I think I like Zayn and Liam too much. I don't want to like them lots. Then when I have to leave I'll be sad and cry and the kids at the next place will just laugh and remind me that I wasn't anything to them because they let me get sent away and real parents don't do that. I wish I had real parents.
The next week was hard on all of them. Niall closed in on himself more, stayed on his own more and always looked incredibly depressed. Zayn and Liam had both found wet sheets and pyjamas hidden in various places around his room every morning and every morning they washed them and returned them to the exact same spot without a word to Niall. They weren't comfortable taking him out yet because he was still so skittish they were worried that he might run off and get hurt. So while Liam worked Zayn stayed in with Niall and when Liam wasn't working he stayed in with Niall while Zayn went out to run errands and get away for a bit.
Finally though, Louis called them and demanded that they go to coffee with him and Harry so that they could meet the 'new baby' as Louis had referred to Niall. After mulling it over they'd figured that Niall would have to go out sooner or later, so why not to the little coffee shop with them, Harry and Lou?
So here they were, Liam and Zayn waiting by the door as Niall sat on the couch and struggled with his shoes, a deep frown on his face as he couldn't seem to tie the knot right.
'Ni? You need some help with that?' Zayn asked, crouching in front of him. Niall looked up and sighed sadly before sticking his foot out to Zayn and looking away. Zayn made quick work of tying both shoes before he picked Niall up and settled him on his hip.
'All good?' Liam asked, pulling out his keys.
'Think so. Need the loo Niall?' Zayn asked, getting a dark blush and a shake of the head from Niall.
'Let's go then.' Liam said, holding the door for Zayn and locking it behind them. It was a short walk to the small shop so they left the car in the carpark and made small talk as they walked. Liam held the door for Zayn again as they entered the shop and Zayn headed for their booth at the back while Liam went to everyone their usual's from the counter.
Zayn sat with Niall in his lap and looked up when the bell above the door dinged, signalling the entrance of Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles. Louis was wearing his usual skinnies and toms with a striped shirt while Harry looked like he'd woken up in a strangers' bed and just thrown on the same clothes from the night before. His hair was an absolute mess, his Ramones shirt was wrinkled beyond recognition and his jeans sat much too low on his hips for Zayn's liking.
'Zayn!' Louis exclaimed when he saw him, grinning ear to ear and rushing over. 'I was beginning to think you'd died mate!'
'You talked to him on the phone you twat.' Harry pointed out as they slid in across from Zayn, seeing Niall for the first time. 'Aw, you must be Niall.'
Louis gasped as he sat beside Harry and looked at Niall for the first time. 'Hi Niall!' He exclaimed, going right into big brother mode. It didn't matter that all of his sisters were grown up now he still loved kids and did really well with them. 'I'm Louis and this is Harry.'
Niall watched them nervously, sucking on his thumb as he looked over the tall one and the curly one. The curly one was quiet but had a nice voice and the other one was kind of loud but still seemed nice. He looked up as Liam placed a small cup and a plate with something weird looking on it in front of him.
'Boys.' Liam said, slipping in beside Zayn. 'Been a while. How are you?'
'The same.' Louis said, accepting a coffee from Liam. 'You?' Liam just shrugged in response and glanced at Niall. He was staring at his Danish as he tried to figure out what it was and how to eat it. Deciding to leave him to his own devices he turned back to Louis while Harry focused on Niall.
'You gonna eat that?' He asked bluntly. Niall frowned at him and pulled the plate away from Harry. 'Cause if you're going to you eat it like this.' He said, plucking Louis' from his plate and taking a huge bite out of the corner before setting it down again.
Louis looked absolutely horrified and was about to chew Harry out until Niall giggled. Niall was looking at Harry, who was grinning and had powdered sugar all over his face and was giggling.
'See?' Harry asked. 'Just like that.'
'Or.' Louis said, leaning over and taking Harry's Danish. 'Like this!' He took a huge bite out of the side of the pastry before putting it back down on his best friends' plate. Harry looked less than impressed but Niall was giggling like mad, clutching his stomach leaning forward while tears leaked out the edges of his eyes.
'I know, Louis is pretty funny looking.' Harry said, nodding seriously. Louis rolled his eyes and leaned forward on the table.
'And yet he still fancies me.' Louis mock whispered to Niall, who giggled again from behind his thumb. Harry blushed and smacked Louis upside the head, causing his beanie to go flying towards Niall. Niall picked it up and looked at it curiously before sticking it on his teddy's head and smiling excitedly at Louis and Harry.
'Oh my, what great taste in hats that lovely bear has!' Louis exclaimed, pretending to be quite impressed.
'Does he have a name?' Harry asked. Niall shook his head and looked down at the bear curiously.
'What!' Harry gasped. 'He needs a name! Can we help you name him Niall?' Niall thought for a moment before nodding excitedly.
'Okay... Is he a boy?' Louis asked. Niall looked between the bears legs and nodded, causing Liam to almost choke on his coffee and Zayn to snicker.
'So he needs a boy name then.' Louis said, keeping a serious face. Niall nodded, sitting up straighter as he tried to copy Louis' serious demeanor.
'What about Harry?' Harry asked. Niall giggled and shook his head. Harry pouted and Niall giggled again.
'What about George?' Louis asked. Niall thought about it and then shook his head.
'Trevor?' Harry tried, again Niall shook his head.
'Jason?' Louis asked, again it was no.
'Quincy?' Harry offered, no again.
'Nelson?' Louis asked. Niall winced and shook his head.
'Joey?' Harry asked, starting to feel a little short. Niall gasped and started to nod eagerly.
'Alright!' Louis exclaimed. 'Joey it is!'
'Nice to meet you Joey.' Harry said, leaning over and shaking Joey's paw. Niall giggled as Louis did the same. He started to eat his Danish, always offering some to Joey before taking a bite. After he was done he looked over at Harry and Louis' pastries hungrily, he hadn't eaten much the past week. Harry laughed and held it out to him. Niall's eyes lit up excitedly and he leaned over, taking a bite of the pastry and then holding Joey out to take a bite too.
Liam just shook his head as he watched the three of them interact, Niall was covered in powder moments later and all three Danishes were gone but at least he was laughing. Zayn kept his hands on Niall's stomach as he leaned forward across the table so that he wouldn't fall and hurt himself. He almost got smacked in the face though when Harry's phone buzzed on the table, startling Niall so that he jumped backwards into Zayn's chest.
'It's just a cell phone babe.' Zayn soothed, rubbing his back. Niall looked up at him and frowned, he had no idea what a cell phone was. Zayn pulled out his own and handed it to Niall to play with and examine. From across the table Louis grinned, seeing that Niall was holding Zayn's phone he pulled out his own and sent a video call to him. Niall gasped when music started to play and the phone lit up, he quickly showed it to Zayn, who laughed.
'Louis' calling you!' He exclaimed, smiling at Niall. 'Why don't you answer it love?'
Niall looked confused but pressed the green button, gasping loudly when Louis' face showed up on the screen.
'Hi Niall!' Louis laughed. Niall's mouth hung open as he pressed the phone to his ear to listen and then pulled it away to look at the video chat again. Bouncing excitedly he leaned over and showed the phone to Liam.
'I see!' Liam told him. 'Louis is pretty silly, isn't he?'
Niall giggled again and nodded, showing the screen to Zayn then Harry as Louis made faces at him on the phone. Zayn held him on his lap as Niall showed Louis Joey and gestured wildly with his hands and the bear; Louis nodded along and commented where acceptable, clearly understanding the silent story Niall was telling him.
xXx
Over the following week Niall was more cheerful and happy, he still wasn't speaking at all but he wasn't as scared of the toilet and bath time came a bit easier, though it still resulted in a few tears. Zayn and Liam had also found a new positive reward; Harry and Lou. Niall had taken quite the shine to them so now whenever Michael Buble was wearing a bit thin or Niall was getting under foot they would set up a face time call with Louis or Harry and he'd wander around the house with the phone, showing them every single room, nook and cranny in the place. And for when both men were working Zayn showed Niall the camera function and the blonde sent them photos of everything; Liam and Zayn from odd angles, selfies of him and Joey, his food, him eating his food, the telly, the posters on the wall, the pictures of the four of them at Liam and Zayn's wedding and even one or two of the cat, Gizmo. Louis thought the best was the one Zayn had emailed him; Niall was sitting under the table with a cookie in each hand and grinning at the camera excitedly, crumbs covering his face and shirt. He was just excruciatingly adorable and none of them could figure out how other foster parents could let him fall through the cracks the way he had.
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Ohana
FanfictionSummary: Niall Horan had never actually had a family before, at least not the healthy kind. He firmly believed that he'd done something wrong and that was why no one loved him, why Santa didn't give him anything at Christmas and why his mom had lef...
