"Thank you, have a nice evening" Louis smiled politely at a couple, who was about to leave the restaurant, before heading back to the kitchen to get the plates for another table.

Passing his new colleague Alec on his way, Louis carried the plates over to the table with his usual polite smile plastered onto his face. A bit tired, he walked behind the counter and took a long breath, feeling a headache coming. Today really wasn't his day.

"Head up, mate. You're almost done for the day" one of his regulars tried to cheer him up. His name was Steve.

"I had a really stressful morning and a short night," Louis thought back to his very abrupt awakening and chaotic morning.

"I know these. Sarah had her night shift, so I had baby duty tonight and let me tell you, babies can be a handful when they're tired but not tired enough to actually sleep through the night" Steve let him partake in his similar struggles.

"I know. Friends of mine have two daughters and one of them was a nightmare during the night. The other one was surprisingly calm and slept through most nights. Like night and day," Louis shared some memories with him, really enjoying Steve's presence today.

"Sounds like a curse and a blessing at the same time" Steve chucked down the rest of his non-alcoholic drink.

"You could say that" Louis chuckled fondly, thinking about the two girls. They were lovely but definitely a handful.

"Are they the only ones of your friends, who have kids?" Steve asked interested while Louis prepared him another drink.

"Oddly enough, yes. One might think that with thirty-two most of my friends have at least one child, but no. Just them" Louis told him, glancing around the place and taking in the fact that he has been working here for over two years now. It felt surreal at times.

"It's not that odd. Apart from Sarah and me, only one of our friends has a child and it wasn't planned. Nowadays, people don't always want kids or not as early anymore and that is totally fine, don't you think?" Steve mused thoughtfully.

"You're right with that and I think it's a good thing. At least, they are sure then, which is better for the kids" Louis agreed with him.

"Still not always the case but true. Do you want kids someday?" Steve hooked casually, glancing down at his vibrating phone.

"I ...".

Louis never got to form a reply because he got cut off by a crashing sound coming from the kitchen. A few seconds later, he heard Alec cursing in the background and Sam reassuring him that everything was fine. Too used to this, Louis only shook his head at the scene and focused back on Steve, who had an amused expression on his face. "Still letting plates drop?".

"Every once in a while but he's only been doing this for a couple of weeks. He will learn. I'm sure" Louis was positive Alec would get the hang out of this sooner or later. He had managed it, after all.

"With you as his supervisor definitely" Niall skipped over to them chipperly, catching both of them by surprise.

"What are you doing here, Horan? No home?" Louis cocked an eyebrow up, fist-bumping with Niall casually.

"I'm here to make sure you won't have another reason to reject me, Tomlinson" Niall rested with his elbows on the counter.

"Did I miss something? What kind of rejection are we talking about?" Steve questioned befuddled.

"Over two years ago, me and my mates moved into our new home and Louis and his best friends helped us with the boxes. It wasn't planned and done out of pure kindness. On that day, we made the deal to go out for drinks as a thank you but until this day, we never managed to do that. One of us was always busy" Niall let him know, reminding Louis of said day and certain people. "Well, never me but mostly, Louis or Harry".

"Or Sean" Louis added quickly. "He was loaded with work".

"True but not tonight. They're all free, so you're the only one who is left. Please, say yes" Niall begged him, almost lying on the counter by now.

"I ..." Louis was about to reject him yet another time but Niall's big eyes looked so hopeful that he couldn't do it. "Fine".

"Really?" Niall froze where he was hanging on the counter.

"Yes, really. Don't make me regret it" Louis rolled his eyes at him but then remembered something. "Wait, you said they're all free but Zayn is working tonight and there is no way he got the night off. You wanna tell me something?".

"Yes, we're going to John's bar and annoy the shit out of Zayn. He was warned and is fine with it. Then we'll all be there even though one of us is working. Don't back out now. You already agreed" Niall grinned sheepishly.

"Get out" Louis pushed him off the counter with a laugh. "See you later, you weirdo".

"If not, I know where you live" Niall pointed at him with a fake-stern expression on his face while walking to the door. "And work".

"Get lost".

Talking to Steve for a while distracted Louis enough to not freak out until he had reached his bedroom. As soon as he was home and inside his four walls, he felt himself starting to panic. There was a reason they didn't go out for drinks in two years. Harry and Sean have been busy at the hospital most of the time and had no time left for friends or fun. Zayn worked most Friday nights and weekends and Louis had more than one reason to turn Niall's offer down time and time again. Sadly, tonight he had no reason left. He had no work, no family stuff, nothing. Now, he was forced to face reality. To face the most beautiful man he has ever laid eyes on.

While getting ready for the night, Louis reviewed the past two years of him and Harry passing each other in the hallways or the elevator two times a week but never really talking to each other. It has never been more than a thrown-away 'how are you doing?'. He could still recall the moment they met. He had felt drawn to him, had been blown away by his beauty and had been captivated by his dimply smile. He had never felt such an instant attraction to anyone and that was the saddest part. It led to nothing.

By now, Louis would call Niall a friend-like acquaintance or a casual friend, not a close friend like Liam and Zayn, but more than just a familiar stranger. Sean and Harry, on the other hand, were still strangers to him. Rich and very successful strangers, who lived in the same penthouse as his casual friend, who was one of the best chefs in town. Louis could admit as much, no matter how much he loved their very own chef Solea. Niall was better.

The issue at hand stayed the same. Louis had no idea what to say to Sean and Harry. They came from different worlds and had nothing in common. Would they even speak the same language? The same slang? Would they be able to communicate?

Feeling completely underdressed in simple skinny jeans and a red t-shirt, Louis styled his hair into a messy fringe and let out a very dissatisfied sigh at his reflection in the mirror. Turning away, Louis grabbed his denim jacket and put on his shoes. With his keys and his wallet, he left the apartment and made his way over to Zayn's workplace. He worked at John's bar five nights a week to have enough money to support his actual passion. Zayn was an amazing artist and Louis hoped one day the world would see that.

Bracing himself for whatever was to come, he opened the door to the bar and stepped inside. The of alcohol reeking air hit him in the face and made him scrunch up his face. He has never been a fan of that smell. Searching for his best friend, Louis spotted the other guys already sitting at the bar counter, where Zayn was attending to them while holding a conversation with Niall. Straightening his jacket, Louis walked over there and could see the exact moment Zayn spotted him in the crowd.

"Tommy!" Zayn exclaimed joyfully, causing four other heads to turn his way in curiosity. "You made it".

"This one wouldn't let me bail on him again" Louis motioned with his head at Niall, who was jumping excitedly on his bar stool.

"Never. It has been two years".

"The usual?" Zayn asked him, already knowing the answer.

"Course, Joey" Louis sat down next to Liam. "Okay, what did I miss? Anything exciting?".

"Not really. We were just randomly chatting about work and some other shit" Liam filled him in, definitely already tipsy.

"Since when do you swear? I'mappalled" Louis gasped fakely.

"I can swear how much I want! There are no kids around" Liam huffed adorably.

"I don't think there are ever kids in this place" Sean marked from Liam's other side. "Or I hope so".

"We'll never know" Louis tried to look at Sean without meeting Harry's eyes but that was almost impossible to achieve.

"But we do know that we all finally managed to go out for drinks. It was about damn time" Niall grinned happily. "So, cheers, lads".

"Cheers!".

"So, how come you suddenly had time for this?" Louis wondered nosily.

"For the last two years, especially Fridays and weekends were hard to get off at the hospital. They needed us and we were very ambitious because we love our job" Harry spoke up for the first time since Louis arrived, solely looking at him. "But now, we can manage our free time on our own".

"How so?" Louis hooked intrigued.

"Well, Sean and I decided to open up our own doctor's office and quit our jobs at the hospital. It's less stressful and we want more time for family and friends. I barely had free time for over ten years and I need a break" Harry revealed to him shockingly.

"You need a life" Niall commented nastily.

"That too" Harry looked strangely uncomfortable right now.

"You wanna open your own doctor's office? Wow, that's very ... impressive" Louis bit down on his own tongue to swallow the word expensive, reminding himself that these guys didn't need to worry about money for the rest of their lives.

"Thanks" Harry actually blushed at that. It was so cute that Louis could hardly look away.

"Technically, we already have everything ready to open next week if we want to" Sean piped in now, not being able to break their eye contact. "Harry presented the signed contract to me on my birthday last week as a gift. It's all set in stone and ready".

"So, this isn't only a thank-you-drink anymore. It's a celebratory drink as well. To you and Harry. To a new chapter in your lives," Liam raised his glass in their honour.

"Is it just gonna be you and Sean?" Louis asked Harry instead of raising his glass, completely blocking out the others.

"We're gonna be the only two doctors for now but we'll manage. Like this, we'll have shorter work hours and free weekends and we don't have to deal with deadly-sick kids anymore. Not as much, at least" Harry retorted enthusiastically, focusing only on Louis.

"This must be such a relief. You really worked your asses off without a break for so long" Louis blurted out with no intention of actually saying that out loud, paling on the spot. "Um ... but you're still gonna work with children, right?".

Eyeing him closely before speaking, Harry scooted closer to him. "Yes, it's gonna be a doctor's office for children. I love children. That's what I specialized in".

Seeing Harry sit down in the spot right next to him made Louis realise something changed around them. Shaking himself out of this weird tunnel-vision-like trance, Louis took a look around them. Liam wasn't sitting next to him anymore and Sean and Niall had also disappeared. The only one still there was Zayn.

"Liam felt like puking, so Niall and Sean went with him. They'll be back in a minute" Zayn explained without Louis needing to ask because he was able to read Louis like an open book.

"Ah" Louis replied dumbly, still feeling Harry's eyes on him.

"So, Louis. You know what I do but I know nothing about you. For some reason, Niall never told me anything" Harry drew his attention back onto him eagerly. "I know Liam works in the pharmacy near the hospital and Zayn partly works here. So?".

Louis has been dreading this conversation. After this, Harry wouldn't look at him like this anymore. He just wouldn't. "Well, if you really wanna know, I work at a restaurant. Piccola Stella?".

"I know where that is. Niall's family is close with the owners. Are you a chef as well?" Harry sounded so interested it hurt.

"No, I can't cook for shit. Don't wanna poison anyone" Louis countered cheekily, making Harry laugh loudly. "I've been working there as a waiter for over two years now. Never thought I would stay that long but Maria and Paul are lovely".

Something did change in Harry's eyes but it wasn't something Louis could decipher. And somehow, he didn't look as disgusted or appalled as expected but there was something negative swimming in his beautiful eyes. He just couldn't say what it was.

"If you never planned on staying there, why did you? What was your original plan? What did you study in the first place?" Harry hooked still oddly curious, which confused Louis big time.

Not sure how to answer that without sounding pathetic, Louis panicked and it must show on his face because Zayn came back over to them in a rush. "There they are. Told you they'd come back and Liam looks a lot better, don't you think?".

Casting a glance at his friend, Louis had to agree with Zayn. "He does look alright to me. Not like he felt poorly just a moment ago".

"Because I feel a lot better. Perks of knowing a doctor and being out drinking with him" Liam sat back down but this time, next to Harry, who was still looking at Louis expectantly.

"What have you two been talking about?" Sean asked nosily.

"Work" Louis rushed out his answer before Harry could say anything to bring them back to where they had left off.

"Boring. It's Friday night" Sean groaned exaggeratedly.

"You're absolutely right. Let's talk about something else. Niall?" Louis desperately needed someone to start randomly talking about something. Anything other than work or money.

And just like that, Niall started talking about something Louis didn't catch, at all. It gave him the perfect opportunity to ignore Harry for now and focus on the others and their lives. They started talking about random little stories about themselves, about their hobbies and hometowns and partners. Like this, Louis got to know that Sean was American and that the contact with his family was not the best. He loved dancing and had a girlfriend called Bailey, who was best friends with Niall's girlfriend Maya, who was a primary school teacher just like Zayn's sister Zara and even worked at the same school, which brought up the question if the two of them knew each other. Louis also got to know that Harry was born in Patriley and has a sister called Abigail. He graduated high school early and really was a genius. He loved photography and reading and has known Niall since primary school. He has been single for a long time and was looking for something serious. And as much as Louis loved that, it was meaningless, at the end of the day.

And at the end of their night out, Louis left together with Harry. Sean and Niall had left a few minutes earlier to help Liam get home safely. Louis had stayed back to 'talk' to Zayn but in reality, he had hoped Harry would be gone but he wasn't. He had waited for Louis and everything in Louis was screaming at him. Screaming how perfect Harry seemed to be, how caring and kind he was and how out of his league he really was.

Through the darkness, they made their way back to their building and Louis tried very hard to physically keep his distance but it was taking a toll on him already because he felt really drawn to him.

"I really had a lot of fun tonight" Harry smiled down at him when they reached Louis' front door because Harry had brought him all the way to his apartment door like a stupid gentleman instead of just staying in the elevator to go up to his penthouse.

"Me too, Harry" Louis had no idea how to end this situation.

When they were simply staring at each other and Louis could see Harry leaning in closer, eyeing his lips not so subtly, Louis took a step back and almost crashed into his own door, seeing Harry's face fall the tiniest bit. "We should definitely do this again. You know, now that Sean and you have more time and everything. Niall will be over the moon at the sheer prospect of us hanging out again, don't you think?".

Visibly caught off guard by Louis' sudden change in voice and posture, Harry cleared his throat and took a step back. "He won't shut up about it until we meet again".

"Then we shouldn't let him wait two more years, mh?" Louis tried to act nonchalant but was failing miserably. "We should exchange numbers. Makes things easier".

"You want my number?" Harry looked very sceptical.

"Yes?" Louis felt stupid now. "Unless you don't wanna ex ...".

"No, I do" Harry cut him off so fast it was adorable. "Here".

Awkwardly, Harry handed him his phone to type in his number and Louis did the same. Quickly typing in his number, Louis gave Harry his phone back and took his own but not without their hands touching ever so lightly. Not knowing what to do now, Louis took out his keys and opened his door, stepping in with one foot.

"I really had a great time, Harry. But it's late. We should go to bed. Some of us have to work tomorrow" Louis cringed at his own words, fleeing into his apartment.

"Of course. Don't let me keep you. I'll text you?" Harry looked a little bit like a kicked puppy but still hopeful.

"Whenever you want" Louis offered him a smile before closing his door, falling against it and exhaling heavily.

As if Zayn could actually read his mind, he called him as soon as Louis could hear the elevator door close in the distance. Almost dropping his phone, Louis accepted the call. "What is it, Joey?". (Remember, his second name is Jonah in this one. This is where the nickname comes from)

"You sound tense. What happened with Harry? Did you two kiss? Make out at the door like teenagers?" Zayn asked smugly.

"No, none of that and we never will" Louis clarified strongly.

"But you were literally in your own world the entire night. Harry was about ready to jump across the counter to snog the living shit out of you. It was painful to watch" Zayn was definitely frowning by now, Louis could hear it.

"And he was definitely ready to kiss me at the door but I didn't let it happen. I told you there would be no future for us and I don't want a meaningless shag. Not with him. He's looking for something serious and I can't give him what he deserves" Louis stepped away from the door and walked into his bedroom. "He would never be happy with me as his boyfriend. Why would he consider me?".

"First of all, have you looked at yourself? You're stunning, Tommy. Your eyes are out of this world. There is no such shade of blue. And your cheekbones and collarbones in that t-shirt. I don't know how Harry was able to control himself" Zayn started ranting.

"Wow, thank you. I feel flattered" Louis snorted sarcastically.

"It's not just sexual attraction though, Tommy. He was so interested to learn more about you and everything he could learn is great. You are amazing. A catch. He'd be lucky to have you" Zayn went on unbothered and Louis really loved his best friend.

"Maybe you're right but he's ... he doesn't belong in my world. He needs someone on his level. I don't wanna drag him down. He would hate me for it in the long run and where's the point in that? Don't start something that is destined to fail" Louis reasoned his hesitation logically.

"But Louis ...".

"No, Zayn" Louis didn't let him speak. "He deserves more than an upcoming trainwreck".

"You're not a trainwreck, Louis" Zayn contradicted him softly.

"Besides" Louis completely ignored his objection. "I have a very good and solid reason to keep every man out of my life and far away from me, who isn't you or Liam and you know it. I won't risk it. For no one".

"If that's your decision, I'm gonna respect it. I understand" Zayn stopped pushing because he knew what Louis meant.

"That's my decision. It's for the best. For everyone" Louis stated surely. He had made up his mind two years ago. Nothing has changed. No one could change his mind.

"I have your back, Louis. Always" Zayn assured him gently.

"I know, Zayn. I love you" Louis really appreciated him.

"I love you, too".

Groaning dramatically to get his point across, Louis rested his throbbing head on the tabletop. He was too old to go out for drinks and get away with it without consequences. He hasn't even been drunk, just slightly tipsy but he still had a killer hangover. Luckily, he wasn't alone in his misery. Oddly enough, Zayn was just as mysteriously hangover and Liam looked like he was dying. Louis wondered what the other three looked like this morning.

When their doorbell rang, Louis flinched at the shrill sound and covered his ears with his hands like a child, hoping it would help him but it was in vain. He could still hear murmured voices close to him. Apparently, Zayn had opened the door in his state.

"Welcome to our hangover breakfast. You look like shit" Zayn said to someone at the door. Louis knew who that was.

"You're not any better but we're out of coffee because these two idiots forgot to buy some" Niall's strained voice carried through the entrance area of their flat right over to him at the dining table.

A tiny part of him wanted to smooth out his looks and make himself look less like a homeless person but he pushed that part away. This was his home and they had come over. They had to deal with it and there was no reason to be ashamed. Their flat was really nice and surprisingly clean today.

Too tired to look up, Louis listened to Zayn showing them parts of the apartment. As soon as the door was opened, one would walk into their little entrance area. A partition wall parted the tiny hallway-like thing they had from their big living room. Another partition wall on the right side marked the beginning of their half-open kitchen. Next to the kitchen were the two bedrooms of Zayn and Liam followed by their bathroom and a storage room at the end of their flat. Right across from his friends' bedrooms was his bathroom, his own bedroom and another big bedroom. Right by his bathroom was the dining area with the table he was sitting at, which could be reached from the entrance area and the open part of the kitchen perfectly. That's why he was able to hear everything.

"Coffee is right there and you're free to crash wherever you want. I'm gonna go and stop Liam from throwing himself off the balcony. He feels like he is dying. He isn't used to being hungover. He normally never gets drunk" Zayn left their guests alone to walk out onto the balcony, the door right next to their couch.

"It's our bad influence" Niall sniggered but then groaned. Louis knew that kind of groan. Niall had a monstrous headache.

"Nah, he always wanted to be a bad boy. He just took the first opportunity that was really given to him" Louis brought out without having to lift up his head, not caring if they actually heard him.

"That was his first opportunity? With thirty-one?" Niall's voice came closer and footsteps were heard close to him now.

"You'd be surprised" Louis squinted at them, regretting that the moment he spotted Harry watching him, perfectly collected.

"I'm surprised by how knackered you look. You didn't seem drunk last night" Sean eyed him, his eyes betraying his current state. He wasn't completely fine either. Thank God.

"I wasn't. It has just been the third night in a row now with barely any sleep. It's taking a toll on me. I'm not twenty anymore" Louis justified himself, resting his head on his propped-up hands.

"I feel you. Alcohol never affected me when I was younger. And now look at me. I'm actually hangover" Niall took a seat next to him and he really looked like he has been hit by a car.

"We all are" Sean plopped down next to him.

"I'm not" Harry pointed out hesitantly.

"Because you're not human" Niall glared at his friend.

"Or because I know my limits" Harry countered offended.

"How would you know your limits? You've never really been out drinking or partying. You've only been studying for years on end" Niall threw him an all-saying look.

"Medicine isn't easy to ...".

"C'mon, H" Niall groaned for effect. "Sean was out partying and he studied the same fucking thing".

"But not as dutifully as Harry and I almost took it too far, so H did it right" Sean reminded him, Louis just watching them converse.

"I wouldn't say too far. You were trying to have a life next to our studies. Something I didn't do and that ...".

"Was one of the reasons we broke up" Sean interrupted him, now sparking Louis' interest again. "Wise decision, in the end".

"You two were a couple?" Louis hooked nosily.

"Yes, for three years in medical school until we finally realised we were better off as friends" Sean let him know unfazed.

"I know that feeling. Happened to me twice" Louis told him when he saw Harry becoming restless out of the corner of his eye.

"Twice? Wow. Still friends then?" Sean checked interested.

"To this day, yeah. One of them has a pretty great boyfriend now. The other is a pain in my ass and not the right kind" Louis cracked up laughing, wondering how they had ended up talking about this.

"I hope you're not talking about me" Zayn came back inside with Liam in tow, who looked a bit better than five minutes ago.

"I'm always only talking about you, Joey" Louis sent him a wink in the most exaggerated way possible.

"Lucky me" Zayn snorted mockingly.

"Indeed" Louis grinned broadly when his phone started ringing. "Oh, that's my Mum. Give me a second".

Louis excused himself from the table and walked into the closest room, his bathroom, to talk to her alone. For one weak moment, he dared to steal a glance over his shoulder at Harry, who looked so beautiful today. Admonishing himself, Louis closed the door and accepted the call, pressing the phone to his ear. "Hey, Mum".

"Good late morning, Buttercup. Had a fun night?" his mother asked over the phone but he could hear noises in the background.

"You could say that but not a fun morning. Why are you calling? Is everything alright? Did something happen?" Louis nibbled on his bottom lip worriedly, hoping he was overthinking this.

"Everything is fine, Buttercup. I only wanted to check in to ask when you're gonna pick them up, considering you've had a short night, right?" Jasmine explained why she called.

"A very short night. Again" Louis sighed out exhaustedly.

"I know. Eve told me about the other night and she feels bad about waking you up in the middle of the night" Jasmine informed him sympathetically.

"She doesn't have to. She had a nightmare. It's my job to look after her even if it costs me my sleep. They are more important and nothing will ever change that" Louis frowned at the thought of her putting herself down over something silly like this.

"Tell her that when you get here. I think she needs to hear that. She isn't as tough as she pretends to be" Jasmine advised him.

"She definitely got that from me" Louis had to admit.

"You don't say" Jasmine faked surprise.

"I'm gonna ignore that for now and tell you that we're leaving in a few minutes to get them" Louis shook his head in amusement.

"No hassle. Take your time, Sweetheart. We're here and not going anywhere" Jasmine hearable smiled on the other end of the line.

"Love you, Mum".

"Love you, too".

Ending the call, Louis walked over to the sink and started to get ready and look a bit more presentable. He didn't want to scare them away. After brushing his teeth and combing his hair, Louis walked back outside and was immediately met with four curious pairs of eyes. Only Zayn looked like he knew what had gone down during the call because he was completely ready to leave.

"Sorry, guys. But I have to go. We have to go. We're expected and are already kinda late" Louis walked passed them into his bedroom to throw on a clean sweater. Choosing a simple blue one, Louis put it on and grabbed his coat, leaving his room again.

"You're ready, Tommy?" Zayn was leaning against the partition wall by the entrance, keys jiggling in his hand.

"As I'll ever be" Louis walked over to him to put on his shoes. "Sorry about this. Again. But Liam can keep you company".

"Yeah, we really have to go. Someone's waiting for us" Zayn backed Louis up, opening the door behind them.

"It's alright. We caught you by surprise. Liam is enough. Leave. We're fine" Sean assured them understandingly.

"Thanks. See you around?" Louis asked into the room but his eyes stopped on Harry against his will.

"Of course" Harry smiled widely at him, dimples out.

"Great" Louis sighed out with aracing heart.

"Bye, guys" Zayn grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out of the apartment. "For not wanting to give this a shot you're sure as hell making it look like you wanna marry him on the spot".

"Have I told you that I hate you today?" Louis glared at Zayn.

"Seriously, Louis. You can't keep your eyes off of him" Zayn pressed the button on the elevator.

"He's just very attractive" Louis defended himself weakly.

"You said he's beautiful" Zayn reminded him smugly.

"So?" Louis marched into the elevator when the doors opened.

"You're mesmerized by his mere presence. How do you plan on resisting him if they actually stay around from now on?" Zayn questioned with worry lacing in his voice.

"You just said it. If. A big, fat if. I don't think they will. They weren't around for two years. Why now?" Louis squirmed under Zayn's intense stare. He felt naked right now. Was he really that obvious?

"Because they will. Niall will make sure of it. Harry's and Sean's reasons are both gone. They have time now. They will ask" Zayn sounded so sure of this.

"But my reason didn't change and it won't" Louis ended this conversation right then and there.

In silence, they made their way toward Louis' car and got in. With music playing quietly in the silence, they drove off to the house of Louis' mother. After a short drive, they reached their destination. Louis could already hear loud noises from inside and felt himself starting to smile. Getting out of the car and unlocking the front door, Louis was hit by the sight of his mother running after his two girls, all three of them giggling like crazy. It warmed his heart.

"Does no one want to say hi to me?" Louis called attention to himself, propping his hands up on his hips for effect.

"Dad!" both girls stopped in their tracks and screamed loudly, before running straight into his arms, almost knocking him down.

"Hey, my angels. Were you having fun with your nan?" Louis pressed a soft kiss to both of their messy heads.

"Yes, so much" his daughter Evelina beamed up at him.

"What did you do?" Louis asked endeared.

"We made pancakes for breakfast and then watched a movie," she told him excitedly, her blue eyes sparkling with joy.

"And that ended in running through the house?" Louis raised an eyebrow at her suspiciously.

"Yes," she smiled innocently up at him.

"What is she not telling me, Mae?" Louis addressed his other daughter. She was a lot quieter and more reserved than Evelina.

"Nothing. You know how she gets" Maeva responded shyly.

"True".

"Are you gonna keep ignoring me?" Zayn cleared his throat.

"Uncle Zayn!" Evelina was in his arms in less than a second.

"Hello, Darling" Zayn hugged her tenderly.

"She reminds me so much of you when you were her age" his mother leaned in the doorframe, watching them. "But nowadays, you're more like Mae, in a way. It's quite fascinating".

"What's fascinating about that?" Louis turned around to her while Maeva went over to Zayn to get her hug. "Isn't that sad?".

"That you build a wall around yourself to keep people out? Not really. It's a normal part of growing up. Letting someone tear those walls down is as well" Jasmine retorted but Louis saw right through her and couldn't believe he has been played.

"What did Zayn tell you? Whatever it was, it's a lie" Louis stared his own mother down.

"He only mentioned a nice neighbour, who you seem infuriated with. For a while" Jasmine pretended to be absolutely innocent.

"Am I not allowed to admit when someone is pretty? Does it always have to mean something? I call Zayn pretty all the freaking time" Louis huffed defensively.

"Bad example, Honey" Jasmine chuckled at him.

"Well ..." Louis had no idea how to save his ass. "He isn't the only pretty neighbour we have. Did Zayn mention them? No".

"You just played yourself, Buttercup" Jasmine smirked smugly.

"What? No, I meant ... Screw all of you" Louis crossed his arms over his chest, simply giving up. They were all evil.

"Language, Buttercup. Your daughters are still around" Jasmine glanced at the girls, who were talking Zayn's ears off.

"They're ten years old. They've heard worse in school. It's too damn late to stop them from knowing swear words exist" Louis shrugged unbothered.

"I wonder why".

"Ey!".

"What the hell are you two talking about that makes dad look like that?" Evelina appeared next to them, eyeing them curiously.

"See?" Louis pointed at his daughter childishly.

"Oh, I see" Jasmine shook her head in amusement.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Louis glared at his mother before kneeling down to Evelina. "Eve, do you have a second?".

"Sure. What is it, Dad? Did I do something wrong? Did something happen?" Evelina knitted her forehead together adorably.

"No, none of that. It just came to my attention that you feel bad for the other night and I only wanted to tell you that you did nothing wrong, Sweetheart" Louis took both of her hands into his own.

"But I woke you up in the middle of the night although you have to work" Eve countered guiltily.

"And you had school the next morning. Even earlier" Louis tilted his head aside with a smile. "You had a nightmare, a very bad one. It's okay to wake me up. Whenever you need me, I'll be there for you. In the middle of the night, at work. It doesn't matter. You and your sister are the only ones that matter to me".

With tears in her eyes, she threw herself back into his arms and Louis hugged her as tight as possible. Evelina wasn't one to cry. She barely got emotional in that way. Not in the past two years.

"I love you, Dad".

"And I love you, Eve".

"What about me?" a wobbly voice asked right next to them.

Both of them looked up and were met with Maeva standing right there, also with tears in her eyes. Taking a quick look around, Louis realised they had been watched. Everyone looked very emotional right now. Wordlessly, Louis pulled his other daughter into their embrace and wrapped his arms protectively around them.

"Of course, I love you too, Mae".

Distantly, Louis heard how Zayn and Jasmine left them alone in the hallway, giving them the time they needed. Louis was grateful for that. Moments like these weren't a rarity, even if they were already ten years old. They had a very close bond and always made sure the others knew they were loved and they weren't alone. With his two beautiful daughters safe in his arms, Louis was able to repress every upcoming thought of a certain someone, who was still at his flat. He had his two reasons to stay unattached safe in his arms and that was everything he needed. Everything else would pass.

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So, that's it for this week. What are your thoughts so far?

Why is Louis trying to keep his distance from Harry?