Single Father (Ziall Horlik) AU

Chapter 14

Zayn's POV

I had just gotten Laila out of her bath when the doorbell buzzed. I wrapped my clean little girl in a towel and carried her with me to answer the door. I opened the door and smiled when I saw Louis was standing there with a duffle bag at his feet.

"I didn't think you would be here until next week." I told him feeling really shocked to see him. He tossed his bag to the side when I let him in and reached out to get Laila out of my arms. I closed the door behind him and watched him kiss Laila up like he couldn't love on her enough.

"You're getting so big!" He told her. I went over and pulled him down the hall into Laila's nursery. I got out a one piece out for her that I wished with all my heart was new but she had worn it more times than I could count. I just didn't have the money to buy her more clothes right now.

"I finished my final exams yesterday and drove down here early this morning. I'm going to play house with you for a while." He told me happily. I laughed and fisniehd dressing Laila then gave her back to Louis. She snuggled into my best friends chest. I went over to him and wrapped my arms around him. He hugged me with one arm and kissed my temple.

"I've got you." He whispered to me. I nodded and sighed with relief. I know I have had Niall, but I've always been that type of person that needs to know I have family behind me. Louis was my family I had left and I just wanted to know I had that too.

Louis and I went into the kitchen. I made Laila a bottle and gave it to Louis to feed her while he told me how his classes ended this semester. I made myself some coffee and a bowl of dry cereal because I didn't buy milk for myself. Louis stopped talking and watch me pick at my bowl of cereal with my fingers.

"Zayn, my mum and step dad said they would help you out financially if you needed it. All of us will help you." He said. I shrugged and looked down at my food. I didn't want to have to ask for help, but I knew in the end I needed it. Niall offering for me to move in with him was something that I knew I needed to do for my daughter to be raised with everything she needed. I knew that maybe Niall and I needed to take things slower, but there was a point in time that when we spent time together that it felt like we had already been together for years now.

"I'm dating someone." I told Louis, changing the subject of asking for money. He smiled at me like that was the best thing he had heard all day. He nodded for me to tell him more so I pulled out my phone to show him a picture. It was a picture of Niall and Laila both sound asleep with her on his chest. I thought it was the cutest thing I had ever seen so I slid it over to him. Louis looked down and it and smiled then it fell when he realized he recognized Niall. I nodded to him to confirm he wasn't actually going crazy.

"His name is Niall. He told me he had met you once at the restaurant. He works at the grocery store and spends the rest of his time at the shelter. He's so amazing with Laila. I just can't even explain how he is with her." I said. He smiled at me and pressed a few things on my phone before sliding it back over to me. I looked at it and saw he had made that picture my lock screen. I didn't mind because that was the most perfect picture ever.

"You should call him up and ask him on a date. You need to spend time with him alone. Plus, I have some catching up to do with my niece here. I saw her last when she was so my a few days old." Louis said. I shrugged and looked at my daughter as she ate her bottle. Part of me wanted to, but another felt too guilty.

In the end, Louis practically begged me to give Niall a call so I did before I knew Niall had to go in for work. I went into the living room while the phone rang and sat on the couch nervously waiting.

"Hey, Zayn. Is everything okay?" He asked me. I smiled at his words because he's always ready to be there if I need him. I know it sounds selfish, but it's comforting to know I at least have someone there. It's also just something that warms my heart because he's so caring.