ᑕᕼᗩᑭTEᖇ 121
[Liam]
"BOYSH!" the familiar voice squeaked loudly. Liam grabbed the punching bag, exchanging a look with Harry. The two of them listened closely.
"BOYSH!" Zayn yelled again, more like roared. Harry wiped the sweat off his forehead and yelled back, "Coming!"
He took off the boxing gloves and chucked them in the bag. Liam grabbed the towel and wiped his own sweaty neck as they exited the training room. The sound was coming from the bathroom. They met Louis and Niall who had both heard Zayn's distress call.
Niall closed the pack of peanuts in his hand. "What's the problem, Zayn?" he asked, pushing the bathroom door with his foot. Zayn never locked the door wen he went to the bathroom so-
Liam giggled. He giggled so loudly and then he bursted into laughter. He bubbled with laughter and Zayn's frown and pout didn't help much. All four boys were unable to prevent themselves from laughing.
"Don't laugh. It'sh not funny!" Zayn scolded. The poor boy's pants were lying in a pool under his his bare feet which were hanging in the air. Zayn had fallen into the toilet. His butt was sinking and he was desperately trying to keep himself upright. His lips were pressed together in concentration and he frowned as he started sinking each time he failed to pull himself up.
Liam clasped a hand around his mouth, trying to force the laughter back down. He grinned and opened the door wide, reaching forward to help the poor boy.
Zayn let go of the toilet seat and held his hands out. He realized what he'd done when he fell into the sinkhole with a thump. Even though he was one the verge of crying, Liam found the situation hilariously funny. "Don't worry, I've got you."
He helped Zayn up and then turned to the other boys, waiting for one of them to step forward and clean the toddler up, Zayn holding his hands tightly. Nobody offered and all their laughers died out.
"The phones ringing, I'll go get it," Niall said when there was no freaking phone ringing. Louis checked the time and tsked. "Gotta take my tea, be back in a minute."
"That's not even an excuse!" Liam yelled at him. He sighed and turned to Harry, hands still under Zayn's armpit in case the kid fell back down.
Harry grinned apologetically and walked away, moving his arms like an idiot and disappearing from view.
Liam threw his hands up in exasperation. "Thanks a lot, mates."
"Liam!" Zayn cried as another thump sounded in the bathroom.
↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠
"Zayn, we apologize for laughing," Louis said, though he still looked amused. Zayn continued tracing the alphabet in his book. "No. You not, Hawwy still laughing."
Liam glanced at Harry who was snickering into the pillow and he pressed his lips together, trying to prevent himself from laughing too. "He's just crazy, you know that."
Zayn traced the outline of a ball in his book. "B for ball. B for Ben 10." He looked at the boys curiously in confirmation. Niall nodded and ruffled his hair. "That's right."
Zayn pushed his hand back, putting on his angry face. Pouty lips, furrowed brows and wide eyes. "Jayn shtill angwy! I'm gonna thwow you in toilet and then laugh about it," he murmured, sounding on the verge of tears. Liam knelt down beside him, pulling him into a hug. "Okay, now we're seriously sorry. It was okay, Zayn. We didn't laugh at you, we laughed at the situation."
Zayn pulled back with a sniff. "Jayn wash in situation, Liam!" he wailed.
"Nobody will know, it's out secret," Louis told him with a wink. "Okay? We won't tell anybody."
Zayn nodded slowly and Liam wiped his nose with a smile. "Great, no go get ready. We're going out."
"Whewe?" Zayn asked excitedly.
"To get ice cream," Harry said, lifting two thumbs.
Zayn jumped happily. "Yay. Jayn gonna weaw iche cweam shiwt."
Niall smiled proudly. "That's the shirt I bought him. You go boy."
↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠
Zayn trailed happily beside them as they walked towards the car. It was a rather windy day to eat an ice cream, and Liam pulled his hood over his head. Zayn didn't notice the wind that whipped his hair in his face, too busy licking his strawberry cone. "What we do now?" he asked. "Why me not go to kindewgawden?" Zayn questioned, probably now realizing that it was day. "Ish it Shunday?"
"No. We've been...invited," Harry said and he pocketed his hands. Louis and Zayn were the only ones getting ice cream, while Niall bought Dr. Pepper.
They hadn't been invited, but they'd sure received an appointment from
Dr. Lillian. Today was the day Zayn would be getting a vaccine for measles. Liam grimaced as he imagined how that would go.
Zayn was skipping beside them and as he climbed into the car, he bumped the icee cream into the drivers seat. Liam groaned and grabbed a tissue from the front to wipe it off, climbing in behind him. Zayn smiled sheepishly and continued eating. "Sowwy."
"It's okay," Louis said and licked Zayn's ice cream while he wasn't watching.
"Loueh, can Jayn twy youw iche cweam?" Zayn asked curiously, pointing to Louis' chocolate cone. Louis shook his head. "Only if you say you love me."
"I love you!"
Louis smiled and pinched his cheek, making Zayn send him a disapproving look. "Here, but don't eat the chocolate."
Zayn did exactly that and he chewed loudly and with an open mouth to brag about it too. Liam chuckled and Louis sent Zayn a look. "I'm giving you the stinky eye. Just you wait."
Zayn laughed and leaned into Liam. "I love you!"
He knew exactly how to get Louis to smile and Liam exchange looks with Harry. Thy could literally piss him off a bunch and one "I love you" from Zayn would ease his mood.
"You're my secret weapon, Zayn," Liam winked and tried to fist bump the boy. Zayn kept his fist to himself because he was too busy blinking, probably trying to wink back.
"You'll get there eventually," Liam chuckled, patting his back.
↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠
Zayn looked around with a suspicious look on his face. "We been hewe befowe," he mumbled as he studied the yellow walls and the people sitting in the waiting chair. He gasped once he noticed the green truck. "Thish ish doctow! Jayn play with the caw lasht time."
He took a huge step back, bumping into Harry's long legs. Zayn's eyes widened. "We at doctow!" he yelled loudly. Liam knelt down to calm the boy since he was getting the attention of other people. "Zaynie, it's nothing dangerous. Just something Dr. Lillian wanted to do."
Zayn gasped, a furious look on his face. "Doctow Lill-an. I wemembew hew!" He rummaged through his jeans pockets as if looking for his Batman figure.
"She's a nice lady, she just wants to check on...Louis!" Harry blurted, nudging Louis. Louis sighed and nodded. "We're here because she's going to check on me."
"Oh," Zayn said and calmed down a little. He smiled. "Okay. Do you want Batman?"
"Oh yes, I cannot survive without him," Louis said sarcastically. Zayn nodded seriously.
"Zayn Malik?" The woman behind the counter asked. Liam exchanged a look wth the boys. "Yes, we're here."
"Why she shay Jayn?" Zayn wondered. "Why she shay Maleek? Who'sh Maleek?"
"Too many question, not enough time," Niall said and picked him up. "Do you know what's in the car? A Spider-Man lollipop."
Zayn gasped. "No!"
Louis gasped back. "Yes. You want?"
Zayn nodded eagerly.
"Then trust us and don't struggle," Louis begged him as they walked down the hall to Dr. Lillian. She beckoned them inside with a bright smile. "Good afternoon! Hello Zayn."
"Hello," Zayn mumbled though Liam couldn't distinguish whether it was out of resentment or shyness.
"How are you?" Dr. Lillian asked, sitting down beside her desk. She motioned for the boys to sit down. Liam and Niall took a seat while Harry and Louis stood behind them. Zayn, who was sitting on Niall's lap, narrowed his eyes. "M'fine. Don't huwt Loueh."
"I'm not going to," she asked confusedly.
"We've told him Louis will be taking the vaccine," Liam explained. Zayn looked at him curiously. "What ish vakshine?"
"Just something I'll be getting," Louis said and Harry winked at Lillian. His wink was horrible, his whole face scrunching. Liam facepalmed.
"Oh, okay, I understand," Dr. Lillian said with a smile. "Louis, why don't you come and sit here?" She gestured towards the stool. Louis sat down, looking at her carefully. He actually looked scared of suddenly getting it which was ridiculous considering the ink on his arms.
"And Zayn, why don't you sit here?" she asked, pointing towards the bed. Zayn took a step back. "Why?"
"Because I'm afraid," Louis whined. "I don't want to do this alone."
Zayn pursed his lips and walked behind Harry, pushing the lad forward. "Hewe ish Hawwy. Kish Hawwy."
Louis' face turned beet red and Liam glanced at Dr. Lillian, alarmed. She seemed oblivious though, considering she didn't know them as celebrities. "But Louis needs you Zayn. You're younger, but you're braver than him. You're not scared like he is."
Zayn sighed and nodded. "Jayn vewy bwave. Jayn not shcawed of dawk anymowe."
That was a complete lie. Zayn believed that he wasn't afraid of the dark, because he slept in it. But the light from outside was always spilling in so his argument was invalid. Liam had argued with him over this yesterday when Zayn had demanded to be allowed to play Halo instead of FIFA because he was 'gwown up now!'.
Dr. Lillian smiled at him. "Great! This isn't going to hurt a bit. Hold Louis' hand for him while you sit."
Louis lifted his hand for Zayn to hold and Zayn frowned as Dr. Lillian zipped his sweater to take off. He was wearing a tank top with an ice cream cone on it.
"My shweatew," he mumbled and held it out. Harry grabbed it and smiled encouragingly at him. "Look how brave Zayn is, Louis. He's not afraid."
Zayn blushed and smiled widely. "M'not!"
A nurse walked inside, the same one they'd seen the last time. The boys greeted her and she smiled at Zayn. "Hello! Back again? Where's your Batman figure?"
Liam held back a snort, remembering how the nurse had seemed to resent the Batman action figure.
Zayn pouted. "Home. Jayn not know we come hewe." He pointed at Louis with his free left hand. "Louis shcawed."
"Okay," the nurse said, probably trying to catch what was going on. She brought the equipment and Liam wondered how they would distract Zayn from seeing the needle. It didn't hurt much, but it was a lot worse if you saw the needled prick in the skin.
"While Ally just cleans your arm, I'm going to give Louis a vaccine," Dr. Lillian told Zayn, and the boy concentrated on her. Ally readied the syringe while Zayn wasn't watching. "Where did he get the anesthetic patch?"
"He didn't take one," Dr. Lillian said and Zayn was too busy looking at Louis who was making funny faces. The boy grinned and stuck his tongue back, rolling his eyes.
Louis pretended to be afraid and Zayn giggled at his reaction. He gasped when the needle was pressed against his skin, and Louis kissed Zayn's hand softly, trying to keep him calm. "It's okay, don't panic."
Zayn turned to look at what was going on, but Liam gasped loudly. "Look, a dog!" That's the first thing that came to his mind. Zayn winced as the vaccine entered his system and tears welled up in his eyes. He glanced at the needle with wide eyes. "Oww, you huwt me." He glared up at her. "I'm giving you shtinky eye."
Since the plan had kind of failed, Harry pulled out the Spider-Man lollipop out of his pocket. "You were so brave, and so were you, Louis!"
Louis, who hadn't even been in the near proximity of the needle, grinned. "It hurt a little, but it's okay, right Zayn?"
Zayn pouted and watched as a cotton ball was taped to his arm. Ally smiled at him and patted his back. "You didn't even cry. You were so brave, I think we should give him a sticker."
Zayn tilted his head excitedly. "Shtickew?"
The pain and the needle had long left his mind and Liam chuckled, standing up to kiss the small boy on the cheek. He helped Zayn put on his sweater while Ally distracted him with questions.
"Which color do you want? And should it be happy or sad?"
"Blue! Happy!" Zayn exclaimed and then winced, hand coming up to his arm. "It huwtsh."
"But it's good for you, now you won't get sick," Dr. Lillian said with a smile. She taped a cotton ball randomly to Louis' arm. "Louis' going to come here next time too in a months time to get the next vaccine, aren't you, Louis?"
Louis nodded at Zayn who shrugged. "Okay, but Jayn get shtickew?"
"Every time, if you're brave," Dr. Lillian said with a chuckle. She sat down to appoint them the next vaccine. Liam guessed Zayn would have to catch up with all the health things he'd missed. Dr. Lillian had checked his medical record and the boy had only received a few vaccines when he was a baby. He was once appointed to the doctor because he was sick, but that was when he'd been one year old.
Zayn gasped as Ally gave him the sticker. It was a blue smiley face. Zayn took off the tape. "Shitckey sho cool," he obsessed as he pressed the sticker to his cheek. "Look, Jayn got dimple," he said to Liam, laughing. Liam chuckled and nodded enthusiastically. "Say thanks to Ally."
"Thank you, Ally," Zayn said and took off the sticker from his cheek. He carefully stuck it tothecotton ball on his arm. "Now Jayn awm huwt, but it'sh happy."
"He's adorable," Ally said with a smile, pinching Zayn's cheek. Liam's eyes widened and it was as if someone was screaming noo in the background, for dramatic effect. Zayn's smile fell and he pinched Ally's cheek back in revenge. "You adowable," he said back, which Liam was sure was just an excuse to pinch her back.
Ally laughed even though Liam knew Zayn must have pinched her hard.
"Anyways," he said with a clap. "Time to go."
Dr. Lillian gave them a date around 2nd December, and they left the doctor, Zayn happy. Harry gave him the lollipop, which Zayn ended up sharing with Louis because Louis started getting dramatic and whined that he deserved a taste too.
↠↠↠A/N↠↠↠
Ramadan Mubarak to all my fellow muslims! 💕🌃❤️😘
Hope you have a great Ramadan with lots of good deeds stacking up in your account lol.
Also, I think the next chapter is the last chapter before another little time jump 🤔 Every time jump is kind of a mini era coming to end. And in the next 'mini era' you better be expecting some new characters 😝😊
I love being mysterious 🙂
xx