Stand By Me ~Zouis Family

Thirteen

 “Where the hell have you been?” Louis spat as Zayn stepped into the kitchen and hung his coat over the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

Zayn turned to face his husband, a puzzled look on his face, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know Zayn, what could I possibly mean by that question?” Louis’ voice was dripping with sarcasm and Zayn was a little worried, Louis hardly ever got like this.

“I went for a drink with Dave... I texted you.” Zayn replied, his voice calm.

Louis put a finger up, indicating for Zayn to wait before pulling his phone out of his pocket, opening his messages and throwing his phone at the younger man, “No you didn’t.”

“Well I meant too. I must have forgotten...” Zayn replied handing Louis’ phone back to him, still not quite sure why he was in trouble, Louis liked Dave he’d said so the night before when they’d all gone out together. Zayn then glanced around, suddenly noticing how silent the house was, the TV wasn’t going, Harry’s music couldn’t be heard from his room and Liam hadn’t toddled out to greet him yet. “Where are the kids?" 

Louis let out an exaggerated sigh and attempted to push past Zayn, he was tired from taking care of Liam and cleaning the house all day and he really wasn’t in the mood for arguing, he just needed to be left alone to cool down and get over the crushing feeling in his chest upon hearing that Zayn ‘forgot’ to text him. Was he really that easy to brush off? Though he didn’t get far as he found his wrist trapped in a large, smooth hand, not hard enough to hurt him but effective enough to prevent him from leaving.

“Lou?”

Louis spun around to face his husband. “I guess texting me isn’t the only thing you forgot to do today then.” Louis replied bitterly, hoping Zayn would catch on but the look on his face told Louis he didn’t have a clue.

“My God, they’re at my mother’s Zayn! You know, the place we arranged to have dinner tonight."

Zayn’s eyes widened as sudden realization crossed his features. “Oh my God, I completely forgot I’m so sorry!” 

“Yes I figured as much, dammit Zayn what’s wrong with you?” Louis replied, instantly regretting it, he knew by the look on Zayn’s face that he’d struck a nerve.

“What’s wrong with me? Oh I don’t know maybe it’s the fact that I work all day Louis, I get up at seven in the morning and I work from eight ’til five, serving customers and helping people with what they need and that’s a hell of a lot more than you do. So please forgive me when a few things slip my mind.” Zayn spat back and Louis was appalled. How dare he be so disrespectful?

Zayn had never spoken like that to Louis before, he’d never accused Louis of not doing anything during the day and Louis lost his calm, he pulled his wrist out of Zayn’s hand and backed up a couple of steps. “More than what I do?” Louis all but shouted.

“I get up at six-thirty, I wake the kids, set the table for breakfast, I pack their lunches and ever since we moved here, I drive them to school only to come home and look after the toddler which is a full time job by the way! And in between keeping him fed and entertained, I clean the house and I do the washing, I do every damn thing around here Zayn and when Harry and Niall return from school I help Niall with his homework, I break up the arguments they have and when you arrive home all you do is sit your ass down on that couch and you watch TV until I finish making dinner and then if I’m lucky, you’ll do the dishes.”

“But then you’re back on the couch with a tired Liam who wants cuddles, but never from me even though I do every fucking thing for him he likes you better and that hurts Zayn, it hurts me. While you cuddle Liam and talk to Niall and Harry, I fold the washing or busy myself with other important jobs that need to be done, and on the off night where I have nothing to do, I have to sit through what you want watch which doesn’t bother me but would it hurt you to ask every once and a while? And don’t even get me started on that damn dog. I do almost everything! How dare you accuse me of doing nothing.” Louis finished his little rant, looked into Zayn’s wide eyes and burst into tears.