When Harry got up to the room he saw his clothes scattered around the floor from the night before, and although it looked messy, he loved seeing it that way.
Knowing just how much they'd expressed to each other last night, and he knew he'd taken every second of that for granted when Paul told him they had to be separated.
And honestly, he had no idea how he was so calm right now. Maybe he saw it coming in a way?
Back downstairs, Zayn had just finished up his treatment, his throat was feeling way better than it had been all morning but once he saw Paul waving him over with no sight of Harry he knew something was wrong.
Paul: "hey let's go have a chat"
Zayn just nodded.
Zayn: "where's Harry?"
Paul: "he ran upstairs real quick"
Zayn: "you gonna tell me what's going on?"
Paul: "Simon and some others from the label found out about you and Harry and they're requesting for us to keep you guys apart as much as possible"
Zayn: "no"
Paul: "zayn I could lose my job"
Zayn: "no...that's all I have to say."
Paul: "listen, your time will be limited but that doesn't mean you won't have any time at all..."
Zayn: "first of all, you guys make me date a girl I don't even like talking to for publicity. Now, your not letting me have a real relationship that's not even public?!"
Paul: "it wasn't my doing lad, I love you guys"
Zayn: "at this point, I don't want anything to do with this label. I swear to fucking god Paul...I will quit"
Paul: "zayn..."
Zayn: "I don't think anyone fully understands how much he means to me...in such a short span of time, he became everything to me. And to just completely cut something out of my life like that? No."
Paul: "I know you don't wanna go through with this, and Harry didn't want to either-
Zayn: "well I'd fucking hope not!"
Paul: "he's upstairs gathering his things"
Zayn: "no, he's staying with me, there's no way he's sleeping alone in that room across the hall."
Paul: "Z I'm trying to make this easier, you guys can have your time, but not all the time"
Zayn: "fuck it, I'm sorry but I can't"
He walked away, tears brimming his eyes at how completely absurd the whole idea and situation was. He was on the verge of completely quitting.
When he walked upstairs and slid the key in the door, he opened it to a clean room. Only his things sitting on the floor and around the sink, but two perfectly packed bags sat at Harry's feet who was looking up at Zayn with watery eyes from the couch.
Zayn: "I'm not doing this"
Harry: "what?"
Zayn: "they're not telling me who I can and can't be with, no fucking way."
Harry: "I just wanna be with you"
Zayn: "and you will be, who's gonna stop you?"
Harry: "Paul, Simon, the label?!"
Zayn: "they're all pieces of shit baby, listen, no matter how this works out in the end, I'm yours."
Harry: "but sleeping alone just sounds...cold"
Zayn: "it's just lonely"
Harry: "I don't like it"
Zayn: "you just have to sneak in here tonight love, okay?"
Harry: "but if we get caught there'll be even more restrictions"
Zayn: "listen to me, I'm not letting them separate me from the one person who keeps me in this band."
Harry: "you do realize they're not letting us sit by each other at interviews, stand next to each other at shows...nothing right?"
Zayn: "so fucking what?! at the end of the night, your lips will be on mine, and there's nothing they can do to stop that. Yeah?"
Harry just nodded, knowing that Zayn was hopeful right now, but that would soon dwindle when he realized just how restricted Paul was told to keep them.
Harry: "I guess I uh...
He started to choke up, tears were falling down his cheeks now as he walked toward Z.
He buried his head in his chest and let it all out while Zayn rocked him back and forth until he was able to calm himself down.
Harry: "I guess I gotta go then..."
Zayn: "babe please just stay"
Harry: "Paul's coming up soon, he thinks I'm just getting my things z"
Zayn: "give me a proper goodbye then..."
Harry: "Paul's gonna knock on the door"
Zayn: "just kiss me a little"
He started pushing Harry toward the bed, and as much as Harry wanted this, he knew they'd get caught and it'd be worse than it already was.
He was pushed back onto the bed, and his lips connected with Zayn's for a few times before he pushed his chest up and off of him.
Harry: "listen...I'll sneak in here tonight okay...we can't do this now, but...you do taste good"
Zayn smirked although he didn't wanna stop and grabbed Harry's chin bringing him closer. He connected their lips delicately for a split second before releasing him.
Zayn: "I'm always gonna be close to you, no matter how far they try to keep us"
Harry: "I know Z"
Zayn: "and I don't want you sleeping alone"
Harry: "they do"
Zayn: "what matters? them or us?"
Harry looked down at his hands and played with the rings on them, searching for an answer. His job or his first actual love?
Zayn: "you can't be serious?!"
Harry: "Z, I-
Zayn: "you're gonna let them control you?!"
Harry: "no but-
Zayn: "but what?!"
Harry: "but this has been my dream job since I was a kid, and I don't wanna lose it"
Zayn: "if someone takes your job because you're in a relationship with someone, they're fucking idiots. But choose what you want, I'm done."
Zayn went to grab his pack of cigarettes and leave when he realized that they were in Harry's pocket.
Zayn: "I need my cigs"
Harry: "no"
Zayn: "Harry, we're not playing this game. You picked what you wanted to pick. Now let me smoke."