Zayn wakes up to a huge border created by pillows, on the other side would be Harry. But he doesn't know that since there are tons of pillows blocking his view.
The warmth of Jaxx remains on his legs hurt when he reaches a hand from beneath the pillow border, it's a shivering coldness.
With a loud, over exaggerated yawn and himself flopping like a fish to rise up, Zayn eventually does roll off his bed only to see that Harry isn't there anymore.
Zayn goes to his curtains and shields his eyes shut before pulling both sides of drapes to expose the natural lighting from the six foot windows in his room. "Happy Sunday morning, oh boy."
The only thing he expects is to see an accident from Jaxx around his room, or to find that Harry left something in the house, but nope, he sees Harry sitting on the couch with a ton of blankets on him and the movie First 50 Dates playing on the telly.
"Good morning! Sorry if I brought some blankets downstairs. You were just boring with your snores so..." Harry trails off and sips on what Zayn can assume is tea because of the little string flailing out.
"It's fine. Morning to you too. How long have you been up?" Zayn accepts Harry's answer which is, "Around six. I'm an early bird. I replaced Jaxx's old hygiene matts with new ones and toon out your trash from the bathrooms and kitchens since tomorrow is your trash day. And then cleaned dishes from yesterday. What a good Sunday!"
"Cool, thank you a lot Harry. So you wanna get breakfast out or something?" Zayn shrugs and already reaches for his car keys, expecting Harry to agree. But Harry pouts, "What about Jaxx? The Jackie. Little Jaxxter, Jazzy Jaxxy─"
"Please. No more names. We can drop him off at my workplace and pick him up after. Then we'll go for a walk where you'll talk to me about what you plan on doing for your last week of school. Because I expect that I'm going to your graduation. Right?" Zayn announces their itinerary that he hopes Harry will concur with.
"Right! And I need to ask you for a favor too. Reason why I came here yesterday. It's really embarrassing actually." Harry grabs his duffle that he left yesterday by the door. Zayn observes the way Harry easily undresses directly in front of him. He's having the most difficult time keeping his eyes off Harry.
Hearing the sounds of Jaxx barking distracts him from the nude body he hasn't seen in nearly six years. "Hi, Jaxx. Sorry boy, but you're going to pet care for a few hours."
Zayn decides he wants to walk Jaxx for a small morning stroll and have their meal at the downtown's urban outside breakfast bar.
"It's like ten right now. Can't believe you were up since six, Harry!" Zayn exaggerates with a chuckle. His hands reach for Harry's as he slides Jaxx's dog leash into his.
At the pet daycare shop, Harry stands hesitantly near the entrance and Zayn insists that he joins him inside to check in Jaxx. "Welcome to my job. I'm here usually four days out of seven, six hours least, fifteen hours most. I just love every pet who comes here so I don't really care how long I work. It doesn't even feel like a job."
"That's cute. I want to meet some of the pets. You have baby kittens over here?" Harry steps inside and views the brief room which leads them to an office. "So where are they?"
Zayn chuckles at Harry, on how Harry thinks this is actually the daycare room. He doesn't look impressed with the environment with all white and potted plants. So Zayn explains to him, "We walk through this office then get to see where all the pets are, babe."
"Good morning Macy, want to check in Jaxx for like probably two hours max." Zayn signs the papers that he's already familiar with, handing them over, then walking through the solid swinging gate with a hand intertwined with Harry's.
The pathway inside the daycare consists of a dog playground to the left and clawing structures to the right. Way in the back are cages for little animals and birds against the walls as well. There are five foot gates that create a barrier for the different types of pets, but they're still all so free.
"We give the pets feelings times, food choice to the owners preference. Certain hygiene requests are noted by the owner at the bottom of their forms. It's like ten dollars on top of how much they pay per hour." Zayn shares with this fulfilling passion.
"Well I'm happy Jaxx will be taken care of. But, sorry I'm hungry now. Ready to go?" Harry says then kneels down to run his hands through the fur around Jaxx's ears.
The sun shines brightly as summer comes in a few weeks, there's a light breeze but it runs through their hair delicately as the small strands sway lightly.
During the walk to the outdoor breakfast bar, their fingers skim against one another, giving Zayn that indescribably feeling. Though, he doesn't act upon those feelings, instead retrieving his hand back and pointing at the street.
A fabrication escapes his lips, "Oh, over there. Yeah, that's like my favorite shop for clothes." The closer they get there, the two realize it's a women's boutique shop, mainly presenting lingerie and odd types of stockings and socks.
"Right. Your favorite. I'll remember that one day." Harry says and Zayn isn't sure if he should take that lightly or not. Despite it being a teasing joke, it's kind of taken to delirium.
A few more stores ahead, at the corner of the street there's a restaurant with a whole wall open like a garage, people sit on bar stools facing the outside. It's a warehouse, industrial vibe with velvet plants on every other table.
"Want to sit outside, inside, or face outside as we sit inside? Does any of this make sense?" Zayn nudges Harry's hip as he points to the multiple choices. "It makes sense, let's sit outside, please. Want to look at you when we talk."
Zayn takes it as nothing, instead following their waitress table outside where they're handed the laminated breakfast menus on mini clip boards.
"I'm just getting one of the egg sandwiches on a bagel. They put fried chicken breast on it. Ten out of ten, recommend." Zayn assures as he puts his menu aside.
"Mhm, I see. I'm getting oatmeal." A look from Zayn is sent to Harry with an expression of distaste, "There's better stuff, but if you want sure. Drowning oats and flakes."
Harry suppresses an exaggerated gasp, "Excuse you! There's strawberries and blue berries in it. Plus, twenty cents if I want extra fruits on the side or powdered sugar!"
Zayn covers hips lips from a laugh that he can't hold back. It's something about Harry's wittiness that makes him so charming. Some things Harry says aren't funny but it's the way he trails out his words, that'd the cutest of Harry in Zayn's personal opinion.
When they order their meals, the silence beings to trail between them. Easily, Zayn mentions the topic that Harry left them to when they exit earlier, "You needed a favor from me?"
"So yesterday, I came over because of my sister." Harry mumbles, you can see his timorous expression and the way he bites his lips, he's nervous, "I told her I was going to prom but I didn't."
Zayn doesn't let Harry finish his words, apparent with shock and confusion since Harry's so social and into all these extra curriculum things, "Why didn't you go to prom? Harry that's one good highlight before graduate."
"I didn't have a date."
"I would of been it. If that was the favor, you're kind of too late to ask me."
It doesn't matter what favor, Zayn will do anything for Harry without any hesitation. Within the year, nearly two years of them dating, there was never a moment where he had to decline.
"That's the thing, Gemma thinks I went to prom and I went with someone! She wants to meet this charmer. But no, I didn't even meet him." Harry flutters his eyes shut and takes a deep breath, "I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend because I already set up a lunch date on Wednesday. I get out early that day and I know you don't have school at twelve."
"Uh, oh. Yeah." Zayn's edge isn't from the question, it's the fact that he personally knows Gemma, obviously. In order to assure Harry that his hindering voice is nothing, Zayn clears his throat, "I mean, I would love to!"
"At least it's not mostly a lie. She thinks I went to prom, but I went to you instead. And I'm with you─ not really, real, real official or anything but same thing. It's not all a lie because when she meets you, you're the same person I was with on prom night!" Harry claims with a jovial voice.
Zayn beams at Harry's happy pleasantness. Things are going mostly right but he's still curious and upset about the fact on Harry loving school and relations to it but he didn't go to prom. "You serious that a date kept you away from prom?" Are you aware that you chose me over a graduation incentive like that?"
"Rather have your company than those fake people at school. They only like me because I'm a good debater. I can make things happen between suggestions in clubs and projects in electives. But I'm not good at socializing. I can't maintain a friendship." Harry answers with a mouthful of truth whilst no care towards the words coming out.
A crispy chicken and egg bagel sandwich comes into the table with a platter of breakfast appetizers like banana slices, muffins, toast, and bacon strips. "I must admit, your meal does look alright." The oatmeal is thick in a large white bowl topped with tons of fruits in different shapes.
Within ten minutes the two of them ramble on and on about the excitements of the camp coming soon. Harry plans different relay races and crafts, even though it sounds kind of like a child summer camp, Zayn loves hearing about these plans and hopes to be his partner for most of the events.
The mini feast is enjoyable for the two of them. And since Zayn had the plan in the first place, he offers to pay. Harry begs that he should pay but nope, Zayn just say that he can buy a dessert or something when it hits lunch time. "At that rate we'll be able to get Jaxx. Then take a walk around downtown and you can probably buy us a drink or something."
"Gladly." Harry stacks the empty plates and tucks their chairs in. Zayn listens to how these workers don't have to overwork, which is why Harry tries his best to clean up as much as possible and gives a hearty tip.
When they get Jaxx Zayn takes it out of his paycheck because he prefers not to ask Harry for some money since their lunch cost them around fifteen dollars and he only brought a twenty.
"So how much was it?" Harry asks curiously. But Zayn doesn't know why he would unless he truly is curious. Because Harry doesn't even have any pets, from what Zayn knows. "$10.50 for every hour."
"You didn't let me play with any of the kittens so I think I'll just get a job here too so I can play with them on my own." Harry chimes with attitude. Zayn actually concurs with the idea, he'd love to watch Harry watch cute animals.
Harry takes a hold of the leash while the two of them follow the downtown path that leads to any local park. Their plan is to just get lost on a nice stroll, aimlessly walking with no intention. With the exception of a nice snack spot, in a sense for Harry to pay this time.
Their chattering brings Zayn back to the memories where it was full filled with only happy stories between one another. There would never be a serious topic, only words bouncing from one to another.
In the place of Harry's arms and the gentle, sedate voice swaying off his tongue, it's where Zayn feels most safe, most at home.
And when Harry buys Zayn a drink, it only impressed him much more when Harry guesses the correct drink Zayn would order. Maybe it was a lucky guess, or he really did pick up on what Zayn has in the kitchen, either way he's comfortable with Harry's judgement.
"Do you want─" Zayn takes a glance at Harry but for some reason Harry doesn't continue his question, maybe it's the way Zayn's face contorts to a perplexed look. "You okay?"
"Oh no, he's walking up to me." Zayn mumbles causing Harry to look over his shoulders. "Who?" Harry continues to look around until a guy who resembles him crests a border between the two.
The lean guy with slick hair, wide glasses hung over his nose shimmers a wide ear to ear smile. His flower button up shirt and high waist pants complement that grin of his.
"Hi, Zayn! Haven't seen you since you know, the math final last semester." Zayn takes a full body glance from top to bottom, still appreciating the wonders of his style as he knows he's one of the best that he's slept with despite this little unconventional attitude with him.
"Hello to you Marcel." Zayn so badly wants to leave the situation considering this was actually one person he was close to having feelings for, but he did surpass it, reminding himself it was only ever Harry and he wouldn't settle down, either until he's thirty or gets a chance with Harry again.
Marcel raises his arms over Zayn's shoulders clutching his fingernails into the crest of his shoulder blades. "We should hang out together soon or something. Study before this semesters final."
"I would love to, very much! But my boyfriend─" Zayn exchanges his eyes to Harry but he's nowhere to be seen.
"Oh you mean that grumpy mop over there with Jaxx? Yeah, glared at me the whole time. Turn around. He's pretty jealous. That's a good catch. Good luck with him." Marcel pats Zayn's chest and pecks his cheek before turning back to the line of the outdoor drink stand.
Zayn skips joyously over to Harry with two things in mind. One being the fact that Harry's jealousy─ but why would he be anyways? can't complain though─ was evident and that Marcel has no more intentions with Zayn.
"Why aren't you with that dude who looks like a clean, appealing, pretty, hipster of me? He kissed you in like thirty seconds, boy you guys are pretty affectionate." Harry mumbles and takes a huff out to sway his curls aside. He shoves a straw into Zayn's drink and slides it over to him.
"I prefer you. In all of your convivial ways."
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