night changes [zarry]

xv

Harry wakes with a start, sitting up and grabbing for Sophie with his eyes-half closed, his heart dropping when he can't find her.

"Here she is," Zain says, holding her out so that she can press her face against Harry.

"Hi baby," Harry says, his heart calming down with her weight in his arms. He presses his nose to her cheek and smiles at Zain. He seems to have just been sitting there with Sophie on his lap, Laila lying next to him with a book and Emma munching something, her feet on Zain's thigh.

When Harry turns to look for Jamie, he's lying on the pull out bed, kicking his legs as he leaves through a comic book. It must be one of Laila's because Harry hadn't packed books for him.

"Mummy's awake," Emma says, her mouth still full of what must be yesterday's fruit. "Can we go to breakfast now?"

"He's just opened his eyes, give him a moment, Emma," Zain says, sounding amused. He tickles her feet making her shriek and waking Harry completely. His children were fine and he had somehow slept through them waking up.

"Mummy, I'm hungry," Emma says, crawling onto his lap and pressing her nose to his.

"I'm gonna get dressed in a moment. Sophie's just gotta eat," Harry says, pulling his sweater down when Sophie tries to faceplant into his breast again.

"She eats ages," Emma complains, kissing Sophie's cheek like an apology. "She can just eat when we eat."

"We're not at home," Harry says, a bit awkwardly. He hasn't gone out to restaurants with kids in ages but he knows people are sometimes weird about it. He catches Zain's gaze.

"I could go ahead with them if you want," Zain says, holding Harry's gaze even as Emma starts chanting "Please, please, please."

"Are you sure," Harry asks, because Emma was being her noisest self right now.

"Yea," Zain nods.

"I guess there is no reason for you to wait," Harry says with a shrug. Somehow he must have slept deeper than he thought because they're all dressed and Emma's hair is braided neatly. "Yea," he says, watching Emma scramble off the bed and hop to the door.

"Breakfast?" Jamie perks up as well. Harry watches them descend on the shoes by the door like whirlwinds, Laila not far behind, and blinks.

"Take your time, yea," Zain says, leaning across the bed to kiss Harry's cheek. "Your clothes are on the girls' bed."

"Thank you," Harry says again. It wasn't really supposed to be a holiday, just a quick trip to the beach, but somehow he's feeling relaxed and rested and like he is here to enjoy himself. An impromptu beach holiday.

He lies back down, adjusting Sophie to lie more comfortably, and watches Zain herd the kids outside, shushing them gently.

"Just the two of us now, love," he tells Sophie when the door falls shut, stroking her cheek. "The way you like it, hm?"

She doesn't bother responding, drinking contentedly with her eyes half closed, her hand curling into his shirt.

He reaches across to grab his phone, stroking her eyebrow.

"Why are you calling this early on a Sunday?" his mum answers. "Aren't you having breakfast?"

"Zain took the kids downstairs," Harry answers, then remembers his mum doesn't know of their hotel stay and blushes. "We had to stay the night at Brighton, we got soaked yesterday."

"Oh no, are you alright?" his mum asks.

"Yea," Harry says, nodding and tapping Sophie's nose when she unlatches for a moment, pushing herself up a bit before faceplanting back on his breast with a happy grumble. "Zain suggested it, I think it was a good idea. The kids in damp clothes all the way back. They have been cranky and probably caught a cold."