Coalesce

SEVENTEEN

The whole family goes out for food at the end of the week, that celebratory pre-booked meal for Louis' new job at the journalism firm. It's a posh place; tables covered by white cloth, chairs padded with red velvet, cutlery shiny and perfectly wrapped in expensive napkins, menu listing off meals that Louis has never even heard of. The man who shows them to their table wears a tuxedo and the waiters and waitresses are all dressed professionally, not a hair out of place.

Louis feels out of place though; he isn't used to anything like this. He hadn't been raised with money and neither has Niall; he and Anna had worked hard but they'd always put their little family first and as a result, they'd had enough money to simply be comfortable and never anything more. He knows that his boyfriend has parents that have a lot of money, and that as soon as his first song had been written and made a success, he'd pretty much been set up for life, which is incredible...

He just feels a little uncomfortable being surrounded by such...wealth.

Don't get him wrong, he appreciates it all to no end, the fact that Zayn has been so lovely as to book a meal for them all just to celebrate him getting a new job. And he owes the man for getting that job in the first place. But he'd be just as happy curled up with a takeaway in front of the TV at home, really. He's easy to please, what can he say?

He sets down his own menu and looks across at where Harry is whining, crossing his arms over his chest and refusing to sit forwards in his chair.

"What about this?" Zayn's saying to him softly, trying desperately to appease the youngest boy, holding a menu out to him and gesturing to something. "It's just a posh way of saying pizza really. That's all it is, you love pizza."

Harry pouts, shaking his head. "No, Papa! It's not the same! I don't wanna have anythin', I'll just starve," he huffs, stropping.

"You gotta eat, buddy," Louis adds gently, leaning forwards with a smile. "Have you even looked? What about a desert for dinner?"

But the nine year old whines again, throwing his head back. "Noooo! I don't like anything! It's all yucky!"

Louis exchanges glances with the other man, Zayn looking helpless before turning back to the youngest and continuing to try and appease him. Louis glances around the table to Liam, who's slumped in his chair, flicking through his phone, unbothered by everything as usual. Niall sits beside him, jacket still on, arms wrapped around himself, knee bobbing up and down beneath the cloth on the table.

"You okay, Bug?" He asks quietly, leaning in a little to peer at the boy. Niall glances up and smiles, nodding quickly.

"Oh, yeah, I'm good. Just...I guess it feels kinda strange here. I'm used to McDonald's and stuff," he admits quietly, glancing around and shrinking in on himself a little. "It's nice and all, just..."

Louis nods his agreement. "I get what you mean. I guess it's something to get used to though, huh?" He says, trying to remain optimistic when Liam suddenly sits upright, eyes widening a little.

Frowning, he follows the sixteen year olds gaze and catches sight of a familiar looking man from some old family photos he'd seen when he and Niall had first moved in with Zayn and the boys. Darren, he realises, the boy's...father. Only now, he isn't alone. He's with a woman, tall and blonde in a tight fitting dress that clings to the bump of her pregnant stomach.

He winces, turning back to where Zayn is slowly giving up on trying to convince Harry to look at the menu and stretching a leg out to kick him under the table.

"Z," he hisses, tilting a head in the direction of the man's ex and his wife and unborn child behind them. Zayn follows the gesture and widens his eyes much the same as Liam had when he'd first seen the man.