chance connection |2| [zarry]

twohundredfiftysix

"I'm back!" Harry calls.

Zain barely avoids getting hit into the face by Freddie's excited limbs as he scrambles off the sofa and towards the front door.

"Mummy!" Freddie exclaims already talking a mile a minute to update Harry about every tiny detail of his day. 

Zain goes back to figuring our the composition for the new piece he wants to paint as soon as they get back to London, happy to hear both of them laughing in hallway. 

"Hey," Harry says, letting himself fall on top of Zain. 

Zain barely lifts his tablet out of the way in time.

"Hi, babe. Good day?" he asks, poking Harry's dimple with his thumb.

"Yea," Harry smiles. "Freddie wants to go to the beach. I'll take a quick shower and then we can go. Can you pack some snacks?"

"Yea," Zain says, stroking Harry's eyebrow. "But I might stay. I think I'll call mum."

Harry stills for a moment before nodding and kissing Zain softly. "Yea. Yea, okay. We'll just go straight down, you can come afterwards. We're gonna have a picnic."

"He'll forget how to eat at a table," Zain says, idly twirling a strand of Harry's hair around his finger, stiff with product as it was.

"Hm," Harry agrees, hiding his yawn against Zain's shoulder. "Louis still weird today?"

"Nah," Zain says. "Grumpy and hungover. Back to normal. Go take your shower before you fall asleep," he adds, kissing the side of Harry's nose. 

"You gonna show me your painting later?" Harry asks, pushing himself up slowly. 

Zain watches him, brushing his palm over his belly as he gets up. "Sure. Just a draft for composition though," he shrugs. "What do you wanna eat?"

"Just some sandwiches are fine. I'm fine today."

"Hm," Zain agrees and pushes himself up to get their dinner assembled and packed.

Freddie's in the hallway, walking dinosaurs up the wall, narrating to himself. 

Zain leaves him be, glad that the worst of the clinginess had left him again, bending to tickle the sole of his foot as he passes.

Freddie giggles. "Zain!" he complains before growling again, smashing two of his dinosaurs together.

🌱

Zain watches Harry and Freddie walk away, dark silhouettes against the slowly setting sun and waits for his mother to pick up her phone. 

"Is everything alright, sunshine?" she picks up, sounding slightly out of breath.

"Yea," Zain says, trying to keep his voice casual as his heart starts beating more rapidly. "Is this a good time?" He doesn't even know why he is this nervous.

"You never call on your Harry weekends. Weeks," Trisha amends. "How is Freddie doing?"

"He's fine. Harry and him have gone to the beach to have a picnic," Zain says, rubbing a palm over his thigh. "I wanted to tell you something."

"You can tell me anything, sunshine," his mum says immediately. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Zain smiles, scrubbing a hand through his hair and turning back towards the house like that would make it easier. "I just," he swallows, rolling his eyes at himself. He just has to say it. He takes a deep breath, almost blurting. 

"Harry's pregnant. That's what I wanted to tell you. We're having a baby."

"Huh."

"Huh?" Zain echoes, his chest tight at the lack of reaction. He's not even sure what he had expected. "What's that?"