Prisoner (Harry Styles AU)

“So, Samantha, how did your examinations go?” My grandmother asked me as soon as I sat down beside her on the large sofa. It was Christmas and every single member of my family was here in this normally pretty big living room. But now it seems so small and almost stifling. I narrowed my eyes from the end of the room to my grandmother’s tired, crystal blue ones.
“Not super good, but not bad either. How are you doing grams?” I asked concerned, scanning the dark circles around her eyes. She forced a small smile, but her eyes looked too tired to smile along.
“I am fine, darling.” Her face turned in the direction of Mr. Rogers, also known as my principal, who was holding a teaspoon and a glass of champagne, tapping a little too harsh to call gently with his spoon against his glass.
I wanted to ask if she was sure, but Mr. Rogers – who likes to be called Mark outside of school- already started his speech.
“My dear family-“ he started but my attention was drawn to the window. Zayn appeared behind the window and a smile crept on my lips as soon as he started waving and doing gestures for me to come outside. I quickly searched for my phone and texted him
give me two minutes, nice suit by the way ;)
His eyebrows knotted together when he probably felt his phone vibrating. A cute grin appeared on his lips and when he looked up at me he gave me a small nod and disappeared again.
“Excuse me, I need to go to the loo” I stood up, my voice almost a whisper to not ruin Mark’s speech. My grandma gave me a little smile and nod. “Tell Zayn, I said hi” her voice was so soft almost like satin and it was wonderful to listen to. I gave her a confused look, but when she smiled so brightly even her eyes lit up now, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything that possibly could wipe her smile of her face.
“Zayn?” I asked when I stepped out of my house and I literally regretted it because the cold cut me like knives. Maybe I should quickly grab my jacket inside and maybe a beanie and a scarf and a pair of mittens and-
“Merry Christmas” Zayn’s blazer’s sleeves wrapped around my shivering body from behind. I turned around and gave him three kisses on his cheek while chuckling a little and muttering the same words.
“Jeez, it’s cold. Do you want to come inside? I’m freezing” I mumbled with chattered teeth in his neck.
“I d-don’t know if t-that’s a good idea, Sam.” He pushed me slightly aside, but with his hands still on my shoulders, he looked at me with concerned eyes. I opened the door and dragged him inside, not caring about my family time. I know almost everyone of my family hated him, except from my grandmother and Mr. Rogers because he isn’t allowed to hate students.
“Don’t be stupid, I’ll lock us in my room” I chuckled and gently pushed his back in the direction of the stairs. “Why are you wearing a suit?” I eyed him from his head to toe.
“Christmas family reunion.” He shrugged casually, I missed his smile. I reached my fingers from my side to the corners of his mouth and tried to form a smile on his face. He tried to smile, he really tried to but it didn’t work.
“Why are you here then?” I eventually dared to ask. He looked up from his own untangled fingers and his light brown eyes covered with worry found mine.
“I had a fight with Perrie, but don’t bring it up please. I’m trying to not to think about it.” I patted his shoulder, lightly and nodded my head. I never really understood how I have to comfort someone. But Zayn appreciates my little gestures. I think he knows how I ‘work’, after all these years I really think he figured it out.
“I should go downstairs and steal champagne for us” I say after a few minutes of silence. A small laughter escaped his lips as I already stand on my door. “Be right back” I put my thumbs up and jogged downstairs. I opened the door and my entire family was talking to one another. Except from Mark, he was staring absently out of the window. I opened the fridge and filled two champagne glasses, before walking back into the living room. Mark looked up at me and when his eyes met mine, he petrified for several seconds.
“Samantha, can I talk to you in private please?” He stood up and walked into my direction. He guided me out of the living room by placing his hand on the small of my back and nobody even noticed us getting out. “I, uh, I want you to sit down.” He gestured to the stairs and my stomach painfully turned in a knot of nerves. I didn’t answer and instead I looked up at his to start talking. “Well, I don’t really know how to start, but I just got a call from the Minister of Education in Brussels. Remember the big project from four months ago?” I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. “Well, five pupils were chosen from Belgium. They called each school to ask some questions and it looked like there was only one possible winner, well you can’t really call it a winner.”
“What happened with the other four?” I asked quietly, already knowing what he was going to say. It’s Zayn and he knows how heartbroken I’ll be because I literally cannot live without him. Not even for a day.
“One of them had asthma, the other his mum was laying in the hospital and she wouldn’t last longer than three months, there was one girl with diabetes and to be honest I didn’t remember the other two.” I swallowed hard, and I could feel tears starting to well up in my eyes. “It’s you Samantha” he breathed out eventually.
“No” a fit of laughter escaped my throat and my hands shot to my mouth. “Funny, that’s not even possible” I kept laughing and boxed his shoulder. “Good one” I stood up and took the two glasses of champagne, already on my way upstairs.
“Samantha, I am serious. You’re flying to America for some check-ups next month. I have the prove in my hands. I am so sorry Sam.” I literally opened my hands and brought them to my face, what the glasses of champagne let fall on the stairs and you could hear the clanging from every direction. Despite everything, there wasn’t any evidence that there would form tears again, my expression was blank as I didn’t turn around as I continued walking upstairs.
“Zayn” My voice broke, but my cheeks remained dry. Zayn alarmingly looked up from a magazine he was reading.
“Babe, what’s wrong?” He jumped out of the bed and hugged me tightly against his chest. “What’s wrong?” he asked again.
“I am the one” I whispered, almost getting frustrated that there wouldn’t come tears. I broke free from his embrace and sat on the end of my bad, not even blinking as I stared at my wall.
“Yea you are” he said more to himself than to me. I was confused, because I didn’t understand him. But I couldn’t bring myself to ask him about it.
“For the project I mean, for the fucking project. I am going to die on a deserted island, Zayn” the control over my body disappeared and I stood up walking towards my desk and threw every single thing that could possibly be thrown, on the floor.
“Babe” Zayn’s voice broke and took my fists in his hands. “Calm down” I turned around and waterfalls were streaming down his cheeks. “calm down” he said once again, but I already was. His tears made me want to collapse and fall down on the floor instead. At least I was calm and I didn’t want to slap anyone’s face in anymore. But the pain slowly filling up my chest was way stronger and way more intense.
“Zayn” my voice barely a whisper as my thumbs caressed over his cheekbone. He kept whispering a queue of ‘no’s’ and shaking his head none stop. “I am sorry, Zayn. This was not suppose to happen.” I whisper as I looked how he kept shaking his head and looking down at the ground.

Notes

I love you if you're reading this :)