chance connection |2| [zarry]

twohundredseventynine

When Zain wakes up, Freddie's already chatting, his knee poking Zain's shoulder. He reaches for them, letting himself drift off again. He smiles slightly when Harry takes his hand, his voice still sleep-rough as he answers Freddie.

He lets their voices wash over him for a while, the sun warm on his legs even this early in the morning.

"I'm going to get it!" Freddie exclaims, jumping out of bed loudly and waking Zain completely, making him blink his eyes open.

"The monster says he talks to the baby," Zain mutters, rolling towards Harry and pressing his face into Harry's side.

"Hm?"

"When does he talk to the baby?"

"All the time," Harry says, lying down again and kissing Zain softly. "Why're you asking?"

"Didn't realise he did that," Zain says against Harry's cheek.

"Because you don't pay attention when you're just waking up, love," Harry says, amused. "We're just white noise."

"I guess," Zain mutters. He can't really deny it. It's just that he wakes up to Freddie in their bed now, chatting with Harry and he gets his morning cuddles while Freddie gets attention. It's nice. Excellent division of labour, in his opinion.

"What's he say?"

"You'll have to stay awake tomorrow, won't you?" Harry teases and then softens when Zain tries his best pout. "Everything he tells you at breakfast," he says, soothing. "About his dreams and his dinosaurs and how mummy snores and daddy's in America and how great it is to spend all day with you."

"Sweet talker," Zain says.

"I wish," Harry says lightly.

"Mummy," Freddie says, jumping onto the bed next to Zain and crawling over him, settling on Zain's legs even as he completely ignores him in favour of arranging his armful of toys on the blanket. "You have to swallow a toy."

"What?" Harry says, looking at Zain. Zain blinks back at him.

"The baby is bored, mummy!" Freddie explains, frowning at the toys he's arranged on mostly Zain. "It's alone in your belly and you have to give him a toy."

"That's not how that works, monster," Zain says gently, biting back his amusement. "And if mummy swallows something, it's not gonna end up with the baby."

"Yes, it does," Freddie argues, frowning. "You said what mummy eats ends up with the baby so mummy has to eat food that's good for the baby. So if the baby needs a toy, mummy has to eat it."

Zain blinks at him, then looks at Harry, desperate. "It's too early for this," he complains.

"Baby, I'm not gonna eat a toy," Harry says, finally. Zain closes his eyes again, turning his head into the pillow. "The baby is busy growing and sleeping and listening, it won't get bored because you talk to it, don't you?"

"But what if I'm not here!" Freddie continues, tenacious. It's all Louis's fault.

"I talk to it then," Harry says, sounding a bit desperate. "And Zain. Come on, breakfast, love," he adds, getting up.

"But what if you're asleep and Zain's asleep?" Freddie asks, following Harry like particularly annoying shadow.

"The baby will also be asleep," Harry says. "Zain, come on," he adds over his shoulder.

"Yea," Zain says, giving up on playing dead. "Two seconds."

"But what if you and Zain are asleep and the baby wakes up? I wake up before you!" Freddie insists.