🍑🤤
8:56
Soon
Love you xx
my love
10:38
good morning
leaving the house now
love u too babes
🍑🤤
10:43
Are you working on the train or do you wanna call?
my love
11:11
i love u babe but we'll see each other in a couple hours
m not gonna be the annoying person on the phone for that
and yea trying to get some reading done
🍑🤤
11:17
Sad
I'd be the annoying person for you
my love
11:18
u're always the annoying person
u can have a selfie instead
coz it's been so long and u might not remember what i look like
🍑🤤
11:20
Thank you
But I would never forget that face
my love
11:20
u say the sweetest things
🍑🤤
11:23
I know xx
One of us has to
You wanna play words with friends or something?
Or is that too distracting?
my love
11:25
sure babe
i suck at it either way
🍑🤤
11:25
Good
I like winning
my love
11:26
yeah i caught that babes u don't have to tell me
🌱
"Zain!" Gemma yells loudly, waving over the head of the rapidly thinning crowd.
Zain raises his hand in acknowledgement and makes his way towards her, pushing through the people on the platform.
"Hey, babe," he says, laughing when she wraps her arms around him enthusiastically. He kisses her cheek, hugging her tightly.
"Hey," she says, kissing his cheek. "Missed you," she says, smiling up at him. "Mum came with, we were just doing the shopping. She's in the car."
"Cool," Zain nods. "Let's go then, yea. It's freezing."
"Sure," she says, taking his hand and pulling him towards the exit.
"Hello, love," Anne greets him with a smile when Zain opens the car door.
"Hello Anne," Zain answers, sliding into the back and dumping his bag on the floor before leaning forward to kiss Anne's cheek. "How have you been? How's it been having Harry home?"
Anne laughs. "You know how he is," she says, reaching back to pat his cheek.
"Mum's already banned him from making jokes at meals," Gemma says, easing out of the spot.
"But it's always lovely having him home," Anne adds. "And he'll be so happy to see you again."
"He's not stopped whining about it," Gemma adds, exasperated.
Zain laughs. "I'll take him off your hands in two days, Gems."
Anne turns around to smile at him, patting his knee. "How was your Christmas, love? Did you have a good time?"
"Yea, it was good. All my sisters were home and I saw most of my cousins, which was nice."
"Don't sound so enthusiastic," Gemma snorts.
"You try sleeping in the couch in the living room for a week."
"Barely a week," Gemma says. "But valid. Babes, we've got loads of stuff from the turkey left over I hope you are hungry."
"I could eat," Zain shrugs and Anne turns around to smile at him again.
"Harry is supposed to have lunch ready by the time we get home," she says. "I thought you might be hungry."
"I'm fine with a snack," Zain shrugs. "But thanks, lunch is always good. Did you have a nice Christmas?"
"We did," she says. "It was lovely. And it's extra nice because Harry's only in London now, so we can visit and make him visit more often."
"He's better in small doses," Gemma says. "Mum is very happy she only has to keep him around for a bit before she can send him away again."
"That's not true and you know it, Gemma," Anne chides. "You'll give your brother a complex if you keep saying things like that."
Gemma snorts. "He's got a complex alright, but it's definitely gone the opposite direction."
"Gemma, really," Anne says firmly.
"Sorry mum," Gemma says, pulling into a quieter road Zain vaguely recognised. "You know I'm just teasing. Zain, babes, Pez wants you to know that she's got everything sorted and that you're the one unable to handle your business."
"Wow, starting on me now, are you?" Zain asks, amused. He's definitely starting to recognise the street from the last visit. "Pez can suck it."
"I'm gonna quote you and we'll never babysit again," Gemma says. "See what happens then."
"We, huh? How long have you known each other again?" Zain smirks.
"I've replaced you as my soulmate," Gemma informs him, pulling into their driveway, ignoring the way Anne is shaking her head at them. "I have decided I only thought you were my soulmate because you are the reason I met my actual soulmate. Who is Perrie. Who is way nicer and sweeter and more organised than you."
"Nice and sweet and organised are great characteristics," Zain grins at her, getting out of the car.
"Well, you are none of them so there," Gemma says, poking him into the side. "Mum, leave the groceries, Zain and I can get them."
"If I'm not nice or sweet what makes you think I'll help with the groceries?" Zain asks, taking the bags Gemma points are imperiously.
"Not disputing the unorganised, are you?" Gemma smirks, locking the car by pointing the fob hazardously over her shoulder. Zain follows her into the house with a smirk, kicking off his boots by the front door.
"You can leave your shoes on, love," Anne says, coming back out of the kitchen.
"Too late," Zain shrugs. He'll never get used to wearing shoes inside a home anyways.
"At least put some slippers on, the tiles are cold. Harry!" she calls. "Where did you put your extra slippers?"
"Where they always are!" Harry calls back. "Zain, Gemma is annoying me, get her!"
"Why me?" Zain calls back, walking towards the kitchen while Anne starts rummaging around the dresser in the hallway.
"She listens to you," Harry calls back.
They almost collide in the doorway.
"Hi," Harry says happily, wrapping his arms around Zain and kissing him.
"Hi," Zain answers, leaning back slightly to break the kiss. "Babe, let me put down the bags first I think I got the produce."
"No snogging in the kitchen!" Gemma says loudly, pulling Harry back by his waistband.
"Let me say hello," Harry snaps back and Zain raises a surprised eyebrow, setting the bags on the counter next to Gemma's.
"What's up with you?" he asks, putting his hand on Harry's back.
Harry curls into him, wrapping his arms around Zain and pressing his face in Zain's neck. "Nothing," he says, sounding pouty even with his voice muffled against Zain's shirt.
"Liar," Zain says and kisses his head, watching Gemma mouth something at him. "Your mum said you cooked," Zain adds, frowning at Gemma. She rolls her eyes and makes a rude gesture at Harry's back.
"Gemma!" Anne exclaims, entering the kitchen. "That's uncouth. Zain, put some slippers on. Harry," she adds, seeming to gentle somewhat. "How is lunch going, love?"
"Done," Harry says, letting go of Zain to fix the claw clip holding his hair back. Zain uses the opportunity to put the slippers on, fluffy and pink as they are. Definitely Harry's, he thinks with a slight smirk. "Where are we eating? Gemma can set the table."
"Dining room, love," Anne says distractedly, putting groceries away. "Zain, you can help Gemma. We need a new dishcloth as well."
🌱
"Why are you in such a bad mood?" Zain asks, yawning. He dumps his bag in the small bench at the foot of Harry's bed and pulls it open. "Usually, I'm the one being cranky."
"You are," Harry says, wrapping himself around Zain and kissing him deeply. "Missed you."
"That's not it though," Zain answers against his lips, closing the gap again and licking into Harry's mouth.
"No," Harry says, breathlessly chasing after him. "I've just been exhausted, I think work is catching up with me, and now I can't sleep without you there apparently and then Gemma's been getting on my nerves with her whole, I don't know. Cheeriness. And I actually really missed you and you were busy on top of it, so. I'm being cranky."
"Alright, that's allowed from time to time," Zain nods.
"You would say that," a Harry says, rolling his eyes and letting himself fall onto the bed. "Go one, call Freddie so we can make out before mum calls us down to be sociable."
Zain smiles down at Harry, touching the skin of his ankle. "I love you, you know," he says affectionately.
Harry beams up at him, making grabbing motions with his hands. "Come on, then. We can multitask. Cuddle while you talk to the monster, then snogging until mum interrupts."
"Sounds like a Plan," Zain grins at him and let's himself fall mostly on top of Harry.
Harry let's out a gust of air, wrapping his arms around him tightly. "I wanna be little spoon," he says.
"Babe, you don't have to announce that," Zain snorts at him, rolling to the side and stroking the hair from Harry's face, kissing his cheek as Harry wiggles around until he'a settled comfortable in the curve of Zain's body. "You got your phone on you?" Zain asks with a yawn, patting his pockets, unsure where he put his own down.
"Yep," Harry says, pulling it from his pocket and unlocking it swiftly, pulling up Louis's number. Zain tries not to catch too much of what's going on on his phone, but he does not that Louis is very recent in Harry's calls. He noses at Harry's hair, glad that Harry actually cared enough about Freddie on his own account to call him.
"Harry!" Freddie shrieks. "Daddy let me answer on my own!"
"That's great, baby," Harry says gently. "Look who's here with me as well!"
"Zain!" Freddie yells even more loudly. "Zain, my new legos are so cool, Zain, they glow in the dark! Daddy let me have them in bed with me and it's so cool, they glow!"
"Very cool, monster," Zain answers, leaning his forehead against the side of Harry's face and watching Freddie light up in excitement. Harry listend idly with his head tilted slightly towards Zain, holding the phone up and tracing idle shapes on his stomach, smiling whenever Freddie grows especially excited.
🌱
"Quiet, babe," Zain says against Harry's cheek. "You've gotta be quiet."
"I am," Harry protests breathlessly, whining loudly and involuntarily when Zain rocks deeper, biting his lip against the sensation. He loves Zain inside him in a way he hadn't expected to like it, like it was more than just sex.
"You're not," Zain laughs quietly, his breath hitting Harry's cheek, pulling out and leaving him empty. It aches. Zain taps the side of Harry's hip gently. "Come on, turn around, you can bite the pillow."
"Are you calling me a pillow biter?" Harry asks breathlessly, trying to fake offence, which is hard when he's desperate for Zain and his cold. He turns around without fuss, clutching the pillow to his head and dropping his forehead to the mattress. He whines and does bite the pillow when Zain pushes back in deeply, grinding forward into the mattress helplessly. He feels a bit like he's a teenager like this, humping the bed to get off, desperate and burning for it, but Zain is thick inside him, his hips heavy on Harry's arse as he rests his weight mostly in Harry, his hand firm on Harry's lower back, his breath hot between Harry's shoulder blades as he drops his head forward.
"So eager," Zain mutters, rocking forward. "So good for me."
Harry whines into the pillow, the words shooting through him like electricity. He gasps Zain's name helplessly. He's never felt like this before, not before Zain, so full and desperate to be closer still. He doesn't think he's been in love before, not of it feels like this, like he needs to be closer even when he's as close to Zain as he's ever going to get. He reaches back, trying to hold Zain more tightly to himself.
"I'm here, sweetheart," Zain says quietly, taking Harry's hand and twining their fingers together, pressing them into the mattress by Harry's arms. "You're fine, babe." He presses soft kisses to the back of Harry's neck, the side of his face. "You're good."
Harry closes his eyes against the tide of emotion inside him, warring with and enhancing his arousal at once somehow, pushing back desperately as Zain grins deeply into him, hitting all the right spots and suckling in Harry's neck. He comes with a quiet sob, clutching at Zain and pressing his face into the mattress.
Zain Rocks forward sharply, pushing Harry's thigh up to spread him wide and he tilts his hips up to give Zain more access, rising slightly in his knees.
"Ok?" Zain asks, even as he picks up speed and Harry can only pants, pulling Zain's closer in a wordless answer. It's too much right after he's come, too sensitive and too much sensation, but he likes it, like feeling overwhelmed like his physical sensation finally aligns with the way he feels about Zain always. Like it's too much and not enough at the same time, like it needs to stop and never end.
Zain comes with a grunt and slumps onto Harry's back and Harry lets himself collapse onto the mattress completely, wincing when Zain pulls out. He feels empty like this and since Zain insists on condoms he doesn't even have the sensation of Zain's come trickling out of him, which was disgusting but eased some of the abruptness, like the sensation and knowledge that Zain had been inside him distracted from the feeling of emptiness.
"I love you so much," Harry mutters into Zain's skin when Zain slides back into bed, hands cold from having washed them. "I'm so in love with you, it feels like I'm missing you even when you're just down the hall," he admits, kissing the skin closest to his lips and rubbing his hands over the letters in Zain's collarbone.
"I love you, too, sweetheart," Zain answers quietly, running his hand through Harry's hair, fingers gentle and firm in the way Harry likes best. If Zain wasn't mean and grumpy from time to time, Harry would think he was a figment of his imagination, brought about by too much stress at a young age. Harry is moving way too fast and no one can ever find out that he spends his free time googling Urdu names and imagining holding Zain's child in his arms.
"Are you really ok?" Zain asks gently, kissing Harry's forehead and cupping his cheek to tilt his head up. "Is it really just lack of sleep?"
"Yea," Harry nods, smiling at him. "I crash when I get home, nothing to worry about."
"Alright," Zain says, smoothing his thumb over the skin under Harry'a eyes. Harry closes his eyes and smiles when Zain kisses his eyelids. "Sleep well, sweetheart."
"Love you," Harry says, because he feels like Zain still doesn't understand how much a Harry loves him, how much it only grows with each day and everything he discovers, like how ridiculous Zain looked in pink slippers and how bad he was at scrabble and how soft his voice goes when he talks to Freddie on the phone even though he claims to enjoy the time away from him.
"Love you, too," Zain answers gently, kissing the side of Harry's nose. "Now go to sleep."
🌱
...aaaaaand we're back to taking ages to update cause prose...