Reason To Be (A Zouis Family AU)

Part Two, Chapter Twelve

After Niall's first words again, the kid doesn't seem to slow down. It's like everything he's been holding in for the past month just come tumbling out but nobody's about to complain.

Zayn can't help but encourage the kid even more whenever he walks into the room after having missed out on his little voice for so long.

"And then m'gonna draw Spider-Man, but you gotta help me Papa, 'cause I can't do his webs very good," he rambles on from his place at the counter when Zayn is making dinner one evening.

He smiles at the eight year old, nodding. "Course I will, kiddo. How come you wanna draw Spider-Man so bad?"

Niall gives an innocent shrug, opening his mouth as if to continue but his shoulders slump again and he goes quiet.

And Zayn would be lying if he were to say that his heart doesn't plummet at the sudden silence as he quickly shuts off the oven and leans against the counter opposite the suddenly sullen child.

"Hey, Ni. What's wrong?" He asks, concerned.

Niall just gives a small shrug, and Zayn holds his breath, praying that he'll speak again. Which he does, after a small pause.

"Danny likes Spider-Man," he says quietly after a moment, and the man is fairly certain that his heart just about breaks inside of him at the heaviness to the boy's words.

Because as much as Niall has been talking again the past few days, he's yet to mention anything about the crash and the following weeks. In fact, this is the first time he's heard Danny's name from his mouth.

He sighs, reaching his hands across the counter and taking the eight year old's small hands, squeezing them softly. "Well, why don't you make him a card? I can laminate it for you after and then we can put it by Danny's headstone," he offers hesitantly, but Niall just shakes his head.

"S'okay," he mumbles, then looks up with a forced smile. "I can draw Hulk instead, he's Harry's favourite!"

He changes the subject so quickly that Zayn is fairly certain he's at risk of whiplash, sighing as the small boy hops down from the chair and rushes off to do something else.

Louis walks in and seems to sense the atmosphere, coming to stand behind him and clasping his hands over his stomach, chin on his shoulder. He smiles at the backwards embrace despite everything else, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh.

"What's happened?" Louis asks softly, breath hot against his neck, and he turns to face him, both keeping their arms around each other.

"I don't know...do you think we should be getting Ni to talk about Danny and the crash?" He asks, and his husband sighs, sliding his hands down his shoulders and looking up at him.

"I think we should let him talk about it in his own time. Just...wait until he's ready," he says.

Zayn contemplates this for a moment before he shakes his head. "But he's back to school next week, without Danny. I just think he should talk about it before then," he murmurs.

It's been keeping him up at night, the thought of Niall going back to school. And it isn't a big deal, because Lou is one of his teachers and that makes him more secure than anything...but with him having been home for the past month where Zayn can keep an eye on him, it's going to be tough to let him go.

Louis just smiles sadly, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips which he presses back against with a hum. "And you say I worry too much," his husband murmurs against his mouth. "Ni has an appointment with Kate before he goes back and...a lot can happen in a week."