Falling Stars

7:24 PM

“How does this work, exactly?”

She licked her lips, admiring the decorations for the New Year. Her nimble fingers traced the shelves as the two slowly meandered past aisle after aisle. He was leaning against the trolley, boredly pushing it along behind her. She absently bit at the corner of her lower lip before adding another something-or-other to the basket.

“I need to start by confiscating your phone,” she responded at last. She faced him, her bright blues shining in the fluorescent light of the shop. He recoiled a bit, extremely uneasy about giving up his lifeline, his main connection to everyone in his life and career. She tilted her head to the side quickly. “No, we’ll do that tomorrow. We can spend the night in the city; ring in the New Year together. If you want, I mean.”

He sighed at her dramatics. “Adalae.”

She quirked her eyebrows and gathered her hair, pulled it over one shoulder and played with the ends. “Yeah, love?”

He rolled his eyes.

They had known each other for a little over two years. They met when they were 17 years old and he was still on the X Factor. She was his best friend’s twin sister. Over their years of friendship, they discovered a lot about each other.

When Zayn first laid eyes on her, he knew he felt something different about her. Their friendship was immediate. After their stay on the show, the boys visited each other’s houses and spent all of their time together, but he found himself always going back to Ireland for extended visits with the Horan family.

Adalae Horan had captured his interest – and his heart, if he had been brazen enough to accept it back then.

It was a year before they tested their friendship. It started with innocent kisses and extended to curious touches. There were no boundaries between them anymore. Her brother, of course, never found out about the more intimate details. He knew the two had kissed and shared drunken adventures around the city – but sex? He would never let Zayn near Adalae again if he knew that much.

They never told Niall about their friends-with-benefits type of relationship because the two agreed there were no romantic, complicated emotions involved. He understood her feelings toward love and the notion of marriage, and he honored that. He wasn’t going to jeopardize their friendship by thinking he felt something if he truly didn’t feel it.

“You know I’d love to spend New Year’s with you,” he finally replied. “I don’t think I have any other choice over the next 12 days.”

She smirked and continued shopping at her leisurely pace. Another 40 minutes passed before they left the shop, armed with bags of party decorations for the night. She led him down the streets of London and into a quiet café, where she ordered two sandwiches for them and they sat down at a table in the corner.

“Niall is back in town,” she said once she sat down. “He wants everyone to get together for a New Year’s party at his flat.”

“I thought we would be in the city,” Zayn offered. Adalae smiled shyly and cast her eyes down to her untouched sandwich. He reached over, placed a finger delicately under her chin, and lifted her head so their eyes met. One side of his mouth twitched upward and he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“We’ll stop by my brother’s place for a while,” she murmured as her cheeks tinted red. “Then we can venture out into London for some drinks and good times, yeah?”

He nodded in agreement, leaned into the cracked leather of the booth, and ate. He listened, too, as she explained what could possibly happen over the next 12 days. She knew that his phone would have to be shut off, but other than that, she hadn’t gotten very far.

She was fairly connected as well and wasn’t attempting to get him to forget about technology. She hated to see him so withdrawn from reality and dependent on his phone and laptop. She figured they could make a trip to the countryside to escape the hustle and bustle, maybe lose themselves for a day in a library or bookshop. They would definitely spend an entire day in bed. Maybe they could take a road trip somewhere new.

Once they had finished eating, they parted ways. Zayn went to his flat to dress for the night, while Adalae went to her brother’s to help him decorate. Niall left her to pretty up the very basic, boyish flat with her decorations, while he made sure there were enough snacks and beers for the entire night.

“Any plans with Zaynie?” Niall asked brusquely, nudging his sister on his way through the room. “Gonna get drunk and explore the city again?”

“Something like that,” she quipped and hopped off the sofa, pleased with the way the decorations were hung.

Niall chuckled but then eyed her as she continued to busy herself with little details he never would have thought of. He saw her cheeks blush red. He wasn’t stupid. He knew she and Zayn had something more going on between them, though they never admitted to it. “Hey, Ad,” he called, his voice low and concerned. She turned suddenly to face him. “Be careful, alright?”

She saluted. “Always am, bro.”

Whether he meant be careful in the city, or with how much she drank, or maybe be careful with Zayn, she wasn’t completely sure. She decided to apply bits to each situation just to be sure.

After some goofing off between the siblings, including a wrestling match that had both rolling around on the floor with limbs tangled and the occasional headlock, she finally finished the decorations and retreated to the guest room to change outfits and clean up.

Zayn showed up around nine and immediately searched for Adalae. The two were inseparable all night, giggling and drinking and sneaking quick kisses and sly touches. “Oi!” Niall finally shouted at them. It was almost eleven and he had seen them going at it all night. His drunken state couldn’t save him at that point. “Get a room, would ya?”

She smirked at her brother and took Zayn by the hand. The two ventured toward the heart of the city on foot, buzzed and thrilled to start the year off right. No words were needed as they wandered the busy streets. Protectively, he latched onto her hand as she bounced with excitement, pointing at everything thrilling she saw. After a few blocks, he switched it up and snaked his arm around her back, firmly placing his hand on her hip.

“Five minutes left,” he muttered in her ear. “What should we do?”

“Oh! Oh!” she exclaimed, eyes alight with glee. She grabbed his hand and dragged him along behind her toward a shop that miraculously remained open. The bell over the door chimed with their presence. “Two cones, please!”

He chuckled at her Horan appetite and paid for their ice cream before following her back out into the crowd. He plucked the chocolate cone from her hands and returned his arm around her waist. As midnight approached, the people grew rowdier and the crowds became more intense.

He pulled her to the side once they reached the center of the celebration. He leaned his back against the brick of a shop and tugged her wrist so her body fell in line with his. Her vanilla ice cream tumbled from her fingertips and as she scrambled for it, she knocked it into him, getting some of it on his nose and lips. The cone was firmly in her grip again but seeing the dairy treat smeared over his face caused a bubbly giggle to lodge in her throat.

“Ohh s-shit,” she giggled, her voice catching on the ‘s’. “I’m so sorry.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m sure you are, Horan. Sorry you wasted your ice cream, you mean.”

She looked up at him and the giggles exploded off her lips. Rising to her toes, she gently kissed the ice cream from his skin. She paused, however, before kissing his lips. The countdown roared around them and she chewed her lip to refrain from kissing him too soon.

“Just do it,” he growled.

She held her reservation until she heard a chorus of three, then two, and his lips closed on hers and the vanilla cone tumbled from her fingers onto the sidewalk. Her cold, sticky fingers cupped the side of his face as she lost herself in the feeling. His lips were sweet like vanilla but still had the hints of cigarette after tones. She faintly heard everyone cheer one before the fireworks blasted. Her lips twitched into a smile against the kiss.

“Happy New Year, Horan,” Zayn exhaled. He tapped his ice cream against her cheek, leaving a splotch of chocolate. “How about we head back to my place now?”