ᑕᕼᗩᑭTEᖇ 137
[Louis]
Not when Ziam was gone.
Louis smiled nervously as he sat down. "So do you want to eat the last cinnamon roll?" he asked in a futile attempt to distract the boy from the current situation. Zayn frowned. "Louis, I want Jiam."
Louis chuckled nervously, running his fingers through his feathery hair. "We can get him later, right now we're on the plane so let's spend some time together."
Zayn smiled. "Yes! You, Jayn and Jiam!"
Louis smile fell and he bit his bottom lip. "Maybe later? Is that okay? Ziam's uh, sleeping."
"Without me?" Zayn wondered.
"Yeah, yeah, he was knackered. Honestly, he was so tired you should let him sleep."
Zayn pouted. "Okay."
Louis smiled proudly. "Now, I downloaded some programs of yours on the iPad."
After 15 minutes, they started emergency briefing before departure. Zayn tried his best to look at the woman in their aisle,reaching up in his seat. But then he was mesmerized by the little TV on the seat.
After twenty minutes, the plane started to move. Zayn gasped excitedly and clutched the handles. He looked towards the window, trying to open the cover.
"Windows should remain closed during take off," a flight attendant said politely and Zayn blushed, hiding his face in Louis' arm. "We on takeoff?" he asked curiously, having learned a new word. Louis nodded and Zayn clutched his arm as the plane rattled. And then suddenly they were up, and Zayn frowned. Slowly, the boy started to wince and press his hands to his ears. Louis had already prepared for that; he just pulled out a packet of gum, giving Zayn one. He had thought the plane ride would be smooth, but without Ziam, he could only hope. Ziam was Zayn's best friend, and Zayn could play for hours silently if Ziam was with him.
Twenty minutes after take off, they were up in the air, flying smoothly. Zayn swung his feet, chewing loudly on his gum. He then pulled the window up and paused. "We done with take off?"
"Yeah," Louis chuckled as he scrolled through his messages. Zayn peeked outside, but since there wasn't much to see except for the white clouds and sky, he turned back to Louis with a smile. "I want Jiam."
Louis froze and he chuckled. "What? Why? You have me."
Zayn pouted. "You on your phone."
Louis put his phone away and turned his head towards the boy. "Now I'm not. What do you want to do?"
"I miss Jiam," Zayn stated. "Gimme Jiam."
Louis swallowed. "He's asleep, I can't."
Zayn frowned upsettly. "Then Jayn want Niall ow Liam ow Hawwy."
"What? You know I can't do that, Zee."
Zayn let out a sound of frustration and Louis pulled the iPad out of his bag. "Want to watch Tom and Jerry?"
"Yes, with Jiam," Zayn whined and Louis let out a breath. He had to tell him or he would just keep on whining. Zayn was a smart kid, and sometimes understanding. "Ziam's not here," Louis said carefully. "He's in our baggages, the ones we checked in. And they're not here," Louis said slowly, studying Zayn's reaction.
The boy's face fell. "W-what? Sho Jiam gone?"
"Not forever," Louis assured him quickly. "But for the flight trip. And it's not long, just four hours." He smiled sideways. "Four hours, you can survive four hours right?"
"B-but Jiam alone," Zayn said and tried to get up from his seat. "I want to go to Jiam."
Louis stopped him quickly. "Zayn, he's not here, it's not possible. I fowgot to put him in our handb-"
"You fowgot!" Zayn said angrily, and he seemed on the verge of tears. Louis groaned internally. Three year old without his favorite possession on a four hour plane flight, with a stop to Dublin. This was just going to be amazing.
"Yes, I did, and I'm sorry," Louis said softly. Zayn crossed his arms, eyes welling up. "Jiam cwying without me."
"No, no, he's fine," Louis told him and then stopped the boy as he tried to take off his belt. "You can't look for him, Zee, you won't find him."
Tears spilled dow the boy's cheeks and he sniffed. "But I want Jiam with me. We watch Tom and Jewwy."
"I can watch Tom and Jerry with you," Louis said, wiping the boy's cheeks quickly. "No crying, please."
Zayn sniffed and crossed his arms. "But then you watch all with me."
"Yes," Louis told him with a smile, relief filling him. "I'll be Ziam, okay? And once we get to Doncaster, the first thing I'll do is whip him out of our suitcases, okay?"
Zayn didn't answer, his lower lip trembling and Louis let out a sigh. He pulled out the iPad and quickly clicked on the right video he'd downloaded. "Here."
He pulled the food tray down and set the iPad in front of the boy. Zayn looked at him in disappointment. "You not like Jiam."
"I can be like him," Louis told him and scooted forward, putting and arm around Zayn as the program played. "Hey, would you look at that. You haven't seen this one, have you?"
Zayn turned to the screen and as he started getting engrossed, Louis smiled. He pulled out his phone and plugged in his earbuds. Zayn poked his shoulder. "Louis!" he complained loudly.
Louis turned back to the screen. "I'm watching, I'm watching."
Zayn looked at him with an upset look on his face and he pushed him away. "He like Jiam."
"What? I am being like Ziam," Louis said with an offended look. He just lies there, kid, nothing else. Instead, he said, quipping a smile. "What do you want me to do?"
Zayn pulled him down and Louis let him until his head was in the boy's lap. And then Zayn threw his arm around his shoulder as if he was the kid. Oh boy. Louis grumbled under his breath as he tried to get comfortable in the position. He couldn't even see the screen. As quietly and stealthily as he could, he pulled his phone close, lazily putting his earbuds in his ears before Zayn noticed.
He then listened to music and started to doze off, actually liking how Zayn was playing with his hair as if it was fur. Kids were so weird. But cute. He felt Zayn move forward and say something to him, but he'd cranked up the music. And then he started to doze off, falling asleep.
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He'd had his fair share experiences of Zayn doing some crazy shit whenever he fell asleep with the boys, therefore this was the reason Louis had given him the window seat. So if he'd even move, Louis would know. And now, Zayn was wiggling in his seat. Louis' eyes opened and sat up immediately. "Ha, you're not going anywhere, monk-ow!" he hit his nose on the lunch tray, and Zayn started giggling. "Louis, go up. My legs huwt."
"Sorry," Louis muttered and sat up, massaging his nose with his fingers. He picked up his fallen earbuds and glanced at the screen which was now playing the second episode he'd downloaded for Zayn, a Ben 10 one. Zayn kicked his legs once Louis was up and he moved restlessly. Louis rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn, pulling out the packet of crisps he'd brought for the ride.
"Louis," Zayn whined softly, trying to take off his seatbelt. "I don't want to sit." He kicked out, making the tray wobble and the iPad to collapse on it's holder. Louis let out an annoyed breath. "Okay, okay, we can walk the aisle for a little bit."
He unbuckled his belt and stood up, doing the same to Zayn. The boy smiled as he jumped up and Louis grabbed his hand. "Just a walk, okay?"
"Okay," Zayn said, looking around curiously. Louis let him walk in front, tagging behind and eating crisps. Zayn minded his own business, shyly avoiding looks as he walked up the aisle. That was, until, he saw a girl with blonde pigtails, a red book sprawled in her lap. It was a children's book and she looked to be around Zayn's age. As Zayn passed her, he curiously looked at the book, making the girl's head turn to him. "What ar you doing?"
Her accent was a little different, so Louis guessed she wasn't a Londoner. Zayn blushed in embarrassment and shook his head. "He was just curious," Louis said apologetically, smiling at the girl. She looked at Zayn. "Oh." She looked at her sleeping mother before giving the book to Zayn. "You can bowrow it," she said. "I'm Pewrie Edwards."
"Oh I'm Jayn. Jayn Jayn," Zayn answered, taking the book with a smile.
"Malik," Louis coughed. "You're Zayn Malik."
"I'm Jayn Mallik," Zayn said proudly and Perrie tilted her head. "Is that your browther?" she inquired, staring at Louis.
"No," Zayn said with a frown. "That's Louis. I don't have bwothew."
"Oh, I do," Perrie told him, and she was clearly a talker. She pointed to the window seat. "His name is Alex."
"Okay, nice to meet you Perrie, but we should head back. Thank you for the book." Louis said politely, tapping Zayn on the shoulder. Zayn tore his gaze away reluctantly and headed backward, following Louis. They headed back and sat down, Zayn opening the book.
"Be careful with it," Louis told him, pulling up one of his shoes. Zayn nodded and flicked through the pages carefully. "Louis, wead to me."
"What?" Louis said, pulling out an earbud. "Can I read to you later?"
"No, now," Zayn said, smiling. "Emma weads to me in kindewgawden."
"Okay then," Louis said with a soft sigh. He smiled as he picked the book up. It was called; The Snowy Day. He quietly started reading, scooting forward so Zayn could see the pictures.
The first one was of a boy with dark hair sitting in his pajamas, looking out of the window.
"One winter morning, Peter woke up and looked out the window," Louis read.
"Is that Petew?" Zayn wondered and Louis nodded.
"Snow had covered everything during the night, it covered evething as far as he could see," Louis continued, casting careful glances around. Zayn listened intently. "After breakfast, he put on his snowsuit and ran outside."
"What's snowsuit?" Zayn wondered curiously.
"It's a suit you wear," Louis said with a shrug. "So you don't get cold or wet while playing in the snow. Have you played in the snow before?"
Zayn shook his head and Louis frowned. "What? How come? Maybe you just don't remember." He turned back to the book, frowning in disappointment. He would make sure Zayn's first Christmas was perfect. "The snow was piled up very high along the street..."
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After reading the entire book, Zayn started inspecting the pictures. Louis was growing tired so he started dozing off again. Planes always made him so sleepy. Zayn leaned forward to poke his ear. "Why you sleep so much?"
"Because I'm tired," Louis mumbled. "And I like to sleep. What is it? Done with the book? Watch Tom and Jerry."
"I did. I open IPad myself," Zayn said proudly. His voice quietened. "I want Jiam to look at Petew with me. I miss him."
Louis hummed, forcing himself to not doze off. "You can tell him all about it when we get there."
"But this is Pewwie's book. Jayn want to show Jiam," Zayn said and Louis reopened his eyes with a soft groan. "Take pictures then."
"Okay!"
Louis unlocked his phone sleepily, earbuds plugged in. He handed it over to Zayn with the camera on and closed his eyes. He must have slept for a solid twenty minutes while Zayn took careful pictures of everything in the book, soft music playing in Louis' ears.
Suddenly, metal music blasted through. A man screaming die, die, die devil my devil. Louis jerked forward so hard he crashed into the next seat. Groaning, he shook off his earbuds. Zayn was laughing uncontrollably beside him, his phone in hand. The little fucker had changed the song. Louis buried his head in his hands. "Zayn, you're evil," he stated. Zayn laughed even more at that.
"How did you even find my music?" Louis questioned, sitting up. Zayn shrugged and pointed to the home button. "Jayn pwess on this two times and found it. I was gonna take pictuwe but lost it."
"Lost the camera?" Louis asked, shaking his head. He sent him an amused smile. "You little pranker, were you going to take a picture of me?"
Zayn shook his head and pointed behind Louis. "No, gonna take pictuwe of boy behind you."
Louis turned to look that a few seats away, a boy with dirty blonde hair was sitting. "Why him?"
"He took pictuwe of you," Zayn stated. "And me."
Louis' heart sank. "While I was sleeping? You sure."
Zayn nodded and Louis let out a sigh. He disliked commercial planes for this exact reason. His privacy was never his.
"Louis, you upset?" Zayn wondered.
"What? No, no, I'm fine," Louis said and smiled. "Just a little annoyed. If he takes any more pictures of you, tell me okay?"
Zayn wanted to give Perrie her book back, so Louis let him go, watching as he walked down the aisle and then stopped at the girls seat once he found it.
Even after talking to Perrie, the boy wandered around. Louis sent him a look, but Zayn ignored it, peeking at people's stuff. Louis sat back with a yawn. Oh well, at least there were hundred other people to make sure he didn't do anything.
The food arrived later, just a sandwich and something to drink. Zayn chomped on the sandwich hungrily as an air hostess pushed a trolley with drinks.
"What would you like to drink, sir?" she asked and Louis smiled. "Sprite."
"Louis, Jayn want cola," Zayn whispered. Louis ignored him. "And a water for the kid."
Zayn was a shy kid when it came to stuff like this, unless he was on a sugar high or very happy. So it was surprising when he spoke up. "No, I want cola."
"You haven't drunken water in quite some time," Louis told the boy, the air hostess pouring his Sprite. She handed it over to him and smiled at Zayn. "Which one then?"
"Water," Louis said just as Zayn said, "Cola."
Louis shrugged at the air hostess. "Coke it is then."
Their stop in Dublin was short, and basically consisted of Zayn jumping up and down. Him getting restless was really annoying because it was like having a vibrating controller or a ticking bomb.
Once they were up in the air again, Zayn whining about the popping ears. Later, Louis turned on Zayn's TV. "Here, there are a lot of channels here." He asked for a pair of earbuds, which he fixed in Zayn's ears. The boy excitedly chose to watch Young Justice, eyes glued to the screen. Ah, Louis should have done this earlier. He stretched and pulled out the iPad, setting it on the lunch tray to watch some of his own things.
He threw a couple of glances at the boy, who's eyes were growing heavy. It was his time to sleep in London right now.
"Take a nap," Louis said to him, pausing the screen. Zayn let out a sound of protest. "But then Jayn watch Young Justice."
"Of course." Though they would be out of the plane by then. Oh the lies you had to tell as a par-guardian.
Zayn snuggled up by his shoulder and closed his eyes. Louis smiled softly and turned to the episode in front of him. A few minutes later, Zayn sat up. "I want Jiam. I can't shleep."
Louis was about to tell him that he could sleep on his lap, when the plane rustled. Zayn gasped, grabbing him quickly. The pilot spoke over the P.A: "We are experiencing minor turbulence, and it might cause a delay to our arrival at Doncaster Airport."
"Louis," Zayn whimpered as the plane shuddered, holding him closely. Louis closed his iPad and lunch tray, pulling the boy in his lap. "It's just a little turbulence, Zayn," he assured him gently.
Zayn placed his head on his chest, wrapping his arms around him. It was getting colder in the plane as the wind whipped outside, and the flight attendants were giving out blankets. Louis accepted one and draped it over Zayn, who was breathing heavily. "Louis?" he whispered. "I'm scawed."
Louis' face softened. "There's nothing to be afraid of, okay? I've got you. In an hour, we'll be in Doncaster. Now I'm sorry about Ziam, but please try to sleep."
And it was hard, what with the bumps and lack of Ziam. Louis tried to plug Zayn's ears, putting on soft lullabies. It seemed to work since the boy fell asleep half an hour later.
As they started to descend, Zayn didn't even notice and Louis put the belt on over them. Once they landed, Louis breathed out in relief at having arrived, though they were 45 minutes late.
The lights turned on as the pilot thanked them for choosing British Airways. Louis packed his things, eating the last crisps and grabbing Zayn's things as well. He then stood up with the boy in his arms and placed him gently on the seat as he pulled out his suitcase. The line towards the exit was starting already. Louis pushed his fringe away from his eyes as he leaned down to sling his backpack over his shoulder, hand curled around their suitcase. "Zayn," he said softly, shaking the boy gently.
Zayn didn't budge. Louis breathed out. It would be hard carrying Zayn in his right arm and roll the bag all the way. He stared at the line which had started moving. Oh well, looks like he would have to try. He picked Zayn up and quickly put on his shoes, the boy's head lolling on his own chest. Louis lifted him up, Zayn's head on his shoulder, and grabbed the suitcase with his other hand.
Zayn was heavy, but not too heavy that Louis didn't manage to walk out of the plane, carrying him with one arm. But then his arm started aching and he grimaced, walking to the side and setting the boy down on a chair. It was night outside and an advertisement beside them said, Welcome to Doncaster!
"Zayn," Louis said gently, shaking the boy. "Buddy, can you walk with me the rest of the way? You can sleep in the car?"
Zayn rubbed his eyes tiredly and Louis massaged his back. "Come on."
Zayn nodded mutely, hazel eyes bleary. Louis grabbed his hand and the two went to get their baggage. While Louis stood in front of the belt, Zayn plopped down on the ground, messy hair sticking up in different places. His hands were sticky with paprika powder from their chips, and he had a coke splotch on his shirt.
"I don't think the ground is that clean," Louis told the boy with a chuckle, lifting him up in his arms as he waited. Zayn wrapped his arms around his neck, mumbling tiredly. "Jiam."
"Right, I'll give him to you as soon as I get him," Louis assured the boy, eyes widening as he spotted their baggage. He set Zayn down, who swayed and whined softly. Louis picked the bag up with a heave of breath, setting it down on the trolley. He grabbed the suitcase as well and turned to see that Zayn was sprawled on the bag he'd just tossed, sleeping. "Zayn, wake up, I have to set this down," Louis said, nudging the boy. Zayn lifted his face up, eyes closed as he moved back. Louis shook his head and piled the suitcase onto the trolley along with his backpack. "There," he said, crossing his arms.
"Louis," Zayn said and lifted his arms for him to pick him up. "Up."
Louis sighed and picked him up, pushing the trolley with his left hand. It was hard navigating around when Zayn was limp in his arms, so he was carrying all his weight. They made it out of baggage claim, and Louis glanced at the clock. Lottie said she would come to pick him up.
He sat down with Zayn in his arms, the boy sleeping. The plane ride had seemed longer with the monkey, but now Louis was excited for the days ahead, they would be fun.
It was time to show Zayn what the holidays were really about.
↠↠↠A/N↠↠↠
Long chappie, eh? To compensate for the lack of updates.
Peeez is here!
QOTC: do you think Ziam is in their bags? 😂🙊 Excited about Perrie? She'll be back 👀