Ohana

Chapter Six

                  I wish I didn't remember my real ma and da. Because then I could pretend that Liam and Zayn were my dad's and that Louis and Harry were my uncles. I think that'd be nice, having a happy family like that I mean. I've never had a happy family. I don't think I've ever really had a family at all to be honest.

After talking it over with Zayn, Louis and Harry Liam had decided that they should take Niall out to explore London and show him the studio. So on Thursday morning Zayn woke up Niall, changed his sheets, bathed him and then passed him off to Liam to be fed before they went down the hall to Louis and Harry's flat. Niall was dressed in trainers and trackies with a child-sized Adidas shirt and a hoodie because it was still nippy out. Zayn let them into the flat Liam cuddled Niall while they waited.
'Hi Nialler!' Harry exclaimed, stepping out of his bedroom and grinning at the trio in his house. Niall's face lit up and he grinned as he waved to Harry, he didn't reach to be picked up though, he still only did that to Zayn and Liam.
'Are you excited?' Harry asked, looking up at the child as he pulled on his shoes. Niall nodded, sucking on his thumb as he watched Harry tie his shoes. 'Yeah? Me too.' Harry stood up and exchanged a high-five with the blonde as Louis came out.
'Niall!' He gasped. 'You're here!' Niall giggled and nodded, being shy and hiding behind Joey as Louis came over and pulled on his Toms. 'Are you ready to go?'
Niall nodded again, watching Louis' pull on shoes enviously, he wanted a pair! The stringy ones were too confusing, how was he supposed to know where the bunny went when there were so many loops and holes for him to go to?
'Whose car are we taking?' Harry asked as Louis grabbed his jacket.
'Mine.' Zayn told him as they headed out the door. Harry nodded and got the elevator for them, Niall watched as Harry pushed the buttons and wished that his voice would work so that he could ask to push them instead; he really liked buttons. He sighed and laid his head back down on Zayn's shoulder, holding Joey against his chest. When they got to the car he wasn't surprised to see his old booster seat in the back, it was the one thing that travelled with him every new placement he went to.
'In you get short stuff.' Zayn said, putting Niall in his seat in the middle of the back of his car. After Niall was buckled in Harry and Louis got in and Zayn got in the front to drive, Liam sitting shotgun. Niall looked slightly leery of sitting in between the two older men but was soon giggling happily when Louis and Harry started to play with him.
'We're here children!' Liam announced as Zayn pulled up and parked at the studio, where parking was free (for Liam) and right in the heart of downtown. Niall looked around curiously at the underground parking garage, he didn't like how dim it was but he figured he'd be safe from monsters because he had smart grown-ups with him. When Harry got out and Liam came over to let Niall out of his car seat the little blonde reached out to him, making an insistent little whining noise.
'Hold on a second.' Liam laughed, hearing the impatient whine. He finally got the straps undone and lifted Niall out, setting him on his feet beside Louis. As soon as he was down though Niall squeaked and latched onto Liam's leg, once again whining insistently and holding his arms up to be picked up. He was too exposed on the ground and the monsters might get him and he was so small that the others might not notice in time.
'Louis got the plague?' Harry laughed as Liam picked up the anxious Niall and kissed him on the cheek. Niall frowned at Harry and gave Louis an apologetic look, he didn't mean to make anybody upset, he just didn't want to get eaten by the monsters!
'It's alright.' Louis assured him, ruffling Niall's hair and giving him a smile. 'Harry's just joking, I know the carpark can be scary when you're little.'
Niall nodded seriously, putting his thumb in his mouth and laying his head on Liam's shoulder as they started to walk towards the lift. His foster father kept rubbing his back and it felt nice, comforting even. He didn't worry so much about the scary things waiting to eat him when he was getting cuddles.
'We should go on the Eye today!' Harry said excitedly, 'Then he can see all of London properly.'
'Yeah!' Louis agreed. 'But at the end, so it's cooler.'
'Well we're going to see the shops and the square and go to the studio as well.' Zayn added in. 'So Eye before the studio and the studio last?'
'I think that sounds best.' Liam agreed, stepping into the lift with Niall still on his hip. Niall again watched longingly as someone else other than him got to press the buttons the wall. Trying not to dwell on it Niall cuddled Joey and watched curiously as Louis tried to snatch Harry's hat off of his head.
'Play nice kids.' Zayn told them, sighing in exasperation.
'Yeah Louis.' Harry grumbled, holding his hat down. Louis just kissed his cheek and leaned against the wall with a smirk. Harry scowled and Zayn rolled his eyes as Niall watched them curiously; he'd never seen grown-ups act like that with each other before! From his safe position on Liam's hip, tucked into his side, he observed Harry and Louis silently until the lift stopped and they all went through some sort of office thing and out into the street.
xXx
They'd been wandering through downtown London, Niall walking between his foster fathers and clutching his bear as he tried to take everything in at once. They had been in and out of a bunch of small stores when Harry suddenly let out a small cry and basically dove into a hat store. Niall looked shocked but Louis, Zayn and Liam all laughed and followed.
'This is Harry's favorite store.' Louis explained, holding the door open for the little blonde as he trailed in after Zayn. Niall stood in the middle of the store when the other four broke off into all different directions and he didn't know where to go or who to stand with, catching site of hats at his level he wandered over to those and pulled on a cowboy hat before wandering over to Liam and Zayn.
'Wha- Ni what on earth are you wearing?' Liam laughed, picking him up and kissing his cheek. 'Look Zayn, we have a cowboy!'
Zayn turned and grinned at Niall, snapping a quick picture before picking up a fedora. Niall pulled the cowboy hat off as Zayn placed the next hat on his blonde hair and grinned widely as more pictures were taken. After that hat there was a bunch more until Niall wiggled down and ran over to where Harry was trying on beanies. Looking up at him the small child quickly picked up a matching child sized one and put it on before tugging on the edge of Harry's coat timidly.
'Well don't you look dashing!' Harry told him, crouching and adjusting the hat to match his. Niall's eyes were shining excitedly and he was barely able to stop jumping around and hugging everyone, he was just so happy to be getting all of this praise! Not even thinking he hugged Harry around his neck while he was still crouched to his level.
Harry froze for a moment because this was the first time Niall had initiated physical contact with someone that wasn't Liam or Zayn. He hugged Niall back and the child tensed, pulling away and looking up at Harry with scared eyes; like he wasn't supposed to hug him.
'Aw Nialler it's alright.' Harry told him, pulling him back in for another hug and feeling Niall latch onto him again. The other three were silent and staring open mouthed; this was such a huge step for the nine year old boy. Harry hugged him until Niall pulled away and mimed snapping a picture, Harry just grinned and took a self-shot of them wearing their matching beanies. Niall smiled back and carefully put the hat back; it was nice but he knew he couldn't have it so he just wandered back to Zayn and Liam and leaned against Zayn's leg. Zayn shared a look with Harry before scooping Niall up and setting him on his hip and rubbing his back.
'You hungry?' He asked, nuzzling the soft blonde hair. Niall nodded and slipped his thumb in his mouth. 'Alright, lets' get you fed then.'
Zayn and Liam stepped out a moment after them, Harry tucking something into his bag as they walked to a local restaurant and grabbed a table at the back. Niall was placed between Zayn and Liam while Harry and Louis sat across from them. He shrunk into Liam's side a bit when their waitress came and cooed at him like he was a baby as she handed out menu's to them.
She left and Niall watched as each of the others had picked up their menu's and were reading them. Frowning Niall tried to do the same, not realizing that he'd flipped the menu upside down- not that he could tell because he couldn't read anyways. Zayn looked over and did a double take; Niall was squinting at an upside down menu, his lips moving as he tried hard to read it.
'Want me to read it to you sweetheart?' He asked. Niall looked up at him and nodded, listening intently as Zayn read him the kids menu and pointed to the pictures for each. When he was done Niall pointed to the chicken and chips and looked up at Zayn curiously.
'Sure you can have that.' Zayn told him. When the waitress came back he let Niall hid in his side again and gave her his and his foster sons' order, not giving her a chance to coo at him again. When she was gone Niall pulled away and played with Joey as he leaned against Zayn and they all waited for their food. Zayn put his arm around Niall and watched as Joey seemed to act something out on his thigh, Niall's facial expressions changing with the bears actions.
When their food came Niall gasped excitedly and set Joey in his lap as the plate was set in front of him. He waited for everyone else to start to eat before grabbing a piece of chicken and pulling it apart and sticking it in his mouth.
'Good?' Louis asked, smiling at Niall. The nine year-old nodded happily, crumbs all around his mouth and his fingers greasy. 'You wanna try some of mine?' He offered. Niall's mouth hung open and he nodded after a moments' hesitation. Louis laughed and leaned over the table with a spoonful of his soup, blowing on it to cool it before holding it out for Niall. The child leaned forward and slurped the soup off the end of the spoon, making a happy noise when he tasted it.
'Yummy eh?' He asked. Niall nodded and soon enough had tried everyone else's food and then finished off his own plate.
'Lets go get you cleaned up.' Liam said, standing and taking Niall from Zayn and carrying him to the toilets. He set the blonde on the counter and wet down some paper towel to wipe the child's face and hands with. When the water ran Niall tensed, squirming as he realized he needed to pee. He looked up at Liam and was about to gesture to a stall but he decided it was too scary here and he needed to be at home to go.
'All done.' Liam told him, lifting him up and carrying Niall back to the group- oblivious to the blondes need. Niall tensed his legs and stayed quiet, walking stiffly when he was set down to walk between Zayn and Harry. He somehow managed to make it to the Eye but he knew he was going to have to go soon to avoid an accident. They were all standing looking up at the Eye when Louis glanced over to see Niall staring wide-eyed at the ground with one hand holding his crotch tightly.
'Zayn, I think Blondie needs a wee.' Louis whispered to his friend, trying to not embarrass Niall at all. Zayn looked over at his foster son and winced before nodding.
'Right, thanks Lou.' He said, going over to Niall and crouching in front of him. 'Ni? Do you want to go to the loo?'
Niall looked up at Zayn and nodded quickly, doing a small dance in place as he tried to keep his trousers dry. Zayn quickly set Niall on his hip and hurried for the nearest toilets, locating some in a nearby shop. He set the boy down outside a stall and watched as the little blonde hurried in and shut the door, only to leap out fifteen seconds later shaking his head and looking terrified.
'Whats wrong?' Zayn asked crouching in front of Niall and looking him over for injury. Niall whined softly and hoped up and down as he tried not to wee right there. 'Do you want me to go in with you?' Zayn asked, already leading the desperate child into the handicapped stall. Niall nodded anxiously and yanked his trakkies down to climb onto the toilet before Zayn had even gotten the door latched. The teacher faced the door and kept his back to Niall as he took care of things. Finally there was the sound of feet on the floor and shuffling. Zayn turned as Niall pulled up his track pants and flushed the toilet.
'Better?' He asked. Niall nodded and washed up before reaching up to Zayn to be carried. The foster father smiled and carried Niall back to the group about to get in the pod. They stepped in and Zayn set Niall down so he could watch out the glass. As he pressed his face up against the glass to look out Niall hung onto Liam's leg with one arm as an extra precaution, just in case. Harry snapped pictures of the small family looking out at London and eventually Niall got a hold of his phone and started to take his own pictures, but not before Harry caught one of Liam and Zayn looking down at Niall in between them and looking up, one hand holding Joey and the other holding Liam's thigh. He showed it to Louis and they both silently agreed that it would be shown to their mothers as soon as they got home.
'Hey Niall why don't you take a picture with me?' Harry asked, pulling a small bag out of his coat pocket as Niall came over. 'And you should wear this.' He said, pulling out the matching beanie that Niall had tried on in the store. Niall gasped and looked up at Harry in shock, was it really for him?! Harry grinned and put it on Niall's head before snapping a picture.
xXx
After the Eye they caught the tube back to Liam's studio, Niall taking pictures of all of them including the other passengers. At the studio Liam let them in and gave them a tour, showing Niall the recording rooms, the computers and the instruments. Niall tried his best to listen to Liam, he really did, but when he heard the pretty music coming from another room he slipped away so that he could listen better; they were all crowded around a fancy computer so they wouldn't notice anyways.
He peaked in a doorway and saw a red headed boy sitting on a stool, playing a guitar and singing a tune Niall didn't recognize. Forgetting himself for a moment he sighed happily and stepped closer, swaying to the music. His eyes snapped open and his breath caught as the music stopped and he saw the red-head staring at him, looking quite shocked. Niall quickly scampered back around the corner and hid around the door as the stranger got up and followed him.
'Hello?' He heard him call out, he really did have a nice voice! 'He kid you aren't in trouble or anything.'
Niall hesitantly peaked out and looked at him. He didn't look mean, a bit scruffy but not mean. And he'd played that pretty music. Taking a chance he stepped out from behind the door, holding Joey tightly.
'Hi.' The stranger said. 'My names Ed, what's yours?' Niall didn't reply and looked from the guitar in his big hands up to Ed.
'This is my guitar. Did you like the music earlier?' He asked the silent child. Niall nodded and watched as Ed stepped back into the room and took his seat.
'Would you like to hear some more?' Again Niall nodded, hesitantly following this Ed stranger into the room as the music started to play again. Entranced by the music Niall sat down on the floor to listen, not even noticing a rather frantic Louis run in, asking if Ed had seen a small blonde kid before stopping and noticing the child on the rug. He stepped out to call the others while Niall continued to listen, even as the others filed in and breathed sighs of relief did he take his eyes off the guitar and boy in front of him. When Ed was done and had to pack up Niall got up, hugged both him and his guitar before wobbling back to Liam with a dazed expression and a happy smile.
'Bye Ed, thanks.' Liam said as he picked Niall up.
'No problem. Cute kid.' He said before leaving.
Deciding that they'd had far too much excitement for one day they headed back to the carpark and drove back to their complex, saying goodbye to Louis and Harry at their door before going back to their own. The entire way through dinner, bathtime and story time Niall was humming U.N.I and wearing the same happy but dazed expression.
He didn't have any nightmares that night.