Forget Me Not (Zayn/Harry; Mpreg AU)

18 - Bad, bad luck

Harry's beloved Espresso Yourself mug slips out of Zayn's hold and drops onto the tiled floor of their kitchen. The shattering of the porcelain against the concrete is loud, almost deafening in the silence of the flat, and Zayn instantly feels alarms go off in his head. He hears Eclair bark incessantly after the crash, his nails making tapping noises as he races to see what the noise is all about. Zayn crouches down with a hand out to stop the pup from advancing forward.

"Eclair, no," Zayn commands firmly. He waves a hand towards the general direction of the couch. "Go to the living room. I need to clean this up."

Eclair whines but obeys Zayn, nonetheless. The tiny dog scampers off to the living room, jumping on top of the couch as though he has understood what Zayn said.

The dark-haired lad sighs once their pet is gone, looking down the mess of broken porcelain with a frown. "Shit," he groans. "This is Hazza's favorite mug." He grabs the broom and dustpan to clean up and makes quick work of it. Afterwards, he deposits the broken pieces of the mug into the rubbish bin and finishes the last of the dishes that he is washing, using a bit more than what is necessary of the dishwashing liquid. He has been doing this chore for a couple of months now and he is still not getting the hang of it, which frustrates him alot.

Once Zayn has properly stored the plates and silverware that are clean, he leaves the kitchen and plops down with a frown on the couch, thinking. He is not in any way superstitious and believes in such things, but he couldn't help but worry for Harry because of the mug incident. He can remember hearing about this belief from his sisters that when someone's possession breaks, it means that said person is in trouble. Zayn doesn't want to continue with this train of thought but, suddenly, there is a nagging feeling growing in his chest and it is definitely for Harry's well-being. To distract himself, Zayn turns the television on, flipping to the news channel, which he regrets soon after.

"The only heir to the business industry's most talked about success story, Zayn Malik of Malik Enterprises and his prolonged absence is making waves in the corporate world," the news reporter starts. Beside the man's face on the screen is a picture of Zayn taken a couple of months before the destructive family dinner with Harry, his very last paparazzi shot before he has been disowned. Despite the anger and shame bubbling inside him by the sight of himself in the news, Zayn decides to continue watching.

"Rumors about the whereabouts of the young Malik Enterprises Vice President have started piling up. Some business analysts say that Zayn Malik's sudden absence is merely a strategic break from his hectic schedule and that he will be back soon enough to finalize the transfer of the CEO title from his father to himself. However, some insiders that are close to the Malik family claim that the young man is busy preparing for a big event in his life and this involves his girlfriend, supermodel Gigi Hadid. It seems as though the couple are gearing up to taking the next level of their fairytale relationship..."

Angrily, Zayn forcefully pushes the power button of the remote control in his hand, abruptly turning the telly off. He is shaking with fury, face turning red. How dare they assume things about his life? If there is anything that Zayn loathes about his position in the family business is that it places him under the glaring spotlight. It is terrible being in the eyes of the unrelenting media, which is constantly on his back for every little thing he does, scrutinizing him closely, like he is a fascinating specimen underneath a microscope.

For years, Zayn has tried his best to avoid being in the limelight and letting his parents do all the press conferences and such. Gigi hates it. She always tells him to go out more, that he should be the one to give the opening remarks and speeches at events for more publicity, and to attend more social gatherings, like awards shows, etc. She has even forced him to make social media accounts to post their photos. Gigi insists that since she, herself, is a famous personality, it only makes sense that her boyfriend should be one, too. So, Zayn has tried doing exactly what Gigi wants, but it did not last long because it is just not what Zayn wants for himself.