"Da!" Niall heard Keegan scream out. Niall rushed down the hall to try and find where his son was. They didn't live in a very big flat, so he didn't have to look very far before he found his boy in the bathroom. "I pooed!" He grinned.
"You scared me, bub," Niall tried his best ot shake off his nerves. "But that's great! You think you're ready for big boy pants now?" Keegan, whose personality was very much like Niall's, enjoyed screaming out for his da. It had been nearly four years and Niall was still terrified every time his baby called out for him.
"I plomise I will say when I need to potty," Keegan promised, shaking his daddy's hand. Both Niall and Keegan laughed.
"Alright, baby. Let me wipe your bum, and then we'll get you some big boy pants, yeah?" Niall did as he said he would and went to get the boy's big boy pants.
"I want the Batman ones, Da!" Keegan yelled. Niall cringed as he heard Batman. He knew he never should have introduced Keegan to Batman.
He just looked so much like Liam...
Niall shook his head. He wouldn't torture himself with those thoughts. Not right now, anyway. Maybe later tonight, when he was alone and could cry in peace. "You almost ready to go to Gran's, K?"
"Gran, Gran, Gran!" Keegan giggled as he ran into his bedroom. "Big boy pants, please!" Niall handed them over and watched as Keegan wiggled into them.
Karen had requested Keegan come spend the night at her home tonight. Niall had no idea why she was asking so out of the blue, but she was Keegan's other grandmum and she was entitled to see him. So Niall had accepted and now they were packing the baby's things.
"Do you want to bring Teddy?" Niall asked, grabbing the teddy bear by his neck.
"Da!" Keegan protested, snatching teddy from Niall's hands. "That's not how you hold him! You'll kill him!"
Niall bit his lip to avoid informing Keegan that if Niall holding him by his neck could kill him, the poor bear would be dead several thousand times over. Keegan slept like Liam had, on his stomach and overtaking anything in the bed with him.
NO.
"So you are bringing teddy?" Niall confirmed as he zipped Keegan's bag. The little boy nodded. "Go sit in the living room and put on your shoes, okay? I'll be out in a minute." Keegan nodded again and kissed Niall's cheek before running off.
Niall looked out the window and let a few tears run down his face. One thing he wasn't really looking forward to was seeing karen. It had been christmas since the last time he saw her. She had been delivering presents and begging to tell liam.
Niall was firm on his decision. Liam would not be ruining his life anymore.
-
"You got everything, bub?" Niall asked Keegan once more. He was always paranoid that they would forget something important.
"Niall!" Karen smiled brihgtly as she answered the door. "And Keegan! It's been so long since I saw you, little one! You've grown so much!"
"Gran!" Keegan shouted. He tried to lean out of Niall's arms to his Gran, and Niall almost dropped him, but Karen managed to catch him before he feel down too far.
"Watch it, little tyke," Karen warned. She placed the boy down on his feet. "Why don't you run into the kitchen? Auntie Ruth is in there making you cookies!" Keegan squealed and set off without even giving his daddy a goodbye kiss.
"Hi, Karen," Niall greeted softy. He handed her Keegan's bag. "You remember everything?"
"No peanuts, no chocolate after six, his bedtime is eight thirty, and he has asthma. Inhaler?" Karen held her hand out expectantly.
"Here," Niall pulled the object from his pocket. "Thank you, I know I would have forgotten."
"Are you ever going to tell him?" Karen asked in a hushed whisper. She knew just how much Niall hated talking about it, but as Keegan grew older, the question came up more frequently.
"About Liam? I'm avoiding it for as long as possible," Niall grumbled.
"He's going to begin wondering. I know he wonders why he has two grans when there's only one of you. He's going to school soon, Niall. He's bound to wonder why everyone else has a mum and a dad and he only as you," Karen pointed out.
"Please, Karen," Niall held a hand up to stop her. "It's already hard enough to look at him every day without sobbing. He looks so much like Liam, you realize that? I love Keegan to death. I still love Liam. It hurts to look at him every day. I'd really like to keep this off as much as possible. Now, I've really got to be heading out. Can I come in and say goodbye?" Karen nodded and let Niall past her.
The blonde walked into the house. He hadn't see it in nearly three years, but it was still so familiar. He remembered how he and Liam came out to Liam's family on that couch. Their make out sessions in the kitchen. All the memories came rushing back and the tears did the same. Niall scrubbed his face and continued to the kitchen.
"Da?" Keegan asked when Niall walked into the kitchen. He was sitting up on the counter next to Ruth. They both had cookie dough all over their hands.
"Just came to say goodbye, bub," Niall promised, kissing Keegan's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah? Hi, Ruth."
"Bye, Da!" Keegan blew his daddy a kiss and continued to work on his cookie dough mess.
"Hi, Niall," Ruth said quietly. "How have you been?"
"I'm managing." She knew what he meant.
"You're always welcome here," Ruth assured. "I'm always here to talk. You still have my number, right?"
"Yeah, I've got it. Thanks, Ruth. I've really got to go now." Niall could feel the tears rushing to his eyes. Part of it was the fact that he hated leaving Keegan, but most of it was that after almost three years, he was still so welcomed into the Payne family.
"Goodbye, Niall. We'll take good care of him," Karen promised. Niall gave her a smile as he left.
•-•
keegan is so cute i'm dying
sooooo???
what do you think????
i have to pee ew
my fingers are going to fall off sigh
imma go read some stuff now
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1092 words
(7/09/14)
