Chapter 12
Yeah. Louis could wait for tomorrow. He hadn’t really thought of the logistics of the night until right now. And he didn't want to go. He was going to throw up everywhere.
Harry was holding Louis while he panicked and cried, bouncing him on his hip while walking him around his nursery. Nick was downstairs making a warm bottle, hoping that it could soothe the boy. They knew his emotional outburst was a mixture of nerves and being cranky, not having napped yet that day. He’d woken up early and excited, wanting to eat the bat shaped pancakes he was promised and watch the Halloween episodes being played on Disney Junior that morning.
“It’s okay, lovely, everything will be just fine. You have your cool costume and your present for Zayn and Perrie, they’re going to love it. Nicky and I are going to be there with you, everything will be perfect. You can come to us if you need anything, we’ll be with you the whole night, okay?” What Harry really wanted to say was that the boy should just tell everyone and they wouldn’t be in this situation. He knew it was selfish, but it would make the stress in Louis’ life evaporate.
Nick made a perfectly timed entry into the room, “All right, I think it’s time for a baba and a nap, how does that sound?”
Louis was annoyed, he didn’t need a nap, and he wasn’t tired. He scowled at Nick, “I don’t need a nap!”
“Then you don’t need to nap, but you need to drink your baba.” Nick replied, sitting on the rocking couch. He knew that Louis would pass out not even halfway through the bottle, but he’d let the grouchy little boy think they were playing by his rules.
Harry sat Louis down on his lap on the couch and Nick handed him the bottle. The warm milk worked its magic and Louis was asleep in less than five minutes, much to their relief. He’d been a terror for the past few hours, and they needed a break if they were going to make it through the night. Not that they’d ever tell him, but they were just as worried about the night as Louis was. They weren’t sure how he would react to being around new people, and they weren’t sure about Jake and Jesy. They knew that the two were p-doms, Nick being friends with them, and they were a bit… overbearing. The daddies just hoped the couple could keep their hands to themselves and understand when they were making their boy uncomfortable. In a perfect world, they wouldn’t even talk to their boy, but they knew that wasn’t going to happen.
Much to Nick and Harry’s relief, Louis woke up calm and smiling. Naps truly did cure a little boy’s woes. They had about an hour before Alberto was coming to pick Louis up and drive him. They’d realized that it would look too suspicious for him to constantly be showing up with him and Nick, so Alberto volunteered to drive him. He was nervous about showing up alone, but Nick and Harry were going to get there a bit earlier than him so he wouldn’t have to worry about when they were coming. After a quick bath, the men changed Louis into a new diaper and started to dress him in his Thor costume. The outfit consisted of grey leggings, as he threw a fit when he tried on the leather pants the costume came with because they were uncomfortable on his sensitive skin, a black long sleeve shirt, Thor’s chest plate, and his red cape. For shoes he was wearing his converse, the daddies not wanting him to trip in clunky boots. His diaper bulge was clearly obvious for anyone who was looking at him from the front, but there was nothing that could be done about it. The daddies surely weren’t going to mention it, so they were relieved when Louis didn’t say anything about it. Nick and Harry dressed up as Jaime Lannister and Jon Snow respectively, Harry letting his curls fly wild in tribute to the character. Louis had no idea who his daddies were dressed up as, but he thought they looked cool. He was proud to have such handsome daddies, he knew everyone would love their costumes.
Sitting the little on the couch, Harry brought over a small backpack. “Love, this has a few diapers, changing supplies, and a paci in it, just in case you want it. Make sure you don’t forget it. You can just put it under the sink in the bathroom when you get there, but you should have it just in case. Okay?”
Louis nodded, a bit panicked at the thought of everyone knowing he wore diapers. He knew it was inevitable for them not to find out, but still. He was a bit curious as to what age his bandmates, and the world, quite frankly, thought that he would age down to as a little, but this didn’t really leave it up to guessing.
The doorbell rang, and Nick headed off to the front door to grab it. Alberto had shown up before Nick and Harry left, the men not wanting to leave him alone. He hadn’t been left alone once since he’d started regressing, and they knew that from now on he’d need someone to watch him at all times just to be safe.
The bodyguard walked in with a smile on his face, walking to where Louis was sitting and pulling him up into a hug. “Hey bud, you look great! You give Chris Hemsworth a run for his money.”
Louis gave him a dazzling smile, blushing, “Thanks Albs.”
Harry smiled at the interaction before speaking, knowing that he and Nick had to head out, “Okay, so Nick and I are going to leave right now, and it’s good for you lot to leave in five or ten minutes. Make sure you grab his diaper bag before you go! Thanks for doing this, Alberto.” Harry walked over to give Louis a kiss, the boy crinkling his nose at Harry’s faux fur jacket. The daddy pressed a kiss to his mouth before pressing one to his cheek. It was the first time that one of his daddies, or anyone for that matter, had kissed him. There were no feelings behind it besides love. Louis liked the way it made him feel, loving when his daddies gave him kisses and cuddles.
“Everything will be fine, pumpkin, we’ll be right there with you the whole time. Love you!”
“Love you, little cub,” Nick said, pressing a kiss to Louis’ hair.
Louis simply looked up at them, trying not to cry. He couldn’t be more nervous, unsure of what the night would bring. Alberto pulled him into conversation when the men left, talking about the places that they’d be headed on tour. The guard could tell that Louis was about to panic, and he wanted to push it off as long as possible. When it was time for them to leave, they started heading out the garage to get to the car before Louis gasped.
“Wait! My present!” Alberto followed him back into the kitchen where a pumpkin that was covered in mismatched rhinestones and had childlike drawings was sitting. There was writing that was clearly done by an adult on it, but otherwise it was something that looked like it was made by an eager child or little. Alberto schooled his expression, seeing how Louis was waiting for him to comment on it.
“Did you make this bud? It’s amazing! Zayn and Perrie are going to love it!” Louis blushed at his praise, feeling proud. He’d worked so hard on it, so to hear his daddies and Alberto telling him how good it was made him so happy. Alberto grabbed it easily and carried it out to the car.
“Your daddies have a car seat coming in for my car, should be here this week,” Alberto said as he strapped the boy in. His phone pinged with a text from Harry saying that they’d arrived as he hopped in the driver’s seat and he sent one back saying that they were just leaving.
Alberto helped Louis out of the car once they’d arrived. The boy was excruciatingly nervous, hoping that the girls from Little Mix and whomever they brought with them would be nice. The guard carried Louis’ pumpkin and backpack up to the door and Louis rang the doorbell nervously.
It was answered almost immediately by Zayn and Perrie, both of them smiling widely. They both pulled him into hugs, letting him know how happy they were to see him.
Blushing, Louis said, “I have a present for you, I made it.” He looked to where Alberto was holding his pumpkin, completely missing Zayn’s disgruntled up-down look of the messily made pumpkin. Alberto gave him a death glare and Perrie elbowed his side, sparking the man into enthusiasm. “Lou, I love it- did you make it yourself?”
The little’s look was one of pride as he looked into Zayn’s eyes, “Yeah! All by myself, I drew you and Perrie,” he said as he pointed to said drawing.
“We absolutely love it, Louis! Thank you so much. This is probably the best gift we’ve ever gotten! We will put it in the middle of our kitchen table, would you like that?” Perrie said enthusiastically, setting the little at ease. Alberto was happy that she was there, because he would’ve killed Zayn if he made his boy feel bad about the pumpkin.
“Thank you,” Louis said bashfully. Zayn grabbed the pumpkin from Alberto, carrying it inside. The guard hugged Louis goodbye telling him to call if he needed anything before handing him the small backpack.
When he went to head inside only Perrie was waiting there, and he quietly asked her where the bathroom was. She guided him there with no questions as he placed the bag in the cupboard under their sink. Louis followed Perrie into the living room where everyone was sitting. All members of the bands had arrived at that point and everyone stared at him as he came in. His bandmates were a bit surprised to see him so obviously wearing a diaper, as that was the first time they’d ever even realized that he wore them. He turned bright red at the lack of conversation, twiddling his fingers anxiously. Everyone stood up to hug him, making him feel a bit anxious, but happy that they all cared enough to stop their conversations to greet him.
“Lou! Come here,” Niall exclaimed, “Your costume looks sick, mate!” Louis went over to sit by Niall, Jade scooching over so he could move in between them.
“Thanks, Niall,” Louis said quietly, giving him a small smile. He was trying to breathe as slowly as possible, not wanting to panic this early into the get together. He really hated nothing more than being the center of attention, and this was too much for him.
“Hey, Louis, Liam and I got you something,” Liam’s submissive, Sophia said. Louis really liked Sophia; she was laidback and quite quiet. She was up to Louis’ speed, definitely.
Louis looked up to see Sophia, who was dressed like Wonder Woman, holding a lollipop the size of his head in front of his face.
“For me?” He asked incredulously, in awe at the size of the lollipop. He loved candy, and this was one of the biggest pieces of it he’d ever seen.
“Of course! If you want it, it’s yours, love,” Sophia said with a smile. Louis couldn’t help but look to his papa before he took it, getting a small nod and smile from him. Louis had realized that if Harry was daddy, then Nick was papa. It sounded like the name of someone strong and protective. It fit him perfectly.
“Thank you so much!” Louis said, giving Sophia a tight hug. As he stared down at it conversation picked up, much to Louis’ relief. He was more than happy to just sit and listen to people talk just so long as the conversation wasn’t him.
He really, really wanted his lollipop, so he attempted to start removing the plastic wrapper. Frustrated at the difficulty he was facing, he pouted at the sucker. He didn’t think that anyone was looking as they were still talking, but everyone’s eyes were drawn to him. Both those who knew him well and barely knew him were enthralled by him, thinking he was the cutest thing on the face of the earth. And they weren’t wrong.
Quietly, Niall asked, “You want me to open it, Lou?” Louis nodded gratefully, handing over his lollipop to Niall. The Irish gad opened it quickly, handing the back while balling up the plastic and putting it in pocket of his khakis. He ended up dressing like Chad Radwell from Scream Queens; the girls got it, but the boys… not so much. He begged them to watch the show, knowing they’d think it was hilarious.
Louis brought the lollipop to his mouth, humming at the taste of the sugary goodness. Harry and Nick watched with small smiles on their faces, happy that their boy was finally looking at ease.
The little was brought back to the conversation when he heard his name said. “Louis, littles should never eat sweets before dinner. It’ll ruin your appetite.”
He looked up at the words, seeing that Jesy was sitting across from him and staring at him with a disapproving look.
He slowly brought the lollipop down from his lips, answering her in a whisper, “Oh. Okay.”
Nick’s grip on Harry’s knee tightened exponentially, having to grit his teeth so that he wouldn’t bark at the woman who’d upset his little boy.
“So, boys, are you excited to go on tour?” Leigh Anne cut in, wanting to take the attention off of the clearly upset boy.
Liam answered, “Yeah, definitely. It’s going to be a good time, last one for a while too, so we’re going to make it as memorable as possible.”
“Have you figured out a temporary caregiver for Louis yet? I’m sure you’re all very worried about how tour is going to be with him now that he’s a little. I would volunteer Jake and I if we weren’t writing the new album, but I can definitely get you into contact with some people I know,” Jesy said, her and Jake eyeing Louis.
Louis felt sick to his stomach being talked about as if he wasn’t there. He knew that he was little and didn’t understand some things, but being brought up like he was helpless made him feel sad. He looked down at his lap, grabbing his cape and rubbing it between his thumb and index finger. It was soft and provided him a distraction, but he found himself wishing he was home cuddled up with Lacy and a paci.
“No, we haven’t, because he doesn’t need one. Our crew is very capable, as are we as doms and gads. Louis trusts us, and if he wants a caregiver then he can find one himself, he’s not an invalid,” Harry cut in, unable to keep his tone from being sharp. He didn’t realize that Jesy was one of THOSE p-doms. Almost like the political spectrum, when it cames to classifications there were conservatives and liberals. There were those that felt as though subs were incapable of doing anything themselves and took matters into their own hands without any regards for the sub’s feelings. And there were doms like Nick and Harry that made a working relationship with their submissive and made sure that they knew that they had a say within the relationship. It was then that Nick and Harry knew they were going to have a long night.
“Jesy, please, not tonight,” Perrie interjected, not wanting her bandmate’s ideals to ruin what should be a fun get together. The woman in question threw her hands up as if to have surrendered.
Louis remained quiet until Perrie called for dinner, only having got up to go to the kitchen with Zayn to get a bag for his lollipop. The woman had worked hard on the setup, placing Halloween printed name cards around the table. She had a chef come in to cook them a themed meal and was ridiculously excited about it.
He had wet himself while he was sitting on the couch, and was uncomfortable to the point where he knew he needed a change. He figured that it would be a good time to go to the bathroom now while everyone was distracted than in the middle of dinner. Louis’ panic as he headed to the bathroom quickly was short lived, he felt grateful that he didn’t have to tell anyone where he was going as they were all congregated in the dining room area. He grabbed his backpack and changed himself quickly, finding himself wishing that his daddies were there to change him and blow raspberries on his belly. Once he headed back in everyone was sat down already, and he looked to find his name card.
Much to his chagrin, Louis found his nametag directly across from Jesy’s. He felt mean thinking it, but he really didn’t want to look at her face throughout dinner.
He was seated in between Sophia and Leigh Anne, Harry and Nick being seated on the opposite side of the table next to Jesy and Jake. Louis received encouraging smiles from his daddies, the boy feeling a bit better knowing that they were still there with him.
The second he sit down he heard what was becoming one of his least favorite voices speak. “This is why littles need a p-dom; poor boy isn’t even potty trained. Do you know how hard that’s going to be to deal with on tour?”
There was a collective gasp let out around the room at her harsh words, the only person who looked unaffected being her boyfriend. Louis was unable to stop the tears from welling in his eyes. The feelings of insecurity that terrorized him for the first 21 years of his life were back and growing with every single word out of her mouth.
He couldn’t find it in himself to look at his bandmates, but he choked out, “Sorry.” And he truly was. He was now realizing what a burden he was going to be to the band on tour. Maybe Harry was okay with it, but the others weren’t. Taking care of him wasn’t what they signed up for.
Before anyone could even reply, Jesy continued on her tirade, voice loud as to make sure everyone heard her clearly, “You know, Jake and I don’t have a little; if you come home with us we can show you how life as a little should be. We can get you out of those wretched diapers and ready for tour. Your bandmates won’t even notice that you’re not a gad.”
Louis felt like he was going to vomit. His mind couldn’t handle the stress that it was under, and all he wanted to do was sob. He was embarrassed and upset, and more than anything, distraught over not realizing what a burden he’d provide his bandmates.
“Can you shut the bloody hell up?” Nick replied, unable to keep it in any longer.
“Me?” Jesy laughed, “Your boyfriend is the one who didn’t even know that Louis, his own bandmate who he’s with every single day, is a little. Talk about embarrassing.”
Everyone at the table was tense and baffled, not comprehending why the woman was being so cruel. Leigh, Jade, and Perrie knew that her cruelty wasn’t intentional; it was just a product of the way that she was raised, but it was still unacceptable. Perrie was very close to asking her to leave as to spare the poor little who was slumped over on himself, Sophia rubbing her arm up and down his frail shoulder.
“If he didn’t want anyone to know then no one was going to know. It isn’t your job as a dom to out people who clearly don’t want to be outed. It’s your job to have some compassion, I can’t imagine any little ever being unlucky enough to suffer the fate of a lifetime with you,” Nick tossed back, uncaring of how his words sounded. Harry wanted to put a stop to the harsh conversation, knowing that it scared Louis.
“Well it’s my job as a dom to see a little boy who clearly needs my help and take him in. He has awful eating habits, doesn’t look up when he speaks, and is wearing a diaper for God’s sake! If you were half the dom that I was then you’d be thinking the same thing.”
Unable to handle it anymore, Louis got up from the table, running out of the room. His loud sobs were clear for everyone to hear, only being muffled when he slammed the door to the bathroom. His heart hurt at the fighting that was taking place, especially because it was over him. He wanted to scream to Jesy that he couldn’t help needing a diaper, and that he was just excited to eat a lollipop. What was so wrong with that? He could barely get air into his lungs with how hard he was sobbing and didn’t notice someone enter the bathroom until he felt a hand on his back. He looked through bleary eyes to see Zayn and Perrie kneeling on the floor next to him, staring at him concerned.
“It’s okay, love, it’s okay,” Perrie cooed at him, attempting to calm the boy down.
“W-want my d-daddies,” Louis cried, working himself up even more. He just wanted his daddies to come in there and help him. The worst part is that he knew that they wouldn’t come because they promised him they wouldn’t let anyone in on the fact that they were his daddies until he wanted them to.
“What?” Zayn asked, confused. Louis didn’t have daddies, he thought, wracking his mind for any mention of the little having dominants.
“D-daddies,” Louis cried, banging his head backwards into the sink.
“It’s okay, we’re going to get them here, love,” Perrie said. She whispered to her dom to step outside and call Alberto to figure out who his daddies were. Zayn didn’t know what he’d do without Perrie’s quick thinking, knowing he’d never have even thought to call the guard.
He quickly stepped out of the room, leaving Perrie to comfort Louis. He dialed up Alberto’s number, making sure that no one was around to hear their conversation. If no one knew Louis had daddies then he figured it was a secret, so he’d keep it that way.
“Zayn? What’s up, mate?” Alberto asked, confused. He was increasingly weary of the phone calls he received from Louis’ bandmates, worried that it meant something was wrong with his boy.
“This may be weird, but do you know if Louis has doms? Or a dom? Someone said something to upset him and he keeps asking for his daddies.”
Alberto let out a long sigh; he was caught between keeping Louis’ secret and helping the boy out. He knew how scary Louis’ panic attacks could be after their last trip to LA, so his concern for the boy’s safety eventually won out. Zayn was worried by Alberto’s long pause, but waited patiently.
“Go get Nick and Harry. They’re gonna kill me, but just get them.”
Zayn hung up quickly, heading into the dining room. Jesy and Jake were noticeably gone from the room as Zayn quickly scanned the long table.
“Nick, Harry, can I talk to you for a sec?” Zayn asked as nonchalant as possible.
The men got up quickly from the table, faces crumpling into expressions of concern once out of the room. Walking to the bathroom, Zayn spoke. “I, um, called Alberto. Louis is panicking a bit and kept asking for his daddies. I’m not gonna tell anyone, I promise. I just wanted to make sure he was okay, he looked so sad.”
Harry pulled Zayn into a hug as they walked, “No worries, mate. We wanted you to find out in a better way, but shit happens.”
The daddies opened the bathroom door, souls breaking as they saw their little Thor crying his heart out on the bathroom floor, Perrie curled around him.
“Daddy, Nicky,” Louis cried when the men walked in, holding his arms out.
Perrie got up, quickly moving out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind the three men.
Nick and Harry moved to the boy, Nick picking him up and placing him on his lap. Louis curled in quickly, gripping the man’s shirt in his hands.
“Louis n-naughty,” he sobbed, unable to bear the pain he felt in his heart at letting everyone around him down. He’d kept his true self inside for so long, not wanting to let his bandmates down, and that’s exactly what he’d done.
“What are you talking about, sweetheart? You’re not naughty, you’re a good boy!” Harry answered.
“Making tour h-hard, diapers, suckers,” The little listed off, pressing his wet face into Nick’s neck. He put his right hand in the man’s hair on the nape of his neck, running it through his fingers. It wasn’t as soft as Lacy, but it calmed him a bit to have something to touch.
“Baby, she doesn’t know you. You’re a good boy, the best little boy in the entire world. Your daddy and I love you so very much, so do Niall, Liam, and Zayn. We promise. She is a different type of parent than we are, and that’s okay. Just know that your daddies love you and will always be here.” Harry consoled.
“Do Li, Zayn, and Niall think I'm n-naughty too?”
“Of course not, little cub. They love you so very much!” Nick answered.
Louis gave his papa’s hair a tight squeeze, deciding that it was time for the boys to know. He felt guilty keeping it such a secret, and more than that, he felt lonely. He hated seeing his daddies in the same room as him and having to pretend they weren’t his. It wasn’t fair. He trusted his papa if he said that the boys loved him.
“They can know,” Louis said, tone final.
“All right, love, if you're sure. We’re always so proud of how brave you are,” Harry commended.
Done with the conversation, Louis grumbled, “I’m so itchy.”
Nick chuckled, always in awe of how quick their boy jumped trains of thought, just like a real little one would. “Let’s get you out of your chest pad and cape, then you’ll be all good.”
The men lifted the outer parts of Louis’ costume off, Harry pulling down his leggings enough to make sure the boy was still dry, much to his dismay.
“Do you want to leave or would you like to stay for dinner?”
“Stay,” Louis answered, knowing that his daddies wanted to stay. He would do it for them, knowing how much they were looking forward to the dinner. “Want my paci, pretty please.”
Harry grabbed the boy’s pacifier out of the bag from under the sink, placing it in the little boy’s mouth. The boy insisted on Nick carrying him out, shyly hiding his head in his papa’s neck. Much to Harry and Nick’s appreciation, no one said a word as they walked back in with Louis. There were varying looks of shock, but when they seemed to understand what Nick holding Louis meant the shock turned to smiles. Nick and Harry were going to make great daddies, and more than that, they were amazing people. Louis would be in good hands.
Refusing to be put down, Nick had to maneuver himself to sit in the chair while placing Louis on his lap. The boy immediately curled up, rubbing his face on the man’s shirt.
Unable to help herself, Jade cooed, “Aw, please tell me you’re his daddies!”
Harry smiled proudly, nodding his head. “I don’t know how we got so lucky, but we are.”
Louis blushed, smiling behind his pacifier.
“Couldn’t think of a better family, to tell ya the truth,” Niall said, smiling.
“I call being first in line to babysit!” Sophia exclaimed, smiling at the sight that Nick and Louis made.
Once everyone had settled down a bit, Perrie let out a laugh. “So, who’s ready for dinner?”
Everyone chuckled, each person in attendance raising their hand besides Louis. The boy was tired and not hungry, he just wanted his papa. He knew that Jesy wasn’t there anymore, but he was scared that someone would try and say something mean to him. But not if he was sitting on his papa they wouldn’t. He knew his papa would protect him and scare off anyone who would try to hurt his feelings. That’s what papas were for, right?
Perrie and Zayn brought out the platters of food after waving off everyone’s efforts to help, Niall clapping his hands at the ridiculous amount of food that was made. By the time the food had been plated Louis was asleep on Nick’s lap, letting out quiet puffs of air onto the man’s chest. Nick patted his little boy’s bum gently, unsure of how they’d received the jackpot when it came to little boys.
He was sure that the little wasn’t going to wake if he wasn’t waking up with the loud chatter, but he still was quiet while asking Zayn, “Do you mind if I set him on the couch? He’s been a bit sleepy all day and I want to let him rest.”
“Of course,” Zayn said, leading Nick and a sleeping Louis to the living room. The papa put the boy down gently, and Zayn covered him up with a blanket. “I can’t believe he’s this cute,” Zayn exclaimed, looking at the sleeping boy who was gently sucking on a pacifier.
“I think the same thing to myself everyday, mate,” Nick said, laughing softly.
When Nick and Zayn sat back down, they shouldn’t have been surprised at the rapid-fire questions they were being asked. Nick laughed, stating that they should eat before they got into any deep conversation. Once the meal was about finished, the questions began.
“Please explain how this came about,” Liam asked, looking as adorably confused as always.
Nick looked to Harry, deferring the question to him. “Well, um. I don’t really know, to be honest. Louis went to meet up with a Quench match a few weeks ago, it went pretty badly, and he called us. And that was that.”
“Harry, ya might be a good bloke, but you’re a terrible story teller. Please tell us if he’s as cute as we’re all thinking he is?” Niall asked, exasperated at the lack of detail.
“Thank you, Niall,” Harry said, rolling his eyes, “Of course he is. He’s the cutest little boy in the world, everything he does is perfect.”
The women cooed, picturing how cute Louis was in the private of his own home.
“You don’t have to answer, of course, but what age would you put him at? He seems pretty little,” Perrie asked curiously.
“It depends, when he’s home he’s very little. He likes cuddles and listening to Harry and I talk. He’s a sweet, shy little guy. It goes to say that he’s still trying to figure out exactly who he is, his mum did a nasty bit of work on him.”
“If ya ever go to rough her up a bit, let me know and I’ll bring my 9 iron,” Niall said, shaking his head.
“You’ll be the first to know, Niall. Thank you all for being cool about it,” Harry said, grateful.
“Of course,” Perrie said, “I think it’s safe to say that all of us apologize for Jesy. She’s a bit… conservative in her views. She has an idea of what a little should be and doesn’t let anyone forget it.”
“I’ve met people like her once or twice, it’s fine to have your views, of course. But to spew them like venom in front of a clearly insecure little boy, absolutely wrong,” Nick said honestly.
“Safe to say we won’t be inviting her to any get togethers that you lot come to,” Zayn said with a humorless laugh.
“All right, who wants dessert and more wine?” Perrie said, drawing a cheer from those seated at the table. Harry got up from his seat, heading out to where he knew Louis was sleeping. He’d been asleep for about an hour while they ate, and Harry wanted to wake the boy up so he didn’t stay awake all night. He had become very attuned to his sleeping schedule, and the daddies didn’t want to mess it up right before tour.
Rubbing the little’s shoulder, Harry gently spoke, “Love, it’s time to wake up. Would you like some yummy dessert?”
Louis let out a whine behind his pacifier, blinking his eyes slowly. He wasn’t sure where he was at first, but he saw his daddy and that made him feel a little better. He spit out his pacifier, grabbing his daddy’s warm hand and pressing it to his cheek. Louis truly couldn’t explain why he needed his daddies’ touches so much, but he did. It could be that they always made him feel safe, but he wasn’t sure.
“Daddy, ‘m wet.” Louis said, nuzzling his face into Harry’s palm.
“All right, pumpkin, let’s get you up and changed!” Harry untangled the little from the blanket he was wrapped in, making sure to place the boy’s pacifier around his finger like a ring. The little had grown attached to the little pieces of plastic, and when Louis was home he and Nick made sure to have one on them at all times.
Once Louis was changed, Harry carried him back out to the dining room. Perrie was setting plates of ridiculously delicious looking chocolate cake in front of everyone, looking up to give Louis a dazzling smile when she saw him in Harry’s arms. Harry placed the boy on the ground, eliciting a whine from him. He was back on Harry’s lap within seconds, though, placing a small kiss on his daddy’s lips before settling his face into his neck. It was the first time that Louis had ever initiated a kiss on the lips, and it made Harry’s heart feel like it was going to burst out of his chest.
Harry cooed, “Love you, sweetheart,” Louis replying by patting his cheek.
Niall couldn’t help but ask, “Lou, could I hold ya while we eat dessert? I promise I’ll share, only with you though!”
Louis blushed profusely, shaking his head. “Wanna stay with daddy,” he said, Harry patting the boy’s bum while everyone chuckled.
“I’ll get ya to eat with me soon, Lou,” Niall promised, unable to watch his bandmates without smiling. It almost made him wish he was a daddy watching how cute Louis was. Almost.
“Everyone ready to dig in?” Perrie asked, sitting down. She received a loud cheer from everyone there besides Louis, the boy shyly peeking out from where he was leaning against Harry’s chest. He thought it would be embarrassing having the boys see him be himself, but he was wrong. He should’ve realized that the boys were the closest people in the world to him, there was no way that they would judge him on something like his classification. Louis felt a bit silly for thinking that the boys would make fun of him, but at least he knew now. He tuned out the conversation that was taking place, hearing that Jade had brought up wine. He’d found that to be a common occurrence for him, finding the topics that people talked about to be boring. Feeling a fork prodding at his lips, he opened his mouth. He let out a happy sound at the taste of the chocolatey goodness. The cake proved to be the only good part of the dinner, the longer it dragged on the antsier he got. Louis couldn’t help but continuously move on his daddy’s lap, running his fingers through the man’s soft curls. The more accustomed he grew to his classification, the more he figured out what he liked. He loved pacifiers and bottles. He adored watching TV, especially his guppies. He’d never been as attached to a TV show as he was to the Bubble Guppies; he couldn’t explain why, but their bright colors and fun songs made him unbelievably happy. He absolutely loved soft things; rubbing Lacy against his cheek, wearing his footie pajamas, touching his daddies’ hair. He always giggled at the way his daddy would tell him he was ruining his hair, not completely realizing that he was serious.
“Never seen you let anyone touch your hair, H,” Liam remarked.
“Don’t have much of a choice, do I?” Harry said, grinning.
Looking at how everyone’s plates were almost empty of dessert, Louis was overjoyed. He was ready to go home and have his baba. No offense to everyone there, but Louis would much rather be home. He’d always considered himself a homebody; he never went out unless he was forced to, he preferred the comfort of his own home. But having his daddies increased that tenfold; all he ever wanted to do was be cuddled up with them, safe in the confines of their house. It was hard, having to go out. Cognizant of the fact that his daddies were having fun, he tried to be a good boy and be patient. Maybe his daddies would let him stay up and watch the Bubble Guppies when he got home since he was being so good. They were almost done, everyone sitting with now empty plates… until Perrie decided to make the night even longer.
“I’m going to go grab the bottle of wine Nick and Harry brought, a nightcap before you all hit the road!”
Louis couldn’t help the whine he let out, close to tears. He tugged a bit on Harry’s hair, whispering, “Daddy, want baba. ‘m sleepy.”
Having a silent conversation with Nick, Harry decided it was time to go. They’d been there about five hours at that point, and he was surprised that Louis had lasted that long.
“It’s okay, pumpkin, we’re going to head out right now. Can you say thank you to Zayn and Perrie for having us?”
Louis looked up, “Thank you for having us. Your cake was yummy! Now we’re gonna go home.”
Everyone laughed at Louis’ words, endeared by how excited he was to go home.
“Can I have a hug goodbye?” Perrie and Sophia said at the same time, laughing at their synchronized thoughts.
“Go on,” Harry said, getting off the chair and forcing the boy to stand up. Shyly, Louis walked over to where Sophia was, giving her a hug.
“Bye bye. Thank you for the lolli, ‘m gonna bring it home,” Louis said, blushing when the sub’s hand lightly padded his diapered bottom.
“Of course, babes, I’m glad you liked it. I’m excited to have someone to spoil, be ready for lots of presents!”
Louis smiled at the prospect of getting gifts; the idea of presents was something new, his mum never once getting him anything outside of necessities when he was growing up.
“That makes two of us, Soph,” Perrie said, pulling Louis in for a hug. “Looks like someone’s going to be the most spoiled little in the entire world! Thank you again for the pumpkin, we love it so much.”
Louis let out a shy giggle at her words, walking over to where his Papa was standing and wrapping his arms around his side.
“Ready to go, little cub?” Nick asked, laughing as Louis nodded into his side.
“Thank you both for having us, dinner was wonderful. It was nice seeing you all, we should do this again soon at our place. Boys, we’ll see you on Monday; appy Halloween.” Harry said, giving a small bow before the family walked out.
“Nicky, I want a baba and guppies, please,” Louis said, rubbing his hand up and down the man’s side as he walked.
“As soon as we’re home, love. C’mere,” Nick said, picking the boy up and placing him in his car seat, buckling him up.
“H, make sure you text Alberto and tell him we’ve got Louis. I don’t want him worrying about picking him up,” Nick directed as he walked around the car into the front seat.
Louis didn’t let himself fall asleep in the car, desperately keeping his eyes open. Papa promised him that he could watch Bubble Guppies and he wanted to finish the episode that he was watching that afternoon. The guppies were visiting a circus and about to perform, and he needed to see how it ended. He let out a sigh of relief when they were pulling into their garage, happy to see that he’d succeeded in staying awake.
“Happy to be home, sweetheart?” Harry asked, unstrapping Louis from his harness. Louis smiled, nodding his head.
“Guppies, guppies, guppies!” Louis exclaimed, excited.
“Oh, you want to watch the guppies?” Harry asked, hefting the boy onto his hip. “You’re sure you don’t want to go to bed?”
“No, daddy, Nicky promised I could watch the guppies! Want guppies and a baba,” Louis said, close to tears. He didn’t want to go to bed, papa promised. Promises were the end all be all between the three of them, his daddies had never broken a promise to him. Well… not yet.
“I’m kidding, pumpkin, of course you can watch the guppies. Since you were so good we can all watch guppies in my room! Would you like that?”
Louis nodded his head vigorously, feeling excited as Harry carried him up the stairs. He was ready to be out of his clothes. His daddy set him down on the changing table and he raised his arms to the sky so that Harry could take his shirt off. He laid down so that he could get his leggings taken off, sighing happily as he felt the air on his legs. Harry changed his slightly wet diaper into a thicker night diaper before heading into the closet. Louis lay there calmly, not wanting to make his daddy change his mind about letting him watch guppies.
He brought out two pajama choices, one set of footie pajamas and one onesie. Louis pointed to the onesie, wanting to be in as little material as possible. His daddy put it on him, quickly buttoning under his crotch before placing him on the ground. Louis skipped ahead of him into the daddies’ room, jumping on the center of their huge, neatly made bed.
His papa and daddy walked in their room, smiling at the sight of Louis looking tiny on their big bed. He was continually shocked by how well his daddies knew what he needed, gasping when he saw that Harry had Lacy in his hands, grabbing her from him with a smile.
Nick and Harry changed into pajamas quickly in the bathroom, wanting to get back to Louis as soon as possible. The older man grabbed the bottle from the bathroom counter, heading back into the bedroom and hopping into his side of the bed. He propped himself up against the pillows, patting the space between his legs. “C’mere lovebug, let’s get you drinkin’.” The little crawled over, planting himself up against his papa’s chest. Before he could ask when Bubble Guppies was going to be on, he turned his head forward to where he heard the TV starting. His daddy was turning on Netflix, much to his excitement.
His papa placed the rubber nipple to his lips, and Louis began to drink the formula. He watched his daddy as he turned the guppies on and walked over to the bed, hopping in.
“Let’s see how good the guppies are at performing! Maybe they can open up for us on tour!” his daddy said with a big smile.
Louis stopped drinking for a second, excited by Harry’s idea. “Really?”
“Of course! Let’s watch and see what tricks they can do first,” Harry said, rubbing a finger down Louis’ soft cheek.
The little started to suck on his bottle again. He was unable to stop himself from succumbing to the powers of the warm milk, falling asleep within minutes. Once they were sure he was asleep, Nick gently lifted the boy off of the bed, allowing Harry to turn the duvet down. He placed the boy in the middle of the bed, watching as he immediately curled onto his side, stuffed lion tucked in his arms. Nick walked around the bed, kissing Harry goodnight gently.
“Love you,” Harry said, pressing kisses along Nicks’s jaw.
“I love you more, goodnight popstar,” Nick said, squeezing Harry’s bum. He didn’t think he’d ever get enough of the gorgeous man, he didn’t understand how he ended up with someone as loving and perfect as Harry.
Nick woke up to a warm body pressed against his chest and a mouthful of fur. He opened his eyes and looked down, seeing Lacy pressed against his mouth.
He gently moved the stuffed animal, which was attached to Louis’ hand, to rest on the little’s chest before getting up off the bed. Relieved that he didn’t wake Louis or Harry, he headed into the bathroom to shower. Last night was the first time that Louis had slept with them, and he knew that they shouldn’t make it a nightly thing, but he honestly loved waking up with his little boy curled up against his chest. He knew that he was putty in the boy’s hands, and felt sick thinking about the fact that they only had one more weekend together before the band left for tour.
Nick wouldn’t be able to see them for the first two and a half weeks as they headed to Australia and the States, but was trying to make it to Europe for at least a show. He and Harry were extremely worried as to what Louis’ reaction would be, but hoped that he’d understand that Nick couldn’t leave his job. It was a long shot that the boy would understand, but they could still hope.
As he was shampooing his hair he heard the bathroom door open up, and Harry’s voice quickly follow it.
“Let’s get your teeth brushed and then we can get you changed!” He heard Louis giggle as Harry talked through a mouthful of toothpaste before singing a song to Louis while he brushed the little boy’s teeth. Nick smiled at the silliness of his boys, loving the sound of Louis’ laughter.
After getting dressed and ready for the day, Nick followed the scent of bacon to the kitchen. Louis was sat in his highchair, kicking his legs happily and sipping on his morning bottle. Nick headed over to him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. The boy turned his head, giving his papa a wave while continuing to drink his bottle. It looked like it was going to be a happy Sunday indeed.
While Harry cooked a fry up for himself and Nick, he contemplated the only problem that seemed to be present in his life at the moment. His mum. She was without a doubt one of his best friends in the world, and he felt awful keeping her out of the loop. He knew that Nick was feeling the same way about his parents, but he wouldn’t say anything. And that’s where Harry’s dilemma lay. He wanted to bring it up, but couldn’t help but feel selfish doing so. This was about Louis, not him. It was a bit manipulative, but he was going to bring his mum up today and see what the boy’s reaction would be. It was worth a try, wasn’t it?
Louis was happier than he’d been in a long while. He had his daddies, his boys knew everything and still loved him, and he was about to leave on tour to sing the songs that he wrote. Everything was perfect.
He was sitting in his playroom playing with his trains when he heard the loud ringing of Harry’s phone. His daddy answered it quickly, Louis stopping what he was doing to listen, unable to help his curiosity.
“Hiii mum, how are you?” Harry asked, a smile on his face. “I’m good, just home with Nick.”
Harry paused as he listened to what she had to say, thinking carefully before replying. “Yeah, Louis is good; obviously a bit shaken up, but the boys and I have been there for him and I think that’s helped.”
Louis went wide-eyed as he was brought up, curious as to why Harry wasn’t telling his mum about him. He knew how close they were, and couldn’t help but feel guilty at making Harry lie to her. He made up his mind quickly, knowing that a second of bravery could lead to a lifetime of difference.
He walked over to the couch Harry and Nick were sitting on, climbing onto Harry’s lap.
Whispering, he said, “Daddy, you said lying is bad. You can tell.”
Harry looked at the boy, quickly pressing a kiss to his cheek, putting his palm over the speaker of his phone. “Are you sure, pumpkin?”
Louis nodded, smiling. “You have a nice mummy, it’s okay.”
Nodding, Harry put his phone on speaker. “Mum? You there?”
“Yes, dear, the phone cut out for a second. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything is fine. I just have something I want to tell you. Um, so Louis kind of has been living with Nick and I. As our little. I obviously was going to tell you, it’s just happened pretty quickly. And we wanted Louis to be comfortable before we told anyone.”
“Oh, love, no need to explain yourself to me. Like I’ve said, I can’t even imagine how the poor babe feels. But I’m happy for all three of you. When can I come over? Does that make me a nana? I guess it does. My first grandchild! I’m going to spoil the sweet boy silly,” Anne gushed, thinking out loud.
Nick laughed loudly before answering, “Hi Anne. It seems like everyone has the same desire to spoil Louis. I think it’s safe to say he’s going to be the most spoiled person to ever live.”
“That doesn’t surprise me, he is sweet as pumpkin pie. No one can resist that! Is he with you now?”
“He is,” Harry said, rubbing his hands up and down Louis’ back. “He’s a bit shy, so I’m not sure if he’s going to say much. But to answer your previous question, you can come over any time you want, we’re usually done with rehearsals around three or so during the week.”
“Hi Louis, dear! I just wanted to send you all of my love and I hope to see you soon. Are Harry and Nick taking good care of you, lovie?”
Louis nodded into Harry’s chest, feeling too shy to answer the woman. It was one thing to have her know about his daddies, but it was another thing to talk about it.
“He doesn’t feel much like talking, but he’s nodding his head.” Harry said, endeared by the boy on his lap.
“No worries, sweetheart, I hope I’ll get to see you this week! Is there anything you want me to bring you when I come? Cookies?”
“Chocolate chip! Please” Louis exclaimed, unable to help himself, all shyness dissipating at the tantalizing prospect of cookies.
“There’s that sweet voice,” Anne cooed, “I’d love to make cookie! I’ll bake them with lots of love, just for you.”
Nick and Harry smiled, happy to see how loving Anne was towards Louis. They had no doubt that either of their mothers would be anything but angelic towards him, but seeing it in action was a relief.
“All right, mum, it’s time for lunch. We’ll talk to you later, let me know what day you’re thinking of coming. Love you lots.”
“Love you boys, talk to you soon!”
Once off the phone, Harry shifted Louis’ body on his lap so that he could look him in the eyes. “Are you good, lovely?”
Louis thought for a second, trying to form a way to voice his worries. It was becoming increasingly hard to string together his thoughts, but he was okay with it. His daddies were learning to know what he wanted without him even saying it out loud, so he didn’t have to worry all that much about speaking too often.
“Daddy has a nice mummy. She will like me? Even my pacis and diapers?” He was worried that she would be like Jesy. The mean lady really scared him. He thought that all mummies were supposed to be nice, but she got mad that he wore diapers. Louis didn’t understand that at all!
Understanding the boy’s concerns, Harry answered quickly. “Baby, she already loves you so very much. Even when she thought you were a gad she loved you. She will love you no matter what you’re wearing because you’re the sweetest little boy in the world! Promise.”
-------------
Louis was crying and he couldn’t stop. It was Friday after rehearsals and he couldn’t be more excited to head home. Harry strapped him into the car seat that had arrived for Alberto’s escalade and hopped in beside him.
“Guess who has a surprise waiting at home?” Harry asked, smiling widely at the little boy next to him.
“Me?” Louis asked, mouth wide. Harry nodded, reaching a hand over to tickle the still shocked looking boy. Once home, Louis was impatient, wanting Harry to hurry up and unstrap him.
Nick was waiting outside, leaning against the side of the garage and smiling. Finally released from the car seat, Louis hopped out and ran to his papa, hugging him tightly. “Nicky! Surprise?”
Laughing, Nick picked Louis up and carried him inside, watching as Harry said goodbye to Dale and Alberto. Waiting on the floor in the living room were three big brown boxes that clearly had just had the tape holding them shut ripped off.
Wiggling around in Nick’s arms until the man put him down, Louis ran over to the boxes. He stroked his fingers up and down one of them, staring up at his daddies who were both now in the room thoughtfully. “Presents? For me?” He asked the question as if he was shocked that the men would get him presents. It continuously surprised them that their boy was so humble and unexpecting of the kindness that he received both from them and others.
“Of course they are!” Nick exclaimed, him and Harry moving to sit on the couch. Harry couldn’t help but take his phone out, wanting to document Louis’ reaction.
“Why don’t you start with the big box in the middle, pumpkin,” Harry guided, readying his camera.
Louis opened the box slowly, getting on his knees so that he could see what was inside. He grabbed another brown box from inside the big one, sitting with it and opening it. He gasped as he opened it, seeing that they were diapers that had their plastic front panel decorated with various characters from Bubble Guppies. They were the coolest diapers he’d ever seen!
He grabbed one from the pack and walked over to where his papa was sat.
“Nicky, ‘m wet. Change please,” He said with a smile, handing the man his cool new diaper. The men couldn’t help but burst out laughing, figuring it’d be the first and only time Louis asked for a diaper change with a smile. He grabbed Louis’ diaper bag from where it sat on the couch fresh from rehearsals and quickly changed the boy. He left his sweats off, knowing that the boy would ask to change as soon as he saw what else was in the boxes.
Louis looked down at his new diaper, admiring the picture of Molly and Gil surrounded by tons of little fish. “Look daddy! It’s Gil and Molly!”
“I can see that, pumpkin! That’s the coolest diaper I’ve ever seen,” Harry started videotaping again now that the boy was done being changed.
Harry remembered when he was a teenager and would go to the birthday parties of his younger cousins and complain about how slowly they opened presents. He couldn’t get annoyed over the fact that Louis had only opened one gift so far, he was way too enamored with the excited look on the boy’s face after seeing a diaper. It was by far the least exciting thing in any of those boxes, but he still managed to look like a little boy on Christmas day. Harry couldn’t love him any more, he really couldn’t.
As Louis continued to go through the boxes he couldn’t help but cry. He was so happy. His daddies had gotten him everything he could have ever dreamed of, all covered in his guppies. There were shirts, onesies, footie pajamas, pacis, bottles, stuffed guppies, plastic toys, sippy cups, everything he could have ever wanted. The coolest thing that they got him was a bib that had the bottom half of a guppy on it so that it would look like a guppy when he was eating. He couldn’t wait to wear it at dinner! Or his guppies shoes. Nick told him they lit up when you stomped on them. The bottoms had a clear piece that allowed you to see water inside of the sole of the shoe, the guppies swimming around in there.
He couldn’t stop crying, completely overwhelmed by everything in front of him. Grabbing one of the onesies, this one light blue like the ocean and screened with a picture of all of the guppies, he headed over to his daddy.
“W-wanna wear this,” he got out, unable to stop crying no matter how hard he tried. He lifted his arms up to the sky, waiting for his daddy to take the shirt he wore to rehearsals off of him. Once changed into his onesie he headed back over to his loot, looking through everything. He now had the full cast of the guppies characters in stuffed form and he loved them. He hoped they all fit in his crib. Louis cried more as he thought about all of them sleeping with him, his favorite characters ever being able to be in his crib with him.
Too caught up in the adorable sight of Louis crying in happiness, neither of the daddies realized that the garage door had opened.
Anne heard someone crying and quickly moved to where she heard the noise coming from. She found herself horrified at the sight of Louis crying on the ground while Nick and Harry smiled from the couch.
“What is going on here?” She asked, completely confused and a bit upset. Louis looked up through bleary eyes, frightened by the new voice. He scampered over to his daddy, quickly curling up on his lap, cries quieting down.
“Mum! I completely forgot you were coming today,” Harry said with a smile, rubbing his hand up and down the now doubly overwhelmed little boy in his arms.
“What did you do? Why was he crying?” Anne asked, moving to sit next to Harry on the couch.
“Happy tears,” Nick replied, “we just got him some presents with his favorite characters on them, as you can see.” Anne then looked to the ridiculous amount of stuff on the floor, understanding.
“Aw, did your daddies get you some presents, dear?” Anne asked, hesitantly placing her hand on Louis’ back. She was a bit surprised when she saw the diaper that was puffed around Louis’ thighs, but made no mention of it. She had no idea that the boy was that little, but it made her even more excited to be a nana. Who didn’t like babies?
Louis was nervous, he couldn’t help it; his own mother wanted nothing to do with him, and he was irrationally scared that his daddy’s mum would feel the same way. He didn’t look up at her words, not wanting to see her face.
“He’s a bit shy,” Nick said, smiling down at the boy.
“I have just the little trick to cure shyness. I made you some cookies, love, would you like some?” Anne asked, a knowing smile on her face. Louis turned his face slightly, allowing one eye to peek out and look at Anne. The woman was smiling gently, a plastic container on her lap. Slowly, Louis shifted around in his daddy’s lap until he was facing the woman.
“Hi Louis! How are you, sweetheart?” Anne asked, absolutely endeared by the sight in front of her. The little boy on her son’s lap was dressed in solely a onesie, puffy diaper frilling out at his thighs. He was the cutest thing she’d ever seen, without a doubt.
“Good,” Louis whispered, feeling a bit apprehensive.
“It’s okay to be a bit shy, dear, just know that your nana loves you and can’t wait to spend some time with you. Are your daddies treating you well? Giving you lots of cuddles and kisses?”
Louis nodded enthusiastically; he loved talking about his daddies! “Lots of cuddles and kissies. Nicky gives me good tummy rubs, too!”
Anne gave him a dazzling smile, overjoyed that the boy was talking to her. “I’m so happy to hear that! You have some good daddies, don’t you?”
“The best daddies. Look at my new guppies toys!” Louis said, jumping off Harry’s lap and crawling over to where his new stuff was. Nick and Harry were amused by the boy’s quick change of heart, immediately warming right back up to Anne.
Anne got right on the ground with Louis, listening as the boy babbled on about every single thing that he had received. A renewed love for his mum rushed over him, Harry was unbelievably grateful to have such a wonderful woman who raised him. He often thought about how different he would’ve turned out if his mum was anything like Louis’. He found himself grateful that Louis would now have a positive female role model in his life, something that he didn’t have on his first go round.
Looking up, Anne said, “You two are good to go. Louis is going to have some nana time. Shoo!” She and Louis both waved goodbye to them, giggling.
“Juice first, please,” Louis said, shooting them a winning smile.
Rolling his eyes, Nick stood up. “We’ve to wash all of your new bottles and sippy cups first, so you can’t use one of those bud.”
Once back with a small bottle of juice, Nick and Harry were again shooed off by Louis and Anne.
“Want to see my playroom?” Louis asked, eyes bright. He was excited for have someone new over. Don’t get him wrong, he loved hanging out with his daddies, but they knew about all of his toys already.
“I would love to! Let me grab your cookies and we can head right up!”
Louis grabbed the stuffed version of Molly and stood up, patiently waiting for Anne. His nana grabbed his hand as they walked to the stairs, not wanting him to fall as he walked up them.
Once upstairs Louis picked up the pace, anticipating his nana’s reaction at his awesome playroom. She smiled as she entered, happy that her boys seemed to have spared no expense for the precious boy in front of her.
“I love it, Louis! Look at all of your toys, I bet you have lots of fun in here, hm?”
The boy finished sipping on his bottle before answering. “Yeah! I have blocks, and art, and toys! Daddy and Nicky always play with me too. Can I have a cookie, please?”
“Of course you can, dear! What nice manners you have,” She praised, leaving Louis’ cheeks bright red.
“Are you my nana?” Louis blurted out, wanting to know what he should call the woman. His curiosity often beat out his rational side, especially as his time as a little grew longer.
“I am, dear! Do you know what nanas do? They make sweet little boys cookies and other treats and spoil them rotten!”
“Nana,” Louis said, moving to hug the woman. She cooed, unable to help herself from patting his bum. She was surprised by the fact that she was a few inches taller than Louis; she’d always known she was tall, but she hadn’t realized that the boy was that short.
“That’s right, love, I’m your nana! Now let’s get your sweet self a cookie.”
Louis loved his nana. She was probably the funnest person he’d ever met! She taught him lots of new crafts and told him she’d bring over some beads next time she saw him so that they could make bracelets. He couldn’t wait. He cried when she left later that night, unreasonably sad at the prospect of her not staying to play with him any longer.
The little wouldn’t move from where he was sat on her lap, pressing his tear stained cheeks into her neck. “Don’t leave, nana! Didn’t you have fun playing with me?”
“Oh, sweetheart, of course I had fun playing with you! We can play again soon, I promise! Would you like to learn how to bake cookies?”
Louis nodded, tears still falling at the idea of not knowing how long it’d be until he saw his nana again.
Nick cut in, “Would you like to see nana on Tuesday? Your daddy and I have to go somewhere, and she said she could come over if you’d like!”
Gasping, Louis looked up and nodded eagerly. “You’ll come play with me, nana? Will you bring beads like you promised?”
Pressing kisses all over the boy’s face, Anne answered, “I would love to play! We’ll have the funnest night ever!”
“I can’t wait, nana! Thank you for being my friend.” Louis hesitated a moment before pressing a kiss on the woman’s cheek, eliciting a coo from everyone in the room.
“I’m so happy to have you as a friend, sweetheart. I’ll see you in just a few days.”
Once she left Nick got Louis in a bath, the boy too tired to even play with his toys. Nick went as quickly as possibly, not wanting the boy to fall asleep in the tub. Louis was dressed from head to toe in guppies, wearing his new footie pajamas as he was placed in his crib.
Harry was waiting awake for Nick in the kitchen, a concerned look on his face.
“Do you think Louis understands that you’re not coming on tour with us?”
Nick felt a bit worried. He hadn’t even really thought about that. “I’m not sure, love. Maybe we should talk to him about it?”
Harry shook his head, “I think that would make it even worse. You know how much he overthinks things, he’d make himself sick with worry. We’ll just explain the night before, I think.”
Nick hesitated, disagreeing with his boyfriend’s words. It wasn’t the time for an argument about this, not wanting the thought of not being with his boys to overshadow the last few days they had together.
“All right, babe. Whatever you think is best.”
Both men were happy that they had a few days left before tour, but couldn’t help but worry. Louis was doing so well at home, and the boy was so happy. They weren’t sure what his reaction would be to finding himself back on the road, but they knew they’d find out soon enough.