War Front Letters (Lilo Mpreg AU) -Watty Award Winner-

Chapter Eighteen

(Jace is a week and four days old)

Louis sighed heavily, getting comfortable underneath the small oak tree as he re-positioned Jace on his shoulder the small baby gurgling whilst clutching and unlatching small handfuls of Louis' woolen jumper, his unfocused eyes wide and alert as Louis ran soft circles into his fragile back.

Louis was currently babysitting Phoebe and Daisy after his mum had to take his other two sisters to London for the day, so Louis offered to take two other little sister's for the day, despite now tired he had become and how hyped Jace was today. 

Jace had started figuring out how to do more, kicking his feet, holding things, putting his fist in his mouth and he could almost smile, and when Louis' says almost he means he is so close because he can already crinkle his eyes at the edges dramatically.

He watched as Daisy raced towards Louis dropping down on her knees in front of her older brother before taking her drink bottle and shoving it in her mouth, turning to pull faces at Jace where Louis was now holding him a few metres away from his face, even though Jace was just staring at him with an 'O' shaped lip, and his eyes massively wide, staring helplessly at his father.

"can Jace play?" Daisy asked, fixing the glasses she had to sadly wear now, before she took a quick glance towards her sister who was swinging like a monkey across the jungle gym bars. 

"not yet, one day he will though." Louis smiled resting Jace down on the small picnic rug he had positioned underneath himself. He switched the video camera his mother had given him on, because she honestly thought it would be a fabulous idea to video things Jace does for Liam. 

He shifted his position and switched the video camera on to record as Jace kicked his small legs and blew bubbles with his mouth, creating little fish like lips before stuffing his fist into his mouth, his little eyes alert and focused as Louis ran his large hand over Jace's belly. Jace wrapped his drool covered fingers over Louis' pinky, trying to drag it back into his mouth even though he was tightly squeezing his father's finger.

"you're hungry aren't you bub, you want a feed?" Louis cooed shifting around until he found the piece of fabric he laid over his shoulder to prevent people from seeing him in public. He scrunched his shirt up and let Jace latch on once he'd picked him up and stuck his 'batman' bib on. He sighed slightly leaning back against the old tree behind his head, listening to Jace's soft noises whilst watching the girls run around and play happily.

When the four got home it started to get hectic, Jace was getting tired and uncomfortable with himself but Louis couldn't get him to sleep because the girls had decided to become somewhat loud and bouncy and Louis couldn't really take much more.

Louis laid quietly in his room with Jace until the baby boy closed his tired eyes and fell asleep, his little fists balling up and resting against Louis' chest, whilst he laid on his tiny little belly, with his tiny head resting to the side and his lips parted, and it was then when Louis realized his son slept somewhat like Liam did and he thought he might just explode. He found that Jace even at his young age had inherited a lot of Liam's traits and weird wonders, and for some reason Louis was extremely grateful.

He closed his own eyes for a moment before he felt his bedroom door creaking open, and his instincts told him to tighten his grip on his son as he sat up, eyes big and wide as he stared at the figure in his bedroom doorway. He sighed with relief when he realized it was just his mother. He ushered her into the room and welcomed her to sit beside him once he had placed a thin blanket around Jace's body whilst supporting his head, the newborn peacefully perched just above Louis' collarbone.