The Affair (Zarry/Zouis)

chapter 33

"Sure, Harry. Sure,"

"Why don't you tell me our daughters name now?"

"I don't want her to be named before him. They have to be chosen at the same time, so till you're ready, no can't do, sorry," Zayn shrugs.

"That's stupid," Harry pouts. "What if I don't like her name?"

"You would," Zayn says.

"You don't know that,"

"I do,"

"Well what if I don't?"

"You wouldn't,"

"You're so frustrating," Harry groans.

"Pick a name and we could get this over with, H," Zayn says. He hears his phone ring and he gets up to go answer it.

"Who's that?" Harry asks, curious.

"Louis," Zayn says, walking away from the living room to answer it elsewhere.

Harry frowns.

Why didn't Zayn answer it in his presence? Why did he have to walk away? What could they be talking about that he doesn't want Harry to hear?

He starts to feel the doubt about their relationship creeping back unto him. Zayn doesn't take long before he's coming back.

"What did he say?" Harry asks.

"He wanted to know if I can take Freddie this weekend," Zayn says. "It was weird, because I've been asking him for that for months but he just randomly offers. I know he's been saying no just to spite me, but I guess the routine got too old for him."

"Is that all you spoke about?"

"Yeah, what else would we have spoken about?"

"Why didn't you answer the call here then?" Harry asks. He didn't mean to sound accusatory but he couldn't help himself.

"You're kidding right?" Zayn looks at him with a serious face, completely different from the man that was loving him a couple of minutes ago. "Harry you get into a prissy fit whenever Louis is mentioned. Exhibit A, now. Of course I didn't answer with you next to me, I didn't want to upset you."

"Why are you being so defensive? It was just a harmless question,"

"You and I both know that wasn't harmless,"

"Whatever, I'm gonna go take a bath," Harry says, getting up which is a bit of a struggle for him.

...

Zayn lets himself into his old house. He follows the sound of loud baby noises to Freddie's bedroom. He finds Louis there, playing with Freddie on the floor. Freddie is getting the hang of crawling, Louis is a bit further away from him.

"C'mon Freddie, come to daddy," Louis says with a baby voice. Freddie giggles, crawling the fastest that Zayn has ever seen him. Zayn smiles at the scene in front of him, he never thought that Louis would be so domestic.

"There you go, good job baby. You're so fast, my little sprinter," He says, picking Freddie up when he crawls to him and pinching his cheeks, causing him to giggle. He notices Zayn watching them at the doorframe. "Just gonna stand there?"

"Was just admiring," he says honestly. Louis actually blushes at that which causes Zayn to wonder if he accidentally came off as flirty. "Um, so, you're really gonna let me have him for this weekend?"

"Yeah, that's what I said, why? Are you busy or something?"

Zayn shakes his head, walking towards his ex-husband and his son. "No, not at all. I'm just a bit surprised."

Louis hands Freddie over to him and Freddie protests, but when he sees Zayn's face, he allows himself to be carried by his dad.

"Well, I figured it was time for me to get over everything," Louis says. "I've been angry with you for so long and part of the reason why I didn't let you take Freddie was because I was bitter about everything that happened. But I realized that I can't hold unto that anger forever, and it's not healthy for our son."

"Really?" Zayn is a bit surprised, he's also been an ass towards Louis because he's been angry too, but he never expected for Louis to be the more mature one. Louis has always been petty, his sudden change is a shock for Zayn.

"Yeah, how bout this? I can have him for the weekdays and you get weekends," Louis suggests.

"That sounds great," Zayn says, his face being smushed by Freddie's small wandering hands.

"You should get a room for him in your house too," Louis says.

"I will," Zayn says. Luckily they have extra rooms.

"Right. I'll let you spend some time with him," he starts to walk away.

"Wait," Zayn says. "You don't have to leave when I'm here, you know. We can be in the same room together for longer than ten minutes."

"But it always ends up with us in an argument,"

"I think we've run out of things to argue about," Zayn says. "I think we can be friends Louis. I still care about you, and I always will. It doesn't have to be so tense between us all the time."

"I think we can be friends too in the future, but for now it's just too painful to be around you," Louis says. "You know I still love you Zayn."

"Louis... I don't know how to reply to that," Zayn says with a sad expression.

"This is why we can't be in a room together for long. If we aren't arguing then it's this. I'm sorry, I just need time to adjust to the reality that this is the only way I can have you now," Louis admits.

"I get it," Zayn gives him a sympathetic smile.

...

was meant to post this two days ago, but i forgot.

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