End Up Here (Ziam AU)

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen – Zayn

Zayn's not sure what he was expecting from Liam spending time alone with Bella, and he wants to say he wasn't testing the older man, but in a way Zayn definitely was. As their relationship gets more serious, he needs to know how Liam handles being alone with Arabella, but he wasn't expecting this. Bella slams into his knees, babbling incoherently until Zayn scoops her into his arms, arching an eyebrow at the ice cream still surrounding her mouth, before turning his gaze on Liam who bites his lip, and fidgets a little under Zayn's gaze. Zayn hugs Bella tightly, "Baba missed you" he coos into her hair, and she giggles, before grinning up at him "missed Baba too" she exclaims, pressing a sloppy and sticky kiss to his cheek. Zayn chuckles and squeezes her again before setting her on the floor, "can you go and play in your room for a few minutes?" Zayn asks, "Baba needs to talk to Liam for a minute" he adds, Bella pouts, but runs away towards her bedroom anyways. Zayn watches her go, and it's only after he hears her bedroom door click closed that he turns back to Liam, gesturing for him to follow, and making his way back into the kitchen.

Zayn goes back to getting things ready for dinner, until he hears Liam right beside him, he looks nervous,and it makes Zayn's stomach flip a little, in a not good way. Liam sighs, "can you, um, put down the knife, I need to tell you something" he mumbles, and Zayn frowns, setting the knife he's using to chop vegetables down and turning to look at his nervous boyfriend. "What is it?" Zayn asks carefully, and Liam pouts,before taking a deep breath, "Okay, so Bella was playing in my office, while I did some work, and somehow a picture frame got broken. I asked her not to move, but I was worried she was going to get hurt, so I may have raised my voice a little when I did, no actually I know I did. So Bella thought I was upset with her, and I wasn't, I swear I wasn't I just didn't want her to hurt herself on the glass, but she was crying and I felt terrible, so I apologized and then took her for ice cream to make sure she knew I was sorry" Liam explains quickly. Zayn furrows his eyebrows and tilts his head as he tries to process everything that Liam's just said, he thinks he's caught it all, he just doesn't know what to do with all this information.

Zayn shakes his head and reaches out towards Liam, his hand resting against his broad chest, "so Bella broke a frame?" he asks slowly, and Liam nods, "yeah, but I don't care about that Zayn" he murmurs, and Zayn nods. "And you yelled, because you didn't want her to get hurt?" Zayn asks again, Liam nods sheepishly not meeting Zayn's gaze, "and then you took her for ice cream before dinner?" he asks, Liam nods again, still not meeting Zayn's gaze. Zayn then smacks Liam's arm lightly, shaking his head, and Liam looks up, eyebrows furrowing, "were you scared to tell me about this?" he teases. Liam groans, "yes, because I yelled at your daughter Zayn, your baby girl, I hate me for it" he answers quietly. Zayn shakes his head and wiggles his way in so he's leaned on Liam's chest, Liam's arms wrapping around him instinctively. "I'm not upset, you didn't like yell at her to punish her, you yelled cause you were scared, yes, you scared her in the process. But Liam you're new to all this and she's fine and obviously over it, so I'm not upset" Zayn explains. Liam nods slowly, "then why did you smack me?" he mumbles and Zayn laughs,"for feeding her sugar, like an hour before I'm going to try to make her eat real food" he chuckles and Liam grins, "sorry?" he asks and Zayn shakes his head. "It's fine Li, really. Thank you for telling me about this, but if she doesn't eat dinner that's on you" he says, and Liam nods, "I can live with that" Liam agrees, and Zayn chuckles pushing up a little to kiss him, "that's the only kiss you get until Bella eats her dinner" he teases pulling away, laughing when Liam's jaw drops slightly at the news.

Zayn's finished eating and is in the kitchen cleaning up the mess he made making dinner, while Liam pouts at him from the table where he's trying to coax a very stubborn Bella into eating at least some of her dinner. Zayn laughs, as he hears Liam whine, knowing his daughter well enough to know she won't be giving in any time soon, but Liam to his credit is trying exceptionally hard. Zayn meant it when he told Liam earlier he wouldn't be kissing him again unless Bella ate her dinner, his boyfriend did bribe her with ice cream, moments before bringing her home to eat, after all. "C'mon Bella, can't you just eat a few bites, for me?" Liam pleads desperately, Zayn smirks, as he continues wiping down the counters, waiting for Bella's response,which comes only seconds later, "no, Leeyum, you eat" she insists. Zayn laughs at the groan his boyfriend releases, "seriously Bella, you're killing me here" Liam mumbles, and Zayn laughs ,coming back over to the table, resting his hands on Liam's broad shoulders. Liam looks up at him, "how do you do this?" he asks desperately and Zayn chuckles, shaking his head, "I don't feed her ice cream, an hour before" he deadpans. Liam pouts and Arabella's eyes light up, "ice cream, Baba?" she asks but Zayn shakes his head, "oh, no. Liam already took you for ice cream, love, and you haven't eaten any dinner" Zayn answers gently.