Okay, this one shot I wrote it like a billion years ago, but Mila kept it hostage. I could finally type it and post it. I hope you like it. Mila requested for this :3 so it's dedicated to her.

It takes after MQ and B&S end.

Bel, xx

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Australia - Zayn

"So it's settled," I agree wrapping my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to my body. Her back is against my chest, her curls fall around her face stroking my cheeks when I put my face next to hers, and her hands land on top of mine.

"Yeah, it's gonna be great. I also need a vacation," Mila says resting her weight on me, cuddling.

We are on a break before heading to Australia to carry on with the world tour and even if we want we can't take breaks as often anymore as we are heading to other continents now. After this stop in Australia and New Zealand, I won't see Mila in over a month and that's a lot. We'll have a weekend off during our time there, but Mila refuses to let me fly back home for so little time knowing it would only exhaust me more and with the tour is already enough. So we arranged that she would go to Australia for that weekend. She has never gone there so it's a win-win situation. And this idea makes me so excited! We'll go to the beach, in a hot day although it's winter back at home. That's one of the perks of touring: you can extend summer.

Having this agreement makes things more bearable for when I have to leave again. I love being in One Direction, I love touring and travelling the world with the lads, but we have to give so many things up, such as time with our loved ones. I wish I could spend more time with Mila, not every second of the day, but at least more than once a week or once every month. I just wish my job would allow me to settle down instead of being on the moving all the time. Even if we are not as popular as before, we still can't do whatever we want to do. One way or another, we're always forced to do something.

Therefore, having the possibility of taking Mila with me, even for a few days, makes things easier and better. And she is excited too as I tell her all the things we can do while we are there.

"By the way," I say as I kiss her cheek quickly. "You can't bring the koala with you."

Mila actually turns around in my arms and pouts like a little girl who's been told she can't have her favourite doll back. She looks adorable. I love when she looks at me like that.

"Boo! But I want a koala. I wanna name it Harry, as clingy as him."

I chuckle and kiss her temple ever so softly. "I'm sorry, babe. But we can get a dog." She thinks about it. We've been together for a year and a half, it's not that crazy is we get a dog together, but I know her, I know she wouldn't be happy with both of us having a dog. Too much commitment. "He'd be only yours but you'd have to let me play with him," I add just to put her at ease and she smiles brightly at me. Oh Mila, always a dog lover.

Smiling sheepishly, she stands on her tiptoes and pecks my lips. "We'll see later."

+ + + + +

Bright and warm, it's such a great day in Australia. We've had a few gigs already and it's been great. A lot of promo and interviews going on, and yes, we're exhausted, so I'm looking forward to this weekend off. Being able to enjoy the city, sleeping until late, doing nothing but enjoying myself. And of course, being with Mila. I can't wait for her to arrive so we can spend a few days together.

I haven't seen her in three weeks already and I miss her terribly. We've video-called frequently, but it's never the same as seeing her in person. I want to hug her, wrap my arms around her small body and never let her go. I really need to see her to give me strength for the rest of the tour. I need her smile to believe that I can do this, that I can carry on although it's so hard to be away from home. I get homesick all the time, but when she's with me, we can be in Timbuktu and I'll feel at home.

So as time passes by and I know the day she'll arrive is coming, my mood improves noticeably and the lads are happy with that. They always complain that I'm too moody but that's because I don't get enough sleep. I need at least nine hours of sleep to be a functional person.

But the day gets ruined when I receive a call.

On the screen I see Mila's picture, that one I took during Christmas time when we went shopping and she saw the Disney Christmas decoration. She had to try all the hats. In this picture she is wearing the typical red hat but with Minnie Mouse's ears and ribbon. She looks so adorable. So every time she calls and I see this picture, my smile is even wider.

"Hi, babe," I say when the screen shows me her face. We're doing face-time. "How's everything back at home?"

She's smiling but there's something that's not right, something that makes her uncomfortable and I suddenly have a bad feeling. "Hi. Everything's great. How's tour going on? Having fun with the kangaroos?"

I smile weakly. Mila sounds nervous. "What's wrong?" I ask. I don't like to go around the bushes when I feel something is not right.

"What makes you think there's something wrong?" She asks back, her voice slightly higher, so I just stare at her and she sighs. "It's just that Alvaro called me this morning," she starts and I know whom she is speaking of, one of her best friends, her second family, as she has explained to me. "And well, they are getting together this weekend, all of them. Like they haven't done in forever." I furrow my eyebrows, trying to guess where she is going with all this. She won't be there this weekend.

"So?" I inquire as she doesn't say anything else.

"And you know how miserable it makes me when everyone gets together and I can't be there. You know it drives me mad! Like when I got appendicitis." I do remember how angry she was when she was in the hospital and it was Martin's birthday party and she couldn't go. Pissed is an understatement.

"I'm sorry-" I start to say when she speaks again.

"So I'm meeting with them," she says, cutting me off and I feel my body paralysing. "No! Don't look at me like that. They are meeting on Saturday so I'll just be taking the flight later. I'll be there on Monday and I managed everything here so I can stay the whole week with you."

I still feel my blood frozen in my veins, I try to say something but nothing comes out and I know my silence is scaring her.

"I won't have time during the week. We planned this long time ago, Mila. You just can't change plans like this," I say slowly, still trying to wake up and realise this is only a bad dream.

"I'm sorry, but I never see the boys and you know how much I miss them and I really, really wanna see them. Alvaro begged me to go. Please, babe. Don't get mad!" She pleads but it's too late. I'm not only mad, I'm disappointed, hurt.

"I haven't seen you in three weeks and if you don't come it'll three weeks more until I get to see you!" I exclaim and I see she is about to say something. "No! It's not the same if you come later 'cos I won't have time, I' won't really see you!" I shout before she can get the chance to say anything.

"But they are my best friends and I barely see them!" She whines and I feel so frustrated.

"And I'm your boyfriend whom you barely see! You are choosing them over me, Mila! But we made plans before this!"

I can't believe she is doing this, that she is actually ditching our plans just to hang out with her old friends instead of sticking to the plans we made beforehand. I'm always doing my best to be with her, giving her all the space she needs, understanding her, trying to be better for her. I've learnt from every mistake just to be the best I can be and make her happy. I take her to different places, to do different things just to break the routine so she won't get bored. I try so hard even when I'm away yet she changes me from her friends so easily, even when she knows how important this is for me. I just can't believe it!

"Zayn, please. I'll be there by Monday," she insists but I shake my head.

"You know what? Don't bother. It won't make a difference, anyways. Stay with your friends and I'll see you in a month. Have fun, Camila," I say with a bitter tone and using her full name deliberately. Her eyes widen in surprise and I don't want to hear her excuses or apologies. I'm tired that she doesn't try as hard as I do, I'm tired that I always have to apologise and wait until she's ready, and run to her when she needs me, and give her all the space she wants, but when I need her here, she turns me down and goes with her friends.

I'm fed up.

I end the face-time call before she can say something else and I hurry to activate the Do-Not-Disturb mode so I won't see her texts and calls. I don't want to talk to her. She made her choice, I made mine.

+ + + + +

During the weekend off I stay in the hotel, sleeping and doing nothing else. I only get up to go to the toilet and to drink some water, then I go back to sleep. The lads have asked me to go with them and have fun, but I refuse. I'm not in the mood for anything because I think that at this very moment Mila is with her friends when she should've been with me, here. And it makes me even madder because Alex and Kay are with us, even though Kay's job with us is over already. She came with us only to be with Louis. Tammy couldn't come because she's touring and Harry flew to see Hannah. But Mila... no, she decided to stay with her friends, ditching our plans together.

So I literally do nothing in the whole weekend and by Monday I'm so awfully cranky that even Louis avoids me. He's come back to his old self, the real one, not the immature childish clown. No more bitterness and mean sassy remarks and that's great, but I'm not in the mood for jokes or pranks. And he gets that, thank goodness.

The day goes by and I do all what I'm supposed to do. Smiling for the fans, answering a few questions in the interviews, singing on the radio and posing for all the pictures. But during every second I only wish I could be in my bed, sleeping, lost in the sweet oblivion of my dreams, that thankfully are not all about Mila and her friends.

"C'mon, mate! Cheer up," Louis tells me when we are finally in the lift to our rooms in the hotel. "Things are gonna be great!" He adds but I shake my head no.

"I just wanna sleep," I say but he laughs.

"I don't think you'll sleep today," Louis mutters with a cheeky grin and I don't know what he means, but then the doors open and I walk step the hall, heading to my room without saying another thing to my band mate.

I slide the key card and finally walk into my room, taking off my shirt as I keep approaching to my bed, ready to go to sleep but I stop when I notice the petite figure on my bed and I freeze, looking with eyes wide open. Bot soon the surprise fades away and the anger comes back and I frown.

"What do you think you're doing here?" I ask, my voice cold and low.

"I came to see you," she answers with an innocent smile. "I told you I couldn't make to for the weekend but I could be here on Monday, so here I am!" Mila adds as if she is talking about the weather.

"I told you not to bother, I'm busy, Mila," I reply and turn around to go to the toilet, leaving her there, still on my bed.

What does she think she's doing? Not because she came here now I'll just forget what she did. She broke her promise and I'm really tired of feeling like she doesn't care, like I'm not even in her top three priorities.

I hear the knock at the door so I turn the shower on and that way I pretend I can't hear her. "Zayn, please. I'm really sorry I couldn't make it, but you know this was important to me!" She shouts and that only makes me angrier.

I slam the door open, with the shower still on at the background. "And this was important to me! I really needed you here but you decided your friends were more important than your boyfriend!" I scream and I see the surprise in her features.

"You know I barely see them and I've missed them so much..." she trails off, pleading with her eyes.

"And what about us? I barely see you with this new world tour. I miss you, too. Don't you miss me? I choose you over my own family, Mila. I put you first, always! I try my best to be what you need, what you want. I'm always there when you need me, I give you space when that's what you want. I try, I always try but I don't feel like you do the same!" I shout, hurt and disappointed, letting out what I've felt for so long. "Sometimes I don't even feel like this is worth it for you and that you think we're not gonna last. I think that you already have an expiration date for this relationship and you don't wanna try."

"You know I don't believe in forevers," she says, her voice small.

"But that doesn't mean you have to neglect what you have now because it might not last. You still have to try your best!"

She doesn't reply immediately and that hurts me so much more. I go back inside the bathroom and close the door behind me. This time I do step inside the shower after taking off the rest of my clothes. When I'm done, Mila is on the bed again, waiting.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I'm not good at relationships."

"I'm not good either, but I try," I answer staring at her intently. I don't want her to give me excuses, I want her to tell me she'll try. I know that to be with me is hard, my job makes it more complicated, but it can work if we both work together on this. I can't be the only one really trying.

"I'm sorry, Zayn. I didn't think it meant so much to you," she speaks again, but sorry is not good enough. "Please, forgive me."

"I'm tired. It's been a long day. I just wanna sleep," I reply instead and I see her hurt expression, but I ignore that pain in my chest when I see her like this.

"Okay, let's go to bed. We can talk about this tomorrow," she says, getting off the bed calmly.

"I want to sleep alone, Mila," I say and she stops on the spot, she doesn't even look at me. "I'll call Jeannine and she'll get a room for you," I add and when she turns around this time to meet my eyes, she looks really hurt.

"Zayn," she breathes in but I stop her.

"I don't wanna be near you for now. I really wanna be alone."

She opens her mouth to say something but no sound comes out and I fight not to show any emotion. "O-okay," she finally says. "I'll... I'll go to Harry... it's okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

Her voice sounds so strangled, but I don't say anything nor I try to stop her. When I'm alone again the horrible pain in my chest increases and I get inside my bed, hoping I'll be better when I fall asleep, but that takes me hours, no matter how tired I am.

In the morning I don't wake up with the alarm but because someone is hugging me and playing with my hair. Slowly, I start to realise what is happening and freeze when I recognise Mila next to me. "Morning," she whispers but I don't say anything. "Zayn, I know you're mad but you have to believe me, I'm really sorry. If I had known how much this meant to you, I would've come."

I wiggle my way out of the bed, leaving her there. "I told you this was important. You still chose them." My tone is recriminatory and she looks really sorry, but she still doesn't understand that it's not an apology what I need but a promise.

Mila keeps apologising during the whole week, but that won't fix the problem. And she starts to get frustrated.

"Zayn!" She cries out on Friday. "Please, this is killing me. I hate when you're mad and I don't wanna leave without us fixing this up. I'm sorry! How many times do I have to say it?"

"I know you mean it, that you're sorry, but that's not the problem!" I exclaim back. She is always so bright and fast, but she doesn't see the problem here.

She runs to me and wraps me in her arms, her face buried in my chest. But I don't hug her back.

"I'm sorry. For disappointing you, for making you believe I don't care. I do, very much. I love you, Zayn, I'm just not good at showing how much I care all the time. I'm sorry you feel you're not important but you are. Oh so important! And I'm sorry for not trying as hard as I should, but Zayn," she looks up at me, her eyes sure and determined. "I promise you today that I'll try harder from now on."

And with those words I can breathe again, not realising I had been holding my breath until that moment. My arms wrap around her and I pull her closer, burying my face in her curls, breathing in deeply, laughing out of sheer happiness. Mila hugs me tighter and I feel her laughing, too. A relieved sort of laughter.

"I love you so, so, so much," she repeats snuggling in my neck. "I'm sorry, I really am."

"I know," I tell her pulling back to look her in the eyes. I cup her face gently, my thumbs stroking her cheeks.

She smiles brightly at me, that big and adorable smile that I love with all my heart, just as much as I love her. "And this is all I needed to hear. I just wanted you to promise me you were gonna try, as well. I hate feeling like you don't care about our relationship."

"I care, believe me I do care," her voice is desperate, she wants me to believe she cares, and I do. I just didn't want to doubt her ever again.

"I love you," I tell her, smiling and leaning in to kiss her softly, gently.

Mila kisses me back, her arms wrapping around my neck this time, pulling herself upwards just to be more comfortable. I really love that she is a short girl, that she has to stand on her tiptoes and still then I'm taller than her and I have to bend down to kiss her.

We break the kiss and look into each other's eyes, but I start to lose my smile and she gets worried. "What's wrong, babe?" She asks me.

"It's just that we finally fixed this up, but now you're leaving and we didn't spend time together," I reply hugging her tightly, as if I could keep her with me forever by doing so.

She smiles and kisses me again. "You know, I could always stay another week," Mila says offhandedly and I look her with eyes wide open.

"Could you really?"

She laughs again. "Of course! We can spend this weekend and the whole next week together. We can go MIA if you want. I'll even cook for you," she smiles brightly, excitement shining in her chocolate eyes. "And to make up for what I did, we can try whatever you want." Her smile turns cheeky and I laugh, getting perfectly the implications of that statement. I kiss her again, still chuckling.

"I like this plan very much," I tell her with my own cheeky smile.

"I knew I could get you with this. Food is always the answer," she jokes making me laugh again. "And talking about plans..." She pulls back, taking my hands as she starts to step backwards. "I'm gonna kidnap you now."

"Is it wise to warn me about this?" I ask, following her without hesitation.

"You're a willing hostage. But today I won't share you with anyone. Come with me. We have a date pending!"

Still laughing I follow her and we do disappear. That day is only Mila and I, and it's perfect that way.