Close by. (one direction centric fanfic)

two

Chapter 2

Zayn was frustrated the baby kept crying and squirming in his hand, suddenly she vomited on him "aghhh... not again Khaii!" He looked at the yellow spit-up on his pants then at the newborn. He whipped her face with tissue and she wasn't happy about it."no no... daddy is sooo sorry. she started whiling again. he rocked her in his arm, while searching for her mum. "of course, you're hungry... you keep troughing up..."

"Are you still struggling with her..." his mother-in-law 'Yolanda' said from the doorway. She gesturing for him to bring the baby over. he quickly gave her the crying bundle of joy. He thought spending morning with his daughter will be very fulfilling. Oh boy, he was mistaken. "Where is Gigi?" the grandmother smelled the baby's diaper.

"I don't know... I took the baby from her... and she went downstairs." he picked his phone from her crib to check for missed calls. "Nothing important" he put it in his pocket observing how Yolanda is handling the one-month-old. he couldn't master these techniques till now. at night Gigi or the nanny has to care for her because he is ignorant as Yolanda told him several times. he doesn't know what he is doing most of the time. he always wanted to be a father, but he has never been prepared for this. his family was traditional in the parenting roles. he didn't learn how to do that at home. His family was huge and there's always someone to babysit for his parents. "I am going to put her in the crib" he took little Khai from her grandma.

"be careful don't wake her!" she told him while he was putting the tiny baby in her crib. he looked at her for a moment. she gives him so much anxiety, why is that? nowadays he feels scared all the time, all kinds of bad scenarios run through his head. he is supposed to promote his new album, but he can't even think about leaving the house. It's a blessing that this pandemic shot most places.

Sadly, his girlfriend has been distant from him since the whole home birth ordeal. he was so traumatized that day and can't imagine how she felt. Still, he admires her bravery. now though she is ignoring him always making excuses to avoid him. they hadn't had a quality time since little Khai's birthday. It is not that he is blaming her or anything. he is just worried that if they become distant, another breakup will eventually happen. It is ridiculous, that it happened so many times. he is very insecure about their relationship. the last time they broke up because he was pushing for marriage to have this security. But now with Khai around, he is more scared. he would have asked Liam and Louis for advice, but the reality is all of them are in missy situations regarding their families. not that Louis has a family to speak of. Liam and Cheryl are a decent parent, but he knew of their struggles. being ex-s who co-habitat is a big no. Gigi and him have been there, and tried that. Also, them working in the entertainment industry makes everything crazier. Eventually he will need some advices besides his in-laws. it's not like he can ask them about anything without being embarrassed.

He heard her crying again. He looked inside the crib at her scrunched pink face. "hungry..?" he asked her wishing she could answer with words.

"What is wrong...?" he heard Gigi tired voice. she was looked exhausted wearing baggy clothes and her blond hair in a messy bun." should I make a bottle?"

"no no ... I'll do it..." he went to the kitchen holding Khai.

"don't take the baby to the kitchen!" she took her daughter.

"yeah... right" he felt stupid. What is he doing taking a baby to the kitchen? After he heated milk buttle. He brought it to Gigi, and stayed to watch her feed Khai. She looked as gloomy as she does lately. He heard the whole heated discussion with her mum regarding breastfeeding, and he is siding with Yolanda. he'll never tell Gigi to breastfeed. it is her body after all. but of course, He wants the best for his child. He had saw her trying for the first few days. But now he knows that she totally gave up. "Gi I am gonna facetime the guys..." he said standing from the recliner.

"Where is my phone?" he patted his pockets.

"there" she pointed at the diaper changing table.

"thanks" he smiled at her but she didn't look his way. they used to be very much in love. Recently, she never acknowledges him. She left him to suffer in this damn farm!

He went to the garden sitting on a bench opening the app to call his friend who answered after few seconds.

"Hi man..." Louis greeted. he was laying lazily on the bed smoking.

"smoking inside... I guess Harry isn't around, "Zayn laughed. Harry's curly head popping up beside Louis.

"I'm here..." he smiled his dimples were showing.

"What happened...?!" Zayn looked at the red mark on Harry's face. A confused harry looked at Louis who touched his cheek.

"oh this..." he covered his bruising cheek smiling sheepishly "is a little accident."

"Anyway, how are you doing, how are the baby and... Gigi" Harry has a strained friendship with Gigi. it was really Zayn's fault, hooking up with his friend after hours of breaking up with his on-off girlfriend is a big mistake. The problem is he was very devastated, Harry was irresistibly single and it just happened. he wasn't bi and he told her multiple times "I was just drunk, not gay! "a few breakups later, he knows he is bi. he had explored that side of himself. still, he prefers her over any other person.

"Everything is fine... just little difficulties..." he looked at Louis, who wasn't even listening "by the way, you offered to give me tips on how to care for the baby."

"dude just ask Gigi..." Louis said putting off his cigarette.

"she didn't tell me anything useful. it as if she has super instinct or something... she always knows what to do..." Zayn sat in frustration on a bench in the garden.

"Yeah... they do..." Louis murmured, sitting down. "the first tip, stay out of the way."

"what?"

"like I said. out of the way.." Louis repeated.

"ok ..ok"

"next, when asked for help. ask her for specific instruction, don't assume anything. always ask. Finally, never offer help. you will be exhausted. just wait she will ask." He nodded his head as if he was wise. harry looked skeptical.

"I don't think being neglect will make Gigi happy..." harry doesn't know how she is right now.

"she never will... Fred's mum always has something to say about my parenting" Louis looked bitter. Zayn knew it wasn't a good idea to ask for his advice.

" How are you guys doing?... how is LA?" Zayn changed the subject to something safer. he wasn't really interested in LA.

"shi*ty..." Louis said in distaste. "everyone is quarantining, we met no one for three weeks."

"you didn't! because you refuses to go out... I met the neighbors, Nick, and Gemma." harry and Louis are very social. the exact opposite of Zayn. They are the perfect hosts. everyone likes to attend their house parties. Zayn prefers a small circle of friends. "anyway, aren't you coming soon. to promote your new album...?"

"Nah... I arranged everything to be online"

"cool... me too" Harry last album was finished at bad time.

" We might go to the UK soon... once the traveling ban is lifted"

" we are?" harry was surprised at the news.

"Why...?" Zayn was surprised. he knew they struggled in managing their time between their families, friends, jobs, and relationship. they never had a stable relationship, but to be honest he doesn't think they will last.

"I miss my family... I have a football team " he looked at Harry meaningfully. "you promised, our next destination is mine"

"later... "Harry wasn't happy. none of them is happy. they are a group of unhappy people. he had a new beautiful child and still feeling down.

"ok... I have to go" he said his goodbyes and closed the line. He sat for a while looking over the large farmhouse. He was filled with dread just thinking about going back inside. As he standup, he noticed that his phone isn't in his hand.

"where is my damn phone?"

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