Life As We Know It | Niam Kidfic

Nine

"How're you feeling?" Liam asks the next morning, flicking the light switch on.

Niall groans, pulling the comforter over his head. "Liam, off."

"Uncle Ni!" Louis screeches. Zayn comes barreling in after him, and Harry behind him. The three of them climb into the bed, wiggling close to Niall so they can snuggle him. Harry lets out a loud, displeased cry when Zayn puts his cold feet on Harry's leg. Liam sees Niall wince at the noise, attempts to herd the kids into the kitchen.

"Alright, everyone in their seats," Liam announces. Zayn manages to climb into his booster seat by himself, and Louis gets themself situated at their spot at the table. Liam lifts Harry into his highchair, and the sleepy toddler lets out a yawn and rests his cheek on the plastic tray. "Sleepy, kiddo?"

"No," Harry answers, yawning in the middle of the word.

Liam just shakes his head fondly. "Alright, kiddos, what do you wanna eat?"

"Cereal!" Zayn shouts, waving his spoon in the air.

Louis nods. "Can I have Cap'n Crunch?"

"Me, too!" Zayn squeals, kicking his legs.

Liam shrugs, getting two bowls out of the cabinet for the kids. "H, do you want cereal, too?"

Harry nods. "Milk in sippy," he requests.

"Right, you don't like milk in your cereal. Got it," Liam nods, and Niall wanders into the kitchen just as he gives the kids their food. "Oh, hey."

"Why're you smiling at me like that?" Niall questions, wincing again as Liam shuts a cabinet too loudly.

"You don't remember last night?"

"Uh, I went out with Devin, I remember that." Niall shakes a couple Advil out of the bottle and washes them down with water. "Why?"

"And how was that?"

Niall shrugs, fiddling with the Advil cap, clearly uncomfortable with the question. "Uh, no, it wasn't so bad..."

"You said he was pushy," Liam reminds Niall gently. That revelation clearly makes Niall even more uncomfortable, and Liam keeps an eye on him as he gives the kids their cereal. "What did he do?"

"Not in front of the kids," Niall whispers.

Liam steps closer to him. "Niall, what did he do to you?"

Niall just shakes his head and puts the Advil back in the cabinet, and Liam just decides to talk to him about it later. They eat in silence, Liam glancing over at Niall every few minutes.

"Down?" Harry requests, wiggling in his chair. Liam gets up to help him down, leaving a few kisses on the toddler's cheek before setting him on the ground. Before long, Louis and Zayn are done, too, and run off to play in the living room.

"We need to talk, Ni," Liam says as he wipes the table down.

"Liam, I don't want to talk about Devin."

"Okay, then there's something else."

Niall raises an eyebrow. "Oh. What then?"

A smirk makes its way onto Liam's face. "You check out my butt?"

"I — no, I — what?" Niall's blush hits his face so quickly he doesn't even have time to cover it with his hands. "What the hell makes you ask me that?!"

"You told me last night while you were drunk," Liam chuckles, crossing his arms over his chest. He is fucking beaming, which makes Niall angry. "I knew you were gonna be blushing just like that. Adorable."

"Shut up! I refuse to believe I said that!"

"You did. I asked, 'You check out my butt?' and then you went, 'All the time!'"

Niall's blush deepens. "I...remember that part."

"Yeah. Man, you are really blushing. That's really fucking cute." He just stands there, smug.

"...Like you've never checked out my ass!" Niall yells back, defensive.

Liam, being Liam, is completely unflustered by this. "Oh, yeah, I totally have."

Niall's blush deepens even more somehow. "What!? How can you just say that with no shame!?"

"Because I know you've checked out mine, too," Liam laughs. "That's not all, though."

"There's something wrong with you," Niall mumbles, still flustered. "What else could it possibly be?"

Liam sits in front of Niall at the table. "You...you kissed me, Niall."

The blood drains out of Niall's cheeks. "What? No!"

"I wouldn't lie to you about this." Liam's voice is much more serious, and the smile has disappeared from his face. "You kissed me last night. And I'm only bringing it up because I need to know your thoughts. It doesn't seem fair to keep that from you."

Niall buries his face in his hands, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "No...I couldn't have done that. I couldn't have."

"Niall, I'm not mad at you," Liam murmurs. He gently rubs his hand over Niall's wrist, and to his surprise, Niall doesn't pull away. "I'm not mad."

Niall's lip wobbles. "I..."

"It's okay." Liam's voice is so gentle. "You what, sweetheart?"

It's the pet name that gets Niall. It's not just his gentle tone of voice, his hand on Niall's skin — it's the pet name. Liam's voice calling him 'sweetheart,' really hits him somewhere deep, and Niall swallows hard, tears in his eyes.

"Liam, I...like...you." Niall is so nervous he could vomit. "I do, okay? I like you. I don't want to, but I do. Seeing the way you interact with our kids, so gentle and full of love...the way you keep an eye on them...even the way you treat me even thought I haven't been nice to you...I..."

"Niall." Liam cups Niall's face in his hands, tilts his face towards his. "You're so cute." He leans their foreheads together, and Niall manages a shaky sigh. "I like you, too. Of course."

"Of course?"

"Of course." Liam is smiling, and he pulls Niall closer to kiss the end of his nose. "Baby, can I kiss you? Sober, this time?"

Niall manages a shy, embarrassed laugh. "I'm sorry about that."

"I'm not," Liam laughs back. "How about that kiss?"

Niall lets out a laugh. "Yeah, okay." He leans in a bit closer, hands shaky and nervous, bunching at the hem of his pajama shirt. Liam doesn't rush him, lets Niall inch closer before he closes the gap between their mouths. Niall is hyperaware of Liam's warm, rough hands on his cheeks, the smell of him, his closeness, and just the one kiss has Niall trembling.

"Icky," Harry's voice calls from the doorway where he stands, thumb in his mouth.

"Oh, it's icky, huh?" Liam grins, getting up to scoop the toddler up. Harry squeals, giggling. "You didn't think kisses are icky when you get 'em!"

"Kisses!" the toddler echoes, puckering his lips, and Liam shakes his head fondly and kisses the toddler's face.

"What's icky?" Louis asks, climbing into Niall's lap. Zayn is soon to follow, climbing into Niall's lap alongside his sibling.

"Uncle Ni 'n Uncle Li kisses," Harry explains, thumb in his mouth.

Louis turns sharply. "You kissed?"

"Ew!" Zayn squeals, giggling.

Niall just shakes his head fondly, unable to keep from laughing a little. He can't help but make eye contact with Liam, blushing a bit. Liam just winks at him in response, and Niall just cradles his kids closer to his chest. The people he cares about most in this world are all in this room and he couldn't be happier.