thank you, next

“I’m supposed to leave tomorrow.”

Harry looked up from his plate and raised a curious brow at Zayn. “What do you mean?”

“I think you know what I mean.” Zayn didn’t want to hurt Harry’s feelings, but he also didn’t want to beat around the bush. It was a conversation they needed to have.

Harry sighed and he put his fork down. “I don’t want you to go.”

Zayn stared at him in surprise.

“Don’t look so shocked,” Harry told him, “I thought it was obvious.”

Maybe it was. Maybe Harry tried to show him. Either way, Zayn needed to get back to the city. He had a life there and it was important to him. He wasn’t going to throw that all away to play house with Harry when he didn’t even know if he could count on him not to leave him in the morning.

“I don’t know, Harry.” Zayn shrugged. “I want to believe you, but it’s been what – two days? Maybe tomorrow you’ll wake up and you’ll have changed your mind.”

“Are you going to change your mind?” Harry asked him.

Zayn swallowed hard. The answer was no. How could he ever truly forget about the man he had loved since he was a kid who didn’t even know what the word meant?

“Stay here with me,” Harry said when silence fell and Zayn didn’t answer the question.

Zayn gawked at him. “I’m supposed to drop everything I have in a place I love to live here with you?”

“You love this place too,” Harry insisted.

“No,” Zayn said, “I don’t. When I’m at home, I’m only reminded of you and how my heart was broken countless times in this town.” He didn’t want to hurt Harry but maybe Harry needed to hear what he had to say. “I have a life there and friends and co-workers –“