showstopper [zarry] ✔️

bread week

Harry lets his head slump onto Zain's shoulder, rubbing his nose over his skin and breathing him in for a moment. Weirdly enough it settles his nausea a bit. Maybe only because I showered Zain was more agreeable than the smell of heated milk. "I woke up and you weren't there."

"Your daughter was hungry," Zain says, turning his head slightly to kiss Harry's head.

"Poor baby." Harry straightens, smiling at her where she is slapping one of her building blocks to the table of her high chair repeatedly. She's covered in puree, and her table and clothes is a mess.

He closes the distance between them, leaning down towards her and kissing her cheek, on one of the few spots that are not covered in food. "Good morning, my love. You keeping baba entertained?"

"Mamama," Noor answers, which Harry is still very sure is her learning his name while Zain still claimed she was just saying senseless syllables. She dips her fingers in the bowl Zain's put in front of her, happy to play with her food some more now that Zain was trying to make his own food.

"That's very nice of you, baby," he answers, sitting down beside her and watching her wave her spoon around, brimming with affection and love for her . He can't wait for her sibling to join her and steal even more of his sleep and scream bloody murder at him when he tries to clean up the mess they made eating. "Baba needs entertainment or he will get grumpy, right?"

"Bababa," Noor says, turning to look at Zain almost but not quite knocking the bowl to the ground.

"See!" Harry exclaims in the engaging tone that comes as natural as breathing to him around Noor, smiling widely at her. "See, Zain, she is talking! I told you, she is talking."

"She's babbling," Zain says, turning around to wave at Noor when she reaches her hand out for him. "And you're so, my love. Hi baby," he adds. "Are you eating, Haz?"

Harry pulls an involuntary grimace. "Yea, I'll try."

"That's promising," Zain answers drily, setting the bowl with porridge in front of Harry and rubbing his shoulders. "Want to try to add anything to it?"

"No," Harry says, wrinkling his nose, watching the porridge drip from his spoon.

"We definitely know here Noor gets her manners from," Zain says drily, kissing Harry's cheek and sitting down as well. "You wanna try eating some more, love, or are you good with playing?" he asks her, rising a spoon to her mouth.

She eyes him for a moment, not amused, but then seems to reconsider, opening her mouth.

"I'm so glad it's bread week," Harry sighs. "At least bread don't smell too off-putting."

"And you could do it in your sleep," Zain grins, poking his toe against Harry's shin gently.

"Yes, I hope so," Harry sighs. "Want me to bring you lunch later?"

Zain smiles at him brightly, his whole face lighting up. It still makes Harry's heart skip a beat, to be looked at like that. "If you're up for it," Zain says, trying to look less excited.

"Don't matter where I throw up, does it," Harry shrugs. "And Noor needs to get outside, don't you, love?"

"Mamama," Noor says, banging her spoon again.

🎂

"Look at you!" Mel exclaims. "You're huge!"

Harry laughs and finishes tying his apron. It does show off his belly rather prominently, he has to admit, but still. "It's been a week, Mel," he says, putting the bowl on the scales and grabbing the flour.