Keep It A Secret (Zarry)

Chapter 7

Baking with Trisha Malik is probably one of his favourite things to do. It's horrible that he doesn't get to do so given that she's all the way up in Bradford and he lives in Manchester. Then again the only reason he's even in Bradford, is because Zayn and Louis have been granted a two week break from shows. He would be back in Manchester with Louis, but luckily Harry had made a good enough excuse saying: "I've never been to Bradford, it'll be a good experience for me Lou! You wouldn't want to deprive me of a good experience would you?"

It should be a bit awkward that he wouldn't mind spending that much time with his boyfriend's mum trying new combinations, fusing some of his French patisserie background with her South Asian sweets recipes for fun. But he's actually having such a good time with Trisha right now, so it's all good.

He likes Trisha because she's got this quiet way about her that kind of reminds him of Zayn actually. She can always tell when something's on your mind, can sense it in the air in that way mums can, but she never pushes. Just listens, nudges gently, and waits until you're ready to spill all your secrets like an overstuffed apple tart.

"Did you use to make these when Zayn was like younger?" Harry asks, makes sure to keep his voice nonchalant.

Trisha's lifting a tray of sweet-smelling pastries from the oven. Today, they've tried an adapted balushahi recipe, a sort of glazed doughnut, fried then baked, the rich fragrance of apple, coconut, cinnamon and saffron laces the air. Harry closes his eyes to breathe it in. It smells like home.

"Yes, love. He's always been a softy for bake good sweets, so it was probably mine and his favourite thing to make for him."

"Yeah I um- I remember like making him cookies once while we were in Japan last month. And he was so excited."

Trisha hums as she pokes one of the honey-filled triangles of dough to check that it's cooked all the way through, "Mhm, he told me about that. I'm just glad he's got someone cooking for him while he's not home."

Harry makes a non-committal noise as he reaches into the fridge for a carton of milk to make them both some tea. He sits down at the counter with his mug and puts Trisha's down across from his. She bustles around a bit getting a pair of plates ready and Harry knows to let her. After the first three days of being there, he's already learned that she likes fussing after everyone whenever they come to visit, and the only reason he's even allowed near the kitchen is that he's capable of cooking something without burning the house down.

"Thanks, Trisha," he says when she slides a plate heaped with fresh-baked tart in front of him.

"Welcome, love." And then she's sitting across from him, sipping on her tea but watching him with that unnervingly perceptive gaze she sometimes gets. Like she sees pieces of Harry that he's not even sure he has. He's got an idea that it's a mum thing because he gets the same from his own whenever he gets knot a funk or something.

"All right, now enough chatter about Zayn, how are you doing?"

Harry shrugs, "Good, thank you. Just, you know, the tour is really amazing, and I'm having so much fun."

"Oh, that's fantastic, darling." Trisha smiles, it's one of those soft-hearted smiles that reminds him a lot of Zayn. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, but that's not what I meant. How is everything on the personal front, dating and all that? Is my son treating you right?"

This is another thing he loves about Trisha. Just after the first two days of his and Zayn's arrival. She was able to detect some sort of romance between the two. Mostly because she can read her son like a book, and noticed the love sick look that was overly present on his face, as he listened to Harry babble on about how he gave himself a paper cut on the flight.

"Oh, Well yeah he's amazing," Harry says easily. "I'm just...you know nervous about telling Louis. He's so protective, and like I don't want to ruin their friendship or anything." Harry's cheeks grow warm at the question.

Trisha sighs fondly. "Still?"

Harry hitches his left shoulder up and thinks on it a second. "I don't know, I guess-Louis always been like this. Even before this, he's never really liked the idea if me dating anyone. I guess sense him and Zayn are best friends, he's just even more on the fence about it."

Trisha rubbed his back comfortingly, as if to say everything will be fine. "I just think he needs to know the truth, from both you and Zayn. I'm not saying now, but soon."

Speaking of Zayn, he chooses this time to finally wake up. It's around three in the afternoon, and he still looks a bit tired. He goes up behind Harry and places a soft kiss on his cheek. "Good morning," he greets both of them.

His mother smiled lovingly at her son, before passing him one of the apple cinnamon muffins Harry had made earlier this morning. He gladly took it and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist, as he took a bite. "You make these," he asked Harry with a fond smile on his face.

Sipping in his tea, Harry nodded and leaned back into the warmth that was Zayn. Resting his head on his shoulder, Harry rubbed Zayn's arm that was still wrapped around his waist. "Yeah, I remember you saying how much you liked them."

Zayn smiled and kissed Harry's cheek again, as a thank you. Reaching for Harry's tea, Zayn drank the last bit of it before setting it on the table. "Mum, do you mind if I steal Harry from you?"

Trisha Malik, laughed and waved ten off as she continued to clean the dishes. "Go ahead Zayn, me and Harry can always cook together some other time."

Harry smiled and nodded in agreement, as he let Zayn pull him upstairs to his room. The room is a bit less organised then what it was when they first got there, but Zayn didn't seem to mind as he pulled Harry down on the unmade bed with him. The muffin was still in his hand, and Harry laughed as a few crumbs were scattered across Zayn's cheek.

"Baby you're gonna get the bed all messy," he said wiping the bread crumbs away from Zayn's face with his thumb.

A smile creeps across Zayn's face. He's sort of loved when Harry took care of him like this. And it makes him feel proud that Harry cares enough to actually make sure he's alright. He's lucky, he thinks, to have had someone like that in his life. Who's just always loving even when he does stuff just for the hell of it.

Zayn took another large bit of the muffin before setting it in his bedside table. He was glad that Niall and Liam were in Manchester with Louis, cause he doesn't know if he would be able the be doing this with them there. Wrapping his arms around Harry's waist, Zayn pulled his boyfriend on top of him carefully. Harry smiled and traced his long fingers over Zayn's stubbly cheekbones slowly, admiring the boy he could call his. "I like you."

"I like you too," Zayn said back as he absentmindedly rubbed his hands over the small of Harry's back.

"Did you steal me just so we could cuddle?"

"Maybe."

Harry smiled and leaned down to leave a sweet kiss against Zayn's lips. His fingertips never leaving his face, as he slow deepened the kiss. After a while of the sweet but not so innocent kiss, Harry pulled back and nuzzled his nose against Zayn's. "You taste like cinnamon."

Zayn smiled and nodded, and leaned up and pecked Harry's lips softly. "Can I take you out on a date tomorrow?"

Harry smiled and nodded already getting excited. "I'd love to go on a date with you Ze."

After that, they both laid there just being comfortable in each other's presence. With Zayn taking bites out of the muffin, and Harry stealing some of the muffin until it was completely gone. They shared countless short and long kisses as the time passed, and Zayn can't remember the last time he was this happy with someone. "We should take a nap together," he suggested.

"But you just woke up like two hours ago," Harry replied with a small giggle, as Zayn's fingers unknowingly tickled along his sides.

Zayn shrugged and pulled the dark blue covers over them, as he rolled them on their sides so he could tangle his legs with Harry's. Harry smiled, and nuzzled his nose in the crook of Zayn's neck as they both eventually fell back asleep.