Chapter Text
When a family looses someone they care about it is only natural for the remaining members to ban together. During this time changes can occur. In some cases one person will step up and take over more responsibility in others one person will become more clings in fear of losing others and one person may become more independent so that they don't become too reliant on others incase someone else leaves but at the same time refuses to go too far. It's a natural occurrence that happened over time, in small increments, and very few people ever really noticed.
Zayn had been gone for a week before any such changes started amongst the boys of one direction. This was just the beginning; everyone was still feeling out how they felt. Most of what they did was out of reaction not true thought out actions. The gestures were so subtle that no one really noticed, no one that is other than the one whose life was being altered.
"Let's get going" Liam called from the door of the hotel. The boys all had an interview scheduled in two and a half hours and they were running late.
"All set" Harry said coming over.
Niall yawned and rubbed his eyes as he trudged over, "Ready"
"Late night Nialler?" Harry laughed.
Niall shook his head, "Early band practice"
"You don't have to attend every practice you know" Louis commented finally joining the group.
"Let's go" Liam interrupted the impending argument. Louis and Niall had always gotten into it about band practice. The practices were always at odd hours because they had to work around the band schedule and the one direction schedule. Louis felt as though Niall should only attend some of the practices because he only played in some of the songs and Niall felt that he should attend all practices just like everyone else in the band.
Everyone quietly stalked out of the room and down to the van. Thankfully they were able to take the service elevator to the garage without anyone being able to get to them. As soon as they were all seated the van started to move.
Liam sat back and started a conversation with Harry over who had the best tattoo and what they were thinking about getting next. Niall sat back, popped in his headphones and leaned against the window hoping to get a bit more sleep during the hour and a half drive they had to the television station.
Louis took in what everyone was doing. Liam and Harry's conversation didn't appeal all that much to him so he turned to Niall hoping for someone to talk to. "Niall?"
Niall held in a groan when he heard Louis call his name, he just wanted sleep, "What?"
"You're not buckled"
Niall blinked, "What?"
"Put your seatbelt on" Louis instructed.
"It's fine" Niall shrugged it off. It was harder to curl up and sleep when you had a belt restraining you.
"Niall" Louis called again when Niall turned back to the window.
"Just let it alone" Niall said exasperatedly. Why was this so important? It's never been a big deal any other time he's done it.
"Put your belt on and I will" Louis said.
"I'm not putting it on" Niall informed the older one.
Louis just shook his head in annoyance and reached over Niall for the belt.
Niall jumped at Louis' intrusion into his personal space, "What the hell are you doing!?"
"Buckling you in" Louis stated as he finally clicked the buckle and sat back.
Niall glared at Louis and unclicked the buckle, "I said I didn't want to be buckled"
Louis couldn't believe it. What was Niall thinking? Did the boy have a death wish? "Niall!"
The argument going on in the back seat finally drew Liam and Harry's attention. "What's up?" Liam asked turning around.
"Louis' insane" Niall said.
"Niall here has a death wish" Louis replied.
"Don't suppose either one of you could be a little more specific?" Harry asked.
"Niall won't ware his seatbelt" Louis explained.
"I don't want to wear it" Niall said.
Liam shook his head, this was a stupid argument, "Niall just put the belt on"
"It's for safety" Harry explained as though this simple fact would make Niall see the sudden importance for wearing a belt.
"I don't want it" Niall repeated.
"And I don't care" Louis responded.
"Well then it's a good thing what I do isn't your concern" Niall spat back.
"Niall put the belt on" Liam ordered.
"No"
"Why?" Harry asked.
"It's uncomfortable" Niall explained slowly.
"There's no need to be rude" Liam scolded.
Niall ignored Liam and started to put his headphones back in when he felt Louis reach over him – again! "GET OFF OF ME!"
"Niall you have to wear a belt" Harry informed the boy.
"No I don't" Niall stated.
Louis was sick of this conversation, "This isn't a debate. It's the law"
"I don't care" Niall replied.
Liam wasn't in the mood to continue this asinine conversation. He turned around and knocked on the dividing door between the front and the back of the van. "Hey Paul, I need you to pick something up for me..."
Niall, Harry and Louis were still fighting over the seatbelt when the van pulled into a parking lot. All three stopped and looked out the windows.
"We're not there yet are we?" Harry asked.
"We can't be" Niall insisted, "We've only been driving for ten minutes"
"Then where are we?" Louis asked.
"Paul's just getting me something" Liam explained. "Hey Louis do you think you could pull Niall over for a few minutes?"
"Um... sure" Louis said confused.
"No!" Niall insisted.
Louis didn't feel like listening to Niall though and just plucked the struggling boy up out of his seat and dropped Niall onto his lap. "Now what?"
"LET ME GO!" Niall yelled.
"What's with all the screaming?" Paul asked opening the door with a rather large item in his hand.
"What's that?" Harry asked completely ignoring the screaming, thrashing boy in the backseat.
"It's for Niall" Liam said simply as he kept his head buried in his phone.
"Niall?" came the confused replies from Louis and Harry; Niall went with "Me?"
"Liam said that Niall was having a safety issue" Paul explained as he climbed in the back and started setting up the large, unknown item.
Paul was quick with his work. He wasn't entirely certain why Liam thought this was a good idea but he'd let it be, the boys always dealt with each other in house and Paul really didn't feel like getting in the middle of this. "All done" he stated as he backed away, "Liam, just knock three times when we're ready to head out again but please hurry it up"
"Will do" Liam agreed before turning behind him.
"No F......ing way!" Niall screamed as soon as he realized what Paul had just secured into the back seat of the van.
"Brilliant!" Louis beamed. This would solve their problems.
"Do you need help?" Liam asked turning around and watching as Louis struggled to get a trashing Niall fully into the seat.
"Yeah" Louis huffed out, "that would be... ooof, good"
Immediately Harry was reaching around the side of the seat and grabbing Niall's legs while Liam took ahold of Niall's hands. This left Louis free to get Niall properly situated.
"Alright let me have his right hand" Louis instructed, "Now the left... perfect" Louis clicked the last buckle and then a pin popped out.
Immediately both Niall and Louis reached for the pin, unfortunately Louis got here first, "GIVE IT!" Niall demanded.
"I think I'll hold onto this for a while" Louis said as he hooked the pin onto his keychain before slipping it back into his pocket.
Liam leaned forward and knocked on the window and seconds later they were off. "Now let's just sit back and enjoy the rest of the ride to the interview please"
"LET ME OUT!" Niall screamed.
No one responded. Harry did start to turn around but Liam stopped him, shaking his head no. It was best to just let Niall wear himself out, engaging with him would do nothing but encourage the boy.
It took twenty minutes before Niall finally stopped fighting and just slumped back thoroughly exhausted "You all suck"
"You had the chance to buckle up yourself" Liam stated simply.
"And when I refuse you trap me in a car seat?" Niall exclaimed in disbelief, "How do those to things equal out?"
"You refuse to be safe so we see to it that you don't have a choice" Louis answered.
Niall just couldn't quite wrap his head around the logic behind that, "Bit of an overkill don't you think?"
"No" Harry said.
Before Niall had a chance to continue arguing Louis, Harry and Liam all started up a separate conversation. Niall did all that he could think of to get the other's attention, pester them into letting him out, but they ignored him! Soon enough he gave a cry of irritation, kicked out at the seat in front of him (Harry's), crossed his arms, stared out the window and pouted.
Everyone took note of Niall finally quieting down and they settled down themselves. It was no secret to anyone that Niall was tired; they hadn't gotten back in until after midnight the night before and band practice had started at four thirty. Poor Niall didn't get a lot of sleep last night.
Ever so slowly Liam pulled out the remote and started tilting the car seat back until Niall was laying more than he was sitting up. Thank you technology.
Niall had jumped a little when the seat started to move but he just didn't have the energy to fight it. It's not like he could get out of the seat anyway.
"There's been an accident on the freeway and traffic's practically at a stand still" Paul informed opening the separator a bit, "Looks like we're going to be here for a while. Sorry"
"It's no problem" Liam assured.
Louis opened up the Pandora app on his phone and created a new station of lullabies. He set the music to low before going back to what he was doing.
Soon enough three boys were staring at their phone screens, soft music was playing and one boy was sleeping soundly.
Louis smirked as he took a good look at Niall and then leaned forward, "Think he'll be in a better mood when he wakes up?