Fixing Mistakes (Baby Niall)

A Bath and A Bottle

Niall had awoken from his nap after three hours which Liam and Zayn viewed as a good thing, nothing better to help a sick baby get better than a lot of sleep and plenty of fluids.

When Niall woke up he noticed that he was having trouble breathing because his nose was all stuffed up and it hurt. He was sick of this! Nothing seemed to be going his way lately and it sucked. To be sick on top of that was just icing on the cake. He hadn’t even noticed that he’d started crying until Zayn came into his view.

“Oh baby what’s wrong?”

Niall looked at Zayn, he seemed honestly worried which was strange. Still though Niall didn’t want him he wanted Liam. “Go away”

Zayn was hurt by Niall’s words he had to admit, still though it was his own fault. “Baby please” he picked Niall up and sat him on his lap, “I can’t begin to express how sorry I am that I ignored you. There’s no excuse for it and I can’t change what I did or turn back the clock no matter how badly I wish I could. One thing I can do is promise you that I will never forget about you again. I will always be here for you”

There was that word again; it seemed to be popping up a lot lately. This time though it came from Zayn and not Liam. Niall had learned that Liam could be trusted to keep the little promises that he made. The question Niall was faced with now was, could he trust Zayn?

As much as Niall wanted to debate this in his head he felt like crap and Zayn had been nice earlier when he hid the medicine in the soda (Niall was almost never allowed to have soda anymore) and he had sat with Niall and comforted him while Liam took his temperature. Maybe Zayn could help now?

“Nose hurts” Niall whimpered out quietly.

It took Zayn a moment to understand what Niall meant, “Oh” he pulled Niall closer as though simply being held against Zayn’s chest would make his baby all better, “How about a nice hot bath hmm? I have some bath salts upstairs that are supposed to help clear a stuffy nose? How does that sound?”

Niall thought about it for a moment, a bath did sound good and if the salts worked the way Zayn said they would then it would feel really nice. “OK” he agreed.

Zayn smiled at the verbal response that was almost an actual conversation. He was still smiling as he informed Liam of their plans (because really Liam was being obsessively overbearing especially since learning that Niall was sick) and then carried Niall up the stairs.

“Do you need to use your nappy love?” Zayn asked. He knew that Niall had been holding it in as long as possible, Liam had filled all the boys in – lectured them for over two hours – on the changes that he’d seen with Niall and how best to handle the lad.

Niall thought about it for a moment before eventually blushing furiously as he went in his nappy.

“That’s my boy” Zayn praised as he started filling the tub and then laid Niall out to undress him.

Niall stayed in the tub for almost an hour and would have happily stayed longer only the water was turning too cold to be healthy and Zayn wouldn’t allow it. The bath had been amazing, the warm water had helped to sooth his stiff muscles and the salts had cleared his nose. He could move and breathe easier and he hated having to get out of the bath.

“I know and I’m sorry baby” Zayn apologized as Niall grumbled while he dried the younger lad off and dressed him in a new nappy and a footed onesie.

Once the boy was dressed Zayn carried him back downstairs where a worried Liam was waiting impatiently for his baby. “How is he?” Liam questioned the second Zayn came down.

“He’s doing just fine” Zayn answered rolling his eyes and handing Niall over.

“Don’t mock me because I’m worried” Liam scolded as he strapped Niall into his highchair.

Niall whined and squirmed as he was restrained, he didn’t want to eat anything and he didn’t want to be trapped in this stupid seat. “I’m not a baby,” he complained.

“Yes you are love,” Liam corrected.

“No” Niall argued, “I don’t want to do this anymore”

Liam sighed, he had figured this would be coming but that didn’t mean it changed anything. “Niall, sweetheart, look at me” Liam waited patiently until Niall lifted his head and met Liam’s gaze, “I know that we screwed this up, that I screwed this up” Liam could see that Niall was getting hopeful so he wanted to make himself clear, “however it doesn’t mean that age play is a bad thing for you”

“Yes it is” Niall insisted, “I’m not a baby and I hate being treated like one”

“It is good for you when it’s done right” Zayn said coming into the conversation, “And I promise you that it will be done right from now on”

“You had never been doing so well as you were during that first month of this” Liam said. It was the truth Niall had never looked so healthy or happy as he had during that first month when all the boys were giving Niall their full attention and taking care of the little lad. If they hadn’t screwed things up Niall would be a happy and healthy little baby right now.

Niall had understood the meaning behind Zayn’s words. Saying that they would be ‘doing it right from now on’ meant that none of the boys had any intention of stopping this stupid age play thing and it irritated Niall. Unfortunately he had absolutely no say in whether or not he had to participate in this, that had been made clear at the start of everything.

Zayn and Liam both recognized Niall’s silence as an indication to move on from the conversation. Liam placed a small plate of fruit on Niall’s tray as Zayn made a bottle and gathered up a few other supplies.

“Not hungry” Niall grumbled as he stared at the evil food.

“You need to try and eat something bud” Liam said as he put a piece of fruit on a fork and held it up to Niall’s mouth, “Just a little”

Niall knew that starving himself would only hinder his cold so reluctantly he opened his mouth to accept the food. After only five pieces however he was done.

Liam put the rest of the fruit in a container to save for later and took Niall into the front room. He hesitated as he tried to find the best way to tell Niall of what it was he was about to do knowing that the lad wouldn’t like it, “Alright love” he said gently, “I’m just going to check your temperature real quick and then…”

“No” Niall whined interrupting Liam.

“I just want to see if your temperature gone down babe” Liam explained.

“No” Niall said again but what he wanted really wasn’t going to effect Liam’s decision in the matter.

“Sorry but this needs to be done” Liam apologized.

Liam gently maneuvered a struggling Niall onto his stomach and undid his onesie and nappy. Zayn came over and took Niall’s upper half onto his lap. He knew how much Niall hated this and he couldn’t blame the boy he’d hate it too. Zayn started rubbing Niall’s back and ruffling his hair as he whispered soothing comforts to the distressed lad until Liam finally removed the thermometer.

Zayn quickly got Niall up and righted his clothing before handing him a bottle of soda and meds.

Niall smiled when he saw the bottle, Zayn was being real nice about all of this and he loved soda.

“You’re going to get him on a sugar high” Liam gently scolded as he cleaned up happy to note that Niall’s temperature had gone down.

“Oh let him alone” Zayn said brushing off Liam’s concern, “the poor baby’s sick”

Niall smirked at Liam as he continued to drink from his bottle happily.

Liam just shook his head but couldn’t help the smile that came to his face, fully aware that Niall was currently the happiest he’d been with just them in a long while.