January started off quite hectic and stressful for Louis due to the restaurant and everything new he needed to learn before Maria and Paul would leave. In the span of three weeks, he got introduced to everyone he needed to know like their accountant, all of the suppliers he hasn't met yet, the landlord of the building and way too many other people. Every night, his head was spinning and aching and all he wanted to do was sleep for days but he couldn't. As soon as the sun was up, everything started again.

The majority of the time, Louis was happy and eager to learn all the new things but the downside to all this was that he barely had time to see his boyfriend. According to him and Sean, they've had a few pretty stressful weeks at work as well with many renewals and some changes but Louis had no idea what that meant. Every day after work, his leftover energy was spent on his daughters and afterwards, he felt too drained to even think about holding a long conversation with anyone. Thankfully, Harry understood that and never pushed him to talk for longer than a few minutes before they headed to bed together because Harry was still the best partner ever. Even though Louis hardly had time for him, he still showed up at his place every day after work to just be there for him and the girls and help wherever he could. It made Louis wanna cry.

But even that overly stressful time passed eventually. By the end of January, Louis felt like he could breathe again. Ironically that was the weekend that Harry was supposed to visit his family in Patriley. To at least see each other before he had to leave, Louis had offered to pick him up from work and have lunch together. So, that's why Louis was currently on his way to Harry's doctor's office and that made him realise that he has never been there before. He had never had a reason to visit him there. For no reason at all, Louis was nervous now. Maybe there has been a reason why he had never suggested it to Louis. Maybe he didn't actually want him there and he had only agreed this time to spare Louis' feelings.

"Get your shit together, Tomlinson" Louis admonished himself. He really needed to stop overthinking everything and drive himself into a frenzy. It wasn't necessary with Harry and he knew that. There was nothing he needed to be worried about.

Arriving at the building, Louis pushed the door open and went inside the doctor's office. The first thing he noticed was Zayn's paintings on the walls and that made him smile. They really did fit into the cute waiting area of this place. At the reception, a young blonde woman looked up at him, a bit of confusion on her face.

"Hello. How can I help you? I'm afraid we're already closed for the day" she addressed him politely.

Stupidly caught off guard, Louis didn't really know what to say. "Um ... I ... I'm here for Harry? He's expecting me, I guess".

At that, her eyes grew big and a huge smile spread across her face. "Then you must be Louis, right? His boyfriend".

"That's me" Louis cleared his throat awkwardly, his throat suddenly dry.

"It's so nice to finally meet you. He talks about you every chance he gets and I'm not gonna lie. It intrigued me and I was begging him to introduce you to me because ... Well, I'm nosy" the woman told him openly, which made Louis relax in her presence.

"Me too, so I get it" Louis chuckled lightly. "Is he here somewhere? We wanted to eat lunch together before he drives up to his family".

"Oh, yeah. He's still in an interview but he has to be done in a few minutes" the woman checked her watch, glancing at a nearby door.

"An interview? For what?" Louis hooked bewildered.

"It's a job interview? Didn't he tell you about this?" the woman suddenly looked very confused as if she had thought Louis knew.

"No" Louis answered simply, wondering why he didn't know.

"I'm sure he wanted to tell you later. Forget that I said anything, okay? I don't wanna cause any problems between you two ...".

"It's alright" Louis reassured her honestly. "We both have been pretty busy for weeks. I'm sure that's why it hasn't come up yet".

"That makes a lot of sense. I'm sure that's it" She seemed to be very happy with that answer but then her head snapped in the direction of the closed door. "Oh, I hear them. They're done".

Following her gaze, Louis could see how the door opened and Sean stepped outside with a nice-looking woman and Harry in tow. All three of them had smiles on their faces and no one seemed to notice him yet. Steadying himself on the reception desk, Louis watched Harry shaking hands with the woman, saying goodbye.

"It was really nice to meet you but now I have to hurry ...".

"Um, H. He's already here" Sean coughed to stop himself from laughing, motioning towards Louis with his head.

Swirling around, Harry stared at him and his entire face lit up with a smile. "Louis, hey. I hope you haven't been waiting for too long".

"No, just a few minutes and I had good company" Louis shared a smile with the still-nameless woman at the reception.

"Thank you for being nice to him, Tiffany. I appreciate it" Harry addressed his receptionist cheekily.

"I'm deeply offended. I'm always nice. That's my job, Harry" Tiffany huffed dramatically, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're a right pain in the ass" Sean snorted amusedly.

"Lovely" Tiffany glared at him.

"Sean, can you ...?".

"I got it covered, H" Sean didn't let him speak, shooing him away and towards Louis. "Go and enjoy your lunch".

"I will" Harry nodded at Sean before facing Louis, taking his hand. "Shall we?".

With a dopey grin on his face, Louis only nodded, looking back at Sean and Tiffany. "Bye, Sean. Bye, Tiffany. It was nice to meet you. Till next time".

"Bye, Tommo".

"Bye, Louis. Pleasure was mine".

Hand in hand, Louis and Harry left the doctor's office. "Was she really nice to you, Lou?".

"Yes? Why? Is she normally rude to people?" he asked befuddled.

"No, she's never rude to anyone but she can be quite intrusive and pushy when she deems it appropriate. Mostly it's not though" Harry let him know with a smile on his face. "And she had to endure me talking and bragging about you for ages, so I was a little bit scared of how she might react if she met you. So, I'm happy that she was nice to you and didn't scare you off with nasty questions".

"No need to worry. She was very polite" Louis assured him but his mind went back to the job interview that she mentioned and he didn't know about before. "And there is nothing she could have done to scare me off, Haz. I'm afraid you're stuck with me".

"Good because I don't plan on ever leaving you again" Harry squeezed his hand affectionately.

"Is that why you brag about me to your employees?" Louis cocked an eyebrow at him, simultaneously reaching the little restaurant where they wanted to eat their lunch today.

"No, I brag about you because I want everyone to know how great you are and how lucky I am" Harry held the door open for him. "And maybe I wanna make everyone jealous".

"That you're the only one who has my love?" Louis grinned up at him and was met with so much love in Harry's eyes that it made his knees wobble. It was overwhelming. He'd never get used to it.

"Exactly".

Situated at their table, they ordered their meals without even really looking at the menu. They both had the tendency to always order the same thing because they were that boring but it was alright. At least, they were boring together.

"Haz, can I ask you something?" Louis grabbed Harry's hand across the table, needing to get this off his chest before he went nuts over nothing.

Interlacing their fingers, Harry looked at him and seemed to notice that he was a bit uneasy. "Of course. What is it?".

"What was that job interview for? You didn't mention anything to me" Louis asked him tensely, fiddling anxiously with his napkin.

"Oh, Baby. That's what has you all riled up?" Harry tilted his head aside, caressing Louis' knuckles. "I didn't mention anything because you've been buried in work and were always so exhausted at night. I didn't wanna add anything else to that".

"It doesn't matter how exhausted or tired or moody I am. I wanna know what's happening in your life, Haz" Louis let go of the napkin and fell silent when the waitress served them their food.

"Sean and I are looking for two more doctors. That's what the job interview was for" Harry enlightened him as if it was nothing.

"That makes sense" Louis had to reluctantly let go of Harry's hand because he needed to start eating his fish and chips. "I do remember that you mentioned months ago that you wanted at least one other doctor at the office to reduce the stress and work".

"Yeah, we wanted that from the beginning but I've been pushing towards it a lot lately. That's why I've been so busy the last few weeks. Looking through all the documents and picking the right people for the interview wasn't easy" Harry admitted easily.

"I can imagine" Louis swallowed down some chips. "I guess that's something I have to learn in the future as well because we do need at least two more waiters when Sam and I take over".

"I'm happy to help where I can" Harry offered his help kindly.

"I know and I'll come back to that, Love" Louis smiled at him before taking another bite of the fish." And did you find someone?".

"I think we did today. She kind of had everything we were looking for and she also seemed to be really nice. That's very important for us. We don't want a change in the atmosphere at work with two more people" Harry looked so happy while he spoke that Louis almost forgot to keep eating. He loved seeing Harry like this. "But I think we made the right choice and I'm just happy that I can reduce my hours in a few weeks ...".

"You wanna reduce your hours?" Louis dropped his food. "Why?".

"Because I wanna spend more time with you and the girls? I know I already have the weekends off completely all the time but the rest of the week, I'm constantly at work or at least, it feels like it. Of course, I have my break and one short day like today but it just isn't enough" Harry explained his reasoning and ended up rambling, rendering Louis absolutely speechless. "That's why I've been pushing the interviews along. Running the doctor's office alone with Sean is a lot of stress and takes lots of my time. Four more helping hands will allow me to cut my hours short and be home more".

"You'd want that?" Louis brought out barely audible.

"Of course, Lou" Harry grabbed his hand again. "Your working hours are gonna change when you run the restaurant and ...".

"You don't have to do that for me, Haz" Louis' mind was empty.

"But I want to do this. For you. For me. For the girls" Harry didn't stop looking at him. "For us".

And Louis understood what those two words really meant. It made him wanna jump up and kiss Harry. "For our family".

"Yes, Lou. For our family. I wanna be there as much as possible and with two more doctors, it's easier to be spontaneous or take time off for a longer p ...".

"Shit, I love you so much" Louis couldn't bare to hear another word without being able to snog the living shit out of Harry. "You can't even imagine what this means to me. Not just you wanting to be around more. Everything you do is too much to handle".

"Sorry?" Harry grinned unapologetically.

"Never be sorry for being the absolute best boyfriend anyone could ever wish for, Haz" Louis squeezed his hand, his tone serious and strong. "Saying I love you feels like it's not enough anymore".

"I feel exactly the same, Lou. There aren't enough words in this world to express how much you mean to me" Harry gazed at him dreamily. "I adore you, Angel Eyes".

"And I'd kill for you, Princess. For you and our family" Louis felt so stupidly sappy but he didn't care any longer. It was how he truly felt.

Just when Harry opened his mouth to speak, Louis' phone started ringing. Immediately, he recognised the ringtone and he frowned. "That's my mum".

"Take it, Lou. It might be important".

Fishing his phone out of his pocket, Louis accepted the call. "Hi, Mum? Is everything alright?".

"Well, I'm in the hospital and about to see Dr. Stewart for a check-up," his mother told him unexpectedly.

"But your next check-up isn't ...".

"I know, Buttercup" Jasmine cut him off, sounding tired. "I'm here because I woke up with a weird fever and lately I've been so tired".

Her words shouldn't scare him as much but they did. That's how it had started last time. "Do you want me to come over?".

"I called because I knew I couldn't stop you anyway as soon as you knew" his mother chuckled on the other end of the line. "And I knew you'd be mad if I didn't tell you right away".

"Damn right, Mum. Text me where exactly you are and I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" Louis glanced at Harry across the table and he looked mildly terrified and highly concerned.

"Don't speed here, young man. Take your time" Jasmine warned him seriously, knowing her son way too well.

"Fine. I promise" Louis ended the call, burying his face in his hands. "Shit, my mum is in the hospital. I need to go there ...".

"Of course, Louis. You don't have to explain" Harry took a hold of his hand yet again, squeezing it comfortingly. "Is she alright?".

"I'm not sure. From what she told me, it sounds exactly like the first symptoms back then and now I'm scared that the cancer might be back" Louis let him know how terrified he was.

"Then what are you still doing here? Go. I take care of the bill and everything else. It's your day off, right?" Harry obviously tried to stay calm for his sake, which made Louis love him even more.

"Yes but tomorrow I have to go back to ... Shit, I can't just go over there now. Not even tomorrow or ...".

"Why not, Louis? I'm sure we can figure it out".

"Mae and Eve are about to come home in thirty minutes and I don't want them to see me like this yet. I don't wanna worry them when there might be a chance that everything is fine" Louis wasn't really listening to what he was even saying, his mind racing with scenarios that he wanted to avoid but then he felt Harry's touch on his hand and his mind seemed to be able to focus again. "Haz, could you take them with you to your mum's house? I'm sure they'd love to go with you and meet her".

For a second, Harry just unblinkingly stared at him but then he seemed to come back from wherever he has been lost in and only smiled at Louis. "Of course, I'll take them with me, Lou".

"Really? Thank you, Haz. You're a lifesaver" Louis felt relief wash over him. He really had the best boyfriend of them all.

"It's really no big deal, Lou. My mum is dying to meet them and I would have offered it anyway but you beat me to it. That's a first" Harry caressed Louis' hand tenderly.

"That's why you looked so out of it. Because I asked you to take them with you without hesitation" Louis realised what he meant.

"You can't blame me. I'm not used to you willingly asking for help. I had to offer it to you and almost force you to accept it many times and you know it" Harry bit the inside of his cheek.

"I know but I learned to ask for help and accept it, especially when it comes to you. I trust you with my daughters blindly and that really shouldn't come as a surprise, Haz" Louis shrugged bashfully.

"It amazes me every time though" Harry blushed deeply. "And now go and see your mum. I get the girls and explain everything".

"I love you so much, Haz" Louis stood up and walked over to his boyfriend to kiss him goodbye and pour his gratitude into the kiss. "I adore you, Harry Styles".

"It's mutual, Angel" Harry smiled into the kiss, slapping his bum lightly. "Now go".

"Alright, alright. I go".

As quickly as possible, Louis headed for the hospital and sprinted right towards the right ward, texting Zayn and Liam on the way. The nurses told him that his mother was being examined at the moment and he had to wait for an indefinite amount of time. With a sigh, Louis took a seat in the external waiting area and rested his head on his hands, worrying thoughts taking over his mind. He wasn't sure what he would do if the cancer was back but he knew that the chances to beat it a second time were slim. He couldn't ...

"Oh, Louis" the voice of Liam tore him out of his depressing and spiralling thoughts, his head snapping towards his friend. "I came as fast as I could. Zayn is stuck at work but ...".

"You're here" Louis cut his friend off with a genuine smile. "You didn't have to come, Liam".

"I wanted to. I didn't want you to be alone" Liam sat down next to him. "I presume Harry is on his way to his family already, right?".

Glancing at the time, Louis nodded slightly. "He should be by now. We were together when my mum called but they have to be on their way...".

"They?" Liam blinked puzzled.

"Mae and Eve are going with him. I didn't want them to worry just yet, so I asked him if he could take them" Louis explained to him.

"And of course, he said yes" Liam didn't look surprised anymore.

"He loves us" Louis shrugged for lack of something better to do, avoiding his friend's eyes for a reason he didn't understand himself.

Leaving that uncommented, Liam tilted his head aside. "And how's Jasmine? Did they tell you anything?".

"Nothing useful, to be honest" Louis sighed heavily, his hands starting to shake against his will. "She told me she has a fever and has been unusually tired lately. My alarm bells went off instantly".

"Rightfully so" Liam understood what he meant with his words. He has been there from the start the last time. "But it doesn't have to mean anything this time. Maybe it's just a normal fever".

"I really hope you're right" Louis rubbed a hand over his face. "Tell me something. Distract me. How are things going with Zayn?".

Blushing at the mention of his boyfriend, Liam smiled coyly. "We are good and very happy. Sometimes I catch myself staring at him and wondering how this is real life. I still can't believe we became more than friends and are planning a future together".

"I definitely didn't see it coming back in school but last year, it was painfully obvious what was going on. I couldn't be happier for you two. You really are made for each other" Louis smiled at him.

"Thanks, Louis. You played a big role in bringing us together and I will forever be grateful" Liam thanked him unnecessarily, so Louis just waved him off. "Last week, we talked about our living situation. You know, with you moving out and in with Harry, we started thinking. We could try to find a way to keep the flat but we weren't sure if that would be worth it, no matter how great it is".

"I didn't even think about that" Louis frowned in realisation. "Now I feel like the worst friend ever. How could I not think about that?".

"You had so much on your plate, Louis. It's alright. It's really none of your concern. We ...".

"It is my concern, Liam" Louis insisted stubbornly. "You two tried everything to help me for years and it's not fair to leave you alone with this. We rented the flat because it was the best for all of us".

"At the time that was true, yeah. But it's not the best for all of us anymore, is it?" Liam only looked knowingly at him. "Zayn and I are so happy for you. You deserve everything you're getting and more, Louis. You and your family need a place of your own and that's absolutely fine. You said yourself that Zayn and I want a family of our own someday and would need more space for just us".

"I did say that, yeah. But I was mostly freaking out over ...".

"I know" Liam smirked smugly, shutting him up. "But you were right anyway. I mean, we're not planning on starting a family this year but probably next year or something. That's why we don't move in with Sean and Niall. It wouldn't be fair".

"That was an option?" Louis hasn't been aware of that.

"Yes, because they have also been thinking about the time after Harry. The difference is that they can stay in the penthouse without him effortlessly and will probably do so for a while. Fittingly, Zayn and I bumped into some of our other neighbours yesterday. They told us that they're moving out in a few months' time due to another baby coming along and missing space when they found something new. So, we offered them our flat in exchange for theirs" Liam let him in on their progress, shocking him to no end.

"What? Well, that's convenient" Louis couldn't believe it.

"It really is. It's kinda perfect" Liam agreed with him. "Except ...".

"You'd probably have to move out sooner than July" Louis knew where he was going with this. "This isn't as much of a problem as you might think. My mum and Zoey told me a few days ago that the chances are high that they already found a new flat and can move in around May. So, I guess it's all happening a lot sooner".

"I'm kinda glad to hear that. I was worried it could be an issue ...".

"It could have been but the odds are weirdly in our favour lately" Louis chuckled at the bizarre situation they were all in. "Hopefully, it stays this way. I'm just starting to think positive".

"It's lovely to hear that. This positivity and faith in the future look good on you. I haven't seen you this happy in ages" Liam nudged his shoulder. "Come to think of it, I don't think you've ever been this happy. It suits you though".

"Thanks, you sab" Louis knocked their shoulders together. "Let's just hope it's enough faith to keep my mum around".

"It will be, Louis" Liam squeezed his hand encouragingly.

As if fate was agreeing with Liam, Louis' phone vibrated at that moment, making them both jump. Getting his phone out, he saw a new text from his mother, informing him that she was done with her examination and had to stay the night. In sync, he and Liam stood up and looked for her room to check on her. Rather quickly, they found it and knocked on the door with his heart in his throat.

"Louis" his mother smiled at him from her hospital bed.

"Mum" Louis sighed out shakily, stepping closer. "How are you feeling? What did Dr. Stewart say?".

"I'm a bit tired but otherwise I'm alright, Buttercup" Jasmine took a hold of his hand, beckoning him to sit down on her bed. "They ran a few tests and now we have to wait till tomorrow to get the results".

"I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight" Louis frowned worriedly.

"Oh, Baby" Jasmine stroked some hair out of his face. "It's gonna be alright. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me".

"I will always worry about you, Mum. You can't stop me" Louis smiled weakly at her, trying to think positively this time.

"No, I can't but I can distract you by telling you that Zoey texted me that we got the flat we wanted," Jasmine told him casually.

"Really? That's great, Mum" Louis hugged her happily. "And quite fitting. We just talked about the entire moving situation outside".

"Of course, you did" Jasmine chuckled amusedly. "Does that mean you're okay with moving sooner than planned?".

"More than okay. It feels like it was written in the stars and I won't question it anymore. I'll just accept it" Louis felt like all of this was meant to happen. It was all part of a bigger picture.

"Look what effect love has on you, Darling" Jasmine laughed at his words. "It's quite beautiful".

"That's really not what I m ...".

"Keep telling yourself that, Buttercup" Jasmine mocked him. "We all know how it is. It's written all over your face".

"She is right, Louis" Liam agreed with her evilly.

"I hate both of you" Louis grumbled with his arms crossed.

The two of them just laughed at Louis' antics and teased him a bit more until he and Liam had to leave. The teasing has been the perfect way to distract Louis from his worries for the time being but as soon as he was home, all his worries came back and he felt restless. Skipping dinner, Louis disappeared into his bedroom and texted Harry how he was feeling, needing him right now.

In a matter of seconds, he got a call from his boyfriend, who tried everything to ease Louis' mind but it was really difficult. At some point, Zayn checked in on him shortly but left him and Harry be for the night. Trying to get him to sleep, Harry told him about his girls meeting Harry's family for the first time and it put a smile on Louis' face. Feeling a bit sleepy, Louis told Harry over and over again how much he loved him and how much it meant to him that he took the girls with him to his family. It meant the world to him.

Knowing Louis was on the brink of finally falling asleep, Harry started singing to him softly. His voice was raspy but soft at the same time and it made Louis feel as if he was being wrapped in a warm blanket by his lovely boyfriend. It lulled him to sleep rather quickly.

"I love you, Louis".

Saturday morning, Jasmine texted him that all of her tests have been good so far and that they had to take some more when he was sitting at the breakfast table with Zayn. Reading over her words a dozen times, Louis wasn't sure if he felt better or worse now. More tests were never a good sign. He knew that too well. How was he supposed to go to work and focus on the guests with this uncertainty hanging over him? What was he supposed to do when his mother texted him during work that the cancer was back?

"Don't picture the worst-case scenario already, Tommy" Zayn immediately knew what was going through Louis' head. "Everything will be alright, okay? More tests could mean it's something else".

"What if it isn't?" Louis gnawed on his bottom lip violently.

"What if it is?" Zayn looked crookedly at him. "Don't give yourself a heart attack over what-ifs, okay? Think positive, go to work and wait for an update. And if it's the worst it could be, then we both know Maria and Paul would let you leave right away".

"You're right" Louis breathed out a shaky breath. "I can do this".

"You can. Now eat".

Obeying reluctantly, Louis finished his breakfast. Afterwards, he cleaned the kitchen and the living room to busy his mind and because he was a stress cleaner. When it was time to leave for work, Louis wasn't less stressed but he was reasonable enough to know he had to go on as normal as possible. His mother wouldn't want him to worry himself to death. It wouldn't benefit anyone.

At work, Maria and Paul immediately knew that something was off and asked him about it before he could even get changed. Telling them about the situation, they promised him he could leave if he had to. Overcome by too many emotions, he hugged both of them and thanked them for being the best people on this planet.

Calming down a little, he got changed and started to work. For the first four hours, he almost forgot that he has been worried but then his phone vibrated in his pocket and his entire world stopped, all kinds of scenarios running through his mind. Sensing his nerves, Maria dragged him into the back and ordered him to read the text with her right next to him. Terrified, Louis unlocked his phone and read the message. Once, twice, three times, frozen in place.

"What is it, Louis?" Maria touched his cheek lightly.

Sniffling, Louis looked up with teary eyes. "She's fine, M".

"Oh, thank God" Maria pulled him into her arms. "You had me worried there for a second, Louis".

"Sorry, M. I just feel so relieved that it made me cry. I've been so worried and now she is alright and already on her way home" Louis couldn't stop a few more tears from falling. "I might need a moment to calm down before I can go back out there. Oh, and I have to text Harry and tell him the good news. He's just as worried and ...".

"Go and tell him" Maria motioned to the door with her head.

"I can't. I told you he's visiting his family with ...".

"I know" Maria's face didn't change at all. "Go, Louis".

"But I'm not done for the day and I have work tomorrow ...".

"Go and be with your family, Louis" Maria grabbed his chin. "You worked overtime almost every day for over three weeks. I think it's alright when you leave now and only come back on Tuesday".

Not being able to process her words, Louis shook his head and hugged her again. "I don't know what to say. Thank you".

"It's nothing, Louis" Maria waved the matter off.

"It's everything. You're the best boss in the world" Louis couldn't believe what was happening.

"You're gonna be just as good" Maria flicked his chin.

"I'll try my best".

"But not right now. Go or I make you".

Kissing her cheek, Louis sprinted out of the back, only grabbing his clothes and leaving the restaurant. With a fast step, he made his way back to their building to get his car. Throwing his clothes in the back, Louis started the car and headed off to see Harry. On his way, Louis thought it over a billion times but turning back was no option tonight. Every cell in his body longed for Harry right now, so he ignored how badly this could backfire.

Around two hours later, Louis arrived at his destination, shutting his car off. Looking up at the house, he saw some lights being on downstairs. Realising he would probably meet Harry's mother unannounced and in his work clothes in a minute, Louis panicked and took out his phone, needing to text Harry a warning.

To Haz:

"Are the girls in bed?".

From Haz:

"Yes, why? Bad news?".

To Haz:

"I'm kinda outside your door".

Shoving his phone into his pocket, Louis got out of the car and walked over to the front door. Before he could do anything, the door was torn open and he was met with a puzzled-looking Harry gaping at him in disbelief. Insecurely, Louis tried to smile at him but a part of him was terrified that he wasn't welcome, which was very stupid and he knew that. He just couldn't help it. He was scared.

"Lou" Harry breathed out almost reverently. "Are you alright?".

Rendered speechless by too much love for this man, Louis simply closed the distance between them and fell into Harry's arms. In an instant, Harry wrapped his arms tightly around him, pulling him impossibly closer. Breathing in the lovely smell of his boyfriend and basking in his warmth, Louis felt his tears coming back.

"She's fine" Louis croaked out against Harry's neck.

"Lou, that's amazing" Harry tightened his arms around him to pick him up and twirl them around. "I thought with you being here it might have been bad news and you needed me".

"I do need you right now, Haz" Louis untucked his face from Harry's neck, looking deep into his eyes. "I always need you".

"And I always need you, Angel" Harry rested his hands on the small of Louis' back. "No tragedy needed?".

"No" Louis shook his head with a watery smile, playing with the hairs on Harry's neck. "My first thought was you when she told me she's alright. I wanted to tell you because I also need you when I'm happy. Over the moon and so relieved that I could cry".

Blushingly, Harry pecked his lips. "So, you decided to drive all the way here to tell me in person instead of texting me?".

"I can leave if you don't want me here" Louis cocked an eyebrow at him teasingly.

"That's not what I meant. Of course, I want you here" Harry rubbed their noses together. "Meet my mum, Lou".

"Of course, Haz" Louis kissed him sweetly, his heart pounding.

Finally stepping out of the cold January air and into the warm house, Louis kicked off his shoes and dropped his bag by the door. Adjusting his work clothes, Louis followed Harry into the living room, where Abby and Harry's mother immediately looked up at them. Feeling his throat going dry, he grabbed Harry's hand.

"Louis, it's so nice to see you again" Abby stood up from the couch to pull him into a hug but he still didn't let go of his boyfriend. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you need anything?".

"No, I'm good. But thank you, Abby" Louis declined politely.

"So, you're Louis" Harry's mother approached him now. "My son told me a lot about you. I'm Annabelle but call me Bella".

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella" Louis smiled at her, trying not to come off as too intimidated. "I'm sorry for showing up out of the blue like this. I won't bother you for too long ...".

"Nonsense, Louis" Bella waved him off friendly. "Harry told us what's going on, Love. You're not bothering us. I'm happy to finally meet you, even under these circumstances. Is your mother okay?".

"She's alright, yeah. It was a false alarm" Louis relaxed in her presence. She seemed to be genuinely happy to have him here.

"I'm glad to hear that" Bella smiled warmly at him. "Are you sure you're not hungry? It's really not a bother".

"This is really nice of you but I'm actually really tired. This day has been strangely exhausting and I feel drained. I don't think I could stomach any kind of food right now" Louis rejected her offer kindly.

"Of course, Darling. We understand. Do you wanna lie down?" she offered him generously. "You can sleep in Harry's room".

"I don't wanna be a b ...".

"You are staying the night, right? It's not safe for you to drive back when you're this tired. You can have breakfast with us tomorrow and come to the petting zoo later" Abby talked over him, not letting him decline yet another offer. "Mae and Eve are very excited".

"Abs, I told you he has to work t ...".

"That sounds really nice" Louis didn't let his boyfriend finish. "I'm definitely in but right now, I could fall asleep on the spot".

"Then go to bed, Darling. We see you in the morning" Bella sent him another warm smile. "It's a pleasure to have you here".

"I'm gonna come with you, Lou" Harry squeezed his hand softly, reminding him that he has been holding onto it the entire time.

"Of course" Abby snorted teasingly.

"Good night, boys" Bella sent them off while simultaneously smacking her daughter's head laughingly. "See you in the morning".

"Good night, Mum".

"Good night".

Grabbing his bag on the way, Louis followed Harry upstairs and into his old bedroom. As soon as the door was closed, Harry stared at him. "I thought you have to work tomorrow".

"You're not wrong but Maria gave me the day off when she literally kicked me out of the restaurant earlier," Louis told him cheekily.

"So, I have to thank Maria that I have you with me right now? I should've known that" Harry pulled him back into his arms. "She keeps pushing you into my arms. I have a hunch that she likes me".

"You could be right with that, Haz" Louis got lost in green eyes like every time he looked at his boyfriend. "She might have mentioned it to me a few times".

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed triumphantly. "I knew it".

"You're hard not to like, Baby. Of course, she likes you. How could she not? You make me indescribably happy by just being you and loving me every day" Louis cupped Harry's cheek tenderly.

"Loving you comes easy to me, Lou. Have you met yourself? How could I not love you? You are incredible" Harry nuzzled into the touch. "Wait, how's it possible that you're here so fast? Did you learn how to fly or did Maria let you go earlier?".

"I learned how to fly obviously" Louis took the piss, making his boy pout adorably. "She told me not to worry about anything and go. She sent me off to be with my family in this moment of happiness".

"Your family" Harry gazed at him in something close to wonder.

Filled with fuzzy warmth, Louis nodded smilingly. Bumping their noses, Louis pulled Harry into a love-filled kiss. With their arms wrapped around each other, they simply kissed for a while before getting ready for bed. Later with Harry in his arms, Louis couldn't stop smiling like a fool. Right before he was falling asleep, he thought to himself that coming here was definitely the right move.

Waking up with Harry safely in his arms was Louis' favourite feeling in the whole wide world. Exhaling a little yawn into his neck, Louis tightened his grip on Harry's waist, hearing him humming contently. Nosing along his neck, Louis pressed little kisses onto the skin, making his boyfriend giggle and turn around in his arms to face him. A barely awake Harry was stunningly beautiful.

"Hi, beautiful" Louis tucked a strand of hair behind Harry's ear.

"Good morning, Angel" Harry looked at him with bright eyes. "I can't believe you're actually here in my old bedroom".

"But I am and I have to say, it's a really nice room. Teenage Haz is someone I wish I had met when he was still around" Louis tried hard not to picture a teenage version of Harry but failed.

"He was a bit of a loser and a loner though. You didn't miss ...".

"None of that" Louis shushed Harry, laying his finger on his lips. "I wouldn't have cared about that. I wasn't popular or something".

"You should have been" Harry frowned endearingly. "Look at you. You're stunning and hot and talented and so kind".

"I wasn't back in the days, Haz" Louis chuckled fondly, simply accepting his compliments in the morning. "I looked like a raging lesbian back in school and was a theatre kid. Not really cool".

"How come I've never seen a single picture of you as a lesbian?" Harry hooked amusedly. "I think that's worth a look".

"Definitely not" Louis shook his head laughingly.

"I show you mine if you show me yours" Harry wiggled his eyebrows funnily at him, earning a smack from Louis.

"My embarrassing twink pictures in exchange for your gorgeous curly baby ones? That doesn't sound fair to me" Louis pursed his lips, trying and failing to contain his happy giggles.

"You were not an embarrassing twink in ...".

"But I was, Haz" Louis sighed exaggeratedly. "I'd say ask Zayn or my mum but I'm sure they'd love to show you all of the pictures and embarrass me into eternity, so don't do that".

"Sounds intriguing" Harry smirked deviously at him.

"Oh, yeah?" Louis raised an eyebrow at him challengingly. "I'm sure your mum would love to take out your old photo albums".

And just like that, Harry paled. "Please, don't ask her".

"I'm not sure you deserve my mercy, Love. I might do it at b ...".

"No, don't!" Harry threw himself on top of Louis, trapping him underneath his body. "If you really love me, you won't do it".

"I'd never do something you really don't want, Haz" Louis dropped the act to caress his boyfriend's face tenderly.

"I know" Harry pressed a fleeting kiss to the inside of Louis'wrist. "And you were a twink in school? I can't see it".

"Because I'm such a hot dad nowadays, mh?" Louis smirked smugly up at him, seeing Harry's eyes slightly darkening.

"You're the hottest daddy I know, Lou" Harry licked his bottom lip abnormally slowly, causing Louis to track the movement.

"You know a lot of daddies?" Louis couldn't help but ask.

"No one that matters" Harry leaned closer to his face, making Louis swallow and his dick twitch lazily. "No one's like you".

Studying Harry's face and the look in his eyes, Louis saw something that he hasn't seen before and it made his insides burn. "No one's like who, Princess?".

A quiet, almost pained whimper escaped Harry's lips before his dark eyes locked with Louis' supportive eyes. "No one else matters because no one is like you, Daddy".

Not expecting to like the way it felt hearing these words rolling off of Harry's tongue so much, Louis grabbed his face and pulled him into a bruising morning kiss, morning breath be damned. Only a second later, Harry reciprocated the kiss just as passionately but none of them deepened it more or moved other body parts. At this special moment, their sloppy kissing was more than enough.

"You wanted to say it on New Year's Eve, right?" Louis darkly remembered how Harry had looked as if he was holding back on something that night. Only for a moment but it had been there.

"Briefly, yeah. I had a moment where it was on the tip of my tongue but it didn't feel appropriate or right. Mostly because you didn't know about ...".

"Why didn't I know, Haz? You can tell me everything" Louis had to know why he had kept this a secret.

"I was scared? Not of you judging me for it but it's one thing to prefer bottoming as someone like me. It's a totally different thing to have a daddy kink and admit to it" Harry was biting the inside of his cheek anxiously, not looking at him although he was still sitting on top of him. "I've never been able to live it out, so maybe it ...".

"Did you see what it did to me?" Louis tilted Harry's chin up. "I didn't even know I'd react like that".

"No?".

"No, Haz. I wasn't aware I would like it that much but I didn't care. I would've encouraged you to let it out anyway, no matter if I was totally into it or not. I want you to be able to live out every part of you with me, okay? You don't have to hide anything from me. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever" Louis told him determinedly.

"But ...".

"No buts, Harry" Louis didn't let him contradict him. "I mean, all the butts technically but that's beside the point".

"You're an idiot" Harry giggled cutely, relaxing visibly.

"It made you relax" Louis shrugged as good as he could while still lying on his back with Harry on top of him. "What I was trying to say is that I don't care about what kinks you have. You can tell me about all of them and I won't judge or tell you to hide them away".

"But what if you're absolutely not into it? I can't lose you over some stupid kink that I only wanna live out once in a few m ...".

"You won't lose me over a kink, Haz" Louis cupped his face. "I think I'm up for almost everything as long as you don't have a foot fetish. I'm not a feet person but I might be able to endure it o ...".

"I do not have a foot fetish, Lou" Harry grinned at him happily. "I have something of a daddy kink and a teeny tiny pain kink but I don't want or need it every day. Every once in a while is enough".

"Are you sure?" Louis double-checked unconvinced.

"I'm sure, Louis" Harry was now the one touching Louis' face. "I have moments when I might want it a bit rougher but most of the time, I'm a sucker for gentle love-making. Your love-making, Lou".

Feeling his ears turning red, Louis tried to find his voice. "So, as long as I fuck you hard once a week, you're satisfied and won't run off to someone else instead of telling me to do it more often?".

"Louis" Harry wailed with bright red cheeks, hiding his face in Louis' neck. "If you wanna put it like that, then yes. But I would never look for someone else because of some minor kink. I'm happy with you and love everything about our sex life. No one has ever made me feel the way that you make me feel while having sex. And I know you like to be gentle but I can see that you can be different. You want to, Blue. You have it in you. You like it".

"I do, yeah" Louis admitted without a problem. "But when it comes to you I just f ... I feel like I have to cherish you and treat you with uttermost care. You're precious and deserve all the gentle touches".

"So do you, Angel" Harry stroked his cheek gently before connecting their lips in another, much tamer kiss. "And as much as I love you, I should probably stand up and take a cold shower".

"I'd offer to join you but we shouldn't do this in your childhood home" Louis chuckled breathlessly, admiring his boyfriend.

"We did it in your childhood home" Harry pointed out rightly.

"That's different. I lived there as an adult" Louis tapped Harry's nose, causing him to wrinkle it like a little bunny.

"Fair enough" Harry snatched Louis' hand out of the air before he could drop it, pressing a sweet kiss onto it. "I should shower".

"Have fun without me but not too much" Louis cackled idiotically.

"I'm in love with a literal child" Harry shook his head, standing up and heading for the door. "Stay here. I'll be quick".

"I'm sure you will be" Louis winked exaggeratedly at him.

"Hopeless" Harry sighed dramatically, leaving the room.

Before Harry closed the door, Louis could hear his daughters downstairs. Suddenly buzzing with new energy, Louis got out of bed and headed downstairs, not caring that he was still clad in a pair of Harry's sweatpants and a t-shirt that was too big for him. All he wanted was to see his kids and let them know he was here. But when he was able to locate the noises coming from the kitchen, he also realised the girls weren't alone. Bella was with them.

"Oh, good morning, Louis" Bella spotted him by the kitchen door rather quickly, alarming his daughters.

"Dad!" both of them exclaimed, dropping everything to run into his arms. "What are you doing here?".

"I missed you" Louis pressed them tightly against him.

"We missed you too, Dad".

"But Hazzy came home and told us to pack some clothes because we were meeting his family? I was so excited".

"And then we drove here with his car and listened to Disney music the entire ride".

"Hazzy can sing, Dad. Did you know that? Like a princess".

"You could sing together. A duet. Prince and princess".

"Maybe one day" Louis smiled at his excited daughters.

"Oh, and we met Hazzy's mother and sister and they took us to the farmer's market to buy fresh food".

"And then we helped with dinner and watched a movie before going to bed. We didn't hear you coming in".

"You were already in bed, lovelies".

"And when we woke up, we went downstairs to help with our breakfast but Bella was already done with most of it".

"But she let us help with the last pancakes".

"You mean you pestered her until she let you help?" Louis raised an eyebrow at his guilty-looking children.

"No!".

"They were a really big help, Louis. Don't worry. They didn't pester me" Bella inserted herself into their conversation, gaining the girls' attention. "Can you bring this to the table? But be careful".

"Of course".

"I'm always careful".

"Since when?" Louis snorted amusedly, which made Evelina poke her tongue out at him before running over to the counter and taking the pancake plate. "Don't drop it. Look where you're going".

"I know what I'm doing, Dad" Evelina groaned dramatically.

"Insufferable" Louis shook his head at her antics before facing Bella again. "I hope they really weren't too much of a bother".

"They were fine. I can handle your children, Louis" Bella waved his worries off, preparing some tea. "You have two wonderful girls. They are little angels and so well-behaved. Kind and charming. They offer their help on their own and won't take no for an answer. It's hard not to love them. They're adorable".

"They are quite amazing, mh?" Louis watched his girls setting the breakfast table, knowing not all ten-year-olds were like them.

"Just like their father" Bella leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Um ...".

"I know we already established that but I'm very glad that we finally met. Harry talked so much about you for so long and then Abby met you and couldn't shut up about you either. I felt left out and really wanted to meet the man that makes my son so happy" Bella sipped on her tea, totally shaking his entire world.

"Haz talks a lot about you all the time. I've been looking forward to meeting you as well, even though I had pictured it differently" Louis replied helplessly, not knowing what else to say. He was lost.

"Meeting like this felt and still feels natural, don't you think?" she tilted her head aside. "I don't think some overly official meeting with some dinner would have done us any justice. Meeting like this was perfect. Don't worry too much about it, Louis".

"I'll try" Louis stepped finally away from the door frame to steady himself on the middle kitchen aisle. He needed some support.

"Tea?" Bella offered him a cup of her freshly made tea.

"Yes, thank you" Louis accepted the cup gratefully.

"Sugar? Milk?".

"A splash of milk".

Taking a sip of his tea, Louis mentally prepared himself to have a full-on conversation with Bella but she decided to kill him. "You should know that I've been rooting for the two of you for a long time but I've been sure my son loves you when he texted you about his sister's pregnancy and not Niall or anyone else. I know it took sometime after that and I'm aware of Harry hurting you along the way but I'm just happy you were able to work things out".

"Me too. Living without him seems impossible. I never stood a chance, to be honest. You raised an amazing man" Louis felt himself starting to blush, not entirely sure why she told him that.

"I tried my best to teach him good values and I think I might have succeeded" Bella grinned cheekily. "But what I was trying to say with all of this was simply that this meeting was overdue. I've been begging him to bring you along since that charity event".

"Since then? But that day really wasn't our best" Louis blurted out in surprise, biting down on his tongue a bit too late.

"No, I know. He told me everything but he also told me how you agreed to accompany him although it was obvious that you didn't really feel like it. You did it for him and that meant the world to him and me. Not everyone prioritizes their partner like that. It showed me what kind of person you are" Bella looked intensively at him. "And I mean, the night might have gone to shit but it took a good turn. When Harry told me how he had told Josh and those doctors off for treating you like shit, I was very proud and ...".

"Wait, what?" Louis didn't know about that part, staring at her.

"You didn't know that?" Bella looked shocked and a little bit confused. "I thought he told you about it".

"No, he didn't. We didn't really talk about that night again after we talked things through and realised we love each other, no matter what"Louis put the teacup down. "But he told them off?".

"Yeah, he apparently went back inside after you left and caused a big scene, telling them off for making you feel small. That's all I know though, no details or anything" Bella revealed to him.

"That's more than enough. Thank you" Louis smiled genuinely at her, picturing the scene in his head and it made him feel warm.

"You're welcome but what I actually wanted to say from the start is that I'm happy we met and I'm happy my son has you in his life. I've never seen him so happy" Bella circled back to her original thought. "He loves you and your daughters more than anything and it makes me happy to see your girls interact with him. It's all he ever wanted".

"It's all I ever wanted" Louis' insides felt like melted goo by now. "I love him more than I can express with words and seeing him with our girls always makes me stop and stare. I wanna marry him".

"Well, I can't wait for it" Bella's smile grew impossibly wider. "You definitely have my blessing, not that you need it though. He'd marry you, no matter what I say. He'd rather run away with his family than give you up and ... Damn it, when did this turn so bloody sappy?".

"I have no idea but it tends to happen when I talk about Harry with anyone and by now, I don't care anymore" Louis shrugged unfazed, too used to getting lost in mushy thoughts of his man.

At that moment, Bella looked ready to burst into happy tears but she shook herself out of it. "I think we should finally head out for breakfast, should we? The pancakes are definitely cold by now".

"After you" Louis motioned for her to lead the way.

"And they say chivalry is dead".

 Rolling his eyes at her comment, Louis followed her to the set breakfast table, Mae and Eve already waiting for them impatiently. Right in time, Abby and Harry came downstairs to join them and they all ate breakfast together and chatted lively, planning their trip to the petting zoo. And every time the girls were being perfectly polite and charming and adorable and looked at Harry with so much love in their eyes, Louis caught himself thinking that their daughters really were special and he needed to marry this man.  

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This chapter turned out longer than expected. I never planned to make Louis and Bella's meeting so awkward but I had no idea how to write it, to be honest. I hope it isn't too bad