Stand By Me ~Zouis Family

One

Louis groaned as the sound of his alarm clock woke him from his sleep. He rolled over and shut it off, not wanting to wake Zayn up because he didn't have to be awake for another thirty minutes.

Louis climbed out of bed and wrapped himself in his robe, before heading across the hall to Niall's room, he was the easiest to wake up being seven years old.

Louis slowly entered the room and found a lump in Niall's small bed, the only proof that the lump wasn't just pillows and teddies was the tuft of blonde hair poking out the top of the covers. He smiled slightly to himself before walking over and pulling the covers to reveal his son's sleeping face.

“Niall baby,” He cooed, gently shaking the young boy awake. Niall murmured an incoherent string of words before sitting up roboticly and holding his arms out to Louis who chuckled slightly, but lifted the young boy into his arms.

“Did you sleep well?” Louis asks. Niall nods, his face buried sleepily in the crook of Louis' neck.

“I have wake Harry up, do you want to stay here and get dressed?” Louis asks bouncing the young boy on his hip like he does with baby Liam.

“Come help wake Hazzy.” Niall mumbles, pulling back and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Okay, but you have to walk like a big boy okay?” Louis says pressing a soft kiss to Niall's warm forehead. Niall nods and Louis sets him on the ground, and two head off to Harry's room.

Niall being small for his age, stands on tippie-toes to open the door to Harry's room. Niall never use to be so clingy until three months ago when Liam was introduced to the family, pushing Niall from the baby, to the boring middle child. Niall never used to cling Louis like he does now, but because Liam is only three and needs a lot more attention, Niall gets jealous and loves it when Louis babies him. And Louis is perfectly fine with babying him, because he knows that eventually, like Harry, he'll grow out of this stage and so will Liam and the thought of having no one to baby breaks Louis' heart.

“Harry?” Niall whispers stepping into his older brother's room. He walks over to Harry's bed and watches Harry's eyelids, “Haz?” He whispers once more before turning to Louis with tears in his eyes, “Daddy he wont wake up!”

“Yes he will, be louder.” Louis says, wandering over to the curtains and pulling them open.

Niall climbs up onto the bed and lays on top of Harry's sleeping form. “Harry!” He yells, giggling as the sixteen year old begins to stir beneath him.

“No.” Harry mumbles, trying to pull the covers over his head, but can't because Niall's on them.

Niall reaches out to trace patterns on the older boy's face like he sees Louis do to Liam before setting him down to sleep. But instead of brushing over Harry's eyelids in a soothing manner, he traces little squiggles across Harry's cheeks.

“Niall!” Harry groans, grabbing Niall's wrist and snapping his eyes open, starting slightly as he didn't expect to see Niall's cerulean eyes that close to his face.

“Morning Harry!” Niall laughs, glancing at Louis standing in the doorway. “Look Daddy I did it!”

“Yes, you did, now get off!” Harry says playfully pushing his younger brother onto the floor, making sure not to hurt him in doing so. Niall laughs and pushes himself up.

“Niall why don't you go wake Papa for me?” Louis smiles.

“Okay Daddy.” Niall says running from the room.

“Come on Harry, get up.” Louis says as Harry rolls back over.

“Okay.” Harry mumbles, making no attempt to be true to his word.