Forget Me Not (Zayn/Harry; Mpreg AU)

37 - X Y

It is halfway through the month of July and Harry is on his nineteenth week of pregnancy, surpassing the first trimester with flying colors. The pregnant lad is nothing but grateful beyond measure that the first three months of his pregnancy, although terribly stressful, has passed without any further complications.

According to Harry's attending OB-GYN, physically and mentally, he is the epitome of good health, his daily yoga and clean eating paying off with handsome results. Luckily, too, Harry has finally evaded the dreadful morning sickness and is less sluggish through the help of the right balance of vegetables and fruit intake. Perhaps the most important of all, quite the feat, is that he has learned to not give in to his food cravings, which mostly are teeth-rotting sweets and would only serve to harm him in the long run. So, with a bit of research, he has found healthy options, alternatives, that satisfy him and his baby.

Socially, Harry has a wider circle of friends now and is invited to more gatherings, which greatly helps him keep his peace and calm. In addition to Niall, Maura, Gemma, Robin and Michal, Harry has gathered quite a few regular customers from his blossoming job as a baker-slash-florist and they have quickly turned into his friends, too. Nowadays, Harry has been frequently hosting afternoon tea (caffeine-free for him, of course) in his quaint living space and Eclair seems to enjoy the company more than him, the wags of his tail going almost endless with excitement everytime a guest is present.

Quite frankly, though, when it comes to the matter of emotions, he is still very much plagued with thoughts of deep sadness, especially at night when his suppressed memories have nowhere else to go and hide. But now, he has learned to redirect his pain into something else - something positive - like sharing his day-to-day routine with the life growing inside his womb, his constant companion. Honestly, he is less prone to crying these days, because he talks to someone now, his one-sided conversations communicated mostly with the somersaulting baby inside his rounded belly. The feeling is unlike any other, sharing half of your heart with a precious unborn child that you have helped create. It fills Harry with such intense affection that he forgets how cruel life has been to him.

All in all, Harry would like to think that he is sort of, still, winning in life, despite everything.

"Hey, Harry?"

Snapped out of his wondering, Harry looks up from his soggy weetabix to raise his eyebrows questioningly. Today, as a celebration of sorts, Harry has been invited for brunch at the Mlynowski's flat and, in the meantime, has started with some cereal because Gemma's full English course is still on the works. "Yes, Gems?"

Sporting freshly dyed brunette locks, Gemma grins at the confused Harry, looking like a cat, who has gotten both the cream and the canary. Her smile is positively smug and Harry is a bit bothered by it. He starts sweating in his thin shirt and jeans, his heartbeat speeding up. What has gotten her looking so self-satisfied?

With her cooking timer ringing, Gemma puts a hold on their conversation to hurriedly bend and pull a baking sheet out of the oven, where a harmony of bangers, bacons, roasted tomato halves and some roasted mushrooms are sizzling away. Expertly, Gemma portions the cooked food items into two large plates. Then, she scoops some mashed potato and gently warmed canned beans into the same plates before finishing with scrambled eggs and fried bread. She serves her lovingly prepared food to her awaiting guest with some ketchup, worcestershire sauce, orange marmalade and, of course, tea.

"Let's talk later," Gemma tells Harry with a wink. She stirs a sugar cube into her tea and takes a sip. "I've kept you waiting long enough to eat and I don't want you getting any hungrier."

Hesitantly, Harry picks up his fork and knife, eyeing his friend with burning curiosity. Sadly, Gemma is unmoved by his puppy dog eyes and only nods towards his food, gesturing for him to eat. Stomach grumbling, Harry then pushes his bowl of soggy cereal far away from his delicious plate of full English breakfast and tucks in. The first bite is simply heavenly, which, in turn, kickstarts Harry's appetite and encourages him to dig in hungrily, almost forgetting about his companion.