1+1 Makes 3 | Niam

Chapter 45

Liam's p.o.v

"Do we really have to do this today?"

Sighing as he watched Liam battling with Kieran, the one year old refusing to sit in his pushchair and kicking Liam whenever he tried to get him to sit, Niall leant against the wall before closing his eyes. "Can't we go tomorrow, Li? I feel like shit and with Kieran like this, it's going to be a long day."

"Today is the last day the exhibits going to be in town, Ni, there is no other chance to go. It'll be fine, love, Kieran will snap out of it and we'll pick you up some paracetamol." Finally trapping Kieran in the pushchair, Liam straightened up, smiling halfheartedly at Niall before manoeuvring the pushchair and heading towards the door.

Trying not to frown, Niall followed Liam, wrapping his arms around himself as they made it into to lift, weakly returning Liam's smile when he noticed the worried look crossing the older guys face. "You're right, Li. It'll be fine. I've been wanting to go since it opened on Kieran's birthday, and it was only meant to be here for a month. Let's go."

********

Holding Kieran in his arms, Niall sighed as he walked along the gallery, stopping every so often and pointing out a different painting to the infant, nodding his head as Kieran babbled.

Leaning against one of the marble pillars that filled the room, Niall closed his eyes, trying to remember the last time he'd felt like this, only opening them when Kieran starting pointing at a sculpture, wriggling to be set free. "Yeah...... I know, lovebug. Pretty."

Catching up to Niall, Liam wrapped an arm around his waist, frowning at the look on Niall's face as he pressed a kiss to his forehead, taking Kieran out of his arms and strapping their son back into his pushchair before he asked "Hey, are you alright? If you really don't want to be here, we can go, love."

Shaking his head, Niall sighed again before pulling away and taking Liam's hand, leading him further down the gallery. "No, we should stay. Kieran seems to be enjoying it and I'd be fine if the paracetamol would start working."

"You still don't feel okay?" Raising an eyebrow, Liam squeezed Niall's hand, turning to face Niall as he actually noticed how awful the younger guy looked. Taking in how pale he looked, Liam pulled him closer, wrapping his arm back around his waist as they continued down the gallery. "We can leave, if you don't feel like staying... Is it a headache or what?"

Taking over pushing Kieran, Niall gripped onto the handles of the pushchair, wishing that whatever it was would go away as he said "I just generally feel like crap, Li. Nothing specific. Maybe.... can we go?"

"Sure, love. Lets go. " Nodding, Liam linked their fingers together before they turned and headed for the exit, the three of them heading towards the door when Niall knocked into a familiar looking brunette.

Looking up, the girl glared as she recognised who it was. "Liam. Hi."

Aware of Niall pulling his hand away from his and glaring at her, Liam stared at the girl, trying to think of the most appropriate response before he said "Sophia? How are you?"

Glaring, the dancer didn't seemed bothered that they were in the middle of the museum entrance or that there were still the odd photographers around, all of them stalking Liam, anxious to get a picture of the CEO with his family, all of them watching as Sophia ran a hand through her hair, practically spitting the words out as she said "Oh, I'm fine, just peachy...... You know, after I got over watching my boyfriend kissing a guy and all that. How are you, Liam?"

"Shit. Listen, Sophia, I am really sorry for how we... I ended things but can we not do this here?" Glancing at Sophia, Liam felt a stab of guilt as he remembered exactly how they'd broken up, trying to keep his voice down as he spoke. "We were just about to leave."

"No, we can do this now, since you're here." Glaring still, Sophia completely blanked Niall and Kieran, focusing her gaze on Liam as she continued. "Do you wanna start with how I walked into your apartment and caught you kissing the same freak you're with now, or how you got him pregnant when we were still together?"

Shaking his head, Niall grabbed the pushchair, throwing a dirty look Sophia's way as he turned to walk away, having had enough of the conversation, turning and taking the car keys off of Liam before he said "Li... You obviously need to talk so we'll see you at home."

Nodding, Liam watched as Niall left the museum, trying to resist the urge to follow him and instead taking Sophia by the arm and pulling her in the direction of the museums cafe, the two of them grabbing a table in the far corner before he looked her in the eye. "Let's start wherever you want to. I owe you that much."

"Just start with the apology, Liam."

"I'm sorry for everything, for how I treated you and for cheating on you. You didn't deserve that." Meeting Sophia's gaze, Liam ran a hand through his hair, waving the waiter away as one approached, waiting for her reaction as he spoke.

"You should be sorry. You cheated on me with a guy and you got him pregnant, let him move in with you and now he's your boyfriend and you're off playing happy families." Scoffing, the brunette leaned back in her seat, tapping her fingers on the table and listening as Liam said "Niall's my fiancé, actually. I am sorry for everything, though, Sophia. No-one deserves to be cheated on, but it just happened. The first night, we were both drunk and I was determined to forget about it. But then Niall called me a couple of months later, told me he was pregnant and a few weeks later, he hd nowhere else to stay so he moved in with me. I don't know how or when, but I fell for him and when you ended things with me and found out, things got messy. Niall still hates that I had a girlfriend and that he helped me cheat on you. And I am really sorry that you were treated like that."

Her tone softening, Sophia stopped glaring at him, taking in the guy sat in front of her, a different Liam to the one she knew, a Liam who actually cared about someone and wasn't going out with them because his mother had set them up, before she shook her head at him."But you don't regret it. And to you, none of it was a mistake."

"I don't regret it, you're right. I love him, and I'm sorry if I ever hurt you. Our son isn't a mistake, and you're right, I don't see any of it that way. It was simply bad timing." Having the decency to agree, Liam nodded, running a hand through his hair again before checking his watch, noting that Niall wold be probably nearly back at the flat by now and squeezing her shoulder slightly as he made to stand up. "I've gotta go."

Nodding, Sophia sighed a little, standing up and walking past Liam, heading in the opposite direction before saying "Okay. Bye, Liam."

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Opening the front door, Liam glanced around the flat, taking in the pair of sneakers abandoned in the middle of the kitchen and the way the pushchair had been left by the door before he headed into Kieran's room, checking that the one year old was asleep in his crib before he left the room, slowly shutting the door behind him.

Looking around the rest of the flat, Liam was about to call out when he noticed the door to their room was slightly open, entering and stopping in the door way when he saw Niall laid out on the bed, wrapped in a blanket with his face hidden in a pillow. "Ni?"

Not looking up, Niall mumbled something, his face still hidden, making it impossible for Liam to hear what he said. Coming closer, Liam sat next to Niall, running his fingers through the younger guys hair as he asked "Ni? What's wrong, love?"

Finally looking at Liam, Niall rubbed at his eyes, trying to hide the tears running down his face as he shrugged. "I don't know. I feel like shit and I want to slap her but I also hate myself."

"Is this because we saw Sophia? Is this about before Kieran was born and when I ended things with her?" Linking his fingers through Niall's, Liam wrapped his arms around him, sighing as Niall hid his face in his shoulder, letting him stay silent. "Niall... we've been through this. The only person who should hate themselves because of what happened is me. I was the one who cheated. You didn't know. Love..."

Pulling away from Liam, Niall picked up the pillow, hugging it closer to him before looking up at Liam. "I know. But I can't help it. I don't know, it's just..."

Wrapping his arms back around Niall, Liam ran his fingers over Niall's, twisting his engagement ring round his finger before kissing his cheek. "Niall... Have I ever told you how much I love you?"