Louis Tomlinson has paid tribute to his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, who was found dead in Buenos Aires, and has pledged to be there for Payne’s son, Bear.

Louis Tomlinson paid a heartfelt tribute to the young son of Liam Payne, Bear, following the tragic death of his father and Tomlinson’s former One Direction bandmate.

Tomlinson broke his silence on Payne’s untimely death a day after the 31-year-old was discovered dead in Buenos Aires, Argentina, having fallen from a third-floor hotel balcony. The father, who was rarely seen with his son, was confirmed to have died from “multiple traumas” resulting from the fall.

Now, as his former bandmates, including Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles, release statements about his death, there have also been remarks about the young boy he shared with his ex-partner, singer Cheryl Cole.

In an Instagram post where he honored the late star, Tomlinson also made a pledge to the 7 year old, reports the Express US.

The two were part of One Direction

Sharing images of himself and Payne performing together, Tomlinson expressed his grief over losing his bandmate but also left a small message and promise for the child Payne left behind.

“I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was,” he penned.

Fans were quick to notice the tribute to Louis’ son. One person commented: “The bear part is making my chest hurt Louis is now taking the 2nd father role.”

Another person wrote: “‘I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell stories of how amazing his dad was’ omg i’m in shambles.”

A third person commented: “Thank you for the love you gave Liam! Please take care of bear for Liam [white heart emoji].”

A fourth wrote: “Good to hear that uncle Louis is gonna be there for lil Bear. What’s more than that??! Love you Louis, please be there.”

The men shot to fame when they formed One Direction on The X Factor in 2010 and produced hit songs like Makes You Beautiful and One Thing. They broke up in 2015 after taking a “hiatus” after Zayn announced his departure from the group.

Payne is survived by his son, his parents, Karen and Geoff, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.