The Bet [Zarry AU] **UNDER EDITING**

9. Uncle?

After a long day of teaching, the bell for the last class rang, indicating the end of the school hours. The students started walking out of the class, some giving him a small smile which he of course, returned and some just practically ran out of the class, the jocks he guessed. Sighing, he stuffed he laptop in his bag and walked out of the class. The hallways were empty just like the whole school. Walking out of the school, he hurried to his car and drove to Zayra's school.

He was a little late due to the traffic he had to face on the way. As soon as he entered the school someone lactched to his leg screaming "Dada!"

He chuckled softly, instantly knowing it was his baby girl. He kneeled down to her level.

"Hey pumpkin, how was your day? Did you enjoy your first day of school?"

"Yes", his daughter told him in an excited voice.

"Good, I'm so proud of you baby girl", he said, kissing his daughter's forehead.
"Daddy?", his baby girl whispered.

"Yeah pumpkin?", he asked in the same soft tone.

"Miss you", hugging her daddy by his shoulder, Zayra said. And if that didn't make his heart melt, he didn't know what did.

He hugged her tightly. "I missed you too baby girlc, he whispered, and he honestly did. Not a single minute he has spent in his school without thinking about how and what his baby  girl is doing in her school.

He stood up and took her in his arms who wrapped her legs around her dada's waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

He missed holding his baby girl in his arms the whole day, so now that he'd got a chance, he wouldn't miss that.

"pumpkin? Where's your water bottle?", he asked after noticing the water bottle is missing on side of her backpack.

Just as she was about to answer a voice  called his daughter's name. A voice, he wouldn't want to hear, ever.

"Zayra! Wait"

He felt the owner of that voice approaching him, nearer by every passing second. He didn't turn around, just stood there, frozen.

He felt the owner of the voice stood still behind him,panting heavily from all the running. He stood still there, holding his daughter tightly and protectively than ever.

"Mr. Milk?", his daughter asked in a innocently confused tone. He wanted to coo on his daughter's innocence, but he couldn't, too shocked to do anything but holding his pumpkin protectively.

He felt the person laugh softly behind him, a laugh he had always loved, the old Harry always loved, but the new Harry, he didn't know what this new Harry felt about it.

"It's Malik Zayra not Milk baby girl", the person cooed softly. And he stopped the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

He felt his daughter giggle in his neck.

"Mr. Malik, Zayra Dada", leaning up from her dada's neck, Zayra said. He cooed at his daughter's way of introducing her teacher to her dad and kissed her rosy cheeks.

"Hi, I'm Zayn Malik, Zayra's teacher.", the person behind him inteoduced himself to him.

And he knew, he had to face him, after al these years. Sure he didn't want to see him, but he wanted to show him. Show him, how proud he was about his daughter.

So he turned around, with a fake smile.

And there he was, standing and extending his hand for a handshake.  His smile disappeared as soon he recognised the father of his already favourite student from the 1st class.

"H-Harr-rry?

"Hi, I'm Harry Styles. Zayra's father", he shook his dauther's teacher's hand with a proud smile. He ignored the tingles he felt afterwards.

"Dada, sir know you?", his daughter asked. Confused how her teacher knew her dada's name.

"Yeah pumpkin, we used to study... Erm, In the same school", he shakily told his daughter not wanting to lie to her nor tell her the truth either.

"Your friend?", his daughter asked innocently.

"Y-Yeah"

"Can I call sir Uncle?", she asked her dada.

"S-Sure, if h-he doesn't have any problem", he put a fake smile for his daughter, he knew his daughter would ask more questions if he looked sad.

On the other hand, Zayn was completely speechless. He knew, there was something attracting him towards this little girl than the others. He knew he should've noticed the black curly hair, those identical green eyes, that dimpled smile as her father. But he chose to ignore it all like the stupid prick he was. He didn't know what to feel. Good, he'd get to see his daughter everyday or sad because his own daughter wants to call him uncle. He didn't know what to feel about it.

"Sir, can I call you Uncle?"

"S-Sure, but only outside school", he said shakily. He saw Harry smiling humourlessly.

"Still thinking about your reputation I see. Good." he whispered so slowly only Zayn could hear.

"N-No Harry", and he knew, he messed up again.

"Lets go pumpkin, shall we?", he asked his daughter, not wanting to talk to Zayn anymore.

"Yes Dada. Bye Uncle Zayn", waving him she said.

And at that moment if Zayn didn't know what heart breaking was really called, he knew now, after hearing his own daughter calling him uncle.

He watched Harry buckling their daughter in her car seat. He watched them driving off as he felt the first ever tear of his life rolling down his cheek.

Date: 5th November 2016