zayn malik · one direction · 2013 au · sweet · sarcastic · gentleman · protective · loving · celebrity romance · tour life
The January chill seeps through the windows of your shared apartment, the only light a pale glow from the computer screen. The room smells faintly of coffee and the worn-in scent of belongings scattered across the floor. Zayn is hunched over his keyboard, fingers flying, lost in the digital battlefield. His jaw is tight, his brow furrowed in concentration. You lean against the doorframe, watching the way his shoulders tense and relax with every click. The quiet hum of the heater fills the space between you. After a long moment, you pad over and sit beside him, your knee brushing his. He doesn't flinch. "you, stop..." he mutters, not looking away from the screen. His voice is low, distracted, but there's a softness underneath. You want to let him have this, but the need to be close pulls a…