Forget Me Not (Zayn/Harry; Mpreg AU)

41 - Temporary truce

As someone who is already in dangerously low spirits to begin with, the past couple of days have proven to be much more taxing to Zayn, especially emotionally. After his unpleasant encounter with Gigi and then his core shaking reunion with Harry, Doniya's miscarriage has been the highest peak and then the inevitable drop of Zayn's rollercoaster week. And to top it all off, he still has these recurring, muddled dreams of a mundane yet content unfamiliar life of him, all shared with the same, unknown green eyed lad. Quite frankly, Zayn wants nothing to do with the dreams, because he thinks of them as useless subconscious thoughts, but the emotions and tears, which they prompt out of him are insanely genuine and is hard to just disregard. By the end of it all, Zayn is, honestly, drained to the bones and in near hysteria, his slow descent to madness now a sudden, deep plunge.

He just wants a break, really.

"I'll just get some fresh air outside, maybe a walk or something."

Scott, Doniya's husband, pauses in his task of cutting up some fruits for his sleeping wife. He lays his pairing knife down the small table next to his wife's bed and meets Zayn's empty eyes with a small smile.

"I reckon a good walk around the hospital grounds might do you good, mate," Scott says softly, not wanting to wake Doniya up for she needs all the rest she can possibly get. "You've been here for days, Zayn. Don's a strong woman and is not alone in this, she has me. We'll pull through. You, on the other hand, deserves to rest."

Zayn sighs deeply just as Waliyha and Safaa enter the room with big bags full of salty, largely unhealthy snacks and candies. "I'm worried about Doniya," he mutters, watching his younger sisters quietly argue over who gets to hold the now opened bag of potato crisps. In his heart, he hopes that the two young ladies stay this way for as long as possible, sweet and slightly unaware of the greed of the world around them. He then thinks of Gigi and his blood starts boiling, threatening to spill over in fury. "Jesus. Doniya didn't deserve this. Now, she's devastated and in so much pain. I just...I...want her to be okay, even after all of this."

Standing up, Scott ruffles Safaa's hair and bumps a fist with Waliyha before approaching Zayn. He's quite powerfully built, being an athlete, but his gentle features and sunny smiles soften his whole persona. He holds both of Zayn's shoulders and squeezes them gently. "We will all be okay, mate. Eventually," he reassures the worrying brother. "For now, take care of yourself."

"I..."

"Also, Zayn, none of this is your fault. Doniya and I want you to know that, yeah?"

After some more wheedling, especially on Waliyha and Safaa's parts, Zayn begrudgingly agrees to get his much needed stroll. Originally, he has only planned to walk along St. Ann's, surprisingly, lovely garden and savor the tranquility that comes with an abundance of radiant flowers and trees. However, upon seeing a particularly captivating bloom, an idea strikes him out of the blue and, suddenly, he makes a detour out of the garden to exit the hospital, intent on a journey to find a florist. Outside St. Ann's grounds, Zayn traverses the loud streets and, in only a short amount of time, wanders to a stop in front of a quaint, hole in the wall shop named Talking Flowers.

Perfect.

From the very moment that Zayn sets foot inside the cool shop, he feels as though he has been transported inside a mesmeric enchanted rainforest, the little thundercloud above his head dissipating almost immediately and rightly so. Talking Flowers is alive with all sorts of vivid colors and is enveloped in an alluring mix of light floral scents, a kaleidoscope full of bursting blossoms in all shapes and sizes. In awe, Zayn rounds the small place with slow steps and couldn't resist running his fingers against soft petals and vibrant emerald leaves. He also starts breathing softly, a few gentle ins and outs, filling his lungs with the calming smell of fully bloomed flowers. When he reaches the shop's cashier, he is in a state of calmness, his eyes regaining their usual brightness. He taps on the small bell placed on the counter and waits for the shop's attendant to see him.