Zayn

Zayn felt like he was losing his mind.

It had now been five days since his audition. His agent had given him the impression that it was practically a slam dunk, so the longer that things dragged on, the more worried he became. Had he bombed the audition? Had they changed their minds? At this point, he almost would have preferred a rejection to the endless state of limbo.

The time he had spent with Mia two days ago had been a brief respite from the escalating turmoil. Walking along the waterfront with her, feeding the birds and chatting about nothing in particular, had been surprisingly enjoyable. Zayn was realizing that pretty much any time he spent talking or hanging out with Mia was the best part of his day. And that wasn't even counting the kiss. It had taken every ounce of his self-control to keep the kiss appropriate for public display. And even so, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since - and imagining what might come next. The kiss had been a nice distraction from his anxiety about the audition, but it was also its own unique kind of torment. He was an addict, impatiently awaiting his next fix.

Which was hopefully going to be any minute now. Zayn hadn't seen Mia yesterday because she had gone to her former apartment to clean it out and turn in her keys. He had offered to help, but she had politely declined. Zayn had the distinct impression that Mia was fighting some sort of internal battle when it came to him, and he didn't want to pressure her. But it was difficult when he just became more sure about his own feelings with every passing moment. He wanted to do mundane things together - watch TV, go shopping, cook meals. He wanted to see her sweet smile every day. He wanted to go to bed with her every night, and wake up with her every morning. And to do all the things he'd been fantasizing about to her in between.

In short, he wanted her.

They had only known each other for such a short amount of time, but Zayn had always been one to trust his feelings and dive in head first. Mia had called it bravery, but it was just who he was. If there was a chance - even a small one - that a person could have the career, or relationship, or life of their dreams, why would they not try? Maybe Mia was correct in her assertion that most people had a fear of failure, but every artist got past that, or they gave up pretty quickly. Because reaching for greatness was failing 99 out of 100 times. For instance, if Zayn didn't get the spot on the reality show, he would be devastated. But he would survive. He'd pick himself up and try again.

Because all it took was one success to make all the failures insignificant.

Zayn already knew that Mia had a more cautious personality. She'd mentioned her reservations about Julie and the RFA, but those seemed like convenient excuses. There was something else holding her back, making her wary. He knew the physical attraction was mutual from the way that she looked at him, and the way that she had kissed him. And Mia was comfortable enough to reveal small pieces of herself during their conversations. But there were times that he reached for her, and she seemed to drift just out of reach. Like trying to catch a rare butterfly in a net. Maddening, but Zayn would have been lying if he said it didn't make him want her more.

The doorbell rang, and Zayn hurried to the entryway.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi. Come on in." Mia stepped inside, and Zayn leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. The stress had weakened his resolve, so he had smoked a couple of cigarettes that morning, but he had showered and brushed his teeth afterwards, followed by a double dose of the minty nicotine gum. He didn't think she would be able to tell. "I'm glad you're here."

"Still no word?" she asked, sympathetically, instantly picking up on his anxious mood.

"Not yet. But we're not going to think about that now. We're going to work on our song, right?" Zayn said with forced enthusiasm.

"Right."

"Beer?" Zayn offered, already heading toward the kitchen.

"Sure."

Mia was sitting at the piano by the time he returned. "I had an idea…" she began.

"Let's hear it," Zayn interrupted.

Mia shook her head in amusement as he handed her the beer and settled beside her. "Just like that?"

"Yep, just like that." Mia's gaze softened into something inscrutable as she stared at him. "What?"

"Nothing." Mia took a swig of the beer before setting it on the floor, next to the bench. Then she haltingly played the measures she had composed. "I was thinking, maybe as the bridge? Or…I dunno." She blushed and busied herself with taking another sip of beer. "Just a thought."

"I like it."

"Yeah?" There was so much hope in her big, blue eyes that Zayn had no idea how he could ever say no to that cute face, even if he'd hated her suggestion. But luckily, he didn't, so - crisis averted.

"Yeah. Try it after the second verse."

Mia played through what they had thus far, and they tweaked the new bit into something they both liked. "Have you written any lyrics?" she asked when they finished.

"Uh, nothing I like," Zayn lied. He had some lyrics, but they were about Mia, and he wasn't ready for her to hear them just yet.

"It'll come," Mia encouraged, as she drained her beer.

"Want another?" Zayn asked, rising, and Mia nodded just as his phone rang. "Go ahead. I'll get the beer," Mia said, and Zayn nodded before glancing at the caller ID. It was Chris, his agent, and his mouth went dry as his heart started pounding.

"Hey, Chris. What's up?"

"Good news, my friend!" The agent's tone told him the news before he even uttered the words. "You got the part!"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. They loved you, man. Your look, your singing, your dancing…all of it."

"Oh my god."

Mia poked her head out of the kitchen with an inquisitive tilt, and their eyes met.

"Leela especially loved you. You're going to be her partner."

"Oh my god," Zayn repeated. Mia slowly crossed the room with a tentative smile, obviously picking up on the fact that it was good news but not knowing the details yet. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Believe it! They're going to send you some routines to practice, and then you'll need to be in L.A. in four weeks."

"Thank you." Zayn was so excited and relieved that he was near tears. "Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me. This was all you. This is it, man, the break you've been waiting for. Go show 'em what you can do."

"Yeah. I will. Thanks." Zayn hung up and looked at Mia, who was staring at him in anticipation.

"You got it?"

"I got it."

Mia leapt into his arms with a squeal of delight, and Zayn spun her around, his grin so wide he felt his face might crack. He couldn't imagine anything better than her being here to celebrate this moment with him. Zayn eventually stopped spinning but tightened his grip on Mia, not letting her slide to the floor. She pulled back to look at him, and Zayn kissed her. A real kiss this time, not censored for the public, his heart so filled with happiness that it was close to bursting. Mia kissed him back, her short nails grazing the nape of his neck as her legs wrapped around his waist. Zayn slid his hands from her waist to under her perfect ass in order to get a better grip.

Mia's fingers tangled in his hair as her tongue explored his mouth, the ball of her piercing scraping the roof of his mouth and sending shivers down his spine. Zayn squeezed her butt and her legs tightened around his waist in response. A few inches lower and the heat between her legs would be perfectly positioned over his throbbing dick, and fuck, he was so hard already just from the kiss and the anticipation that he could barely stand it.

Zayn desperately wanted to touch more of her, and he couldn't do that while holding her up, so he took two steps toward the couch and flopped down, pulling Mia on top of him. Her lips never left his as he slipped his hands under her t-shirt, up her spine and around to the front to cup her breasts. She gasped into his mouth as his thumbs stroked her nipples through the satin of her bra, and his erection pressed even more painfully against the zipper of his jeans. Mia ground her hips against him and it was Zayn's turn to groan as he grabbed her waist in a futile bid to regain some semblance of self-control. Undaunted, Mia's lips slid over his chin and down his neck, planting a sharp bite just above his collarbone. Zayn's hands found the hem of her top and he was about to yank it over her head when his phone rang again.

They both froze and looked at each other like criminals caught in an illicit act. He had put the phone in his back pocket, and Mia reluctantly slid from his lap onto the cushion next to him as Zayn raised his hips to retrieve it. He surreptitiously tried to arrange himself into a less uncomfortable position as he answered the call.

"Yeah?" Zayn snapped.

"Hey, it's me again. I forgot to mention that I emailed you the contract, so sign it and get it back to me as soon as possible, okay?"

"Yeah." Zayn felt like he should say something more, but it was taking a minute for some of the blood to rush back to his brain.

"You good?"

"Yep. Good. Call you later." Zayn hung up the phone and took a deep breath before glancing in Mia's direction. She was watching him with a look that he couldn't quite read. "My agent is sending over the contract."

A genuine smile replaced the indecipherable expression. "That's amazing, Zayn. I'm so happy for you." An embarrassed little giggle escaped her. "Obviously."

Zayn laughed. "I definitely approve of the way you show your support," he teased, and that familiar blush crept up her cheeks. He'd never met a woman who was simultaneously so adorable and so sexy. He wanted to protect her and ravish her, all at the same time. The potent combination of affection and lust she provoked in him was more than a little overwhelming. "And don't think I've forgotten about your offer to wear a cheerleading outfit for me if I got the part."

"Erm, I think that was less of an offer and more of a joke," Mia replied, pulling her denim-clad legs up onto the couch so that she could face him.

"Uhn uh. You're not wiggling out of it that easily," Zayn warned.

"So, can you tell me more details now?" Mia asked, blatantly changing the subject.

"Well, the show is a competition where up-and-coming artists are paired with stars. Each week, each pair will perform a duet and a dance routine, and the viewers will vote on who advances and who goes home."

"Whoa." Mia's eyebrows rose. "That's pretty cool."

"Yeah. But the biggest thing is that…" Zayn could still barely believe this part himself. "Leela was the one who requested me for her partner."

Mia's mouth fell open. "Leela?"

"I know, right?" Leela was a pop star so famous that she only needed one name, like Beyonce, or Sting. "She could have chosen anybody, and she chose me."

"Zayn, that's just…" Mia looked at him in astonishment. "I don't even know what to say."

"And somehow, that's not even the best part. The record label associated with the television studio pretty much guaranteed that as long as I make it past the first few rounds - which is practically a given with her as my partner - they're going to offer me a recording contract." Zayn grinned. "Hell, maybe this song we're writing will be the first single from my debut album." When Mia just stared at him in shock, he added, "I'll give you co-writer credit, of course."

Mia laughed in delight. "Yeah, 'cause that's what I'm worried about right now." She rocked onto her knees to throw her arms around Zayn's neck, hugging him tightly, and the scent of vanilla and patchouli enveloped him. "You're going to be a huge star! But will you remember us little people when you make it to the top?" she teased, her breath tickling his ear.

Zayn's arms went around her waist, pulling her even closer. "You'll stay with me through all of this, right?" A sudden uncharacteristic frisson of fear ran through him. His life was about to change in a million fantastic, yet unpredictable, ways, and Zayn knew that he would need someone he could count on by his side to keep him centered. He had no doubt that Mia was that person.

Mia leaned back in his embrace and affectionately gripped his face between her palms with a huge grin. "Don't worry, I'll be here to make sure this head doesn't get too big."

"Too late for that," Zayn admitted, and they both laughed a bit giddily.

"True." Mia sat back. "Aren't you going to share the news with the others?"

"In a little bit."

"Are you worried they won't be happy for you?"

"No," Zayn stated. "The RFA has actually given me a lot of support over the years."

"How so?"

"Well, Julie is obviously a big fan. She goes to all of my shows, and offers me lots of encouragement."

"Uh huh." Mia's dispassionate look told him that he should quickly move on from that topic. Although it was ridiculous that Mia would feel jealous of Julie, he found it kind of cute, too.

"You know the video you saw on YouTube?" Zayn continued, and Mia nodded. "Seven caused it to go viral. He hacked into the social media accounts of influencers, or something like that, and it spread like wildfire for a while. I'm pretty sure that's how Leela first heard of me."

"Wow."

"And Rita's boyfriend, Vic, is a photographer. He was the one who did the headshots for me. She was a big fan, and she talked him into it, although he said he would have done it, anyway. He said my face is a work of art."

"He obviously has good taste," Mia said with an appreciative look that made Zayn's heart race.

"Vic and Jonathan are childhood friends, and Rita talked Jon into offering me help, too. He offered to use his contacts within the music industry, or to fund an album, but I refused."

"How come?"

"I wanted to prove that I could make it on my own."

"But you accepted help from the others?"

"Yes. I felt like the others wanted to help me because they believed in me and my talent. With Jonathan, it seemed like he just wanted to throw money at me in order to get Rita to stop bothering him. Does that make sense?"

"You didn't want to take the easy path. You wanted to earn it."

"Exactly. Ever since I was young, my family told me that I couldn't do this on my own. I wanted to prove them wrong."

"And now you have."

"Yeah. I guess so." Talking about his family had soured Zayn's mood briefly, but he bounced back quickly. "So, will you celebrate with me?"

Mia smiled slyly. "I thought that's what we were doing. You know, before."

Zayn stood and reached out a hand for her. "We should definitely get back to that at some point. But I had something else in mind."

"Like what?"

"It's a surprise. But I think you'll like it."

"Okay," Mia agreed, placing her hand in his.

"Great," Zayn replied with a grin, as he effortlessly pulled her off the couch. "Let's go."