Keeping Up With One Direction 2

> 33 <

Thirty Three : Eyes reveal what the Tongue could never express.

Oceanic eyes skim the hotel room from his place on the bed. His Daddy had put him there while he was grabbing clothes to change him into; he smiles when his eyes land on two fluffy ears that flop when his brother joins him on the bed with a shy smile in greeting, "H-hi," Liam whispers extending his hand toward Max, it was his way of a formal truce. 

Something he'd seen superheroes do at the end of movies; and while Liam knew he'd already been forgiven, he felt as though he needed to do something extra when Louis wasn't in the room - he needed to show himself he could be a good brother without his older brothers influence.

Max grins his own hand reaching up for the ears with a squeal, Liam lowering his head letting his ears be pet, "Y-you's have li-little ones," he mumbles chocolate orbs flickering to the much smaller fluffy ears buried beneath Max's warm golden hair.

Zayn's swaying with Louis in his arms helping the oldest through his grumpy phase that morning, "You don't want the day to start this way," he reminds, hazel eyes glazing the doorway where Niall suddenly appears, "What's the matter with him?" Zayn ruffles Louis' hair clearing his throat, "Just woke up fussy," Niall strolls further into the room placing his hand supportively on Louis' back, "We're going to have a fun day at the beach," Zayn lifts an eyebrow toward his husband, "Are we?" 

Knowing he was mostly to blame for the family tension, and after a sweet night before of what he assumed was the first attempt of many in making up between the three, Niall knew he had a while to go before he was fully back in the circle of trust so to speak when it came to his marriage.

His lips lift in smile with a somber nod, "We are," he assures taking Louis in his own arms with a kiss to the temple, "Why don't we go see if Lee and Max are ready!"

Snapping the leash on Liam's chest, Harry remains kneeled before him, "Are you okay?" Liam nods puckering his lips for a kiss, Harry beams planting numerous kisses on Liam's face until the hybrid was pushing away giggling, "Does Lou need kisses?!" He muses seeing the oldest one sulking with his arms crossed, his mood just didn't want to improve yet.

Zayn comes behind slapping his backside, "He needs something," with his warning being taken seriously, Louis adjusts his face plastering a smile toward his Daddy, "I-I fine,"

"I'm worried about Liam," Harry remarks, he sits with his knees to his chest resting on one of the towels under the umbrella, Zayn sits next to him half-asleep on a beach chair with Max knocked out on his lap having played in the water with his brothers for two hours before tapping out.

Niall's standing in the water with Liam and Louis as the two hybrids are taking turns splashing each other and jumping waves. 

Zayn can't help but groan at his husband's words, he wanted to take him seriously, but he also wanted to just enjoy a damn vacation.

"Why?" 

"He's different with Niall-" Harry admits eyes locked onto the smaller hybrid giggling at his older brother, "He's different with me," Zayn counters, ever since the night of the fight Zayn couldn't help but feel a sudden distance growing between Liam and himself.

He'd tried to convince himself it was his own insecurities, but Harry's worry about his relationship with Niall seemed to further convince him.

"I see that," Harry validates, he inhales deeply, "Not-not that I'm complaining that he wants to be closer to me, b-but it worries me,"

Zayn adjusts in the chair leaning over to embrace Harry's face, "You let everything worry you," he muses, "Liam's 'gonna be okay,"

Meeting the honey haze eyes his husband wears so fiercely sometimes, Harry nods chewing his bottom lip, "Promise?"

"I promise,"

Still unconvinced from his talk with Zayn, Harry's the first to scoop Liam up kissing his tanned cheeks, "Did you have fun playing in the water with baba?" at the mention of the man, he can see the glee lessen, the hybrid nods snuggling into the man with a sigh, Harry rubbing his back with an understanding nod.

He knew.

The family had silently decided that ordering pizza and returning to the hotel room was the best decision for dinner. Harry's stripping the boys down running the bathtub full placing Niall and Zayn in charge of getting dinner.

"H-Harry mentioned something," Zayn announces, he had asked Niall to join him on the walk to grab dinner, feeling as if it would be the best moment to have Niall completely alone to talk about life.

Niall chuckles softly linking his and Zayn's hands, "What did he say?" He wears an innocent smile with his bright ocean eyes, Zayn frowning as he tightens the grip, "How different Liam is,"

Niall's footsteps freeze, he furrows his eyebrows at the man, "W-what do you mean different? D-Different how?"

"How different Liam is with you," Zayn mutters, Niall sniffling as tears prick his eyes, "D-do you think I haven't noticed?"

"Have you?"

"Y-yeah, Zee, I have. I-I've noticed since we adopted him, how little he's ever liked me," Zayn scoffs removing his hand from Niall's, "Oh that's bullshit-"

"Is it? Louis has always favored Harry, Liam's never been okay without you in the room, and who do I have? Max? Not even, he cries for Harry every day," 

"Why don't you say anything?!" Zayn barks, "We-we go to fucking therapy every fucking week and you-you say this bullshit about how happy all of us are!" 

"I am happy!" Niall shrieks in return, "I-I'm happy being the least picked parent, I-I know it doesn't mean they love me any less, I-it just hurts to be reminded of it-"

"I'm not reminding you, Niall," Zayn pauses rubbing his temple, he shakes his head chewing the inside of his cheek, "I-I'm telling you, a-after the fight between the boys, Lee's been different,"

"Different how?" Niall repeats, he takes Zayn's hands in his own again, "I-I know it's going to take some time for us to be good again, and-and I'm okay with it, but if something is different between me and Liam I need the chance to fix it," 

Pulling the younger husband in for a hug, Zayn kisses his hair swaying with him gently, "H-he's just different Ni, I-I don't know how or-or why,"

Niall nods in the hold, "I'll talk to him,"

"And Harry,"

"Yeah," Niall assures, "I-I'll talk to Harry too,"

>Seems like the fam is slowly on the mend, update next week, all the love, Emma :)