chance connection |2| [zarry]

twohundredseventyeight

Zain squints against the sun, letting the wind wash over his face. He's starting to love coming to France for more than just seeing Harry, he likes living close to the beach, hearing the rush of the ocean. He even likes the seagulls and their constant noise.

It was a bit like Freddie, constantly noise and only soothing to hear because of what it means.

Maybe he's getting old, preferring the slower pace of a smaller town, of the country side.

"Zain!" Freddie announces himself, throwing himself onto Zain with enthusiasm and too much sand. "Can I go swim now? We built the castle, it's done."

"Did you?" Zain asks, touching the sand crusted to Freddie's cheek. "The tide is going out, love, we can't go into the water then. Wanna show me the castle?"

"The water is annoying," Freddie complains. "It goes at stupid times."

"Yea, I know," Zain soothes him. "Castle?"

"It's super cool," Freddie perks up, hopping while Zain forces himself off the ground.

Freddie and his pack of children have built quite a large mound of sand, which doesn't really take more shape once Zain's allowed closer than whatever distance had been agreed was the correct
Amount from watchful parents. He can kind of make out the torrents when Freddie points them out, and the moat but most of it was already loosing shape, too wet to hold its structure.

"Very impressive, monster," he nods.

Freddie's already distracted again, poking at the seaweed one of the other kids has gathered, poking at it with the same interest the rest of the gaggle of children do.

"Monster," he says once Freddie looks at him again. "Let's go home, it's time to start dinner for mummy."

"Okay," Freddie says easily, still excited enough to see mummy to give up seashells and seaweed without fight.

"O-var!" He yells at his gang and grabs Zain's hand, jumping over a small piece of flotsam.

Zain raises a surprised eyebrow when the other children yell back something that sound close enough. It was always surprising how much Freddie picked up from what was going on around him.

"Mummy wants es-paghetti for dinner," Freddie announces, unconcerned. "Loads."

"Does he?" Zain grins down at him.

"Yea," Freddie nods, crouching to pick up a stone. "It's the baby's favourite, it told me."

"When did you talk to the baby?" Zain asks, full of affection, leaning down to pick Freddie up and kiss his cheek a few times as Freddie squeals.

"I always talk to it," Freddie explains, struggling to be let down again go pick up a sea shell. He'd be spreading sand everywhere again at home. "Sometimes when you sleep and mummy and me are awake already."

"Are you excited to be a big brother, monster?" Zain asks, running his fingers through Freddie's soft hair as Freddie stops to poke at another piece of flotsam.

"Hassan says it's cool," Freddie says.

"Well, then," Zain grins, taking the collection of stones, seashells and crab shells Freddie hands him. "Monster, we said one new thing a day."

"I'm still deciding!" Freddie pouts.

Zain raises an eyebrow back at him. "One or nothing. We're at the end of the beach."

Freddie huffs and sighs, as he does every day, sorting through his treasures and finally picking one of the dead crabs. Again.

Zain wrinkles his nose and drops the rest of the collection in the sand as soon as Freddie's turned away, familiar with the way home by now.

Zain follows him, rubbing the sand from his hands.

🌱

"Can I walk to Daddy now?" Freddie asks, leaning back across Zain's legs.

"He's still on the plane, monster," Zain answers, stroking Freddie's hair. He won't arrive until we're all long asleep."

"Oh," Freddie sighs, curling into Zain.

"Wanna make a quick video for him?" Zain asks, tickling him gently. "Show him your newest addition to your collection?"

"Yes!" Freddie perks up, rushing away before Zain can say anything else.

"What is it today?" Harry yawns, looking up from his tablet.

"Crab," Zain says, shrugging. "What else."

"I was hoping for a stone," Harry sighs. He stills, blinking. "He's making me say the weirdest stuff. I really meant that. Sincerely."

Zain snorts at him. "Louis said: 'oh thank god it's just his own shit' once. So you're not anywhere near that. Yet."

"Why would he be happy about that?" Harry asks a bit hysterically.

Zain grins at him. "There was a possibility of dog," he says, watching Harry's face contort fondly.

"I'm ready!" Freddie announces, carrying more than just today's treasure with him. He's changed into a different shirt as well, hair all ruffled. Zain wants to grab him and never let him go.

"Ask mummy what to do in a film," Zain says, trying not to remember that school would be starting soon.

"What?" Freddie asks and then seems to remember the film, glaring. "I don't like the film."

"I know, my love," Zain answers gently.

"He's just teasing, baby," Harry says, getting up and letting himself fall mostly in Zain, stroking Zain's hair. "Come here."

Zain plays with Harry's hair and watches him try and curb Freddie's rambling into a somewhat decent length. Louis would for sure enjoy the view up all their noses.

"What's got you emotional?" Harry asks quietly, tilting his head back to brush their cheek together once Freddie's run off again.

"He's just-" Zain says. "He put on his favourite shirt to show Louis his crab collection. I just wanna hug him and he's gonna stop being cute way too soon."

"He's five, Zain," Harry says, sounding amused. "He'll be cute for a while."

"Dunno," Zain says, wrinkling his nose. "Kids are weird these days."

"Wow," Harry laughs, turning around to kiss Zain. "Way to sound old. Go put the kid to bed."

"Oh?" Zain says suggestively, throwing a glance at the clock flashing under the telly. Despite only one hour time difference, he somehow had completely lost his sense of time.

"Maybe," Harry still says, pulling Zain's hand to his arse for a moment. "But mostly it's late."

"Yea, thanks, babe," Zain answers, giving Harry a squeeze and freeing himself. "Maybe sounds good though."

"Your chances are good," Harry grins after him, winking exaggeratedly.

Zain rolls his eyes at him and goes to find Freddie.

🌱

😴