Chapter Thirty Eight

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Once they're in the kitchen Zayn starts to pace and Liam watches him confused, "Zee?" he asks carefully, reaching out to grab his arm and stop his pacing as he gets close. Zayn sighs pulling his arm free and sinking into a chair, Liam follows suit and waits for Zayn to speak. "I was going to call you but I didn't have my phone with me and Bella wouldn't let me leave to go get it, plus we handled it okay" Zayn says playing with his fingers and Liam nods, understanding completely. "Okay and what has she been asking about?" Liam asks. Zayn groans, biting his lip, and running a hand through his hair, Liam watches as Zayn appears to be battling with himself whether or not to tell Liam. But before Zayn can answer Bella comes padding into the room, "Daddy?" she asks, "yeah, Bells" Liam hums, "you love Baba?" she asks and Zayn groans. Liam furrows his eyebrows and nods his head "yes, I love Baba" he answers slowly and Bella nods, "then why not live Baba?" she pouts. Liam's eyes widen as he glances to Zayn who has dropped his face into his hands, "Grandma loves Grandpa. Live together. Why not live Baba?" Bella asks again her tiny eyebrows scrunching together. "Because Baba and I haven't really talked about that yet" Liam stumbles, Bella looks unimpressed with his answer, but before she can protest Zayn speaks, "Bella? Why don't you go finish your movie, I need to talk to Daddy" he asks. Bella whines but nods her head and turns around, leaving the room.

Liam waits until he's sure Arabella is completely gone before he looks at Zayn who is chewing his lip in nervous thought, "that's what she's been asking all week, isn't it?" Liam asks gently. Zayn sighs, releasing his lip and nodding slowly, "yes. Several times a day" he mumbles. Liam nods, getting up to sit closer to Zayn, who looks up at him, "we could you know" Liam murmurs, deciding without really thinking, because honestly he's been dreaming of coming home to Zayn and Bella at night since they started seeing each other. Zayn furrows his eyebrows, "could what?" he asks carefully, and Liam sighs, "live together, you and Bella could move in with me" he murmurs. "Li, thank you, but are you serious? We've only been together for like six months" Zayn groans,and Liam shrugs, "yeah I'm serious. Move in with me Zayn" he states and Zayn's eyes widen again. "But isn't it too soon?" Zayn asks and Liam shrugs, "not if we know it's right, and I know I want to come home to you, and to Arabella. Please Zayn?" Liam begs a little, but he's not ashamed, he wants this. "Zayn, please. I love you. And Bella, please move in with me?" Liam asks again, reaching out for Zayn's hand. Zayn sighs biting his lip, "I love you too Liam. Can I think about it? This is a big step" he mumbles. Liam nods, because although that's not the yes he wants, he understands, and it wasn't a no, "yeah, of course you can think about it" he answers. Zayn nods, smiling, leaning over to kiss him, "thank you" Zayn murmurs against his lips and Liam smiles hoping that Zayn's answer will be yes.

Liam decides he's not going to mention Zayn moving in with him again, he's going to wait for the younger to bring it up on his own, he wants to give him time to really think about it, although he also really hopes the answer is yes. They've joined Arabella in the living room again to finish out the movie, and while Liam is watching Tangled he can tell Zayn is off in his own world, over-thinking things if he had to guess. The credits for the movie start to roll and Bella is suddenly bouncing across the couch into Liam's lap, "Daddy" she calls as she does, "yes?" Liam asks arching an eyebrow at her, "play toys?" she asks him, gesturing to her toy box across the room. Liam groans, because he loves her, and would love to play with Bella but he really doesn't want to play with princesses right now, "why don't we play hide and seek instead?" he offers. Bella chews her lip as she thinks about it before nodding excitedly, Zayn grins "you can hide in that place Uncle Louis showed you, where Baba couldn't find you" he suggests. Liam watches Bella's eyes light up at the thought before she nods excitedly and dives out of Liam's lap, "Daddy, you count" she instructs waiting for Liam to comply and close his eyes. Liam laughs lightly as he starts counting slowly, and can hear Bella's giggling and running footsteps.

"Seriously Zayn, where is she?" Liam asks, again, he's been looking for the toddler for ten minutes now, and has so far been unsuccessful in finding her anywhere in Zayn and Louis' apartment. Zayn laughs, shrugging his shoulders, "I honestly don't know Liam. Louis helped her hide there last time and I never found her" he answers, before turning his attention back to his phone. Liam wonders who he's been texting, but at the same time doesn't want to pry, give him some privacy, and time to think. "Helpful" Liam mutters, just as he hears muffled giggling coming from the kitchen. He leaves Zayn and his phone to head into the smaller room, pausing to listen for sounds of the energetic two year old, he hears giggling and shuffling coming from one of the cupboards over the sink, and he furrows his eyebrows wondering how she got up there. "I wonder where Bella is?" Liam asks loudly, before gently pulling open the cupboard, "aha I found you!" he exclaims. Arabella pouts, reaching out for Liam to help her down, "no fair Daddy" she whines and he chuckles, "why no fair? It took me fifteen minutes to find you" he explains. Bella plays with his hair gently before nodding "fine, no tell Baba?" she asks, looking around and Liam laughs, "fine I won't tell Baba, so you can hide there again when you play with him" he grins, carrying Bella back into the living room.

 "Look who I found" Liam exclaims dumping Bella onto the couch beside Zayn, who drops his phone to grin at them "did Daddy find your hiding place?" he asks. Bella pouts nodding her head and snuggling into Zayn a little. Liam watches as Zayn wraps an arm around her and drops a kiss to her hair, "Bella I have a question" Zayn says suddenly, and Liam's eyebrows furrow in confusion, as Bella nods and Zayn bites his lip. "How would you like to live with Daddy, at his house? It would mean we don't live here with Uncle Louis anymore" Zayn asks carefully and Liam's eyes widen, he had no idea Zayn was going to ask the toddler's opinion. Bella looks between Zayn and Liam for a moment before climbing onto Zayn's lap and squishing his face between her tiny hands, "bring toys?" she asks, Zayn grins nodding "and Castle?" Bella asks. Zayn laughs "yes bug. We'd bring all your stuff it would just be at Daddy's house instead of here" he explains. Liam watches nervously as Bella appears to be thinking because he knows even if Zayn was leaning towards saying yes, if Arabella decides against it that's it Liam loses. "I say yes" Bella says decidedly nodding her head and releasing Zayn's cheeks as she does, Liam lets out a breath and waits for Zayn's next words. The younger man turns so he's looking at Liam, a small smile playing on his lips, "there's your answer Li" he mumbles, and Liam's eyes widen, "really?" he asks, and Zayn nods slowly, "really" he answers, "we'll move in with you" Zayn adds and Liam can't help it he pulls Zayn into his arms, scooping Bella up as well, squeezing them both into a tight hug.

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A/N: Look an update! Sorry this took a while I was having a crappy couple of weeks, but hopefully it's all good now. 
These chapters are both mostly fluff...but Ziam are moving in together!!! 
Anyways let me know what you thought, 
Until next time 
xoxo



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