Chapter One Hundred Forty Seven – Zayn
Zayn groans as he carries a sleeping Zack and Chloe in from the car, they've just gotten home after their flight home from Italy was delayed three separate times. Liam comes in after him with an asleep Bella slumped against his shoulder. "I'm going to put these two to bed, I'll meet you in our room" Zayn murmurs heading towards the stairs before Liam can answer him.
Zayn goes to Zack's room first, carefully laying him down in his Batman themed bed and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Sweet Dreams Bubba I love you" Zayn whispers as he carefully carries Chloe out towards her own room. Zayn repeats his actions with Chloe and her princess themed bed before yawning and making his way back out into the hallway where he can hear Liam putting Bella to bed in her room as he makes his way into his and Liam's room.
Zayn just flops across the bed, too lazy to even take his jeans off, it's been a long day and it's after midnight now. Their flight was supposed to get them home by seven but after multiple delays it's now almost one in the morning. And being delayed for almost five hours with three kids is not Zayn's idea of fun.
"You sleeping like that Babe?" Liam chuckles pulling off his own jeans.
"Too tired to move" Zayn grumbles and he can hear Liam sigh before he feels hands on his jeans button and then the denim is being pulled off his legs.
"There you go you big baby" Liam mumbles climbing into his side of the bed, "I want cuddles Zee, c'mere" he whines and Zayn rolls his eyes before he rolls himself over and crawls up the bed to his pillow, cuddling up to Liam as soon as he's close.
**
"Oi! Zayn get up!" Louis calls, yanking the blankets off of Zayn far too early for Zayn's liking the next morning.
"Lou how did you even get in here?" Zayn mumbles attempting to find the blankets again but Louis has pulled them all to the floor. He also notices a distinct lack of Liam in the bed and it makes him pout.
"Your husband let me in, he and your kids are downstairs eating breakfast and you my friend need to get up" Louis chuckles dropping onto the bed heavily which bounces Zayn.
"I don't want to get up Lou" Zayn whines pushing himself to sit up against the headboard. "We got home so late" he adds, hitting his head against the headboard.
"Liam told us, that's brutal Zayn. But besides that how was your trip?" Louis asks, climbing into the bed beside Zayn, who immediately snuggles into his best friend.
"Trip was good. Was great to have some time just the family. Especially after Liam and Niall finished their business stuff" Zayn hums, as Louis cards a hand through his hair. "How was Aurora?" Zayn asks remembering Louis and Harry had taken their dog while they were away.
"She was fine" Louis chuckles, "she's like the laziest dog in the world though" he adds.
Zayn snorts as he nods, "yup, she lives in the lap of luxury Lou. That dog doesn't have to move, the attention and treats come to her" he mumbles, around another yawn.
Louis laughs at that, before he reaches over to start tickling Zayn, which makes the man laugh loudly as he curls into himself and tries to get away from Louis' hands, "I'll stop if you get up" Louis bargains, still tickling Zayn.
"Okay, okay. I'm getting up" Zayn groans rolling off the bed, landing on his feet before he starts searching for something to put on before going downstairs. The older Bella gets the more upset she's been getting about Zayn and Liam walking around in their boxers.
Louis smirks and throws a hoodie at Zayn, laughing loudly when it hits Zayn directly in the face, "I'll see you downstairs, Zee. Hurry up before I eat all your pancakes" Louis chuckles and Zayn gets the hoodie off his face in time to see his best friend walk back into the hall.
**
"Baba? I'm bored" Bella whines climbing up onto the couch beside him, where he's been just sat reading for the last half hour while the twins took a nap and Bella was playing in her room. Liam had to go into the office for part of the afternoon, since him and Niall have both been away for the better part of three weeks. Louis and Harry had left shortly after breakfast, both having to get to work themselves.
Zayn arches an eyebrow at her, closing his book. "Boo, how are you bored? You have so many toys" he asks, smiling when Bella cuddles into his side.
"But there's nothing to do, Baba" Bella whines again, snuggling further into his side.
"Alright Bella-Bug what do you want to do, keep in mind your brother and sister are sleeping and we just got back from Italy last night, so we can't do anything too crazy, Love" Zayn hums, setting his book onto the coffee table and wrapping an arm around Bella.
Bella tilts her head to the side as she thinks and Zayn smiles fondly at her and he hopes with everything he has that she never loses that habit. He hates how grown up she seems these days, and sometimes Zayn struggles to see his little baby in there. Zayn can't help but think about the day he brought Bella home from the hospital and it was just the two of them against the world.
"Can Kenzi come over?" Bella asks, snapping Zayn out of his thoughts. "Please Baba, I haven't seen her in forever" she adds dramatically.
Zayn chuckles, "just Kenzi? Or the boys too?" he asks, carding a hand through Bella's hair and dropping a kiss to the top of her head.
"Boys can come too" Bella hums, shrugging as she leans into Zayn's touch a little "I just really wanna see Kenzi" she adds smiling up at him.
"Alright Boo. I'll call Auntie Ruth and see what they're doing okay?" Zayn says already shifting Bella so he can stand up and find where he left his phone.
**
Zayn swings the door open before Ruth can ring the doorbell about thirty minutes after Bella asked to see Kenzi. "Hey Zayn! Thanks for having us over" Ruth hums pulling him into a hug releasing him when Kenzi barges past them followed by Mason, Ethan coming at a much slower pace.
"It's really no problem, we've missed you, and if you want to stay until Liam comes home, I think he's bringing pizza" Zayn answers laughing at Zack's excited squeal assuming it's from seeing Mason as Ethan has yet to make it into the house.
"Hey Uncle Zayn" Ethan mumbles slumping past the adults and Zayn reaches out to catch the teenager's arm, as Ruth excuses herself and disappears into the house presumably to see Bella and the twins.
"You okay E?" Zayn asks, closing the door once he and Ethan have stepped into the house. Ethan just shrugs as he toes his shoes off and looks around before settling his gaze on Zayn. "Ethan?" Zayn hums settling a hand on the back of Ethan's neck and guiding him up into the living room.
"I'm fine Uncle Zayn, just tired" Ethan mumbles finally, flopping onto the couch, Zack grinning and bringing a train over to Ethan dropping it in his cousin's lap. "Thanks Zacky" Ethan grins, picking up the train.
"He's been like this since he woke up, but won't tell me anything. Ben tried before he left for work but we're not getting anywhere" Ruth whispers to Zayn who nods.
"I can hear you talking about me and I already told you Mum, I'm fine" Ethan huffs, arching an eyebrow at Ruth before he turns back to playing trains with Zack, who's also given one to Mason.
"Where are the girls?" Zayn asks finally noticing Kenzi and Bella are missing from the room. He knows Chloe is still in bed the toddler still napping for way longer than her brother.
"They went to the playroom Uncle Zayn" Mason answers, rolling his eyes as Zack takes the train he did have and passes him another one.
"About Ethan though Ruth, I wouldn't worry too much, he'll tell someone when he's ready to, he always does" Zayn hums, quiet enough Ruth could hear him from the couch beside him, but Ethan couldn't across the room.
Ruth nods and glances over to where both her sons are sitting Zack having climbed into Ethan's lap, the oldest laughing as Zack drives his train across Ethan's cheek, "I know he will I just don't like when any of the kids are upset." Ruth murmurs. "But enough about that, how was your trip? We really missed you guys" she asks.
Zayn chuckles at the abrupt shift in conversation, "it was good, we had a great time. All three kids seemed to enjoy it, especially the pool. And I think Bella bonded even more with Niall, which is good, she's always been so close to Louis and Harry. I know she's loved Niall since day one but it was nice to see the relationship between them grow, you know" he explains.
Ruth giggles and nods, "that's good. What about you and my brother?" she asks, arching an eyebrow.
Zayn rolls his eyes "we had a good time too, and Liam made sure we got out on a few solo dates, which reminds me, we owe Niall big time for always watching the kids" Zayn hums.
"I'm glad it was so good Zee, you guys deserve to have fun both with your family and as just Liam and Zayn" Ruth says patting his arm with a smile.