Baby "Jayn"

"If Jayn fall, you catch"

Chapter 88
{Niall}

Niall threw open the door and jumped on the bed to tickle the three year old. "You can't escape!"

Zayn squeaked loudly, kicking his socketed feet in Niall's face. "Jayn not going!" he protested, pushing his hair away.

"But you look like a girl," Niall retorted, stopping his ticklish torture for a second. Zayn huffed, shaking his head. He slid off the bed and quickly ran out the room, Niall groaning. "It's just a haircut, come on!"

Suddenly Zayn squeaked from the hall and Liam walked inside minutes later, the toddler sitting on his shoulder. "Let's go get a hair cut, what do you say, Zaynie?"

Zayn gulped as he looked down at the floor, too afraid to get off. He shook his head, touching his hair tentatively. "Jayn not cut hish haiw."

"Yes you will," Niall said, pointing to the fringe that covered his eyes. "Isn't it annoying to have it in your face?"

Zayn shook his head, holding his raven black hair tightly in his hands. "Jayn don't cut." He was wearing the red long sleeved shirt Harry had picked out. It was a bit long for him though, the cuffs covering his small hands. 

"Let's make a deal, okay?" Liam said, looking up at Zayn. "When you start kindergarten, you'll cut your hair."

That immediately brought a sour look to Zayn's face. The boys had explained to him what kindergarten was and that he'd be joining soon, meeting other kids and having fun. He seemed curious until they mentioned the part about them not being there.

Zayn placed his chin on Liam's hair, a thoughtful look on his face. "Make deal, Jayn not go to kindagaden and not cut hish haiw."

"How's that a deal? What are we getting in return?" Niall asked, leaning back on his hands. Zayn shrugged. "A kish."

Liam laughed, shaking his head. "Not going to work. As soon as you're joining kindergarten, you'll be getting a nice little hair cut."

Zayn puffed his cheeks out. "No."

Deciding to let it slide for now, Niall stood up and shrugged. "We'll see. For now, let's go eat some food, I'm starving."

They'd planned to head out to McDonald's breakfast and then drop Zayn off before they went to the kindergarten. Niall figured he wouldn't be very keen on coming with. They just needed to talk admissions and hopefully Zayn would adjust to it.

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"Have you ever had McDonalds?" Louis asked Zayn as they pulled up to the food chain.

Zayn shook his head, staring wide-eyed at the bench where the clown was sitting, grinning widely. "Who'sh that?"

"Ronald McDonald," Niall replied. "He's the one who makes all the good food, come on."

They stepped out of the car and Zayn kept close to Louis, eyeing the clown warily. Harry walked forward and patted the clown. "Let's take a picture with him!"

Zayn glared at the clown and grabbed Louis' hand tightly. "No."

Liam chuckled and sat down, placing his leg on his knee, just liked the clown was doing. "Come on, he's not even real."

"He'sh shcawy," Zayn mumbled, looking away from the clown statue. Louis picked him up and laughed. "Come on, scaredy cat."

They crowded around the single statue, and Niall pulled his phone out. "Smile!"

But Zayn wasn't smiling, only glaring at the statue, clutching Louis.

"Look, he can't hurt you," Harry said, poking the statue in the eye. He then pounded his fist in Ronald's hair. Zayn leaned forward curiously and touched the man's hair. "He cut hish haiw."

"Yes, and so should you," Niall encouraged him. Louis sat Zayn on top of the statue's head, Zayn yelling in surprise. "Loueh!"

"Come on, let's take a proper picture now. All smiley," Louis said and Niall readied his phone. Zayn pouted as he held on tightly, looking at Liam who was sitting on the bench. "If Jayn fall, you catch."

Liam smiled up at him. "Always."

Niall began to take the selfie with the four boys behind him, he himself sitting at the edge of the bench beside Liam. Just then, Louis tickled Zayn under his armpits. The three year old laughed loudly, squirming, and Niall grinned as he caught it on picture.

"And that's a wrap everybody!" Harry announced. "Now let's get some food."

But they were interrupted by a few girls so Louis lifted Zayn up and Niall smiled at them as he stood up from the bench and gave them space.

The girl with jet black hair walked forward, an excited grin on end face. "Can I get a picture?"

Niall smiled. "Course ya can."

"Are you here to eat McDonald's?" Harry asked. Louis rolled his eyes. "No Harold, they're here to play with the clown."

The girls laughed and the auburn hair one nodded. Harry's eyes lit up. "Finally someone who know stuff. Okay so which pie is the best?"

"The blueberry one," all three said automatically and Liam laughed as he finished taking a picture with the girl with glasses.

"The blueberry one it is then," Harry told the boys and Niall smiled as the girl leaned in to take a selfie.

"We're super excited for the album!" The auburn haired girl exclaimed.

"Thank you, it means a lot," Harry replied with a smile.

"What are your names?" Liam asked and they replied eagerly. The auburn hair one was Emma, the black haired was Jenny and the one with glasses was Aisha.

"Hi Zayn," Aisha said, trying to see his face since he had placed his head on Louis' shoulder. But at the sound of his name, he looked up and turned to them. "You wanna give Jayn hug too? Jayn be a good boy, wight Hawwy?"

The boys laughed, turning to look at Niall who had planted the idea in his head in the first place. Aisha looked confused, but she she smiled nonetheless. "Sure." She then reached forward to give him a small hug to which Zayn replied with open arms. Niall was surprised of how easily he hugged back considering he was always jumpy when it came to contact. Not with the boys as much, but other people? Definitely.

They said goodbye to the girls later and ordered. Zayn immediately left to go check out the playroom, pulling Harry with him. Niall chuckled as he watched the two go, Harry whining and Zayn putting on that stern face of his.

"He's happy," Louis said suddenly, and Niall turned to him in confusion of his sudden outburst. A fond smile was on his lips and his eyes were crinkling at the edges. "I'm glad we adopted him, he needed this. Needed happiness and comfort and safety."

Liam and Niall nodded in agreement. Harry had mentioned Zayn's file in which it was written about a lot of things including his injuries when he was given to the adoption center. A child like him would be prettified for life, and in a way Zayn had been. But now it seemed like he was recovering, and nothing could stop him. He was happy, living in a happy environment.

Niall beamed. Zayn deserved the world. It was hard and weird to think that one day he would grow up. But he would, and Niall along with the boys were going to make sure it would be in the right way. 

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I can't help but cackle at how peaceful this all sounds. How it seems it's gonna be happily ever after so easily. Ya have no idea 😚

xx