As You Are » Zarry ✔

◀ ⚫ 9 ⚫ ▶

It didn't take Zayn too long to devise a plan about how he'd go about running away with Harry. He knew he needed to wait until he was eighteen though, or otherwise it would be kidnapping whether Harry wanted to go or not. Because he was still a minor. He was still under his mother's custody and guardianship.

Three and a half months zoomed by and Zayn couldn't really stick to his once a week schedule. But only because he had took on full time work and couldn't be there every week. He came by just once in the last month and when he was there, he only played and read a little bit with Harry and then spent the rest of his time looking through his mummy's important papers. Harry never understood why. But Zayn explained to him that he needed to do that if they were going to run away properly. He needed his tracks covered legally.

Zayn put everything he had into it. He put everything he had into making sure he and Harry could freely be together and be happy. And he did it all the way up until the day that it was supposed to happen. All the way up until February 10th. That was today's date. Today's date as in the date he and Harry were finally going to run away together...

"Um Zayn. I'm done. C- can we go watch cartoons now?"

Zayn looked up from where he had been leaning against the wall and faced the tub. Harry was looking at him.

"Yeah. Take the stopper out and get out of the tub so I can dry you."

Harry did as he was told and carefully stepped out onto the chilly tile floor. Zayn was there with a large towel so he could dry him off.

"I'm cold." Harry mumbled as Zayn gently wiped the towel over him.

"I know but you'll be able to get dressed in a minute."

Harry watched Zayn carefully dry him. He remembered that his mummy also did this whenever he got out of the tub. She did really take care of him. He wondered what she'd do when he wasn't there for her to take care of him anymore. "You think um... You think mummy will be sad?" He asked out of the blue.

Zayn frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Cause I'll be... I won't be here. Will she cry?"

Zayn thought for moment. He didn't want to say anything that might discourage him. He spent too much time and preparation in getting to this point and it was pretty much too late to turn back now. But he also didn't want to lie to him either. "I don't know, Harry. We can't be completely sure of what she'll do because we won't be here to see."

"But she'll um- She'll miss me?"

"I'm sure she will. You're her son." He threw the towel off to the side and stood up. Then he put his hand to Harry's face and smiled sweetly at him. "But everything will be alright. You have nothing to worry about because I'm going to take care of you. Understand?"

Harry nodded and Zayn pointed to the toilet where Harry's clothes had been sitting on the back of it. "Alright now get dressed. When you're finished with that, I'll put your cartoons on for you. Your mummy and Nana should be home within the next hour or so. But I have to pack a few more of your things in the car before they get here."

"I can't wait." Harry said excitedly. "I can't wait to go out."

"Me either."

After that, Zayn cleaned the tub out while Harry got himself dressed. They finished their tasks around the same time, so after Zayn put his cartoons on, he took the last few items out to the car. There were only a few knickknack things and a couple important things of Harry's that he needed to bring. Everything else was already at the new place because Zayn had made a trip there earlier today.

When Zayn came back in, he found cotton swabs and peroxide for Harry's lip. He cringed at the thought of how it had come about.

Today, he had let Harry ride in his car for the first time ever. They had gone to the small pharmacy to pick up a few small cosmetic items they would need in their new home. But while Zayn was asking one of the employees for help, he let go of Harry's hand and Harry ended up slipping off and outside of the store. When he realized what happened, he ran out to find him. He found him sitting in the mud and crying as he wiped his bloody lip with his hands. So after purchasing the item he asked about, he rushed home so that Harry could take a bath.

He hated himself for letting it happen. Harry was in his care and all he did was take his eyes and hands off of him for one moment. He knew that from here on out, he needed to be more careful. This could not happen under his watch ever again. He was determined not to let it.

They both sat there in the middle of the living room floor watching cartoons together until about five o'clock. The sun was already setting then. Not too long after one of Harry's fifteen minute shows started, they heard keys in the door.

Harry gasped. "They're here."

"I know. Shh." Zayn said although he too was feeling worry come over him. Because if Harry saw him panic, he would end up panicking too.

He stood up on his feet and braced himself for the coming reaction. Once the door opened, he heard footsteps moving rather quickly through the house, getting closer the more split seconds passed. Once the source of the footsteps reached the living room and he saw the anger burning in their eyes, he held his breath. It was time now. It was finally time to come face to face with Harry's biggest cloud.

His own mother and grandmother.