You guys don't have a clue how much I love this book.
The way I'm fangirling over it as I'm writing it it's something never happened to me before.

Really, It's my favorite so far.

Like my complete favorite.

I'll absolutely grieve over it once it's done.

Imma cry.
:(

I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH.

I'm a sucker for fluff.

Well, that's it.
Enjoy.

Love you all.

Don't forget to listen to the playlist while reading.

Also, I kinda wrote an original song lyrics in this part and it probably sucks, so put up with it.

Mag 🦋

ALEX IN WONDERLAND
[Louis' POV]

Of course we couldn't go unnoticed once we got to Paris.
Everyone was completely aware of where we were staying, when we would leave the hotel, where we were going.

But that didn't stop Harry from taking Alex anywhere he wanted to go.
Not for anything he has the title of coolest uncle in the world.

It's just that Harry loves teasing people, right? So, the Eiffel tower was going to be the last place we visited.
Alex was fuming really.

Which only made it funnier.

Two men, one angry little kid and a group of fans following them everywhere.

We were the main attraction of all Paris.

"I don't want to look at that awful woman!"

"It's art, baby." - Harry explained, smirking as he pretended to be admiring the Gioconda just to rile Alex up a little more.

"It's horrible. Dada, can we go?"

"No. Shush. Admire the art like your uncle." - I said, joining Harry on his stupid game.

"But I want to see the Eiffel tower." - He pouted in response.

"You saw it from the hotel room." - Harry said, shrugging. - "No need to go."

"What?! That window was really far, uncle Harry! I didn't see it."

"Hey, keep your voice down, we're in a serious place. We need to be serious people." - I said to Alex.

"Serious people?" - Harry smiled mischievously. - "We can't be serious people to save our lives."

"Oh no. Don't do anything stupid."

"Stupid is my middle name."

"Wasn't it Edward?" - Alex frowned and Harry laughed.

"Yes, it's Edward. It was a joke. Now, do you want to be a rebel and do something stupid?"

"Harry, no." - I said.

"Yes!" - Alex screamed.

"Harry." - I scolded.

"Whoever gets faster to the entrance wins a gelato."

"Is this a race?"

"Yep." - Harry smiled, winking at me and I sent him a murdering look.

"No. You're both not running in the Louvre. No."

"Yes, we are. And you're paying for the gelato if you lose."

"You do realize we're in France, not Italy, right?"

"I don't know how to say ice cream in french." - He shrugged. - "So, race?" - He smirked.

"I won't run."

"Then prepare your wallet." - He smirked and looked down at Alex. - "Three… two…" - Harry didn't get to say one because Alex had already started running and Harry followed him.

"Shit." - I whispered under my breath, looking how they were bumping into people and laughing loudly inside the museum.

I better hide under a rock.

If they get arrested, I don't know them.

💜

Luckily, nothing serious happened.

Of course, Harry Styles, being Harry Styles, charmed all the security guards and the manager on call, to let him and Alex go without problems.
And I, ended up paying for all our ice cream.

Not fair really.

I was the one doing things right, they should be paying.

But I couldn't be angry. Not when Alex couldn't stop laughing.

His smile was everything I'd ever wanted to see.
And if Harry was the one that helped putting a smile on my son's face, then I'm sorry, but I'm a sucker for them, I can't be mad.

I shook my head, still not quite believing what they did.
There were videos on the internet already.

Harry Styles running at the Louvre with his nephew.

And now, hundreds of fans were standing outside the ice cream place we were in, just waiting for us to finish our gelato so they could ask Harry for pictures.

But Harry didn't seem to mind, he wasn't in a rush, he was deep in conversation with Alex, making him laugh even louder.

Alex's missing teeth and his chin stained with ice cream was one of the cutest things ever.
That, and Harry's ice cream mustache.

"Let me take a picture of you both." - I said, taking out my phone and searching for the camera.

"Only if you join us."

I smiled and nodded, putting it on selfie mode and making a funny face just like them.

I took like three or four photos in a row, all of us changing our faces.
Harry even dipped his finger on the ice cream and covered the tip of my nose with it, so that way we would all have ice cream on our faces.

Which, okay.

We took some more funny photos of the three of us, and then we finished our ice creams, smiling and having forgotten all about the incident at the museum.

"Dada, can I post this one on your Instagram?" - He asked, showing me one of the photos on my phone.

"Nope."

"C'mon!" - He pouted.

"You can post it when you have your own account."

"That means I can have one?" - He asked with wide eyes due to the excitement.

"Not until you're eighteen." - I said and Harry cackled.

"Eighteen? Really?" - He shook his head, amused.

"Yes."

"Thank God I didn't have a dad like you, you're a party pooper."

"I'm a great Dad, I don't know what you're saying."

Harry smiled fondly at me and nodded, leaning towards me and pecking my cheek.

"Yes, you're. Sorry."

"Apologies accepted." - I smiled. - "And yes, baby. You can post that picture, I look awesome on it." - I winked at him, making my son's smile go bigger.

"Yes!" - He said, quickly tapping on my phone to post the picture and I laughed.

"So, where to now?" - I asked Harry.

"I believe it's time for Alex to meet his beloved Eiffel tower."

"Really?!" - He exclaimed.

"Of course, baby. That is the whole reason we're in Paris."

"That, and probably your show tomorrow." - I laughed and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Alex, I'm going to ignore your Dada for the rest of the day."

"Okay." - Alex shrugged. - "Can we go?!"

"Yeah, c'mon." - Harry said, standing up from the little table and taking his hand.

They both walked out of the little french shop and I trailed behind, my eyes fixed on Alex's tiny hand wrapped around Harry's big one and feeling my heart softening once again.

I was not going to survive these weeks

💜

"Lower."

"Now?" - Alex asked, moving his hand down.

"No. Lower."

"I believe you're the one who should move to find the angle." - Harry whispered in my ear.

"I thought you weren't speaking to me." - I smirked as Alex kept smiling at the camera.

"I wasn't, but you're not taking it right."

"Go take pictures with your fans and leave me alone. I'm a great photographer."

"Yet you've been trying to take this one simple photo for like twenty minutes. Just let me." - He said, trying to grab my phone from my hands and I sighed, letting him take Alex's photo holding the fucking Eiffel tower once and for all. - "Be still baby, keep smiling. You're doing great." - He said to Alex while moving up and down to find the right angle.

When he finally found it, it was perfect.

Alex really looked like he was holding the base of the tower and the light in the photo was amazing too.

Because seriously, when someone is as talented as Harry, there's nothing he can't do.
The fucker.

"There you go." - He said, smiling as he crouched down in front of Alex, showing him the picture.

"Dada! Can we post that one too?" - Alex screamed in excitement as I stepped closer to them.

Harry laughed, standing up again next to me and sliding an arm around my waist.
Swiftly, he slipped my phone back in the front pocket of my shorts and left his hand there.

"Sure baby, we'll do that later. Do you want to go up there?" - I asked, pointing to the tower.

"Can we?!" - He asked with wide eyes.

"Your uncle here is famous. We can do anything." - I said, playfully hitting Harry's arm and he snorted.

"Not anything, but yeah. We can go to the top of the tower if you want."

"Yes!"

"Okay, wait for me here." - He said, pinching my hip softly and letting go of me.

Alex waved at him and we saw him get lost in the multitude of people. Of course, some fans asked him for pictures in the process.

"Can I post it now?" - Alex asked, turning to face me again, and I snorted.

"Sure." - I said, giving him the phone while we waited. - "Are you having fun touring with Harry?" - I asked him softly as I ran my fingers on his hair.

Alex hummed, still focused on the screen of the phone, but stepped closer to me and rested the side of his face on my stomach.
I took that as a sign to keep petting his hair.

"What do you think? Should we tour with Harry more often?"

"Mhmm." - He mumbled again.

"You know I did it a lot when I was younger? Before you, I mean. I went everywhere in the world with him. I've had the luck to see some really amazing places thanks to your uncle."

"Really?" - Alex asked, finally looking up at me.

"Yeah… it can get exhausting if you don't rest enough. But I've always loved it. The rush, the intensity, the speed of things while on tour is different too. Everything goes by in a flash…" - I smiled, finally spotting Harry on his way back to us. - "It's a shame that we both have to go back to school in a few weeks. I'd love to stay and show you the world too." - I said, now smiling down at Alex, my fingers cradling his cheek.

"We can skip school." - He smiled and I laughed.

"Nope. Education is too important for you. And I can't leave my students. I need to work so we can both have food and a roof above our heads. Studying and working is important. Very important." - I said, poking his nose. - "Don't forget that."

"We're good to go." - Harry said, getting closer to where we were standing. - "They are going to let us in the next elevator. We'll skip the queue."

"See, baby? Perks of being Harry's best friend." - I smiled, lifting my boy in my arms. - "It never fails."

Harry laughed and we started walking towards the base of the tower, surrounding the people in line, and standing next to the guy who was controlling the people getting in and out of the elevator.

The guy nodded at Harry and let us in as soon as the people that were inside got out, earning him a few complaints from the people waiting.

But well, you don't always get to have Harry Styles asking you for a favor.

"Bubble, remember the last time we were in Paris together?" - Harry asked me as we went up to the top floor.

"2013?"

"Yeah."

"Of course I remember that. Great time." - I laughed, still holding Alex up in my hip. - "Especially the croissant incident."

"Oh no." - Harry laughed.

"What's the croissant incident?" - Alex asked.

"Well, it was winter. And, do you remember how your uncle dresses when it's cold?"

"Funny."

"Hey!" - Harry laughed, tickling Alex's tummy.

"Yep, he dresses funny." - I continued. - "But that day, he was feeling really cold so he had a lot of clothes on."

"Your Dada kept insisting he wanted to get a croissant from some place he heard someone say it was the best in town. So, he dragged me there."

"And your uncle was covered in many many clothes."

"So, when we got there, people started recognizing your Dada. Not me."

"And soon enough the place was crowded because they wanted to meet me." - I laughed. - "The owner of that shop thought I was a celebrity and he kicked out all of the other customers so I could take the pictures with the fans at his shop. Harry's fans." - I laughed again. - "The funny part is that Harry was kicked out of the shop too and no one ever knew he was actually under all those clothes."

"I didn't even get to taste the croissant." - Harry pouted and Alex laughed.

"One of the craziest things that happened that time. It was incredible. Harry was so mad." - I laughed as the memory came to my mind. - "I couldn't stop laughing."

Harry laughed again and bumped his hips with mine.

"You're mean, Bubble."

"I'm not." - I grinned up at him.

"Why is uncle Harry calling you Bubble, Dada?" - Alex asked just when the elevator door opened.

We had reached the top floor.

"Because you know how I met your Dada?" - Harry asked him, extending his arms to take Alex from me.

"No." - Alex smiled, wanting to know the story.

I walked slowly towards the grating of the tower, silently admiring the panoramic view as Harry stood right behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder while holding Alex tightly against his hip.

"You'll see, I was eleven years old and your dada was thirteen, yeah? We met at a summer camp. You knew that, right?" - He asked and Alex nodded, half listening to his uncle, half looking down at the City of Paris. - "Well, we were put on the same team for games. The first game we had to play together was with these big plastic air bubbles that float over the water. Do you know which ones I'm talking about?" - Harry asked and Alex nodded again. - "Okay, I still don't know to this day how it happened, but your Dada pinched the bubble he was in and it started filling up with water. He wasn't floating anymore, he actually started drowning in the middle of the lake while still inside the plastic.
It was quite traumatic for everyone, but he made it out alive and we became friends." - Harry laughed. - "Since then I've called him bubble." - He finished with a shrug.

I smiled to myself and rested back against his chest, pulling his free arm around my waist and tangling my fingers with his' right over my stomach.

"Best friends." - I corrected him.

"Best friends." - He repeated, kissing the side of my head.

💜

Harry's shows in France and Belgium were mind-blowing.

He had the energy of a thousand wild horses and he spent both shows running, jumping, screaming, laughing and joking with the audience.

Two unforgettable shows.

Today though, we were in Amsterdam, having a tranquil evening after the sound check.

We had actually been here for a few hours already, but of course we couldn't leave the venue until after the show.

The support artist was getting ready and the fans were already entering the venue. We only needed to wait.

We still had like five more hours to go and to be honest, we were kinda bored.

I was laying on the carpeted floor scrolling through some Twitter repercussions of our arrival at Netherlands.

Alex was sitting in between my legs, painting on a paper sheet with some markers that Harry bought him yesterday when we were on a city tour around Amsterdam.

And Harry was fixing his hair on the mirror for the fifth time in the past ten minutes without a shirt on because he didn't want to stain it.

All of a sudden, Alex huffed and fisted the paper, turning it into a ball and throwing it across the room.

"I'm bored!"

"Hey, don't scream." - I said, locking my phone and leaving it aside.

"Dada, can we do something?"

"What do you want to do?"

"Anything!"

"What did I say about screaming?" - I scolded him and he huffed.

Harry stood up from his chair and walked to where we were laying down on the carpeted floor.

He sat down by my side and bumped my shoulder softly.

"What are we doing?"

"He's bored." - I shrugged. - "Play with him. Save the day." - I said and Harry laughed.

"Sure. Alex, baby, what would you like to do?"

Alex held his markers up in the air and his face lit up.

"I have an idea."

"What?"

"Can I paint your tattoos?"

"Mine?" - Harry asked.

"Both." - Alex replied with a big toothy smile.

I snorted and shook my head.

"Nope. Not mine."

"Oh, c'mon party pooper." - Harry nudged my arm. - "It'll be fun."

"You're letting him do it?"

"Yeah." - He shrugged. - "Only my arms though." - He said, a threatening finger pointing at Alex.

"But you have a show in like three hours." - I said.

"And? Will those markers affect my singing?"

"No, but you'll go up there all painted."

"I have done worse." - He shrugged. - "Go ahead, baby. Paint me up."

Alex grinned, shifting in my lap to have better access to Harry's bare arms.
With a red marker, he started painting Harry's heart on the inner side of his left arm.

Harry and I both watched Alex painting for a couple of minutes.
My son was really dedicated and neat while drawing or painting, it was clearly one of the things he enjoyed the most, so it wasn't bad, it wasn't a mess.

The heart, now painted red, was looking pretty good actually.

When he finished, he grabbed the brown and the blue marker and moved to paint on Harry's ship, taking some other minutes to leave it perfectly colored.

Harry looked at me with a smile and I smiled back as a reflex.

"You sure you don't want me to paint yours?"

"Sure." - I laughed and Harry pouted.

"You're no fun."

"I can be fun." - I said, taking the pink marker and Harry's free arm.

Harry shook his head fondly, but let me nevertheless.

I started coloring the eagle under his grandmother's name with the pink marker just as Alex started off with the rose on his other arm.

I suddenly stopped painting though, because I felt Harry's foot touch my bare ankle.
As a reflex, I looked down at our legs stretched in front of us and saw his feet rubbing the inside of my ankle.

Our feet were somehow tangled one over the other and I hadn't even noticed.

I looked back up to his face to see that he was focusing his eyes on Alex's painting, but his foot was still rubbing the inside of my ankle gently like it was the most normal thing.

But it felt intimate. So intimate.
My heart was now banging hard and fast inside my chest.

I shook my head, snapping out of it and continuing with what I was doing.

Focus on the tattoo, Louis.
Just focus. On. The. Tattoo.

I wasn't a great painter. Actually all the things that involved plastic arts, weren't my thing, so it wasn't a surprise that the coloring didn't look as good as my son's.

I felt two pair of eyes staring at me and I gulped, looking up and seeingthat now Alex and Harry were holding markers and smirking mischievously at me.

"Ugh… You're going to paint me?"

"Yep."

I sighed and let go of the pink marker, leaving Harry's eagle half colored.

"Go ahead." - I said, resigned, giving one arm to each of them.

Harry held the blue marker, coloring my dagger, while Alex picked the compass to start working with the yellow, brown and green marker over it.

I leaned back on the wall, admiring how calm and concentrated they both were.
Harry was painting slowly and carefully, as if he was worried about my skin getting hurt by the point of the marker. And Alex was just taking every detail of my tattoo with extreme and surprising precision for a seven year old.

When he finally was happy with the result, he let go of my arm and smiled up at me.

"Do you like it, Dada?"

"Yes. Very much. Thank you."

"You're welcome." - He shrugged, now staring at Harry who kept painting on the dagger. - "Dada, when can I get my own tattoo?"

"At twenty one, buddy."

"Not fair."  - He huffed and Harry laughed, finally letting go of my arm too.

"You're a hypocrite." - Harry said.

"Fine. At eighteen."

"But I want one now." - Alex replied.

"What do you want to get, baby?" - Harry asked.

"Dada's name." - He said, pointing at Harry's 'A' tattoo on his shoulder. - "Just like Uncle Harry has the first letter of nan's name."

I bit my lip and cupped Alex's cheek, leaning towards him and pecking his forehead.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Dada."

"If you're really sure about what you want to tattoo on your skin, I'll allow you to do it at sixteen." - I smiled, feeling my heart still melting from what he said before.

"Okay." - He smiled, grabbing my arm again and Harry's right one to paint from one to the other with the same marker.
The orange one.

This time he chose my rope and Harry's anchor.

It's not like he didn't know. We had explained to him when we got every single one of our tattoos. Each of them matching perfectly, each of them made in different countries, different ages, holding different meanings.

But always together.

We always did everything together.

Harry rested his head on my shoulder and we all fell back into silence. Alex continued painting and we watched him do his thing.

When Harry was finally called on stage moments later, we all had to stand up, and get ready for the show.

Harry eventually put his shirt on but left his arms uncovered, showing his multicolor tattoos to the rest of the world.

Wearing them proudly.

And of course, he thanked Alex and I for being there just like every other night, earning some screaming from the public.

But this time it was different.
Because as he said it, as he was saying my name, as he was dedicating us his next song, he kissed his own wrist, over his now orange anchor, and pointed at our direction.

I found myself holding onto my own wrist, the orange rope shining under the venue's lights as if it was telling me something.

As if it was the little push I needed to take the risk.
To tell him.

To confess.
After all those years.

I knew he was the man that kept my heart beating.
I knew he was my destiny and my happy ending.

But he never knew how I felt.
And it's time for him to know.

💜

Harry was on his free day before Hungary's show when he finally decided it was time to write the song for Alex.

He asked Alex to be in the room with him to give him inspiration, and I took advantage of Harry babysitting, leaving them both to go to the pool of the hotel and relax.

I dived into the pool more times than I could count, and when I finally got bored of the water and my skin started wrinkling because of the water, I decided it was enough.

I connected my earbuds and laid down on the loungers, ready to get a well deserved tan and disconnect my brain for as long as I could.

The truth is, I don't actually have much time for myself when at home. Alex pretty much takes every single second of my day.

And if it's not him, the rest of my adult tasks are there to fill the void.

This right here, a pool, music and most importantly, time, weren't things I took for granted, at all.

I knew that writing a song could take Harry five minutes or five days, so I really didn't have to go back soon, they could handle a day without me.

I used the time to answer some messages, to check Twittera and to post some Instagram stories of Alex on the plane late last night excited to get to know Hungary.

I was surprised to see a missed call from Anne from a few hours ago.

I frowned and called her number, getting a little anxious since she only calls if it's something important.

"Oh, Louis, darling! How's everything there?"

"Hey Anne. We're alright. Today's our rest day. What's up? Did you call?"

"Yes, I did. Nothing happened though, I just wanted to know how you were doing?"

"I'm fine." - I laughed.

"Really? I want you to have a good time there."

"I am having a great time, Anne." - I smiled.

"How is Alex?"

"Oh, he's thrilled. He loves it here. I mean, he's my son, of course he would love it. We're both really happy actually."

"You really love it, don't you?"

"Yeah… since the very first time. It's amazing to be back. The crew is amazing, the venues and the fans are amazing too."

"And Harry?"

"What about Harry?"

"How's he doing? How is treating you both?"

"He's Harry, I mean. He's great. Always. He's writing a song with Alex right now actually."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm. Why are you so worried about us all of a sudden?"

"I don't know… I just wanted to see if you were alright. That's all."

"We are."

I heard her sigh on the other side of the phone and the line went silent for a few seconds.

"I want you happy, Louis. If this is making you happy, then… just go for it. Okay?"

"Where is this coming from, Anne?"

"I just can tell you're not… you're not entirely happy with your daily routine, and that maybe you needed this to remember what's like to be happy, you know?"

"It's not that simple." - I snorted.

"Why not?"

"It's… complicated."

"Okay. Just know that sometimes it's worth the try."

"Alright. Yeah."

She laughed on the other side of the line.

"I'm not telling you this to mess with your head. Just so you'd do what makes you happier."

"I know. Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear."

I sighed and shook my head, leaving my phone aside and closing my eyes again, resting back and enjoying the sun.

The worries could wait.

💜

After an hour of falling asleep under the sun, I was practically calcined.
Thank Lord sunscreen exists.

My muscles hurt a little from sleeping in a weird position, and the second I stood up, many bones cracked.

I gathered my things and went back to Harry's suite.
Only to find Alex curled up against Harry on the piano bench in the middle of the room, while Harry played a soft melody for him.

"Dada!" - Alex shouted the second he saw me, jumping off the bench and running to hug me.

"Hey bubble, how was the pool?" - Harry greeted me with a smile.

"Great."

"Can I go to the pool too?" - Alex asked.

"Aren't you making music with your uncle?"

"Yes! You have to listen to it! Uncle Harry, can we show him?"

"Of course." - Harry smiled, tapping the empty space on the bench for me to sit.

I sat down next to him, with Alex on my lap.

"Let's hear this masterpiece." - I said and Alex wrapped his arms around my neck.

"You're going to love it! It's for you too."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" - Harry said, biting his lip.

"Okay, then I'm more excited then."

"C'mon, uncle Harry. Play!" - Alex said and I snorted.

"Don't be rude, buddy." - I whispered into his ear.

"Sorry. Uncle Harry, please play the song. Please." - He rolled his eyes and Harry snorted.

"Only because you asked nicely, baby."

Harry placed his fingers over the tiles and started moving them along with a soft melody.
Soon enough, Alex and Harry started singing together.

"None of this is fair
Being so close but yet so far away
I miss you when you're gone
And I love you when you're around

I've watched you for years
Grow up by my side
And with time I understood
That I only breathe when you're around.

Your tiny hands makes me smile
You're my family, you're my life
And nothing will change the fact
That I'm happier when you're around."

"That's what we have so far." - Harry said, stopping playing.

"It's going to be called 'when you're around'! Do you like it Dada?"

"You wrote it?" - I asked Alex, feeling my heart about to explode inside my chest and probably about to tear up at any moment.

"Yes, with Uncle Harry of course."

"Thank you, baby. It was beautiful." - I said, kissing Alex's cheek and pressing my forehead against his'. - "Thank you."

"You're welcome." - He smiled.

"Love you." - I whispered to him, kissing his cheek again.

"Don't I get a kiss too?" - Harry asked from my side and I felt my breath hitch.

I slowly turned around and forced a smile, nodding at him.

"Sure." - I sighed, leaning towards him and pressing my lips onto his cheek shortly. - "Thank you, Haz. It's beautiful. I mean, you always write beautiful things, but doing this for Alex is just…" - I sighed. - "Thank you."

"It's for both of you, bubble." - He smiled, locking his eyes with mine. - "You're my favorite people in the world. And I love you both."

"We love you, Uncle Harry!"

"Yeah, we love you." - I whispered.

"I know." - He said, leaning to kiss Alex's head.

"Okay, dada, you need to go." - Alex said, standing up from my lap and taking my wrist to pull me up too. - "We need to finish the song."

"Now? Okay. Haz, you sure you want to keep him a while more?" - I asked Harry.

"Yes, sure. He's great company."

"Will you behave with Harry?" - I asked Alex.

"He always behaves, Lou." - Harry answered instead.

"Not true." - I laughed. - "You might be biased."

"Probably." - Harry shrugged. - "Go. I know you want to get a massage and the spa is open."

"That's actually the greatest idea you've ever had, Harold."

"I try my best, bubble."

"Stop calling me bubble, for God's sake."

"Never, bubble." - He said and I huffed.

"See you both for dinner then." - I said, before leaving the room.

"Just go, Dada!" - Alex screamed and I laughed.

Kissing his forehead one last time, I left the room and made my way to the hotel's spa.

💜

Harry and Alex didn't show up for dinner.
Which didn't really alarm me because they probably ordered room service.

So, after my deserved massage, dinner and a shower, I returned to Harry's suite to pick Alex up and get him to his bed.

But of course, things don't always go as planned and when I got into Harry's room, Alex was already asleep, hugging Harry with one arm while in the other he held onto his favorite stuffie.

Harry was resting against the headboard with his phone in his hands.

"Hey H." - I said softly, making Harry lift his eyes from the phone.

"Hey."

"So he's still with you, huh?"

"Yeah he fell asleep not long ago. Told him he could stay here."

"He really loves cuddling with you." - I smiled, stepping closer to the bed. - "But you shouldn't have let him. He spent all day today with you already."

"What do you mean?" - Harry frowned.

"You stayed all day alone with him." - I insisted.

"And?" - Harry snorted. - "Did you want us to invite you too? Louis Tomlinson, are you jealous of your own son?" - He joked and I huffed.

"No. What? No. I want you to rest."

Harry softly moved Alex away from him, tucking him properly under the sheets and kissing his forehead, before standing up and walking towards me.

He stopped in front of me and lifted his hand to my face, sweetly caressing my cheek with the back of his hand.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I know you. Something's bothering you. Tell me."

"Just a lot in my mind, that's all."

"Penny for them?"

I pouted and shook my head.

"It's kinda stupid."

"Yeah well, stupid is my middle name." - He said and I laughed.

He smiled fondly and traced my jaw with his thumb.

"C'mon, tell me."

"Fine. It's just that I thought…" - I sighed. -  "I thought this would be more like old times. But of course it's not, there's a seven year old kid with us now."

"Old times how?" - Harry frowned, his hand still cupping my cheek.

"Just me and you, hanging out." - I shrugged. - "I don't know, it's silly. But I kinda miss it. Miss us. And today with that song… it just hit me I guess."

"Oh, bubble." - Harry pouted, leaning in and resting his forehead against mine. - "It's not silly at all. I miss you all the time too."

I could feel his eyes staring right into mine and his slow breathing hitting on my lips.

"I really loved the song though." - I whispered.

"I'm glad." - He whispered back.

I moved my arms to wrap them around Harry, shifting my head to the side and burying it on his neck.

Harry did the same, pulling me closer and nosing on my shoulder.

"Uhmmm… you smell so good." - I said against his skin.

"You like it?"

"Yeah." - I whispered.

"I know what to give you for your birthday then."

"Your neck?" - I joked and he snorted.

"I was thinking about the perfume."

"Five boxes then." - I said jokingly and he chuckled.

"Anything you want."

"Harry?"

"Mhmm?"

"Why can't we be this close all the time? Doesn't it feel good?"

"Yes, it does. It always does, bubble." - He said softly, placing a kiss on the side of my head. - "You mean so much to me."

"To me too." - I sighed, stepping back from the hug and looking up at him again, seeing in his eyes nothing but concern. - "I talked to your mom today, and she said…" - I trailed while Harry listened to me attentively. - "She said that I had to be happy."

"Of course you do. You deserve it."

"And I am. I just feel… like the things I want are out of reach."

"I get it." - He sighed.

"But I wanted to thank you for bringing us with you." - I smiled. - "You're making Alex so happy."

"I live for that kid." - He smiled.

I nodded and hugged him again.

"I love you, H. Thank you for everything."

"I love you too."

💜

"Dada?"

"Mhm?" - I mumbled while chewing on my plane food that was surprisingly good.

"Are you in love with Uncle Harry?"

I almost choked, stopping everything I was doing and almost letting my fork and knife fall off my hands.
I looked over at Alex who was also eating at the individual table in front of him.

"What?"

"Are you in love with Uncle Harry?" - He repeated, shoving another portion of chicken in his mouth.

I looked around in the plane, looking for Harry and making sure he was out of hearing range.
I spotted him in the very back of the cabin, sitting next to Mitch and humming some melodies.

I didn't think he could hear us from there.

"What makes you think that?" - I asked Alex in low volume.

"Because I asked uncle Harry and he said love was like meeting your best friend. And you're best friends." - Alex shrugged, still focusing on his food.

I frowned, trying to digest those words before thinking of an explanation to give my child.

"I believe Harry meant that you know you found love when the other person just feels at ease with you. When you're both comfortable and trust each other, just like best friends."

"So, you don't love Uncle Harry?" - He asked, finally looking up at me with his eyebrows raised.

"I do love him. Very much."

"So?"

"I'm not in love with him." - I lied.

"Why not? Harry is awesome." - He said and I laughed.

"Yes, buddy. He's awesome, but that doesn't mean we're in love."

Alex frowned but let it go.

"I don't understand then." - He shrugged.

"Love isn't easy, baby. You'll understand when you're older."

"I guess."

"The only love you need to worry about is mine. Do you hear me? You're too little to fall in love." - I joked, leaning towards him and ruffling his hair.

"Okay, Dada." - He sighed. - "I guess no love until I'm eighteen."

Alex rolled his eyes and turned back to focus on his food, making me laugh.

"Exactly."