showstopper [zarry] ✔️

finale

"Finale!" Harry whispers, kissing Zain's cheek.

"Next weekend off," Zain answers, turning around to hide his face in the pillow.

Harry laughs, kissing his shoulder. "That, too," he says. "Thanks for coming with me," he adds more quietly, kissing Zain's shoulder again. "I know it was a lot."

"Course," Zain mutters, his fingers brushing over Harry's skin. "Was fine."

Harry noses at his cheek, amused and fond of him, stroking his fingers through Zain's hair. "I'm gonna take Noor to visit your mum today," he says, reaching over Zain to grab his phone off the bedside table. "Can you pick up dinner on the way home?"

"Sure," Zain yawns, turning around and pulling Harry against him. "Say hi to mum for me."

"We shouldn't be home late," Harry assures him, stroking the frown from his forehead. "Don't worry so much."

"M not," Zain lies, yawning. "But text, yea?"

"I always do," Harry laughs, kissing him. "In fact, I seem to remember a certain someone complaining that he didn't need a live comment of my life while he's at work."

"Babe, you were texting about the rise in your dough every other minute," Zain says with an eyeroll. "You know I love that you text.

"It was important," Harry grins back. That particular texting spree might have been a bit excessive but it had been the first time he'd attempted sourdough and it had been a journey.

"I know," Zain says, too earnestly, making Harry's heart clench with affection. "I wasn't serious."

"I know," Harry assures him, leaning in to kiss him again. "I'll make you pancakes for breakfast, come on."

Zain sits up with him, stretching. "What have I done to deserve that?"

Harry shrugs. "I love you, is all," he says, pecking Zain's lips again. "A lot."

"Love you, too," Zain says softly.

🎂

"So?" Zain asks, smiling at Harry. He looks tired, Harry notices, and has for a while. He feels a bit bad for not noticing before, even though he knows that Zain always needed the weekends to decompress, needed quiet weekends to gather the energy to make it through the week. And he hasn't complained once for the past weeks, not really, not more than the grumbling he always did.

"Hi," Harry greets him softly, cupping his cheeks and pressing their lips together.

"Hey," Zain says, frowning in confusion. "You ok?"

"Yea, perfect," Harry smiles, touching his nose to Zain's for a second. "Missed you."

"You too," Zain answers, adjusting Noor slightly on his arm. She grabs at Harry's shirt, babbling. Harry catches her hand and kisses her little palm. "But you haven't said how it was."

"Good," Harry says to Noor, stroking her hair off her forehead. "Wasn't it, Nooriy? We were all really close in the technical. Paul only said make a sponge, it was very useful as always. And my signature did well, I think, they liked it best. But let's go eat, yea?"