To Be Loved

TWO

Zayn holds Niall's good hand as they walk up the driveway from the car, brushing his thumb over the boys scabbed knuckles.

He'd taken some of Louis' clothes into the hospital for the boy to change into, and they're somehow much too large for him, despite Louis being small in stature himself. The light blue knitted sweater is rolled up at the sleeves so that his hands aren't swallowed by them, and the grey joggers he wears are cinched in by the strings at the waist. His casted arm is in a sling against his chest.

Zayn glances down at the little boy, who blinks up at him and then looks back at the house.

"You okay, honey?" He asks softly, and Niall just sucks in his bottom lip and begins gnawing on it. "It's okay to be nervous, but I promise you there's nothing to be scared of here. Everyone is nice, I promise."

"Promise," Niall repeats in a whisper, so quiet that his voice is barely audible. He takes a wobbly breath and nods, his tiny hand gripping Zayn's harder. "Okay."

Zayn smiles, giving the boys hand a gentle squeeze as they step up to the front door.

When they walk in, the house is relatively quiet. It's a Friday, so the boys are all in their respective schools for the next few hours. The only other person in the house currently is Liam.

When they step inside, Niall finally tugs his eyes away from Zayn, looking around the entryway of the house with wide eyes, then peering into the living room, then down the hall.

"Okay?" He asks, and Niall looks up at him for a second before he gives a small nod.

Zayn leads him through the living room, to the kitchen, to the play room, and then up the stairs. Niall remains silent, taking every detail of every room in, letting go of Zayn's hand in favour of gripping the bannister of the stairs.

When they reach the top, Zayn shows him the bathroom, then the room where Ashton currently sleeps, the spare room that the twins have been using.

"That's where Liam and I sleep, so if ever you have a nightmare, or you can't sleep, or you just need us for whatever reason during the night, just knock on our door, okay?" He says softly.

Niall glances up at him, then nods again, still not speaking.

Zayn smiles at him. "Alright. So that just leaves the room that you'll be sharing with Louis and Harry."

"Louis is...small, like me?" Niall asks, recollecting what he'd been told yesterday.

Zayn grins, nodding. "Yep, teeny tiny," he teases, and Niall lifts his chin a little, brows furrowed.

"I'm not tiny," he states, and Zayn raises his hands in surrender.

"Right. Right, of course not," he says, nodding. He reaches for the door handle, pushing it open.

The bunk beds are against one wall, a single bed against the other. There's a fluffy grey rug on the floor space between, a toy box in one corner and a large, double wardrobe in the other, separated by a window framed by grey curtains.

Liam is inside, throwing a new blanket over the bottom bunk. He stands up straight when he hears them enter, a look of surprise on his face quickly turning into a smile.

"Hi! Hey," he says quickly, gaze dropping to Niall, his eyes softening, melting. "You must be Niall. It's nice to meet you."

Niall blushes a little, stepping slightly closer to Zayn, looking up at him pleadingly.

"This is Liam," Zayn tells him softly. "He's the nicest man you'll ever meet."

"Nicer than you?" Niall whispers, eyes wide.