End Up Here (Ziam AU)

Chapter One Hundred Twenty Six

Liam's just made it back downstairs dressed in a button up shirt and a pair of dress pants, so he just has to add a tie and jacket when he takes Zayn out later, when Bella comes barrelling up to him. "Daddy, braid please?" she exclaims shoving her brush and container of elastics into his hands. Chuckling he leads the excited four year old towards the table, helping her into a chair, while he stands behind it and begins to work on her hair gently. Liam hears the doorbell ring, and voices he recognizes to be Niall and Josh, but he knows Niall will find him so he stays focused on Bella's hair. He's proven right as not even a minute later Niall comes into the kitchen with Chloe in his arms, "nice work Li" Niall teases and Liam turns away from Bella's hair to make a face at the Irish man, "thanks" he mutters. "Uncle Niall be nice, Daddy does the best hair" Bella insists and Niall laughs loudly at that, startling Chloe before she snuggles into Niall's chest again. "What did you do with Josh?" Liam asks as he secures the elastic into the bottom of Bella's braid, "you're all done Princess, go see if you can find Baba" he murmurs as Bella scrambles out of the chair, stopping to hug Niall quickly before she disappears from the room. "He went with Zayn and Zack to the other room, I took this one and came to find you" Niall explains. Liam nods, "I should go find him too, I'm pretty sure he still needs to get changed" he mumbles and Niall nods, "yeah he was still in sweats when he answered the door" he confirms.

Liam heads quickly towards the living room which is all set up for the twins' birthday party, to find Zayn sitting on the couch as Josh plays with Zack and Bella snuggles into Zayn's side, "hey. You should go get dressed" Liam hums, leaning down to peck his lips, Zayn nods, kissing him back, "I was just waiting for you" he murmurs, before he gets off the couch and disappears upstairs. "So he really has no idea?" Josh asks, as Zack climbs over him on the floor, Liam chuckles, "nope. He thinks we're just celebrating these two troublemakers" he explains, "Baba's gonna be surprised" Bella grins, and Niall laughs, setting Chloe down, and Liam watches as his best friend watches his daughter climb onto his fiancé with her brother. Zayn's back a few minutes later with his hair styled and dressed similarly to Liam, just as the doorbell rings, before Louis and Harry just walk into the house announcing loudly their arrival. Zack's head snaps up at Louis' voice, carefully climbing off of Josh and moving quickly to the gate at the top of the stairs to see the man, Zack for some reason really bonding with Louis. "Hey Bubba, happy birthday!" Louis cheers as he carefully opens the gate to let him and Harry into the house, scooping Zack into his arms as he does. Zack as always cuddles into Louis almost instantly mumbling something to himself.

Another hour later and all their friends' and family are assembled in the living room, Bella has run off with her cousins to the playroom and Liam can hear all his nieces and nephews with his daughter down in the basement. The only one who stayed upstairs with them and the twins was Alexa, the two and a half year old instead choosing to stay close to her Mum. Nicola sighs as Alexa climbs back into her lap, "you know you could go play with your brother and cousins?" she asks but the toddler shakes her head and grips onto her shirt, Liam chuckles "it's okay Lex, we love having you up here" he coos, leaning down to press a kiss to his niece's head. "Dada" Zack calls from his spot still in Louis' lap "yes, Bubba?" Liam hums, "no" the one year old says shaking his head at him and Liam chuckles, dropping to the ground beside Louis to tickle his son. "No what? I can't kiss your cousin?" he asks and Zack shakes his head "no" he answers seriously and everyone laughs.

"Daddy! Baba! Can we have cake?" Bella asks, suddenly reappearing from the playroom, with Kenzi and all the boys trailing behind her. Liam looks to Zayn who shrugs, Chloe and Zack are both just playing with whoever will give them attention, so now would be a good time to make a mess. "Sure, come help me get it ready" Liam decides scooping Bella into his arms and carrying her towards the kitchen and the two cakes for the twins. Zack's is a train, where as they went with a teddy bear for Chloe, deciding animals was the best choice for their baby girl. Liam carefully places a number one candle in each one, before he realizes he can't really carry both cakes at one time, thankfully Zayn appears beside him suddenly, "need help?" he asks. "Yes, please" Liam mumbles, Zayn laughs and scoops Chloe's cake into his hands, "Bella go tell everyone to start singing" Zayn murmurs, and Bella grins before she takes off towards the living room where everyone is. Liam smiles as he hears everyone singing a moment later, and both he and Zayn start to walk out with the lit cakes. Liam looks around the room and sees that Doniya has scooped both Zack and Chloe into her arms as everyone sings to them, and it's only fitting that it's her, he thinks.

"Blow out the candles" Liam encourages, Chloe looking at him skeptically but Zack grinning and copying his aunt's actions and blowing out his candle, making everyone cheer, Zack clapping before he looks to his sister. "Lo" he encourages and she looks at him for a second before turning to her own cake in Zayn's hands and blowing as best she can. The candle finally goes out with an assist from Doniya, and everyone cheers again, Zack still clapping happily for his sister, when Zayn and Liam disappear to the kitchen to cut the cakes. "I think, we should bring them in here to eat, there's going to be cake everywhere" Zayn murmurs, as they each cut into one of the cakes, Chloe's is vanilla, and Zack's is chocolate, so they have everyone covered, they hope. Liam hums his agreement, "sure thing Babe, I'll go get the terrors, and tell everyone else cake's at the table" he decides, setting down the knife and heading towards the living room, where he can see Doniya still snuggling Chloe, while Zack has abandoned his aunt in favour of driving trains all over Harry, Louis, Josh, and Niall, who are sitting on the floor. "Cake's ready at the table" Liam exclaims, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "And Lou, Doniya, can you bring those two, to their high chairs, please?" he asks. Doniya smiles pressing a kiss to Chloe's cheek, before she heads towards the table, and Louis grins, scooping Zack up quickly to follow her. After that it's almost like a stampede as all the kids rush to get cake, followed at a more reasonable pace by the adults.

Liam eyes the mountain of presents and wrapping paper, that Bella helped her siblings unwrap, shaking his head at the sheer amount of stuff, Zack and Chloe got. He really is grateful to their family, and friends, and often wonders what he and Zayn would do without all these people. He can hear Zayn and Bella saying goodbye to Trisha, Yaser, and the girls by the door, as he starts to clean up, his own parents and sisters having left a few minutes earlier. Niall is suddenly beside him, helping him stuff wrapping paper into a garbage bag, "I got this, you go get ready" Niall murmurs. Liam smiles at his best friend before looking around to see Chloe minutes away from falling asleep against Josh's chest, while Zack is cuddling with Louis, giggling madly at the faces he's making at the boy. "Thanks" Liam hums, before he disappears upstairs to get his and Zayn's suit jackets so they can go. 

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A/N: I'm so sorry this took 100 years, I really don't have an excuse except a complete lack of motivation. 
Let me know what you think though, and I'll try not to take so long on the next update. 
That's really all I've got to say. 
Until next time 
xoxo