chance connection |1| [zarry] (✔️)

onehundredthirty

"You're home early," Zain says, looking up from his book and capping his highlighter.

"Yea," Harry says, rubbing a hand through his hair. "I'm gonna work here a bit," he adds, grabbing laptop off the side table.

"Kay," Zain asks. "Everything ok?"

"Yea. Just frustrated. Mostly at myself," Harry says, letting himself fall onto the sofa beside Zain and leaning into him.

"Yea?" Zain asks softly, cupping Harry's cheek and tilting his chin up to kiss him. "You look tired, babe," he says, stroking the skin under Harry's eyes.

"I'm fine," Harry says, crawling on Zain's lap to kiss him again. Zain rubs his thumbs over Harry's cheeks, kissing him until he can feel Harry lose some of the tension in his shoulders.

"Harry!" Freddie calls, rushing into the room and effectively breaking their kiss. "You're home! Wanna see my paining?"

"Sure, baby," Harry says, kissing Zain's cheek as he gets up. "Did you paint today?"

"Yea, with Zain," Freddie explains, dragging Harry towards the table where his painting is drying.

Zain should maybe have checked with Harry how he felt about Freddie painting there, but he'd put newspaper on the table and the desk in the office, for all that it was large, still wasn't large enough for Freddie and Zain to work at at the same time. At least not when Freddie was painting and needed to keep his distance from Zain's work.

He watches Harry coo about the painting for a moment before going back to his book.

🌱

"Here," Zain says as soon as he's back in the living room.

"Hm?" Harry says, eyes lingering on the screen as he turns his head towards Zain. "Oh!" He exclaims, catching sight of the package Zain's holding and dumping it on the couch next to him to get up. "Is that the painting?" he asks, familiar with the shape of it.

"Yea," Zain says and hands it over, stuffing his hands  in his pockets. Harry starts pulling apart the newspaper that Zain has wrapped around it for the transport, his smile brightening when he catches sight of the greens blending together on the canvas. It's soothing somehow, and familiar in a way he can't quite put his finger on.

"I finally unpacked my arts stuff. Remembered you wanted this. Unless you don't want to anymore," Zain adds awkwardly.

"No!" Harry says, hugging the painting protectively. "I want it. Thank you," he adds, leaning forward to kiss Zain. There is still the awkwardness between them since their fight, like they are both a bit scared to say the wrong thing, scared of driving the other away. But kissing Zain is still easy and reassuring. "I love it."

"Okay," Zain says, still sounding like he doesn't quite believe it.

Harry has noticed the pattern when it comes to his art, like he doesn't think he's any good or that people might like it. He can't quite understand because Zain had had a show and sold half of his paintings. There had only been five exhibited, but still. That had to mean something, didn't it?

"I'll start dinner," Zain says, already turning away. "The monster is upstairs for now. He was happy playing but I dunno how long it'll last."

"Okay," Harry answers, turning around and trying to figure out where to display the painting best. He puts it on top of the bookshelf for now. The wall above it was white and still fairly empty, except for a few awards, and the shelf was white as well. The greens were a nice contrast. He snaps a quick picture, smiling at the painting. He's not quite sure why he likes it so much, too abstract to show a subject and not even all that colourful. But he likes how the greens blend together almost warmly, and how it reminds him of Zain and Freddie somehow. He's probably delusional but it already makes him happy to see it there. He also likes that Zain gave it to him.

He rarely posts to Instagram these days, but for once he feels the urge, pulling up the app and taking another picture, careful to show only the painting and none of the knickknack on the bookshelf beneath. He hesitates for a second before tagging Zain, grinning to himself when he writes the caption @kilamniaz sold my favourite to a stranger so I have to make do with this just to tease Zain a bit. Gemma would get a kick out of it for sure.

🌱

"Did Gems tag me again?" Zain frowns, idly scrolling through his phone.

"Why?" Harry asks distractedly, his attention mostly on the telly.

"I got a bunch of notifs," Zain says, kissing the side of Harry's head. "Oh," he adds, pulling up the latest post he was tagged in and realising it was Harry. "You did."

Harry tilts his head back to look at him. "Are you upset?"

"No, babe," Zain says, kissing his forehead. "I'm glad you like the paining. Enough to share it even." He stokes his thumb over Harry's cheek gently, so fond of him and the way he looks with his hair a mess and a bit of stubble coming in. "Even if it's just your second favourite."

Harry smiles up at him. Zain thumbs his dimple, enjoying the carefree look on Harry's face. "I was just teasing a bit," he smiles, reaching up to touch the underside of Zain's jaw.

"I know," Zain says, kissing him without really paying attention and mostly catching his hair. He tries to figure out if anyone relevant wants anything from him but there's only Gemma's comment of "What are you spoiling him for? His birthday isn't for another couple of weeks" but that wasn't anything he needed to respond to. Or shouldn't, not publicly.

He puts his phone away, stroking his hand through Harry's hair, kissing the side of his face, sneaking a hand into the collar of his t-shirt.

"You trying to feel me up?" Harry asks, covering Zain's hand with his.

"Yea," Zain says, rubbing a hand over Harry's chest and pulling at his nipple slightly. "Why you wearing a shirt in bed anyways, babe?"

Harry bites his lower lip, arching up into him. "Want me to take it off?" he asks slightly breathlessly.

"Yea," Zain says, helping him pull his t-shirt off and pushing him into the mattress, laying down on top of him and licking into his mouth. "And turn off the telly, don't wanna fuck you while Michael throws a tantrum," he adds, mouthing at Harry's neck and chest, tonguing over his nipple.

"Who says you get to fuck me?" Harry gasps, spreading his legs and rocking up slightly, even as he turns off the telly.

"No?" Zain asks, kissing Harry's tattoo and stroking a hand over his belly and into his pants, wrapping it around his cock. "You don't wanna?"

"Yea, no," Harry gasps, pulling on Zain's hair slightly and letting his knees fall outward. "I wanna."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Zain grins against Harry's belly, biting slightly at the flesh there, enjoying the pretty sounds Harry makes.

🌱

Short. Sorry. RL is basically shit rn so idk what will happen to updates