here you dipshit." Zayn receives a pillow on his face as his mother glares at him. "What do you want?" Doniya focuses her sight on Zayn, eyes turning to slits. "What's your problem, why do you need to snoop on me all the time?" Zayn complains, crossing his hands to look angry.

"Please, I'm really not interested in your life, it's more boring than a penguin documentary." Doniya smirks, rolling her eyes in the process. "Honey, leave the sarcasm and insult to a pro like me it sounds stupid coming out of your mouth. Go play in traffic or something." Doniya throws a pillow at Zayn in frustration.

"Don't forget I'm older than you." Doniya walks out the door, picking her coat from the side of the door. "Go get a tattoo that says 'I'm more useless than the g in lasagna'." flipping Zayn off, Doniya walks down the street making him huff and turn to his mother who looks absolutely petrified.

"Couldn't you skip her and come straightaway to me?" Trisha makes a bored face, rolling her eyes and walking to the kitchen.
"Seriously? You're angry of me? She initiated it." he complains following his mother to the kitchen and standing behind her.

"Zayn you do realise we care for you? We want your good."
"You've told me that a zillion times in three days."

"Look Zayn, I'm not forcing you or anything but why don't you try it? Go take her on a date, get to know her." Zayn sighs, walking out and sitting near the dining table.

"You make it sound like it's so simple. We've never looked at each other that way. It won't work." he confesses, fiddling with his sweats. "And I know everything about her anyway."

"Do you now, Zayn. What's her favourite colour on a guy?" Trisha challenges, keeping her hands on her hips as if it proves her point. Zayn stays still because he didn't know that. Not like Crystal and him discussed love related stuff ever.

Zayn shrugs, accepting his defeat. "At least try Zayn, go on a date with her I'm sure she won't mind. Get to know her better and if it doesn't work no one will force you, honey." Trisha keeps a hand on Zayn's shoulder who stares at nothingness.

"We won't be around Zayn, not anymore. You're far from us and now I don't want you to go to the loneliness you've came out of when we came here. I want the same son you were when you were in your teens because right now you're too silent for your own good honey." She whispers, putting a wet sloppy kiss on Zayn's cheek and walking upstairs leaving Zayn to think.

He really cannot deny the fact even though he brutally wanted to, that the house does give him chills, the silence eats him sometimes. Working his arse off and not having anyone to spend it on. It does suck. He glances at the clock and then drops his dishes in the sink jogging to his room to shut the world out.

Two days pass without any contact between Zayn and Crystal. They avoid each other at any cost. It was weird because Zayn had to leave in five days. Back to reality away from his family and friends.

He wasn't ready.

That's when he decides to do something. Something he has to do before leaving so he won't regret anything. So he stands in front of Crystal's house pressing the bell and waiting.

Cecile appears on the door, surprised by Zayn's presence.
"Honey, Crystal just left for work if you're here for her." Zayn doesn't miss the little sound of hope in her voice. "Uh yes, I am. I was wondering if you could tell me where she works?"

Crystal clears the counter and yawns, staring at the clock realise that only some hours have passed. She glances at the door and almost vomits her lungs out when she sees Zayn glancing around as if trying to find someone. His eyes fix on Crystal and she almost passes out when he waves at her.

She walks to him and stares at him as if grew two heads. "What are you doing here?"

"Crystal, how many times I've told you to not bring friends when at work!" the high pitched, ear piercing voice of Mrs. Mully comes making Crystal turn almost immediately.

"He's a customer." she mumbles making Mrs. Mully eye Zayn up and down. "Get him seated." she nods and escorts Zayn to a booth.

"I hope I didn't roll my eyes out loud. Her voice made my ears bleed." Crystal chuckles lightly as Zayn sits down. "Imagine what I have to bare with, everyday."

"Crystal, what's going on?" Crystal rolls her eyes then looking at Zayn with worried eyes. "You've to order something, please." Zayn nods, licking his lower lip. "Get me a cold coffee."

Crystal rushes to get Zayn's order and brings it on his table. "So what brings you here?" Zayn opens his mouth trying to form a coherent sentence but then closes his mouth immediately when he's not able to. "Uh yeah. I did want to ask you something."

Crystal stares in curiousity as Zayn tries to locate his voice and where did it vanish when he needed it the most.

"Crystal? Aren't you done?" she hears Mrs. Mully shout at her. Jesus can this lady breath for a second.

"A muffin." Zayn orders, looking at Crystal whose mouth forms a 'oh' shape as she nods running to carry Zayn's order. Getting it back she keeps it on his table, his coffee still untouched.

"I was wondering if you'll like to you know, hangout?" also a knife so i can kill myself here and die in embarrassment.

"Hang out? Where you want to go?" Crystal smiles. She imagines places they could go to. A concert or maybe just grab ice creams. ". . . A dinner?" Crystal stares at him with wide eyes. That's a date. That's a fúcking date.

"You said hangout?" Crystal confirms but before Zayn could share his response Mrs. Mully shouts again. "What's going on Crystal?"

"Jesus." Crystal breathes as she looks at Zayn. "Iced tea." Crystal stares at Zayn in horror knowing the lad hates iced tea. Zayn loved any drink, till the time it had the word tea in it. But he just scoffed at the idea of iced tea.

Crystal nods lightly, going to fix his order. "Iced tea? Didn't he just order a coffee?" Crystal shrugs in response. "Weird." Mrs. Mully mumbles to herself and walks off.

"So you want to hang out over dinner?" Crystal presses emphasis on 'hangout' as she stares at Zayn who was about to melt in a puddle looking like a deer who is caught in light.

"Yeah?" Crystal swallows a lump that forms in her throat as she nods slowly. "Sounds great."
"So I'll pick you up at eight tonight?" Crystal almost chokes when she hears the words. This so was a date.

"Uh okay." Crystal whispers.
"Crystal?" Mrs. Mully shouts and Crystal sighs looking at Zayn so he could make the next order but he passes his credit card which makes Crystal eye it weirdly.

"I think that's all." Crystal nods and walks to get his billing done. She turns around with the food packed and Zayn's credit card to see him vanished.

"He's not here!" she shouts holding the receipt and packed food. "What? Go find him he must've not went far." Crystal exits the shop in haste and looks right to see Zayn almost about to enter his car.

"ZAYN!" She shouts catching Zayn's attention as she jogs to him with the bag full of his orders in her hands. "You're food and credit card, you forgot them."

"The food's a treat, have it in lunch and return me the credit card when I come pick you up tonight to. . . hangout." Zayn awkwardly says, then enters his car quickly, driving away. Crystal stares at the food then at the credit card.

He really just made sure that I'd show up and not chicken out. Is this a date or what. She thinks, sighing lightly as she stares down the road Zayn drived off. This man was definitely complicated.

"Just be cool. Just be cool." Zayn mutters to himself like a jargon as he stands in his bathroom, running gel through his hair and splashing water over his face to calm himself down.

"Big night. Huge night. First date with Crystal. Its a date right? Obviously it is." Zayn slams his hand on his forhead, shaking his head over the dumb thoughts he was thinking. "Its fine. You've gone on dozens of dates before. Lara, Jeddy, Gwen. No problem. We can small talk our way through a date. Even though we know absolutely everything. I bought gum so I'm minty fresh. Hair is done, she loves black and grey so I'm wearing black and gret. Its handled."

Taking a deep breath he hisses "Its fine, Zayn, stop freaking out. Its just a damn date. Just... just a date."

He exits his washroom and picks up his phone from the sideboard, scrolling through the messages until he reaches to the text from Crystal that simply says, "I'm always down for free food."

Obviously it was casual. So so casual.

But Zayn had texted her with an equally casual, completely chill, "still down for that dinner hangout plan?" and then had proceeded to freak the fúck out after he saw her response, holding his phone to his chest and spinning around in his living room until he banged his knee, almost broke his elbow and then continued jumping one legged and cursing out loud, because one, who calls a date a hangout. Apparently the most stupid person to ever exist ; Zayn. And two, the reason above.

He was wanting to go out with Crystal, try the water and give it a try because honestly, what does he have to lose? He leaves soon anyway. It was weird to him, the fact that he probably saw all girls but never noticed Crystal, surprisingly between changing residence and having friend's night, food runs, the topic of dating Crystal had never come up between them.

Until now.

While Zayn panicks at his house Crystal no better. Obviously Zayn constantly threatened promised to do things to Crystal's ass, and she jokingly commented on how big Zayn's lashes were and how much she liked them but this- this was real. Zayn buying her dinner and it was a date and-

But what if it wasn't? What if it was just asking to have dinner like a normal thing, like something normal people did, and Crystal was overthinking this? It wasn't like their lives were normal, after all and Crystal trusts Zayn, so maybe he just wants a normal evening with someone he could trust not to judge him.

Bullshit.

Crystal bites her nail, staring at her yellow gown she chose for the night. Zayn liked yellow. So she wore yellow. It's a delicate cami styled gown that flows to the ground.

Crystal called this as a kind of a blind date, because they had never fully unmasked in front of each other with their love interest. Crystal knew Zayn's favourite movie, but she didn't know a movie he'd watch with a date around two in the morning.

"Oh god, what if Zayn didn't like girls in yellow, maybe he just likes yellow in general?" Jack passes Crystal a bored look as he peels of his banana slowly.

"Sister, if he doesn't like that then he's probably gay."

Zayn stares at his reflection critically. His hair was a little out of control, probably, and his glasses didn't help the fact that he looked barely seventeen even though he was pushing twenty five.

"Maybe the skinny jeans are a mistake. Kids wear skinny jeans. Should I switch out my glasses so I look more mature and less like a hipster?" Zayn scrolls in, changing his skinny jeans to pants.

"Zayn that's the fifth trouser you're attempting to like." Doniya murmurs, staring at her brother awkwardly.

"Go watch barbie dolls."

“How can she like your stereotypical áss?”

Was he over thinking this?

Of fúcking course he was overthinking this. Of course he was.

Zayn swears and slams the door, wearing his huge coat and shirt with boxers as he still couldn't decide a lower and throws himself across his bed and goes back to the message on his phone, seriously considering texting Crystal that he fell down the stairs and died.

Zayn remembered typing and retyping and deleting at least fourteen different messages before settling on one that seemed appropriately casual but not so casual that Crystal would mistake it for just another chance to hang out. Hopefully.

And then, in the longest six minutes of his life, Crystal had finally texted back and agreed to dinner, Casually. And thank god too, because Zayn was absolutely going to throw himself out of a window if Crystal had said no. Not in a dramatic, 'Ill kill myself if you don't love me' sort of way, but in an ultra dramatic 'it took all my courage to do this and now I don't know how I'm going to look you in the eye since you said no' sort of way.

"Will you just wear something please? It's awkward when you're wearing a suit and tie with boxers." Doniya mumbles, sighing at her brother whose face is squished in the pillow.

Both of them were a haphazard mess. "Crystal what is going on?" her mother's death scared voice enters her room as Crystal sits defeated on her bed.

"Mum I can't do this, I'm sorry." Cecile sits beside her and slips her arm around her shoulder bringing her to her chest. "It's okay, what's wrong?"

"Mum I think he's feeling forced and he doesn't really want to go and-and look at me-I -just look I look so bad." Crystal rambles brushing a hand through her hair which cascades on her shoulder. Extremely frizzy.

"Darling, the level of fear you feel right now, trust me it's mutual for him and if he tried taking a step forward that means he wants to do it. We're not forcing you into anything honey." Cecile says softly, holding Crystal's hair in different positions to look for a perfect hairstyle. She combes her hair up and smiles. "we're just trying to show you something you're unable to see." she whispers in her ear as she moves away from the mirror and Crystal gasps. Her hair up in a messy updo with light strands falling down.

"Mum I-" the bell rings and Crystal gasps, holding her mother's hand. "Calm down sweetheart, it's just Zayn." Crystal walks down the stairs to see her dad talking to Zayn, but she runs, literally runs. Grabbing Zayn's hand and pulling him outside slamming the door shut and taking a sigh of relief.

"Get us good news!" she hears Sebastian yell. Her attention gets caught when Zayn calls her name. "Crystal?"

"Zayn, Hey I-" she knew she was staring. Knew he was staring too and didn't care. Just didn't- how the hell was Zayn's hair that thick and how in the world did it stand up like that? And when did he start wearing glasses, And the fúcking smile?

"You look really good in this dress." Zayn whispers, clearly a little shy to admit.
"I uh-" Crystal shrugs a little sheepishly. "Sorry. I was just not prepared for how adorable you look." Zayn mumbles, almost wanting to walk three steps so he's standing on the middle of the road so a car slams and kills him when he notices how he said it out loud by mistake.

Crystal blushes, tucking a loose strand behind her air and smiling. "Yeah well-" Crystal's eyes roamed over Zayn's body, taking in the broad shoulders filling the suit he wore and how the ginormous coat engulfed him, the way his pants were so good. He looked so well dressed and adorable. Her eyes moved back up, over a perfectly cut jaw and cheekbones, stopping on piercing eyes staring at her.

"Damn Malik." Crystal whispers, clearing her throat and blushing a little but trying to get rid of the awkwardness. "You're pretty damn adorable too."

"You're a terrible liar." Zayn rolls his eyes. "I like the glasses." Crystals smiles pulling them away and wearing them.

"Any comments on how ultra cute I look right now?" Crystal raises her eyebrow jokingly.

"Pathetic. Give it back now." Chuckling lightly she passes them back as Zayn wears them again, internally deciding how he's going to wear them forever.

"So." Zayn whispers, his head tilts towards his car, so he would at least stop staring at the beautiful girl. "Dinner?"

"Actually." Crystal fiddles a little with her dress, looking away shyly and bites into a bottom lip that Zayn finds really fúcking cute. "I was thinking you know, this doesn't really seem like us? Maybe we could just go get some pizza and hang out."

"We had ice cream the day before yesterday." Zayn points out, really catching the hang out thing. Did she really take it the wrong way?

"That doesn't count." Crystal tries to counter.

"But that's the whole thing, to do something we're not comfortable with, how many times have we went for a date? Exactly, none." Zayn challenges and Crystal laughs, dropping her head back and just laughing because did Zayn just say date and why is she sweating Niagra Falls?

Zayn concluded he was fúcked. No way he would survive this date if she'll laugh like that.

Zayn wanted to punch Jack. Like smack that guy's teeth and stick his tongue out and thrust it down his ear valley because what the fúck. Crystal shyly walks behind Zayn staring at the romantic decor.

Zayn sighs, internally slapping himself to trust him because why'd he decide such a romantic thing when he knew they aren't really comfortable right now. They follow the girl who escorts them to their reserved table and smiling. Zayn pulls the chair for Crystal.

"Trying to be a gentleman are we?" she mocks even though secretly she was a sucker for guys who play all gentle. Zayn rolls his eyes playfully as they sit down staring at absolutely everything but each other.

Their waitress gives a small intro and passes them menus. Crystal being completely impassive till now, instantly picks the menu so she can hide her face behind the menu card to lose her shit silently, because she can't get over the fact that this was real.

They continue sitting in the awkward silence, avoiding each other's eyes at all costs that's when Zayn bursts out in laughter
"can you see the dumbness of the situation?" he points.

Crystal's lips twitch in response while Zayn notices how soft Crystal's face looks in the candlelight and not being able to look away.

The waitress passes them both wine glasses and taking their menus as she jots down their order and scurries away.

"So what type of a bride are you?" Zayn tries starting a conversation. Crystal gets so nervous, she makes this weird gurgling sound while drinking her wine. Her eyes shot up in embarrassment as she stares at Zayn who's lips are curled trying to hold the laughter.

"Crystal honestly, we've went out for dinner so many times. It doesn't have to be so weird." Crystal sighs, passing a smile to Zayn. "what do you want to hear, the absolutely impressing answer or the embarrassing truth?"

"you know I'm a sucker for honesty." Zayn says, smiling lightly as the food comes and they dig in almost immediately.
"I'll probably be a bride who's just about to turn to walk down the aisle, but is eating cheetos throws the packet and cleans her fingers on her wedding dress."

Zayn chuckles lightly, moving his eyebrows up to that he's impressed but notices something. "Uh- you have a little something." he says, pointing to the corner of his lips. Crystal furrows her brows and moves her hand up to clean it making Zayn gasp.

"Wh-what?" Crystal asks, almost scared she wiped it across her face or something more embarrassing that made Zayn gasp. "I-I thought you won't be able to like locate it and I-I'll clear it? Like they show in movies but you-you did it in the first take." Crystal blinks, swallowing a lump that was formed in her throat.

"Do I put it again or what?" she asks, awkwardly. "Uh no I think it's just in the movies. I mean how can you not locate it. It's not like you're blind." Zayn laughs awkwardly while Crystal tries to laugh again.

The air, unfortunately, turns awkward again as they continue to play with their food until Crytsal decides to break the silence that was choking her.

"What type of groom will you be?" Zayn turns his face up and shrugs.

"Probably won't be one at all," he whispers, toying with the food on his plate as Crystal waits for him to continue. "I'm just too scared about the idea of marriage you know? People who can't stay committed to a person for a month promise to stay committed for years?" Zayn shrugs, cleaning his hands with a tissue as he lightly pushes the plate away.

"It's scary how some poeple get a happily ever after while some fúck for while and end it afterwards, they're hearts go straight to trash bags. Scary that I've no idea where will mine go."

"Some people are meant to be loved and others just naked." Crystal whispers, glancing at Zayn and then finishing her food oblivious to the fact that Zayn couldn't get his eyes off of her.

Crystal and Zayn walk around a sidewalk, Zayn's coat engulfing Crystal and Zayn couldn't bare the amount of ultra adorable she looks.

"Why do you have money on you? You knew I won't let you play. I'm over feminism. This is a guy thing and you all can't take it away."

"If I knew this was a date, I'd probably not." Crystal says honestly, sounding maybe a little vulnerable and Zayn stops walking to look down at her.

"What do you mean, if you knew this was date? This is a date. I showed up, bought you dinner and dessert, was mostly appropriate. I mean, thats a date, right? Normal people do that shit all the time. What else is supposed to happen on a date?" Zayn counters back.

"I- you said you wanted to hangout at the café so I thought." Crystal mumbles, fideling with her thumbs as they walk down.

"Okay- I-I chickened out. Okay? I was scared thinking you'll say no. But I thought of giving it a try. I don't know." Zayn throws his hands around in nervousness trying to make Crystal understand but Crystal just stares at him and wonders how can someone look so cute while rambling in their suit and hippy glasses.

"Oh." Crystal clutches her hair back again. Something she does when she's ridiculously nervous.

"Well, its definitely a date. I wouldnt have dressed in my fancy clothes and shown off all this skin if we were just hanging out." Crystal mumbles, smiling to light up the mood.

"This is your fancy clothes?" Zayn pluckes at the overcoat, belonging to the dress that he forced Crystal to remove, with a grin. "And what do you mean, all this skin? You were practically dressed like a nun. This old lady who stays beside my house shows more skin than this." Zayn laughs.

"Old lady?"
"My London house." Crystal nods, now that he's shifted back to Bradford he possibly misses her.

"I think this is probably enough skin to show." Crystal tries to sound like she is joking. "No one needs to have nightmares." Even though she'll probably never be fully comfortable in her skin. "I don't know how you're so alright walking with me when you know me."

"So alright with it." Zayn holds Crystal's wrist as he's too scared to hold her hand and slips his hands around her waist
"Crystal, I am so alright with this and so much more of this, just all of-" he breathes, looking down at Crystal and wondering how a woman so beautiful like her lacks confidence.

"You're amazing and I'm so glad this is a real date because you're just amazing even though we're not friends, right now." he lightly kisses her cheek and smiles trying his level best to motivate her, not like he was lying. He really enjoyed her company. They just made fun of each other, real talked about stuff and now Zayn knows she absolutely loves guys who get flowers. That's progress right?

They stand on the footpath glancing at Zayn's house and fiddling a little now. "So. . ." Zayn starts, glancing at Crystal who glances up and then awkwardly smiles. "So?"

"What have you thought about this?" Zayn mumbles, pointing towards him and then Crystal rapidly. "Do you-uh maybe want to-to try?" he whisper asks, nervously staring at her as she slides her tongue across her lower lip in nervousness.

"I-"
"Crystal, I obviously don't like you like that right now. It's probably my desperation to not be alone or have someone or maybe not lose you. But it's so fun around you and I-I don't know. I don't want to spend my life with some absolute stranger. I mean, how bad can it go right?" Zayn says softly, trying to read Crystal's reaction who just stares down.

"Uh say something?" Zayn whispers, now passing his hand to his pant's pocket and taking out a box that increases Crystal's heartbeat and opens it, revealing a gleaming engagement ring. It looked flawless to Crystal with the oval shaped diamond on it. Crystal feels all of the air moving out her lungs.

What the fúck, he's popping out a ring out of his áss after fifteen seconds of this date?

"Wow-w I'm-" Crystal shuts her mouth, looking at Zayn and smiling lightly. "You sure about this?" Crystal whispers asks "Can you handle me for the rest of your life? Are you sure we'll be able to make it-" Crystal is cut off when Zayn bites his lower lip lightly.

"I can hope." Crystal glances at Zayn's house again and breathing loud. "Will it fit?" she asks, blushing lightly as she keeps her hand in front of Zayn who gives out breathy laugh and shakes his head. He takes out the ring and slides it on her ring finger.

"You're not going to kiss me right?" Zayn asks, chuckling lightly. "I might." Crystal whispers, staring straight into his eyes as they widen in shock.

"Wh-What? Isn't it early?" that's when Crystal loses it and bursts out laughing. "I was just kidding." she smiles and then glances down at the ring. "You won't wear a ring?" Crystal asks in curiosity.

"Get me one, I don't know," Zayn shrugs lightly and then yawns.

"Mum told me it's tradition so I-I got it. Hurry the fúck up now. I don't want the clock to strike midnight. I need me some sleep I was exhausted yesterday." Crystal laughs all the way down the street to his car, Zayn holding her wrist and pulling her to run faster as they had parked it a little away to be able to walk.

The chocolate dessert laying on the ground where Crystal had dropped it, forgotten.

Maybe it was their thing now. Dropping ice creams, dropping early histories, dropping for each other, maybe?

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OMG ITS OFFICIAL WHO'S UP FOR SOME PARTY YALL!!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🍻

ALSO I REALISED THERE'S NO SHIP NAME FOR CRYSTAL AND ZAYN? SO ANY SUGGESTIONS.

ALSO, IF YOU WANT TO ASK ANY CHARACTER A QUESTION DROP THEM HERE AND I'LL ANSWER IT IN THEIR POINT OF VIEW.

THOUGHTS? WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN? FEEDBACK?

My results are coming soon so wish me luck sksjsksk :( pls vote for the 5500+ words chapter will mean a lot x