night changes [zarry]

xiii

Zain hears the baby screaming as soon as he opens his car door. He's fairly sure it is Sophie as well, which makes him wonder if he is supposed to recognise her already. He's barely dating her mum, two dates and a few Saturdays spent watching their kids together.

"Zain, salam alaikum," Aisha and her little gang greet him when he steps up to the gaggle of mothers and grandmothers. At Laila's last school there had been at least a few fathers in the mix.

"Wa alaikum salam," Zain greets automatically, waggling his fingers at one of the toddlers clinging to his mother's skirt who is watching him curiously.

"You're dating Harry, right?" Aisha says, stepping into his path casually when he tries to step past her to get to Harry. It is Sophie crying her eyes out, unhappy despite the fact that Harry was doing his best to soothe her. He looked lovely, even with his hair a mess and the distraught look on his face. Doniya would laugh at him again if he told her.

"I-" he stutters, focusing back on Aisha when one of her friends steps up to her. Munira maybe. "Yes?" he asks, feeling a bit intimidated by their stern impressions.

"He is very stubborn, you know," Aisha continues, looking at Zain in a way that reminded him of his mother before a scolding. "And we have tried but he says he is fine. We thought you might have-"

"Some different methods of persuasion," Munira interjects.

"Yes," Aisha nods without blinking, while the two other women standing with them giggle.

Zain's not sure he's ever been flustered by a group of women.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asks, confused.

"He's exhausted because Sophie's teething and has been for the past three days. While you weren't here," Aisha says, like it is his fault. She continues before he can defend. "And he won't accept any help from us."

"Oh," Zain says, his eyes straying to Harry again, who hasn't even realised Zain was here even though they had been texting about it. It had been bad timing, having to work in the afternoon right after their date. "Yea, sure," he agrees. "I'll just-" he adds, gesturing towards Harry.

Thankfully, the women let him pass with a benevolent nod. If he ever gets on their bad side he will make his mother do all pickups and drop offs. They were weirdly scary.

"Hi," he says when he reaches Harry, pulling him out of his almost hypnotic rhythm of rocking Sophie from side to side, shushing her.

"Hi," Harry says, smiling weakly, but stepping towards Zain.

Zain takes it as permission to kiss him in greeting, pressing a kiss to his soft cheek.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asks, rubbing Harry's arm. "You look exhausted."

"I told you she was teething," Harry says, leaning against Zain slightly. Zain's not sure he realises he's going it which makes it so much more endearing. He wants Harry to lean against him always. "And she's a cranky baby when she doesn't get her way, aren't you, my love?"

Sophie shrieks in disagreement, or maybe to proof his point, upset.

"Want me to take her for a bit?" Zain asks, feeling dumb right after. It would do nothing to soothe her.

"Yes, please," Harry says, handing her across right away.

Zain blinks and adjusts her more comfortably in his arms. Before Sophie the last baby he has held had been Laila, but somehow it was like no time had passed at all, the weight of her familiar.

"Aisha wanted to talk to me," Harry says, rubbing his eyes. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," Zain nods and rocks Sophie, who has calmed down a bit, probably confused by the change in person holding her. He watches Harry walk away, flushing slightly at the thumbs up Munira offers him, like he has done a good job.