Love Me Like You Do (z.h. mpreg)

chapter twenty-three

"They were both quiet and slow in their movements, gentle towards each other...Though not a childless couple, they had retained an air of romance to their marriage as the barren often do. They seemed never to have quite brought their courting to a proper close."

-Charles Frazier, 'Cold Mountain'

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Niall trudged through the packed snow toward the large, slightly rundown school, Harry's carrier in his elbow. He was the only one with the day off that day, so he thought he'd put it to good use, and have a day for just him and his youngest boy. Niall pushed the call button at the front doors to ring the office. He wished they would hurry; it was a little too nippy outside for his and Harry's liking. The doors unlocked, and the warmth welcomed Niall as soon as he stepped inside.

A rather annoyed looking woman sat behind a desk that was close to falling apart. "Sign in please," she huffed, typing away. Niall, used to the secretary after years of coming here, did as he was told.

"Do you know when Zayn Malik has his lunch hour? I'm here to visit."

The woman huffed again before pulling out some stapled papers of what looked to teacher's schedules. "Well, you came just in time," she sighed. Niall wouldn't be surprised if she started to roll her eyes. "He's on it for an hour now."

Niall, always polite, smiled, thanked the cranky woman, and lugged Harry's carrier and backpack full of Harry's things back into his arms. He left the office and hiked the one flight of stairs the school had to the second level, then turned right into the science wing. At the end of the hall was his husband's classroom, and luckily the lights were still on. Niall reached the closed door and knocked lightly, nearly bursting with excitement because he was so excited about surprising Zayn with lunch.

Zayn's face lit up as soon as he saw Niall's cheery smile at his door. "Hey, baby!" He laughed. "You didn't tell me you were coming!" Zayn hugged Niall's cold little body closer and brought them both in to close the door.

"Surprise?" Niall shrugged and giggled.

Zayn snuck his arms around Niall's middle and kissed him, his husband's cold hands on his cheeks. Harry began to whimper under his blanket, so Zayn lifted him out and cuddled him close, kissing his head.

Niall broke away to drop the bag on an empty desk, then dug out a lunch and some food for Harry. Zayn set the baby down back in the carrier, then pushed a desk up to the one with the bag on it so he and Niall could sit and eat together. Niall took Harry in his lap to feed him first, the space heater humming all about them. When Harry was done, Niall wiped him off and set him and some toys down on a blanket on the floor.

Zayn got out his lunch and they ate together, passing heart eyed glances and cheesy smiles in between bites. Never one to wear ties, Zayn had picked out a long, skinny one to wear. Niall thought he looked especially attractive like this: all soft, flat hair, thick framed glasses, nice clothes, and a charming smile.

Zayn brushed the crumbs off the desk and shot his garbage halfway across the room into the small rubbish bin by the door. He leaned back in the attached chair and crossed his arms behind his head, flashing Niall a grin he only saved for his husband.

Niall cleared away his rubbish as well, playing footsie with Zayn under the desk. "When's your next class?"

Zayn glanced at his watch and shrugged. "Twenty minutes or so."

Harry crawled over to Zayn, shrieking in joy as he showed his father the piece of coloured chalk he had found on the floor. "Look at you, eh?" Zayn cooed, putting the chalk in his pocket and lifting his tiny son into his lap. "My handsome boy."