Keeping Up With One Direction 2

>27<

Niall's breaking point

Grabbing a gallon of milk, Niall has his back turned towards his cart when Max squeals loudly in what sounded like a protest against something.

Quickly turning Niall feels a breath of relief seeing it was Liam just messing with him, "Leave him alone," he orders narrowing his stare at the boy. Normally Harry made the grocery run, but today Niall volunteered to need a break from the house, he even looked forward to roaming the isles kid-free and alone. Niall practically foamed at the mouth at the idea of a silent drive to the grocery store.

However, his fantasy was short-lived when Harry entered the room saying that Louis had a check-up and Zayn wasn't available to watch the other two, which left Niall to handle the younger ones for the day.

While Niall would've considered himself an extremely active parent in his boy's life, he didn't seem to notice the dislike the two younger brothers had for one another until they had to sit next to each other in the car, and in a cart.

"Baba?" Liam calls peering up at the man, "What bubba?" Niall returns glancing at the grocery list in his hand, "Mama want baby?" Furrowing his eyebrows he meets the chocolate eyes of his son, "Does your mama want a baby? Maybe, why?" Liam grins pointing to Max, "We-we give Max to mama!" Beaming at his bright idea, he deflates seeing his fathers glare in return, "Liam we've told you, we're not returning Max and we're not giving Max away. Why don't you be nicer to Max? Louis wasn't this mean to you,"

"Yes-huh!" Liam argues crossing his arms in pout, clearly, his parents just couldn't see how evil Max truly was.

Ignoring his middle son, the youngest one in the front of the car sniffled suddenly as he dropped the caterpillar toy on the floor, "No drop 'fings, bad Max!" Liam scolds, Niall scoffing as he picks up the toy, "He didn't drop it on purpose, Lee, stop bullying him."

"I's no bull, I bird,"

"Lee you are not a bird," Niall mutters exhausted double-checking what he had in the cart as he makes his way to checkout.

The cashier smiles friendly toward the family, she coos seeing both hybrids in the cart waving at Max that grinned with a giggle, "Aren't you just so cute?" She hums, Liam perks up nodding, "Y-you's 'ant him?"

"Liam!" Niall barks halting from putting stuff on the counter, the father scowls warningly at the hybrid that huffs rolling his eyes.

When the transaction was finished Niall loaded the bags into the cart pushing it outside and placing the bags into the trunk before taking both boys to their car seats.

Making sure everyone was buckled in before pulling off, Niall runs a hand through his hair tiredly, "Who's ready for a nap?"

"Max," Liam retorts wanting the baby to sleep forever so he never had to speak to him again, "I think Liam is too," Niall counters meeting the chocolate eyes in the rearview mirror, "N-No I's not,"

Even though Niall's grocery store trip was ruined, after putting both boys down for a nap he did look forward to a quiet house for at least an hour.

Resting on the couch basking in the silence, he can't help the groan that escapes his lips hearing the front door open, his eldest hybrid running to the room with energy bouncing off the walls, "Baba! Baba!" Louis squeals, "I-I got's a shot and-and did not cry!" Niall musters a smile while shushing him at the same time, "I'm happy for you bud, but your little brothers are asleep-"

"It's sudden that Liam enters the room with his blanket and pacifier bobbling between his lips, he rubs his eyes sleepily but brightens when he sees Louis, "Lou Lou!"

Niall sighs standing from the sofa, "Liam no nap time isn't over,"

Louis whines already pulling the boy towards their toy box, "He-he stay up?"

"No Lewis he can't stay up, he needs a nap the same way you do,"

"I do not," Louis argued, he had been on his best behavior all day he wasn't grumpy, Niall twitched at the refusal, he grabs Liam's arm lifting him to his hip, extending his other hand for Louis, "you say one more word that isn't 'yes baba' and you're getting the belt," he growls leading the two upstairs, Harry entering the room before Niall could get too far, "What's going on? Lou and I were going to watch a movie,"

Both hybrids reached out for the daddy with cries, Harry rushing towards them seeing Niall's look, "Is-is everything okay?"

"No Harry it's not, but you don't seem to care about that," dropping the hybrid's hands he continues upstairs leaving Harry to console them.

Two hours had passed since Niall's interaction with Harry, Liam was asleep on his lap with Louis following close behind tucked into his side. He had been texting with Zayn during the movie expressing his concern for Niall.

When three O'clock had rolled around Harry shifted Liam to lay next to Louis on the sofa as he trudged upstairs quietly not wanting to disturb Niall in case he was sleeping.

Peaking into the nursery where Max should've been laying down to sleep, he feels a slight panic rise in his chest when he wasn't there. Opening their master bedroom door his face pales seeing it barren as well, Harry grows frantic as he continues opening Louis' door, Liam's door, and the playroom door, it's when he reaches the guest room that he rips the door off feeling a cry of relief escape him seeing Niall and Max knocked out, the sound machine played in the dark room, the sunlight peeking through the curtains illuminated Niall's shadows of his face, and Max's face nuzzled into the man's chest with his pacifier bobbing.

Knowing the boy wouldn't sleep tonight if he didn't wake up now, Harry sits on the bed brushing hair from his temple gently trying to wake the boy without disturbing Niall.

However, as soon as he moves Niall snaps awake tightening the hold he had on him, he squints seeing Harry in the room with a small frown building on his features, "Hey," he whispers, "Hey," Harry returns standing from the bed taking Max in his arms, "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Harry nods chewing his bottom lip, "Okay," Niall inhales deeply pinching the bridge of his nose, "I-I think I just need-"

"Whatever it is, you do it. We're fine here, you can take some time," Harry assures pressing his lips to Max's forehead as the baby stirred, "Okay," Niall mumbles in reply rubbing the back of his neck, "Did you know Liam didn't like Max?" Harry giggles nodding with a fond smile, "He hasn't forgiven him for hugging snakie," the parents share a laugh, Niall feeling tears well in his eyes, "Being a parent is hard," he didn't know where this sudden burst of depression came from, and while he tried for weeks to conceal it, it just came flooding back.

It made him feel like shit that he couldn't put on a brave face. Harry and Zayn were finally good again, and here he was feeling sorry for himself.

"You're not doing this alone," Harry swears leaning down and pressing his lips to Niall's, "Is there something we can do?"

Niall nods sniffling, "I want to go on vacation, getaway, all of us," Harry's eyes widen as he nods, "O-okay, us and-and the kids?"

"Yeah, all of us,"

"Okay. I'll set it up," Harry promises, hating that he even agreed to the stupid idea. If there was one thing Harry didn't like it was vacationing with two hybrids, if there was one thing he was sure to loathe, it was vacationing with three.

>Not the chapter I had planned to write at all, this was thrown together last minute, expect another update next week. All the love! ~Emma :)