The Malikson Family

Just how fast the night changes

Louis POV

"One.. Two.. Twee... Five .. Six"
"Niall, what happened to four?" I chuckled as the toddler furrowed his light eyebrows in confusion as he sat on my lap facing me.
"Amm, he wrunned away"
"But why?"
"Because, all the othewr numbers was being mean to him and he wrunned away"
I kissed his little head as I chuckled at his explanation. It would take Niall to come up with an excuse like that. His imagination never failed to amaze me.
"Daddy, when li-li come back?"
"As soon as school ends. You still have a few more hours to play before that happens though, why bud?" I asked as I combed my stubby fingers through his wispy hair.
"Becawse hawwy can't pway with me and I wan' pway footbawll" he pouted, his bottom lip jutting out in the cutest fake sad face I'd ever seen. He looked adorable!
"Well Harry can play but your idea of playing and his are very VERY different" I explained, breaking into 'tickle monster' mode and tickling his sides and tummy as he rolled around with his head thrown back in laughter, his face going as red as a tomato in the process. As he squirmed and wriggled beneath my playful touch i shouted "THE TICKLE MONSTERS BACK!!" which only coaxed more high pitched giggles from my toddler.
"n-no d-d-daddy haha s-s-stop" he laughed, obviously loving the attention being on him like it used to be. "only if you say the magic word."
"tank wu"
"not that one"
"pweas?"
"what am i?"
"the bessest daddy in da whoooole worwld"
"thats my boy! now, pop your shoes on and ill play football with you." I praised as he scurried off in his awkward toddler run to try find his Nike roche trainers that doniya bought him.
Meanwhile I set up Harry's play pen outside and put his bouncer inside for support. I don't want him to hurt himself while I entertain Niall. Some fresh air would really do him the world of good anyway, he's been cooped up inside all week with a bit of a sniffle.
"Does daddy's baby wanna go play outside? Of course he does! Say, of course I do daddy." I cooed in that high pitched voice that emerged when talking to kids. His gorgeous green eyes erupted with an innocent brightness as he screeched and giggled at me. I took him up in one arm and cuddled him close, feeling a ring of drool through my t-shirt. Fatherhood manages to get extremely repulsive sometimes but his chubby little hands and cheeks decorated with the most breathtaking dimples immediately cancel out the disgustingness.. Or else I'm just whipped.
"Mmm, are you starting to teeth mr. Malikson? Because if you are daddy and papa can forget about going to sleep. Yeah, and your brothers won't be too impressed either." He flailed his legs around the place and just laughed cutely as I kissed his wispy hair and took his blue blanket, dummy and some toys as clumpy footsteps echoed from the floor above my head as Niall ram back to the kitchen.
"I gots my wunners but I can't put dems on!" He huffed childishly.
"Hang on, go get your coat while I help Harry and then we'll put your shoes and coat on and go outside alright?" He only nodded in response, toddling off to the utility room in search of his blue jacket.
Harry sat peacefully in his bouncer as he gripped onto his soft toy cube with his other favourites all around him in case the cube just wasn't striking it with him today. The light net was drawn over his playpen so that no wasps or bugs could get into him and hurt my baby.
It's hard to believe it's been four months already. Looking at him now as he chews on his stuffed toys and flails his arms and legs about wildly with an absolutely beautiful gummy smile, it's almost impossible to believe that he was a sickly baby in the beginning of his little life. And then Niall is only 4 months off being 3 and going off to play school and finding his own feet. He just looks too small to be going into any form of a school and carrying a backpack that will probably have a massive picture of George from Peppa pig across it. I'm not even going to think about Liam or I'll start crying, my first born, about to become a father before he even finishes school. He's so strong, independent and caring that I know he will be an amazing father but it's his stubborn streak and impatience that will prove a challenge. Hopefully he wouldn't regret this baby, no child deserves that from their father.
"Daddy.... I weady! Cmon!" The toddler cheered, interrupting my thoughts as he ran through the patio doors as fast as his chubby legs would carry him.
"Woah, slow down nialler! You still have to go get your football from the play room" I chuckled as he made a mad dash back inside to get his beloved ball.
"You go dat way and I'll go over hewre" he babbled as he pointed in all directions and tried to map out the grass area in his head as if he knew what he was doing but obviously he'd only seen it on 'soccer Am' so he was just making up areas and whatnot. It was extremely cute to be honest.
He finally got into position after a lot of deliberation and kicked the ball with all his might only for it to barely reach 3 feet in front of him.
"And Niall approaches the ball but can he get it past daddy's goal.." I commentated causing him to laugh and end up abandoning the game for a few seconds to giggle. When he finally returned to the game I had to pretend to be tackled and tricked and shocked whenever he got the ball into the net.
"And he shoots...... HE SCORES!  The crowd goes wild for Niall Malikson!" I cheered as I scoped him up and threw his body in the air gently as he laughed heartily and cuddled close as soon as he was back in his dad's arms.
"1-0 to Niall but can daddy whip his bum in the next goal?"
"NO! Niawll will win daddy!" He chuckled as he looked to go back onto the grass.
"Game on Niall, game on"

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Zayns POV

As I turned the key in the door the sounds of Niall and Louis' laughter filled the air around the house. It would be a lie to say it wasn't music to my ears.
As the door swung open Liam and Sophia took off up the stairs, chatting aimlessly about something to do with Mr. Ryan and his dodgy looking shirt.
I couldn't help the grin that stretched across my face just from listening to them as I walked into the kitchen, leaving down my bag and keys and walked straight out through the open patio doors.
The most amazing smell of freshly cut grass hit my nose with quite a refreshing force as I leaned against the wall of the house, observing my two footballers as they ran around and fought for the ball, Louis leaving Niall have it every so often to stop him getting upset.
A weak cry caught my attention causing me to notice the playpen with some netting strewn over it. It also seemed to get Louis attention too as he looked over in my direction for the first time so far.
"I've got him babe, you two look like you need to go into extra time"
"Extra time finished a half and hour ago, now it's penalties for your information but thanks babe" he winked before running off with the ball, earning a shriek of excitement from Niall.
"Awww, what's the matter with my little pudding? What's gotten you all riled up, eh? You must be hungry, love." I cooed as his cries got a little louder.
Within a few minutes he was nestled in the crook of my elbow, bottle in mouth and his fingers knotted in the tag of his blankie. His green eyes gazed up into my brown ones with a look of confusion, as if to say 'your not my daddy, my daddy normally feeds me at this time.' I just kissed his delicate head in response and earned myself the cutest little coo from the 4 month old.
"You're gonna be quite the charmer when you're all grown up, son. Mark my words, you've already enchanted us all." I whispered too him softly, leaving him wrap his unused hand around my Pointer finger.
"But then again so have Liam and Niall" Louis added, walking into the house caked with grass stains and muddy knees, Niall sporting a similar look in his arms.
"Now what do you want for dinner, red pepper stew or Shepard's pie?"
"We haven't had Shepard's pie in a while."
"That it is so. How was work?"
"Alright, same old same old. Josh's wife is gone to Budapest for the weekend so he suggested we go out and have a few beers in town at the weekend so I think i'll go" I shrugged, tilting the bottle up some more to prevent air bubbles.
"Sounds good, try not to get wasted again this time, yeah?" He teased with that cheeky grin of his.
"That was a one off. And it was only because there was some guy who kept buying us rounds."
As I finished talking Harry finished his bottle, spitting it out and wriggling around as if he were uncomfortable so he probably has quite a bit of wind trapped in that squishy little tummy of his.
"Lou, burp rag please" I murmured as Louis threw it over to me as he watched me position and rub circles on the baby's warm back.
"Mortgage payments due for tomorrow, any chance you could pay it this week? Haz has his vaccinations again so we'll have to come straight home I'd say." He Louis sighed, kissing Nialls mucky cheek as he cuddled into his daddy.
"Alright. Is Maura minding Niall so?"
"Yeah"
"That's Perf-" I was interrupted by a massive belch earning a laugh from Louis.
"Well that was impressive"

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Niall only needed a quick bath to send him off to sleep after dinner. He was wrecked! But unfortunately his younger brother was the complete opposite.
We tried bouncing him up and down, rocking him, shushing him, running his tummy, rubbing his back, dipping his dummy in some orange juice, lying on Louis bare chest, everything but he was beyond upset. Nothing could console him at the moment.
"How about a drive? That might work." Louis sighed in frustration.
"Can you take him? I have like 30 tests to correct and classes to plan"
"You know what? Fine. You're gone all day, you barely spend time with the youngest two because work controls your damn life and as they say, if you want something done properly do it yourself" he seethed and he stormed out of the room, baby in his arms and car keys in the other from where he picked them up beside the front door.
"Lou, wait!"
"No zayn, I'm sick of waiting." And with that he stomped out the door, slamming it shut behind him.
The whole house was engulfed in an eery silence. A silence that was only broken by the sound of tyres on gravel.