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

chapter nineteen

"He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor."

- The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

-

"Is that everything?" Niall asked, crossing his arms.

"I think so!" Denise replied, smacking Greg's hand off the baked macaroni and cheese. "I worked my damn butt off to make all this food, thank you very much, Gregory!"

Greg just laughed as he ran away, nearly knocking off one of the pies from the counter. The counter, which was filled to bursting, was laiden down with a turkey, stuffing, rolls, a baked macaroni and cheese dish with some crumbly burnt bits on top, two kinds of pie, and a cranberry jello with fruit and nuts in.

Denise called everyone in to fill their plates, so Zayn came in with Liam on his back and Harry happily crawling by his side. Louis took after Zayn in the sense that he was a picky eater, so Niall helped him out some and plopped some green beans on his plate. After everyone had served themselves, Niall then got his own plate and picked a spot next to his husband.

Zayn and Niall talked of what life in England was like through dinner, and Greg recounted what Niall had left in Ireland. He told stories of living in New York, but was apparently too boring for for the twins, seeing as they had both fallen asleep with their chins in their hands.

Niall, laughing, snapped a picture or two before letting Zayn take them up to bed. Niall was getting a piece of apple pie as Zayn came back down from putting Harry to bed, and when Niall took his place again, Zayn placed a comforting hand on his thigh. Niall glanced over at him discreetly and blushed when Zayn winked at him.

After cleaning up half his piece, Niall tipped his chair back and groaned, letting his head loll to the side. "Zayn," he started. "I've a confession to make,"

"What's that, sweetheart?" He asked, taking a bite of Niall's pie.

"I'm pregnant,"

Everyone, especially Zayn, looked at him with slight bewilderment, and a little bit of suspiciousness. "What?!" Zayn questioned, his little furry eyebrows cinching together.

"With a food baby! Look," Niall pointed at his stomach, and had everyone in a fit with his joke. Zayn shook his head and took his and Niall's plate to the sink, then left to go change, clucking his tongue.

Niall saw that Denise was clearing everyone's dishes, so, being the gentleman he was, he stood up to help. He took some to the sink and put food in tubs, but stopped as Zayn caught his eye.

"Alright, you lovesick puppy, dry these ones in the sink!" Denise laughed and thwacked his arm.

"Rude!" Niall whined, rubbing his forearm. "That hurt!" Nonetheless, Niall still snuck some heart-eye glances over at his husband.

Wearing ratty sweats and an old hoodie, Zayn still managed to take his breath away. Niall had always thought he was the most beautiful, even in his most dressed down state.

Greg and Denise went to bed not soon after though, and took Theo up with them, seeing as they both had work early in the morning. Zayn stood leaning against the cabinets, scrolling through his phone when Niall came over from hanging up a hand towel and hooked his chin over Zayn's shoulder.

"Hey turkey-boy, you wanna let me see your giblets?"

Zayn rolled his eyes again and shook his head. He tucked his phone away and opened his arms, Niall happily diving into them. Niall stood there and let Zayn stroke his hair until he was nearly asleep. Zayn kept at it until he felt his eyelids drooping, then gave Niall two gentle little pats on the bum to signal he wanted to go to bed.