married life ♡ niam au [COMPLETE]

day fifty-four // apartment hunting

"what kind of place are we looking for?" liam asks, pulling out his laptop. niall is eating yogurt at the table as liam sits across from him. 

"i forgot about that," niall mumbles. "um...i guess it has to have three bedrooms, right? i mean, one for each of the kids. and then us."

liam nods, adding that in his email to the realtor. "is there anything you really, really want? should we look for houses, too?"

niall nods excitedly. "but if you pick a place that someone died in, i'm taking the kids and running in the night."

liam snorts. "you're such a dork. why would i wanna live somewhere someone died?" he adds that to the email when niall begs him to, though. "anything else, sweetheart?"

"i don't think so," niall responds after thinking for a second. "yeah, no, i don't think so."

"okay." liam sends the email and then stands, leaning over to kiss niall's forehead before he puts his laptop away in their room. "ni?"

"mmm?" niall calls back, finishing off his yogurt.

"c'mere." niall gets up with a sigh, making his way back to the bedroom. liam is sprawled on the bed, and he pats the empty spot next to him. niall rolls his eyes, fond, but curls up next to him. liam smiles, large, warm hand rubbing niall's stomach. 

"hi, baby," liam coos to niall's stomach, cocking his head to press a kiss to it. "daddy loves you."

niall wrinkles his nose. "who says you get to be daddy?"

liam smirks. "you, that one time i was fu --"

"liam!" niall nudges him, and liam laughs. "i did not!"

"deny it all you want," liam says, still smirking, and niall squeezes his eyes shut because it makes his stomach twist. niall shifts so he's laying on his back, and he rubs his stomach.

"how weird," he mumbles, "there's a baby in there."

"right?" liam responds, half-laughing. "dick game so strong."

niall snorts. "what is it with you today? you're making so many inappropriate jokes."

"i don't know," liam shrugs, still smiling. "i'm just proud of my dick today, i guess."

"you're a huge dork."

"you love me."

"weird but true." niall laughs, and liam watches, gaze fond. he is so in love with this guy it's stupid. "what? why are you staring at me?"

liam shakes his head. "it's just crazy."

"what?"

"i've not known you longer than i've known you, but you're still the most important person in my life. like, it's crazy how much i love you. i expect it to lessen, you know -- i mean, it's been literal years -- but it doesn't, and i --" he pauses.

"what?" niall asks, very soft.

liam shakes his head, tiny smile on his face. "i don't know, darling. it's just a little startling, how much i love you."

niall beams. "i love you, too," he whispers. he doesn't know how else to say it. "i'm not as good with words as you are -- i try, but...well, i'm not. but i know that you'll always catch me when i fall, and that's enough."

"unless i trip you."

"you better not trip me anymore, i'm pregnant."

"fuck, that's true. damn it." liam lets out a feigned weary sigh. "what will my source of joy be now!?"

niall just smiles, rolls over so his face is smushed against liam's chest. he can smell his cologne, the safest smell, and he is so happy he can feel it in his throat, glowing, warm. he is dozing off to sleep when liam's phone rings, jolting him awake. he lets out a tired whine and liam hushes him, rubbing his back.

"hello?"

niall can faintly hear the realtor's voice on the other end of the phone. "hi, liam? this is tyler."

"hi, tyler." liam shifts to get out of the bed, not wanting to wake niall up by talking on the phone, but niall grabs his shirt so he can't move. with a fond eye roll, he lays back down, rubbing niall's back. besides, liam's voice is the most soothing sound to niall. "you called back so fast, i wasn't expecting that."

tyler laughs. "yeah, i just wanted to make sure i had a good grasp on what you're looking for. so -- three bedroom place, right? are you opposed to a house versus an apartment?"

"uh -- no, as long as it's in our price range, i suppose."

"okay, cool." they keep talking, but niall dozes off as the conversation goes on, trusting liam fully.