Little Angel [Zayn centric]

13

8:03pm, Saturday

-

"I didn't hit him. I'd never hit any of our children Harry, you know that." Liam said sternly, the two washing dishes after everyone ate a rather quiet and awkward dinner.

Zayn was sent back up to his room and locked in while Niall and Louis watched tv.

"So where did those bruises come from?" Harry asked.

Liam stopped, putting the sponge and plate down. "Are you saying you don't believe me?"

"No! Did those words come out of my mouth? I'm asking about the bruises!" Harry snapped.

"I don't know where they came from, Harry. He was in his room the whole time. Maybe he did it to himself and wanted to try and blame me for revenge." Liam said.

"Revenge?" Harry frowned.

"Yeah, because I punished him." Liam said.

"Liam that's insane, he's just a child he'd never hurt himself just for revenge." Harry said.

Liam stared at him. "He's not just a child. He tried to kill me. Do you not realize that? Is it not registering with you in your brain? Hm?"

"I-I know what you're saying I just don't think he'd do something like that." Harry tried to explain.

"Like what? If he's crazy enough to try and kill me you think he wouldn't try and frame me too?" Liam scoffed.

"He's six years old, Liam." Harry said, giving him a look.

And with that Liam blew another fuse.

"Quit standing up for him! Quit acting like this isn't serious, Harry! My, Louis' and Niall's lives are in danger because of that little monster. Why is it so hard for you to quit living in your fantasy land and fucking realize this is serious? When are you finally going to take action and quit fucking around?" Liam yelled.

"Hey, he's still our son don't talk about him like that-"

"There you go again! Defending him as if he's innocent! The last thing that boy is, is innocent. Why can't you see that? Why are you acting so blind? Is it because you're his favorite? He can't see a thing wrong with you so you can't see a thing wrong with him? You see him as this perfect little angel when in reality he's tearing this family apart?" Liam continued to yell.

"Stop yelling at me!" Harry yelled back, tears in his eyes again. "I'm stressed! Okay? I'm so stressed and tired and confused right now!"

"Yeah? Me too! I'm worried about my life! And the lives of my children! Now are you going to pull your head out of your ass and do something about this?" Liam spat.

"Don't talk to me that way you son of a bitch!" Harry yelled, getting red in the face now.

"Answer my question! Are you going to keep fucking around and risking my and our kids lives or are you going to do something?" Liam demanded to know, getting in his face.

"Why is it all on me?" Harry snapped, shaking now as more tears fell.

"Because whenever I try to do something you whine about it and tell me I'm being too harsh or to just wait! You know what's harsh, Harry? Bleach going down my fucking throat, that's harsh. My youngest son being locked in the dryer and my oldest son being stabbed, that's harsh. Wake the fuck up!"

"Get out of my face!" Harry screamed, shoving him away.

Liam immediately stepped up and shoved him back, making Harry stumble some before he raised his fist.

Liam stopped him, the two wresting a moment before Liam roughly shoved Harry away, sending him to the floor.

"You're never going to do anything except make excuses!" Liam spat at him before he stormed out.

Harry sat up, listening to him get his keys and slam the front door behind him.

Harry released a shaky breath, leaning back against the kitchen counters and burying his face in his hands as he began to cry.

He didn't let himself cry long, bottling it all up for later and drying his eyes.

When he finally looked towards the doorway, there stood Louis and Niall, crying silent tears.

Niall was holding onto Louis' shirt, his head rested on Louis' arm.

"Boys I'm sorry." Harry said quietly.

"Papa and I are sorry." He added, feeling like such a failure.

"I'm-I'm scared." Niall whimpered, crying more and starting to shake now.

"Come here baby, it's okay." Harry said, holding his arms out.

Niall slowly walked over to him, stepping into his arms and burying his face in Harry's neck.

"Is p-papa gonna come back?" Louis asked, his voice shaking.

"Yes, he'll be back. He's just going to calm down because he knows what he and I just did was wrong. Fighting is a no-no." Harry said.

"Were you fighting about Zayn?" Niall asked, leaning back and looking at Harry with big sad blue eyes.

As if Harry didn't feel broken enough, looking at that little face and into those eyes would do it.

"We were, but listen, everything is going to be fine, okay? Things are just kind of hard right now. Just a little rough spot on the road, we'll get past it. I don't want either of you to worry or be afraid. Papa and I were just misbehaving, and we really shouldn't have." Harry said, feeling so guilty.

"Are you grounded now daddy?" Louis asked.

"I think I should be. What do you think?" Harry asked.

"Papa was the one who pushed you down." Louis said, making Harry's heart sink.

"You two saw that?"

They both nodded.

Harry swallowed, taking a deep breath. "Yeah let's just...move on. Okay? Papa and I love you both more than anything and everything will be okay. You two want some ice cream?"

"I want a lot of ice cream daddy. I'm stressed just like you." Niall said.

"You better not be. You're too young for that." Harry said, kissing his forehead and getting up.

"How old do you have to be to be stressed?" Niall frowned.

Harry thought for a moment.

"Fourteen."

"That's old." Niall said, making a face.

"Exactly. So don't think about stress. Take a seat and get ready for a bowl of ice cream with extra sprinkles." Harry said.

Niall happily hopped up into a chair, his mouth watering now and his tears long gone.

But Harry paused while getting the ice cream out, looking at Louis.

"Don't you want some Lou?"

Louis stared at him, shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Just don't want any." Louis said sadly, leaving the kitchen.

Harry watched him, realizing that with Louis being the oldest, he wasn't going to be so easy to distract anymore.

He was growing up.

Harry just wished that realization  would've hit him at a different time for a much more positive reason.