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The rush Louis gets before a game is nothing like he's ever experienced before, well, maybe aside from the birth of his son Isaac, but that was more like his heart could burst with happiness rather than with nerves.
Two years ago Louis had signed on with Manchester United straight after school, and nearly a week later had welcomed his son Isaac into the world. Louis of course had no idea that this beautiful boy was going to come into his life. Instead he was given a court order to show up on a rainy Friday morning, and came out with a beautiful baby boy.
The mother was a one night stand when Louis had been trying to prove to himself that he was in fact straight. It'd been long forgotten until he stood in front of a judge and a social worker, being told the mum had passed away in a car accident, and he was handed Isaac William Tomlinson.
"Dada!"
Louis turned to see where the screech came from and smiled when he saw his mum leading Isaac towards the pitch. The two year old's walk definitely left something to be desired, but Louis was proud nonetheless. He hopped over the gate and walked hurriedly to the VIP section, scooping Isaac up into his arms.
"Hello there love! You ready to see Daddy play in his big match against Man City? Gonna learn the ins and outs of football?" Louis asked in an embarrassingly high baby voice, loving the way his son threw his head back in delight, giggling as Louis squeezed his cheeks with his free hand.
The coach's whistle pierced Louis's ears and he sighed as he handed Isaac back to Jay.
"Daddy's got to go now, love. I'll see you after the game, yeah?" Louis said softly.
"Daddy play the ball!" Isaac shouted in what seemed like an agreement, clapping his hands excitedly.
"I'll take care of him sweetheart, now go score one for me!" His mum exclaimed as he walked back onto the pitch. He waved in response, jogging back to his team, feeling the blood pumping through his veins.
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The score was 5-3, Louis's team in the lead after he took a penalty kick, increasing the points with less than 2 minutes to go. He wiped the sweat of his brow, sprinting across the field, avoiding players left and right as he dashed towards the goal. He quickly passed the ball to stricker, and best mate, Niall Horan, cheering as it went in. With the timer signifying it was over, the team sprinted into the middle, chanting in a huddle.
A few shouts brought his attention to behind him where 2 little boys were making their was across the pitch, one of them being Isaac. He opened his arms in time for the two year old to attempt jumping into his arms, but nearly not making it off the ground.
"Good ball Daddy!" He shouted, pressing a wet kiss to his face. He basked in his son's praise, following the other toddler's path to a newly signed player (and new friend) Liam Payne. Isaac followed his line of sight and squirmed in Louis's arms, presumably wanting to go meet the other boy.
He set him onto the ground gently, holding Isaac's hand tightly in his grasp as he walked over to Liam. "Hey mate! Who's this dashing young boy?" Louis asked, nodding at the two kids that seemed to be immersed in a tickle fight.
"This is my nephew Sahaar-" Liam was cut off by a black-haired boy scoping Sahaar up and off the ground into his arms.
"Baba said you had to hold his hand and then you could see Uncle Liam!" The man scolded slightly, a stern yet relieved expression overcoming his face.
Isaac watched on curiously before tugging on the man's jeans, and then pointing at Sahaar, asking "Play please?" The man's eyes widened before looking over at Liam questioningly.
Liam cleared his throat before saying, "Zayn, this is Man U captain Louis Tomlinson, Louis, this is my brother-in-law Zayn Malik and his 2 year old son Sahaar."
Louis watched in awe as Zayn, the most beautiful man who Louis had had the pleasure of meeting, shifted his son's weight so that he could shake Louis's hand.
"Nice to meet you!" Zayn exclaimed brightly, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.
"Likewise." Louis responded, trying to subtly check him out.
"So how old is Isaac? I've seen him 'round but up until now I never actually got the chance to chat with you about him?" Liam asked, bringing Louis out of his thoughts. Zayn set Sahaar down next to Isaac where they resumed their game.
"He turned two last month." Louis replied.
Zayn's eyes lit up. "Really? That's great! I've been searching for a good friend for Sahaar but all the kids we've met are either newborns or already in school. I'd love to get your number so that we could set up a date for them to play. Sahaar is only 3 months older than Isaac and it'd be great to have a friend that understands all the attention." Zayn said the last part offhandedly. Louis felt his eyebrows furrow in confusion, and it must have shown.
"Well, I'm kind of a bit of an artist? And like my stuff has been featured in The National Gallery, and of course with football star Liam Payne as his uncle, Sahaar will be accustomed to growing up in a spotlight. I'm sure Isaac has gotten loads of attention with you being the captain and all." Zayn shrugged.
"Wow! Mate that's fantastic! Sorry I'm not very knowledgeable in the arts, but I still try to appreciate what I can." Louis said bashfully. He glanced over to Isaac, watching on fondly as he and Sahaar were pointing out the lines on the field, entranced with the other boys incessant babble.
"I, yeah that would be great though, the whole exchanging numbers thing," Louis tacked on, scratching the back of his neck, trying to be calm and collected like Zayn was.
"Hungry Daddy!" Louis turned his head in the direction of Isaac's shout, shaking his head as the boy wobbled over to him with a pout on his face.
He crouched down, picking Isaac up and resting him on his hip before turning back to Liam and Zayn, the latter now holding his son.
"Do you guys have any plans? Sahaar has so kindly informed me that he is also hungry, and would love to play with Isaac for a while longer." The look on Zayn's face told him that Sahaar was anything but kind. He looked at Isaac, who nodded his head furiously, before turning to Liam.
"Sorry mate, I've got a lunch date with the wifey!" Liam replied apologetically.
"But I thought that-" Zayn was cut off by Liam squeezing him in a tight embrace before dashing off to the showers. Zayn shook his head in confusion before returning his attention back to Louis.
"We'd love that! I've just got to have a quick shower first." Louis replied, cursing himself silently at the eagerness that he had displayed.
"Yay!"
"Foods!"
He and Zayn laughed wholeheartedly at their kids replies. Zayn then offered to watch Isaac whilst he showered and changed, insisting it wasn't a problem since the two boys seemed to entertain themselves. Louis set off to the showers after ensuring that it wasn't an issue, telling Isaac where he was going.
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"No Baba! I want chipys!" Zayn sighed in slight irritation as he once again prompted Sahaar to go with some vegetables, but gave shortly after.
After ordering food for both themselves and their kids, Zayn and Louis fell into comfortable conversation.
"So you and Liam are brother-in-laws, eh? I can't imagine how attractive she must be after meeting her brother," Louis said, subtly fishing for details on Sahaar's mum.
Zayn tilted his head in confusion, trying to figure out why Louis was asking about Ruth or Nicola, and how he knew them to begin with.
"Uh, yeah both his sisters are beautiful...which one were you referring to?" Zayn asked hesitantly whilst feeding Sahaar some of the chips off his plate, sneaking in some chicken here and there.
"Well, your wife?" Louis asked, clearing his throat uncomfortably.
Shocked laughter escaped Zayn as he thought over what Louis had said.
"I'm sorry it's just, well I'm gay. Never had a wife and never will want one." Zayn explained, cleaning the ketchup off of Sahaar's mouth.
Oh. Louis felt like a right prick, but at the same time felt a small glimmer of hope at the fact that Zayn could possibly like him back.
"Gays!" Isaac crowed happily, attracting the attention of near-bye staff and fellow eaters.
Zayn felt the mortification and horror at having taught Louis's son an apparently new and exciting word. Sahaar noticed and from his high chair began repeating after his new friend.
"Hey! No it's completely fine Zayn! He's heard me say it plenty of times." Louis said hurriedly, hoping to relieve some of Zayn's sudden panic.
"Well this date has taken a turn for the worst," Zayn mumbled under his breath, then proceeding to cover his face in his hands.
"Dates Dada! I like dates!" Isaac exclaimed happily, pointing his finger at Sahaar's face.
"I like dates too Baba! Dates fun!" Sahaar said in agreement.
Zayn's head snapped up, eyes wide as he realized that everyone, including Louis, had heard him.
"I-"
"If I had known this was a date I would've left Isaac at home and tried a little harder to woo you." Louis confessed earnestly.
A surprise chuckle escaped Zayn, and before he knew it, all four of them were laughing. Louis and Zayn at the turn of events, and the kids because they loved the sound of their Dads' laughter floating through the air.
As they all calmed down, Zayn cleared his throat before speaking. "Um, I know you are wondering how I have Sahaar with me after that little speech. I-I was given the assignment to go down into Jordan and paint the historical landmarks and people and anything I wanted really. So while I was there I sat outside the UK's embassy, I sketched the scene in front of me, which turned out to be an orphanage's small playground. I was fascinated by the kids and so I found myself knocking at the front entrance a few moments later," Zayn took a deep breath before continuing, "The ladies that worked there were very welcoming and gave a small tour of the place. The last stop was a nursery filled with newborns who had been- uh forgotten. And as I looked around the room, my eyes fell upon Sahaar and I knew I couldn't leave without him."
By the end of the story, Zayn's eyes were more than a little misty, and he fondly stroked Sahaar's head as he began falling asleep. Isaac watched Zayn with wide eyes throughout the entire story, and both his and Louis's fascination with him grew. Isaac of course had couldn't truly grasp the concept of what was occurring, but he's never seen a big man cry, and it drew him to Zayn.
"My story isn't nearly as moving as yours. I mean one day I was a kid playing for Man U and the next I found out an ex-fling was pregnant, leaving me with our child," Louis explained in a hush tone, not wanting Isaac to hear.
Zayn watched on as Louis stared adoringly at Isaac who was colouring intensely on his kids menu, occasionally marking up the table beneath it.
"Wouldn't change it for the world, though." Louis spoke a minute later. Zayn vigorously nodded his head in agreement, knowing Sahaar was the best thing that had ever happened to him, but wondering if Louis and Isaac could be the 2nd.
The soft snores Sahaar was emitting told Zayn that it was time to go put him down for a nap, but Zayn's curiosity and intense feelings for Louis did not want this to end in any way, shape, or from, fearing that it would be the last time they would see each other. As if Louis could sense his internal conflict he dug his phone out of the small baby bag near his seat, sliding it across the table towards Zayn.
"I still owe you my number and you still owe me the fascinating tale of how you and Payne ended up as relatives." Louis offered in explanation.
With fumbling fingers, Zayn quickly input his cell number and then texted himself to ensure he would have Louis's number as well before handing it back to him with a slight grin.
"I've gotta get this little one home for a quick nap then, don't I?" Zayn asked with a frown at the thought of leaving Louis.
"Of course you do. He's gotta help his father get ready for his date tonight. I'll pick you up at seven sharp, yeah?" Louis spoke with an air of confidence, silently pleading with his eyes for Zayn to accept.
He did of course, with a quick nod of his head before he shuffled away from the table, carefully picking up Sahaar as to not jolt him from his sleep.
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"Mate you are gonna be fine, yeah? Louis is a great guy and he'll wine and dine you proper before you get it on." Liam joked as he played with Sahaar on the ground, scribbling on the new colouring books that Liam brought over. Zayn had called him immediately after Sahaar woke up from his nap, practically begging Liam to watch Sahaar for the night while he went out with Louis. Liam being the absolute best mate and uncle immediately agreed and hurried over to watch Sahaar while Zayn got dressed.
That had been over two hours ago.
Now, Zayn stood, pacing back and forth from the front door to the living room, where Sahaar sat contently with Liam. Zayn knew that they'd be fine, of course but this was the first time Zayn had actually gone on a real date since Sahaar came into his life, and he was nervous to say the least.
He ran his hand through his quiff, sighing as he plopped down onto the couch. "Li, what if he's like, I don't know...not what I thought he was?" Zayn questioned nervously while biting his bottom lip.
With soft eyes, Liam put down his marker and looked at Zayn straight on. "He already knows you have a son, and he seems to get on well with him from what you've told me. He's a great dad, I know that much, so there is no need to worry about how he'll interact around Sahaar. And Zayn he also has a kid, which means he's not just in this for shits and giggles, yeah? He's looking to settle down and have a proper family, not a one night stand with you." Zayn nodded, knowing that everything Liam said was true. He just needed to calm down and enjoy tonight.
"Right. I will just calm down and have a good time." Zayn said, more so to himself then Liam.
There was a soft knock at the the door and Zayn looked down at his watch, seeing that Louis was here with 5 minutes to spare.
With a fleeting glance towards Liam he walked slowly toward the door. He took a deep breath in before opening it to Louis, who quite literally took Zany's breath away.
"Good evening my good sir, care to join me?" Louis teased with a wink, holding out his arm for Zayn to grab. Blushing, Zayn nodded as he hooked his right arm through Louis's, and walked towards the car. Like a true gentleman, Louis opened Zayn's door for him before crossing the car to seat himself.
"Might I say you look positively dashing?" Louis said with a smirk, eyes in the road as he pulled out into the street.
Zayn shook his head, not quite used to compliments before saying his thanks to Louis. "I guess chivalry isn't dead after all." Zayn stated with a smile.
"Not while I'm around! I've got people to impress and whatnot, might as well stick with the classics." Louis said earnestly, glancing at Zayn before turning his attention back to the road.
The rest of the trip was filled with small talk as they exchanged embarrassing stories and work details. The conversations continued as they went into the restaurant, moving the topic towards families and friends. After ordering, Louis spoke up, "So how did you and Liam end up in the same gene pool?"
Zayn put down his water before explaining, "Well my sister Doniya went to the same secondary school as Liam, and they had nearly every class together throughout the years. They began dating a month into the school year, and during their first year of uni he popped the question. It was inevitable really, Liam was absolutely whipped, and Doniya was head over heels for him. We were all expecting it. I won't be surprised if they start having kids soon with the amount of time they spend talking about it."
Louis looked up with a small smile on his face before asking, "Do you want more kids?"
"Definitely. And you?"
"Yeah. Yeah I'd really love to have a whole footie team running around if I'm honest."
The atmosphere shifted as their answers settled in and Zayn had a feeling that the conversation wasn't just small talk. Zayn's heart began to flutter as he realized that maybe all of these feelings for the future weren't just one sided.
They continued on eating in a comfortable silence, and soon finished their meal.
"So," Louis cleared his throat, "um I was wondering if you wanted to head back to mine? Isaac is with me mum so I've got the house to myself and all..." Zayn found it adorable that Louis was so nervous to invite him over to his house. It was nice to know Louis could be both cheeky and timid.
"I'd love to. But I need to know if you plan on this being a one time thing or not." Zayn stated confidently. While he absolutely wanted to go to Louis's house and shag him, he needed to know whether or not this man that he was falling for would remain in his life. He needed to think of Sahaar before himself, even though it was hard to wait for the answer.
Louis relaxed marginally and spoke clearly, "I want this to last a while. A long while, and I can picture us together, ya know? I'm in it for the long haul."
"Perfect." Zayn stated before placing his napkin next to his plate. "Shall we?"
"Don't you need to get Sahaar situated before we scamper off into the sunset?" Louis asked.
"Nope. Liam is expecting me to be out for the night." Zayn confessed.
"Cheeky. I like that." Louis said as he escorted Zayn out of the restaurant, and began to drive them to his house.
And if Zayn and Sahaar moved in to Louis's house a few months later, no one has to know.