See, I told you guys I still had more to come!
Sorry for the wait! It's been an incredibly busy past few weeks!
This chapter describes their first interactions with Louis. I know I haven't explained much before and I really like how this turned out.
Warning: there's a bit of graphic language in this and mentions of alcohol.
Love you all so so much!
Thank you for all of the likes and comments! I love hearing what you think about this story!
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It's a slow, dreary day across much of England. It started raining near midnight and hasn't stopped since. Unfortunately for the daddies, that had certainly rained (pun intended) on Harry and Louis' plans. The boys went to sleep last night eager to wake in the morning and practice their football skills after breakfast. Louis had told Harry they would focus on kicking first and Harry was all bright-eyed and bushy tailed to learn.
When a crash of thunder woke the entire family, tears were shed for nearly half an hour before either boy calmed down. They were distraught with all of the disappointment of their morning plans being canceled. Liam settled Harry in for a calm bath to wash away the tears and sweat. Zayn bundled Louis up in his soft sweater he had slept in for comfort. The man has recently been making it a point to sleep in sweaters so Lou will always have something with his scent to comfort him when he's feeling sad or extra-little.
Since the outburst, Louis has remained quiet and snuggly. He hasn't let Harry out of his sight, which is okay with the younger boy who treasures each moment spent with his big brother.
The younger husband walks into the kitchen carrying two bowls, one empty and the other half-filled with sliced apples and carrot sticks. He sets them down on the counter between the stove and sink. Zayn looks at him with a cocked eyebrow as he rinses the suds from the pot he was washing.
"Harry ate his no problem. I haven't been able to get Lou to touch any food today. I can tell he's getting hungry and restless." Liam leans against the counter and sinks into the cold granite.
"Looks like some of this was eaten, though," Zayn says, nodding to the bowl with food still in it.
"That was a combination of Harry and I. Thought we could convince him to eat if he saw us eating it as well."
"Seeing as how regressed he is today, it'd probably be best to give him a warm bottle anyway."
Liam nods in agreement and crosses the kitchen. He reaches into the refrigerator and pulls out the almost finished gallon of milk. Zayn hands him a freshly washed bottle. Liam sets the bottle on the counter and uncaps the milk. Before he pours, his nose catches a wiff of something putrid.
"Ugh," Liam groans. "The milk's gone off. Do we have any more in there?"
Zayn checks the fridge. "Nope. Was planning on grocery shopping tomorrow."
"What should I give him?"
"Well we do have," Zayn starts, eyes drifting to the cabinet above the microwave.
"Formula?" The older husband nods. "I don't know...Harry hates the stuff."
Zayn goes to grab the can of powdered formula. "Yeah, well that's Harry and this is Louis. Two completely different boys."
The man made the bottle and handed it off to Liam with an assuring look. Liam returned to the living room. He had laid down a large fleece blanket for the boys to lay on. His protective instincts didn't want Louis sitting on the couch while he was out of the room in case the boy rolled off the cushions.
He smiles at the boy laying on his stomach, sucking his thumb while watching Winnie The Pooh and friends dance across the screen. Harry lay beside him passed out. The younger boy is wearing the Rolling Stones t-shirt Louis gave him for Christmas. The white expanse is slowly collecting stains as Harry has insisted on wearing it every day for the past week and wouldn't settle for anything else.
"Hi, baby," Liam smiles down at Louis, barely capturing his attention. He crouches forward and slides his hands under Louis and picks him up. "Why don't we take a break from tummy time and see if this baba will help you feel better, hmm?"
Louis' eyes snap open as he turns his head to look at Harry. He whines, pointing to his brother.
"My sweet boy," Liam chuckles, pressing a kiss to his temple as they sit on the couch. "He's not going anywhere. See? Just spend a few minutes with Daddy and then you can nap with your Hazza."
Louis pouts. He was genuinely enjoying the movie and he doesn't want to miss anything. He wants to make sure Pooh bear helps the poor little heffalump find his mummy.
"Hey, grumpy pants," Zayn teases, joining the pair. Louis looks up at his Papa. His arms shoot out to reach for the man holding his most prized possession. "Sally was getting lonely," he tells him, setting the bear on Lou's chest.
Liam picks up the bottle and gives it a final shake. Before he can start feeding the boy, he blocks his mouth with the stuffed animal. The milk looks funny to Louis. Thicker and not the same colour as normal. He lets small whimpers leave his lips.
"Please try it, baby," Liam pleads. If Louis doesn't eat something, the small thing would starve. "It's yummy, I swear."
In his deep headspace, Louis isn't understanding completely what's being said to him. He gets that Liam is talking to him in a soothing tone and that there aren't any big pressures or dangers around him. He trusts Liam, but he knows that's not his usual milk and new things are scary. But Papa is here, too, and if Louis would be in true harm, Papa would help him.
With a final encouraging nod from his Daddy, Louis pushes his bear away and allows the bottle to be brought to his lips. Hesitantly, takes a sip. Louis is pleasantly surprised. It tastes sweeter than milk. Vanilla flavored, maybe? And it's creamier, which feels great on his sore throat.
The little hums happily and accepts more.
"Sounds like someone's enjoying their lunch," Zayn comments.
Louis lets his eyes wander back over to Harry. He hasn't moved any, but Zayn has covered him with the blanket from the couch. He has an overwhelming urge to crawl over to his brother and cuddle, but his bottle tastes too good to abandon.
On the tv screen, the baby heffalump, Lumpy, and Roo, Louis' second favorite character (after Tigger, who the boy loves with all of his heart and won't let anyone forget), jump into the pond together. They splash around and laugh at the big waves they create. Louis giggles and Liam pulls the bottle away so he doesn't choke.
"Eee," the boy squeals, excitedly raising his teddy bear in the air then dropping her down on his chest.
Liam watches fondly as the boy alternates between his bottle and somewhat singing along to the movie. It amazes him how Louis can go from a jumping bean to a cuddle bug and then back at the drop of a hat. He's not sure how he was blessed with such an amazing little guy.
JULY 2015 (2.5 MONTHS BEFORE LOUIS' ADOPTION)
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"Are you insane," Liam gasps, looking at his husband quizzically through the dim lighting of the car.
"You saw him, Liam! He needs help!"
"Then we should take him to a shelter or hospital or...or I don't know! But we can't just take him!"
"He looked so small! So helpless! I just can't help but wonder," Zayn trails off, hands tightening on the steering wheel.
"Wondering? Wondering what?"
"If he would benefit from age play," the older man says under his breath. "It worked for Harry."
"Yes, but Harry slowly brought himself into everything. We never made him do anything."
Zayn listens to his husband, but stays quiet. He has a point, Harry did make most of the decisions. Or, rather he gave Liam and Zayn the power to decide and take care of him. The young boy has instilled every ounce of trust in him with these men and they would never do anything to harm him or make him unhappy. Trust that they promised to never take advantage of.
The black haired man sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "He just looks so under fed and scared. All I want to do is take him home with us and wrap him up in a blanket and rock him to sleep with a full belly."
"We could always ask," Liam suggests.
Zayn scoffs. "You can't just go up to someone and say, 'Be our baby!'"
"Why's that," Liam asks, although he already knows the answer. He wants Zayn to work through his own frustrations.
"Because he'll think we're insane and run."
"Well there's your answer, innit?"
"What? No. Not if we just submerse him immediately in this instead of asking?"
"Zayn...I love you but that's just an awful idea. We can't just kidnap him. Think of how hypocritical that would be! We're constantly telling other mommies and daddies that it's better to go out and meet someone instead of just taking them, and now you just want to pluck this lad that you've seen at a club a few times up as if nobody would miss him? Think about Harry! If we got caught...charged with abduction. He'd be taken away from us! They would find out and think we took him as well. It's just too risky."
"Li, do you honestly think we'd get caught? The kid is getting pimped out by his own mates. And you heard the bartender talk about him! Said he doesn't have any family. We wouldn't get caught. He's too gone off on booze every time we see him for him to even react to anything. It would be so easy. Just plucking him up while he's incapacitated and taking home. Think of how happy Harry would be to have a brother."
"Harry happy to have a brother," Liam gasps in bewilderment. "Do you think it'd be just as easy as that for Harry to call someone a brother after being sexually abused most of his life by his biological brother? I just don't think it's what is best for him."
"I-I don't have any intentions for hurting Harry and you know that. Our little boy deserves all the happiness in the world. But, I can't just stand by and watch Louis," the name felt so natural on his tongue. "Louis...I just don't want him suffering more knowing we could be helping him."
"What were you thinking of doing? Just going out and buying an extra crib and highchair and just grabbing him one night, easy-peasy," Liam asks sarcastically.
"Y-yes," Zayn confesses.
"Zayn," Liam groans. "We got those for specific reasons. The crib was so Harry doesn't roll off the bed if he has a nightmare and the highchair is so he doesn't topple over when he isn't paying attention. I don't think I'd be comfortable forcing someone into those without a good reason."
"Why can't the reason just be because he'd be our baby? They both provide safety, something he clearly needs."
Once his husband has his mind set on something, there's usually no stopping him. He turns and examines Zayn's face for any signs of bluffing or funny business. There is none. His eyes are concentrated on the road. "I'll think about it. But, we have to discuss this with Harry first. Gently. Introduce the idea slowly and let him get used to it. I don't think two and a half years of undivided attention will be easy for him to share."
Zayn blindly searches for Liam's hand. When he finds it, he curls his fingers around the man's wrist and pulls it up to his mouth, kissing his wedding band.
"Thank you."
The rest of the drive home is silent. Liam chews his thumb nail subconsciously as he thinks of the pros and cons of adding the small boy to their household. He didn't want to be involved, but now he is. Morally, Liam knows that he shouldn't let the poor boy continue prostituting himself and being too drunk to even learn someone's name. But, could they really just take him in? And even if they could get the boy without getting caught, who's to say he won't fight back and run away. They don't need that kind of emotional stress. The daddy knows for a fact that it would be dangerous for Harry.
The men arrive home just after one in the morning. They quietly enter through the garage door and remove their jackets. They find Nick asleep on the couch, a crappy 90s film is playing softly on the television. Liam picks the remote up from where it sits beside Nick's hand and shuts the telly down.
Nick wakes with a small gasp which startles Liam and causes the younger man to jump slightly. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
The babysitter slowly sits up and arches his back, taking in a deep yawn and letting it out. He rolls his shoulders and massages the back of his neck. "No worries. I probably shouldn't of been sleeping."
"How did things go tonight," Zayn asks.
"For the most part, fine. Ran into a little problem at bath time."
Zayn's eyebrows knit together. "What happened?"
"I told him he could have five more minutes of playtime at the end while I got his jammies out. When I came back, the entire loo was covered in bubbles. Turns out he'd poured the whole bottle of bubble bath in."
The daddies release harsh breaths through their nose. Liam brings both hands up to his face and massages underneath his eyes.
"I didn't really know how to handle it punishment wise, since he hadn't meant any harm. I just made him help me clean up and I put him to bed fifteen minutes early. Oh, and just so y'know, there's a pretty big load of towels in the dryer now."
Zayn nods. "Sorry he caused you all that trouble tonight."
"Don't worry about it," Nick says. "Nothing that boy could ever do would ever make me angry. He meant no harm."
After a few more minutes of chitchat, the daddies saw Nick off. They climb the stairs, neither doing so with ease as they are both exhausted from the night of dancing. Zayn offers to check on Harry and Liam tells his spouse to send his love to the boy.
Zayn walks into the room and inhales the strong coconut scent. The mobile hanging above Harry's crib shoots the golden stars across the lavender walls. There is a pile of dirty clothing on the floor by the changing table. 'Nick must've forgotten about these,' he thinks to himself and picks them up, leaving the room to throw them by the washer.
He returns to the room quickly. Zayn pads over to the crib and rests his forearms on the frame. The man coos at the sight of Harry fast asleep in his own sweet little dream world. The boy's curls are ruffled in front of his eyes and his thumb is planted between his lips.
Zayn sighs contently and looks around the large room. They would have to rearrange everything if Louis were to come live with them because there was no way they would have two nurseries. Harry's crib is pressed against the wall in the middle and maybe if they were to slide it over a few feet they could stick another crib beside it.
Oh, how he would spoil Louis in the same ways he does with Harry. Purchase a top of the line crib with satin covered sides and a high chair with a seat soft enough for a king. He'll buy him every kind of toy who could possibly imagine existing. Make other parents envy him for his expensive designer coats. Because, Zayn can already imagine bundling the tiny boy up in a parka and mittens to go outside and romp in the snow with Harry and friends.
With his mind completely encaptured with thoughts of having two little boys in their home, Zayn decides to call it a night. He blows Harry a kiss and joins his husband in bed.
--
August 2015 (2 MONTHS BEFORE LOUIS' ADOPTION)
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They have yet to tell Harry anything about the boy from the nightclub. Not only because they're unsure of if he would understand Louis' situation, but also because they're afraid of triggering any bad memories. Unbeknownst to the daddies, Nick is slowly catching on to what they've been up to. Obviously something must be important if they're going to the same nightclub in a city an hour away the same night every week, only staying for a short amount of time before returning.
Liam didn't want to come back this night club for only one reason, Zayn has become obsessed with that boy, Louis. Liam is beginning to care for the small man, but he doesn't have the same drive as his husband to take him in. He tries convincing Zayn to be rational about the situation every once in awhile, but now that he's seen Louis' struggles his heart aches enough to see Zayn's side of the story. They've come here every Saturday night for the past month. They've only seen him twice in person since the month has begun, but finding out info on him was easy. Everyone knows Louis, even if they don't know him by name.
The first time they saw him was the night they first bumped into him at the bar. Unfortunately, Louis was too out of it to hold himself up and was quickly whisked away with his partner for the night. The second time, he was caught between two men on the dance floor who held his hips tightly as they grinded on him. Louis just smiled, staring at the flashing lights from the ceiling as he let the cocaine bliss him out. Both men looked at least ten years older than the average age of the club patrons, but then again so are Liam and Zayn. Later by chance, one of the men left the club at the same time as the pair and as he walked past Zayn's Mercedes, blacked-haired man couldn't help but rev up the engine while they were still parked to startle the asshole.
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"I don't think he's here tonight," Liam says loudly into Zayn's ear over the raging music.
The two are sat at the bar on the north end of the club that overlooks the entire dance floor. Liam has been nursing the same bottle of beer for the past half hour, trying to entertain himself.
"Where else would he be? Everyone says he's here every night."
Liam shrugs. "I'm gonna head to the toilets. Then can we please go home?"
Zayn sighs. "Yeah."
The younger husband downs the last few drops of his beer and discards the bottle in the trash. Zayn pats his shoulder as he passes him and begins walking through the crowded club. Perhaps Saturdays aren't the best nights to be here considering that's when all the uni kids prowl.
When he reaches the bathroom, he lets out a sigh of relief that there isn't the usual line of sloppy drunks waiting to get in. He pushes the door open and is met with a sight he was hoping to never to see.
"Come on, boy, let's go," a medium-sized man with a bald patch on the back of his head growls. He kicks his foot a little and Liam hears a yelp.
"What's going on," Liam asks, approaching the man.
"Nothing concerning you," he responds.
Liam looks at the small boy on the floor. Louis.
"Get away from him," Liam says, walking to stand in front of him.
"Don't think so, pal. I already paid for him. He's mine for the next hour. Wait your turn."
Louis groans, resting his head in his hands as his mind fights for consciousness.
"Come on, slut. We're going," baldy says, grasping one of Louis' hands, making the boy topple onto his side.
"Get the fuck away from him," Liam says between gritted teeth.
"Look, mate, I'm happy to share if you want to split the price. If not, do your business and get the fuck out."
Something clicks in Liam's mind. A revelation of sorts. Who is here to protect this small boy? Not his friends. Not the people who work at the club. His social media doesn't show anything about his family members. He doesn't have a job. Liam would be just as vile as the raging man in front of him if he let Louis continue in this lifestyle.
With one deep breath in, Liam pulls back his arm and lurches his fist at the man's face, He hisses and holds his nose as blood starts dripping. "You shithead. I'm getting the police."
"Do that and I'll have to tell them you were trying to buy sex. Now tell me, who would a judge side with? The man in a prostitution scandal, or the man trying to defend an innocent victim?"
"You'll regret this," the man glares, turning and stomping out of the restroom.
"Mmm," a whine sounds out.
Liam's heart shatters as he looks at the little one.
"Aw, poor baby," he coos, helping slide Louis into a sitting position. He backs up a few inches and reaches down to pick Louis up. 'So light,' he thinks.
He sets the boy down on the counter next to the wall. Louis never opens his eyes to look at the new man. The amount of vodka coursing through his veins is telling his body to do nothing besides vomit and sleep. Liam wets a paper towel and dabs around Louis' mouth, much like he does after mealtimes with Harry.
Louis whines again. "Shh, you're okay. I'm just cleaning you up."
The feather-haired boy blushes lightly and lets Liam talk softly to him, not understanding much of what he's saying, but comforted by being taken care of.
"Louis," Liam whispers, wanting to keep him awake in case he has a concussion. When Louis hums, Liam gently lifts Louis' eyelids and examines his pupils. They seem fair enough considering the amount of alcohol he probably has consumed. "Let's go, baby. I'm taking you somewhere safe."
"Safe," Louis repeats softly.
Liam slides his arms around Louis' waist and helps the boy stand. Louis nearly falls to the ground where he originally started but Liam catches him. The man decides to pick him up and carry him bridal style out of the bathroom. They return to the club which has become incredibly more packed in the fifteen minutes Liam has been gone. Only a few curious eyes stare at Liam as he holds Louis, not surprised to see a club-goer has already reached the point of blackout drunk.
From the corner of the room, Zayn spots his husband and it's like time stands still. His husband is carrying little Louis. Louis who they assumed wasn't even here tonight. Louis who he wants to protect with his life.
Zayn rushes forward and without any words pulls Liam through the back exit and into the cold alley.
"Li, what..? How? I don't understand," Zayn word vomits.
"Shhh," Liam says. "Let's get in the car first."
"Wait here," Zayn says, pulling his keys from his pocket. He takes off running with a promise of returning quickly. Only half a minute later, the silver car pulls up beside Liam and Zayn exits the driver's door. He opens the back door and Liam sets Louis in a normal seat. Perhaps because he doesn't want to get too caught up in greed, he chooses to not put him in Harry's car seat. He understands tonight cannot be the night.
The pair slips into the front seat and Zayn drives off, nervously watching his surrounds incase anyone saw them.
"Where am I going exactly," he says, pinching his bottom lip between his thumb and index finger.
"Find the nearest motel," Liam instructs, watching the backseat to make sure Louis is alright.
"Okay," Zayn says in a questioning tone.
"We can't tonight..."
Zayn nods.
"But," Liam trails.
"But?"
"After what I've seen tonight...I'm in."
Zayn smiles briefly but then looks at Liam. "Wait, what did you see?"
"I'll tell you later," Liam replies, gently rubbing his sore knuckles that collided with the perverted man's face.
Zayn takes them to a small chain hotel a few streets down. He's not familiar with the neighborhood, but it looks decent enough.
"I'll be right back. Stay here with him," Liam says quietly, exiting the car.
Zayn is unsure of what to do with himself right now. He has never imagined being in a situation like this. Nearly every cell in his body is screaming at him to take the boy home tonight, but he can tell Liam will have a more foolproof plan. Something that isn't risky. Now that he has Liam completely on his side, he doesn't have to work on convincing him why Louis needs help, because Liam already knows. It's all just a waiting game.
He unbuckles his seatbelt and slowly turns around to admire the boy. He looks so much smaller and fragile than he does in his Instagram photos. Zayn almost wants to chuckle imagining the angry words of his football-related tweets coming out of his mouth.
Louis continues sleeping, unaware of what's happening and anything that could happen in the future. He deserves this rest. Every soft breath that raises and lowers his chest is comforting to Zayn. Louis is the little bit of comfort that is settling the unrest in Zayn's heart.
Zayn jumps a little when the car door opens. "I got him a room on the first floor. There's a back door not far from here that'll get us in without anyone seeing. Everything's been paid in full, including breakfast being delivered early."
The older husband can't help but be impressed by his husband. Liam has the brains to rule the world if he felt so inclined to.
He joins Liam and takes Louis out of the backseat. Zayn feels as though he's about to melt into a pile of goo when he places Louis on his hip. The boy mewls once before resting his forehead in the crook of Zayn's neck. He fits there so naturally. This boy is truly meant to be theirs.
Liam leads Zayn down the sidewalk and holds a door open into the hotel. The interior is much more attractive than the outside. The wallpaper and gold-toned lighting gives it a homey feeling. That gives the daddies minds' a bit of rest knowing Louis will be somewhere nice for the night. Liam opens Louis' room door and guides Zayn in. The man gently lays Louis on the bed and he smiles down at the sight as he curls in on himself for some heat.
The two slowly work together to remove Louis' socks and shoes. Zayn slips Louis' terrible smelling shirt off and replaces it with an Adidas hoodie he kept in the car. They tuck the boy into bed and set a glass of water and the room key on the bedside table. Zayn then takes forty pounds from his wallet and places that by the water as well. Louis' comfort has officially become one of their top priorities, even if they can't directly take care of him yet.
Liam leans down peck the sleeping boy's temple. "Sleep well, sweet baby."
Zayn brushes his fringe to the side. "We'll be back for you soon, Lou."