chance connection |2| [zarry]

twohundredfourteen

"Wake up," Harry whispers, poking Zain's cheek. "We're landing in a bit."

Zain groans miserably, blinking awake. His mouth is dry and disgusting and he's got drool struck to the corner of his mouth. "Imma go wash up," he mutters, grabbing the little baggie with toothbrush and comb they'd gotten a while back.

Harry smiles at him, looking exhausted. He's got a pillow crease on his cheek but doesn't look like he even slept a bit.

Zain cups his cheek for a moment and smoothes down his hair. Harry smiles at him softly, shrugging slightly like he knows ho awful he looks.

"I'll sleep at home," he answers Zain's unasked question.

Zain nods and gets up when the bathroom light turns off, squeezing Harry's hand as he goes. The water to the face helps somewhat and he brushes his teeth quickly. He looks awful, bleary and pale, in the mirror. Perhaps it was just the light but flying was exhausting for all that you couldn't really do anything.

He's barely made it back to his seat before they announce their descent. "Well timed," Zain whispers to Harry who smiles at him.

"Practise," he says, pressing his nose to Zain's cheek. "You smell strange, I don't like it," he adds, frowning.

"I'll talk a shower at home," Zain soothes, watching them slowly approach the British Isles on the little screen. It was a bit mind-boggling to be so close and so far away at once.

"Do you want me to go to the pharmacy right away?" Zain asks around a yawn, leaning his cheek on Harry's hair.

"Yea," Harry says, squeezing Zain's hand tightly. "Wait, no," he adds almost straight away, looking up at Zain. "No, I wanna say hello to Freddie and not be distracted. I think I'd be the whole time if we had the tests. Tomorrow first thing, yea?"

"Alright," Zain agrees, his stomach squirming with how immediate it was, how real.

Harry straightens slightly when the hostesses come to check their seatbelts, looking at Zain with large eyes, like he himself is a bit overwhelmed at the possibility.

"Tomorrow first thing," he repeats to soothe both of them. "And today you get to cuddle the monster for the rest of the afternoon."

"Yea," Harry nods, squeezing Zain's hand.

🌱

"Zain!" Freddie yells, catapulting out of the house and at Zain.

"Hi, monster, hi, my love," Zain greets him, picking him up and hugging him tightly, kissing his face. Freddie squeezes him back tightly, and Zain gets to hold him close, breathing in the familiar smell of home and child. "I missed you so much," he says, kissing Freddie's hair.

"Missed you, too," Freddie says, squeezing Zain.

Zain gets to hold him for another moment before
Freddie spots Harry, perking up.

"Mummy!" He demands and Harry is right there taking him from Zain like he's been hovering. Zain presses another kiss to the side of his head before handing him across.

He leaves them to hug and kiss hello, Harry almost cooing at Freddie.

Louis is lounging against the front door, looking relaxed and exhausted after a week along with the monster.