Reason To Be (A Zouis Family AU)

Part One, Chapter Four

School turns out to work wonders for Harry's confidence. After just a week of going he's like another kid entirely, talking Louis' head off when the man is trying to make dinner.

"And - and Miss Wilson said I'm really, really extra good at writin' my name, look," he rambles, and Louis turns to face the boy as he demonstrates writing his name in the air with a finger.

It makes the man want to laugh but he does his best to keep a straight face and nods encouragingly. "That's amazing, sweetheart," he says, and Harry beams practically from ear to ear before he sucks in a deep breath to start talking again. The man quickly interrupts. "Hey, do you wanna go grab your brothers and tell them dinner's nearly ready?" He asks, and the kid doesn't seem to register the man's tactic because he just nods quickly.

"Okay Daddy! Watch me go fast!" He says, before he runs out of the room and then peers back around the kitchen doorframe again. "Did you see?" He asks.

Louis lets his laugh ride out this time, nodding. "Sure did. Very fast," he comments, and the boy grins with his cheeks all rosy before he speeds away for real this time.

He smiles to himself as he continues to sort dinner, jumping a little when he feels two strong arms wrap around his waist. His husband presses a kiss to his neck from behind and he nuzzles into him.

"What're you doing?" He asks when the man continues to press tickling kisses along his shoulders.

He can hear the smile in Zayn's voice when he answers with "kissing the cook," as if it's obvious.

Louis laughs, turning around in the man's arms and lifting his own to loop around his neck, jutting his chin up so that Zayn presses a kiss to his lips. "Missed you," he says against his husband's lips, because they've barely seen each other all week in between work and taking care of the boys.

Zayn smiles back before kissing him again. "Hmm. This may be the first time we've been alone all week," he says into the kiss and Louis melts into it until he hears a small voice from the doorway.

"Ew! Yuck!"

The two of them pull apart with a shared laugh, turning to face the three boys in the doorway - Harry with his nose all wrinkled up in disgust, Liam shaking his head with his hands covering Niall's eyes from behind.

As soon as the three year old manages to squirm away from the hands blocking his vision to see Louis with his arms still around Zayn, he runs forwards and throws his little arms around his Papa's legs while trying to push Louis away.

"My Papa! Mine!" He yells out in the cutest manner possible, and it makes the men laugh, because the toddler has been going to work with Zayn every day and is particularly clingy to him recently.

He doesn't take it to heart. He was always clingy to his mother when he was younger, he knows it doesn't mean he loved her any less than his father.

Zayn leans down to pick the boy up, sitting him on his hip so the boy can cling onto his neck, pouting.

"My Papa," he whispers again, and Zayn just laughs, pressing a kiss to his head before he begins ushering the children to the table, sitting Niall in the chair beside Harry that he always likes to use, laying the table and teasing the kids as he goes along.

Louis watches with a fondness for the man he loves and their kids as he begins to dish up the food, setting the plates down in front of each of them one by one.

"Thank you Daddy," Harry says with a wide smile, and Niall watches him before he smiles too and nods.

"T'ank you!" He chimes.