chance connection |2| [zarry]

twohundredninetyseven

"Hi, baby, hi," Harry says, sweaty and still slightly out of breath from his run, kissing Freddie's hair.

"Hi," Freddie says, grabbing another piece of fruit and leaning back slightly to give Harry more room for attack.

"Good run?" Zain asks, patting Harry's arse and handing him a glass of water.

"Yep," Harry nods, wiping the hair off his forehead. "Though I do miss the sea, it's nice, isn't it, monster?"

"S cool," Freddie agrees, grabbing another fruit.

Zain tilts his head back to accept Harry's kiss.

"I'm gonna grab a shower," Harry says, taking an apricot and dropping the pit on Zain's plate.

"Kay," Zain agrees, kissing Harry's belly.

"Zain, I want one of those," Freddie says, handing Zain an apricot. Over his dislike then, Zain thinks with a grin, grabbing it and removing the pit before handing it back to Freddie.

"Yum!" Freddie makes, taking a bite.

"Want more?" Zain asks, amused.

"Yes. Please!" Freddie nods eagerly, grabbing for the fruit as soon as Zain has removed the pits, snacking them happily now that Mummy had eaten them.

"Zain Javadd Malik!" Harry calls down the stairs.

"Uhuh," Freddie says around a mouthful of apricots. "Mummy's mad."

Zain snorts in agreement, kissing Freddie's head. "I'll see what he wants. Wash your hands before you go play, you're all sticky."

Freddie shrugs, grabbing another piece of fruit and watching Zain solemnly. Zain ruffles his hair again, tapping his nose on the way out.

"Babe?" Zain asks carefully once he makes it upstairs. He can't quite remember what he's done to make Harry call for him. He's not sure Harry's ever used his full name.

"You-" Harry says, flushed in agitation. He's grinning and frowning at the same time, the mix absurd.

"What?" Zain asks, confused.

Harry rises his fist, shaking it at Zain and Zain's stomach drops when he catches sight of the small box in Harry's hand.

"Er," he says, scratching his beard. "You weren't supposed to find that." This is not how he's planned this.

"You hid it in the bedside table!" Harry says, sounding slightly hysterical. "The bedside table! You hid an engagement ring in the bedside table of the bed we both sleep in, right with the lube we use almost daily!"

"Well," Zain says, shrugging. "You haven't been home in a while? And I hid it behind the condoms? You never go for the condoms." It had seemed like a brilliant idea at the time.

"Sorry?" he adds, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist to pull him close. He kisses his cheek, enjoying the way Harry melts against him, his arms going around Zain's neck, the hard swell of his belly pressing against Zain's.

"Want to pretend this never happened?" Zain asks quietly, pressing his nose into Harry's hair. He smells like Freddie's shampoo, almost nauseating like fake fruit. Zain's not sure how he can stand it when the smell of yoghurt had made him throw up three days ago.

"No," Harry says equally quietly, pressing their cheeks together. "I think I want you to finish this."

"Babe," Zain says, a bit overwhelmed with the reality of it. "How even?"

"Dunno," Harry laughs lightly, giddy. "You must have had some idea when you hid that behind the condoms!"

"I think I'm gonna have to go with: it's just your birthday present," Zain says, kissing Harry's cheek. "You're never gonna let go of that otherwise. It was genius on my part really."

"My birthday isn't for months," Harry says, rolling his eyes at Zain.

"I'm really not prepared, babe," Zain says, cupping Harry's cheeks and kissing him quickly. "I just saw the ring when I was downtown at the gallery and I don't know, I thought you would like it and then I just got it because like, we're having a baby and you go running around calling yourself Malik already and also I kinda want us to have the same name, which I know is old fashioned, I have been told, and I didn't know when I'd ask you but I know I would." He shrugs. "If you didn't beat me to it."

"So ask me," Harry grins, brushing his nose against Zain's. "Because apparently I am also old fashioned and want to be asked."

Zain rolls his eyes and then tries to undo it because he probably shouldn't roll his eyes right now.

Harry snorts, nostrils flaring as he tries to suppress a grin.

Zain kisses the side of his nose, he loves that expression on Harry's face. "Harry Edward Styles," he says grandly, to lend the whole ridiculous thing some gravitas, pressing his thumbs into the dimples on Harry's cheeks. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Harry says, kissing Zain quickly. It's very anticlimactic but then. Zain doesn't know why he should have expected anything else, he had known Harry wouldn't say no. Not really.

"Cool," Zain nods, making Harry snort.

"Ring," he prompts, kissing Zain again.

"Right," Zain says, wondering if he should feel anything except fond exasperation and that he loved Harry like he always did.

He opens the ring box with a little flourish, like Harry hadn't seen it before, and Harry puts it on without ceremony, thrusting it at Zain's face.

"Looks nice, babe," Zain says a bit dumbly, the sight of the ring he had bought for Harry on Harry's finger hitting him suddenly.

"It does, babe," Harry echoes him, kissing him properly, wet and eager and happy, holding Zain's face between his hands and pressing close.

"Okay, I gotta shower," Harry says when they part, Zain still slightly dumb and wondering how long Freddie would be fine by himself and if he could just topple Harry into their bed.

"Why were you in that drawer anyways," Zain remembers, following Harry into the bathroom.

"Charger," Harry shrugs, pulling off his tshirt. "Dunno where I left mine."

"Your purse, probably," Zain says, rubbing his hand over Harry's belly. "Freddie likes apricots now."

"It's not in my bag," Harry says, shrugging. "Freddie likes everything. Did you read Gemma's text? You wanna?"

"I guess," Zain says, "Could be cool and it would get us out of the house."

"It would get your mind off Saturday," Harry says, turning the shower on. "And location scouting is fun, you get to be crazy with ideas."

"You don't need more reasons to be crazy with ideas, babes," Zain snorts. Then, abruptly, he remembers. "Babe, we're getting married."

"I know," Harry grins back at him, wiggling his fingers in Zain's direction. "We're not telling Gemma first, though."

"Nah," Zain agrees, watching Harry wash his hair.

"Don't freak out, Zain," Harry says, like he can sense the cloud of overwhelm take over Zain's brain. "We'll do one after the other. Your exhibition first, then we can figure out the rest, yea?"

"Yea," Zain agrees, pushing himself away from the sinks. "Gonna go back downstairs where I can hear what the monster destroys. Love you," he mimes a kiss through the glass.

"Muah," Harry makes, kissing the glass.

Zain flicks the glass, fond, and leaves him.

🌱

(I am awwwwk)
I had this (mostly) written for at least a year I think, possibly two 🫠 zain and i are just super unromantic so here it is