Hot Waffles » Zarry ✅

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"I'm finished with my cereal now. Take my bowl, please."

Harry gave him that look and Zayn threw his hands up. "Okay, so maybe that was a reach. But what if her housekeeper suddenly gets sick and can't shop for her, or maybe even something permanent like... The D word... What's she going to do then?"

Harry finally poured his coffee. "Hire a new one?"

"Will you please not think like a rich person for like, two seconds. I'm trying to be a parent here."

"And I'm not?"

Zayn let it go. "Never mind." When he turned around, he noticed Nema had got down from the chair on her own and was gone. "Nema!"

He waited patiently until she came trotting back. When she stood in front of him, he bent down to her level. "From now on, we're going to do things a bit differently after breakfast time."

"We are?"

"We are?" Harry asked.

Zayn glanced back at him. "Yes we are. First things first. You never order me or your Pa to do anything for you. You ask the way a child should ask an adult and that is 'will you take my bowl, please' because that's a sign of respect. Secondly, you're six years old. You're very much capable of doing some things on your own. If you can get up and down from that chair, you can put your bowl on the counter next to the sink when you're finished with it. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

He took the bowl down from the island and handed it to her. She took it from him, then carried it over to the sink and set it on the counter next to it. When she left the kitchen, Harry looked at him with a mildly confused expression.

"Hmm..."

"What?"

"Nothing. Just observing." He sipped his coffee and didn't fuss that it wasn't as hot as he wanted it to be.

"And?"

"I don't know. I'm not even entirely sure of what I just witnessed."

Zayn sighed. "Well... You'll have plenty of time to think about it while you find a puffy blue dress for your daughter. She wants to be a princess for Halloween."

"Ah, let me guess. Cinderella."

"Bingo."

"So now I've got to get a tiara and those little plastic shoes the kids wear."

"Don't forget the hand gloves."

"Yes. And this time I'll get her glitter and let Niall and Gwen figure out how to clean it up."

"Good thinking."

As Zayn scooted past him, Harry reached for his hand. That caused Zayn to come back to him and he spun under Harry's arm as if he was dancing with him.

"Ooh. Smooth. And you didn't even spill your coffee."

"Because I'm that good."

Zayn scoffed and watched Harry place his mug down on the counter behind him. "I know you have plans today so I'm not trying to stop you. I just wanted to say that I'm glad you changed your mind and decided to do the trial filming. I've been looking forward to this for a while so you really made my day when you told me that yesterday."

Zayn hesitated. "Really?"

"Yes. You did. And after we're finished, if it turns out that you still don't like it, then we will still have the film to look back on. Plus I'm thinking a family movie night when we get the film. With you, me and the kids under one giant blanket."