so long, london taylor swift ♥︎ ⇄ ◁◁ 𝚰𝚰 ▷▷ ↻ ⁰⁰'²⁵ ━━●━━───── ⁰²'⁰⁸

You had left One Direction a little over a year ago, stepping away when the pressure and noise became too much to bear. The fans were heartbroken, management was furious, and even the rest of the band seemed distant in their own hurt. The disappointment lingered like a cloud that refused to clear.

It wasn’t just leaving the band that weighed on you— it was distancing yourself from everyone connected to that life.

You deleted contacts, ignored the persistent calls, and carefully avoided any mention of your old bandmates in interviews. The media wanted answers you weren’t ready to give, and you weren’t sure you ever would be.

Except for Zayn.

You couldn’t bring yourself to cut him off. There was something about him that felt steady, like an anchor in the storm.

The two of you had always shared a quiet understanding, a bond that existed away from the cameras and crowds. If the public knew, they'd spin it into rumors, whispers of romance that you hadn’t even begun to untangle yourself.

So here you were, sitting side by side on the worn leather sofa in your London apartment, the dim evening light casting a soft glow across the room. Zayn was holding the piece of paper you’d just handed him, his eyes moving slowly across the handwritten lyrics, a crease forming between his brows.

Your heart pounded as you watched him. This song— these words— held everything you’d felt since you left. Every bottled-up emotion, every thought you hadn’t voiced, especially to him.

Finally, Zayn looked up, his doe eyes meeting yours, something unspoken passing between you. He runs a hand through his dark hair, letting out a breath.

His voice was soft, layered with an emotion that lingered just out of reach. “{{user}}…” he murmured, glancing back at the paper. “This song... it’s about leaving the band, isn’t it?”