Love Me Like You Do (z.h. mpreg)

chapter eleven

"One day, I'm going to discover all the secrets of the universe."

-Dante, "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe"

-

Zayn turned off his car engine after he parked in the garage. Gathering his things and the stack of mail from the passenger seat, he pushed the door open and slid out.

"C'mon, Louis! Daddy's inside waiting for us, and then we can go pick up Li in a bit yeah?"

"Yeah!" Louis literally jumped out of the car, his large action figure bookbag thumping against his back. Zayn held the front door open for him and toed off his shoes on the mat outside.

"Hello, my loves!" Niall's voice sounded from the kitchen and he poked his head out from the corner. Louis ran off to go talk to Ed, their neighbour, who was sitting at the table.

"Hi, baby," Zayn pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek and sorted through the mail. "Hey, man!" He nodded at Ed, who smiled back and continued his conversation with Louis.

Several toddlers Zayn recognised as their neighbour's sat crowded at Niall's feet as he transferred huge chocolate chip cookies from a metal pan to a wire cooling rack. Harry was most likely sleeping again, as he was still taking two naps a day. Trying not to trip over the little ones, Zayn dropped the new hospital bills on the dining table and started to loosen his tie.

"Bills came,"

"Really?" Niall sighed and cocked his hip out to the side.

"Yeah. That'll be fun to figure out, won't it?" Zayn sighed tiredly and disappeared up the stairs to go change into something more comfortable and less formal. He came down wearing grey sweats and a red jumper and plopped down at the table across from Ed. Niall ignored their smalltalk and slipped the freshly made cookies into four little individual plastic bags. He took one and slid it across the table to Ed, then passing the rest out to the smaller kids at his feet.

"So I went to go see Liam with your mam and da today," Louis, Zayn and Ed looked up from whatever it was that they had been doing to listen to Niall. He looked exhausted now, and worry flashed across his misty eyes.

"How was he, babe?"

Niall sighed and pushed some of the dirty dishes into the sink. "Eh, seemed alright, but he told me he didn't like being in the hospital and wanted to come home. We both nearly cried when I told him he couldn't just yet, but I brought him some toys to try and cheer him up. Your parents stayed with him after I left so he wouldn't be alone. He says he misses you all." Niall said, addressing the three men at the dining table. He sniffled and switched the baby he was holding to his other arm, gently brushing her soft brown curls back.

Zayn cast his eyes down and raked his fingers through his thick black hair. He missed Liam terribly, even though it had only been a few days and nights without him. Zayn couldn't help but feel extremely guilty that Liam was in the hospital because of him. He didn't know what he was going to do if he ever lost one of his precious children.

Harley whined and dropped her large head into his lap, shifting as he reached to scratch behind her ears. Even she knew there was something off about the house; there was no one to stop Louis from pulling her tail.

"So I was thinking about leaving in maybe an hour or so, just so that we can be back home in time for dinner. You're welcome to stay, Ed, if you like." Niall broke the silence and pushed himself off the counter, wary of the kids, who were currently banging pots and pans together and playing with some refrigerator magnets.

The doorbell chimed loudly throughout the house, setting Loki and Harley off into a frenzy of barking.

"I'll get it, Nialler," Zayn offered and strode across the connected kitchen into the living room to the front door. He opened it and recognised the woman behind it as their neighbour, who had presumably come to pick up her children.