Work Text:
Zayn dreaded the day ahead already.
Between the sunlight peeking through the sliver in the curtains and his alarm going off on his phone, the morning was not starting pleasantly. He was quick to reach out and grab his phone from the nightstand, hastily shutting off the alarm before it awoke the sleeping bundle next to him.
Zayn sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, turning to squint in the dim lighting of the hotel room at the sleeping angel that lay curled up beside him.
Liam lay beside him, curled on his side and mouth parted as soft, deep breaths escaped the boy. The pacifier he had fallen asleep with lay discarded against the pillows where it must have slipped from his lips at some point during the night. Held loosely in his grip was Liam’s beloved lovey, a soft baby blanket that was attached to the upper torso of a brown, spotted puppy. The boy had named it Cookie because the colors reminded him of a chocolate chip cookie.
He looked so peaceful and at ease while he was asleep. Liam’s messy curls splayed out around his head like a halo, face no longer creased with stress and worry. Zayn hated to wake him and ruin the calm atmosphere but they needed to get up and get ready for the day ahead.
The boys all had three interviews lined up today before they were back on the road in their tour bus and heading to the next leg of the tour. Which meant Liam needed to be big for the majority of the day.
Sighing quietly once more, Zayn leaned over and pressed a feather light kiss to the top of Liam’s head before easing himself out of bed. He’d let the boy sleep in a bit longer while Zayn took a quick shower and got dressed himself before wrangling his Little.
Thirty minutes later, Zayn was freshly showered and dressed in some black jeans and a black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He left his hair damp and combed back, not bothering to really style it, knowing Lou would fix their hair for the interviews once they got to the studios.
He stepped out of the bathroom, the light illuminating the room slightly, and made his way over to the bed. Zayn sat down on the edge of the bed beside Liam, knowing he had delayed the inevitable long enough.
“Bubba,” Zayn cooed softly as he gently rubbed circles over Liam’s back to wake him up. “Li Bear, its time to wake up, baby.”
Liam’s face scrunched up a little, a sleepy whine escaping him. He tried to burrow more into the bed but Zayn was one step ahead of him.
The older reached for the covers, pulling them down and off the younger boy, resting them in a bundle at the end of the bed. Zayn gently combed his fingers through Liam’s messy bedhead of curls, brushing them back from his forehead.
“I know, sweet boy. Baba wanted to sleep in too,” Zayn soothed as he eased Liam up and into a sitting position. “But we have to get up and get dressed for the day. Remember, we have interviews to do today and that means you have to be a Big Boy.”
Zayn took the opportunity to check the pull up Liam had been put in the night before, unsurprised to find it wet. He would’ve preferred for Liam to be in a diaper but the boy had been a bit older than his normal age for regression and claimed he didn’t need diapers anymore. Which Zayn knew wasn’t the case but he had finally acquiesced and came to the agreement that Liam would still have to wear pull ups as some sort of protection if he promised to get his Baba or any of his Uncles whenever he needed to use the restroom.
So far the boy had been doing alright while he was awake, but asleep was another story.
Liam’s body had grown accustomed to the added protection of a diaper at night so sometimes even during the times he was an adult mentally he still slept with some sort of protection. No matter how much he was mortified every time that he woke wet.
“No wanna, Baba,” Liam murmured as he fisted his eyes sleepily.
“I know,” Zayn repeated as he helped him stand and guided his sleepy boy to the bathroom. “But after we’re all done with the interviews we’ll be on the tour bus for a couple of days and you can be Little again.”
The older boy grabbed Liam’s toothbrush from the younger’s toiletry bag, squeezing toothpaste on it and wetting it under the tap before placing it in Liam’s hand and guiding it to his mouth. He instructed him to brush for two minutes while Zayn went to retrieve the outfit Lou had picked out for the younger boy from Liam’s suitcase.
Pulling out the green checkered flannel and ripped faded blue jeans, Zayn felt a smile twitch at his lips as he heard his baby humming to himself around the toothbrush in his mouth. He hesitated for a moment as he looked back and forth between the pull up and a pair of boxers. For a brief moment his eyes darted to the purple duffle bag that held Liam’s baby items.
No, trying to make Liam wear a diaper while he was in an adult headspace would only cause a meltdown. Zayn had a better chance of convincing him to wear a pull up but even then he knew it was going to be a challenge.
Pulled from his considerations, Zayn heard the sound of Liam spitting out the toothpaste into the sink and rinsing his mouth out.
“All done, Baba!” came Liam’s call a moment later as he skipped out of the bathroom.
“Good job, Li. Now let's get you dressed so we can head down and have some breakfast before we have to leave.”
“Baba, I icky,” Liam squirmed uncomfortably in his soggy pull up, tugging at the hem of his pajama bottoms.
Zayn pulled out the travel changing pad, laying it across the bed and instructing Liam to lay down while he grabbed the pack of baby wipes. Liam did as he was asked, waiting patiently for his Baba even as he continued to squirm minutely on the bed.
The boy’s eyes caught sight of his beloved lovey lying discarded amongst the pillows. Reaching out a hand, Liam grabbed Cookie by one of the arms and dragged it closer, pulling it into a hug as he rubbed his cheek on the soft fur of the head.
Zayn bit the inside of his cheek to hold back the coo that threatened to escape at the sight he turned to. Sometimes his little boy was just too cute for his own good.
He set down the pack of wipes and began the process of undressing his boy and cleaning him up. The older boy couldn’t resist leaning down and blowing a couple of raspberries against Liam’s belly, delighting in the shrill giggles it elicited from the younger boy.
It wasn’t until Zayn was grabbing the pull up that was sitting next to the clothes that Liam’s mood shifted. A pout immediately formed on his lips as he frowned at the pull up.
“No, Baba. No pull up.”
“Liam,” Zayn began. “Its just a precaution. The day is going to be busy and its easy to forget when you have to go potty-”
“No!” Liam whined, tears already welling in his eyes as he kicked his legs against the bed. “Don’t need a pull up, Baba! I a big boy!”
The boy was about two seconds away from having a tantrum so Zayn sighed and put it back down on the bed, grabbing the black boxers instead. The last thing he needed was to deal with a cranky baby before trying to get him to age back up so the older boy went against his better judgement and let Liam wear the boxers.
But something in the back of his mind told him he was going to regret that decision later on. Oh well, he’d cross that bridge if they got to it.
Finishing getting Liam dressed was a breeze after that even if the boy still had an upset pout to his lips. Just as he finished lacing up Liam’s high top sneakers a knock on the door rang through their room.
“That must be Paul,” Zayn muttered mostly to himself. He finished cleaning up and quickly packing away their belongings while Liam stood impatiently by the door, Cookie still clutched to his chest.
“Boys, you about done in there? Van’s leaving in ten minutes!” Paul’s voice rang through the door.
Liam bounced on his toes as Zayn slung the duffle bag over his shoulder and grabbed the handles of both their suitcases. Once the older boy gave the go ahead nod, Liam opened the door.
Paul stood checking the time on his watch but his gaze quickly looked up at the sound of the door opening. He smiled warmly at the curly haired boy, reaching out to ruffle his hair. That only earned him a whine and a swat to his hand as Liam ducked away.
“Someone’s grumpy this morning. Kid didn’t want to get up early?” Paul asked Zayn, reaching out to take the suitcases into his hands.
“Not quite. More like a wardrobe battle but nevermind that,” Zayn replied as he double checked they had everything. “You said the van’s leaving in ten? What about breakfast? I didn’t think we were that late.”
“We weren’t. But unfortunately plans shifted and the radio station you guys are set to start with asked if we could start a little earlier to make it a longer segment,” Paul informed him as they made their way to the elevators that would bring them to the back parking lot where the van was parked. “The other three are already waiting in the van with to-go boxes of breakfast for the two of you, you’ll have to eat on the drive.”
As they made their way out to the parking lot, Liam ran off ahead, ignoring Zayn’s call for him to stay close. The van was parked a few feet away so in reality Liam wasn’t going that far away but Zayn never wanted to take any chances. He sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time that morning, giving a sideways glare to Paul as the man chuckled lightly under his breath.
Liam slid open the door and climbed into the open seat next to Louis, pulling the door shut behind him with a hmph. He ignored the greetings Niall and Harry spoke to him from where they were seated in the third row of the van, eating their respective breakfasts.
“Well, seems like someone is Mr. Grumpy Pants this morning,” Louis smirked at the boy from where he was seated across from him holding the two styrofoam containers of breakfast for both Liam and Zayn.
“Not Grumpy Pants,” Liam grumbled with his arms crossed and Cookie pressed tightly to his chest.
“Seems to me like that pout on your face says otherwise, Li,” Louis tried not to laugh as Liam gave him a half hearted glare. It was so hard to take the boy seriously when he looked more like a disgruntled puppy than anything.
After Zayn handed Paul the purple duffle bag over his shoulder he moved to slide into the passenger seat. He took his breakfast from Louis with a quiet thanks before turning to Liam who was ignoring the styrofoam plate on the seat between him and Louis.
“Liam, eat up please, Bubba. We’re not going to have anything to eat for a few hours,” Zayn instructed patiently.
Liam side eyed the plate before turning to glare out the window. As much as he was hungry and the smell of the food was drifting to his nose, he wanted to stick it to his Baba for a bit longer after the older had tried to make him wear a pull up earlier.
Louis was the one who knew what would make Liam change his mind. He had the perfect trick up his sleeve as he shared a look with Niall.
“Well, since you don’t want to eat this delicious looking breakfast I know the perfect person who would be willing to gobble it all up,” Louis spoke out loud in an exaggerated tone as he turned in his seat to look back at Niall. “Nialler, you look about done with your food. You want seconds? Liam here isn’t hungry for his pancakes with strawberries and syrup, nor his scrambled eggs with little bits of bacon chopped in.”
“Oh boy, do I!” Niall faked his excitement for Liam’s breakfast. “Gee Louis, that sounds wonderful, I’ll gladly take Liam’s breakfast if he doesn’t want any!”
That seemed to do the trick because just as Louis was reaching over to grab the to-go container Liam stopped him by snatching the plate into his lap.
“Mine! My breakfast!” Liam glared at them both as he grabbed the fork and napkin from Louis’ hands and began digging into his food while Paul drove them to the radio station for their first interview of the day.
Zayn rolled his eyes at Louis’ tactics but it worked. Liam was eating his breakfast, only pausing to take sips of the apple juice Harry had handed him in a to-go cup with a straw and lid. Throughout the drive Liam felt himself growing more and more back into his adult headspace. By the time they made it to the station everyone had finished eating and Liam was completely out of his little headspace and ready for the day ahead.
The first interview went smoothly. It was a radio show that asked them the usual questions about their previous albums and the one they had upcoming. They even added fun little trivia towards the end.
The second interview was a podcast that went much the same as the first one. Though the host focused more on each of the member’s backstories and how they each got into music. She seemed rather focused on Liam throughout the interview, constantly circling back to ask him more questions than she did with the others. Liam didn’t mind, smiling and answering questions politely.
By the end of the interview his throat was a little parched and he gladly accepted the water bottle from Paul when they returned to the van to head to their final interview. Paul had grabbed them sandwiches and chips for them to eat quickly before they made it to the studio they would be filming the interview at.
Zayn had noticed that Liam was drinking quite a bit of fluids with his lunch, making a mental note to ask him if he would need the restroom once they arrived at the studio. But for now he let him be since Liam had done a good job of being aware of his bladder so far during the day.
Just as they made it to the studio, everyone was full from lunch and ready to get the last interview over with so they could have the rest of the day to relax on their tour bus. Once inside Lou was there to touch up everyone’s hair and looks since they were set to be on camera.
“Li, do you need the restroom before we go on?” Zayn came over to ask as Liam was just finishing having his curls fixed up.
Liam felt the tips of his ears turn red at the question as he quickly shook his head in the negative. Lou wasn’t even phased by the question, she was one of the few team members of the band who knew about Liam’s age regression.
“Honey, are you sure? You’re most likely going to be in there for about an hour which can be longer than you think,” Lou spoke up, giving him that stern motherly look she usually reserved for her own daughter.
“I’m okay, I don’t need to use the restroom, guys!” Liam swore with a serious expression. “I am an adult currently, I think I can tell when I need to use the toilet.”
“We’re just making sure, dear. There’s no need for attitude, mister,” Lou admonished him, tugging lightly at one of Liam’s curls.
Liam mumbled out an apology, averting his eyes down to his shoes. He was just a little frustrated that Zayn didn’t believe him when he said he didn’t need the restroom. He had been doing just fine all day!
“Well, if you’re sure, then let's go. The rest of the boys are waiting to go on,” Zayn guided Liam out of the room with a gentle hand on his lower back.
One of the assistants directed each of the boys to their designated spots for the interview. There was a couch and two chairs directly behind the couch. Zayn, Liam, and Louis were seated on the couch, with Liam in between the other two. While Harry and Niall were in the chairs behind the others.
The couch was smaller than it seemed. All three boys were close enough that they were practically shoulder to shoulder with one another. Liam didn’t really mind, he always loved being close to his bandmates, it gave him a sense of safety and comfort. Even if it was just legs touching while they sat next to each other or an arm around his shoulders.
As the interview started, Liam began to slouch minutely into Zayn’s side. He didn’t even realize what he was doing until Zayn nudged him subtly with his shoulder, giving him a silent look in warning. The younger boy straightened immediately in his seat, crossing one leg over the other to appear more casual.
It wasn’t noticeable at first, but with each question and each passing minute, Liam was beginning to feel a telltale urge. A familiar twinge in his bladder that only grew the longer he sat still.
He fidgeted in his seat, unintentionally bumping Louis’ leg with his own, earning a puzzled glance from the older boy beside him. Liam ignored the look, trying his best to remain casual as he attempted to focus on the questions the interviewer was asking them.
The minutes seemed to drag on and even though the interviewer had assured them there were only a couple of questions left Liam felt like it was taking an eternity to finish. The twinge in his bladder had grown, his stomach cramping painfully as he squirmed once again to try and get comfortable. His leg bounced up and down sporadically as he sat there trying to feign nonchalance.
Zayn noticed his squirming had increased the longer they sat there and even though he had tried to get Liam to sit still by draping an arm behind his shoulders to rest along the back of the couch, Liam continued to fidget. His Baba instincts were kicking in and he could tell by the way Liam held himself exactly what the problem was.
Liam needed to use the bathroom.
“We’re almost done, Li. Just a couple more questions and it’ll be over,” Zayn had leaned to the side to whisper discreetly in his ear.
Liam only nodded his head minutely, answering the next question that was aimed towards him with a strained smile. He shifted once more, trying to clench his thighs together as though that would help his situation.
To make matters worse, the more stressed he became, the more he could feel his Little headspace creeping in.
Perhaps he should’ve listened to his Baba earlier about wearing the pull-up.
Darting a desperate look to Zayn, Liam barely swallowed the whimper that wanted to escape his lips. He needed to get out of here, and he needed it now.
Zayn straightened more in his seat, lips tightening into a thin smile as he was prompted the last question of the interview. His answer was short and clipped, straight to the point but still professional.
“Well I think that should do it for this interview. Thank you, boys, for coming on our show. We’d love to have you again!” the interviewer smiled at them.
Zayn and Liam both shook the interviewers hand hastily, not wasting time with proper goodbyes, before they both turned to exit the stage as casually as they could manage. Louis, Niall, and Harry were quick to cover for them, easily charming the studio crew with jokes during their goodbye.
Once back into the hall Zayn’s head whipped around as he tried to find the nearest restroom. But this place was practically a maze and there were no signs to indicate where one was either. On top of that the staff milling around all seemed to be busy and in their own worlds, not paying attention to the two band members in the slightest.
That was one small miracle Zayn supposed. At least that was better than being bombarded by inquisitive staff members asking for pictures and autographs that they would inevitably brag about later on to friends and family.
Zayn was pulled from his thoughts by Liam tugging on his shirt urgently, his face contorted into a pained grimace.
“Zee, gotta go potty!” Liam hissed through clenched teeth as his other hand gripped at his stomach.
Zayn cursed himself for getting distracted momentarily. With no other option in sight he grabbed Liam’s hand in his own and began dragging him down the hall that led to one of the back exits of the building where Paul had said the tour bus would be parked and waiting for them once the interview was done. He followed the glowing green exit signs, quickening his pace to a brisk speed walk.
Liam stumbled after him, whimpering and clutching Zayn’s hand tightly. His tummy and bladder hurt so bad he felt like he was about to burst. He could feel tears welling in his eyes as each step jostled him more and he could feel his control slipping.
“B-Baba-”
“I know, I know, Li. We’re almost to the bus,” Zayn tried to assure him as they made their way through the final set of doors to the parking lot.
Their bus was parked along the back row on the opposite side of the lot. To both Zayn and Liam it seemed like miles away, when in reality it couldn’t have been more than a few yards.
The lot was damp, small puddles having formed from the rain clouds that now hovered overhead. It seemed a storm had rolled in while they were in their last interview. The air smelled of petrichor and wet asphalt, sharp and crisp which indicated more rainfall soon.
Zayn quickly tugged Liam towards their bus, thankful that they had made it and weren’t too late. Only he had spoken too soon. Even in his head.
Liam tripped over a pebble in their haste to get to the bus, barely catching himself and only being held up by the tight grip Zayn had on his hand. But in that lapse of concentration and the jostle his body reacted with, that was the final straw.
The dam had broke.
Liam froze as he felt his bladder give out; a warm, steady stream of urine quickly soaking into his boxers and straight through his jeans. He could barely hear the hiss of the stream in his pants over the blood pounding in his ears. But he definitely felt it as the urine ran down his legs, dripping into his shoes and soaking into his socks, some of it adding to the wet ground and mixing with the water.
Zayn jerked when Liam froze suddenly, his head whipping around as his eyes widened in shock as Liam’s bladder gave out in the middle of the parking lot. He had never been more thankful that there was miraculously no one around.
The older boy let out a curse under his breath at the situation. Damn it, they were so close!
Liam, having completely dropped into his Little headspace from the shock of his accident, felt tears well in his eyes and his bottom lip wobble. Thinking the curse Zayn let out was because the other was mad at him, Liam began sobbing. Loud, hiccuping cries escaped his lips as he stood frozen while his body betrayed him.
Zayn jumped into action, quickly scooping the younger boy up and settling him on his hip. He didn’t care that he could feel Liam’s urine soaked clothes dampening his own, nor did he care about the smell of ammonia that now clung to the boy. His only priority was getting him calm, cleaned, and changed.
“Ba-Baba, I-I s-sowwy! Sow-wy ha-h-had…a-a-asident-” Liam could barely get the words out he was crying so hard.
Zayn shushed him gently as he hastily made his way to the bus. He quickly fished into his pocket for one of the spare key fobs to unlock the door and let them inside. Paul had given each of the boys a fob in case they needed to get inside the bus or have access to it for whatever reason and Paul or the driver wasn’t around to unlock it for them.
“Shhh, its okay, baby. Its okay, Liam. It wasn't your fault,” Zayn spoke calmly over the wails of his baby boy. He was in full Baba mode now.
He tossed the fob onto the counter of their little kitchenette and continued straight to the back of the bus where the bunks and their belongings all resided. Zayn spotted the purple duffle bag lying next to the rest of their suitcases where Paul must have placed them while they were in the interview.
The older boy grabbed it before making his way to the bathroom at the very back of the bus. He shut the door behind him, locking it and setting the duffle bag on the small sink. Zayn moved to the shower and turned on the water to the warm setting, sliding the glass door shut and focusing on his next task while waiting for the water to warm up.
Liam was continuing to cry his lungs out, clinging onto Zayn’s shoulders desperately while also squirming at the uncomfortable feeling of his damp boxers and jeans chafing against his skin. He felt beyond mortified over what had happened and was terrified that his Baba was going to be mad at him forever.
“Liam,” Zayn cooed to him as he bounced him gently. “Sweetheart, its okay. Accidents happen. Baba’s not mad at you, love.”
Liam barely paused in his cries, turning his face from where it had been buried in Zayn’s shoulder to blink at him through his wet lashes. His face was blotchy and red, nose running and drool seeping from the corner of his lips from how hard he was crying.
His Baba wasn’t mad at him? Even though he had had an accident when he was supposed to be a big boy?
“Not..n-not ma-mad?” Liam hiccuped.
“No, baby. I promise I’m not mad at you. You had a lot to drink today and unfortunately it backfired,” Zayn soothed him as he grabbed some tissues from the box on the sink and wiped at Liam’s nose and chin. “I’m proud of you for holding it all through the interview. Really, it was partially Baba’s fault, I should’ve been more firm about the pull-up and we wouldn’t have been in this mess.”
Zayn said the last part more to himself than Liam. He knew the risks this morning as he was getting the boy dressed and yet he still caved. Well, lesson learned for both of them. Zayn won’t be making that mistake again.
“Now, how about we get you out of these yucky clothes and into the nice warm shower so you can get all clean?” Zayn hummed as he sat Liam down on the toilet seat. “I know its not a nice bubble bath but this is the best Baba can do while we’re on the bus until we get to the next hotel.”
Liam was reluctant to let him go but the concept of being out of these itchy and uncomfortable urine soaked jeans and nice and clean was much more appealing. Though he didn't make it easy for Zayn as he continued to cling onto the front of Zayn’s shirt.
Zayn knelt down and started with his shoes, undoing the laces and slipping both the sneakers and his socks off Liam’s feet. Next he swiftly undid the buttons of Liam’s green checkered flannel and tossed it to the side as well. Finally he coaxed him to stand up and unbuttoned the jeans, sliding those and the boxers down his legs and added those to the pile near the bathroom door.
The older boy quickly toed off his own boots, shucking off his clothes until he was just in his boxers. Turning he scooped a shivering and sniffling Liam back into his arms and slid open the shower door, closing it behind him to prevent the warmth from escaping as much as possible.
It was a bit of a tight squeeze with the two of them but they had done it before and Zayn was sure it wouldn’t be the last time. He quickly got to work grabbing a wash cloth and wetting it before lathering it with Liam’s body wash.
The soothing scent of oats and vanilla filled the small bathroom as he gently scrubbed his little boy down. Liam leaned heavily against him, letting Zayn maneuver him as needed. He still sniffled occasionally and his eyes were red rimmed and teary still, but he was no longer bawling his eyes out so Zayn took that as a win.
“Almost done, baby boy,” Zayn murmured as he gently washed Liam’s hair with the no-tears shampoo.
He rinsed it out, careful to cover Liam’s eyes and not get any water or suds in them. He added some conditioner and repeated the process before scrubbing himself down quickly. Zayn skipped his own hair though since he had washed it that morning.
Turning off the water, Zayn heard the tell-tale hiss of the bus’ hydraulics as it lifted from its parked position before the familiar jolt swayed them as the bus began in motion. He held Liam steady as he slid the glass door open and reached out to grab a couple of towels.
He wrapped one around his waist, slipping off his own soaked boxers once he was covered and leaving them to hang for the moment. He’d come back and clean up the bathroom once Liam was dressed and situated.
The second towel Zayn wrapped around Liam’s shoulders, using one end to lightly ruffle through his soaked curls before bundling it around the boy's body. He lifted him onto his hip and unlocked the bathroom door, stepping out into the cabin area of the tour bus.
Liam shivered as the air hit his body, bundling closer to Zayn and his Baba’s warmth. Zayn struggled a bit as he unzipped the purple duffle bag and fished around for the changing pad with one hand.
He laid it out over the bottom bunk that had been designated to be Liam’s bunk, gently laying the boy down on it as he dried him off the rest of the way. Zayn placed the towel over Liam as a makeshift blanket while he dug out a fresh diaper and the bottle of baby powder from the duffle bag.
As he turned back around he couldn’t help but coo a little at the sight before him. Liam lay placidly while he waited to be dressed, his thumb having been brought up to his mouth to suck on as a form of self soothing. Occasionally little hiccups jolted his body as he stared up trustingly at Zayn with heavy lidded eyes. The poor thing looked on the verge of passing out.
Zayn smiled softly down at his baby boy, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead before beginning his routine of powdering and diapering him. Once the diaper was secured snugly around Liam’s hips, Zayn turned to unzip Liam’s suitcase and search for a clean onesie.
He found one folded neatly under some t-shirts. Pulling it out, Zayn began maneuvering each of Liam’s limbs into it. He zipped it up, snapping the little button over the top of the zipper near the neck line. The onesie was a dark blue fleece one with little dinosaurs all over it, courtesy of Louis who had picked it out for the boy.
The older boy quickly got himself dressed in some clean boxers, a pair of sweatpants, and a t- shirt. He put away the diaper supplies, gathered up the damp towels, and moved to clean up the dirty clothes he had left in the bathroom. There wouldn’t be a chance to properly wash them until they reached the next hotel so Zayn tossed them into their dirty laundry bag until he had a chance to hand wash them later. Once that was done he swiftly made his way back to where Liam was still laying on the bunk.
“All right, how about we have a warm bacha and some snuggles, love. That sound nice?” Zayn asked as he reached down to lift his little boy back into his arms. Liam nodded his head slowly, resting his head against Zayn’s shoulder as they walked out of the bunk area and towards the kitchenette.
The other three boys resided in the sitting area of the bus, sounding like they were engrossed in a heated battle of Mario Kart if Louis’ cackles and Niall’s defeated cries were anything to go by. He knew he’d have to ask them to tone it down later once Liam was actually asleep, but for now the familiar banter was welcome background noise as Zayn focused on making Liam’s bottle.
Zayn hummed lightly under his breath, measuring out some of the vanilla protein powder they had begun adding to Liam’s nightly bottles for a little extra nutrients. It was a bit of a challenge trying to do it one handed but Zayn managed like he always did.
Once the milk was added, Zayn popped it in the little microwave to warm it up. The dark haired lad readjusted his grip on Liam, shifting him to his other hip. While he was strong and had been working his muscles more to be able to hold Liam for longer periods of time, holding the boy in one position for too long tended to cause unneeded strain.
Not that Liam was that heavy, on the contrary Zayn thought he was a tad lighter than a lad of his age should normally be. But the older man wasn’t going to complain since it made it easier for times like this, being able to hold and comfort his baby whenever he wanted. Besides, Liam was still considered healthy so there wasn’t cause for concern.
He was so lost in his thoughts as he rocked Liam side to side gently and waited for the milk to finish heating up that he didn’t even realize Harry had joined them. It was his low voice speaking to Liam that jolted him from his thoughts.
“Hey, monkey, look who I have,” Harry smiled down at Liam who blinked owlishly up at him.
Harry held up a familiar face, wiggling it just slightly to gain Liam’s attention. There, held in the other boy’s large hand was Liam’s lovey, Cookie.
“‘Ookie!” Liam murmured around his thumb, perking up just slightly as the sight of his best friend. He reached his unoccupied hand out, making a grabby motion to request his lovey.
Handing it over easily, Harry watched as Liam brought Cookie to his chest, hugging him tightly before nuzzling his cheek into the soft fur. The boy smiled sleepily around the thumb in his mouth in thanks towards his uncle.
“Had enough of those two and their antics, then?” Zayn chuckled softly.
“Nah, could never get tired of them. Nor you two for that matter,” Harry smirked fondly. “But after watching them go at it over the same course over and over again, it gets a bit redundant.”
He leaned back against the small countertop beside Zayn, not saying anything else for a moment before speaking up again, voice so low it was basically a whisper.
“So, what happened exactly?”
Zayn sighed. He glanced down to where Liam was back to resting his head on his shoulder, eyes blinking slowly and on the verge of dozing off. It didn’t help that the gentle rumble of the bus on the road beneath them was aiding in lulling the boy closer to sleep, especially after the long day they had.
“Combination of things. The end of a long day of interviews, too much liquids during lunch, lack of proper protection– though that was more my fault,” Zayn was still kicking himself for not being firmer about Liam wearing the pull up. If he had then things wouldn’t have ended in such a disaster.
“We figured it was serious from the hasty goodbyes you gave to that poor lady. Even Paul was more concerned about whether you guys had made it to a toilet on time rather than the sudden disappearance.”
“Not quite. We were so close to the bus though, just a few feet away practically. Its a miracle there was no one else around in the parking lot at the time, I’m not sure what I would’ve done if there had been witnesses.”
Harry hummed in response, reaching out his long fingers to card through Liam’s damp curls. The poor thing must’ve been struggling for a while if he couldn’t even make it to the toilet. Normally Liam had more control over himself while in his adult headspace.
They were interrupted by the beep of the microwave sounding, indicating the bottle inside was done heating up. Zayn reached out and took it from the microwave, shaking it gently to finish mixing the powder and warmed milk.
“Well, what happened was just a little accident. Most important things are that no one saw it happen and he’s all clean and cozy now,” Harry leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Liam’s head while Zayn nodded in agreement.
“Tell those two to start dialing down the volume, would you please, Haz?” Zayn started to turn to head back to the bunks before adding, “and queue me up a controller, I’ll be back out shortly to wipe the floor with them.”
Harry chuckled lightly as Zayn disappeared to the back of the bus but promised he would after he made himself a cup of tea.
Meanwhile the black haired male moved to make himself comfortable on Liam’s bunk. He leaned back against some pillows that were propped up against the wall, readjusting Liam in his arms so the boy was laying across his lap and his head was resting in the crook of his elbow.
Liam had whined at all the movement, his tiredness on the verge of reaching grumpy status before Zayn gently hushed him. He didn’t put up anymore of a fuss once his Baba brought the bottle to his lips.
The little boy wrapped his lips around the silicone nipple of the bottle, body relaxing fully in his Baba’s arms as he began to suckle down the warm milk. He reached one hand up, the one not holding his lovey, and tangled his fingers loosely into the neckline of Zayn’s shirt.
Zayn smiled lovingly down at his baby, leaning down to gently press his lips to Liam’s forehead in a tender kiss.
There, in the back of the bus, tucked away in the peacefulness, it was just the two of them in their own little world. Baba and baby. The only sounds being the low rumble of the bus’ tires on the road and Liam’s little snuffles as he drank his bottle.
Zayn could see the boy was getting closer and closer to falling asleep. His eyelids were drooping heavily, his drinking slowing as what was left of the milk dwindled in the bottle. Knowing Liam just needed that little push over the edge, Zayn started humming softly before singing in a low, soothing voice.
“You and I, we don’t wanna be like them
We can make it til the end
Nothing can come between you and I…”
Liam’s eyes began fluttering, staying closed for longer periods of time. His fingers twitched where they were curled into Zayn’s shirt, grip loosening slightly.
“Not even the gods above
Could separate the two of us
No, nothing can come between you and I…”
The last few drops of milk remained in the bottle as Liam finally succumbed to sleep. The boy’s lips grew slack as his head drooped to the side to rest against Zayn’s chest. The combination of a belly full of warm milk, being held in his Baba’s safe and strong arms, and the low soothing tone of his voice as he sang him to sleep was what did it.
Still, Zayn finished the last of the lyrics softly.
“Oh, you and I…”
Gently removing the bottle from Liam’s mouth and setting it to the side, Zayn began the painstaking process of settling his boy into his bunk. He shifted, movements slow and careful as he laid Liam down onto the mattress of the bunk and slipped out to stand.
Zayn eased his arms out from underneath the limp body, moving to pull the sheet and blanket up and over his little boy, settling it at his shoulders. He tucked him in tenderly, bending down to press one more loving kiss to Liam’s forehead.
“I love you so much, my sweet baby,” Zayn whispered softly against Liam’s soft curls. “Nothing is ever going to change that.”
Picking up the discarded bottle and straightening up, Zayn tugged the little curtain forward to block out the bus’ dim lighting in the bunk area. With Liam tucked safely away and fast asleep, Zayn turned to head out to the main lounge to play some video games with the other boys of the band before they turned in for the night.
Their dynamic may still be a fairly new one even though they had been doing this for a few months now, a well kept secret away from the judging eyes of the outside world. But Zayn wouldn’t trade it for anything.
He loved Liam with everything he had, heart and soul. Accidents or not, Zayn would never give what they had up. He’d continue being Liam’s Baba forever and always, for as long as the younger boy wanted him.