To Be Loved

FOURTEEN

Zayn's heart could combust with how adorable Niall's excitement is over something as small and simple as a trip out for pizza and ice-cream.

The seven year old sits opposite him and Liam in the booth, between both of his brothers, practically beaming from ear to ear. His cheeks are rosy, eyes bright, legs kicking back and forth under the table as his fingers absently pick at the corner of a menu.

"Have you ever had pineapple on pizza before, Harry? Louis says it's gross, but I don't think it's gonna be gross," the boy rambles, all but buzzing with excitement.

Harry smiles at the little boy and rubs his back. "I think it's great, you'll love it," he tells him, and Niall shudders excitedly.

"It's gonna be so good!" He says, then grins across at the two men. "I'm really happy we're havin' dinner here, thank you Daddy and Papa!"

Zayn's pretty sure he's well on his way to becoming a puddle - he glances at his husband and then looks back at their youngest as Liam pulls out the papers and sets them on the table.

"We're actually here to celebrate something pretty big, baby," Liam begins, and Niall's big blue eyes grow even wider.

"We are?" He asks, glancing at both of the other boys and then back.

Zayn nods, reaching a hand across the table and wrapping it around the little boy's. "Yeah, buddy," he says, smiling when Niall looks at him. "Me and Daddy, we really, really love you. We love having you living with us, we've loved watching you grow since you've been with us. You're our boy, and we don't wanna let you go, ever."

Niall stares at him, his smile faltering slightly, eyes big and worried. He looks at Liam as the other man starts to speak.

"We want you to be a part of this family, forever. We want to adopt you, Niall," he says.

Niall stays silent for a moment. Then his bottom lip wobbles and his eyes fill with tears, and before anyone can react, he slips out of his seat and ducks under the table, making both men let out choked laughs when he climbs up in between them, throwing his arms around them both.

Zayn's eyes are filled with tears of the happy kind as he wraps his arms around his youngest and pulls him onto his lap, Liam moving closer to wrap his arms around the both of them. Niall clings into him, face buried into his chest, his words muffled when he speaks.

"You're gonna be my Daddy and Papa forever? I never have to leave?" He whispers, and Zayn holds him a little tighter, letting out a laugh.

"Yeah, baby, you're gonna stay with us forever," he says.

Across the table, Harry has an arm around Louis, the two of them both grinning, Louis' hands clasped together under his chin as if he's having to hold back from clapping his hands in excitement.

Niall pulls back and looks up at Zayn and then Liam with his eyes big and watery and full of complete adoration. "Thank you," he whispers, and Zayn swallows down a sob and cups the boys face in his hands, thumbs stroking over his cheeks.

"Baby boy, thank you, for being so sweet, and kind, and smart. We're so, so lucky that we get to be a part of your life," he whispers to him.

The seven year old smiles wider than he has ever smiled.

***

"Close your eyes! Lou - stop peeking, I can see you looking through your hands," Liam scolds lightly, grinning at the three boys sitting on the couch in front of him as Zayn creeps in behind them, a small bundle in his arms.