1+1 Makes 3 | Niam

Chapter 19

Niall's p.o.v

"Are you sure you don't want me to find you an instruction booklet? There's no shame in admitting you can't put up the crib, Li. The store did offer to deliver it and get a guy to build it for a reason...."

Sitting awkwardly on the floor as he spoke, Niall glanced across at Liam, who was struggling with two prices of unassembled crib before pulling his sweatshirt over his head, adjusting his tee, jumping slightly as Liam finally succeeded in his battle, slotting the two prices together with a loud click.

Looking up, the older guy smirked, raising an eyebrow as he said "No instructions are needed, I got this. Trust me, I can assemble a crib, Ni. What time are Louis and Harry coming over?"

Trying not to stare at Liam, Niall sighed as he checked his phone, struggling to stand up before saying "Anytime now. Are you sure you've 'got this'? It's taken you three house to assemble... one leg of the crib."

"I've got this. After the cot, all that's left to do is move all the stuff we've bought in here and put them away." Deftly assembling the other three legs, Liam reached for a screw driver as he spoke, continuing to assemble the rest of the cot faster than it had taken him to build one leg before wiping his hands on his jeans.

Opening his mouth, Niall was about to reply when the door bell cut him off. Starting in the direction of the door, he stopped, frowning slightly as he asked "You will be nice, right?"

Standing, Liam walked past Niall, kissing his cheek before beating him to the doorway as he said "I'll be nice, I swear."

"You'd better be." Wrapping his arms around his stomach, Niall stood back as Liam opened the door, leaning back against the wall as his best friend bounded into the room, followed by a less enthusiastic Harry, both of them laden down with carrier bags full of baby clothes or toys - Louis's slightly unnecessary contribution towards his godson's cache of supplies.

Reaching out and putting an arm around him, Louis pulled Niall closer towards him as he asked "He'd better be what, Ni?"

Staring at the still noticeable pink streak in his best friends hair, Niall exchanged a look with Louis before sitting down onto the couch, motions for Liam to talk to Harry before saying "Not important, Lou. How much stuff did the two of you get?"

Following Liam into the kitchen, Harry smiled as he shrugged, nodding stiffly at something Liam asked before he said "As Lou says, it's nothing. He's been buying stuff since you told him he could be godfather. There's a onesie somewhere, that he bought months ago."

"Hazza!" Frowning over at his boyfriend, Louis flipped him off before saying "It was not bought months ago! I bought most of the stuff a few weeks ago..."

Walking over from the kitchen, Harry nodded, kneeling behind the sofa, kissing the back of Louis's neck before he said "Mhmm, keep saying that babe. I'm gonna guess you haven't told Ni how you ended up with a pink streak in your hair, either."

Smiling as Liam joined them, Niall accepted the glass of smoothie he was handed, kissing Liam's cheek before muttering "You haven't, you know. You keep saying that you'll tell me how in Gods name you of all people ended up dyeing your hair pink, but you haven't said."

"It's a long story." Shrugging, Louis bounced up and down in his seat, tapping his feet along the floor as he spoke, seemingly on a caffeine high, gasping as he noticed Liam's change in attire. "Hang on, hang on, Liam, are you wearing something other than a suit? I didn't know you actually owned other clothes, you know, that weren't suits. It's a miracle."

Tugging at the hem of his plain white t-shirt, Liam smiled slightly as Niall elbowed Louis, leaning backwards into Liam as he said "Li has got other clothes, Lou. He's been letting me wear his since mine started not fitting."

Linking fingers with Harry, Louis looked thoughtful, trying to remember backlit that long ago trio into Liam's closet as he said "True.... I had forgotten that. Hey, how's the nursery coming along? You said that you two had finished painting it... Can we see?"

Nodding, Liam helped Niall up off of the couch, adjusting the waistband of his jeans before saying "Yeah, I don't see why not, we just need to move the last of the baby clothes into it, the walls are finished and I just assembled the crib, everything else is sorted."

Stumbling into the baby's room, Louis smiled as he took in the pale green walls, decorated to look like a forest, and the matching furniture, almost squealing as he noticed the dark wooded crib, running a hand along the intricate wooden design as he exhaled loudly, clearly forgetting his previous comments about being way too young for a family as he said "This is what I want. It's beautiful Niall, really amazing. He's going to love this room."

Still reeling over Louis' comment about what he wanted, Harry didn't think as he said "Yeah, but what if the baby never gets to use it, or needs it?"

"Haz!" Elbowing him, Louis bit his lip as both Niall and Liam's smiles faltered, silently glaring at his boyfriend before saying "As I said, he's going to love it."

Wrapping an arm around Niall's waist, Liam kissed the top of his head, muttering something that only the two of them could hear before saying "Thanks Lou, the design was Ni's idea, it is pretty neat. Perfect for him."

Sitting into the rocking chair in one corner of the room, Louis glanced around at the sofa bed opposite the cot and the wooden toy chests lining the walls, smiling again as he asked "Have you decided on a name yet? I'm still rooting for Louis..."

Sitting on the sofa bed, Niall leant into Liam's side, as the two of them said "We've narrowed it down to two names, Kieran or Aidan, with our middle name."

"So, no Louis James Payne?" Sticking his tongue out at Niall and Liam, Louis pouted as he spoke, trying to lighten the mood, for which Niall was eternally grateful.

Struggling to stand, Niall muttered something to Liam before exiting the nursery and heading towards the kitchen, leaving the three of them sat together, all of them awkwardly silent until Harry muttered "I'm so sorry about that.... I didn't mean to say it, tell Niall I'm sorry?"

Nodding, Liam was about to say something when he heard Niall swear. Going to check on him, Liam bit his lip, stopping in his tracks as he noticed the pool of liquid surrounding Niall's feet.

Looking up at him, the younger boy sounded panicked as he asked "That was supposed to happen, right?"

Nodding, Liam took his hand before saying "I think...... your water just broke."