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ZAYN'S APARTMENT – EVENING

Zayn stepped into his apartment and dropped his keys on the table. The space was quiet, dimly lit, and oddly calming. He sank onto the couch, running a hand through his hair, still thinking about Elior  the date, the kiss, the way his heart wouldn't stop racing.

Just then, his phone buzzed.

Elior Calling…

He hesitated a second before answering.

ZAYN:

"Hey."

ELIOR:

"Hey, stranger. You didn’t show up yesterday."

ZAYN (with a soft sigh):

"Yeah….. something came at home, so I had to go back."

ELIOR:

"Ahh, Rhys told me. Everything okay?"

ZAYN:

"Yeah. Just the usual drama."

There was a small pause on the line, the kind of silence that felt warm, not awkward.

ELIOR (lightly):

"So… what are you doing right now?"

ZAYN:

"Nothing really. Just sitting around."

ELIOR:

"Wanna go out?"

ZAYN (raising a brow):

"Where?"

ELIOR (playfully):

"I don’t know. Anywhere. Wherever you want."

ZAYN:

"I’m not sure..."

ELIOR (teasing):

"Then come with me. I’ll decide. But one condition."

ZAYN (smirking):

"Let me guess. No parks?"

ELIOR (laughing):

"Exactly. No rides, no cotton candy. I’ve had enough of that."

Zayn chuckled, shaking his head. “Fine.”

ELIOR:

"Cool. I’ll pick you up in twenty. Be ready."

ZAYN:

"Alright. See you."

ELIOR:

"See you, Zayn."

Zayn ended the call, still smiling faintly to himself. Then he stood up and walked to his closet, mumbling under his breath

ZAYN:

"What the hell are you doing to me, Elior Blackwood?"

---

The neon lights flickered above them, painting their faces with soft hues of red and blue as they walked out of the arcade. Laughter echoed around them from other people still playing inside, but Zayn and Elior were in their own world.

ZAYN laughing."I still can't believe you actually missed every shot in that basketball game."

ELIOR grinning."Excuse me! That machine was clearly broken. No way I’m that bad."

ZAYN teased him."Sure. Keep telling yourself that."

They both chuckled again. Their laughter slowly faded into a comfortable silence as they strolled side by side down the lit path beside the arcade.

ELIOR called gently."Zayn."

Zayn turned to look at him, eyes soft and curious. Elior didn’t say anything for a second. Instead, he just held out his hand.

Zayn stared at it for a moment before quietly slipping his hand into Elior’s.

Fingers intertwined. A warmth passed between them gentle and reassuring.

They looked at each other, and both smiled.

No words were spoken, but something had changed. Something subtle. Something real.

---

They stopped near a food stall and shared a snack, talking about random memories, throwing jokes, and even arguing briefly about which superhero was cooler. Zayn was more relaxed than he had been in days.

ZAYN mouth full."I told you this would taste amazing."

ELIOR was pretending to be skeptical."I still think it needs more spice."

ZAYN raising a brow."You just have a bland taste."

They both laughed again, their voices soft and playful in the night air.

---

The car smelled faintly of cologne and air freshener. Music played quietly in the background something soft and jazzy. Zayn sat in the passenger seat, gazing out the window as the city lights passed by. But he could feel Elior's eyes on him.

He turned to look.

ZAYN asked half-smiling."Why are you looking at me like that?"

ELIOR shrugging."Can I not?"

Zayn blushed, looking away.

ZAYN."It’s distracting."

ELIOR said softly."Good."

They drove on, silent now. But not awkwardly.

---

The soft hum of the air conditioner was the only sound in the dimly lit room. Curtains swayed gently with the breeze coming from the slightly open window. The bed sheets were tangled, the mattress slightly shifted from its place, and on it, Zayn lay staring blankly at the ceiling.

His body ached, not painfully, but in that unfamiliar way that reminded him just how intense the last few days had been.

Four days.

Four whole days of nothing but heat, fire, whispered words in the dark, rough kisses, and hands that never seemed to rest.

He blinked slowly, his mind still heavy from the haze of everything that had happened. His fingers brushed across the bite marks on his neck, marks that burned when touched, marks that weren’t just physical anymore. They were proof of how far he had let someone in.

“What the hell just happened…” Zayn muttered softly to himself.

Beside him, Elior was asleep, one hand draped across Zayn’s waist, his chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm. Zayn turned his head to look at him. The guy was a mess his hair was a disaster, lips swollen from all the kissing, a faint mark on his collarbone. And yet… he looked so calm.

Zayn scoffed under his breath, but there was a softness in his expression as he reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Elior’s face.

He remembered how it started innocent at first. Just a quiet moment on the couch. Zayn sitting sideways across Elior’s lap, teasing him, whispering things between soft kisses. Elior’s fingers drawing circles on his back. Their laughter echoing in the living room, low and warm.

And then the heat came.

Zayn had felt it rise in his skin, his body aching in ways he hadn’t expected. His heat cycle had hit stronger than it had in a long time and Elior... had gone into rut almost instantly.

Everything else blurred.

There was no logic, no hesitation, no turning back.

Zayn had wrapped his legs around Elior’s waist, and they had barely made it to the bedroom before they were on each other again. Clothes discarded carelessly. Kisses turned hungry. Gentle touches turned desperate.

The first night was overwhelming. Zayn remembered crying not from pain, not from regret but from something deeper. Like something in him had finally cracked open, and Elior saw all of it. Held all of it.

And the next three days?

They didn’t stop.

Heat met rut, again and again.

The room was thick with the scent of them. Pheromones clung to the walls. Sheets changed twice, but it didn’t matter.they always ended up tangled and breathless all over again. Zayn wasn’t even sure how many times they’d said each other’s names in the dark. Or how many times Elior had whispered “you’re mine” against his throat.

But now… it was quiet.

Zayn carefully lifted Elior’s hand from his waist and sat up, the sheets falling from his shoulder. His body felt heavy sore in places he hadn’t known could be sore but he didn’t regret it. Not even a little.

He slid out of bed, wrapped himself in a hoodie that was definitely too big for him (Elior’s, obviously), and padded out into the kitchen.

Everything looked normal. Except he didn’t feel normal.

He leaned against the counter, hands gripping the cold marble as his mind wandered.

What now?

What did this mean?

Was it just biology? A heat? A rut? A blur of need?

Or was there something more?

Because Zayn remembered everything Elior had said in the dark. The way he held him like he was afraid to let go. The way he kissed his forehead after everything was over. The way he whispered, “I’ve never felt this with anyone.”

Zayn closed his eyes.

He had always been scared of this.

Of love.

Of being touched this deeply not just physically, but emotionally. And now, standing there in the silence of his apartment, wearing Elior’s hoodie, body marked and heart… confused, he didn’t know whether to run or stay.

Footsteps broke his thoughts.

Zayn turned around, and there Elior was standing in the doorway, eyes sleepy, hair messy, wearing nothing but sweats and that familiar sleepy smile.

“Hey…” Elior said, voice raspy.

“You okay?”

Zayn didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he walked toward him, stopped in front of him, and said, “I don’t know what we are now, Elior… but I’m not scared to find out.”

Elior’s expression softened. He reached out, tucked a lock of hair behind Zayn’s ear, and whispered, “Good. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

They stood there like that silent, steady, and for the first time in a long while, Zayn didn’t feel like running.

---

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