Chapter Text
Seven years later…
Liam Hurry home ;)
Louis smiled down at his phone before slipping it into the pocket of his winter jacket. He was just getting off his shift at the hospital, having spent the day wrapping up sprained ankles and tending to sore backs from slipping on the icy sidewalks. He was looking forward to going home and spending the night wrapped up in a blanket by the fire with Liam to snuggle up to. Of course it'll be a fake fire, one of those gas powered heater ones with the fake flames because they lived in a flat and not a house but it'll be just as nice. Even though they had moved into the flat several years ago, Louis still found himself smiling at the thought of it being their flat once in a while. He just couldn't believe this was how his life had turned out. He remembers when he thought he'd be living his life alone and miserable with a not-so-dark secret hanging over his head. He still shook his head at his younger self, he couldn't believe how stupid he had been but he supposed everyone made mistakes.
"Goodnight, Margaret." Louis called out as he passed the front desk. Behind the desk was a kind elderly lady that Louis had grown quite fond of over the couple years he's been working here. She was very sweet and caring but also had that 'no bullshit' kind of attitude that he loved.
"Goodnight, Louis, and happy birthday." She replied with a sweet smile. Louis smiled back, thanking her as he slipped out into the cold evening air. If the snowy weather and icy streets weren't enough of an indication that it was Christmas Eve, the decorations hung up outside the hospital and along the sidewalks should do it. Louis loved this time of the year. He loved it for the lights and decorations, he loved it for the snow and ice skating, the hot chocolate and snacks you know you shouldn't eat but do anyway, and the family parties and smiles on kids but most of all he loved it because it was his birthday. As a kid he hated that his birthday was on Christmas Eve because it often got forgotten about at the orphanage in the hustle and bustle of Christmas but now he had family who didn't forget. Now he had a family that made sure to wish him a happy birthday and get him a gift. Yes, it still kind of got lost in the holiday but he's learned to move on from that because that's just the way it was.
Tonight he didn't really have anything planned, not really. He and Liam were just going to spend the evening together in their flat. Liam had convinced him that they were getting too old to throw big parties and get drunk, that they had to start acting responsibly and mature, especially with them waiting for the adoption agency to give their approval. He was okay with that, maybe a little disappointed but he supposed it was time to grow up.
Louis tried to hurry home, just as Liam wanted him to but the roads were too icy to even think about hurrying and he knew Liam would rather him get their alive than in a hurry. Louis maneuvered his way home, parking in the underground parking beneath their tower block because it was too cold to park on the street and he really didn't fancy making that walk tonight. He made his way up to their flat, taking the stairs to try and make up for all the extra treats lately, and pushed the door to their flat open where he was greeted by Loki, their little black lab, jumping at his legs and barking to get his attention. Louis slipped inside and shut the door, noticing the flat was quite dark and quiet except for the yapping puppy at his ankles. He bent down, slipping his keys into his pocket, and greeted Loki. This involved getting his face attacked by a cold wet nose and a warm soft tongue.
"Oh, hello Loki, oh yes, I missed you too." Louis spoke, petting the puppy behind the ears and allowing the wet kisses to his face.
"I'm next." Came a familiar voice from the small hall of their flat. Louis grinned, and with one final kiss and pat, he stood and turned to see Liam standing there with a fond smile, waiting for Louis. Louis had yet to see him today because Liam always had to get up a couple hours before Louis to go to work and Louis just couldn't bring himself to get up that early. Louis was still often surprised when he looked at Liam, especially when he let a bit of stubble grow on his jaw. He's gotten so much bigger over the years, it was sort of expected with his job, and the stubble that he now sported made him look ten years older than he really was. Louis also knew Liam hated letting the stubble grow, claiming that it itched too much, but Liam knew Louis thought it looked sexy so he would let it grow just for Louis once in a while, especially on occasions like Louis' birthday.
"Are you sure you want to after he got a go at me?" Louis teased, allowing himself to be pulled into Liam's arms, his arms going around Liam's neck as Liam used one hand to slip around his waist and the other to wipe at Louis' mouth, getting rid of the slobber there. They both kind of chuckled before Liam did indeed take his turn, placing his lips on Louis' in a quick peck at first but like it usually did between them, it quickly grew into much more.
Louis was happy to find that Liam did not smell of smoke. He hated coming home to find that Liam had a smudge of soot on his cheek or that he smelled like he just decided to take a walk through a volcano and it worried him. Of course, Liam would try to cover it up by having a shower before Louis could get home and dowsing himself in cologne because he knew how worried Louis got but it didn't matter how much cologne he used, Louis could always smell the familiar scent of smoke on him. It was expected of course, Liam being a firefighter and all, but it still worried Louis. However, Louis was just as supportive because if this was what Liam wanted to do, if it made him happy, then it was what he wanted Liam to do, he just wished it wasn't so damn dangerous. He knew that Liam knew what he was doing and that there was no one more careful but still, accidents do happen.
Louis was fully aware of Loki jumping at their ankles and the suspicious darkness of the flat but he couldn't bring himself to care much. How could he with Liam's lips slowly working against his, with Liam's tongue licking at his bottom lip and his hands making their way up under his shirt? He couldn't, that was the problem. The problem being that he couldn't even really register Liam leading him into the living room because this was Liam and he would go anywhere Liam wanted. He didn't even register the lights coming on or all of the people standing in their living room. At least not until they all yelled 'Surprise', startling Louis away from a now grinning Liam. Louis' pounding heart calmed a bit when he turned to see the familiar faces of his friends and family, all grinning from ear to ear at him.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They all yelled, followed by a round of cheers, all for Louis. Louis was definitely surprised and more than a little confused because he had thought Liam had told him no parties, yet he was certain this was considered a party. Their living room had been transformed, the couch that usually sat in the middle of the room facing the television on the far wall was now turned and pushed up against the right wall, the coffee table now sitting in the middle of the room with bowls of crisps on it and a variety of drinks surrounding them, all non-alcoholic because there were children here. There were streamers stretched across the ceiling, drooping slightly, with balloons taped to the walls and a 'Happy Birthday' sign that hung above the television.
Everyone was here, everyone he cared about. Anne and Robin stood in the middle of the group, Robin's arms holding Anne close by the waist with Gemma and her husband Robert by their side. Johannah and Daniel stood by them, with their six children spread out beside them. Harry stood tall by Robin, grinning at Louis like he had just won some game. Beside him was Niall and his girlfriend of one year, Natalie, and on the end was Zayn and his pregnant wife, Perrie. It was everyone he loved, all here on his birthday to celebrate him, so obviously he was grinning back at them, despite his confusion.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," Louis said, still smiling as he turned to Liam. "But this looks like a party." Liam grinned at him, hooking his fingers in the waistband of his scrubs and pulling him close, wrapping him in his arms again.
"You didn't really think I wouldn't want to celebrate your birthday, did you?" Liam asked, pecking Louis on the lips. Louis could see everyone closing in around them from the corner of his eyes and knew he was about to give out a million and one hugs, not that he really minded.
"Well, I just thought..." Louis said, lowering his voice so only Liam could hear. "I just thought we would celebrate in some other way." Louis said, raising his eyebrows at Liam suggestively. Louis could actually see Liam's expression change but then he was being engulfed in a hug with Perrie so Liam didn't get a chance to reply right away. Perrie wished him a more personal 'happy birthday' to which he replied with a kind 'thank you' and was about to pull Zayn into a hug when he felt a firm hand on his back and warm lips brushing against his ear.
"Later." Was all Liam whispered but it was enough to send a shiver through his body at the thought. Louis gave him a pointed look over his shoulder to which Liam only winked and walked into the kitchen, to do what, Louis had no idea but he had other things to worry about.
"Happy birthday, mate." Zayn said, patting Louis on the back before pulling out of a hug.
"Thanks." Louis grinned and moved on to the next person, that person being Harry.
"Happy birthday, old man!" Harry grinned, wrapping Louis up in a tight hug, his long arms easily fitting around him.
"I'm only twenty seven." Louis mumbled, giving him a slight glare before moving onto to the next person.
"Happy birthday, Louis!" Came two tiny voices from down below. Louis turned to see Ernest and Doris, the youngest twins of Johannah and Daniel, standing at his waist. Louis bent down to give them each a hug, ruffling up Ernest's hair in the process. Louis continued to give out a hug to each person, the action getting tiring but he really didn't mind, he enjoyed it. After Johannah gave him his last hug, he excused himself to go change into something other than scrubs. They were comfy but he's spent all day in them and he didn't think they were really party clothes.
Louis was happy Liam had arranged all this with all of his family. He much preferred it over a big party with a bunch of people just looking for an excuse to get drunk or high. He was also happy that everyone got along. At first, years ago, Louis had been scared he'd have to tip-toe around Johannah and Daniel and Anne and Robin, thinking they wouldn't be able to be in the same room together but as usual, he worried about nothing. Shortly after Louis had met up with Johannah again, eventually meeting all the girls properly along with Daniel, Anne and Robin met them as well. It was a bit awkward at first but eventually they grew into comfortable conversation, Anne sharing stories about Louis growing up and it was nice.
Louis and Liam would often meet up with Johannah and either Daniel or a couple of the girls to catch up. Louis would attend Daisy's dance recitals and had attended Lottie and Félicité's graduation. The older of the girls, Lottie and Félicité, had been a bit hesitant at first towards accepting Louis as a brother, but the younger ones, Daisy, Phoebe, Ernest and Doris, had accepted him without a problem. To Lottie and Félicité, Louis was more of a friend then a brother at this point, having been too grown up to develop that kind of relationship properly, but they got along well enough. Harry and Gemma would sometimes come with them to the usual meet ups, Gemma enjoying conversing with Lottie, and Harry getting along quite well with Johannah, Daisy and Phoebe absolutely loving him. It may be a bit dysfunctional, but it was his family and he was happy to have them.
Louis made quick work of shucking out of his scrubs, throwing them into the dirty clothes bin, and picking out a nice outfit to wear. He was just grabbing his shirt when he heard the door open and close behind him. He turned to see Liam standing there with a soft smile on his face as he regarded Louis. Louis smiled back, shuffling over to give him a quick kiss, pinning him against the door, though Louis knew if Liam really wanted, he could easily get out.
"Thank you." Louis said softly, pecking his lips again.
"You're welcome."
"I love you." Louis said. It was almost automatic now, whenever Liam did something sweet or silly, or anything at all really, Louis would remind him that he loved him.
"I love you too, Lou," Liam replied, resting his hands on Louis' waist, his fingers grazing the bare skin of his hips. "So much, you have no idea." Liam continued, kissing Louis again.
"I think I have a slight idea." Louis teased because he was pretty sure Liam was the one who had no idea how much Louis loved him.
"The agency called." Liam said randomly, looking into Louis' eyes intensely. Liam's deep brown eyes were lit up with a happiness that could only mean one thing. Excitement bubbled up in Louis, a smile breaking out over his lips that he couldn't contain if his life depended on it.
"Really?" Louis asked without Liam having to say anything more. They had been approved. They had been approved to adopt a child.
"We have an appointment at the orphanage on Thursday at noon." Liam said, his smile growing with every word. Louis couldn't help himself any longer, he darted forward, connecting their lips together and holding Liam close to him. He couldn't believe it, they had been approved. They were going to be fathers. Louis didn't really think they would be rejected, unfortunately it was pretty easy to be approved, but there was always that chance and the familiar doubt in himself that had never really left that had him worrying. But he didn't have to worry. They had been approved!
"Oh my god," Louis mumbled against Liam's mouth, letting Liam push him back until his knees hit the mattress of their bed. The couple fell onto the bed, Liam a heavy but welcome weight on top of Louis, his lips warm against Louis' though it was difficult to kiss him properly with how much each of them were smiling. "Li, we're- We're going- to be- dads." Louis said between kisses. Liam nodded, pecking Louis' lips once again.
"I know." Liam agreed, smiling down at Louis. The two of them were grinning at each other, their excited breaths the only noise in the room as this knew information sunk in. Liam's grin softened with every second he regarded his husband, his hand coming up to move the hair that had fallen into his blue eyes, his fingers gently caressing his cheeks in the process. "I love you." Liam repeated. "I love you so much it hurts sometimes. I can't think clearly around you, I can't ever stop thinking about you and I can't imagine doing this with anyone else. I love you Louis William Payne." Louis smiled up at Liam, lifting his head to kiss him again. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before, but he never tired of hearing it.
"And I love you, Liam James Payne." Louis spoke softly. "And I always will-"
"Oi, you know there is a party going on out here in your honour, right?" Came a deep voice from the door. Louis didn't have to look to see Harry's smug smirk.
"Yeah, couldn't you wait till after we leave to have your kinky birthday sex?" Came Niall's Irish accent. "Or is that part of the kink?" He asked belatedly. Liam chuckled, dropping his head onto Louis' chest, his lips gently kissing the skin there.
"We're not-" Liam began, his voice muffled by Louis' chest but Louis cut him off.
"Actually we were waiting for you to come join, whatya say?" Louis asked, looking over Liam to grin at the boys, seeing the Zayn was there as well.
"Sorry, not really my thing." Niall said, sending Louis a wink.
"Yeah... and wouldn't that be like... incest?" Zayn asked, looking between Harry and Louis. The two boys shrugged, Louis looking to Liam, asking him a silent question before telling them. Liam pushed himself off Louis, nodding in the process while pulling Louis to his feet.
"Guys... We kind of have something to tell you." Liam said, looking from Louis to the three boys standing in there doorway. The three boys all exchanged curious looks before looking to Louis and Liam expectantly. "We've applied to adopt..." Liam began, the three boys' eyes widening in shock.
"And we've been approved." Louis finished, a grin crossing his lips as Liam held him close to his side.
"What?" Zayn asked, dumbfounded.
"Congrats, guys." Niall said immediately, grinning at the duo.
"Seriously?" Harry asked. Louis nodded, a happy chuckle escaping his lips when Harry engulfed him in a hug, Niall and Zayn soon following. The five of them stood like that for a moment, eventually breaking apart with wide grins and murmured congratulations. It wasn't long before Louis was being told to throw on a shirt and come join the party, all the boys leaving him to do so.
When Louis joined the party everyone was mostly just mingling amongst each other, Gemma and Lottie talking about Lottie's new internship at a fashion studio, Harry entertaining Daisy and Phoebe by goofing about with them. Niall and Natalie had taken it upon themselves to play with Doris and Ernest with Daniel close by as he chatted with Robin. Zayn, Perrie, Liam and Félicité were huddled in a group, chatting and laughing while Anne and Johannah stood in the kitchen preparing something to eat, happily chatting to each other. Louis has never been happier in his life, it was kind of surreal. He sometimes found it hard to believe he went from having no family to having an overly big family, but found that he wouldn't have had it any other way and that he couldn't wait to add to it.
* * *
The orphanage was not as Louis remembered. The outside still looked tall and intimidating, at least to Louis, but the inside had changed completely. Where there used to be dull beige walls, there were light blue walls, decorated in the children's paintings. There were also large photo displays along the main hall that lead down to the playroom and then the bedrooms. In the displays there were photos of many different children, all with bright smiling faces, some playing in what Louis recognized as the playroom, some playing outside on the structure Louis remembered well, and some sat down to eat the food the orphanage made. The inside no longer looked rundown, it looked like a nice place, a happy place, but Louis knew better. He knew all too well that the smiles on those kids' faces were only a glimpse of brief moments. He knew that not even half an hour later of these picture being taken, those kids probably didn't have a smile on their faces anymore.
It wasn't the orphanage's fault, Louis knew that. It wasn't the staff or the kids', it was this place. You could put all the paint in the world on the walls, you could have photos of kids going on field trips or meeting their idol, because there was always some celebrity looking for a bit of good press, but it wouldn't change that fact that this place was filled with little kids who didn't have a family. Kids who have been dropped off, their parents no longer wanting them. Kids who have lost their parents to a horrible accident. Kids who have lost everything they cared about and who were expected to put on a smile so some family would come and say 'I want that one' and take them 'home'. So the new paint and the more welcoming looking hallway didn't fool Louis, and he knew he was right in not falling for it when they walked in and saw a little boy sitting in a chair outside of a door with his feet hovering over the ground.
Louis and Liam had just walked in, the heavy door slamming shut behind them, not that the kid seemed to notice. It was a bit overwhelming to be back here, to see that kid sitting there, his head hung so his dark brown hair fell in front of his face. It reminded Louis too much of himself sitting in that chair. He knew all too well what the slumped shoulders and the tight grip on the armrest meant and it had Louis gripping onto Liam's hand even tighter. Liam seemed to sense something was wrong, though it could have just been the way he was squeezing his hand, and stopped walking to look at Louis, but Louis wasn't looking at him. He was looking at the boy who now seemed to notice he wasn't alone anymore and looked up towards them, tears running down his cheeks. They starred at each other for a second longer, a ghost of an ache cutting through his Louis' heart, and then the boy was hastily wiping at his face, his brown eyes squeezing shut as he visibly tried to calm himself. It was too much for Louis.
"Lou, are you okay?" Liam asked quietly.
"Li," Louis said, turning to face him. "We are not leaving here with a kid just because. Whoever we bring home is staying." Louis explained, not sure if he was doing a good job of explaining himself and why this was so important to him. Liam frowned at this, reaching up to thumb at Louis' cheek softly and nodded.
"Of course, Love." Liam replied, his eyes darting between the kid and Louis. It took him a second to understand but then Louis could tell that he did understand and then he was being pulled into a quick kiss and a hug that Louis curled into, needing a moment to pull himself from the flashbacks currently running through his mind. Flashbacks of his walk of shame back to the playroom, of the other kids' faces when they've realized he was returned again, of crying into his pillow every night because he felt so alone.
The sound of a door opening and footsteps sounding in the hall broke them apart, though not completely, and together they watched as these 'parents' said the parting words. The boy was facing them, the parents with their back towards them. Louis couldn't help but feel a bit proud of the boy and how you couldn't even tell he had been crying a minute ago. He knew it wasn't easy to pull off. The boy put on a good show, his face looking a bit bored as the people said their goodbyes. Louis was a bit surprised when the boy looked past them and right at Louis, a look in his eyes that really did remind Louis of himself. Maybe it was that reason Louis just knew what he was going to do, maybe it was because the boy really did remind him of himself that he sent him a comforting smile and an approving wink, the boy smirking right before he promptly stomped on the man's foot and took off down the hallway.
The couple was a bit startled but they didn't appear surprised, as if this wasn't the first time they've had their foot stomped on by the boy. Maybe it wasn't, but either way it had Louis smiling to himself because he wished he had thought of that. The employee that had followed them out of the office quickly apologized on behalf of the little boy, the couple basically brushing her off and shuffling down the hall to the door. Louis tried his best not to laugh at the couple, though he was positive he didn't succeed, as well as tried his best not to scream at them and tell them what horrible people they were. That's when the employee noticed them, making a surprised noise and making her way over to them.
"Oh, hello, you must be Liam and Louis." She said happily. She had short blonde hair that was curled into ringlets that bounced when she moved her head. He green eyes were hidden behind thick framed glasses, making her look like a principal with her white blouse and black pencil skirt. Beneath the red-lipped smile she wore was a nervousness, probably over them witnessing what just happened. If only she knew.
"Yes, I'm Liam and this is my husband Louis." Liam introduced, extending his hand which she shook.
"Hello, my name is Kendra, we spoke on the phone." She said to Liam but extended her hand to Louis which he took. "If you'll just follow me into the office, we can get started." She said, leading them down the hall and into the office. Louis wondered if anyone was taking care of the boy. In the office they took a seat in the two chairs in front of a desk and watched as Kendra made her way around to the chair behind the desk. "Okay, so are you familiar with the process of adopting?" Kendra asked, shuffling through a filing cabinet until she pulled out a folder with a couple papers inside. Liam looked to Louis with a raised eyebrow, seeming unsure of what to say here.
"Yes, I am familiar with how it's done." Louis said, his hand finding Liam's.
"Oh, have you adopted before? Because your file says this is your first time?" Kendra questioned, opening the file she had in her hands, probably theirs, and reading it over before looking at Liam and Louis.
"Well, actually... Louis was..." Liam began but trailed off, looking to Louis to continue.
"I was an orphan here actually, so I'm quite familiar with how it all works." Louis explained, his voice sounding tighter than he'd like, he didn't want to seem rude... It wasn't Kendra's fault this place was a bad part of his childhood.
"Oh," Kendra sounded surprised, the papers in her hands now forgotten about. "Really? That's-" Kendra seemed like she wanted to say something but thought better of it and just smiled. "That's good then, I don't have to explain as much." She said, trying to work around the sudden awkwardness. Kendra briefly went over the process anyway and Liam and Louis both listened, not wanting to seem rude. Kendra seemed like a nice person, she was always smiling and kept the conversation going as she lead them down the hall to the playroom even though Louis remembered the way well. She asked if they knew if they wanted a boy or girl or if they knew what age range but Louis just told her they didn't care, that they just wanted someone they connected with, gender or age didn't matter. Kendra seemed happy about that, if not somewhat surprised. He figured a lot of people came in here saying they wanted a little blue eyed blonde-haired girl, as young as they could get and that was why a lot of kids ended up back here.
When they reached the playroom they could hear the children playing before they actually entered. When they did they saw a room full of small children, most of them around the age of four or five but there were a couple older ones sitting by themselves in the corners. Louis had another flashback of himself sitting in one of those corners and was thankful for Liam's arm around his waist, keeping him stable. It was a bit weird and a little overwhelming from this side of the process. As they walked further into the room, kid after kid looked up at them with hopeful expressions and Louis kind of wanted to cry. He knew that look, he knew the thoughts behind it and the tears that would follow later at night when they hadn't been take to a new home.
A little red-headed girl, probably about four years old, smiled up at Louis, her green eyes wide and sparkling as she looked up at him with hope shining in them. Another little girl beside her, this one blonde with brown eyes and about the same age, also smiled up at Louis with the same hopeful expression. Behind them was a little boy with blonde hair that was running around with a toy plane in his hands, fake motor noises leaving his mouth, but he stopped when he spotted Louis and Liam, his face changing into an excited, hopeful expression as well and Louis couldn't take it anymore. It was too much. He couldn't handle these children looking at him like that, knowing what they've been through and knowing that he couldn't take them all home with him.
"Do you need to step outside?" Came Liam's voice, soft and concerned, right next to Louis' ear. Louis was about to nod his head yes because he felt like he was on the edge but then his eyes locked on a little brown eyed boy sitting in the corner with his knees pulled up to his chest. It was the boy from the hall. He was a bit older than the rest, probably about seven or eight, with shaggy brown hair that nearly hid his brown eyes. Louis shook his head and jerked it towards the little boy then looked to Liam. He could tell Liam understood what he wanted when he looked over at the boy then back to Louis, his eyebrows raising. "Really? The foot-stomper?" Liam chuckled as Louis nodded his head. "Okay, but I'm keeping my feet away from him."
Louis snorted as they made their way over to the little boy, Louis trying to not pay too much attention to the disappointed looks of the other children. Louis saw when the boy realized they were coming to talk to him, it was in the confusion on his face and the way he looked around to see if there were any other kids around that they could be coming to instead. When he realized that they were in fact coming to him, a look of nonchalance passed over his features, like he didn't care if they did or not but Louis knew better.
"Hello." Louis said, smiling at the little boy as he kneeled down in front of him. The boy looked a little wary, like he wasn't sure why they would be talking to him.
"Hi." The boy replied, his voice quiet and unsure. Louis remembered what it was like to have some stranger come up to you and start asking all these random questions so he tried to not be too much like that but it was difficult because he wanted to know more about this boy.
"My name is Louis, this is Liam, what's your name?" Louis asked. Louis felt a hand on his back and saw Liam kneeling down as well to join in on the conversation.
"Alexander." The boy replied. He still had his knees pulled to his chest, his arms wrapped around them and his head hung in a sort of shyness.
"It's nice to meet you, Alexander." Liam spoke in a friendly tone.
"That was quite the stomp in the hall." Louis said instead of going right into the questions. The boy looked up at him with this, more surprise and confusion crossing his face. Louis saw Liam give him a look out of the corner of his eye but ignored that because Liam didn't understand. Of course, there was no way he could and of course Louis knew that it was wrong of Alexander to do that but it was also wrong of that couple to do what they did.
"He deserved it." Alexander mumbled, going on the defensive immediately.
"He did." Louis agreed, feeling Liam's fingers digging into his back. Louis mentally rolled his eyes. "Of course, there are better ways to handle that kind of situation." Louis added for Liam's benefit.
"I know." Alexander replied. "But that way is funnier." Louis fought to keep a straight at his reply, seeing that Liam was struggling as well and Louis thought he knew why. Alexander's reply was what Louis would have probably said if the roles were reversed. Alexander sighed, letting his legs go and crossing them in front of him, his hands falling into his lap and he regarded Louis and Liam.
"I'm eight years old, my favourite colour is orange, I like to play football, I like batman, I don't like broccoli or spinach, I'm not very good at school and I'm clumsy." Alexander listed off, obviously having been through this process one or two times before. "I'm sure one of the younger kids would interest you more." He finished. It was kind of sad how much older he sounded, he pulled at Louis' heart strings and had him looking to Liam. He could see Liam noticed this as well with the frown on his face and somehow Louis just knew. He knew he wanted to take Alexander home with him. He wasn't sure why, maybe he really was just letting his emotions pick for him, taking pity on Alexander. Maybe it was the way he saw a lot of himself in the little boy and he didn't want Alexander to grow up like he had, always doubting himself, much like he was now. He didn't know, but he did know this was the child he wanted to take home with him. Liam seemed to realize this, his eyes searching Louis' and a small smile slowly spreading across his lips before turning to Alexander.
"Well, now that we know all about you, do you have any questions for us?" Liam asked, his smile staying as he made himself comfortable on the ground, pulling Louis down with him and wrapping his arm around his waist. Alexander looked a bit suspicious, like this was some kind of joke but eventually spoke.
"Are you mates?" He asked, his eyes darting between the two of them. Louis bit his lip, looking to Liam at the same time Liam looked to him.
"Louis is my husband." Liam said simply, looking back to Alexander.
"Oh. Okay." Was his reply before he started asking them more and more questions. The questions were simple and slow at first, like what their favourite colours were but eventually progressed into ones with more importance as Alexander seemed to grow more comfortable with them, like if they had other children. Louis figured he's realized that this was not a joke and they were seriously considering him and he could see those walls being lowered with every second that passed. When the questions started to dwindle again, Alexander seeming to run out and resorting to questioning them about their age and unimportant things, Louis looked to Liam, sending him a silent question that Liam picked up on right away. Liam smiled at Louis, nodding before pecking Louis on the lips and turning to Alexander who was watching them curiously.
"Alexander, we've had a wonderful time talking to you and we'd love it you'd want to come home with us. Would you like to be a part of our family?" Liam asked, a wave of fondness for the man he loved washing over Louis. Louis grinned, nuzzling a bit closer to Liam before turning to see Alexander looking at them like they confused him. Despite his confusion, Louis could see that underneath that was a shred or hope mixed with a sliver of excitement and he knew they had made the right decision.
"Okay." Was his reply, quiet and small but filled a lot of emotion. There was happiness and doubt, excitement and disbelief, and the same expression he knows meant that Alexander didn't think they were serious and that this wouldn't last. Louis knew they could change that and couldn't wait to do so.
~~END~~