Single Father (Ziall Horlik) AU

Chapter 7

Zayn's POV

During my lunch break a few days after visiting the shelter, I wasn't really expecting to get a text from Niall. I was just sitting in the break room holding Laila close to me while everyone around me was either giving me dirty looks or trying really hard not to come over and touch my daughter. According to everyone, I looked like an over protective animal. The text from Niall was just a simple hi with a cute smiley face. I looked around if anyone was looking at me then looked back down at the text.

I wasn't even sure what to say or do. It seemed like a friendly thing, but my problem is, I don't have friends like that so I didn't understand it. Louis and I are like brothers now that call each other ugly and fat any chance we can get. We use the shit emoji thing instead of a smile and never text each other unless we really need something. I was a little lost on this, but in a way I kind of liked the feeling in my stomach.

"What should daddy do? Should I text him back, sweetie?" I asked Laila. She kicked her little feet and continued sucking on her pacifier. I smiled at her because she was probably thinking I'm the craziest man to ever walk this earth and unfortunately she's my kid. All I know is I'll be talking to her for everything from now on because I'm kind of lonely.

I text Niall back just asking him what he was doing, but I stayed away from any smiles or stuff like that. I wasn't sure if he was just now texting me because he realized he needed is money back or if he finally found a way that I could work at the shelter to pay him back. Either way, I'd be placed between a rock and a hard spot because I don't have a place for Laila nor do I want to give her to someone to watch her.

Niall text me back saying that he had just found a cute dress at the shop that reminded him of Laila so he decided to text me. I smiled and felt my heart full with pride in the fact Niall thought of my daughter. He's just a man that I had met, yet my beautiful baby girl made an impression on him enough for this. I text him back telling him that he should hace sent me a picture of it. Soon enough, we both had a conversation going about just things that had happened to day. It was nice to have this actually.

I felt like I've been slowly loosing my mind in a way. I don't have anyone to talk to that can actually communicate back. There's no one there when I feel so tired that I just sit on my couch and cry. I know I didn't carry my daughter for nine months and have all those hormones or whatever, but I still feel like my emotions are crazier than they should be. With all the time I have with no one else around me, I think about everything. I think about how my own parents haven't spoken to me in months just because I got some girl pregnant. It feels like shit to have your own parents not want anything to do with you. That feeling only leads me to think about Perrie and my daughter. I pray to God that Laila will never ever feel the way I do about her mother not having a relationship with her. Overall, I've just felt a little depressed and really really alone.

However, with Niall texting me now made me realize what a positive person he is. Just by texting me, he's even begin a positive influence on my day. This also kind of showed me that I could have friends still even now that I'm a dad. It seems to be harder now because people don't seem to like to see some tattooed twenty-two year old with a baby.

"Malik, do you breastfeed now or did you just trade in your balls for a baby?" One of the men came over to me and asked me. He was holing his stupid coffee cup in his hands and a cocky smile on his face. I set down my phone and placed Laila back in her carrier incase I needed to punch him if ignoring him didn't work.

"You couldn't even make a boy, mate. You're obviously one testicle away from being a girl yourself." He laughed at me. I stood up and easily matched his hight. That stupid smirk on his face fell as I probably realized I could beat him right here and not break a sweat. He's just lucky we're at work and my baby girl is two inches away from us.