Papa's Soldiers

Thirty

"Happy Valentine's Day!" is the chant that Zayn wakes up as his two boys present him with balloons and a giant teddy bear.

He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and grins, "Wow, thanks, boys."  And it's always been like this (well, no it hasn't); the boys would wake up early and cook heart shaped pancakes and line them with strawberries and bring them to Zayn and they'd all tell each other one thing they love about each other. This year, despite everything, was no different (even if they were a day late).

Well, maybe a little because Zayn's decided to move the whole party down to the dining room so that "others" can join. Liam smiles when he sees his boys patting down the steps (he has flashbacks of Niall still needing someone to hold his hand so he didn't fall down the steps and Louis and Harry sliding down, racing to get to the bottom) and he can't help but feel like Zayn is trying, in the least, to include him.

They all sit around the table with their food. Zayn refrains from thinking about how great this feels and how normal it is, even after all of these years. Liam can't help but think how great this feels and how normal it feels, even after all of these years.

"Papa," Harry says, causing those golden eyes to flick up. His heart is about to give out when he sees Harry sitting next to Liam. The seating arrangement is like old times. Liam and Harry on one side, Zayn and Niall on the other, Louis at the head of the table (because Louis is the leader). But Zayn doesn't have time to reminisce because Harry is talking to him. "We've decided that instead of saying what we love about each other, this year we just talk about you...because, you've done a lot for us...and uh, because we love you."

"Is that what you want?" Zayn raises his eyebrows. Harry nods his head quietly. "Then so be it."

"I'll go first," Niall volunteers. "One thing that I really love about Papa is his story telling. Whenever I'm sad or summat, I got to Papa and he just...he just tells random stories. And none of them can have connections or anything like that but it still makes me feel better. Sometimes the stories aren't even happy but they still make me feel some kind of way. And I especially likes when he tells me stories about when we were little...ones that include Daddy...I think those are the best."

Liam's eyes go wide because he thought that after everything he had done to Zayn, he would treat Liam's name like some sort of curse word and refuse to say it around the boys.

"Thank you, Niall," Zayn murmurs, purposely ignoring Liam's look.

"Well, what I love about Papa is how he stays up with me some nights and talks absolute nonsense with me," Harry says matter of factly. "My favorite is when we talk about stars and soul mates and how when people are made up of the same star, they always find their way back to each other no matter what happens."

His sons are going to be the death of him, Zayn thinks.

His eyes turn over to Louis, who is sitting there with white knuckles and looking around the table with glassy eyes. It all just hits Louis how everything and everyone looks so different but how it all feels so right and natural. He couldn't help but let out a sob.

"Lou?" Zayn gasps. His son doesn't even say anything. Instead, he stands up and hugs his father tightly and shakes. And to Zayn, that's all Louis has to do to say what is the one thing he loves about him.

The one thing I love about you is that you always give second chances, third chances, fourth chances and I'm so grateful for that. I love how you always make things feel like home even when we're far from it. I love you, Papa. I love you because you fight and fight and because you're so strong. Please don't leave.

Zayn rubs the boy's back and hushes him, sort of smiling when the boy sits in his lap like a little kid again and holds him tightly. "My little Lou," he grins. "Little lovable Lou."