night changes [zarry]

xxiii

"We need to rethink that," Zain says frowning down at the mock up on front of him. "Did you read the email Josh sent over last night, I— one sec," he interrupts himself because only a few people would come through his private mobile during work.

It's not his mum or sisters, though, but Harry and he finds himself smiling for a moment before realises that Harry wouldn't call just like that either.

"Excuse me," he says to Anna and Thomas, turning away as he accepts the call. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I—," Harry says, his voice off. "Can you pick up Jamie and Emma with Laila?"

"Sure," Zain says, closing the door to his office, trying not to freak out too much. "What's wrong, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Yea, yea," Harry says, his breath a bit shaky. "I just slipped and had to go to A&E and I'm still waiting on the X-ray and don't know when I'll be done."

"Excuse me?" Zain says way too sharply before he remembers himself, grimacing. "At the local?

"Yea," Harry says, "they don't know how long it'll take and mum can't make it down that quickly."

"Yea, of course," Zain repeats, turning off his computer and trying to remember if he'd need anything except the things already in his bag. "I'll be there in 20 minutes. I'll call once I'm there, text if they take you to X-ray or anything. Do you need anything else. Where's Sophie?"

"She's here, she's fine," Harry says, sounding choked up. "You don't have to come," he adds, again. "Just Jamie and Emma-"

"School doesn't let out for hours, I'm on my way, I'll call, okay. Gotta let my team know, sorry, sweetheart, I'll be right there," Zain says, waiting for Harry's "okay" before hanging up, wincing slightly.

"Hey," he says, sticking his head back into the meeting room. "Gotta go, family emergency. Just look at Josh's email again and adjust it to match his idea and we'll go from there. I'll be reading emails."

"Sure," Anna says, looking at him with large eyes. "Hope it's nothing serious."

"Thanks," Zain nods back and leaves them, hurrying to his car, heart beating way too quickly.

He probably breaks three traffic laws on the way and has to remind himself that it's not that bad, that Harry had sounded mostly okay. But Harry also had the awful habit of downplaying everything concerning himself so... who knew.

"Hi," he says when Harry picks up almost immediately. "I'm at the entrance, so I just follow the signs, do you know?"

"It's just to the left," Harry says, clearing his throat. "You should see me, I'm still in the waiting area."

"Kay," Zain says even as he hurries around the corner, reluctant to hang up.

He catches sight of Harry right away, A&E apparently not too busy. He looks alright from the distance, Sophie on his lap complaining like she does just before she properly starts shrieking.

"Hi," Zain says again, leaning down to kiss Harry's cheek. "You okay? I mean," he shakes his head at himself, wrapping his arm around Harry's shoulder.

"You didn't have to come," Harry says and stars crying immediately, leaning into Zain to hide his face in his neck.

"Sweetheart," Zain says helplessly, stroking his hand up and down Harry's arm. He doesn't know what to do and he hates it, always has.

"M sorry," Harry sniffs after a moment, his breathing calming down. He sits up again, wiping his cheeks and then pulling at Zain's shirt, frowning. "Sorry," he says again.