parenthood |z.malik|

1.

"No Louis, that chair goes over there." I groaned, running my hand over my face. "And Liam be careful with that!" I yelled and started walking towards the boy carelessly handling my furniture only to be stopped by two arms and pulled into the owners chest.

"Babe, Calm down. Don't stress over all this." Zayn muttered into my ear, rubbing my shoulders.

I sighed and snuggled deeper into his embrace. "Your friends stress me out."

"They stress me out too but they're just trying to help."

I chuckled lightly.

"Can you believe we're moving in together?" He asked softly. "It feels like just yesterday we were walking across the graduation stage and you tripped." His shoulders shook with laughter as he recalled the memory.

"That wasn't funny." I groaned, thinking back to that horrid day.

"Tonnianne Thompson."

My head snapped up as the vice principal said my name into the microphone. I heard the claps of the audience and the faint cheers of my large family and few friends.

"Don't fall. Don't fall. Don't fall." I muttered over and over again under my breath, my eyes pointed downwards, watching my feet.

"Congrats, Toni." My vice principal smiled as I reached the podium and took my hand into hers, shaking it and sending me on my way. I went on my way down the stage, pausing for a picture in the middle.

I continued to watch my feet as I descended down the short flight of stairs. I looked up for a split second to see which way I turned to go back to my seat and it was in that second that my feet stumbled on a rumple in the red carpet draped over the stairs and I was sent flying.

My eyes scrunched shut as I prepared myself for the impact but it never came. Instead a pair of two hands grabbed me by my waist and saved me from face planting and possibly chipping a tooth.

"Whoa, that would've been nasty." They said. I was to scared to look up and see who had caught me, in fear that they would be hot - which would only intensify my humility by a thousand.

"You can open your eyes now." The mystery voice chuckled. I hesitated before looking up and being met with a pair of beautiful brown eyes. I'd seen him around campus on occasion, he was friends with the class president, Liam Payne. His brown eyes gleamed in the hot sun light and the red gown made his complexion stand out even more.

"I'm Zayn by the way." He looked down at me, a grin taking up most of his face.

"Tonnianne."

"That was adorable. Your face was hilarious, you squealed like a pig." He threw his head back and laughed.

"I was scared that I was gonna face plant." I frowned, moving out of his grasp.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry." He apologized but his face still showed evidence of a smile.

"I can't believe you followed me until I said 'thank you'." I shook my head, smiling.