showstopper [zarry] ✔️

batter week

"What's wrong?" Zain asks, lying down beside Harry on the bed, stroking the side of his face. "Why are all the windows open downstairs? It's freezing."

"I'm gonna fail," Harry says with a pout, rolling onto his side and pressing his face into Zain's neck. "I can't stand the smell of fried food right now and it's batter week. I threw up like three times. I was fine with samosas last week!"

"Oh, babe," Zain sighs, kissing his forehead. 

"Don't pity me," Harry whines, pressing his thigh between Zain's legs and wrapping his arm around Zain's waist.

"Not sure what else I'm supposed to do, my love," Zain answers quietly, kissing his hair. 

"Why did I marry you even?" Harry pouts, linking their fingers together and pressing it to the swell his stomach. 

"Because I make pretty babies," Zain grins, rolling Harry onto his back and leaning down to kiss him. "Right?" he asks when they break the kiss, nosing at Harry's cheek. "And because I was the only one who didn't make fun when you forgot how to button your shirts."

"You just liked seeing me half-naked," Harry grins, cupping Zain's cheeks. "Because you had a crush. A huge one."

"Babes, we were already dating back then," Zain snorts, kissing his cheek.

"Still," Harry smirks. "You had the worst crush on me, it was super embarrassing for you. You'd stare at me all the time."

"You literally fell to your knees in front of me on several occasions," Zain teases back, rubbing his thumb over the corner of Harry's eye. "I'd call that pretty embarrassing."

"I tripped," Harry protests, pouting. "And you like it when I go to my knees for you," he smirks, leaning up to press their lips together. 

"Except not right now," he adds abruptly, shoving Zain away. "I'm gonna throw up again," he calls, rushing to the bathroom. "This is your fault," is the last he calls before retching violently. 

Zain wrinkles his nose, pulling a grimace at the sounds, and follows him, running a washcloth under the faucet and filling a glass with cold water. He crouches down behind Harry, rubbing his sides and kissing his shoulder.

Harry grabs Zain's thigh and dry-heaves a couple of more times, groaning when he leans back against Zain.

"I really thought I'd skip the nausea this time," he says, taking the water Zain hands him and spitting. 

"Sorry, sweetheart," Zain says, kissing his shoulder. 

"Only half your fault," Harry says magnanimously, letting himself be pulled up and walking to the sink to rinse out his mouth again as Zain cleans up quickly. "You're lucky I love you," he tells his belly sternly, rubbing a hand over it, frowning, and eyeing the toothpaste distrustfully. 

"Just wait a bit," Zain says because he knows how Harry's attempts at brushing his teeth right after throwing up usually end. "I'll clean up downstairs. Do you want tea? Or soup or something?"

"Ooh," Harry says, turning around. "I froze some beef broth like two weeks again. That please. Make it salty."

"Noodles?" Zain asks, kissing Harry's cheek. 

"No," Harry sighs, hugging Zain tightly for a moment. "But maybe some tea. Ginger."

"Of course," Zain says, kissing him again. "Be right back."

"Love you," Harry says, letting him go reluctantly. 

"You, too, babes," Zain answers with a smile over his shoulder.  

🎂

"How did it go?" Zain asks anxiously, holding Noor on his hip.

"Only threw up twice," Harry says triumphantly, holding his hand out to high-five Zain. It can't have been too bad then. 

"And I came second in the technical!" he adds, happily, taking Noor from Zain and kissing her head.

"Wow," Zain says, amazed. "Well done. You're smashing it, babes."

"I know," Harry grins, meeting his eyes, rocking Noor slightly and tickling her under the chin. He looks radiant, so happy and relaxed. It sends butterflies through Zain's belly, like the first time they met and Harry had grinned at him with his dimples. Zain had been lost that day, and never really recovered. 

"The others are going out to eat and they invited you," Harry adds, pulling on Noor's hat slightly. "You're coming, right?" he says, gesturing slightly towards the other bakers, just slowly coming out of the tent.

"If you wanna," Zain shrugs, watching them draw closer.

"I wanna," Harry says, kissing his cheek. "It's just eight of us now, so you don't have to interact with that many strangers."

"All right," Zain says with an eyeroll. "I'm not that antisocial, babes."

"Yea you are," Harry grins, cupping his cheek. "But that's what you have me for," he adds. "So you don't become a complete hermit."

"Thank you," Zain says drily. "Are you sure you wanna go somewhere to eat when you've already thrown up like three times today?"

"We're gonna sit outside," Harry shrugs. "And I need to eat something anyways, right, my light?" he adds softly, kissing Noor's cheek when she grabs his ear. 

"You coming, Harry?" one of the bakers asks, as they pass them.

"Yep!" Harry says. "And Zain is as well," he adds, grabbing Zain's hand and pulling him along.

"And your Noor," another baker says, waggling his fingers at Noor. 

She is not paying attention, though, too busy trying to pull Harry's bandana from his head. 

"Yes, and Nooriy," Harry says, looking at her with soft eyes. 

She smiles back at him, finally managing to pull the scarf from his head, and shrieks, triumphant and happy. 

🎂

"And?" Zain asks, stroking his hand down the side of Harry's face. 

Harry shrugs, dropping his head onto Zain's shoulder. "I made it, let's go home, I'm exhausted."

"That bad, huh?" Zain asks, wrapping his arm around Harry's waist and walking with him around the car. 

"Yea," Harry says. "I threw up so much and it turned out barely ok, and they even gave me a bit more time because I was outside so much."

"That's nice of them."

"I know," Harry says with a sigh, settling into the passenger seat. "I think it was only because I was so good at the technical yesterday, so I was save already, you know." 

"Don't you always tell me that nothing is decided until after the showstopper?" Zain asks, watching Harry turn around and touch Noor's foot. He looks exhausted and pale enough to make Zain worry. "Have you kept anything down today?" he asks, taking the hand Harry reaches towards him and kissing his knuckles.

"Don't talk to me about food," Harry groans. "Just. Let's go home."

"Alright, love," Zain says, leaning down to kiss the side of his head. "Maybe you can sleep a bit in on the drive."

"Yes," Harry sighs, leaning the seat back somewhat and putting the seatbelt on. "Just, home, please."

"Alright," Zain says, closing the door carefully and walking around the car to roll up the window next to Noor, tickling her belly and kissing her cheek. Harry starts fiddling with the radio as soon as Zain starts the car, turning it on low and pulling Zain's hand on his thigh even as he curls slightly to the side and closes his eyes. Zain rubs his thumb over the seam of Harry's jeans, glad when his breathing evens out almost as soon as they leave the village, the light snores familiar and comforting.

🎂

keeping them short sorry loves