The Affair (Zarry/Zouis)

chapter 34

"You've got everything right? His formula? His diapers?" Louis asks. Zayn had come over to his house to get their son for his weekend visit.

"Yep, all here,"  Zayn replies. Louis hands over Freddie to him. He seems hesitant too and Zayn can't blame him, it's going to be Freddie's first time staying away from Louis for this long.

"Call me if anything goes wrong," He says.

"I will," Zayn assures. "Don't worry, he's safe with me."

"I know. I-it's just-"

"I get it. I'll call you every second to keep your mind at ease,"

"I'm grateful I'm getting a break, I truly am. I just feel he'd have a hard time adapting at a new environment," he says. Zayn can already feel what he means by that. "Please take care of him Zayn and be attentive."

"Of course I will," Zayn says.

"Let me say goodbye to him one more time," Louis says. Zayn sighs internally, handing over Freddie to his ex-husband for what feels like the fifth time. Louis hugs and kisses him, causing him to giggle. "Bye baby, I'll miss you."

Zayn collects Freddie from him feeling like Louis was going to change his mind soon if he held on any longer. "He'll miss you too. Now, I gotta go for real. My drivers been waiting."

"Bye Zayn..." Louis says.

Zayn waves at him one last time and heads to his car. He puts Freddie in the baby car seat he installed just for him and sits down next to him.

"You're gonna meet Harry today," Zayn speaks to his son like he could understand him. "You'd love him, he's just the sweetest."

Freddie babbles on his own, trying to grab at Zayn's finger. Zayn coos at his own son, wondering where he got his adorableness from. Certainly not from him, maybe he got it from Louis.

When he gets home, he brings out Freddie from his car sitter and holds him in his arms, using his other hand to hold his bag. He walks inside his house.

The house is suspiciously quiet so he calls out Harry's name. He doesn't get a response, but he finds a note in Harry's handwriting.

Going to visit gemma, will be back tomorrow .

"Couldn't he have waited till we got back? I really wanted him to meet you," Zayn sighs in disappointment.

It feels like Harry is purposely avoiding meeting his son, and it hurts him. He wants nothing more than his two favorite people to get along with each other, but Harry seems to want the opposite of that. It makes Zayn worried that he'd have to choose someday, and he can't do that. This weekend is the only chance he has to prevent that from happening.

"Want to watch a movie with daddy?" Zayn asks his son who's been quiet. Freddie looks up at him, but his eyes look drowsy. He's probably sleepy, Louis did mention this he gets sleepy after a car ride. It's one of the ways Louis gets him to sleep, he just drives around to pet him to sleep. It's odd to Zayn that he can sleep for more than three times a day, but if he didn't have a job or couldn't walk, zayn would probably do the same too.

"This crib belongs to your brother. He doesn't have a name yet because Harry's being indecisive," Zayn says. "You can use it for now, while I build your own room. You know, you're lucky you came first."

"I already know what you like. Well sorta, so your room would be custom to your tastes, isn't that great, Freddie?" Zayn turns to look at his son who's now in the crib. His eyes are closed, he's fallen completely asleep. "Well, that was fast. I guess you were pretty tired."