"We're The Paylinsons!"

7.

Liam laughs before nodding his head and waving the boy off. He watches in adoration as his son runs off with his nephews. About to divert his attention back to the group of adults, something catches his gaze. He spots Zayn at the back table, quietly twirling his fork on his plate.

"Zayn why don't you go up with them?" Liam suggests kindly.

.

"And look at how fast my train set can go!" Harry lightly tapped his cousin Tom on the shoulder, indicating for him to watch. He then went on to press a button on his train set, proudly watching as the motorised trains raced around the faux trail racks.

Tom gasped in raw amazement as the little trains moved at a leisurely pace through the track, even making sounds of an actual train as they did so.

"Ben, come and get a load of this!" Tom gestured his elder brother over.

Ben made his way over to where Tom and Harry was. He eyed down the train set before scoffing and turning to Harry and saying, "Trains are for sissies."

At this, Zayn piped his head up from the book he had been reading. He also slightly shifted in his bed.

Harry furrowed his brow and retorted back. "Are not!"

Ben let out a deep throaty laugh. "I can't blame you, though. With your dads being poofs and all."

"Hey," Zayn said, dropping his book on his lap. "Don't talk about my dads like that!"

"Yeah!" Harry chimed in, puffing up his chest and glaring daggers at Ben.

Ben spun around and stalked over to where Zayn was, deeply nestled in his bunk bed. "What? It's not my fault that your dads are faggots!"

Zayn sucked in his breath. "What did you just call my dads?"

A smug expression rested on the elder cousin's face as he grabbed Zayn by his arm forearm, forcing him to stand up on his two feet. Ben proceeded to bunch Zayn's shirt in one of his fists. The black haired rose to his toes, struggling to remain standing. Ben being thirteen was not only physically stronger, but taller than Zayn.

"I called them faggots." Ben pulled Zayn closer, his breath lingering on the younger lad's somewhat frightened face.

"Come on, Ben. Put him down." Tom quietly demanded of his brother. Well, more like pleaded of him.

Harry butted in, charging for Ben. "You put him down right now!" The brown haired boy rammed himself in to Ben's hip, causing him to lose his grip on Zayn and tumble on to the floor.

Surely, this angered Ben and he wasted no time steadying himself on his feet and darting towards Harry. Just as he was about to grab the little boy by his shoulder, he felt an alien fist connect with his cheek.