i will sing snippet
I am SO SORRY this took so long. I thought I'd get a chance to write some while I had three days off last week, but I kind of just -- stared at the word doc and then went to hide away and eat cheesecake like a terrible, awful person. But, in penitence, have a snippet of the first time Zayn and our mysterious OMC meet!
The week before they go on tour, Josh throws a going-away party. It's a bit early, but they've got so much to do to prepare over the next week, a party closer to their actual departure date would be impossible. It's a good thing it's early, anyway, the boys all need a break from... well, from everything, really. There are no paps at this party, no one that Josh doesn't know personally, and it's at his own house. It's easy to pretend that they're actually just normal lads like this, and they need that, even for just a night.
As soon as they get into the house, Niall takes off for the kitchen in search of alcohol, Louis and Harry not far behind. Liam looks at Zayn expectantly, clearly certain he'll follow, but Zayn just smiles at him and stays where he is.
"You don't have to keep me company, you know. I know you want to get a drink and go dance," Liam admonishes, though he's smiling, so the words don't really carry all that much weight. Zayn just shrugs, smiling. "I know." Rolling his eyes, Liam pushes Zayn toward the kitchen, hands planted firmly on his shoulders. The contact sends a thrill up Zayn's spine, just like it always does, and he hides the resulting shiver with a laugh, allowing Liam to maneuver them both into the kitchen without making a fuss. They fall into line with Harry, Louis, and Niall as soon as the other three are in view, and Liam drops his hands from Zayn's shoulders.
"Lee-yum! Are you going to join us in our drunken debauchery tonight?" Louis exclaims, a manic grin taking over his face. In answer, Liam grabs a beer off the counter, and everyone whoops as he takes a swig. Zayn claps him on the back, picking up a beer of his own.
"Good man, Liam!"
"Yeah, yeah. Just the one, alright, I need to make sure none of you lot do anything too stupid, and I can't do that if I'm pissed."
"Boo, you whore," Louis says, though the words are muffled from the way he's nuzzled his face into Harry's neck. Harry laughs, open and utterly delighted, and it occurs to Zayn that until they came out, he hadn't seen them so happy in... ages. Months, at least, maybe even a whole year. He didn't really need any more eveidence that he'd done the right thing signing the contract -- he'd had enough of that over the past couple weeks, seeing how much it's meant to Harry and Louis and even their fans -- but it just hits him all over again in that moment, seeing two of his best mates happier than he's seen them in months. It hardly even feels like a sacrifice, really, like, sure he's not allowed a boyfriend, but why would that bother him when his boys are so happy?
Over the next hour, they all start going their separate ways. Harry and Louis are the first to leave, heading for the dance floor hand-in-hand. Niall's next, noticing Josh in the crowd somewhere and bouncing off after him. Liam stays the longest, sipping at his beer and talking companionably with Zayn, but eventually he gets dragged into conversation by some cute girl he's too polite to turn down immediately, and then it's just Zayn. He's contemplating going to find Louis and Harry on the dance floor, oblivious to his surroundings, so he doesn't notice when someone steps up next to him.
"Mind if I join you?" a male voice asks, and Zayn blinks, looking over at the new guy. He's no one Zayn's ever met befoe, but he's cute, with tanned skin and short, light brown hair, and -- yeah. Cute. Even though Zayn's not really allowed to think that kind of thing anymore, contractually. Shrugging, he says nothing, and the guy seems to take that as an indication that his presence is, if not wanted, at least tolerable. He grabs a beer and leans against the counter next to Zayn, his posture distinctly flirtatious, and holds out his hand.
"Hi, I'm Ben."
The week before they go on tour, Josh throws a going-away party. It's a bit early, but they've got so much to do to prepare over the next week, a party closer to their actual departure date would be impossible. It's a good thing it's early, anyway, the boys all need a break from... well, from everything, really. There are no paps at this party, no one that Josh doesn't know personally, and it's at his own house. It's easy to pretend that they're actually just normal lads like this, and they need that, even for just a night.
As soon as they get into the house, Niall takes off for the kitchen in search of alcohol, Louis and Harry not far behind. Liam looks at Zayn expectantly, clearly certain he'll follow, but Zayn just smiles at him and stays where he is.
"You don't have to keep me company, you know. I know you want to get a drink and go dance," Liam admonishes, though he's smiling, so the words don't really carry all that much weight. Zayn just shrugs, smiling. "I know." Rolling his eyes, Liam pushes Zayn toward the kitchen, hands planted firmly on his shoulders. The contact sends a thrill up Zayn's spine, just like it always does, and he hides the resulting shiver with a laugh, allowing Liam to maneuver them both into the kitchen without making a fuss. They fall into line with Harry, Louis, and Niall as soon as the other three are in view, and Liam drops his hands from Zayn's shoulders.
"Lee-yum! Are you going to join us in our drunken debauchery tonight?" Louis exclaims, a manic grin taking over his face. In answer, Liam grabs a beer off the counter, and everyone whoops as he takes a swig. Zayn claps him on the back, picking up a beer of his own.
"Good man, Liam!"
"Yeah, yeah. Just the one, alright, I need to make sure none of you lot do anything too stupid, and I can't do that if I'm pissed."
"Boo, you whore," Louis says, though the words are muffled from the way he's nuzzled his face into Harry's neck. Harry laughs, open and utterly delighted, and it occurs to Zayn that until they came out, he hadn't seen them so happy in... ages. Months, at least, maybe even a whole year. He didn't really need any more eveidence that he'd done the right thing signing the contract -- he'd had enough of that over the past couple weeks, seeing how much it's meant to Harry and Louis and even their fans -- but it just hits him all over again in that moment, seeing two of his best mates happier than he's seen them in months. It hardly even feels like a sacrifice, really, like, sure he's not allowed a boyfriend, but why would that bother him when his boys are so happy?
Over the next hour, they all start going their separate ways. Harry and Louis are the first to leave, heading for the dance floor hand-in-hand. Niall's next, noticing Josh in the crowd somewhere and bouncing off after him. Liam stays the longest, sipping at his beer and talking companionably with Zayn, but eventually he gets dragged into conversation by some cute girl he's too polite to turn down immediately, and then it's just Zayn. He's contemplating going to find Louis and Harry on the dance floor, oblivious to his surroundings, so he doesn't notice when someone steps up next to him.
"Mind if I join you?" a male voice asks, and Zayn blinks, looking over at the new guy. He's no one Zayn's ever met befoe, but he's cute, with tanned skin and short, light brown hair, and -- yeah. Cute. Even though Zayn's not really allowed to think that kind of thing anymore, contractually. Shrugging, he says nothing, and the guy seems to take that as an indication that his presence is, if not wanted, at least tolerable. He grabs a beer and leans against the counter next to Zayn, his posture distinctly flirtatious, and holds out his hand.
"Hi, I'm Ben."