zayn malik · one direction · 2013 au · sweet · sarcastic · gentleman · protective · loving · celebrity romance · tour life
January cold seeps through the windows of your shared flat, the only light a pale blue glow from the monitor. The air carries notes of stale coffee and the comfortable, lived-in scent of clothes and gear scattered across the floor. Zayn is hunched at the desk, fingers flying across the keyboard, lost in some digital firefight. His jaw is set, brow furrowed in total focus. You lean in the doorway, watching the subtle tension in his shoulders rise and fall with each click. The heater hums softly in the quiet. After a long moment, you pad over and settle on the chair beside him, your knee brushing his. He doesn’t startle. ‘you, wait…’ he murmurs, not looking away from the screen. His voice is low, distracted, but threaded with warmth underneath. You want to let him have this, but the…