End Up Here (Ziam AU)

Chapter Ninety Five

Chapter Ninety Five – Zayn

Zayn can't help but smile as he hears Liam humming to Chloe later that night, as he lays in bed waiting for his husband to come back. He's not waiting long before he hears the sounds of Liam laying the baby girl down in her crib again, and his soft footsteps as he moves back towards their room. "She asleep again?" Zayn yawns as Liam climbs back onto the bed and Liam smiles at him, nodding his head, "sorry I didn't mean to wake you up" Liam murmurs and Zayn just shrugs, snuggling into Liam's chest as soon as he lies down. "You didn't the baby did. But we should get more sleep because her counterpart is going to wake up soon to terrorize the village" Zayn jokes and he knows Liam's rolling his eyes at him as he feels a kiss on his head. "Go to sleep Zayn" Liam mumbles and Zayn can't help but laugh, before he stops himself and pushes up to look at Liam's face. Zayn takes a deep breath before he starts saying what's been on his mind for the past two weeks, "I've been thinking" he starts and continues when he hears Liam hum, "that you should just work from home, that way you can sleep in, and get more time with Zack and Chloe during the day" he finishes, biting his lip waiting for Liam's response.

The room is quiet enough after that, that Zayn thinks Liam's fallen asleep again, before Liam is shifting him and moving them both so they're sitting against the headboard. "What about when we have meetings?" Liam asks quietly and Zayn grins, because Liam is seriously considering this it seems, "I already talked to Niall and you would just go into the office on the days you two have to be in a meeting together, other than that there's really no reason you can't do everything you do there, from here" Zayn explains. Liam makes a face that Zayn isn't entirely sure about before he let's out a breath, "you talked to Ni?" he asks slowly, and Zayn nods biting his lip, still trying to decide if Liam's mad at him. "It was his idea actually" Zayn murmurs and Liam nods slowly, and Zayn knows his tired mind is processing everything. "And you think this is a good idea?"Liam asks carefully and Zayn smiles lazily as he nods. "I do Li" he murmurs softly, reaching out to run a finger over the dark circles under his husband's eyes, "you've been so tired and stressed lately, and you hardly get anytime with the kids. Working from your office downstairs would help with that" Zayn adds. Liam nods then, pushing his face more into Zayn's fingers "okay" Liam says so quietly Zayn almost misses it, "really?" Zayn asks and Liam nods, and Zayn can't help himself he surges forwards and moulds their lips together in a kiss.

It's only a few minutes after he and Liam have fallen back asleep when Zayn is awake again, as he feels small fingers tapping his cheek, "Baba, wake up" Bella insists and Zayn's snapping his eyes open and sitting up in a heartbeat. "What is it? What's wrong?" Zayn asks quickly, eyeing his oldest daughter carefully, looking for any signs of distress, "bad dream" she sniffles and Zayn coos, reaching over the side of the bed to pull her up into his lap, snuggling her close to his chest. "What happened Boo?" Zayn coos, careful not to wake Liam where he's still sleeping beside them, "mean lady come back. She take Zacky, take Chloe. Leave Bella. Hurt Baba. Daddy cry" Bella mumbles. The sentences are short and barely sentences but Zayn can understand, "she came back and made Daddy cry?" Zayn asks and Bella nods wiping her nose on her hand. "You know she can't hurt you anymore right?" Zayn hums, and Bella shakes her head at him. Zayn bites his lip before he throws his legs off the bed and stands up with Bella in his arms, carefully moving out of the room, carrying her downstairs to the living room.

Zayn sets his daughter on the couch before he crouches down in front of her so he can look into her hazel eyes, "Arabella, I want you to listen very carefully okay?" Zayn asks and Bella nods her head whimpering a little, "no Boo you aren't in trouble, this is just super important" Zayn clarifies. Bella nods again and Zayn takes a deep breath, "that woman, Sadie. She was a very bad person, who did terrible things to lots of people, not just you, Daddy, and Baba" he starts. Bella furrows her eyebrows but doesn't say anything, so Zayn keeps talking "but because of you and how brave you are, we got her put in a place where she can't hurt anybody anymore, so your brother and sister will never even have to see her" he explains. Bella sniffles and reaches towards Zayn who pulls her into his arms and sits down on the couch "can't come back?" she mumbles and Zayn shakes his head, "never" he murmurs. Bella seems to be thinking so Zayn doesn't say anything, as he waits and let's her think it over. "Baba?" she asks quietly after a moment and Zayn hums, hugging her tightly to him, "who she?" Bella asks after a moment. Zayn sucks in a breath and bites his lip, he's always known he'd have to tell her that Sadie is in fact her birth mum, eventually, but he really has no interest in doing so now, not when Arabella is terrified at the very thought of the woman, so he really doesn't know what to say.