I waited for the Zayn backstage after the show as he walked up to me, all smiles. “What did you think?” Zayn asked as he followed the boys out of the arena. I grabbed the back of his shirt and stopped him from going out. “What’s up?”

“Zayn, you can’t keep indirectly directing things at me like that.” I sighed.

“I know, but I can’t help it.” He shrugged. “I just want to let you know how I feel.”

“Zayn, I know how you feel! You make a point to tell me every chance you get!”

“Hey, don’t yell at me, Nora. You’re the one who’s being stubborn!”

“I’m being stubborn!? Coming from the one who can’t take ‘no’ as an answer!”

“I can’t take ‘no’ as an answer because I know that’s not what you want to say!” Zayn yelled at me.

“I am in a committed relationship, Zayn, and I have a responsibility-“

“To yourself and only yourself! Your responsibility is to do what makes you happy, and you’re not happy with him!”

“I love him. What about that can you not get through your think head!? I. Love. Jake!”

“Not as much as you love me.” Zayn grabbed my face with both of his hands and quickly brought his lips down onto mine. I didn’t know what to do. Slap him? Push away? Kiss him back? All of the above? For a moment I just stood there before placing my hands on his shoulders and pushing him back. “Nora…”

“No… I, I can’t.” I shook my head as I walked backwards towards the door. “I can’t.” I turned around and ran out the door and onto the bus. I quickly texted Jake.

Nora: Please, please, please don’t be mad when I tell you this.

Jake: What happened? Why would I be mad?

Nora: Zayn kissed me. I didn’t kiss him back. I pushed him away. Please don’t be mad! I didn’t want him to, and I had to tell you otherwise I would feel awful.

Jake: I’m not mad, love. I’m just glad you told me. You didn’t kiss him back, right? So there’s nothing to be mad about. I’ve gotta go, though. Boss is coming around and we’re not supposed to be using our phones on the clock. Love you loads!

Nora: Love you, too! Xx

I jumped up onto my bunk, hugged my knees to my chest and cried. I didn’t care who heard me, I just needed to let it all out. “Nora? Nora are you okay?” I looked up and saw Liam standing at the open curtain of my bunk. I hid my face in the crook of my elbow and went back into my own bubble. I don’t even know why I was crying, it just felt like the thing to do. I felt a weight shift on my bunk and felt someone’s arm sling around my shoulder.

“Leave me alone.” I managed to say.

“Not in this state. We can’t risk you hurting yourself.” Liam said and kissed the top of my head. I tried to push him away, but he didn’t budge, so I just went with it. Liam rested his head on top of mine and sat there while I cried until I was dried up. “Feeling better?”

“Much.” I sniffed and wiped my face. “Thanks for letting me borrow your shoulder.” I smiled and looked at my phone. “For twenty minutes.” I let out a small laugh.

“Anytime. Everyone needs a good cry every now and then.” Liam jumped down from my bunk. “So what did Zayn do this time?”

“It was nothing Liam.” I shrugged and laid down on my back.

“Then why were you crying?”

“Zayn and I argued, but it was over something stupid.” Liam looked at me skeptically. “Seriously… it’s just lady problems.” I came up with on the spot. Liam’s face went pink with embarrassment. “I’m going to take a nap.” I yawned and Liam scuttled off.

~*~

An hour later I heard hushed voices arguing down the hall. “Zayn, she told you she loves Jake. Why can’t you just accept that?” Liam.

“Because I know she doesn’t love him.” Zayn whispered back. “She’s trying to hide what she really feels from everyone, including herself.” There was a moment of silence. “Oh, don’t give me that look, Liam. I know that she feels the same for me.”

“How?”

“I kissed her earlier, and that said it all.”

“You kissed her!?”

“Would you keep your voice down?” Zayn went quiet for a moment. “Yes, I kissed her, and it was great. Even if she didn’t kiss me back.” Liam sighed and I decided it was time for me to ‘wake up’.

“Where is everyone?” I said as I jumped down from my bunk and walked up to Liam and Zayn.

“They’re in the hotel.” Zayn smiled at me. I rolled my eyes and sat down next to Liam.

“Does everyone know about my meltdown?” I whispered to Liam.

“No, just me and you… well Zayn does, now.”

“I told you not to talk to him!” I said and punched his arm.

“Hey!” Liam rubbed the spot I had just hit. “You know I was going to anyway!” I rolled my eyes and walked off of the bus to get my room key. I heard someone following behind me.

“Zayn, what are you doing?” I sighed and turned to face him. Liam walked past us and into the hotel, leaving us outside to talk privately.

“Nora, this is killing me.” Zayn whispered. “Being around you all the time, and not being able to kiss you, or hold you…”

“Would it be easier if I quit my job?”

“No, it’d be easier if you’d admit you made a mistake with Jake.” Zayn ran his hand through his hair frustrated.

“Not this again.” I rolled my eyes and tried to walk inside.

“Jesus Christ.” Zayn cut me off. “Nora, I am in love with you. No… I love you! I hate the thought of not being able to tell you that every minute of every day, and the fact that he’s trying to keep you away from me absolutely kills me. How hard is it for you to understand that his personal mission is to get you as far away from me as possible?!”

“What part of ‘I don’t love you’ do you not understand!?” I could see Zayn’s facial expression change from pleading to heartbreak in a matter of two seconds. “I don’t want you, Zayn.”

“Yes, you do!”

“No I don’t!” I nearly screamed.

“Stop fucking lying to yourself, Nora!”

“I’m not!”

“Yes you are!”

“Fuck it. I’m going inside, and getting my room. Don’t even think about following me.” I warned and stomped inside and got my room key.

“Hey Nora-“

“No.” I said as I walked past Niall. I automatically felt bad for being so rude. “Sorry, Niall… just not now, okay?” Niall smiled and nodded

“I’ll tell you in the morning.” He smiled and walked off before I made my way up to my room. I unlocked the door and tossed my duffle bag on the bed and started to unpack my clothes for the night.

“I thought I told you not to follow me.” I said as I heard the door stop before it closed.

“I’m sorry.” I heard Zayn’s Bradford accent from behind me. “I know you don’t want me,” There was a new pain in his voice. “and I thought that forcing you to admit something that wasn’t true would make you want me.” His voice was shaky, like he was about to cry. “I’m sorry I’m probably the worst friend you could ever have, and I’m sorry I love you so much when I should let you go.”

“Zayn, you’re not the worst friend I’ve ever had.” I turned to face him and he quickly wiped under his left eye. “But come on, can we just drop this whole Jake subject and just be friends?” Zayn nodded and sighed. “Okay… goodnight, Zayn.”

“Night.” As soon as Zayn was out the door, I changed my clothes and crawled into bed.

~*~

The next morning, Zayn and I had acted as if nothing went down the night before. “What did you need to tell me last night, Niall?”

“Oh! There’s a Nando’s nearby!” He smiled happily. “We should all go for lunch!”

“Niall, we’ll be gone after breakfast.” I laughed.

“Oh.” He looked disappointed. “Well, maybe there’ll be one in the next city.”

~*~

We had arrived in the next city nearly a day and a half early, so we all decided to head to an amusement park for the day off. I grabbed my sunglasses, fixed my makeup, and headed off the bus as soon as we were parked. “How does my hair look?” Zayn asked as he walked off the bus behind me.

“It looks great.” I shrugged and felt the sun warming my skin.

“You didn’t even look.” Zayn chuckled and bumped me playfully as he walked past me.

“No quiff today?” I asked as I looked at his head in confusion.

“Nah; I thought a beanie would suffice for today.” I shrugged and walked to the gate of the park and waited for the rest of the guys.

“Aren’t the others coming?”

“No; they’re going to a water park, and since I can’t swim I thought it’d be cool if you and I hung out here today.” I tugged at my shorts uncomfortably before nodding. “Awesome.” We waved at the others as the bus drove past us and off to the water park. “So,” Zayn turned to me. “Which ride first?”

“Roller coasters!” I threw both fists in the air and ran towards the entrance and paid the woman before stepping in the gate.

“Are you sure?” Zayn asked nervously as he walked in afterwards.

“Yes! I love them; the thrill of going towards the ground at sixty miles an hour, only to go back up!”

“N-nothing else?” I looked at him confused for a moment before it clicked.

“You’re afraid of heights!” I remembered. “Oh, man. I’m so sorry.” I looked around the park for another ride. “Spinning teacups?” Zayn nodded, relieved, and we ran off towards the ride. “So what are you going to do if you get mobbed?” I asked as I saw a group of teenage girls behind him in line eyeing Zayn and I.

“Then we run.” Zayn shrugged as we were let through the gate to get on the ride. “Smile!” I flashed my teeth as Zayn when he pointed his phone at me. I heard a ‘click’ and sat down.

“Don’t you dare put that online.” I warned and he put his phone away before sitting down across from me in the giant teacup.

“Too late.” He smirked and scooted closer to me. I rolled my eyes and the ride started and Zayn automatically started spinning us faster and faster. I grabbed onto the wheel to help, but it only seemed to slow us down because Zayn was purposely trying to grab my hands, so I just gave up and let him spin it.

“That was so much fun!” I yelled as we walked off the ride. I grabbed onto Zayn’s shoulder for support. He’d spun the thing so fast, I’m surprised I was able to stand I was so dizzy.

“It definitely was.” Zayn laughed as he held only my side to help support me. “You good?”

“Yeah.” I blushed as Zayn’s hand grazed my back as he pulled his arm away. “Look! A giant Tigger!” I yelled and ran to one of the game booths. “I love Tigger!” I smiled and pulled out a dollar to play the shooting game.

“I’ll get it for you.” Zayn had a prideful smile on his lips. I shrugged and put my dollar away. A free Tigger doll? I wasn’t going to stop him. Zayn handed the man a dollar and held up one of the fake guns and aimed at one of the six ducks.

“Shoot four of these ducks in the next thirty seconds, and the Tigger is all your girlfriend’s.” The man smiled.

“Oh, I’m not his-“

“I got this.” Zayn smiled confidently and shot four ducks in ten seconds flat. Both the man and I looked at him in shock. “What?” I shook my head and the man handed me the giant Tigger I had been eyeing not even a minute before.

“Thank you.” I smiled and we walked off. “How did you do that?” I asked and Zayn lead us to a food cart and got us each a hotdog.

“I dunno. Good aim, I guess.” He shrugged and handed me a hotdog before leading me to the next ride.

~*~

When the bus came to pick us up that night, Zayn had won me three stuffed animals, and two hats. “Looks like you two had an eventful day.” Louis laughed as Zayn helped me carry all my prizes to my bunk.

“Definitely.” I chuckled as I jumped onto my bunk. “Thanks for today, Zayn. I had a lot of fun.” I smiled and kissed his cheek. “See you in the morning.” Zayn’s hand flew up to the cheek I kissed and backed away, his face three shades darker than it was before. I giggled and rolled onto my side.

Before drifting off to sleep, I pulled out my phone and looked at Zayn’s twitter.

@zaynmalik: Having a great day with my best friend @NoraACarter today! Amusement parks are the best aha! X : )

Attached was the picture he had taken of me before getting on the teacups. It wasn’t a bad picture. The sun was hitting my hair just right, where it looked golden in the sunlight, and my sunglasses were covering my eyes, but you could still see the shape of them, and my teeth looked straighter than they actually were. He was lucky it was good picture of me, otherwise he would have been a dead man in the morning.

I had less than two weeks with him left, and I was glad we were back on good terms and making the most of the time we had left.

Notes

If I posted an Ed Sheeran fic would you guys read it?
Hope you're liking it so far! I know it's kinda shit, but it's an older one that I wrote in 2012. Yikes.
Xx
Katie