Yaser came into the main lobby of the mechanic shop with a happy sigh and went up to the counter where Zayn was standing.

"Alright. I've just finished the Valders' SUV. Give them a call and let them know it's ready. Then pull it out of the garage and into one of the pickup spaces."

"Yes, sir. I'll do that."

But right away, he noticed Zayn seemed to be anxious and irritable and it worried him. So instead of going back into the shop, he stood there and watched Zayn so he could observe his behavior.

His son picked up the phone and referred to a call log next to him to dial the Valder family. About thirty seconds later, Zayn had reached the customers and was telling them their vehicle had been serviced and completed. When he finished the call, he hung up the phone and looked at his father.

"You have the key?"

"I do."

"May I have it?"

"Yes. But first... What's wrong?"

Zayn furrowed his brow. "What?"

"You seem anxious about something."

Zayn took a moment to answer so he didn't say anything he didn't want his father to know just yet. "Nothing, dad. I think I'm just tired. A little low on energy."

"That's all?"

"Mhm."

Yaser was skeptical but he didn't want his son to think his concern had turned into an interrogation. So he chose to end his questions there. "Then here are the keys. I'll be inside the shop if you need me."

"I'll do that. By the way, I'm going on my lunch break in a minute too."

"Sure."

When his father held the keys out to him, Zayn took them from him and quietly went into the garage so he could pull it into a parking space for pickup. Yaser always knew when there was something on his son's mind. But he also knew Zayn was old enough to tell him when something was bothering him if he felt he needed to. So he let it go and he checked the list of customers to see who was next in line to be serviced.

Meanwhile, once Zayn had parked the car, he returned the keys, then came back outside where he hurriedly dug in his pocket and took out a package of nicotine gum. He still didn't want his parents to know he was trying to quit smoking so he quickly put a piece in his mouth and shoved the package back in his pocket. Standing against the brick wall at the side of the building, he chewed the gum for a very short while, then rested it in his cheek.

When he was reading up on how to use nicotine gum, the article stressed that chewing and then holding it in the cheek was important. Then he was supposed to keep repeating those steps of chewing and holding for about thirty minutes and spit it out. Sure, it may have been a lot but he was determined to do anything it took to stop smoking. So he didn't complain about the taste even though he was not a fan of it at all.

As he stood there, he tried thinking of other things to get the cravings to go away. Maybe if he could convince himself that cigarettes tasted awful, then it would work. But he found it hard to trick the mind into thinking that because all he could taste was the cigarette he couldn't have and nothing about its flavor repulsed him.

And that was what Zayn didn't understand. Even if he wasn't a heavy smoker, just smoking one or two cigarettes a day was enough to keep him addicted. Nicotine was so strong and so powerful that the withdrawals he had when he denied himself it caused him to give up trying to quit the first time. He hated being addicted to those cigarettes and the way they tasted. Especially when there were so many times when he really only smoked once a day.

Finally, he began to chew again and he sighed up into the air. If it wasn't for Harry. he thought. Because if it wasn't for him, he wouldn't be going through the trouble he was already starting to go through. Harry's approval was important to him. And besides that, it ought to make finding out the news that Mindy was moving away much more bearable knowing that the person he was going to be stuck with was someone he'd helped and witnessed succeed.

About thirty minutes later, he spit out the gum and went back inside. He felt much better and the cravings were gone. But he was surprised to see Yaser standing behind the counter and looking at him with question.

"What?" He asked.

"You said you went to lunch, right?" Yaser asked.

"Yeah."

"But you didn't take any food."

Zayn froze. "I didn't?"

"Your lunch bag was still in the refrigerator in the break room."

"Oh. I ah...."

Yaser frowned and carefully stepped from behind the counter. "Are you sure you're alright, son? Because I'm getting worried."

"I'm fine." And he even giggled a little so he could try to convince him. "I told you I think I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well last night."

And that wasn't the whole truth. He got decent sleep last night but he did find himself extra tired after fighting cigarette cravings all morning.

"Well I think you should go home."

"What?"

"Yes, I think you should go home and get some rest. You don't seem like yourself."

"But I promise you it's nothing. I'm going to be fine."

"No. It's an order for you to go home."

"But-"

"An order. And you don't have to worry. Your paycheck won't be hindered. Just get some sleep. Tomorrow, I hope to see someone very different."

Instead of arguing, Zayn sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Yes, sir." He mumbled.

Feeling very agitated, he got his food from the refrigerator, said goodbye to his parents and then went outside to his car. However, before he started the engine and drove anywhere, he just sat there in the car in deep thought. Even if he was mentally tired, he wasn't physically tired. So he wasn't sure he wanted to go home and force himself to nap or just find something else to do. And it was difficult to think when his brain couldn't even settle on one constant thought.

Was this what everyday was going to be like for him in the next few months? He didn't really fully read all the articles through and through about what to expect when he decided to stop smoking for good. But this feeling of anxiousness could only come from having not smoked in three days. It was no wonder that on the third day when he had quit the first time that he gave in that night.

As he closed his eyes and scolded himself about picking up the first cigarette he ever smoked, Harry came up in his brain and he frowned. Why was it that every time he thought about how difficult it was to keep his resolve to quit, that curly headed brunette's beautiful face came up and blanket over those thoughts? Maybe that was evidence that what he said to Harry a few days ago was truer than he ever thought. Harry was truly his motivation. His only reason.

Finding that realization quite funny, he finally shoved the key into the ignition and started to leave the parking lot. He finally knew where he was going now. And it wasn't home.

* * *

"I have to say, I was surprised to hear your voice on the other side of that intercom."

Zayn smiled pridefully. "Figured you would be."

"Why are you here though? Not to say you're not welcome but you're usually at work this time of day."

Zayn sighed and watched Harry lock the front door. "I got sent home early."

"From work?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because apparently not smoking is worrying my dad. He thinks something is wrong with me but honestly, I've just been irritated and anxious all day."

Harry leaned against the door. "You know, if you told your dad you were quitting, he wouldn't be worried as much."

"But I already told you why I won't tell him. I'm choosing not to say anything to my family until I'm sure that I'm done. Imagine how disappointed in me he will be if I give in and start smoking again. Might even be worse than what I did with Heidi."

Harry stood up from the door and started to walk towards Zayn. He reached out for him and when he felt him, he stopped and put his arms at his side. "Mindy and I looked up info on smoking a short while back and we read that the more people you tell you're quitting, it actually makes it easier for you. Because those people are now aware and they'll try to keep from bringing you around environments that trigger a thought for a cigarette. Plus, they can be your support system when you feel like giving in and they will try to avoid offering you things that have automatically made you reach for a cigarette in the past. Like coffee or certain other foods."

"Yeah but..."

"I mean... I'm flattered that you trust me enough to try this and not worry about me being disappointed in you but... you know. I just think your family should know. Those are the people you love and they love you too. They should make up a large portion of your support system."

"Eh."

"And what about Louis?"

"Louis?"

"The friend you just started talking to again. Does he know?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Really?"

"Mhm."

Harry shook his head. "I don't like this. I don't like being the only one who knows. It worries me."

Zayn softened up. "Why does it worry you?"

"Because the less people you tell, the less people you fail. With that thought it mind, that makes it easier to give up. But I don't want you to give up."

He chuckled and put his hands on Harry shoulders, causing his lunch bag to bump against his side. "'The less people you tell, the less people you fail.' Sounds like poetry."

"And you're missing the point because you think it's funny."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just so... I don't know. I can't really concentrate. All day, I've been like this because I haven't had a cigarette in three days. I need a good knock on the head, I think."

"Or a distraction."

"Huh?"

"A distraction. If you're that anxious, you need something to do that can take your mind off of you."

"Okay. Take my mind off of me but put it on what?"

"Me."

He smiled with confusion at that answer. "Um..."

"Yes. Me." He walked past him into the living room. Zayn followed. "Let's play a game."

"What kind of game?"

"Hide and seek."

He laughed quietly. "Hide and seek? I haven't played that since I was a child."

"And even still, you've never played this version."

"And how do you figure that?"

"Because you'll need your blindfold."

He perked up. "I will?"

"Yes. Do you have it with you?"

"No. It's at home."

"Then go get it."

"Ah... okay..."

Without questioning him, Zayn put his lunch bag in the refrigerator and he went next door to get the blindfold. When he came back, the door was already cracked open, so he just walked on in and locked it back.

"Now what?"

"Put it on."

He raised his brow but he did follow instructions once again. "Done."

"Okay. So this is a game that I used to play with Mitchell. We upgraded it from the children's version. He loved it. Right here is our starting point."

"The living room."

"Yes."

"I count for twenty five seconds while you find somewhere to hide. The thing is, you have to keep your blindfold on at all times, so that makes it hard to find a place and find it quietly. Which means you could give away where you are if you're not careful. After that, I have to feel all around the house until I find you. When I do, then it's your turn to count and then you have to feel all around the house until you find me."

"Okay. Sounds fair. And who wins? The person who finds the other the quickest?"

Harry paused. "Well, I... I don't know. We didn't time it. For us, our reward was each other. That way it was fun and we had something special and intimate to look forward to."

Zayn lifted his mask and poked out his lip. He didn't want to know that.

"But obviously that can't be our reward. So maybe the reward is that you won't feel so anxious anymore."

"I feel that's one sided but sure... I guess..."

"Good. Now, I should also explain that hiding means in plain sight. That's the beauty of being blinded. There's no need to hide under the bed or anything. Your partner just feels for you. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Let's get started. I'm going to count. You go hide."

"Wait..."

"One. Two. Three..."

"Harry."

"Five. Six..."

Knowing Harry was not going to stop counting, he slid his blindfold over his eyes and felt around. Unfortunately he wasn't Harry so he didn't really know this house inside and out. Therefore, he stumbled into the walls for a bit before settling on the first room on the right. As he reached his hands out to touch whatever was there, he realized that he was actually in the bathroom. So he felt around until he found the toilet and he sat down on it.

The twenty five seconds were up and Harry was announcing that he was coming to find him. Zayn guessed that was the hard part too. He was just sitting there waiting to be touched by a certain set of hands. It was so weird to be playing a game of hide and seek in this way.

He heard Harry go into the kitchen first and he sat there smiling to himself the whole time. Although an odd game, he never really got over the fact that Harry explored everything with his hands. So thinking of that only caused thoughts he hadn't really had in a while to finally return. He wanted those hands. Even if they did nothing but stroke the hair on his head, he still wanted them on him.

Just after two minutes total, Zayn could already hear Harry patting against the counter in the bathroom. He was amazed at how quickly he was already there. But then again, choosing the first room on the right didn't really pose that much of a challenge for someone who knew their own house like the back of their hand.

Just a few seconds more and he finally felt someone touch his shoulder. Then there was a poke to make sure it was him and a quiet laugh followed that. "Found you."

Zayn lifted his blindfold to his forehead and he looked up at Harry. "You're too good at this. I hope you don't expect me to find you just as quickly."

"I don't. But it will still be fun to have you come look for me."

"Mhm. We will see."

"It will." He felt down Zayn's arm and down to his hand until he grabbed it and pulled him up off the toilet. "Let's go. I'm going to hide. You come find me."

He brought him back to the living room and Zayn pulled his blindfold down over his eyes. "One. Two. Three..."

As he began to count to twenty five, Harry went off to hide. Zayn tried to cheat and listen to where he might be going but it was hard to do that. Harry was really quiet about moving around. When he was done counting, he sighed and held his hands out in front of him. He was scared to knock anything over and break it. So once he found the wall in the hallway, he walked along side it as a guide.

Like last time, he found the first room on the right. Part of him was hoping that Harry made this easier on him and hid in the exact same spot he did. But he was disappointed to find that there was no Harry in the bathroom. He continued searching through the house, going into all three bedrooms and feeling along the edge. He felt around the entire house before he realized he still had not found Harry.

"I thought you said the game was to hide in plain sight! This is not hiding in plain sight!" He said.

But Harry said nothing. Likely because he was still hiding and didn't want to give himself away.

Zayn stopped to think. If he were Harry, what would he consider hiding in plain sight? That's when he remembered that Harry wasn't like himself. He didn't need to hover near the walls because he knew his own house all too well.

I bet he's standing in the middle of the room. He thought to himself.

It was clear that Harry wasn't in the hallway and he wasn't in the bathroom or his bedroom because there wasn't enough room for him to stand without Zayn running into him. But he did remember the room at the very back and all the way to the left- the one with all the candles Harry collected in it. It was very spacious and open. He was willing to say for sure that Harry was in that room right now.

Finding his way down the hallway again, he kept going until he felt the last door on the left. He went inside and ambled his way through with his hands stretched down and out. It was only ten seconds in, that he poked something soft in front of him. And then there was another quiet laugh like the one he heard earlier.

He took off his blindfold and smiled at the man in front of him. "Found you."

"Took you long enough, didn't it?"

"Shut up." Zayn chuckled and he leaned forward to wrap his arms around him so he could pick him up and spin him. It was unexpected for Harry, so by the time he put him back down on his feet, his arms were already securely wrapped around Zayn's neck.

"Whoa."

"I know." Zayn answered and he could not resist planting a quick kiss on Harry's lips when he saw them.

Harry just stood there in shock at what happened but so did Zayn because he couldn't believe that it just came so easy for him. He kissed him without even thinking about it first. Why did he feel so confident about it? He didn't know the answer to that. But he did know that he liked it. So he kissed him again and then pecked his cheek.

Harry had hunched his shoulders a bit and turned his head sideways but he was grinning so hard and it was so adorable to Zayn.

"I think you were right." Zayn finally said.

"About what?"

"I did need a distraction. And you were not a bad choice for that."

"Not a bad choice? I was a great choice."

Zayn smiled but it went away when he turned sideways and yawned. "Well I'm not anxious anymore but I sure am tired now. Fighting the cravings have worn me out."

"Oh... Well, you can sleep in my bed if you want." Harry offered without hesitance.

Zayn flinched. "Uh... I'm not sure that's appropriate."

"Why not? You're just taking a nap and I don't mind."

"Yeah, but... I... I like to sleep in my underwear." He finally blurted out.

Harry smiled and dropped his hands. "That's okay." He said. "It's not like I can see it anyway, you know..."

True...

"Well... But it's still your bed and your bedroom. That's a private place."

"Sure. And the fact that it's mine means that I have every right to offer it to you, which I did."

Zayn paused. Harry just had an answer for everything, didn't he?

"Hmm. You don't mind me in my underwear in your bed. Sounds like a boyfriendly thing to me."

He chuckled and folded his arms. "No it's not."

"How?"

"Because it's simply a generous offer. It's only a big deal if I'm next to you. And I'm not going to be."

Zayn licked his lips. "I like how you're taking this whole 'you're not considered my boyfriend until you suck my tongue' thing so serious."

Harry gasped. "Stop."

"What? It's true."

Harry ignored him and slowly made his way out of the room, this time feeling around until he got to the door.

"And you know it's true."

"Do I?"

He followed him. "Yes. You do."

"Interesting."