As You Are » Zarry ✔

◀ ⚫ 6 ⚫ ▶

This was a horrible day. Probably the worst day of Zayn's life. It was one night after they had settled from playing and Zayn really wished he could rewind the time. He really wished things had happened a different way.

Harry didn't know. He never had it before Zayn came along, so he couldn't really explain to him the feeling he kept getting around him. He usually only got the little butterflies in his stomach when he was really scared. But these butterflies only came with Zayn and he knew that he wasn't scared of him. Zayn had told him the kisses were special kisses for a special kind of feeling. Was this the special kind of feeling?

Harry liked when they were on the floor and lying on their backs at night while Zayn would read to him. That always seemed to calm him whenever he was feeling a bit downhearted about being inside. So that night, Zayn decided he'd read Curious George to him. Harry had a collection of Curious George books. Harry liked reading about his adventures most of all because he wanted to be outside. Zayn knew that was also the reason why Dora the Explorer was his favorite cartoon.

When Zayn closed the yellow book and sat it off to the side, Harry called his name. "Zayn."

"Yeah, Harry?"

He rolled over sideways to cuddle him the way Zayn sometimes did him. "I don't... want you to go."

"I know." He said. "But I can't stay too much longer. My parents will be looking for me."

Harry turned over and maneuvered himself so he could sit up in Zayn's lap. He looked down sadly. "We could um... play games."

Now he sat up to look at Harry. He wasn't going to budge. Sometimes games with Harry got long winded and he'd be there longer than he wanted to. "No. I'm sorry."

Harry frowned and let out a huff. But Zayn knew special kisses always sent his sadness away. So that's what he did. He kissed him quickly on the lips.

Harry let a tiny grin seep through and then returned the favor. That made Zayn smile and he kissed Harry again. So did Harry to him and the cycle repeated. It was just a small game of trading kisses that soon ended with Zayn attacking Harry with face and neck kisses.

"Ah!" Harry yelled and laughed out loud. "Stop, Zayn!" Zayn's breath was so warm and foreign there. It tickled.

Zayn chuckled at the giggling boy and carefully rolled him over on his back so that he lay out on him and in between his legs.

"That tickled." Harry said shyly looking up at him.

"I know." And the second he leaned down to give him one last kiss... it was a mistake.

"What do you think you're doing?! Get off of him!"

Zayn jumped and faced the door to see Harry's grandmother there. "I'm sorry. I- it's not what it looks like." He said as he scrambled off top of him.

"Oh it's exactly what it looks like! You're disgusting!"

"Mum. What's going on? Why are you hollering?" Harry's mother slipped in the room.

"Honey, this Zayn that you have let into our home was trying to rape Harry when I came in."

"That's not true! I was not." Zayn looked at Harry but Harry had no idea what rape was. So he couldn't exactly tell them that he didn't come close to being raped even if he really wanted to.

Harry's mother stood silent but her mouth was parted in disbelief.

"I heard Harry yell for him to stop. When I came back to see what was going on, he was on top of Harry, in between his legs and he was kissing him."

"But that's not-."

"Not true? Are you calling me a liar? Are you saying that's not what I saw?"

"No. I did that. But I wasn't trying to rape him. I swear!"

"So why did you kiss him?"

Zayn was silent.

"Exactly!" She turned to her daughter. "I told you he was trouble. I knew he was up to no good the second I saw him. I thought he was just a thief. But he's actually worse than I thought. He's a sick rapist."

"How could you?" Harry's mother said. And it was the first time she wasn't sweet to him. It was the first time she ever sided with her mother against him.

He stood up to his feet. "Ma'am. I didn't..."

"You liar." She said through gritted teeth. "How many times have you touched him, hm?"

"I haven't touched him anywhere and I didn't try to rape him. Harry knows I wouldn't try to hurt him."

Nana folded her arms. "Harry doesn't know anything. You tried to take advantage of his disability. He's naïve and you knew it."

Zayn was offended. "That's a lie! I wouldn't take advantage of Harry."

"Just stop it!" Harry's mother yelled.

When Harry realized they were hollering only at Zayn and not them both, he stood up behind Zayn and grasped his arm. "Leave him alone!"

His mother and grandmother gasped. "Harry, don't you ever talk to us like that again. You hear me?" His mother said. "Now let go of him and go sit in the living room and wait for us. I'll be there to put your cartoons on in a minute."

Harry let go of Zayn and sadly went out of the room to do as she said.

When he was gone, she turned to him even angrier than she was before. She couldn't bear the thought of Harry coming to this criminal's defense. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to let you come near my boy. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't send you to jail!"

"Because I never tried to rape him. I had tickled Harry and I... I did kiss him. But that was as far as I was going to go. I swear on my life that was it."

"Harry's underage." Nana pointed out. "You shouldn't be kissing him at all. You're an adult. Honey send him to jail anyway. I've had enough of this."

She folded her arms and tightened her lips. "You know what? Only because you are an only child, I won't send you to jail. I won't break your parents heart and expose your true colors. But you know what I will do? I'm going to tell you I don't want you back here ever again! You're not allowed to see Harry or bring him anything! Get out of my house!"

"But Ms.-"

"Get out! And if you ever come back, I'm going to call the police!"

Tears began to well up in Zayn's eyes and he stopped arguing. "Yes ma'am. I'm going." They backed out of the way so he wouldn't touch them. And then once he passed them, they followed him out of the room.

When Harry saw Zayn crying and walking through the living room, he sprung from the couch. "Zayn! Why are... Why are you- you leaving?" Zayn stopped to look sadly at him.

"Harry, don't talk to him. You can't talk to him."

Harry frowned. "What mummy?"

"Go sit down."

"Mummy."

"I said go sit down. And what are you stopping for, Zayn?! Get in your car and go home! Stay any longer and I will have you put in jail! Don't think I'm joking cause that's a mistake!"

"I'm sorry, Harry. I have to go." After that moment, he didn't look back again. He went out of the house, got in his car and he left.

"Will he come back, mummy?" Harry asked as he looked away from the window. And he hadn't asked that in a long time because he usually knew he would see Zayn again. But he could feel that something was different tonight. Zayn never left there crying before. Nana and Mummy never hollered at him either.

"No. He won't be back." She said. "There will be no more Zayn, no more anybody. You have me and Nana and that's all you need. We can't trust anybody out there. That's why you have to stay in here."

She tried to comfort him by pulling him to her chest and rubbing his back. But that wasn't comforting at all. Harry had realized his biggest fear. Zayn was never coming back again. And he didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.