Keeping Up With One Direction 2

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Beach Vacation: Breaking Even or Breaking Up

After spending the night reading every parenting blog he could find, and three hours on the phone with his mother, grandmother, Callum, and Carol, Harry found himself the next morning sitting on the edge of the bathtub cautiously watching Max play in the suds, Liam keeping to himself simply pushing his boats around.

The consensus was that Liam was merely a normal middle child, and felt left out and took his anger out on the youngest. Unfortunately, Louis was just in the way.

It took an hour, but finally, Liam admitted that he felt like Zayn was growing close to Max and that broke Liam's heart.

So then the conversation became, "We not only share our toys, but we share Papa too,"

The morning passed into day and by the afternoon Louis was watching cartoons when Liam strolled in and sat next to him, neither of the two hybrids talking.

When the episode ended, Louis inhaled deeply glancing at his brother with a plastered smile, "Hi-hi Lee Lee,"

"Hi Lou Lou," Liam returned softly, his chocolate orbs left the oceanic eyes for the floor as tears pooled in his puppy eyes, "I-I 'sowwy," Liam whimpers his ears flattening into his hair, Louis nodding as he brings his knees to his chest, "It no 'otay to hit," he reminds, "I-I know," Liam admits hanging his head.

"Bu-But I-I 'furgive 'yous," Liam gasps snapping his look to the older brother, "Y-you 'furgive me?!"

Louis beams at the joy returning to his brother's face, "Yes Lee Lee, but no more hitting me," he repeats narrowing his look, he points to his black eye, "A-Ash say I look cool now," Liam giggles scratching Louis's ears hearing him purr, "Y-you is cool," he assures sloppily kissing his cheek.

Harry that had heard his two oldest make-up sighs rising from the stairs, had been trailing Liam all day today just to ensure he wasn't going to strike anyone today. Feeling like the boy was okay, he retreats upstairs knocking on the guest room door knowing that's where Niall had been staying the last few weeks, "Can I come in?"

"What, H?" Niall calls opening the door, he stands back gesturing for Harry to come inside seeing the crave for acceptance in the forest eyes.

Harry swallows past the burning lump in his throat tucking hair behind his ear as he clears his throat taking a seat on the bed wiping his hand on the coral comforter he had picked out as a joke towards Zayn, "Do-do you remember how mad this made Zayn?" He muses glazing at Niall's figure that stays rooted at the door with his arms crossed.

"Did you need something?"

"Ni-Niall what-"

"Harry I don't think now is the best time-" Niall starts cutting the man off as he steps toward the bed, he didn't want to be cold, but he didn't want to lead the younger one on, he wasn't over being mad, he needed time to process.

Harry nods chewing the inside of his cheek, he crosses his legs staring out the window seeing the sun begin it descends for the day, "When then?" he croaks, Niall shrugs, "I don't know."

"So-so are we over?"

"I don't know," Harry runs a hand through his hair with a shaky exhale at the answer, he hugs himself beginning to rock to soothe himself, "I-I didn't know how bad things were," Niall sniffles wiping his eyes, "I didn't either."

"W-was it me? Do-do you hate me?"

"No Harry, I-I don't hate you, or Zayn," Niall adds standing from the chair sitting next to Harry on the bed placing his hand on the man's thigh, "I never had to have a girlfriend," he announces, "I never had to go on fake dates, or-or play a part that isn't me."

"Niall it wasn't our choice-" Harry begins, "I know, I know it wasn't." He stands once more removing his hands from Harry, "But I spent ten years watching from the sidelines, H. Ten years playing the single-parent role at times because you and Zayn had commitments. I didn't sign up for that, 'ya know. I wanted my husbands, I didn't want to turn on the news and see them kissing another woman."

Harry stands mustering a smile through his tears, "Y-you're right, Ni. It must've been hard on you to watch that. We leave for the beach tomorrow, come if you want to." Exiting the room before Niall can say more Harry closes the door behind himself slipping into the nearest bathroom locking the door and turning on the shower, he waits until the room is fully encased with sound before screaming into a towel sliding to the floor with his back against the wall.

Smacking Liam's hand, Zayn lifts his finger narrowing his stern stare, "Don't you even think about it," The Papa had given Harry the morning to work out his own way of getting the brothers to be friends again, and while it had worked, Zayn still had his own agenda to attend too.

He grew up with siblings, and the rule in their house was an eye for an eye.

While he didn't condone Louis punching Liam in the eye literally, Zayn found a better-suited plot to even the playing field.

There on the coffee table was Liam's snakie, and two of his trucks, Louis added in his red power ranger, and Zayn put Max's favorite stuffie (A lion), and his teething ring on the coffee table. Each of the brothers had to play with something that wasn't theirs, and allow the other brother to play with one of their own toys.

Liam scowls drawing his hand to his chest, he hated the new idea of his Papa and felt suddenly comfortable with never speaking to the man again for his moment of insanity. However, to save his ass, quite literally, he agreed by placing his designated items on the table and stepping back.

"Max is the youngest so he gets to go first," Zayn announces helping the baby look through the toys having his first pick.

His fingers touch each item, hovering slightly over Liam's trucks, the hybrid chewing his bottom lip to suppress any outbursts when Max grins grabbing Snakie and Louis' power ranger with a giggle.

Liam watches in horror as the youngest Stylin babbles to the snake, he sighs knowing that even this new imposter snakie spoke his language and his language only, not whatever the hell Max had to say.

"Liam your turn," Zayn informs watching the boy carefully, "You cannot pick your trucks," the Papa adds smacking Liam's backside, "Pick something of Max's or Lou Lou's," Liam huffs glaring at the choices left, a stupid lion, nasty teething ring, his precious trucks, and Louis' ugly octopus.

Wearily taking Louis' octopus he holds it gently by the tentacles having Louis whimper reaching forward to fix it when Zayn stops him, "You don't get to touch it either, Liam has it now. Lee pick something of Max's,"

"I no 'ant his 'fings," Liam pouts gesturing to the octopus, "No 'ant this 'eider," Louis scoffs crossing his arms, "Oscar nice!" Defending his plushy, Louis takes the trucks off the table along with Max's lion, "I 'ant this! Ug-ugly trucks and-and c-cute Lion!" Liam glares at his brother pitching the octopus to the floor, "Y-you's 'stoopid!"

Louis gasps, "'yous stupid!" he retorts, Liam climbs over the table lunging for the boy, "You bad!"

"You badder!" Louis screeches defending himself as the two tussled on the ground mostly rolling on top of one another.

Zayn watches amused at the two shouting innocent insults at each other waiting for the two to tire themselves when suddenly the hybrids erupt into giggles while Louis has Liam pinned to the floor his ears perking straight up, Liam's squealing as he sticks his tongue out to the older brother laughing afterward.

"Are we done fighting?" Zayn asks opening his arms for both boys that timidly approach him worried the belt would come out, "Yessir," Louis rushes nudging Liam to say the same, "Yes sir,"

Ruffling both boy's hair Zayn demands that they hug, "Cuddle each other, give him some love, include Max he looks lonely, that's right, this is your punishment, brotherly affection. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time," he muses taking pictures on his phone as the three hybrids hug with giggles shared amongst them.

>Getting DEEP over here aren't we? Fact: I got this plot from re-reading the first book and seeing some unintentional disconnect from Niall. Perhaps future me knew all along where this book was headed. Interesting huh? All the love, Emma :)