"Oooh! Cocoa Puffs! Let's get them. Can we get them?"

"Mani," Justin chuckles. "How many cereals do you wanna get?"

"I..." She pauses, reaching for the box and holding it up to her face, pouting with such perfect puppy-dog eyes Zayn thinks he'll get the damn cereal for her if Justin doesn't cave. "I just...I just want 'em."

Justin ignores the four other boxes already in their cart. "Get 'em," he sighs, and Zayn nearly cheers with Imani as she claps her hands together, tossing the box in their basket.

"Yay!" And she kisses his cheek. "Okay, now I need some Hershey's white chocolate and those salt and vinegar chips and...oh," she nods. "Hummus. I need some hummus..."

"Damn," Justin sighs with a laugh as Imani saunters ahead. "These fucking cravings..."

"It's for the baby," Zayn replies, clapping him hard on the back.

Justin flinches. "Thanks, Zayn. Thanks a lot, man."

"That's what I'm here for, yeah?"

Thanks to this lack of a license, Zayn's kind of unofficially become part of this whole baby-welcoming-process, anyway.

He'd really better be godfather, now.

To be completely honest, he doesn't know why he's opted to happily trail Imani and Justin through the grocery store...Actually, he does. It's because Zhuri was going to meet them there. It's because he knew she was going to show up.

Which is why he didn't mind riding around the city with Justin most days. Because most days Zhuri showed up wherever they were, too.

"My baby's gonna be such a fatass."

"Don't say that in front of Imani."

"Never," Justin laughs. "Her hormones have been all over the place. She might cry or she might kill me."

"Or both," nods Zayn. And he motions towards Imani ahead of them. "So, uh...have you figured out what you're gonna do?"

"Huh?" Justin turns his gaze from her to him, "With what?"

"When the baby comes," says Zayn. "You gonna move in together? Switch the Audi for a minivan? Live in the suburbs?"

"Ha ha," Justin laughs. "For real though, we haven't gotten that far...I don't even..." He rubs the back of his neck, "I don't even know what we are, honestly."

Zayn nods. He was all too familiar with a label-less relationship.

"I'll bring it up one day, I guess," Justin admits. "I just," and a little smile evolves upon his lips as he sees her turn in the freezer section and squeal excitedly with a, "Rocky Road! Justin, look!" at the ice cream.

He shakes his head. "As weird as it is, I don't want to mess up what we've got going now."

Zayn nods. Because that was apparently what Zhuri was used to doing, too? Not talking about things that honestly needed to be talked about.

"I swear, half of this shit she isn't even gonna eat--"

"Don't say that in front of Imani."

The boys turn, both of them grinning as Zhuri approaches, her white collared shirt tucked into some straight-legged khaki's. She's still got her press badge around her neck from wherever she'd been for work.

"I'll add that to the list of things I shouldn't say," Justin grins as he opens his arms for a hug.

She readily accepts the gesture, moving on to Zayn next.

"You came," she begins, as he hugs her close to his body, "To shop," she pulls back. "With Justin and Imani...?"

"And you," he nods. "There's you, too."

"Because I need a car," she laughs. "And you really need a license, babe."

Zayn grins, liking that she's calling him 'babe' again. "Still driving Imani's car?"

"When she'll let me," Zhuri sighs. "And I can't keep doing that to her, not with a little niece or nephew coming soon."

"Good thing Justin's getting them a van."

"A van?"

"I'm not," he groans, turning again from Imani at the end of the aisle. "Fuck that, Zhu. Don't listen to Zayn, a'ight?"

She laughs. "I dunno, Justin...It makes sense. You will be a dad."

"A fly dad. Not a minivan dad. Besides, the fuck?! How's Z even gonna pick up his kids, yo? He doesn't drive."

Zhuri turns to him, shrugging. "That's actually a good question."

Zayn shrugs, too. "Zhu can pick 'em up," he replies with a cheeky little grin that's got her rolling her eyes. "Because that's what parents do when they love each other very much."

Justin laughs, staring between them. "Well," he exclaims, clapping his hands, "watch the cart for me, would you?"

"And where are you going?"

"To help your sister," Justin says, motioning towards the twin struggling to lift a carton of ice cream from the topmost shelf.

"The struggle is that real."

Justin nods, "Tell me about it," and he jogs towards Imani. "Wait, bro. Imani. Lemme help, okay?"

Zayn stares as Zhuri snorts.

"What?" He asks.

She pats his arm, "I'm actually here to shop, so..."

Zayn motions to the food already in the basket. "What about this?"

"Ha-! What about it?"

Zayn hikes a brow. "This is going to your place, Zhu. You're not gonna eat it?"

"Ha-!" She laughs again. "I'm not feeding a child," she lifts a pack of maple bacon, "and I don't want high cholesterol, either."

Zayn trails behind her walking after her as she turns away, down the aisle.

"So, where're you going then?"

She pulls her phone out. "Zayn Malik, I have a list."

"Alright," he extends his hand, "lemme see it."

She's confused. "Let you see it?"

"Yeah. Duh," he rolls his eyes. "Like, kill two birds with...two people and, yeah."

She hikes a brow. "What?"

"Lemme see the fucking list, Zhu," he groans. She laughs, handing over the phone. "Fucking hell..."

And he reads. "Spinach. Salmon. Linguine. Heavy whipping cream. Basil..." He grins. "Someone's making pasta."

"Very observant," she laughs, grabbing for her own basket. "How did you possibly know?"

"Lucky guesser," he takes the basket from her hands, carrying it beside her. "Feel like cooking for two tonight?"

"I mean..." Zhuri shrugs, surprised by the question.

"'Cause I kind of miss your cooking."

"Kind of?" She laughs.

"I mean," his lip curls into that sideways smile he tries to hide, "M'really not trying for you to get a big head."

She laughs hard and loud and he can't help but smile with teeth.

"Honestly, Zayn, I don't know how I should take that."

"What?" He exclaims. "Why?"

"It's like you don't even eat."

"What's that s'posed to mean?"

"You're like, skin and bones, boy. I swear, if you knew my nana she'd keep you at her place until you'd gained at least fifteen pounds."

"What?" He exclaims. "That means you should cook for me then, right?"

"It doesn't work like that, but okay," Zhuri replies, grinning. "And so the answer is yes, but by default..."

"I'll take it."

"If you help me shop," she bites her lip. "I need a shopping buddy."

"Of course, love," he snorts. "Was gonna do that anyway."

Zhuri smiles. "You were?"

Zayn turns away, slightly offended. "Of course," he says. "You think I'd leave you?"

He came for her.

Who did she think he was, Blake?

And he turns back, facing her. They make instant eye contact.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

She blinks. "Like what?"

"You do that all the time," he says, running his hand along the back of his neck. "You look at me like--"

"Like I can't believe you're real," she finishes. She blink. "Like that."

And Zayn almost doesn't know what to do with himself. He's staring at Zhuri, watching as she smiles, looking to the produce.

"Okay, so..." She pulls out her list, "spinach..."

"Oh, uh. Yeah."

He reaches absentmindedly for a plastic bag.

He nods again. "Spinach."

This girl was gonna be the death of him.

___

but have you all heard justin's remix of one dance? he can be so problematic but i cannot stop loving his music.

comment and vote my loves.

xx.