Little Baby Steps (Zayn Malik)

Chapter 3 {What Shall We Do Now?}

Zayn froze as the words kept playing in his mind. It was real now, of course the threat had been real before but now, it was reality he was going to be a dad. Silently he fell into the seat beside her and let out a puff of breath “Would you like a few minutes?” the doctor asked Zayn as he peered shyly towards Claire who looked on the verge of a breakdown. “If you don’t mind” he stated taking the role of leadership hesitantly. The old man smiled, Zayn could see the pity in his eyes but dismissed it.

The doctor slowly left the room allowing their silence to fall upon them once more. Zayn was speechless. He looked over at Claire he could see the tears pooling in her eyes, a sight, that despite him only having spent one night in her company, tugged on his heart. “Hey” he whispered softly as he extended his hand towards hers “Please don’t cry, someone like you shouldn’t cry” he muttered brushing her soft skin delicately with his thumb “We’ll figure this out” he assured her softly “I promise you” he whispered. As much as he meant his words, his tone was far from convincing.

Standing slowly, he edged towards her unsurely; he wasn’t clear on what to do so he stood awkwardly beside her seat, scratching the back of his neck unsurely. “Uh…we…uhm” he muttered,  “Do you…want to…uhh” he struggled once more, the words had formed in his head, but his mouth refused to say them. Claire looked up at him slowly, her eyes tracing his soft features with a look of pain “Zayn” she whispered, his eyes closed as the word travelled through his mind “This isn’t how it is supposed to be” she whispered shaking her head painfully “We…I…this” she stuttered, tears slipping silently down her soft cheeks.

Not caring much for boundaries at that moment, he moved towards her, capturing her shaking frame in his arms. “Please stop crying Claire” he whispered “I hate watching someone as pretty as you cry” he pleaded with her as the tears built in his eyes. She said nothing, Zayn closed his eyes “I can’t do this” he muttered “I can’t do this” he repeated, his words effortlessly capturing the attention of the girl that sat in his grip. “C…Can’t do what?” she sniffled, her eyes glowing with a pain greater than the one that had previously occupied the blue orbs. He sighed “This” he said “I…I can’t do it” he pulled his arms from around her waist and collapsed shakily into the seat beside her “I’m not ready for this, I’m just a kid” he justified weakly, his eyes not once meeting hers.

Claire looked at him “You think I am ready for this uh Zayn?” she muttered, her voice raspy and on the verge of breaking “You think I am ready to give up all my plans to take care of a child?” she ranted “And its not like you’re even my boyfriend, you’re just some guy I slept with, you’re nothing special, you’re just Zayn. You think I want this child?” she stated “I don’t, but I’m going to have it, its my responsibility” she summed up “So quit whining like a child who got his toy taken away and pleading how you can’t do it, I don’t if you can or can’t, you are sticking this out and you are going to be a part of our child’s life, you understand?” Zayn looked at her, his eyes displaying how taken aback he was by her outburst. He’d never seen someone change so quickly, one moment she was shaking in her seat, tears spilling down her cheeks and the next she was demanding that he man up!

Zayn sighed softly “What happens now?” he asked, his voice clearly how unsure of everything he was. Claire sniffed, “I don’t know Zayn” she whispered “I…I just don’t know” she muttered. He nodded his head slowly and turned his attention to the wall. Silence settled around them once more “Are we going…do you want…how are we?” he stammered questions awkwardly. She smiled at him weakly, finding his awkward ramblings sort of cute. “We’ll see how things go” she smiled softly “Between you and I, I mean, I don’t know if you…” she paused and peered at Zayn shyly, a strange new sense of nerves taking over her. He smiled lowly “Is that you trying to ask me out?” he noted, his soft tone laced with a clearly smug undertone.

Claire felt her cheeks turn red and lowered her head. “I just think…” she mumbled “I just think the baby should be born into a proper family, I think we owe it that” she said, her fingers tapping her stomach lowly and attracting Zayn's gaze towards it. He nodded his head slowly, trying to soak up the information that was being laid before him. “I’ll see you” Marisol smiled weakly as she stood from her seat, His eyes remained fixed on her stomach. “Wait” he said “Let’s do it” he said, his head cocked to the side as a soft smile grew across his face “I mean if you really feel that way, I’d be more than happy to…” he chuckled softly as his cheeks flushed red “I guess I’m saying I want to give this…” he motioned between them with his fingers “A go, I…I mean” he stuttered. Claire shook her head and laughed gently, Zayn smiled at the sound, her laugh, that’s the thing that got him the most, that’s what had kept him that night. “Sounds like a plan Zayn” she smiled. He nodded his head and leant towards her, placing a warm kiss on her cheek. He smiled at her softly and said  “Here we go then”…