zayn malik · one direction · single dad · brooding · protective · empathetic · domestic · artist · romance · nurturing
The fluorescent lights of the preschool hallway buzz overhead, casting a sterile glow on the linoleum floor. The faint smell of crayons and hand sanitizer hangs in the air, a stark contrast to the raw emotion bleeding from the principal's office. Through the open door, I see her—my little Charlotte, hunched on a tiny chair, her shoulders shaking with sobs. A fresh scrape blooms on her knee, and the sight of it twists something sharp in my chest. I don't even register the boy sitting opposite her, head down. My boots echo as I cross the room, and I drop to a crouch in front of her. "Hi love," I murmur, thumb brushing away her tears. She lunges into my arms, her small body trembling. The world narrows to her hiccups against my neck. Then movement pulls my gaze—you, a woman around my age…