Part-Time » Zarry ✅

2: Peanut Butter and Jelly

"Am I doing these right? I don't think I'm doing these right."

"Yes. You are. Keep going."

"Zayn..."

The way Harry looks makes Zayn laugh. He's quite adorable, this man.

"Okay. Unroll the makisu."

Harry carefully unrolls the makisu and lets it lie flat.

"See? I told you it looks good." Zayn says.

"Meh."

"Okay now slice it with that knife and lay it on the plate and we're done."

Zayn hands him a sharp knife and watches as he slices it slowly and carefully.

"You don't have to be perfect."

"I know. I want it to be though."

"Fine."

Zayn waits until he's finished and has each piece arranged on the plate.

"Great. Now how do you like your sushi? Is this great or do you like it cooler?"

"Cooler."

"Me too. I'll pop 'em in the fridge for a bit and get the area cleaned up."

"You need help?"

"No. With your help, you might actually take all night. Mr. Perfectionist."

"Hey, I thought we were leaving the 'Mr.' at work."

"I couldn't help it."

Harry smiles at him, then makes his way to the living room which can be seen from the kitchen. Then he takes a seat on the couch so he can watch Zayn.

The first time Harry had seen Zayn a year and a half ago, it was the summer. He had just been hired for his first teaching job as the Home Economics teacher and he was coming to set up his classroom before the school year started. They were both getting out of their cars in their assigned parking spaces and Harry had asked him about the school. To anyone else, he may have seemed nosy and impatient, but Zayn was so sweet and kind and didn't give him funny looks. Harry took notice of that right away.

As the time had gone on, Harry would quietly observe Zayn. Sometimes in the teachers' lounge and other times during staff meetings. And because of this, he started to become attracted to Zayn. Very attracted. And he wanted to get to know him.

Last year, Harry and Zayn's thirty minute lunch was at the same time. So when they weren't eating separately in their own classrooms, they'd spend time in the teacher's lounge eating together at one of the tables. But Harry was too insecure. He knew where dating would lead and he was afraid to go further than having great conversation. So he kept quiet about his feelings.

But then this year, things changed. Harry no longer had the same lunch period as Zayn. However, Ms. Flagg did. She'd tried to intercept Zayn from Harry a few times. But Harry didn't know if Zayn was into women or not and he didn't want to take the chance of losing him to her. So one afternoon in November, he finally stopped Zayn in the parking lot on the way home and asked him if he would like to have dinner with him.

To his surprise, Zayn readily agreed. Soon, one dinner turned into multiple dinners and then multiple dinners turned into pumpkin picking together and a wonderful park date of walking through the snow during winter break. He has had some wonderful times out with Zayn. But this is the first time Zayn has ever invited him to his place. In fact, it's the only time either one of them have been at each other's place. So it's only right that Harry is nervous right now as he watches Zayn hang a dish cloth on the stove and come over to him.