there you are [zarry]

xii

"Haz," Zain says, catching Harry around the back and pulling him closer, careful of Hania's carrier seat standing at their feet. "Calm down, sweetheart. You've thought of everything, no need to worry."

"What if I haven't?" Harry asks, melting into Zain's embrace. Zain loves the way he will trust himself to Zain, how he leans into Zain's touch and seeks it out even when he is too shy to simply demand it.

"You have, love," Zain soothes him, kissing the curve of his cheek. He knows he's slowly leaving any kind of boundaries behind, certainly those between employer and employee — which, he always has to remind himself, they technically were. But Harry was so soft and lovely and inviting. Whenever he was fussing about Hania like he was her mother, Zain falls a little bit more in love. Whenever he was fussing about Zain like a wife, Zain wants to fuck him senseless, but also lay him carefully on a soft mattress and worship him until he forgets everything except that he is Zain's.

"Come on," Zain continues, rubbing a soothing hand over Harry's back and bending to pick Hania's carrier back up. "Let's go sit down and have some of the snacks you made, sweetheart."

"I don't think I can eat," Harry whispers, face tucked into Zain's neck.

"But if you don't eat, I don't want to either," Zain blackmails, even though he's actually kind of hungry. Breakfast has been ages ago.

"Zain," Harry whines, letting himself be coaxed into a seat by their luggage, looking at him with wet eyes. Zain strokes his hair from his forehead and sets down Hania in front of him. "That's unfair."

"Is it?" Zain asks with a slight smirk, crouching down to grab a couple of savoury muffins from the backpack Harry had packed full of snacks and then fussed about in worry it would not get through security.

"I think it's good that we're not taking the ferry to Dublin," Zain says, handing Harry one of the muffins. He rubs his thumb over Harry's thigh and watches him pout at the muffin, a vaguely queasy look on his face. "I don't think Hania is the one that needs a shorter test run."

He takes a bite of the muffin, while Harry picks at the paper, nose wrinkled distrustful like he hasn't made the muffins himself.

"Just a bite, love," Zain says when he's finished his muffin and Harry's still frowning at his, rubbing a hand over his thigh.

Harry looks at him woefully, taking a tiny bite and pulling a grimace. Zain sighs, getting up to take it from him and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Thanks, baby," he says and takes a bite out of it. It's one of his favourites even if he'd have sworn a year ago that he'd not touch savoury muffins with a ten foot pole. "I'll be right back, just going to the bin, yea."

He rubs his thumb over Harry's soft cheek and waits for him to nod before walking away, finishing the rest of the muffin. Usually Zain was the one, nervous before a concert, who had to be prodded into eating and soothed and taken care of. It was nice to take care of Harry for once, to make him happy and make sure he was well.

He buys a bottle of water even though Harry had lectured him at length about plastics and taking an empty bottle to fill just yesterday. But the cool water would settle Harry a bit maybe.

"Zain," Harry scolds as soon as he hands it over, settling down next to Harry and hooking a foot under the car seat to rock it slightly.

"I remember, babe. But if you're not eating, at least drink something," Zain says before the lecture can start up again.

He pulls out his phone to distract himself because Harry can get stubborn if he feels pushed, and sends a quick picture of Hania sleeping to his mum, answers a few emails and tries not to look to smug when Harry sips his water until the bottle is empty.

"We're boarding, Zain," Harry says, just as the announcement starts. "I'll take Hania, you take the bags."

"Yea," Zain agrees because there's no way he'll try and separate Harry from Hania right now. Harry's probably have a nervous breakdown before they even set foot on the plane.

Zain's never boarded a plane with a baby, but it's nice getting priority simply because they are bringing a disturbance along.

"Do you really think she'll be fine?" Harry asks, leaning into Zain and holding Hania on his lap.

"Sure," Zain says, even though he doesn't really have any idea. He hopes she will be at least, because otherwise the flight to America would be awful. And he's not sure he could make her.

But for now she's babbling to herself and wiggling around on Harry's lap, grabbing whatever she can get her hands on in between gnawing on Harry's sweater. Curious and happy.

"Have you been to Ireland before?" Harry asks quietly, leaning into Zain.

"Nah," Zain shrugs. "You know I haven't really travelled."

"Yea," Harry agrees, biting his lip. "Do you think we can have a look around later? We have more time than in Manchester and Leeds and such."

"Babe, if you wanted to look around Manchester and Leeds, you could've said."

"No," Harry shakes his head. "Nothing I haven't seen before. But we haven't been to Ireland, I'd be sad not seeing anything."

"Course," Zain says. "And we'll have a day after as well."

"You'll need it to rest," Harry says with a slight frown.

Zain snorts, brushing his lips over Harry's cheek. He can't resist, not when Harry was already so close. "Don't think I'll need the whole day. Not that old yet."

"Okay," Harry says, beaming suddenly and brightly, like he'd expected Zain to stay locked inside the hotel room all the time and make Harry do the same.

"Babe, you know you can go places on your own as well, while I work, yea?" he asks, just to make sure.

"Yea," Harry nods, but he's still smiling widely, shooting Zain a happy look from beneath his lashes. "But it'll be nicer with you."

"Yea," Zain agrees, squeezing Harry's knee and watching Hania as the plane starts moving slowly.

🤍

the slow burn simmers (so short 👀)