How Fast the Night Changes

I Was Running Far Away (Would I Run Off The World Someday?)

I Was Running Far Away (Would I Run Off The World Someday?)

Words:
7k

Family:
Zayn as Papa,
Liam as Dad,
Harry as their fifteen year old son,
And Louis&Niall as their nine year old twins.

Description - Based on the following prompt from @foreverundecided
"A fic where Liam and Zayn adopted Harry when he was born; when he turns fifteen, they adopt nine year old twins Louis and Niall to complete their family. They come from a physically and mentally abusive background, and both have PTSD and anxiety; they're both quiet and mostly only speak to each other. After living with their new family for a while, the boys decide to run away."

Warnings for this Chapter:
Descriptions of past abuse, both mental and physical. Descriptions of mental illness including PTSD and anxiety, specifically in young children. Other than that, this is mostly fluff!

Enjoy ;)

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It's gone ten at night when the twins officially move in with Zayn and his husband, Liam. They've had the two nine year olds over for visits over the past couple of weeks and have been through all the paperwork making them a legal part of the family. And now they're here, permanently, and Zayn is a mixture of terrified and excited.

He pushes his own flux of emotions aside though, in favour of greeting the two small boys, crouching down in front of them with a warm smile. He knows to remain slow and steady and not make any sudden movements around Niall and Louis.

They flinch at the slightest unexpected shadow, and Zayn doesn't want to take any chances in scaring them.

"Hey, honeys. How're you both feeling?" He asks softly.

The twins are holding hands tightly, both with their little rucksacks containing everything the have on their backs, looking tired. Niall chews his lip whilst Louis moves his free hand up to play with the strap of his backpack, looking down at the floor.

"You must be tired, huh?" Liam says from behind him, staying where he is so as not to overcrowd the boys.

Louis nods. "It's after bed time," he says quietly.

"Do we hafta go right to bed?" Niall asks in an equally small volume.

Zayn smiles. "Well, that depends. Have you boys eaten dinner yet?"

Both of them mutely shake their heads.

Suppressing an angered huff at that - because of course, the social worker hadn't made sure the boys had eaten before bringing them here - Zayn glances over his shoulder at Liam and then turns back to the boys with a tight smile.

"Then we'll get you something to eat before bed, okay? No going to sleep on an empty tummy in this house," he tells them. "What would you both like?"

Niall shuffles from one foot to the other, glancing at Louis, and then Louis looks back at Zayn and shrugs his shoulders up to his ears, cheeks turning pink. "We - we like anything. S'okay."

Hating how afraid the two boys seem to ask for even the slightest of things, Zayn keeps his smile in place and nods, not wanting to pressure them at all.