Zayn's apartment was nothing like I'd expected it to be.

He has a beautiful view of the city and the ocean off in the distance, which immediately made me jealous. How do you not brag daily about that view?

All of his walls are a light grey, the cabinets in his kitchen are a dark grey with white accents. His countertops are white and fully cleaned, which is more than most men I've met can say.

All in all, his apartment is spotless, with small decorations here and there. He even has a balcony. Again, jealousy.

I didn't spend much time analyzing his home, though. I was too mesmerized by Zayn himself. He's showering now, leaving me alone in his very dark bedroom.

His walls are light grey like the rest of the house; his comforter is white with millions of pillows and blankets on top. His lights are dimmed, leaving the room relatively dark.

I plop down onto the bed, extending my legs and smiling contently. I turn on the TV and wait for Zayn to finish his shower.

I brought a change of clothes, but Z let me borrow one of his hoodies, and there was no way I was passing that up. It smells just like him and it is heaven.

The dogs come to join me at some point, hopping right onto the bed and cuddling up next to me. They're big dogs, so they take up most of the space, but I don't mind.

I've wanted to get my own dog, but it's just been too complicated, especially now that I have a full-time job.

I hear the shower stop and smile to myself. It's not common that someone's presence makes me happy or excited.

After my panic attack, Dr. Sweeney started me on different, stronger medication, and it's been working pretty well. The bad days are bad, but they occur less, which is a blessing. Zayn being around so frequently has helped, too. We're both busy, but seeing him make an effort to spend time together means the world to me.

The hardest side effect has been my sleep schedule. I can't seem to get more than three hours a night, and the only time I'm able to sleep through the night is when I'm with Zayn. We try to spend nights together as much as we can, but it's not always easy.

We haven't had sex yet, and part of me is worried he's not even sexually attracted to me. I mean, we've done other stuff, but we just haven't gotten there yet. We haven't had that many opportunities with Jordyn always home and work keeping up busy, but there have been some.

The last thing I want is for him to view me as this fragile thing that he's scared to break. I want to be close with him in every way, and if we can't connect sexually, what does that mean for our relationship?

Romantically, we're there. I'm definitely sexually attracted to him, and I treasure our ability to communicate. I've confided in him more than anyone, so that counts for something.

The door opens, and out comes Zayn, a cloud of steam coming with him. His lower half is covered with a towel, his abs on full display. His usual brown curls are wet and dripping in front of his face.

He smirks, clearly noticing my staring. "Enjoying the view?"

I roll my eyes, turning my attention back to the TV. "Nope."

He laughs as I cross my arms and show no sign of amusement on my face. He ignores it for now and changes into a pair of plaid pajama pants, leaving his chest bare. I mean, I'm definitely not complaining.

He groans loudly as he notices the little space the dogs and I have left for him on his bed. My lips upturn at his frustration, but I make room for him anyway.

He lays down next to me, his arm automatically pulling me close to him. My body fits perfectly underneath his arm, glued to his side.

I rest my head on his bare chest, hearing his heart beating steadily. It's fast but steady, and his fingers draw absentminded patterns on my bare hip, sending chills through my body.

I'm trying to keep my focus on the cartoon, but it's maddening with his fresh smell invading my nostrils and his body so close to mine.

Instead of avoiding my overloading senses, I let myself give in, entangling my legs with his and holding him tighter.

"You just can't get enough, eh?" He teases, pinching my side.

I squirm with a giggle and wack his chest. "Stop it."

He smirks, doing it again. "Why?" His hand lingers, his thumb brushing my skin lightly. "Ticklish?"

I bite my lip, ignoring the heat between my legs. "No."

He flips us slightly, so he's on top of me now, his hands on either side of me. "Are you sure?"

His head leans down, his fingers gently tugging down his hoodie so his lips can gain access to my neck. My skin is hot, and his lips are teasing me, kissing and sucking softly.

It doesn't help that his damn hands are squeezing my hips and my exposed thighs in all the right places.

My hands tangle into his hair, pulling him away from my skin so I can quickly pull off my hoodie. I toss it onto the floor, leaving me in my white lace bra and small cotton shorts.

Zayn's eyes look over me, an unfamiliar look in his eyes. "Fuck, you're sexy." He mumbles.

Well, I guess I can stop worrying he's not sexually attracted to me.

"Shut up," I pull his face to mine, kissing him roughly, letting myself take what I want for once.

He doesn't let me take control for long before he's pinning my hands above my head with one hand and teasing the skin right above my pant line. He knows exactly what he's doing, and it's fucking torture.

I whine as his hands leave mine and the bed rises as his body leaves mine. "Patience, baby." He laughs, rummaging through the bedside table.

I lean up on my elbows, looking over at him. "What are you doing?"

He finally finds the little packaging, tossing the condom onto the bed next to me as he comes back. He kicks the dogs out, too, making me laugh.

He quickly comes back to the bed, his body blanketing mine as he slowly kisses his way up from my belly button to my sensitive skin just below my ear.

I hardly even notice his hands tugging at my shorts, but his touch ignites goosebumps all over my skin, making me arch my back, so it's easier for him to remove them.

I bite my lips tightly as his hands hover over my underwear, his finger tracing the fabric against my skin.

I'm practically panting at this point, his subtle teasing sending me over the edge. I try to pull off my panties myself, but his hands pin mine down to my sides before I can even try.

"What did I say?" He questions, his eyes dark and focused on mine.

I sigh, my hips squirming on their own accord. "Patience."

"Mhm," he says darkly, his lips upturning cockily.

My bra got lost at some point, Zayn leaving open-mouthed kisses all over my chest. God, I don't even want to think about the number of hickies I'm going to have.

He pays attention to my every need. His hands don't miss a single inch of my skin, and the words he speaks to me leave me feeling like a damn puddle on his sheets.

His fingers finally tug off my panties, leaving me completely naked in front of him. He pulls off his pajamas and boxers in one sweep, coming back over me and kissing me sloppily.

His kisses are lazier, and his hands are more purposeful as his thumb circles my clit. I can't help the moan that escapes my lips, my breath catching.

"Zayn," I whisper out softly, his tongue pleasuring my left nipple now. His abs are glistening with the small layer of sweat coating his skin, and I can't help but notice how perfect he is.

My hands tug at his hair as his head dives between my thighs, his lips pleasuring me exactly as I need. His hands push my legs apart, keeping me relatively immobile. His tongue swirls and sucks expertly, causing me to move needily against his mouth.

His lips feel amazing, but it's not enough anymore. I grab his face and pull him to look at me. "More," I say.

He understands, his eyes full of lust and a lazy smirk on his lips. His teeth rip open the package, and he slips on the condom while I kiss along his jaw, the stubble there poking my skin.

Normally I'd be scared. I wouldn't want to be this intimate with someone, but Zayn makes me feel safe and sexy, and yeah, he's sexy too.

His eyes find mine as he positions himself and pushes inside me. He's gentle at first, almost as if asking if I'm okay. I nod softly, our lips touching again as he finds the perfect pace.

His hand focused on my nipples moves to my neck, lifting my face to look at him again. "Eyes on me," he says darkly, squeezing lightly.

I try to keep my eyes open, but the pleasure is overwhelming, especially when his hand moves to my clit, making me moan loudly.

He smirks, watching as my hands pull at his bedsheets and my eyes roll back. Our bodies move in sync, my hips rocking in time with his thrusting. We move like we've done this a million times before as if we've always known exactly how to please each other. Zayn's hands tangle into my hair, pulling softly. Our eyes connect again and soon enough, my climax practically sends me off this planet.

I moan his name loudly as I ride out my orgasm. He continues fucking me slowly through my orgasm, finding his release shortly after. We both go limp, Zayn's body slumping beside mine as the aftermath of our orgasms consumes us.

Holy shit.

We don't say anything for a few minutes, simply too exhausted to acknowledge one another. I find myself rolling over to him, my arm lazily draping over his torso.

As soon as our skin touches, his arms grab me and pull me to him, my back pressed against his chest, and he holds me in his arms.

"So damn perfect," he mutters against my neck, kissing the skin there.

I have never felt so at peace with someone in my life. In the short time I've known him, he's become all-consuming, and every moment I spend with him makes our connection that much stronger.

I've never been in love. I don't know what it feels like, but I know that I'm falling for this man much faster than I anticipated.

He practically waltzed into my life, flipping it upside down in the best way possible. I never had examples of true love in my life. My parents were a disaster. None of my grandparents stayed married. Hell, the only evidence I have of it are my twenty-one-year-old college friends.

Lying here in Zayn's arms, I know that it's the only place I want to be. With him, right here, right now.

For now, that's enough.

---

It's nearly sunrise when I wake to Zayn's phone ringing loudly. He grumbles, and his arms leave my waist as he rolls over to pick up his phone.

"Hello?" He says, his voice low and raspy from sleep.

I can't hear what is said on the other end, but whatever it is makes Zayn's face pale and his eyes go dark with anger.

"I accept," he says, turning away from me and pulling on his boxers before going into the bathroom.

What the hell?

I slip on one of Z's t-shirts and fiddle with my hands, trying to distract myself so I don't eavesdrop on his conversation. He clearly wants it to be private.

I can hear him shout something, a cuss word maybe, and then a crash. He opens the door, scowling.

"Who was that?" I ask.

He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself before walking back towards the bed and sitting against the headboard.

"My father," he says bitterly.

"He called you from prison? I thought Adelaide told you not to talk to him." I try not to sound too judgemental, but she had said that, and I was worried for him.

He sighs. "I know, I just- I had to tell him to leave me the fuck alone. I didn't even let him get a word in."

I scooch closer to him and take his hand in mine, tracing his veins and offering the most comfort I can.

"Do you know when you'll find out yet?" I ask after a few moments of silence.

He shakes his head. "Adelaide thinks it'll be within the month, but I don't know. I'm hoping he gets into a fight or something so they won't even consider releasing him early." He jokes.

I stroke his cheek with my thumb, smiling softly. "It's gonna be okay, and even if it's not, I'll be here regardless."

He looks down to face me, his eyes swarming with unfamiliar emotions. It's almost too intense, the way he's looking at me. He kisses me slowly, his finger stroking the outline of my jaw.

When we pull apart, he sighs. "Thank you."

I nod once, smiling. We wrap ourselves up together again and spend the rest of the morning watching cartoons, napping, and cuddling.

I know he's trying to appear like this isn't affecting him, but I can feel his energy shift, and I know he's endlessly paranoid about his father's release.

All I can do is provide him comfort and reassurance when he wants it.

I just hope he doesn't let this pain take over because if it does, it won't end well.

Happy Sunday :) Things are about to get... interesting. Let me know what you guys think gonna happen next. Thank you so much for reading. I appreciate you