Further On (Zayn Malik)

Chapter 1

I heard imitated airplane noises coming from a certain two year olds mouth as I made my way down stairs. Wrapping my robe tighter around me, the first person I see is Joel. The next Noah and last, Zayn. Oh he's making the kids breakfast.

"I told you I'd make them breakfast in the morning." I say. "Don't you have somewhere to be."

"I know but you were sleeping so peacefully. I didn't want to wake you."

Joel screams playfully making me wince, looking at me, his smile big and wide. "Hello my handsome." I squeeze his cheeks and kiss his forehead.

He is eating dry Cheerios, making a mess all over his high chair table. Joel's chubby baby hands bang on the flat surface, the little round cereals bouncing everywhere as he shoves them into his mouth by messy handful.

I just realized I'm the only female in here. We need to have a girl. My mind still can't believe, the two children in front of me are mine. Mine and Zayns. Zayn, the one and only former abuser, has children with me.

"I'm sorry." Zayn recites his daily apology. "Good Morning."

"Mummy can I go over Nonny's again." Noah asks me, not making eye contact.

"No honey," I lean next to him on the white breakfast bar. "You were there yesterday and the day before give Nonny a break." I chuckle.

"But I want to see Nonny!" He states angrily, pouting and slapping his tiny hand against the surface of the bar.

It's been confirmed, Noah has Zayns temper. Zayn doesn't want to believe it, saying Noah is just a mercurial little two year old.

I look up at Zayn.

"Terrible twos." He reminds me.

"He was like this when he was one Zayn," I respond with a sigh, standing.

Zayn looked like he was planning something in his head. When I went to go play with my baby, I heard Zayn gasp. He was looking at Noah with his hand over his mouth.

"You yelled at Mummy?" Zayns eyes were wide.

Noah shook his head.

"Yeah you did," he pointed at his son, setting down the Weetabix. "I heard."

I notice what Zayn is doing and before I got the chance to tell Zayn to stop before Noah starts crying, he starts crying.

"I'm sorry Mummy," He wails, holding his arms out to me.

Joel starts pouting and sniffing, too. Instead of caressing Joel, I give Noah a long hug.

"It's okay. It's okay." I soothed.

"No." Zayn protested. "Don't tell him it's okay when it's not. He shouldn't yell like that."

"You being like that towards him is the reason he's afraid of you sometimes," I gripe.

Zayn's face holds some type of emotion. Anger? Scared? Hurt? Maybe even afraid.

"He's not afraid of me. Right, Noah."

Noah looks down as I stand away from him.

"He even says he doesn't like it when you're mad at him." I tell Zayn.

"I'm never mad at you." Zayn narrows his eyebrows, shaking his head.

"Zayn," I whisper, bringing us both out of earshot of the boys. "If you ever get angry with him," I look back at Noah who is separating pieces of his cereal. "Don't hit him, just . . . Hit me."