Chapter 15
{Louis}
The pair raced up the stairs, groaning as they heard a door shut. Just before Zayn could lock the door, Louis ran forward and pushed. "Zayn, please listen-" he started, pushing the door open.
Tears rolled down Zayn's cheeks and Louis swallowed heavily.
"We didn't mean to see the marks." Harry said. "We won't say anything, we just care about you that's all."
As he took a step towards Zayn, the toddler took a step back. Harry kneeled down. "Zayn-"
Zayn sniffed, wiping his cheeks with the sleeve of his shirt. "Y-ywou w-will just send Jayn a-away." he stuttered.
Louis' heart broke, and he shook his head. "No, not at all." he kneeled down beside Harry, pulling Zayn into a hug. The toddler flinched, stiff under his hug.
Louis rubbed his back, trying to make him feel better. Instead, he made it worse.
Zayn pushed him away and took a huge step back, his eyes wide.
"We're not going to hurt you, Zayn." Harry said softly.
"I-I twusted ywou." Zayn cried, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"I-I didn't do anything." Louis said confused. "We're not going to hurt you, I swear. How can I prove it to you?"
Zayn wiped his eyes. "Why do ywou have a knife on yow awm?"
Harry's eyes widened and he tapped on Louis's dagger tattoo. Louis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He sat down, crossing his legs.
"It's a dagger." he explained. "It's part of a symbol. A symbol of love."
"Am not dumb." Zayn mumbled.
"No, he's right." Harry pitched in, pulling the sleeve of his shirt up to reveal his rose tattoo. "The dagger is along with this rose."
Zayn scrunched his face up in confusion. "That'sh confushing."
Louis laughed out in relief. "Yeah, it is."
Zayn shook his head. "Why do ywou have da knife and Hawwy hash da rowse?"
"Uhmm, because we're such good friends." Harry blurted out.
"Yup. We love each other, besties." Louis told him. "Any other questions? We can prove to you a thousand times Zayn, we will never hurt you."
"Doesh Jayn have to take a showe?" Zayn asked, looking down.
"Zayn doesn't want to be dirty, though?" Harry smiled gently.
Zayn nodded. "B-b-but not Louweh. J-j-j-just Haw-wwy."
Louis wasn't going to lie at all. That hurt. He thought he'd started getting closer to the toddler. Maybe he had, and Zayn was just doing this incase. But still, there was no denying that Louis' heart sank.
👢👢👢👢Harry👢👢👢👢
Harry gathered all the things while Zayn stood in the bathroom, staring at him. Zayn would have to borrow his towel for now.
Zayn had started shaking, his lower lip trembling. Harry kneeled down, carefully putting a hand on his shoulder.
Zayn had started to act a bit easy around them that Harry had totally forgot how fragile the toddler actually was. The light seemed to reflect the green specks in his irises in his eyes that were laced with panic.
Harry gently squeezed his shoulder. "It's okay." he whispered, slowly pulling Zayn in a hug, making sure it wasn't sudden, giving Zayn awareness.
Oddly, Zayn seemed to calm down a bit, and Harry decided it was best to get it over with. "Do you like showers?" he asked, helping Zayn take off his pajama bottoms. Zayn shook his head, pushing his hand away as he took them off himself. "Not sho much." he answered shortly.
Harry smiled softly. "Did you like the milk with honey?"
A smile tugged on Zayn's lips and he nodded. "Yash."
"Well, I'll make it to you later." Harry said, Zayn slowly taking his shirt off. When he had taken the shirt off, he squeezed his eyes shut as if he expected Harry to hit him.
Harry gritted his teeth. It angered him whenever he thought of that Zayn had been through child abuse. Why did the world have to be so cruel? The poor child was just a three year old, for god's sake!
Harry wiped the tears that were escaping Zayn's eyes, and the toddler flinched away. "Please down't hut me." Zayn whispered. Harry's heart clenched and he swallowed heavily before replying. "I'm not going to hurt you, you can open your eyes."
A sob escaped Zayn's mouth as he opened his eyes. Harry wanted to hold him so bad, but he knew it would just make the situation worse.
He smiled softly. "Ready to have a shower?"
He stood up and looked down at Zayn. "Wha-"
"Am n-not taking twhem off." Zayn said, gesturing to his underwear.
Harry chuckled. "Okay."
They had a tub, but Harry figured a shower would be quicker, therefore he started the water. Zayn tried to climb in the tub, but he slipped every time. Harry walked forward, kneeling down. "I'm just going to lift you up, okay? Put you in the tub."
Zayn's eyes widened and he nodded. Harry reached out and lifted Zayn, the toddler squeezing his eyes shut as he sat him down again.
Harry swallowed thickly. Zayn was thinner than he had imagined. The saddest fact wasn't even that you could see his rib cage, it was the faded marks. As Harry's eyes fell upon them, he couldn't help but stare with anger. This was utterly disgusting. Someone had beaten this kid up, made him do work.
Harry's fist clenched, and he didn't realize it until Zayn squeaked, "H-Hawwy?"
Harry snapped out of his thought, and shook his head. He gently shoved Zayn under the shower.
"Now Zayn, I want you to trust me." Harry told him. Zayn took a deep breath and nodded. "O-owkay."
Harry used the shower to completely wet Zayn before grabbing the body shower and squirting some on his hand. He rubbed his hands together and began to rub Zayn's stomach. Surprisingly, Zayn didn't flinch. He just closed his eyes and swallowed.
Harry moved up to his shoulders, and Zayn actually relaxed at that. He slowly moved on to Zayn's back, and the toddler stiffened. "Relax." Harry whispered as he rubbed over the marks, but Zayn was as worked up as ever.
As Harry's eyes darted over his back, he couldn't help but whisper, "Who did this?"
Zayn didn't answer and Harry just moved to his legs.
"Daddy." Zayn replied.
Anger bubbled up inside him again, and Harry tried to loose the scowl on his face.
When Harry was done with rubbing Zayn's legs, he squirted some more body shower before beginning to rub it on Zayn's arms. "Where is he now?" he asked casually.
"Jail." Zayn replied, keeping his answer short.
"Do you miss him?" Harry asked, biting his lip, afraid that he'd gone over the line.
Zayn looked down at his feet. "Will ywou hit Jayn if Jayn tellsh da twuth?"
Harry shook his head. "I will never hit you, Zayn. No matter what. Especially not if you tell the truth."
"Jayn dwon't mish him." Zayn said firmly.
Harry nodded, moving on to Zayn's feet. The toddler suppressed a giggle, but it escaped anyway and Harry smiled.
"It ticklesh." Zayn told him, and Harry moved on to his next foot. Harry laughed, tickling him on purpose this time. Zayn giggled, moving his foot away.
Harry then washed off all the body shower. He squirted some shampoo on his palm and began to massage the toddler's head. Zayn closed his eyes in pleasure. Harry turned the water towards him, washing off all the shampoo. Zayn squeezed his eyes shut, and brought his hands to his eyes to prevent any of the soap to touch his eyes.
10 minutes later, Harry walked over and grabbed the towel he'd hung on the rack.
Wrapping a shivering Zayn in it, he lifted the toddler up and set him on the cool tiles of the bathroom.
There was a sudden knock on the door, making both Harry and Zayn jump. The door opened and Louis smiled as he entered with Zayn's clothes. Fresh pair of underwear, a warm sweater, and some comfy sweatpants.
He threw Zayn a soft smile before walking out of the room. Harry walked over and grabbed Zayn's sweatshirt, kneeling down to dress him up. Zayn eyed him warily.
"Come on." Harry said jokingly. "I just showered you, I think you can trust me with dressing you."
Zayn frowned. "Jayn can change by himshelf."
Harry gently pulled the towel away. "I know, but Zayn doesn't always need to change by himself when he has Harry to do it."
Harry pulled the sweatshirt over the toddler's head.
"Owkay, but Jayn can wea hish undewea by himshelf." Zayn said crossing his arms as Harry picked the item of clothing up.
"Okay." Harry said, handing him them.
"Closhe yow eyesh!" Zayn scolded, making Harry chuckle and close his eyes.
⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️Louis⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️
Louis was lounging on the sofa, tv remote in hand when Harry and Zayn walked downstairs. To his surprise, Harry was carrying Zayn and set him down on the couch, wrapping him up in a blanket.
He smiled at Louis before disappearing into the kitchen.
"Had a nice shower?" Louis asked Zayn gently.
Zayn shrugged his small shoulders. "It wash owkay."
"I'd never hurt you." Louis told him. "No matter what."
Zayn looked at him curiously. "Dat'sh what Hawwy shaid."
Louis smiled. "It's the truth."
Harry arrived with Zayn's baby bottle, handing the toddler it. Zayn happily accepted, beginning to drink from it.
"You like this stuff, huh?" Louis chuckled.
Zayn hummed in agreement, gulping the milk and honey down.
<><><>A/N<><><>
How was the chapter? 😅
xx 😘