The Forgotten Child

20

"Harry they will be perfectly fine. We won't be gone for more than four or five hours. We need to get out and do some Christmas shopping for all three boys." Louis says to his anxious husband.

"But the boys haven't been left alone together in ages and what if something happens with Zayn?" Harry asks.

"Then they can call us, Lou, or Lauren. Zayn will just stay in his room and the only thing Liam and Niall have to do is make that he eats and does at least an hour of homework. We need to get out and do some Christmas shopping." Louis says and Harry nods as he resumes putting his shoes back on.

"I know, but it's like leaving your baby alone for the first time." Harry mutters and Louis rolls his eyes.

"He's eleven, not one. I'm going to go talk to the boys." Louis says as he tugs on his jacket and heads down the hallway to Zayn's room first. "Hey buddy, care to chat for a moment?" Louis asks as he sticks his head inside his stepsons bedroom.

"Are you guys leaving?" Zayn asks looking up from Harry's laptop he was borrowing to "write a paper" when, in reality, he was just watching animal videos off of YouTube.

"Yeah. I just want to make sure that you will be fine with Liam and Niall." Louis says and Zayn nods. "They won't mind if you ask for anything.  And you need to work on your homework for an hour, not watching funny animal videos, do actual work." Louis chuckles as he eyes the screen that was pulled up on the computer.

"Yeah okay." Zayn mumbles with a blush as he closes the screen.

"Alright. You can call us on the home phone if you need us. The numbers are on the fridge." Louis says as he stands up and heads out, Zayn mumbling an "okay" back. Louis heads to the game room where he can hear his two oldest sons yelling about some video game they were playing.

"Boys, pause the game." Louis says walking in. The two boys groan but still pause the game.

"You boys are still fine with being left alone with Zayn?" Louis asks and the two boys nod, "Make sure he does at least an hour of homework and try and spend some time with him."

"I'm in charge right?" the sixteen year old blonde boy asks with a smirk.

"Yes Niall, you are in charge." Louis groans.

"Then if I am in charge I say we can have a few friends over." Niall smiles and Louis smirks.

"You can each have one friend over, but that's it." Louis says and the two boys smile. "And make sure Zayn is included." Louis hollers as he heads out of the room.

"You ready?" Louis asks walking into his and Harry's bedroom.

"Yeah I guess." Harry says with a sigh. The two make their way out of the house with one last goodbye to each child.

-

It has been been about an hour since Harry and Louis have left and Liam was just now going to check on his stepbrother.

"Zayn?" Liam asks walking in to the foreign bedroom.

"Yeah?" Zayn mumbles, looking up from the paper he was currently typing.

"Um do you want to like come hang out with us?" Liam asks.

"Er sure." Zayn mumbles, getting up and following his stepbrother into the game room. He sat down at the end of the couch and watched as Liam and Niall continued their game. After a couple more minutes of watching Liam lose badly to Niall, the doorbell was ringing and the two older boys were getting up.

"Our friends are here. You can wait here if you want, we will be right back." Niall says and Zayn shrugs.

"I'm actually going to go work on my homework." Zayn says standing up.