[Liam's P.O.V.]
A few hours later, Niall woke up from his nap and was rubbing sleepily at his eyes. He glanced around for a few moments before smiling in my direction. I smiled to him and he rubbed at his tummy.
"You sure are a hungry puppy," I chuckled.
He scratched at his ears as I walked to find the boy some food. I decided on sandwiches again for lunch and the boy walked in. He sat at the table and he patiently waited for his food. Before I sat his food down, I decided that he could learn more words.
"Say please," I said as he frowned at me for not putting his plate down. His eyebrow raised and I repeated, "say please."
"Puh-leaz."
"Say it quicker like I did. Please."
"Pl-please."
"One more time."
"Please!" He whined loudly causing me to chuckle as I placed his plate down.
"Now say thank you."
"Th-thank you."
"You're welcome, Niall."
We ate in silence for a few moments and Niall began to hum. He swayed his head in slow motions and I watched him a curious gaze. He began to hum louder and he looked up to find me watching him. He immediately stopped and went back to eating his food. I smiled at the boy and hummed too. He looked up to me with a smile. He laughed a little too. It was probably one of the cutest things I've ever heard. I found myself wanting to heard it more often. The rest of the day he mostly slept and I wondered what would happen if I left him home alone. I supposed that I would find out soon enough but I decided to call into work for the next few days. They were alright with it and told me to get better soon. I had to lie about the fact that I was sick but I couldn't exactly tell them the truth. After I had called work, I sat down on the other side of the couch and I felt Niall twitch. I glanced at him and I saw his nose twitch. He was quite cute. I briefly wondered what he personality was like and I hoped he'd like me enough to stick around so I could find out.
By the next week, Louis was calling me and asking where I had been and wondering why I hadn't talked to him a week.
"Where've you been, Payne?" Louis' voice asked, almost irritated.
"Been super busy with work. Super sorry, Lou," I cringed, hating lying to my best mate.
His silence made me think he didn't believe my lie. But he sighed as if he was letting it go.
"Wanna hang out tomorrow night then?" He asked.
"Sure. We'll hang out after I get off work."
"Great! See you then!" I could practically hear his smile through the phone.
Niall's ears perked up and he looked over at me curiously.
"That was my friend Louis. I haven't gotten to spend time with him lately because you've been here," I said causing Niall's ears fell and a sorry expression crossed his face.
"S-sorry," he mumbled.
"It's alright, Niall."
I reached over and patted his leg. His sullen expression made me sad so I reached up and scratched behind his ears. A smile immediately replaced the frown as he leaned into my touch.
"Nothing to be sorry about," I soothed. He nodded into my touch and I admitted, "I've got to go to work tomorrow."
He leaned away from my hair and raised an eyebrow in confusion. I sighed and reached up to run a hand through my hair.
"Work. It's how I get paid and buy us food and such."
He nodded as though understanding me before turning thoughtful.
"I'll have to leave pretty early and I'll be back around 5,"
He looked at the clock and I got up to point to the clock. I pulled him with me and I pointed to the long hand.
"I'll be home when the long hand is on the 12," I pointed to the 12 then to the 5. "And the little hand is on the 5."
Niall nodded with a smile on his face.
"Wh-what is n-now?" He asked.
"What time is it now?" I clarified.
"What time is it now?" Niall repeated with a nod.
"It is about noon. Or about 12."
"Noon?"
"Yeah, it's what we call when it's 12 and during the day. When it's 12 and it's at night, it's called mid-night. Because it's the middle of the night."
Niall nodded and point to the 5.
"Five?" He asked and I nodded as he pointed to the 12. "12?"
"Good job. Want to learn the rest of the numbers?"
"Y-yes!" He said, excitedly.
I took the clock off the wall and went to go look at the numbers. We spent together for about half an hour as i taught him the numbers 1-12. I taught him how to write them, too. He seemed really excited to learn new things. We spent the next few hours, writing numbers and me teaching him how to say them. I began to worry what Louis would think of him. I pushed the worry to the back of my mind and decided that I needed to teach him more before he met Louis.
It soon began to grow late and I could tell Niall was growing tired from learning so many things. His eyelids were droopy and his voice had taken a octave lower.
"Why don't we go to sleep, Niall?"
The blond boy nodded his head as his tummy grumbled. He patted at his tummy as he looked up at me. I smiled and gave him some cereal before making him go to the couch. The second Niall's head hit the pillow, he was out. I smiled at how easily the boy could fall asleep. I headed off to my bed and set my alarm. My eyes quickly closed and the last thing I saw was Niall's wide smile.
"C'mon, Li!" A voice giggled loudly.
I looked around to see Niall beckoning me closer. I sprinted over to him and wrapped my arms around him. He melted into my arms and we stayed like that for what seemed like hours. Niall nuzzled into my neck and I scratched at his ears. A small sigh escaped his mouth and he leaned back to whisper.
"I love you, Liam."
"Love you, too, Niall."
I woke startled. Why would I dream something like that? I'd only known the boy for a week, did I like him more than I realized? I liked taking care of the boy because he seemed so innocent and helpless that I couldn't help but like him. I ran a hand through my hair. Maybe I did like Niall more than I had realized. I rolled over to glance at the time. I groaned as I shut it off and walked to the bathroom to shower. I didn't spend much time under the water and I quickly finished getting ready. I had to remember to be quiet in order not to wake Niall but when I walked into the front room, he was already awake.
"Niall, what are you doing up?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen.
When he didn't respond to me, I peeked my head around the corner to find him shivering. I quickly walked over to him and placed a blanket around him. I wrapped my arms around the shivering boy and he leaned into my touch. My heart skipped a bit as he nuzzled his way into my neck.
"What's wrong, Niall?"
"Ni-Niall h-had a b-bad dr-dream," he whimpered quietly.
"What was it about?"
"Th-they took me away fr-from you."
I wrapped my arms tighter around the boy and scratched at his ears.
"I won't let them take you, Niall. I promise."
He whimpered again as I held him tightly. I gently scratched at his ears and his shivering died down. I pulled him back by the shoulders and wiped at the years on his face. He hiccuped and I smiled to him. He gave me a watery smile back as I finished wiping away the drying tears.
"There all better now?" I asked.
He nodded and leaned more into my touch. I got up and gently slipped my hand away from his face.
"D-do not go," he whined. "P-please."
"I've got to go to work," I said unconvincingly.
It almost hurt me to leave him alone but I really needed to get back to work. His eyes were wide and threatened to tear up again.
"How about as soon as I get home, we'll go buy you some more food?"
At the word food, his ears perked up again. He nodded, sadly.
"I'll be back, Niall," I said scratching his ears again. "I promise."
He nodded again and sighed as his tummy grumbled. I smiled again he smiled up to me.
"Make Niall food?" He asked.
"Make 'me' food."
"Make me food?"
"Sure," I pulled him to his feet and he followed me into the kitchen.
However instead of just making him a sandwich, I taught him how. By the time we were finished, Niall had two sandwiches and I was headed off to work.
"Bye!" Niall said as he hugged me tightly.
"See you later. Remember when the small hand it on the 5, I'll be back."
He nodded as he went back to eating his food. I walked out to my car and drove to work. I silently hoped that Niall would be okay. By the time I reached work, I was worried about the boy. Work seemed to drag by and my mind was constantly with the boy that had taken to living in my flat. By lunch time, I needed to go home. I took my lunch early and flirted when the speed limit on the way home. I burst through the door. Niall, who was eating a sandwich on the floor in the front room, jumped at the intrusion and smiled up to me. He glanced at the clock and frowned in confusion. I sighed in relief as he finished chewing.
"It is not 5 yet?"
"I came home for lunch and to see my Niall," I smiled as I walked passed him, ruffling his hair.
"Your Niall?" He asked confused.
"Yupp."
I smiled to the boy as I made myself some lunch. I turned and jumped to find the boy standing by me with a confused look. I raised an eyebrow and he remained thoughtful.
"I am Liam's Niall?"
"Yes? You've been kind of living in my house for a week."
"So Liam is Niall's?" He asked.
"If you want."
Niall nodded excitedly and hugged me tightly. A small gasp escaped my mouth as I hugged him back. I glanced at the time and released him. I finished my food an ate it quickly.
"I've got to go back to work. Be back at 5."
"Byyyyye!" Niall said with a mouthful of food.
I smiled to him and I drove back to work. The worry I had early was a dull thought in the back of my mind as I continued my work day. I finished work early and I made it home earlier than 5. Niall was sleeping on the couch when I got home. His ear twitched and he moved in his sleep. He was quite adorable that maybe liking him as more than friend would be okay. Now I just had to introduce him to Louis. And that was just a disaster waiting to happen.
I sat in the chair and waited for Niall to wake up. My mind began to wander and soon I found myself dozing off. I jumped when my phone rang and I quickly answered it.
"Hey, Lou," I said quietly.
"Ready to chill, Li?" Louis' excited voice came through the phone causing me to smile widely.
"Yupp. But can I bring someone?"
"Is it that Joe guy?"
"Um, no. Someone else I met. He's um," I paused looking to the sleeping boy. "He's a little different so you need to meet him before he meets Kyle, okay?"
"I just wanted to hang out me and you," Louis whined.
"So no Kyle?"
"No Kyle and no other kid."
"Deal. See you later."
I hung up the phone and look over to see Niall looking at me with curious eyes. He raised an eyebrow and I smiled to him.
"I'm going out with one of my friends."
"Food?" He asked.
I laughed and shook my head.
"In a way yes."
"Niall can have food?"
"I'll bring you home some, promise. And tomorrow is Saturday so we can go shopping for food if you want."
Niall smiled widely and flung himself at me in a hug. I laughed as I hugged him back. He jumped off of me and bounded into the kitchen. I laughed and went to change. A few minutes later, I was changed and Niall was eating happily on the couch.
"Don't make a mess, Niall."
He nodded and moved his eyes back to the tv.
"When you coming back?"
"When are you coming back," I corrected.
"When are you coming back?" Niall huffed.
"I'll be home back 10," I smiled. "Remember what 10 is?"
"In between 9 and 11?"
"Good job."
Niall smiled widely and waved at me. I smiled as well to the boy, hoping he'd still be fine when I got back.
[A/N] Sorry for not updating in a while. Love how many new followers and the reaction this is getting. Love you all. ♥ Sophie