Over Pickles and Twix

iv.

"So today for it's alive," Harry starts. The kitchen nearly has an echo because it's so empty. "I have a special guest. Well, not that special, it's literally just Zayn. We're gonna bake sourdough bread together because why not?" Harry drums his hands on the countertop. "But he's late. As always. I mean, with him you need to prepare at least an extra ten minutes to wait for him. Never on time, that one. Literally not once. You know, Jeffrey, one time, the other week actually, we-"

"Good morning, everyone."

Harry turns around and sees Zayn walking towards them, his hair a bit messier than normal. He's carrying two Starbucks cups with coffee.

"You're late, Malik," Harry says, trying to sound stern. "I can't rely on anyone in this kitchen. I have people unplugging the dehydrator, you're never on time, my stuff goes missing so I have to hide it like a squirrel. And here I am, trying to be organized and this happens again."

"Sorry, I overslept," Zayn gives him a smile and offers Harry one of the coffees. "I went to bed late last night."

Harry accepts the coffee and takes a sip, hoping his blush will have disappeared by then. It doesn't. "Oh, c'mon, don't be a baby. I got here on time. And I live further away from the offices than you do."

"Did you bring the starter?" Zayn asks casually. His coffee is sitting dangerously close to the edge of the countertop as he puts on an apron.

Harry freezes. "You were supposed to bring the starter."

"No, I'm sure you were," Zayn says. He smirks, the bastard. "This is your show, isn't it? I'm just here to be a consultant."

"Oh my god," Harry groans. "Now we gotta make the starter. This will take forever. Jeffrey, are you getting this?"

"I am, unfortunately," Jeff mumbles. "And the battery is going out. Hold on, I'll go get a new one." With Jeff, the rest of the crew slinks out of the kitchen in search of coffee or comfortable chairs. Harry and Zayn stay where they are.

"We weren't out that late," Harry teases. "Besides, you can't complain about it. I find quick sex energizing."

Zayn shakes his head, a smile painting his face. "I should've just stayed over. Learned my lesson for next time."

"So there will be a next time then?"

"Next time for what?"

Harry gives Jeff as menacing of a look as he can. "None of your business, good sir. Let's roll."

They get to the actual bread making part a couple of days later. Harry thinks he doesn't want to see a sourdough starter ever in his life. They're too alive sometimes.

"Haz, no," Zayn says and puts a hand on Harry's wrist. "You need to fold it. You're kneading it."

"How am I kneading it?" Harry whines. "I'm literally doing what you did twenty seconds ago." Harry pulls his hands out of the bowl with the dough. "Show me again and god help me, do it slowly."

"For fuck's sake," Zayn mutters under his breath and grabs hold of the dough. "See, just folding it. One side over the other, you don't put any pressure on it. Just a simple book fold and nothing else."

Harry watches the whole thing go by but it's far from simple. He associates a book fold with puff pastry and not sourdough. The dough just falls all over itself and there's no way you can move it in that desired pattern.

"Trouble in paradise?"

When Harry shifts his torso slightly, he sees Nick coming over with a tiny glass of coffee in his hand. "We're fine," Harry says.

"What are you making?" Nick asks, peering over both of them into the bowl. "This is for it's alive, right?"

"Yes but I'm not gonna be alive for much longer if we can't move past book folds or whatever," Harry quips. From Zayn comes a quick, "It's literally so easy."

"I bake my bread just fine but bring a pastry cook into it and suddenly it's a science," Harry says. "Jeffrey, are we still rolling?"

"Obviously."

"A lovers' quarrel," Nick chuckles and takes a sip of his coffee. "Loving it."

Harry squints at Nick's back as he walks away from the test kitchen. "We're fine! Just peachy! It's the bread !"

"Whatever," Nick says back, barely audible. Harry frowns after him. It's really just the bread.