Rain pounds on the window pane, making Zayn know he is stuck in on this fine Saturday, doing nothing and hopefully he gets inspiration for some art project to begin. He turns from the window in the living room, deciding to relax and not force himself to do anything, knowing he is going to Wahliya's cheer competition later today.

So, he makes some pancakes for himself, from scratch. Remembering he's going over for dinner to Anne and Harry's home, Zayn decides to start a fresh batch of some banana bread his mum always used to make when he was younger. Of course, he forgot some instructions and ingredients so he's going to have to call her for a reminder.

In the middle of eating breakfast, a knock erupts on Zayn's door and he quickly takes a napkin to rid his mouth of any maple syrup before standing to answer the front door. When he opens it he's met face to face with Louis who instantantly throws his arms into the air, yelling excitedly.

"Aye!" He exclaims, walking into Zayn's home without an invite and Zayn simply shrugs, shutting the door. He's known this man for years but he hardly comes over, usually they all congregate at Liam and AJ's humble abode. "So, whose ready for a day of shopping?" Louis asks, plopping on the couch as he picks up a remote to start flicking through channels.

"I was watching something." Zayn says, sulking as he walks up behind him.

"Oh shit, sorry," Louis snorts, not stopping his actions. "You should be getting ready anyway, mate, what the hell?" he glares, turning to look up at his friend 

Zayn sighs, walking back over to his pancakes, noticing he's full now after three. "Do we have to do it so early?" he frowns, walking over to his kitchen.

"Its ten!" Louis exclaims.

"Exactly." Zayn snaps, cleaning the plate before placing it gently into the dishwasher.

"Suck it up dude, would you prefer to be at the mall when it's busy?" Louis quirks up an eye brow, smirking because he's got Zayn there. Who would want to be at the mall with the afternoon hustle and bustle?

"Fine, fine, I'll be ready in thirty." Zayn says. "Don't touch anything." He states over his shoulder as he walks to his room.

"No promises!" Louis sings jokingly and Zayn rolls his eyes with a small smile as Louis laughs to himself.

After getting ready Zayn walks back out to see Louis laying on his couch and watching animal planet. He furrows his brows and leans down to rest his arms on the cushions, watching as a lion eats a dead deer. "This, this is what you're preoccupying yourself with?"

"Its life, Zayn." Louis snaps, pouting as the lion continues to eat and Zayn wonders how long it's going to go on, seeming to not be able to look away as he grimaces at the guts on display.

"Fuck, that's nasty." He gags, shaking his head.

"You're nasty." Louis retorts, sitting up and stretching.

Zayn acts offended by his comment, his mouth falling agape with a glare before he reaches out and shoves Louis, making him fall back over on the couch with a groan and Zayn laughs, rolling his eyes.

"You dramatic arse." Zayn shakes his head, turning away to walk towards the door. He grabs his default weekend shoes that rest there and slips them on. "Come on, let's get this over with." He says.

"Wow, spending time with me isn't something you just get over with." Louis mocks Zayn's voice, deepening it and changing his strong Doncaster accent to Zayn's Bradford one. Zayn snorts as they walk out of his apartment. He turns to lock it before walking with Louis towards the elevators.

"Hey, uh, mind if we stop for some coffee before going?" Zayn asks, swallowing thickly afterwards, feeling his heart start to race suddenly because of some agitation kicking in. Louis shrugs carelessly, not seeming to notice the sudden change in Zayn's demeanor.

"Sure," he says

Zayn smiles gratefully to himself because of the no questions asked. Not only has he been feeling uncomfortable and in pain, but he's been hungrier, way hungrier because he knows smoking repressed his hunger. Sometimes when he didn't feel like eating because he had no appetite, he smoked which was satisfying for him. But he knows that is the most unhealthy way to satisfy his hunger, but he ignored that thought.

When Zayn walks into the familiar cafè he sadly doesn't see Harry anywhere, making him frown in boredom and instead of getting normal black coffee, he gets black decaf. He figures too much caffiene could start up another withdrawl he doesn't want to endure. But Zayn doesn't think he likes coffee enough to truly become dependant on it. Just until the whole I need a cig now feeling blows over, which feels like a nonexistent happening.

He thanks the worker before walking out and getting into the passanger's seat of Louis car. Then, they're on the road to the downtown mall.

By the time they reach it's about eleven so there already is a decent amount of people there, uncomfrotably for the two of them. They clearly don't go to the mall much, getting lost with the signs up top pointing in all different directions.

"This is hopeless." Louis mumbles, shaking his head as he puts his hands on his hips. "Maybe we should've invited AJ to help." Louis sighs, rubbing his temples in frusteration.

"Its fine, Lou, let's just ask someone."

"No." Louis snaps and Zayn looks at him with a quirked up eyebrow. "Seriously, no, we can find it on our own." Louis says, sighing deeply. Zayn shakes his head, but he keeps his mouth shut until he feels he should interject, not wanting to get on Louis' bad side just yet. He follows the man until they go in the same circle they went in several times.

And then Louis begins to get even more frusterated than before and he has his hands balled up in fists at his sides, face red, and Zayn knows that it's time to pull him into a bathroom and do the breathing exercises.

At first Louis doesn't cooperate and just keeps shoving Zayn and telling him to leave so he can handle it himself but Zayn doesn't leave, standing back until Louis is ready, which he eventually was. They breath in and out slowly and eventually leave the crowded mall. Being angry and surrounded by people never ended well.

Then they end up heading into a Wal-Mart to get some nice clothes that are appropriate for a wedding. Zayn tries them on and Louis hoots and hollers as if he's at a fashion showing and exclaiming how Zayn looks like a genuine model. And Zayn is humble about it, rolling his eyes and waving Louis off before he is back in his normal clothes.

"You could get fucked in those clothes-"

"Louis, shut the fuck up!" Zayn exclaims, shaking his head as he looks out the window of the car and Louis simply bursts out laughing at his own joke.

"I was joking, damn." He snickers evilly and Zayn rolls his eyes.

"Let's stop by Liam and AJ, see what they're doing." Zayn suggests considering they're passing the neighborhood. Louis nods in agreement, silently turning into the complex of condos.

They pass the colorfully painted concrete from every shade of red to every shade of purple, reaching the baby blue painted stack of condos at the end of the street. Louis parks in a guest spot and turns off the car, the both of them getting out swiftly to walk up the steps, Louis turning it into some type of race.

"This is why we can't have other friends!" Zayn yells teasingly as Louis rushes past him up the steps after shoving him. He just hears Louis yell somethimg but can't make out what so its basically incoherent.

Zayn begins to run just to catch up, holding his stomach as he tries to catch his breath, legs burning which lets him know he needs to get back to the gym.  He sees Louis at the door, walking inside and Zayn catches up quickly, holding the doorknob as he turns the corner to come face to face with AJ and a small, but protruding belly.

Zayn smiles at the sight. "There's a little you in there, can you believe that?" Zayn snorts as he walks inside, glancing up at the woman. She rests a hand on her stomach.

"Honestly Zayn." she sighs, making Zayn look up at her smiling features. She shakes her head. "I can't. It's surreal."

"No, you know what would be surreal?" Zayn questions and AJ quirks up an eyebrow, frowning in thought. "If I was pregnant." Zayn says and AJ snorts, shaking her head at his childish joke as Zayn simply laughs.

Louis and Liam's loud talking travel through the corridor towards the living room as they walk towards them from the front door. "Any name ideas yet?" AJ asks, turning her head to look at Zayn again. Zayn frowns, shaking his head.

"No avail." he mumbles.

"We've got a whole nine months ahead of us, so, take your time and don't hurt your brain...you tend to do that." AJ says and Zayn rolls his eyes playfully.

"Yeah, I get it, won't hurt my brain." Zayn nods. He feels his phone vibrate in his back pocket. The man takes it out quickly once they reach the living room and checks the number, seeing that it is in fact unknown. The man smiles slightly, having an idea once he reads the words.

From 555-677-5555: Hello...its me Harry. Sorry for not texting you last night, I was very tired and I just fell asleep. But I was wondering if you remember the dinner, and if you still can attend.

To Harry: Hey Harry, I definitely can, I'll see you at six, correct? :)

From Harry: Yes. See you later.

To Harry: Do you work today?

From Harry: Yes...I leave at three, why?

To Harry: Maybe we can walk home together again. If that's okay with you

From Harry: that's okay

Zayn smiles, staring at the last message sent before someone clears their throat, causing him to flicker his gaze up to AJ, Liam and Louis all looking at him with smirks on their skeptical faces. Zayn frowns, raising his brows. "What?" he says in confusion.

"Your fingers were literally moving a mile a minute." Louis comments.

"Honestly, we didn't know when you were going to stop." Liam snorts.

"Who the hell are you texting?" AJ questions.

"A friend I made at this cafe." Zayn responds, blinking.

"Damn, if that's how you look texting me, I'm flattered." Louis says, nodding his head in approval with a small smile.

"Its not, quite the opposite." Zayn says and Louis frowns, rolling his eyes as he turns away to plop himself on the couch in the living room.

"Do you like this friend, more than a friend?" AJ urges on for him to answer.

Zayn scoffs, although he's never really thought about it because the sudden question has his heart racing. "No, no way." He chuckles, shaking his head as he sticks his phone back into his pocket. But the fact that he does think about it answers the question on its own in his brain, maybe he does or maybe he doesn't. Either way doesn't matter because he would never act on his feelings. "He's just a really pleasant guy is all."

"So it's a guy?" she says, her smile not leaving her lips and at this moment Zayn really wants it to. Zayn nods at her question, feeling himself getting flustered and it's making him just a bit uncomfortable.

"Well anyway." He breathes, turning around to look into their kitchen. "Need help cooking dinner?" Zayn asks, walking over to inspect the pots and pans in the cabinets, opening and closing them.

"Sure, boss, if you insist," AJ says and Zayn turns to narrow his eyes at her, hating that she is basically taking advantage of him in his uncomfortable state. Her eyes widen at his look.

"What?" she says innocently, still smirking.

Zayn shakes his head, rolling his eyes and attempts to push the conversation to the back of his mind.

LATER

Going through the double doors of the cafe causes a cold gust of air to hit Zayn, making him shiver slightly. His eyes dart over to the counter to see Harry behind it and he smiles only slightly before he is walking up to him. The forest eyed man is cleaning off equipment, spraying then wiping.

As Zayn gets closer, he hears him singing a tune under his breath, and he tries to listen intently, wondering what he's singing.

"Surely my sins have found me out..." He mumbles, slowly wiping down the coffee machine. Zayn leans his elbows on the counter, resting his face on his hands. "There are only two things that are for sure," he whispers.

"Death and taxes." Zayn says, making Harry jump, letting out a quiet yelp as he whips around. Zayn smiles as Harry breathes heavy and emerald eyes are wide. "Sorry, Harry." He chuckles and the forest eyed man swallows thickly.

"I almost had a heart attack." He mumbles, running his fingers through his hair. Zayn grins.

"Good day at work?" he asks as Harry throws the rag into a bin before placing the spray next to it on the ground.

"It was uh...okay." He shrugs, seeming hesitant with his answer. "But mum said it's not good to lie." He says quietly, making Zayn frown. He furrows his brows.

"So, it was bad?"

Harry shrugs silently, pursing his lips as he walks around the counter. "I want to go home." He pouts his lips slightly as he puts his hands behind his back and his gaze follows the floor.

"Want to talk about it?" Zayn asks as they begin walking to the exit.

Harry shakes his head. "No, not really." He mumbles and Zayn realizes he hates it when Harry is sad, it kind of effects him as well despite hardly knowing him yet.

"Why don't you keep singing?" Zayn says.

Harry bites his bottom lip, cheeks tinting pink. "No, no, it's embarrassing to sing in front of others." He speaks quietly, posture sheepish. Harry crosses his arms over his chest, hunching his back. Zayn smiles gently, nodding his head in understanding.

"I like singing too, I sing at this pub a few nights a month." Zayn shrugs. "You should come one time." He suggests, making Harry look at him with some type of interest.

"Where?" he asks.

"Manhattan." Zayn responds. "I'll text you the specific address." He says.

Harry nods with a stoic expression, looking back down towards the ground with his arms at his side's now, swinging with each step he takes. "What else do you like to do...you know...besides singing." Zayn says, wanting to keep talking and get to know the man. Zayn bites the inside of his cheek, hoping that was an okay question to ask.

Harry looks up, the glare of the sun creating a glint in his emerald eyes. Zayn admires it.

"I like a lot."

Zayn nods his head again. "Like what?"

"I like cats, dogs, music, my mum, my sister, reading, watching movies, writing, the sun, the daytime, the moon, the stars, a cloudless sky, the color red..." Harry says, going on and on about his favorite car and favorite moment when his sister graduated college because she looked so happy and Zayn nods along, listening intently with a small grin gracing his lips.

"And what don't you like?" Zayn asks after he's done, making Harry grimace.

"Too much." He says.

"Like?" Zayn quirks up an eyebrow.

"People." Harry nods his head as if confirming the fact to himself.

When he doesn't say anything else, Zayn frowns. "Just people?" he questions.

"Yeah, a lot of people. I'm not sure if I like you yet." Harry shrugs without looking at him. Zayn snorts and looks away to watch what's happening in front of him. It's just a long sidewalk that leads them to their destination.

He isn't offended, for some reason he never is...but simply takes the comment lightly to put into consideration because at least he's truthful.

"Well, I do like you, Harry." Zayn says and Harry looks up, blinking quickly. seeming confused. But the man doesn't say anything at first, pursing his lips.

"You don't know me enough." He says quietly. Zayn frowns.

"I like what I do know." He grins, attempting to be uplifting because why would he want this man to feel badly about himself.

"No,...you don't...you don't know me enough." Harry repeats, a little more eagerly, an edge to his voice as he glares at the ground. Zayn frowns, sighing softly to himself.

The tension is thick but Zayn doesn't let it effect him. Instead, he wants to wipe it away as if it never happened. "Do you like ice cream?" Zayn asks.

Harry nods his head silently without looking up, a seemingly permenant glare on his features. 

"What kind of ice cream?" he asks.

Harry shrugs and Zayn turns his head away to look across the street at the ice cream cart, the man handing the children a chocolate ice cream cone. Zayn flickers his gaze to Harry again who has a sad expression on his face for some reason. "Come on." Zayn says, passing in front of him, causing Harry to stop and look at Zayn skeptically, but Zayn keeps walking and he turns back to let out a sigh of relief when he sees Harry following him with curious eyes.

Zayn takes out his wallet, seeing a sign that says two dollars for two scoops. "Can I have an um, cookie dough?" Zayn asks politely, handing the money to the man before he is skillfully picking up a waffle cone with a napkin and placing two scoops of cookie dough ice cream on top. Zayn happily takes it with a 'thank you' before turning to Harry who has his brows furrowed in concentration.

The forest eyed man's brows raise in shock and he looks back into Zayn's eyes. "For...for me?" he questions softly.

Zayn smiles and nods.

Harry looks at it uncertainly before lifting a hand to gently take it from Zayn's hand, their fingers brushing ever so softly. Zayn bites his bottom lip nervously as Harry inspects it before a pink tint flourishes on his cheeks and he looks up at Zayn with a dimpled grin. "Thank you." He says and Zayn waves it off as if he doesn't need to say anything. But on the inside his heart is fluttering mercilessly from his content.

"B-But..." Harry trails off and watches the ice cream drip. "Z-Zayn," Harry stammers his name out, swallowing thickly as they make eye contact.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Zayn asks, taking notice of his distressed features and becoming concerned instantly. "Harry?" Zayn says when he doesn't say anything.

"Why don't you get ice cream?" Harry asks.

"Well I ate a late lunch." He informs him, smiling softly.

Harry nods, taking a small lick before humming in satisfaction. "It's good, are you sure?" he questions.

"Very sure." Zayn nods. Harry turns to the ice cream man and thanks him before they both walk off to get back on track.

Harry said dinner is at six but it's only a little after three, so they should be fine, no rush at all.

"Want to go to that playground over there?" Zayn asks.

Harry furrows his brows, a little bit of chocolate on his chin. "Aren't playgrounds for children?"

"Playgrounds are for anyone." Zayn says and Harry purses his lips, easing the tension on his face before nodding.

"Sure but, I want to finish my ice cream." He says, licking it again.

"For sure," Zayn shrugs, turning into the playground filled with mulch. This would be a much less sketchier scene if he had a child...but he doesn't, it's just Harry and him...Zayn being a child at heart and wanting to go on some damn swings and Harry simply being adorable as he eats his ice cream silently.

They sit on a bench and Zayn kicks at the mulch like a restless five year old.

"Thanks for hanging out with me, Harry."

"No...thank you." Harry smiles slightly.

"Don't mention it." Zayn lightly bumps his own shoulder against the forest eyed man's and Harry giggles, looking down sheepishly.

"Zayn," he says quietly. Zayn looks at him. Harry blinks, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Why are you....nice to me?"

"You think I'm nice?" Zayn says.

Harry nods, smiling timidly. "You've never hurt me, so yes." He nods again.

"I hope I never do." Zayn smiles.

"Me too." Harry agrees mindlessly, looking around for a trash can. He stands to throw the wrapper that was around the cone away , licking his lips to rid it of chocolate.

Zayn takes notice of his tall, lanky body but broad shoulders, skin pale that obviously doesn't get a whole lot of sun. His fingers are long and slender, such as his legs and his body in a whole. When the man comes back to sit down, Zayn looks away. 

"What time is it?" Harry asks.

Zayn lifts his wrist to read the time on his watch. "Three thirty."

"I have to get home." He says ,standing up quickly and rushing out of the playground.

"Wait, Harry!" Zayn exclaims ,standing quickly before trying to catch up with him. Harry stops, turning around with a nervous expression. "What's the rush? You said you don't help your mum till five."

"Y-yes but-" Harry pauses, his breathing noticeably accelerating. The man grimaces, running his fingers through his hair and facing his head towards the ground. "I-I have a schedule to maintain." He stammers softly.

Zayn blinks, smiling gently. "That's okay babe. You just needed to tell me." Zayn says just as softly, making Harry look up again. "Mind if I join?"

Harry nods, a small smile gracing his lips. "But we're going to have to rush so I could fit everything in." Harry states, turning to begin walking again. He's speed walking and Zayn has to push to keep up with him because of Harry's long legs and obviously, Zayn isn't as tall, about two inches shorter.

Suddenly Harry stops, making Zayn stop in confusion as well, turning to Harry who reaches into a prickly bush of roses, carefully picking a purple colored one out. Zayn blinks, smiling slightly but his lips part in shock when Harry turns to him, still holding out the flower.

His gaze flickers up to Harry's fiery cheeks. "I-It's a thank you for the ice cream." Harry says softly and once Zayn takes it Harry rushes off again,but unable to recompose himself, Zayn stays staring at the dark purple flower in shock and fond as he twirls it in his hand. 

(This book is random but tbh I just want to write cute moments with Zarry!!!)