Clutching onto his convenient store bag, Harry threw his overnight bag into Mrs. Malik's minivan, followed by his Mum's suitcase and finally Mrs. Malik's.
Just as he was about to close the trunk, Zayn slid in beside him, peppy as ever.
"Whoa there Harry," he spoke, his voice giddy and his smile stretched from cheek to cheek. "You forgot about me?"
Harry shook his head and forced a weak smile. "No, I did not," he said sharply.
Zayn noticed his tone and grabbed Harry's wrist while he closed the trunk. "Hey! What's up with you lad? You not excited to go down to the lake with your best friend," Zayn puckered up his tone as he inched his face closer to Harry.
Harry scoffed and pushed him off, wiggling his hand out of his grip. "I am very excited," he said, monotone.
"Something is so wrong with you," Zayn opened the side door and slid the middle seats forward so he and Harry could sit in the back.
"Where's Mrs. and Mr. Malik, huh?" Harry asked, sliding in beside Zayn and putting his bag of snacks in the middle seat.
Zayn shrugged. "Inside I guess," he said, as he began digging through Harry's snack bag and pulled out three snack-packs of Cheez-its.
"No, no, no!" Harry leaned over and tried to grab them from Zayn who had them behind his back now.
"No what?" Zayn smirked. "These are mine now,"
"No, they're not!" Harry tried to reach behind Zayn's back, but he quickly pulled them out and held them as far away from Harry as he possibly could.
Zayn continued teasing Harry until Yaser showed up, almost as if he was towering over the car.
"Are you ten?" Yaser spoke, eyeing Zayn who shook his head.
"No sir," Zayn smirked, handing Harry his Cheez-it packages back.
"I am so sorry for my son here Harry," Yaser spoke, sliding the middle seat back into place and stepping into the car. "I keep telling Anne we should trade sons,"
"You and Mum should definitely trade sons," Harry said, smiling at Yaser then eyeing Zayn icily.
With an eye-roll, Zayn kicked Harry's foot below Yaser's seat. Harry kicked him back.
Zayn didn't react.
Yaser got comfortable in his seat, keeping the side door open for fresh air until Mrs. Malik and Anne showed up.
"You two ready for the cottage?" Yaser asked the boys as he leaned forward into the front seat to start the car and plug his phone into the AUX.
"Definitely," Harry spoke, kicking Zayn again to get his attention.
Zayn sat, with a smile on his lips, looking out the window. Harry went in for another kick and before he even reached Zayn, he could feel Zayn lock his foot around Harry's ankle.
"Try me again," he whispered, squeezing Harry's thigh quickly and snatching a Cheez-it package, opening it and shoving three in his mouth just before Harry could stop him.
Yaser was still leaned into the front seat, fiddling with the Bluetooth options and air conditioning buttons.
Squirming forward, Harry reached for the package. Zayn pushed his foot harder on Harry's as he ate more, kicking the balance out of Harry's legs causing him to propel his face forward and into Zayn's lap.
Zayn stopped chewing and looked down at Harry who immediately shot up and fixed his hair.
Harry's cheeks turned red almost instantly. He turned away so quickly, that he didn't notice that Zayn's had too.
"The drive hasn't even started why are you eating my snacks?" Harry said through gritted teeth, his eyes wide.
"I'm not," Zayn expressed casually, putting another three in his mouth.
Grumbling, Harry plugged his earbuds into his phone, listening to Zayn snicker.
The sound of Anne's voice filled the car the moment she stepped into the passenger seat. "Ready for the cottage?"
"Hey boys!" Mrs. Malik grinned, looking into the back as she sat down in the driver's seat.
"Hi, Mrs. Malik,"
"Hi, Anne,"
Harry and Zayn's voice travelled to the front seats, the two Mum's greeting the boys before starting a conversation amongst themselves with Yaser.
The drive started, Harry, blasting music in his ears and Zayn ever so often, hitting Harry's knee with his.
About an hour and thirty minutes into the ride when Harry couldn't take it anymore, he whipped off his earbuds and turned to Zayn impatiently.
"What?" he huffed.
Zayn just looked at him and smiled. "Surprised it took you that long,"
"Took me that long to what?" Harry questioned, his eyes still on Zayn.
Zayn did it again. He trailed his fingers up Harry's bare thigh and circled his fingers in the crease where his torso met his leg.
Harry sucked in a breath, still looking at Zayn who was smiling.
Zayn danced his fingers around the button on Harry's shorts and finally spoke, moving his hand away.
"These are nice shorts," he said quietly. "Do you still have my red ones?"
Harry coughed, folding his hands in his lap and nodded. "Yeah... They're in my laundry basket at home though,"
"No problem," Zayn nodded, and just as he reached for Harry's thigh again, Yaser turned around.
Downplaying it, Zayn brushed nothing off of Harry's thigh. "Crumbs," he said quickly before smiling at his Dad.
"Your turn to use the AUX," Yaser spoke, opening his hand to take Zayn's phone.
Zayn put in his password and handed Yaser his phone.
"Do you have a playlist?" Yaser asked while he handed Zayn's phone to Anne who plugged it in and awaited a response from Zayn as to what to play.
"No, just play whatever," Zayn said, looking over at Harry once again who forced a smile once Zayn's eyes were on his.
Harry figured it out quite quickly, Anne had pressed the first song in Zayn's long list of saved music.
Flaming Hot fucking Cheetos. Harry sighed.
This song was constantly haunting him.
"I thought we were going to listen to some rap music," Mrs. Malik said disappointedly with a smile, peering at Zayn through the rearview mirror.
"Blame Anne!" Zayn laughed, pointing at Harry's Mum who turned around and shot Zayn a look.
"Would you rather me play the explicit rap music?" she said, looking at Yaser and Mrs. Malik.
"Don't get me involved," Yaser raised his hand in defence.
"Put on the rap music," Mrs. Malik encouraged.
So Anne pressed the closest song.
Piano opened the song, until a beat picked up, the artist called "Blueface baby!"
Harry stifled a laugh as Zayn began yelling for Anne to turn the radio off immediately.
"Turn this off now!" Zayn spoke in panic. "You don't want to hear this, trust me!"
Yaser and Mrs. Malik began talking at Zayn, asking him why telling him if he can't do it in front of his parents, it's probably not a good idea, essentially turning the song into a lecture.
"Come on now," Anne said, breaking up the conversation. "It can't be that bad,"
Mrs. Malik chimed in. "It can't be,"
"Zayn warned you two," Yaser said before the car went quiet, everybody listening attentively to the radio, Harry holding back his laughs.
The chorus of the song boomed throughout the car, the bass practically shaking their vehicle.
"Bust down, Thotiana / I wanna see you bust down / Pick it up, now break that shit down (break it down...)"
Zayn buried his head in the palms of his hands. Harry looked over at him and laughed.
"You should've given me the AUX," he said, poking Zayn's cheek.
"This man cannot stay on the beat if his life depended on it," Yaser commented, listening attentively to the song, but clearly not the lyrics.
"You're right love," Mrs. Malik noted.
The chorus repeated and Anne began to catch onto the lyrics.
"What does that even mean?" Anne questioned, turning to look at the two boys in the back. "Bust it down? Does he mean Tatiana? What is a Thotiana?"
Zayn shook his head and looked at Harry. "What does that mean?" he pushed loudly. "Can you tell us what a Thotiana is, Harry?"
Harry kicked Zayn beneath the seats, Zayn catching his foot and locking his around Harry's once again.
The pins and needles were back.