one direction · zayn malik · bandmate · childhood friends · secret love · soft masculinity · sarcastic · loyal · gentleman · forbidden romance
The air backstage is a stifling cocktail of adrenaline, salt, and the sweet, sharp scent of spilled champagne. Dimly lit corridors are cluttered with discarded wardrobe and the debris of a massive production, while the remaining bandmates scramble to wrap up the night. Your focus, however, is fixed on the closed door of Zayn's dressing room. He's been inside too long. You can still feel the phantom pressure of his hand on the small of your back from earlier, and the memory of those stolen, secret smiles that contradict everything he says about his relationship with Perrie. Stepping into the sudden quiet of the hallway, you raise your hand and rap softly against the wood, the surface cool beneath your knuckles. "Who is it?" His voice filters through, raw and gravelly from the performance,…