when you sleep :: [malik]

"tRuTh..."

"They're here?"

"Shh, Ma! They're sleeping."

"They? You mean Mani's in there..."

Zayn hides a laugh behind his mug.

"...with that boy?"

"The father of your grandchild, Mama," Zhuri laughs, lifting a cup of tea to her lips. She kicks Zayn lightly beneath the table. "It's not like they haven't slept together already."

"And as big as Mani is now, I doubt they're up there making another baby."

"Asha!"

"Ma, I'm serious!"

Raquel fans herself. "I don't care, Asha!"

"She's right, Ash," Taj grins. "Don't talk about sex with white people at the table--"

Zhuri chokes.

"Taj!"

"What, Ma? It's the truth! You raised me right!"

"Boy, don't you start with me. It's too early for that, now--"

"Stop yellin' at them, babe--"

"Yeah, Ma. Stop yellin' at us."

"--'cause you know you missed them. Even Taj."

"Even me--Wait, wow. Wow, Pop. Had to take it there."

"Somebody's gotta keep that big head from getting any bigger."

Zayn is in love with Zhuri.

But he's decided he loves her because he really loves her family.

"Lemme tell you three something," Raquel begins, eyeing her three children sat around the table, "I better not have any more grandchildren any time soon."

"Tell that to Imani," Taj laughs. "She's the one up there making more babies."

__

"Zhuri?"

She hums, eyes training from the awful daytime television of the mid-afternoon to Zayn--to Zayn's lips.

"Let's go out, Zhu."

She cringes. She was hoping Zayn wouldn't want to go out, because that meant she also wouldn't have to go out and she could avoid all the people she grew up with.

"Where?" She asks.

"Anywhere," he whines, and his lips against her neck make her want to reconsider. "Let's just get out..."

He kisses her softly.

"...and be alone."

"Get a room!"

"Point taken," Zhuri groans, as she and Zayn both glare at Taj.

He shoots them both little grins. "Love you, too," he says. And he sits beside Zhuri on the couch, sandwiching her between Zayn and himself. "So," he wiggles his eyebrows, "what're we watching?"

"We," Zayn states, "are leaving."

"Oh," Taj nods excitedly. "Where?!"