married life ♡ niam au [COMPLETE]

day ninety-two // zayn & harry (pt. two)

"ohhhh, snap!" zayn cheers when niall hands him the ultrasound photo. zayn's smile widens with the photo in his hands, and niall lets out a few uncontrollable giggles at the look on his face. "oh my god," zayn coos in a softer voice, showing it to harry, who's holding elise.

"oh my god!" harry gasps.

"what that?" elise questions, trying to hoist herself higher in harry's arms so she can see. "uncwe wi and uncwe ni's havin' baby?"

"that's right, sweet pea," zayn smiles, kissing her little chubby cheek.

"what gon' name it?" elise questions, thumb in her mouth.

"zayn," zayn answers, grinning at liam and niall. "they're gonna name it zayn."

"what if it's giwl?" elise asks, twisting around so she can see harry.

zayn's grin widens. "still zayn. doesn't matter."

liam rolls his eyes, arm around niall's waist. "we're not naming our baby after you, zayn."

"sure you're not," zayn smiles.

elise wriggles to be put down, and toddles over to niall after harry puts her down. "c'n i say hi to baby?"

niall's expression softens, and liam lets out a laugh when he sees his husband's eyes fill with tears. everything is prone to making niall emotional lately, but elise being adorable is definitely going to emotionally wreck him. "of course, jellybean."

elise inches closer, making grabby hands toward niall's stomach. niall steps out of liam's grasp so that elise can touch, and she lets out a delighted giggle. "hi, baby!" she giggles, and then steps closer so she can whisper to it. "hope you'we a giwl," she whispers, and kisses niall's tiny pregnant belly.

niall whimpers, and then barely managed to clap his hands over his face before he lets out a loud sob. liam lets out a low chuckle before reaching for his husband, tucking him against his side.

"uncwe ni sad?" elise asks, turning to her fathers with horror on her face. "i maked uncwe ni cwyin'?"

"no, sweetheart," liam answers quickly, reaching one hand out to touch her soft, dark hair. "no, uncle ni is just a bit emotional lately. it's not your fault."

elise purses her lips, thinking. "needs captain buttcheek!" she announces proudly, scampering to the door where harry dropped her backpack of toys. zayn snorts out a laugh at the name of her beloved teddy bear. 

"i can't believe you named her stuffed bear that," harry mutters.

"i can't believe it stuck," zayn snickers.

not too much later, elise is back in the room, offering her stuffed bear to niall with the sweetest smile on her little face. 

"hewps when cwyin'," she explains, "his eaws awe soft, good fow wipin' eyes."

niall lets out a laugh, the sound thick with tears. liam chuckles again, kissing his forehead as he accepts the three-year-old's stuffed bear.

"thanks, you sweet little jellybean," he coos, leaning down to kiss her forehead. she practically purrs at the attention, which makes niall's eyes well up all over again.

liam bites back another chuckle, and niall elbows him in the side.

"quit laughin' at me, liam," he grumbles, looking like a child himself with elise's teddy bear tucked under his chin.

"sorry, baby, you're just so fucking cute." he presses a few kisses into niall's hair, and his hand, as if by reflex, goes up to rub niall's stomach. 

niall is smiling. "flynnigan zayn," he says, loud enough for zayn to hear him.

"no," liam says instantly, the rapidity of it making niall laugh.

"it has a nice ring to it," zayn notes, beaming. 

"it really does," niall adds.

liam glares at them both. "you guys are actually the worst.'

niall finally giggles. "i actually like it, though."

"i knew i liked you," zayn says to niall, wrapping the tiny blond up in his arms. he ruffles his hair, and niall glares at him.

- - -

the tv is playing softly in the background on the food network. niall's head is in liam's lap and he's stroking his hair, eyes trained on his husband's drowsy form rather than on the television. harry is slumped against zayn's side, elise in zayn's lap with her feet in harry's. he tickles her little toes every once in a while, smiles when she squeals with giggles. everything is quiet and warm, and niall drifts. five of the people he loves most in the world are with him right now, and nothing hurts.

when he opens his sleepy eyes, still drowsy, liam is gazing down at him, gaze fond, fingers gentle as they stroke his hair. "i love you," he murmurs, voice milky soft and muzzy. drowsy as he is, he's overflowing with it. he's warm all over.

liam's expression softens more somehow. "oh, baby," he coos. "i love you more."

and normally niall would fight this -- his cute little face would get all red, nose all wrinkled from frustration -- but not today. he'll let liam have it today, because he's sleepy, and because maybe liam should love him more every once in a while. maybe.

so he gives liam a little sleepy smile in response, and liam lets out a warm chuckle and kisses the end of his husband's nose.

"so glad i married you," liam continues, practically cooing. "i'm even more glad every day."

niall just hums, because he feels the same, scarily so, but he can't find the words right now. liam understands, of course, and is just dozing off himself when his phone rings. it startles everyone, elise enough to cry out.

"hello?" liam asks.

"hi, mr. payne, this is sarah, your case manager for your adoption?"

liam sits up straighter and taps niall's shoulder. niall shifts, groaning, but when he sees liam's expression, he sits up. liam puts the phone on speaker.

"yes, sarah? sorry, i had to make sure niall could hear, too. is everything okay?"

"everything's just fine, mr. payne. i just wanted to be the one to tell you personally that you've been approved for your adoption license! congratulations!"

niall is too excited for words, can only stare at everyone, wide-eyed and excited. "so what does that mean in terms of adoption timeframe?" he manages to say.

"it means you can expect a call as soon as someone that fits your request becomes available," sarah states, a smile in her voice, and then her voice is drowned out by sounds of delight from the payne-malik family, all five of them. tears are shed (mostly niall, but everyone really), and hugs and kisses are exchanged. soon there will be seven of them, seven people engulfed in one big love, and they are all overwhelmed by excitement and delight.