"Happy 16th birthday babe" Louis smiled at Zayn, giving him a small brown box with ribbons on top.
"Thanks, Lou." Zayn smiled, tongue at the back of his teeth.
"Blow the candle and make a wish bub" Trisha pulled Zayn's arm getting his attention,
"What did you wish for, Zee?" Louis asked later when they were in Zayn's room.
"That we will stay friends forever and ever"
"Duh..of course, now open your present. I got that special for you, I had to do a few chores for the money, urgh..it was it worth it in the end.." Zayn laughed as Liam punched Louis's leg, and watched them fighting on the floor when Louis hit him back.
"Ying yang necklace" Zayn said looking at his present.
"I'm the Yin to your Yang, we balance each other,babe"
" I love it Lou" Zayn said putting it on,"I'm never taking it off" he jumped on top of them, "You better not" Louis said tickling him,
Zayn smiled at the memory looking around his old room in his parents house, he never understood why his mom never moved the pictures on the wall. He tried to spray paint them once but his mom, said not on my walls. He touched his necklace and frowned,
"Thanks Haz.." Zayn said looking at the necklace Harry got him for their three months anniversary. Harry took off the necklace Zayn had on and..
Paper plane necklace. Zayn touched it remembered how Harry took off the ying yang necklace and replaced it. He sighed, hands on his lap, he looked at his ying yang tattoo, his first tattoo when he turned eighteen, Louis was holding his hand proudly while Liam uttered he shouldn't be having tattoos at all. He groaned lying on his old bed. Trisha is cooking Thanksgiving dinner, for baby Yazz she said, like she's even gonna remember or care at eleven months old.
Thanksgiving...such an American thing, they are bloody British. Harry is excited obviously, him and Trisha discussing recipes, he bought an American flag headband for Yazz. She looked cute though, a mini Harry clone. Zayn smiled fondly thinking about him, and he gazed at his engagement ring. Harry asked him yesterday his thoughts about a winter wedding, Zayn wants to wait until Yazzie can be a flower girl.
Harry suggested March next year, baby Yazz will be a year old and would look cute walking down the aisle. So, March twenty fifth it is.
"Baby bro..alright?" Doniya asked seeing him zoned out.
"Yeah." Zayn smiled at her. "I can't believe mom kept this room as it was. its like I still live here. Strange."
"What's strange is you getting married having a baby before me. I feel old and unloved right now." Doniya said coming over to sit next him. "Do you know dad converted my room to an office two days after I moved out right? The message him was clear, go and do not come back."
Zayn laughed, "I'm sure there's an older man out there for you about to be divorced hang in there" he giggled ducking his head as Doniya tried slapping him.
"I hate you." She said half hearted, "You're everyone's favourite, those cheekbones, ridiculous lashes, got the boys fighting for your affections I'm so jelly. Speaking of fighting, how's Louis?"
"Don't know, Don haven't spoken to him in four days." Zayn said. He wasn't counting it's just how the days rolled.
"Bro, the end is nigh. You and Louis not speaking? How do you wake up in the morning? I remember those wake up texts he used to send every morning, annoying as they were I knew to get up on text number five as that means its eight clock." Doniya laughed, "How are you coping though? Without him by your side?"
Zayn frowned, found himself shrugging his shoulders.
"I've got a baby, I've got to cope and get on with it."
"Interesting answer baby bro. You've got to cope?"
"I have got a child, Don. I can't be sitting miserable, I have to get my arse out of bed, cook for her, feed her and bathe her isn't it?" Zayn said.
"What about Harry?"
"Harry can do all those himself, Doniya, I love him not to that extent getting out of bed running him a bath in the morning and put my elbow in the water to test the temperature." Zayn scoffed. "He's capable of doing that himself."
Doniya laughed, "I was not asking about all that, Zayn. I was wondering why is he not on your coping plan?"
"Oh." Zayn sighed, "Its complicated.."
"Complicated huh? Is what why you're here in your old room while your husband is downstairs messing about with mom in the kitchen?"
"He's not my husband_"
"It's interesting how you answer to the questions. I'm no psychiatrist but the way you are quick to dismiss him as your husband speaks volumes_"
"You're definitely no psychiatrist. Speaking volumes is not in any shrinks dictionary but at those searching for drama as demonstrate by you when you didn't let me finish what I was going to say." Zayn said. "I'm not dismissing Harry is not my husband I'm stating a fact that he isn't. Yet. And he is cooking not messing with mom, I am not with him because Harry takes pleasure and loves everything American, you know that, and I do not, he knows that."
"That sound complicated." Doniya said then clicked her tongue. "Harry does love everything American, it makes sense he's still friends with Kendall I heard they were house hunting together?"
"They what?"
"Oh you didn't know.. mhh, okay." Doniya tapped him on the knew getting yo. "Let's go eat, mom sent me to get you."
_
"Baby, come sit next to me." Harry pulled a chair out for Zayn.
"Thanks Haz.." Zayn mumbled.
"You're welcomed."
Harry kissed him, dragged his chair even closer to him, he's been clingy, but Zayn loves it. Liam and Niall rolled their eyes at them. Yaser had invited them as well as always. It's always been five..now there's four.
"The dinner looks lovely as always, my dear.." Yaser was looking at the tons of different food layed on the table.
"Thank your son in law Harry I can't take all the credit. He done good I was just a sidekick." Trisha said.
Harry stood up and bowed, "Thank you_"
"Sit down, Harry." Zayn slapped him on the hip to sit down.
Yaser smiled, "Thank you, Harry. And as you all know we're here to celebrate thanks giving. So why don't we say our thanks briefly before we start eating?"
"You can start us off then." Trisha told him.
"Well, I'm thankful for all of you here. My first of many grand babies, Yasmeen." Yaser smiled looking at her, "And Harry for making my son happy and making an honest man out of him asking him to marry you and my wife for taking care of our home and loving this old fool."
Trisha smiled squeezing his hand, "I'm thankful for each day I wake up and all of you are in good health cause waiting times in A&E are not fun. Jokes aside, I'm thankful for all of you. All of my children. My girls and Zayn_"
"Of course Zayn always gets a special solo mention." Doniya said. "At this point mom I'm beginning you're forgotten our names. Anyways, thank you for the food and Zayn you're next, what you're thankful for? Being the only son?"
Zayn chuckled, "Actually yes. Thank you for mom and dad for that gift, having beautiful sisters." he smiled at his little sisters. Saf and Wali. "And Doniya of course_"
He yelped when Doniya slapped the back of his head.
"Harry, you're next." She said giving Zayn a soft glare.
"Thanks, Don. Not for slapping my baby. But generic thanks for passing the baton to me." Harry chuckled, "I'm thankful to Yaser and Trisha for Zayn. Without him, I'll probably be lost. So thank you. I'm out." Harry said, then looked at Niall, "You're next."
"Thanks, Hazza. That's true without Zayn he'll be lost.
Probably lost drunk somewhere, asking me to come pick him up, so I'm thankful for you Zayn as well." Niall said chuckling.
"I'm thankful for everyone here too." Liam said. "And thank you for the lovely food, for you too, Zayn. For all those years you helped with my homework." He added making everyone laugh.
"Let's eat before the food gets cold." Yaser raised his glass to everyone, "Happy thanksgiving everyone."
They were cheers all around, and the eating began.
"I'm really thankful for you, you know that right?"
Harry said quietly to Zayn.
"Of course I know that, Haz. I'm thankful for you too.
And the food is great."
"Thanks, babe. And for our daughter. I noticed the last few days you've been stressed for last three days, don't be. Use me as your stress ball.." Harry leaned closer to whisper to him. "You can bounce on me anytime.."
"Harreh.." Zayn giggled looking at his mom and dad but everyone was not paying them attention. "I am thankful no one can hear you right now. Don't worry, I'm okay. And just so you know I'm meeting Louis tomorrow." Zayn bit his lip looking at him, "Is that alright?"
"You don't need my approval, baby. I hate done what I did the other day_"
"Shh..it's fine. I needed to see that." Zayn sighed, "I thank you for that. I know you're trying to meet him halfway and he's impossible. So I'll just_I don't know, I need to find out where he's mind is at."
"Well, I'm thankful him and his minds are not here.." Harry said only to wince in pain cried when Zayn had pinched his nipples. "Baby_"
"Be thankful that's all I'm pinching..." Zayn said giving him a plate for Harry to dish food for him.
"My pleasure." Harry kissed him twice, before asking what he wanted.
*
*
"Coffee shop, huh?" Louis said as they found a spot to seat.
"Well, you love it so it seem the perfect place for a catch up." Zayn said looking at him. They didn't hug when they saw each other like they always do.
"I see what you mean being a perfect place, there's plenty witnesses around in case things got out of hand."
"I never thought about it like that, but.. yeah. Plenty witnesses in case hot tea gets thrown about.." Zayn chuckled quietly.
Louis smiled, "What do you want then, I'm buying. The usual?"
"Yeah, thanks." Zayn stared at him as Louis stood by the counter placing their order, black coffee and blueberry muffins. The irony was it was same coffee shop he first met Harry.
Louis came to sit on the table, the order was going to be brought over. "How's the baby, how many teeth she's got now?"
"You haven't seen her in four days, Louis you make it sound like four months. She's still only got the two.." Zayn said smiling.
"It feels like four months_" Louis paused to smile as a server brought a tray with their order. The shop wasn't busy.
Silence fell between them before any of them spoke.
Zayn stared at his coffee. This was more difficult than he thought. How did they get here? When has things between them this awkward.
"I'm sorry, Zayn." Louis started, "How do we solve this tension between us, huh. I'll do anything, just tell me, how we can get through this?"
Zayn lifted his head looking at him. "Remember when you and Harry started fighting, he made dinner and invited you to talk things through?"
"Yeah." Louis nodded, "I remember that.."
"Trust was one of the things we agreed to work on. You said you'll do anything right?"
"Yeah, of course..Zee."
"Then I need you to trust Harry. I want you to trust him to make me happy, because I am happy with him. You told him then you have some type of feelings for me and he trusted you not to cross that line and still be my friend. Trust him, that's all I ask, Louis." Zayn said.
"I'll try.." Louis said quietly.
"I need more than that. I need you to do. Not try." Zayn said. "Harry has never had a relationship lasting more than two weeks, mine lasted four months. We are both learning, but one thing keeping us together is that we love each other. Harry might come across as controlling but he is not. He just loves taking care of me as you know I tend procrastinate at the worst of time and he's a doer. And what he's promised to do is not to interfere in our Fifa rituals, he hates Fifa.."
"He's such a snob.." Louis laughed.
"More like a posh bastard that flirts with hundred year olds." Zayn laughed his tongue under his teeth.
Louis smiled watching him. "He is a posh bastard."
"You hate him." Zayn stated. "He hates you. There, you both have something in common. You hate each other. Now stop trying to please each other and be polite for my sake. Because as it is, I love you both and need you to get along. And I need you to understand that I am deeply in love with him and if you can't find it within yourself to be civil with him, then you and I had come to the end of the road."
Louis inhaled, "I love you, Zayn. You're my best friend. I will be civil to him cause after all we've got something else in common, we both love you_"
"What's not to love..have you seen me?" Zayn said and Louis laughed out loud, a couple next to them looked at them. "It's nice to see you laughing, Lou."
"It's nice to be here with you." Louis said. "Hand in my heart, I will try and treat Harry with kindness."
"That's all I ask.."
*
*
"Baby, I need to tell you something."
"Mmm.." Zayn hummed. He was tired, he decided to take Harry on his offer and used him as his stress ball, he did bounce all his stress away and was feeling the after effects.
"My mom came along with when I was househunting with Kendall, just to let you know."
Zayn frowned at him, "why you telling me that?"
"It's just that when Trisha asked Don to come get you, she didn't come back after more than ten minutes, I thought something was wrong, and maybe she told you about the house hunting with Kendall." Harry said taking faster than normal.
"You overheard us talking didn't you?" Zayn asked, "please don't lie to me we're in a trust bubble."
Harry sighed, "Yeah, I overheard. I came to check on you guys and the door was open. I notice you haven't asked me about it and I'm anxious so I thought to come clean."
Zayn looked at him, he wasn't mad, "So what did you and your ex get up to on your house hunting trips."
"Nothing I swear." Harry replied, "It was never me and her alone. My mom told me off for asking Kendall in the first place. Reflecting on that, I want to apologise to you for being disrespectful. Hearing Don doubt me made me think I'm putting myself in situations where everyone expects me to fuck up. I'm trying, really am, it's just hard when everyone is waiting for me to fuck up. I don't know much about relationships, but I know that I love you. God forbid if I do fuck up, just know that I'm sorry"
"No one is about to make me question your love for me, Harry. Fuck what everyone says. Be proud and do you or do me_" Zayn said, "If you fuck up well work through it together. And if I fuck up, same applies. I will alway love you no matter what anyone says about you. Keep that in mind okay."
"I love you so fucking much." Harry pulled Zayn on top of him and kissed him on the mother before leaving butterfly kisses all over Zayn's face. "Are you sure you're not ready to try for another baby?"
"Harreh, none of the talk." Zayn pinched the extra pair of Harry's nipples, the latter retaliated flipping them over.
"You're paying for that, baby. Big time." Harry growled before ticking him and watched fondly as Zayn rolled around laughing his heart out.
He loves him. With all his heart. With people ready to create obstacle for them he really hopes they make it.