when you sleep :: [malik]

"she lays down..."

"I think I love you."

Zhuri laughs. "You gonna tell me that every time I cook for you?"

Zayn smiles cheekily as Zhuri puts away dishes and he kind of helps. "One day you'll say it back to me."

Imani is twenty weeks pregnant.

She has an actual bulge and an almost-actual baby and as she and Justin co-habitate as parents, Zhuri finds herself spending more and more time with Zayn.

Her boyfriend.

"I say it back to you all the time."

"That's good. That's a good one, Zhu."

"Yeah, 'cause I ain't never heard you say that before."

"Taj, find some business little boy."

"I swear, the next time you call me little, we're fighting."

And Taj was over today.

He found out that Zayn had bought a bike and had to come see for himself.

"Y'all remember that time we rode around on K.P.'s?" He'd asked excitedly.

The answer was a yes.

And now he sits on Zayn's counter and watches him interact with his sister, having driven from campus after classes.

"So," he begins, as Zayn and Zhuri clean the kitchen after dinner, "how many kids y'all gon' have?"

"How'd you know we were just talking about that?"

Taj shrugs. "Seems like that's the logical progression of things," he grins, "since y'all two're official and shit, now."

"Um. Stop. Now, can't I just be an aunt for now?"

"Nah, 'cause I think I'ma really like being an uncle. I need more nephews to play with."

"You don't have a nephew to play with now, silly."

"Exactly. That's why I need you to pop out more."

"So I can be godfather to Imani's son," Zayn says with a raised brow. "You're the uncle anyway. Cool. We're done, then."

"Nah, man. I gotta be both. My nephew's gonna be a black man, just like me, boy."

"What the fuck, Taj?" Zayn laughs. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Don't need to, Z."

"Fuck you, I'm godfather."

"Zhuri!" Taj calls, swinging his feet, the heels of his Nike's clanging against the cabinetry. "Get your man."

"Y'all two are hilarious," Zhuri replies with rolled eyes. "You have literally created a bromance I don't understand."

"I don't understand it either," Taj nods.

"But?" Zayn places his hand behind his ear.

"But, what?"

"But? But, you like it," he nods. "Don't play games."

Taj shrugs. "Maybe I love it? Maybe I finally how a brother, or some shit? You don't know me. Don't put words in my mouth, Z."

"Z?" Zhuri exclaims, laughing. "Z? Y'all are one a nickname basis, now?"

"Don't hate us because you ain't us, ZuZu."

"Last time I checked, I could never be jealous of you, my child."

And as Taj opens his mouth to protest, when Zhuri's phone rings beside him on the counter.

Her younger brother peers down at the illuminated screen.

"Zhu," he looks up, "it's Asha. Can I--"

"Go 'head," she nods.

He lifts the phone. "Bet."

And as he answers the call with a, "Hey, Ash..." And follows up with a chuckle and a, "Yeah, I'm with Zhu and her man right now--"

And Zhuri only shakes her head, laughing with Zayn as Taj takes the phone and turns, his back to the two of them.

"Wait, Ash...Say that again, please? She's...she's what?"

And Zhuri flinches, shaking her hands above the sink and turning at once, startled by the sound of her brother's voice.

"Everything okay, Taj?"

"I--" He hops from the counter. "Be back," he says, turning back to her phone, "Hold up, Ash, it's Zhu..."

And he jogs from the kitchen.

"Yeah..." His voice trails off, "I'm here, I'm here..."

Zhuri looks up, her eyes locking with Zayn's.

He can practically feel her panic across the room.

"Zhu..." He warns.

"What the hell was that?"

"Don't," he says, and he lifts his hands, slowly crossing the linoleum floor. He stands before her, staring into her wide brown eyes, "S'okay, babe. I'm sure it's fine, yeah?" And Zayn doesn't know if he's right or not, but he's trying to keep his girlfriend from freaking out like she always does.

Over everything.

He's trying to keep her from jumping straight to the worst, first.

He wraps his arms around her shoulders. "You're good, right?" He kisses her forehead. "Imani's home right now too, yeah?"

Zhuri's voice is muffled against his tee. "Yeah..."

"Okay," Zayn nods. "So my baby's fine and so's my godson," and he elicits a laugh out of her and his heart soars, "You're good," he repeats, "right?"

And before Zhuri can reply, Taj's loud steps are ringing in the kitchen and Zhuri's being spun around in Zayn's arms because her brother's eyes are glassy.

Zhuri's heart is pounding.

Taj didn't cry. Taj didn't cry. Taj didn't cry.

"What?" She finds herself almost yelling. "What's wrong? What'd Asha say--?"

Her brother's jaw clenches as he stares at everything in the kitchen but his sister. "Things, uh...they aren't looking too good, Zhu. Not with Nana."

"Taj--"

"We gotta go home, Zhu," he squeezes his eyes shut. "I know you hate that, but," he shakes his head, the clock ticking loudly over the stove, "We gotta see her 'cause they not giving her much more time, and--"

She can't hear any more of this.

"Okay."

And Zayn finds himself between Zhuri and Taj, who both need a shoulder as they begin to cry.

___

Mad props to yall who guessed nana wasn't gon make it

Alsoooo this story is really gaining reads and I'm hellaaaa surprised since I started this and didn't even think I would get this far so thank y'all so much for reading the things I write lol ❤️❤️❤️❤️