Keeping Up With One Direction 2

53

"Daddy will make chocolate chip pancakes in the morning,"

While Harry wouldn't admit to being open to negotiating with terrorists (his children) at two in the morning he was more than willing to agree to anything his little monsters could throw at him just to return to sleep.

Niall's tour has finished its leg in America and before traveling to Europe, the family got a week's break. Not much of a break considering the parents spent the majority of it catching up on little sleep with laundry, a lacking routine, and their full-time job that never ceased: parenting.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes that morning, Harry can't help the groan that slips past his lips when he sees the familiar tuffs of brown hair peaking from under his comforter tucked into his side, "Lou-" he begins ruffling the hair with a sigh, they'd been trying to break this habit of Louis' since their return home three days ago. The eldest hybrid had done so well sleeping in his own bed on the tour bus, the parents didn't want to mess anything up by bringing the hybrid to their bed to sleep in at home.

After all, the king bed the three fathers shared at home didn't always bode well space-wise when it came to fitting the entire family - the smaller mattress on the tour bus surely didn't fit six members of the Stylin family.

"Da-daddy you-you said-" Louis begins, his wide cerulean eyes narrowing at the slightest hint his daddy would even consider backing out of the promise he made him at two that morning, Harry raises his hands in mock surrender, "I will make the pancakes, but you need to sleep in your bed," he mutters stroking Louis' fluffy ears with a smile, "What brought you in here anyway?" he asks gently, the boy shrugs returning to his father's side with a hum, "C'mon, tell Daddy," Harry encourages, it worried the man Louis was having nightmares again, the hybrid sensed his father's discomfort and returns to a sitting position letting the blankets pool at his thighs, "I-I 'jus like cuddling 'wif you," Louis admits, he lowers his shoulders letting his head hang at the confession, he always felt so uncool when he told his daddy how much he truly loved him.

Big boys didn't do that.

Harry can't help the smile that spreads over his lips as he wraps his arms around the boy pulling him to his chest, "And I love cuddling with you too," he swears to press his lips to Louis' temple, "But I'm afraid our cuddling arrangement knocked Papa out of bed," the pair glance down on the floor seeing Zayn on his back with one arm propped under him to support his head, his other wrapped around the hybrid that had glued himself to his Papa with his favorite batman blanket, his pacifier bobbling in his mouth not paying the Daddy or older brother any attention as he basked in the cuddles from his favorite parent.

Liam truly didn't care if he got them in bed, on the floor, or in the recliner - he just needed them.

Louis giggles sliding from the bed carefully as he made sure not to step on his Papa, he glances at Harry, "C-can I help make the pancakes?"

"Why of course," Harry assures taking the boy's hand leading him from the room. He pops his head into the nursery seeing Max's crib empty, heading downstairs he passes Niall who's building a tower with Max, "you're up early," Harry yawns running a hand through his hair, Niall furrows his eyebrows, "Sweetheart its almost eleven," Niall corrects, Harry, freezing as he glances at his phone, "O-Oh my gosh!" letting Louis' hand go he retreats upstairs once more re-entering the bedroom less quietly, he knew if he let Liam sleep past ten he was already promised a temper tantrum get-out-of-time-out-free card, past eleven was almost begging his middle boy to throw a fit at the slightest nic in his day.

Kneeling by Zayn, Harry strokes Liam's back lovingly, "Sweetheart?" he hums attempting to ease the hybrid awake, "It's almost lunchtime, you've been asleep for so long," Liam's chocolate orbs shoot open at the announcement, he slept through breakfast?! Absolutely fucking not. Unacceptable.

Realizing he'd cuddled his Papa for too long, Liam parts with a kiss to his cheek going into his Daddy's arms with a whimper, "I-I no-no 'sweep," he mumbles rubbing his eyes, "I don't think you will sleep later," Harry retorts with a grumble, he carries him downstairs seeing where he'd abandoned Louis in his haste, "Lou what if we saved pancakes for in the morning?" Harry offers, and the hybrid scoffs, "No!" he protests, "You-you said-"

"I know what I said but it's lunchtime baby," Harry soothes placing Liam in his highchair kneeling in front of Louis grabbing the boy's arms, peering into his ocean eyes with a sympathetic smile, "We can't have pancakes for lunch,"

"W-why no?" Louis counters, his glare that Harry just can't argue with on display, Liam too is involving himself as he gestures to the empty tray before him, "'e-ere food?" Surely his daddy didn't wake him up with the announcement he missed breakfast before making food so Liam didn't have to miss another meal.

Niall enters setting Max in a highchair next to Liam, "Baba can go get us food?" he offers placing cheerios on Max's tray, Liam pouts crossing his arms and watching his dumb baby brother stuff the dry cereal in his mouth before offering Liam a salvia covered handful, Liam reared his head back with an eye roll, he'd starve before taking food from that traitor. 

Harry who noticed the sneer swatted Liam's thigh warningly, "I saw that," he scolds, Liam huffs turning away from the man, if his daddy saw it then his daddy should know how deserving Max was of Liam's cold shoulder. After all, who the fuck did Max think he was cuddling into Liam's Papa last night and then having the audacity to cry when Liam tried to climb on the man's lap too. Liam was even starting to like the kid again and then he pulled a stunt like that?! Hell no, he's been on the middle hybrids list for a while now.

Which explains why Liam was so quick to snuggle up to his Papa this morning when he trailed Louis into the room at three that morning. He wasn't willing to let another one of his stupid brothers take his cuddle spot.

Louis stomps his foot demanding attention once more, "Pancakes!" he shouts, the clearing of a throat causes everyone's head to turn as Zayn saunters in frowning at the full of people kitchen, with no food prepared.

"Where's breakfast?"

"'piss-a-pered," Liam mutters, meaning disappeared, but none of the fathers could bring themselves to correct him. "Something that was never here can't disappear," Harry mumbles with a coo, he taps Liam on the nose, "Why don't you decide what we're having for breakfast-lunch," he suggests, Zayn furrows his eyebrows, "Don't they call that brunch?" 

Niall gasps, "I love brunch! Harry people eat pancakes for brunch,"

"I want brunch!" Louis chirps, he doesn't care what the hell brunch truly is, but he wants his pancakes.

Liam actually wanted to go back to sleep and try again for dinner at this point, he'd leaned over and made himself decently pleased by stealing Max's cheerios - he felt it knocked out both missions - annoy the shit out of Max, and feed himself.

"'bwunch," Liam utters indifferently, he smiles reaching toward his Papa who takes him with a kiss, "I also want brunch, Daddy," Zayn adds batting his thick eyelashes toward Harry with a smile, the younger husband sighs with an eye roll, "Fine, pancakes and eggs it is, for brunch-" Liam leans over lightly smacking Harry's arm with a knowing look, "I-I 'daw 'dat," The daddy can't help but giggle playfully pinching Liam's side tickling him, "Dada's allowed to roll his eyes, Lee-yum is not."

Louis has already slipped his apron over his head, grabbing the bowls from the cabinets with a grin. "Pancakes now?"

While Harry wouldn't admit to negotiating with his terro-his children, his sweet boys, he would admit that pancakes at 11:30 in the morning tasted a little better than they would've at 8 that morning, and that alone is a fucking win for the Stylin Household.

> Hi. It's been a while. This is the first thing I've written since October 16th, I wrote it in one go, no stops, so there may be a few errors whether grammar or spelling - let me know and I can fix them. Thank you for your patience. I will be back for good soon. I love you all so much, stay safe, stay warm, just fucking stay. all my love, Emma