To say he was in a bad mood would be the understatement of the century. Yesterday had already been a horrible day for Louis but today has been even worse. Yesterday, he and Kayla had been up for their clown duty and it had taken them double the time than normally to see every child. There have been delays and dozens of interruptions and rude parents. It had made him question if it was worth it or if he should just quit. In the end, he had chosen to stay.

Which had turned into his biggest mistake of that day only about ten minutes later when he was on his way to the locker room to get changed. On his way down the hallway, Kayla and he had run into Josh, out of all people, and it hasn't been a pleasant run-in. Josh had insulted them like expected and had caused a small scene but nothing Louis normally couldn't handle. Just at that moment, it has been too much in such a sour mood. So, it had ended in Kayla dragging him away before he could attack Josh physically on top of everything. Afterwards, he had felt horrible for letting himself get triggered and dragged down to Josh's level. Not his best day.

After spending yesterday night alone because Harry has been with Niall and Sean, Louis had woken up in a cranky mood and realised he had overslept for the first time in years. Magically, he had managed to get the girls ready right in time but on the way to school, they had been stuck in unusual traffic jams. Luck really hasn't been on his side today either.

With the girls late for school, he had skipped his usual walk with Àmbar and Lucky through the park. Instead, he had wanted to clean the flat a bit to release some stress but it had ended in two broken glasses and a bleeding thumb. Cursing and cussing until he had calmed down, Louis had taken care of his cut and decided to call it a day. The rest of the morning has been spent in front of the TV with his phone in hand but Harry hadn't responded logically because he has been at work. Nonetheless, Louis had felt ignored and it had worsened his mood.

Then it had been time for him to go to work but that had only made things worse. It has been way busier than on a normal Wednesday and it had stressed him out because he wasn't able to fake a smile today. One wrong comment could set him off.

That comment had come close to the end of his shift. He had been attending to a nice couple when new customers had come in. Immediately, Louis had been able to tell that this man was a doctor and one of the bad ones. Because everyone else was busy, Louis had taken it upon himself to serve them, which he had regretted in an instant. The man and his date had been rude and dismissive from the first second and Louis had had a hard time not snapping at them. He had ended up snapping at them when the man had claimed that the food was cold and disgusting only to cause a scene and get the meal for free. Louis has seen this before but today it had been too much. That egocentric doctor had not seen his reaction coming and had admitted that he had overreacted but not without insulting Louis and putting the blame on him.

It had all been too much for one day. Out in the backyard, even Coco had noticed his foul mood and had tried to calm him down. It had put a smile on his face for a moment. That smile had vanished faster than ever when Josh had walked into the restaurant with Kyle. Luckily, it was right around the end of Louis' shift. Somehow, Josh had still found a moment to throw shade at Louis before he had been able to flee. Biting down his own comment, Louis had left without looking back, hoping to find some peace and quiet at home.

He wasn't that lucky though. After every traffic light on his way home has been red for hours, he finally made it home and was met with his two best friends cooking in the kitchen and Harry talking to Evelina and Maeva, who looked like something was wrong. Seeing that, he wanted to turn around and run away but he has already been spotted, so now he had to suck it up and act.

"Dad!" Maeva exclaimed happily, running right at him.

"Hey, Love. Had a good day?" Louis bent down to hug her.

"Yes. Everything's ready for the concert. I'm so excited" Maeva was buzzing with energy. It helped settle his mind a little.

"That's amazing" Louis felt genuinely excited for her right now.

Letting go of her, Louis straightened up and watched her walk back over to her sister, who didn't greet him yet. Instead, Harry came over to him and pecked his lips in greeting, causing tingles to erupt everywhere. Maybe a bit of family time was exactly what he needed to calm down and forget about the last two days.

"Lou, Eve has something to tell you" Harry looked.

An uneasy feeling spread in Louis' stomach. "Why do I have the feeling it's nothing good?".

"Just ask her but ..." Harry hesitated unsurely and the silent indication here rubbed Louis the wrong way. "Please, be gentle".

"I know what I'm doing, Harry" Louis barely held back from actually growling at him, starting to walk towards Evelina.

"I know but you seem stressed and I don't want you to ...".

"I got this, okay?!" Louis cut him off with an edge to his voice.

"Okay".

Running a hand over his face to regain some composure, Louis made his way over to Evelina, who was hiding in her bedroom. Trying to push his bad mood aside, he approached his daughter, feeling Harry and Maeva lingering by the open door. "Hey, Eve. What's wrong, Sweetheart? You can tell me everything".

"Not this time. I know you'll get mad at me" Evelina was standing next to her desk, keeping her head down.

"What happened?" Louis sighed exhaustedly, expecting the worst.

"Remember how you told us to be careful with our phones and that they're no toys?" Evelina fiddled with her fingers anxiously.

"Eve" Louis breathed in and out to stay calm but it wasn't really working. Their smartphones have been gifts from his mother.

"I was only checking my phone for a second in English class because someone texted me, okay?" Evelina looked up now, eyes wide and pleading. "I tried to be subtle but my teacher caught me anyway and ordered me to hand the phone over but um ...".

"Evelina" Louis felt anger bubbling up inside of him.

"I wanted to put it in my bag but I dropped it" Evelina cringed at her own words. "It was an accident, I swear. And it isn't even ...".

"Evelina Marie Tomlinson" Louis had heard enough. The day really couldn't get any worse. "Your phone is for emergencies and not for fun. Your grandma gave it to you as a gift and told you to be c ...".

"It's only a teeny tiny crack on the screen" Evelina tried to make it better but only made it worse.

"Until it's not. You're ten years old, Evelina. You're not a baby. You need to take better care of your stuff, especially expensive stuff. You won't get a new phone when yours is broken" Louis lost his cool, only thinking about how expensive a new phone could be.

"I didn't break it but my teacher took it anyway" Evelina let him know guiltily. "She said she needs you to come and get it".

"And how am I supposed to do that? I'm working when school ends, Evelina. My next free day during the week is next Friday" Louis was getting riled up, ignoring the obvious possibility that Maria and Paul would let him handle this any time he wanted. "You have this phone so that I can reach you if needed. It's supposed to make me freak out less. You just achieved the exact opposite".

"It wasn't on purpose, Dad" Evelina mumbled indistinctly. "Mae still has her phone. Isn't that enough?".

"Don't drag your sister into this now. This is about you and not her" Louis tried everything in his power not to raise his voice.

"Lou, come on" Harry entered the room now, placing his hands on Louis' shoulders but Louis shrugged him off immediately. "Calm down, yeah? It really isn't that big of a deal. It was an accident and she already feels bad. Don't be so ...".

Facing his boyfriend boiling with anger and a massive headache, Louis' tongue was faster than his brain. "Can you stay out of this, Harry? This doesn't concern you. They are my daughters and not yours, okay?".

The moment the words were out, Louis regretted them immensely and wanted to punch himself. He hadn't meant to say that. Rolling his lips in, Louis could see how Harry's face fell and nothing has ever hurt that much. Holding eye contact with his hurt boyfriend, Louis was at a loss for words. Every part of him was dying to comfort Harry and tell him how sorry he was but nothing came out of his mouth, making him feel guiltier by the second. He fucked up.

"Okay," Harry brought out before he turned around and left the room. Louis wanted nothing more than to run after him but he had something else to fix first. His daughters were both staring at him.

Letting out a long and shaky sigh, Louis sat down on Evelina's bed, patting the space next to him. "Come here, my angels".

Quickly, both girls climbed onto the bed and sat down next to him. Maeva grabbed his hand tightly. "Dad?".

"I'm sorry you had to see that and I'm sorry that I got so mad at you, Evie. My day has been horrible and yesterday hasn't been any better. I was in such a bad mood when I came home and I let it control me. I'm sorry for getting loud" Louis apologised to her.

"So, you're not mad at me?" Evelina checked hesitantly.

"No, not really. I mean, I'm not happy that I have to go to your school to get your phone back but it's alright. I knew the two of you would use the phone for more than calling me and it's fine" Louis pulled both of them into his arms. "And everyone drops their phone every now and then. It's not a big deal and I'm sorry I turned it into one. I feel really bad for making you think you can't talk to me".

"I know I can talk to you, Dad" Evelina touched his cheek softly. "I said that because I was disappointed in myself and didn't want to disappoint you. You're the best dad ever and I love you".

"I love you too, Evie" Louis kissed her head emotionally.

"And I love both of you even when you're having a very bad day" Maeva threw in, making them both chuckle. "But I think you need to talk to Cassy, Dad. He looked really sad and I know you never wanted to make him sad. You love him too much for that".

"I don't think he wants to see me right now" Louis feared that he might have ruined everything with that thoughtless comment.

"Maybe but you still need to talk to him and explain yourself, Dad. I know you don't wanna lose him, especially over something this stupid" Maeva insisted stubbornly.

"This isn't stupid. This is messed up" Louis felt hopeless, wanting to cry. "I never meant to say that. I mean, it's kinda true but also not at all and it really doesn't matter. He only wanted to help".

"Because that's what a family does" Evelina noted smartly.

"You see him as your family, don't you?" Louis asked stupidly even though he knew the answer already.

"Of course, we do, Dad" Evelina looked at him as if he was utterly stupid. "We told you to marry him if it makes you happy".

"I'm not sure he'd want that right now" Louis fought against the blush that wanted to tint his cheeks pink at the mere indication.

"Then go to him and make sure he knows that you'd want it in the future" Evelina nudged his side, trying to push him off the bed.

"I can't just ...".

"Sometimes it's that simple, Dad" Maeva cut him off surely.

"She's right, you know?" the voice of his best friend scared the shit out of him. "You should just go and fix this, Tommy. He went home".

"But it's late and the girls need to ...".

"We take care of this, Tommy" Zayn didn't let him finish. "Go and talk to your boyfriend. We all want you to fix this".

"Damn it, I love you all so much" Louis kissed both of his girls before walking right into Zayn's arms. "I'm back before ...".

"We don't want you back here tonight, Tommy" Zayn lifted his chin up, smirking at him. "Except if it all goes to shit but it won't".

"I'm not so sure about that but thanks, Joey" Louis pecked Zayn's cheek fleetingly before walking past him towards the front door.

Shutting the door close behind him, Louis realised what he was doing and started to panic. On the way up to the penthouse, he pictured every possible scenario of the upcoming conversation and they all ended in Harry kicking him out and breaking up with him because he has been brainless. He hoped he was overthinking this and not manifesting it instead. He was so scared. Terrified.

Arriving in the penthouse, Louis was met with silence and pure darkness. No one seemed to be home but he was sure Harry was here somewhere. Deciding to just risk it, he went straight for Harry's bedroom but hesitated at the door. Knocking softly, he opened the door a crack and peeked inside. And there he was, sitting on his bed. Harry. At the sound of his door, he looked up and Louis could see on his face that he has been crying.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your daughters instead of with me?" Harry's voice sounded so broken.

"No, because you're the one I hurt and I needed to see you" Louis lingered by the door, unsure if he was allowed to come closer.

"You didn't hurt me though. At least not ... I'm sorry, Louis. I didn't mean to meddle and get ..." Harry crumbled in on himself.

"No, no, no" Louis had to get closer now, so he let go of the door handle and walked over to Harry, who only looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "You have no reason to apologise, Haz".

"I do. I overstepped earlier and got ahead of myself ...".

"You did no such thing, Haz" Louis sat down next to him now, taking a hold of his hand. "I should be the one apologising and you know it. I snapped at you and said something really stupid although you only wanted to help. Haz, I didn't mean it".

"But they are your daughters and not mine" Harry pointed out matter-of-factly, looking so downcast that it physically pained him.

"We're a team though and I'm not used to that yet ...".

"What do you mean?" Harry frowned perplexed.

"I mean that you and I are a team and I have to remember that sometimes. When it comes to this parenting thing, I'm used to doing this alone. Zayn and Liam are a big help but in the end, they're 'only' the godparents and they stay out of our arguments and problems. Like today" Louis explained to him what he meant. "So, when you tried to settle our argument, I was taken by surprise and I didn't handle it well. I had a shitty two days and was in a horrible mood that made me snap at you and I regretted that as soon as it happened. I'm really sorry for letting it out on you, Haz".

"It's fine, Lou. We all have bad days. I really didn't need to be all dramatic and run back home over something as stupid as ...".

"It wasn't stupid, Haz" Louis climbed on Harry's lap, obviously taking him by surprise. "My words hurt you and your reaction was valid. I never meant to say that and I didn't mean it. They might be my daughters but we are a couple. That means we're a team and that includes my kids. We all see you as part of our family".

"All of you?" Harry asked barely above a whisper.

"Yes, all of us. The girls were adamant about me fixing this because they know I love you and you make me happy" Louis revealed to him, thinking about their marriage comment. "They wanted me to let you know that we're all in for the long run. For as long as you want us around. We're all in, Haz".

"I wanna keep you forever. How does that sound?" Harry cupped his face affectionately, making him lose focus.

"Forever sounds good to me" Louis closed the gap between them.

This kiss felt slightly different than all of their kisses before and he had a feeling he knew why. He was trying to let Harry know that he saw them as the real deal through this kiss. He wanted it to be their family one day, their daughters, their home.

"While we're at it" Louis broke away from the kiss pantingly. "Will you come with us when we're moving next year?".

"Of course, Lou. I'm your boyfriend. I thought it was a given that I'm gonna help you with the move and ...".

"That's not what I meant, Haz" Louis put his finger over Harry's lips, watching his forehead crinkle in confusion. "I know it's very early and you can say no but um ... Would you come and live with us? Move in with the girls and me?".

For a long moment, Harry simply blinked at Louis. It looked like he was frozen but then he seemed to wake up and a huge smile spread across his face. "I'd love to, Lou. I can't imagine being this far away from you when I have you this close all the time".

"I also don't wanna be separated from you, Haz. And um ... living with you for that one month was really nice and I'd love to have that every day from now on. Forever" Louis gazed into his green eyes.

"Forever sounds good to me" Harry beamed at him dopey. "Do you wanna tell me about your shitty two days now, Blue?".

"No, let's talk later" Louis kissed him again, sucking on his bottom lip eagerly. "There's something else I want more".

"Oh, and what would that be?" Harry attached his lips to Louis' neck, causing Louis to throw his head back in pleasure.

"Would you um ..." Louis had a hard time getting the words out, not sure if this was such a good idea but at the same time, he really wanted it. He trusted Harry enough. "How would you feel if I wanted to ... um ... Can you make love to me tonight, Haz?".

Immediately, Harry stopped what he was doing and stared at him in mere shock. "What?".

"We don't have to do that if you don't want to. I just ... I kinda felt like it because I really love you and wanna share that with you but I also know that you don't really like to ...".

Harry rolled his eyes fondly and kissed him to shut him up. "I don't hate to top. I only hate it when people turn me into something that I'm not but you don't do that. I might prefer bottoming but I also know you prefer topping and that you need a certain level of trust to even go as far as asking for this right now. I feel honoured and like I'm about to cry because this means the world to me. Your trust".

"Of course, I trust you, Haz. If not you, who else? I love you and I wanna be as close as possible to you but only if you really want this too. I don't wanna pressure you into doing this" Louis traced his finger over Harry's cheekbone, studying his features.

"No pressure felt here, Lou. I'd love to have you like this" Harry grabbed his chin, making their eyes lock and his dick twitch.

"Then, by all means, take me like that, Haz".

Connecting their lips again, Harry let his hands wander down to Louis' waist and Louis could feel the tingles everywhere. Nerves and excitement were rushing through his body like nicotine. Turned on already, Louis started grinding down on Harry and due to him still sitting in his boyfriend's lap, it created the perfect kind of friction to rile them up and get them excited. In a swift motion that disconnected their lips for a second, Harry tightened his grip and turned them around, throwing Louis down on the bed and hovering over him. A tiny part of him was getting nervous now because it has been a long time since he has bottomed the last time but the bigger part of him was eager to get closer.

Slowly, Harry explored his body with his hands and his soft lips, getting rid of their clothes in the process. Every touch felt special to Louis in a way he couldn't really express. He has never felt so cherished and worshipped before and it was doing something to him. Giving up control has always been very difficult for him but right now with Harry, it was easy and not scary. It was wonderful.

When Harry pushed his first finger inside of him, he tensed up immediately and his pulse was throbbing. He has never been someone, who enjoyed bottoming much but he still sometimes wanted it out of nowhere. Normally, he kind of regretted it the moment it really started and that's why he usually topped. This time, it was different. Having Harry's finger inside of him and thinking about that fact was still foreign and a bit strange but he wasn't regretting his decision. He still wanted this with him.

Slowly but surely, his body started to relax when Harry started to move his finger in and out of him carefully, probably being able to sense the tension in his bones. He felt like crying out of love when Harry pressed gentle kisses down the inside of his thighs with every new and careful thrust of his finger. It was the perfect representation of Harry just knowing him.

Tracing his thumb over his rim, Harry pushed his second finger inside and started scissoring him open, sending small waves of pleasure through his body. It was making Louis so emotional how much time Harry was investing in simply making him feel good and comfortable and relaxed, not rushing anything.

With three fingers in, Harry managed to find his prostate and made him jerk up in pure pleasure. Already close to coming but also not wanting this to end, Louis rocked down on Harry's three fingers, asking for more. He had never wanted this as much as he was wanting it right now. He wanted Harry's dick inside of him.

"Haz, I'm ready. Shit, I'm already too close" Louis panted out.

"Fuck. Baby, you look so sinfully beautiful right now. I wish I could take a picture" Harry marvelled over him with sparkling eyes.

"Then take one, Love" Louis' cheeks were heating up.

"No, I don't want anyone else to see you like this. You're mine and I'm not taking any chances" Harry captured his lips in a heated kiss, rocking their hips together in desperate need of some friction.

"Uh, possessive. I like it" Louis grinned into their kiss but it turned into a moan when Harry attached his lips to his neck. "Claiming your territory now, huh? I thought that was my job".

"We can share" Harry licked over the new mark on his neck.

"Yeah, we can" Louis took a deep breath to stop himself from coming just like that, untouched and dickless. "Gonna make love to me now, Haz? Fully claim me as yours?".

"If you want that" Harry gazed down at him fondly.

"I want you, Baby. Only you. In every way I can get you" Louis caressed his face tenderly, feeling so disgustingly in love.

"You can have me any way you want, Lou" Harry kissed him again, making his head spin. "But tonight, I'm gonna have you".

"Hopefully".

After kissing again, Harry leaned over to his bedside table and took out his lube and a condom. Hastily, he put the condom on and lubed up his rock-hard dick, making Louis' mouth water at the sight. Suddenly feeling vulnerable and exposed, Louis bit down on his bottom lip and waited for Harry to instruct him somehow, which he didn't do. Instead, he leaned down again and pulled Louis' lip out from his teeth to kiss him again. Like this, all of his sudden worries vanished and his legs opened naturally for Harry.

"Take me, Baby" Louis purred into the kiss impatiently.

In sync with another deep kiss, Harry pushed inside and stilled immediately when he felt Louis tensing up. Focusing on kissing his boyfriend, Louis relaxed way sooner than normally and signalled Harry to start moving. Slowly and still carefully, Harry pushed all the way in and pulled right back out. He built up a firm but slow rhythm and kept it awfully gentle, just like Louis needed it tonight. It felt like every thrust brought them closer together and there was no turning back now. This was forever. That feeling brought him so fast to the edge that it should be embarrassing but it wasn't.

"Haz" Louis moaned out as a warning when he felt his orgasm coming. Harry only started sucking sweetly on his neck and briefly touched his neglected dick, pushing him over the edge.

Moaning out Harry's name again, Louis came all over himself and onto Harry's chest, clenching around him. That tipped his boyfriend over the edge as well and they rode their highs out together. Breathlessly, Harry collapsed onto him but directly rolled off of him and pulled out carefully. Fucked out and tiredly, Louis stared up at the ceiling while Harry was cleaning them up. This really has been love-making just like their first time and it was oddly overwhelming him. He couldn't explain it.

"Hey, are you alright?" Harry climbed back onto the bed to him.

"Yes. Don't worry. I'm just emotional. I can't remember the last time I didn't regret wanting to bottom. Usually, I never fully enjoyed it for some reason, so I stopped considering it. But with you, it was different. It was amazing. I feel great" Louis shared his feelings with him openly, needing to let him know how special this was to him.

"And you still asked for it although you couldn't have known you wouldn't regret it with me too" Harry wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into his chest. "Thank you, Louis".

"No, thank you, Haz. For me, this was magical" Louis kissed his chest, overcome by too much love and affection.

"For me too. I'm not used to feeling like this while being on top. It was a new feeling for me as well and I liked it" Harry stroked over his naked back softly. "So, if you're up for sharing sometimes ...".

"Definitely, Haz. As I said before, we're a team. That means we're equal and that covers every area that you want" Louis smiled up at him, opening his arms. "So, come here. I know you want it".

"What about you?" Harry pouted adorably but cuddled up to him anyway. "I thought you might want this after ...".

"After having your dick inside of me?" Louis hooked cheekily when Harry fell silent. "As nice as that was, I love having you in my arms and I know you love to be the little spoon, especially in bed".

"I do" Harry looked up at him with big eyes. "But we can share this too, if you want".

"Whatever you want, Haz" Louis kissed his forehead.

"And also what you want, Lou. A team are two people. You and me. Together. Always" Harry insisted stubbornly, being so cute.

"Of course, Baby. I told you I'm all in. That's what I want" Louis tapped his nose. "After all, I asked you to move in with me".

"I almost thought I made that up" Harry chuckled into his chest. "When we move in together, we share everything, right?".

"You mean the costs and bills" Louis understood what he meant. "Sure, Sweetheart. It's only fair. Fifty-fifty though".

"Okay, but what if ..." Harry swallowed nervously, locking eyes with Louis. "What if I wanna take you and the girls somewhere? Would that be a problem? Would you let me?".

Tracing his finger over Harry's cheek, Louis smiled at him utterly gone and in love. "I would because I know now that you're not trying to impress me or buy my love or that you're not seeing me as a charity case. If you wanna take us somewhere, I'm in".

"Really? You're not worried anymore about ...".

"No, I'm not" Louis touched Harry's lips with his finger. "I'm not worried anymore because I'm sure. I'm certain, Haz".

As soon as the words were out, Louis could see tears forming in Harry's eyes. "Kiss me, Louis".

He didn't need to be asked twice. He kissed Harry with a new certainty, that earned him a broken whimper. Overcome with a new wave of want and lust, Louis pushed Harry onto his back and deepened the kiss, licking into his mouth eagerly. Due to being naked, their semis rubbed against each other and made them hiss.

"Shit, I'm also very sure about us. About you, Lou" Harry panted into the kiss. "Fuck, I love you and I could definitely go again".

"I love you too and same, Baby" Louis started sucking on his boyfriend's neck aroused. "But this time, I'm gonna give you a taste of my medicine instead, yeah?".

"Please".

In the blink of an eye, it was already Christmas. This year, they were celebrating it at Louis' Mum's house again with the entire family plus Zayn's family and Liam. Knowing that it would be the last time they would ever celebrate it like this made him feel kinda sad and melancholic. Next year, everything would be different but Louis was looking forward to it. That's why he soaked in every second of today and tried to capture every memory with his family.

With his phone, he took pictures of everyone and filmed how all of his favourite people opened their presents. But his most favourite person was missing from the spectacle. Harry was celebrating with his family in Patriley. This had been planned months prior and Louis didn't want him to miss out on time with his family, which didn't mean that Louis wasn't feeling his absence all day. Everyone asking where his boyfriend was, wasn't helping his case.

But other than that, he was content and happy. He had his friends by his side, his family around him and his daughters in his arms. The gift-opening was the usual mess but Louis wouldn't want it any other way. Due to all the excitement, they skipped breakfast and ate lunch right away instead. Afterwards, Louis helped his girls with their new toys and wanted to freeze time. He knew that time was against him and soon, the girls wouldn't need his help anymore because they were growing up and who knew if they even still wanted toys like this next year. So, he prolonged the process as much as possible, feeling Zayn and Liam filming them.

Dinner was the next chaotic mess and it made Louis feel totally at ease. That's how it always had been. His family was loud, chaotic and a handful but that's why he loved them with all his heart.

After dinner, they all settled down in the living room around the TV to watch a Christmas movie together. Like always, everyone threw in comments and talked over the movie but it was fine because they were all together. That only ever happened once a year and who knew what would happen next year. Maybe his youngest sisters would celebrate Christmas with their partners in Germany and Wales. Maybe his other pair of sisters wouldn't come around and celebrate with their own family at their own home because his mother wouldn't live here anymore and her flat was definitely gonna be too small for all of them. Maybe Louis would invite all of them and Harry's family as well. Or maybe they would celebrate alone. Just their little family. Just the four of them together.

When it got late, his older younger sisters and their partners went home while the rest of them got ready for bed. The house was big but not huge. Not everyone would be able to fit somewhere for the night. For tonight, Jasmine and Zoey shared a room, just like his daughters. Luna and her boyfriend shared just like Stella and Rose while his friends crashed in his attic room. Zayn's other sister Zelia and her partner shared the guest room and like this, every room was occupied and everyone could get some much-needed sleep.

(Keep in mind that all of the boys have slightly different birthdays in my stories)

The next day was Louis' birthday. The 26th of December and he was already turning thirty-three but his mother still treated this day as if he was a little boy. As always, she was up early to prepare his favourite breakfast and let him sleep in once a year. What she did not know was that Louis has been lying awake for hours because he was too excited to sleep. Harry was set to come over in a few hours and Louis could barely wait. That Harry was driving all the way up here earlier just to see Louis on his birthday meant the world to him. He wanted to snog the life out of him as a thank you.

Unable to stay in bed, Louis got up as quietly as possible without waking his friends and sneaked into the nearest bathroom. Quickly, he made himself look presentable and threw on his comfy clothes. A red sweater, black sweatpants and woolly socks. Too lazy to deal with his contacts, he grabbed his black thick-rimmed glasses and headed downstairs into the kitchen to his mother.

"Good morning, Mum" Louis waddled into the kitchen, startling his mother with his sudden presence.

"Good morning, Buttercup" Jasmine turned around to him, her back to the stove now. "You're supposed to be in bed".

"I couldn't sleep any longer" Louis hopped onto one of the chairs by the counter. "Can I help?".

"No. Please, don't" Jasmine declined his offer cheekily, crossing the distance between them to pull him into a hug. "Happy birthday, Buttercup. How are you feeling?".

"Old but not different than yesterday" Louis answered her jokingly.

"If you're old, what am I?" Jasmine raised an eyebrow at him.

"Stunningly beautiful, Mum. I keep telling you that" Louis replied sincerely, hugging her again. "The most beautiful".

"I love you, Louis" his mother kissed his forehead lovingly.

"And I love you, Mum" Louis smiled at her.

"So, with that out of the way" Jasmine walked back over to the stove but Louis knew that tone of voice. He was fucked. "When's Harry stopping by? I haven't seen him in a while".

"In a few hours. He wanted to text me when he's on the way. He wasn't sure when his family would let him leave" Louis informed her neutrally, waiting for the upcoming interrogation.

"And he knows everyone's gonna be here?" Jasmine checked nonchalantly but Louis saw right through her.

"Yes, and he's looking forward to it. What are you playing at, Mum? Just ask or say what's on your mind" Louis groaned impatiently.

"Patience, my dear" Jasmine chuckled amusedly, turning the stove off. "A little birdie told me he's gonna move in with you next year and I'm just wondering why you haven't told me".

"Because it's still new?" Louis responded, hating how his answer had turned into a question. "I don't know. Some days, I think I made it up and didn't actually ask him but then I remember it actually happened and I can't believe I really did that".

"Are you having second thoughts?" Jasmine hooked cautiously.

"No, not at all" Louis shook his head surely. "Despite all the fears and worries and doubts I had before, I'm absolutely sure about this. About us. I'm sure he's the one for me and I'm gonna marry him one day if he wants that. But I keep forgetting that we haven't been an actual couple for that long. It's the end of December now and we have only gotten together not even a month ago. Aren't we rushing things? Am I moving too fast? I've been thinking about marrying him before we even had one date. Am I crazy? Are we crazy?".

"Does it feel crazy?" Jasmine asked simply, not even freaked out.

"Yes but not in a bad way. It feels crazy that I'm this lucky and that we're always on the same page and that he loves me. But it doesn't feel crazy to want him around all the time or plan a future together. A future that can't come fast enough" Louis told her honestly.

"Then I guess that's your answer, Buttercup. As long as it feels right to you, it is right" Jasmine retorted unfazed, once again putting an end to his overthinking. "And you can't forget that you had some kind of feelings for him for a long time and the same goes for him. Maybe you've only been a real couple for a few weeks but you've been in love for a lot longer. Sometimes life has its own strange and mysterious ways. Just let it happen. Just feel it".

"You're right. Thanks, Mum" Louis wondered if he would ever be as wise as his mother when his daughters needed him to be. "We did kind of skip that awkward dating phase without labels".

"You did but instead, you were pining after each other for years and it was painful to watch from the outside. I'm not sure if that was better or worse" Jasmine mocked him shamelessly.

"Be nice to me. It's my birthday" Louis huffed offended.

Jasmine only rolled her eyes at him in amusement but then her expression changed. "And you really wanna marry him".

It wasn't a question. It was a statement filled with wonder and love. It made Louis avert his gaze to the floor. "Yes, I do. I've been picturing it for way too long but never expected there to really be the possibility of this actually happening. Now it feels like it's only a matter of time. Not an if but a when and that's a lot to feel".

"It makes me so happy to hear you say this. I remember not long ago, you were too scared to admit that you love him. You were convinced you two could never work out and now look at you. You are in love and not afraid to dream" Jasmine approached him again to cup his face, her eyes shimmering with unshed but happy tears.

"I've come a long way, I know. Looking back, I can't see why I was so afraid to let him in. I can't see why I thought money would break us. I can't see why I was convinced he could never love me. He is amazing and I will do everything in my power to keep him happy because he makes me unbelievably happy" Louis felt so much at once and needed to let it out, knowing his mother would protect his feelings. "I'm gonna marry him. I want him to be my partner forever. I want him to be my husband and Maeva and Evelina's second parent and whatever else in the future because he is everything".

"And he's gonna be all that" Jasmine wrapped her arms around him in another hug. "I'm so proud of you".

"Me too".

Somehow, they managed to change the topic after that but now Louis couldn't stop thinking about how far he's come and how badly he wanted to marry his boyfriend. Sooner rather than later, which was definitely crazy but he didn't care anymore. At the beginning of the year, Louis would have laughed at anyone who told him he'd think about marriage any time soon. He would have called them delusional. But now, he was mapping it out in his mind all day.

Luckily, his daughters woke up before he could actually look up venues or some shit. His friends and his sisters showed their faces a while later and Louis felt like they could all read on his face that he was being a big dreamer today. He just knew that Zayn knew. So, when he got dragged over to the couch after breakfast by his best friend, he felt oddly nervous. Was he getting ahead of himself?

"So, Tommy. When's the husband finally coming?" Zayn plopped down on the couch casually, making him freeze. "What?".

"Um ... Haz texted that he's almost here" Louis tried to act normal.

"Then what ...? It was me calling him your husband, right?" Zayn could read him like an open book, so Louis merely nodded. "That's so cute. I mean, I knew you'd marry him from the moment you so much as looked at him but it looks like your brain finally caught up".

"Funny, Joey" Louis dead-panned unimpressed. "What about you? Any plans to marry my friend? Kids or pets?".

Caught off guard, Zayn blushed crimson, making Louis feel satisfied. "Nothing concrete or for certain. Only some dreams and wishes for the future. We're good the way we are".

"The same goes for us but it doesn't mean you can't want it, Joey. Look at me. Suddenly, I'm all sappy and romantic ...".

"You've always been a romantic at heart, Tommy" Zayn rolled his eyes at him. "You just finally feel safe enough to let it out".

"You could be right with that" Louis nudged his arm lightly.

"Right with what?" Liam joined them on the couch, everyone else following suit. Another movie was on the menu.

"That big ol' Tommy here is a huge softie and has heart eyes for his boyfriend" Zayn sniggered maliciously, earning a glare from Louis.

"Oh, definitely" Liam settled down next to his boyfriend.

"I'm not ..." Louis' protest was cut off by the doorbell. Fast as lightning, he jumped up from the couch and ran over to the door, making everyone snicker at him. "I get it!".

"Chill, big brother. He won't disappear if you walk to the door like a normal person" Emily snorted but he ignored her.

With a fast-beating heart, Louis opened the door and was met with Harry full-on smiling at him, both dimples out and his eyes sparkling, knocking the air out of his lungs. "Hi".

"Hey, Lou" Harry beamed at him. "You gonna let me in?".

"Sure" Louis stepped aside to let him in, his cheeks heating up.

Shrugging off his coat and stepping out of his shoes, Harry faced him and wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling his face into Louis' neck. "Happy birthday, angel".

"Thanks, Love" Louis breathed out happily. "Ready to face hell?".

"With you, always" Harry untucked his face from Louis' neck to peck his lips. "And it won't be hell. I love your family".

"You might but not all together".

"Try me".

Taking a hold of his hand, Louis led Harry into the living room, gaining everyone's attention in a heartbeat. His daughters squealed at the sight of Harry and ran right into his arms. Next in line was his mother, who greeted Harry with a big hug, warming Louis' heart. That his family loved his man filled him with happiness.

"While you were gone to greet your prince charming, Maeva told us that said prince charming was at her Christmas concert" Sophia decided to be a little shit. Louis had expected nothing less.

"Your point?" Louis didn't understand what she was getting at.

"Was he?" Sophia's eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Of course, I was there" Harry spoke up instead, unfazed by her ways. "Mae asked me to come, so how could I not? And she was amazing. A real talent on the piano, apparently like her dad".

"Definitely like her father".

And Louis wanted to kiss Harry again. He could still remember how he had moved the earth and sea to be able to go to Maeva's concert right before Christmas. Maeva had asked and Harry had promised to never miss a concert again. He had sworn to never repeat his past mistake. It had earned him a nice reward at night.

Before Louis could react, Harry was dragged onto the couch by his daughters and Louis knew he wouldn't get him back any time soon. Accepting his fate, Louis joined his family and enjoyed every second of the afternoon. They watched their movie together and Harry fitted right into his family. He looked comfortable and content and definitely not out of place. He wasn't sticking out to anyone except Louis and that was for a totally different reason. Everyone loved him and Louis really couldn't be happier. This was his life now. It was hard to believe sometimes but he wasn't going to complain. He was thankful that he was experiencing this.

Afternoon turned into evening and after dinner, everyone went home except for Louis, Harry and the girls. Together, they got them ready for bed and tucked them in, wishing them a good night. Up in his attic room, Louis threw himself on his bed but Harry was hovering in front of it, looking unsure and nervous suddenly.

"What is it, Haz? Are you alright?" Louis sat up, crawling over to him and grabbing his hand to make him sit down on the bed.

"I'm fine. I just haven't given you your present yet. I know we said no Christmas presents because we were celebrating separately but this is a birthday present and ... I know you said I can buy you nice things as presents now because you know I only do this ...".

"Haz, sh. Breathe" Louis climbed onto his lap because that always seemed to ground his boyfriend. "Whatever it is, I'm gonna love it and I won't be mad if you spent a lot of money on me. I promised".

"I know you did" Harry stroked his messy hair out of his face."Your hair is getting longer. It looks nice".

"Thanks but stop stalling, Love" Louis pinched his waist to get his focus back, not mentioning that he was letting his hair grow out to make Harry feel safer about doing it himself.

"I wasn't ... Just ... Thank you, Louis" Harry seemed to know why he was doing it without needing verbal confirmation.

"Always, Princess" Louis kissed his nose. "So, my present?".

"Okay, here you go" Harry took out his phone and unlocked his screen, showing it to Louis. "I'm gonna send it to you later but it's only available like this as much as I hate it and ...".

Taking the phone out of Harry's hand, Louis stared down at the screen in shock. Harry has gotten him four tickets for his all-time favourite band Lost Secrets. They were playing in London next year in February and Louis had wished he could go. Now he could.

"Haz!" Louis gasped a bit delayed, shutting him up. "Thank you so much. I was wanting to go and ... you're coming with me, right?".

"Only if you want me to. You can take whoever you want with you. That's why I bought four tickets. It's always more fun with friends" Harry bit the inside of his cheek, considerate as ever.

"Zayn and Àmbar are gonna freak out, Haz" Louis was definitely taking his friends with him. "And of course, I want you there".

 "Then I'm honoured to accompany you to the concert" Harry beamed happily. Louis just had to kiss him and maybe fuck him.  

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The end of their year is coming closer and everything looks good for them. Is it too boring now that everything is alright? Because this story continues until March in their time.