This one is dedicated to bluexogreen
Hope you enjoy it :)

^^^

2020 dedication. Again, idk if that account still exists. I'm just leaving it there.

Also, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2023 Mag 🦋

FOURTEEN

The alarm went of at six am just as always.
But this time I wasn't on my bed, and I wasn't alone either.

I was surrounded by another person, soft hair pressed against my nose, tender hands above my stomach, a hoarsed hum of complain reverberating on my neck and a foot softly stroking up and down my calves.

I reached for my phone, turning the alarm off and then turning again to face Harry.

"Good morning." - He whispered, smiling softly at me.

"Good morning, love."

He hummed in contentement, yawning into his palm. 

"I slept so good." - He sighed, now burying his face back in my chest. - "I don't want to go to work." - He whined. - "Can't we stay here?"

"Unluckily, were adults and we have responsibilities." - I said, caressing his bare back.

"Being an adult sucks." - He said, making me laugh.

"Yeah. You tell me." - I chuckled. - "But, it doesn't mean we can't repeat it another night." - I said, lifting his chin up and pecking his lips. - "What do you say?" - I asked, looking into his deep green eyes that seemed even more beautiful that morning.

"I say..." - He smirked. - "That it could be easily arranged."

"Great."

"Great." - He smiled, leaning up and pecking my lips again. - "Mmmm... We should really wash our teeth." - He scrunched his nose. - "Sorry." - He said, covering his mouth.

"It's fine. I kissed you first."

Harry chuckled and nodded, dropping his head back on the pillow and separating a bit from me.

"Right."

"Do you always invite guys to sleep in your place? Like, you know. Just to sleep. With you in bed."

"Not really." - He shrugged. - "It's... A bit intimate, I guess. Like spending the night. It's different than just sex. It's been a while since a guy stayed to actually sleep."

I hummed.

"Why did you say yes to me then?" - I asked and he turned his head, smiling softly.

"Because you weren't just any random guy. And we're dating. I'm comfortable with you and... Yeah, it was going to happen someday."

"I know, but... Is this weird?"

"I'm pretty sure we've already got over that question." - Harry answered giggling.

"Sorry, it just scares me because of Freddie. I don't know if he is going to understand it."

"I don't know either.  But also, he's a kid. Kids adapt way easier than adults. The important thing here is how you feel about this. Do you feel like it's too much? That we should take things... Slower?"

"I ..." - It took me some seconds to make up my mind about what I wanted to say. - "I like being around you. It's like I want to hang out with you or talk to you most of the time."

Harry smiled at me.

"So? What's your conclusion?"

"I guess I just want you to be with me, but I don't know if this is maybe going too fast."

He got closer to me and our noses touched, he was looking straight to my eyes, without saying a word.

He smiled and pressed his lips in mine in a little kiss, then he separated and continued looking into my eyes without saying a word.

Just staring fondly at me.

"What?" - I mumbled.

He stared at my mouth for a while and then placed his thumb in my lips and started making traces with it all over my lips, jaw and then my cheeks.

"You amaze me." - He whispered. - "I never expected you to be so... Open. Like so ready." - He smiled timidly. - "You are fearless. And I love that. You're not afraid of saying things, neither afraid of commitment. I'm..." - He sighed, shaking his head in amusement. - "So attracted to you." - He giggled. - "But I understand that you're still trying to figure a lot of things out. So, let's take things calmly, what do you say? Just enjoy this for a while?" - He whispered, stroking my cheek sweetly.

"Yes." - I nodded, feeling him closer to my lips, sealing the agreement with a tiny kiss.

"Good. Now, let's get out of bed, we lost twenty minutes already." - He said, quickly sitting up and leaving my side.

I groaned, slowly pushing the duvet away and sitting up as well, watching Harry's every move around the room.

"Do you want me to drive you to work? I could go pick Freddie up and leave the two of you at the daycare."

Harry stopped his actions, turning to look at me with an eyebrow raised.

"You think that would be alright?"

"It's only logical. We're both going to the same place. I only need to go pick him first." - I shrugged.

"Sure." - He hummed. - "We can take him for milkshakes too, what do you say?"

"He'll love that."

🌈

When I parked my car on Brianna's block, her cab was already waiting for her outside but she was nowhere to be seen.

It was unusual to see the front door open that early in the morning, so while frowning, I knocked on the frame door before letting myself in.

"Hey, good morning?" - I said, announcing myself. - "Brianna? I'm here."

She looked startled and strangely out of breath.

"What are you doing here?" - She panted, half dressing Freddie up in the living room with one hand and carrying her bags and make up on the other.

"I'm here to take him to the daycare as usual." - I shrugged. - "What are you doing?"

"I'm dressing him up. He's coming with me. You shouldn't be here." - She breathed out, too busy struggling with a semi asleep Freddie to even look at me. - "Fuck, I'm already late."

"Don't curse, Mama." - Freddie yawned, putting one of the shoes she was handing him on.

"Right, sorry, baby." - She apologized to him.

"What? Brianna, what's going on?"

"You shouldn't have come. He's coming to the studio with me, I told you last night I didn't want Freddie to see that teacher anymore. He's not going to the daycare."

"Ha. Sure." - I snorted, sarcastically.

"Excuse me?" - She finally looked up at me with an eyebrow raised.

"He needs his education, Brianna."

"He also needs to be as far away from that Harry teacher as he can."

"Brianna, you can't let him without school."

"Do you have a better idea then?"

"Let me take him. I promise, Brianna, I promise you, Harry is only doing his job. If this is because I took him to his house, I won't do that again. He won't have to see Harry outside the school again."

"But I want to see teacher Harry, Dad!" - Freddie exclaimed, still standing in between Brianna and I, his shirt half way down his torso and only one shoe on.

"Little lad, please let me speak with your Mama, yeah?" - I said softly, crouching down to face him and also arranging his shirt. - "Why don't you go prepare your bag for school?"

"Okay." - He shrugged, grabbing the missing shoe from his mother's hand and walking to his room.

"Louis, I need to get to work."

"Then let me take care of him this morning."

"I want to change him to another school." - She said sharply.

"You can't do that."

"Louis, I really need to go." - She sighed, applying some lipstick in the mirror and looking at me through it. - "I really don't want Freddie to have anything to do with Harry. You hear me?"

"Yes."

"Take him. But today is his last day, I'm already signing him to another school."

"I... Brianna..."

"I made my decision, Louis."

"Fine." - I gave up.

"I'll pick him up after." - She said. - "Bye baby, Mama is leaving for work!"

"Bye Mama!" - He came running from his room to hug his mother's legs.

"Love you, my boy." - She said, kissing his hair. - "Be good at school today, yeah?"

"Course, Mama." - He smiled up at her and she ruffled his hair.

"Good." - She smiled back. - "Louis." - She nodded at me.

"Goodbye, Brianna."

🌈

"Teacher Harry!" - Freddie gasped, bouncing on his seat. - "Dad! It's teacher Harry!" - He said, looking from Harry to me back and forth.

"I know buddy, we're going to have breakfast before school." - I laughed.

"Cool! Hello teacher Harry!" - He exclaimed, waving his hands at Harry on the front seat.

"Hi there, Freddie." - Harry smiled at him, turning around in his seat. - "I'm in the mood for some milkshakes, what about you huh?"

"Yes! Milkshakes!"

"Alright then. Louis, drive." - Harry smirked at me, patting over my knee, and I rolled my eyes.

"At your service, Mr."  - I said, turning on the engine.

"And school?" - Freddie asked from the backseat, frowning.

"We'll go after the milkshakes." - Harry smiled at him. - "We still have plenty of time."

"Yeeey! Dad?"

"Yes, buddy?"

"I love Teacher Harry!" - He exclaimed, screaming in joy when Harry attempted to tickle him in the tummy.

"Yeah?" - I swallowed, feeling stressed all of a sudden. - "That's good, buddy."

I turned the volume of the radio up, not wanting to listen to my son's laughter and Harry's stupidly beautiful voice talking sweetly at him in return.

I knew I had lied to Brianna.
Harry didn't even know about all the things that were going on.

And Freddie.
God, I knew I couldn't let him get more attached. This was going to backfire anytime, and I was just adding wood to the fire, wasn't I?

Harry straightened in his seat again, turning the volume down and frowning.

"You okay?"

"Just peachy."

"Is this because of what he said?" - Harry whispered.

"It's... Sort of, yeah."

He reached out to caress the knuckles of my hand over the gearbox.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"This was my idea."

"Huh?"

"The milkshakes. I shouldn't have come with you."

"I'm pretty sure I offered to take you." - I said and Harry sighed. - "It's my fault, H." - I whispered. - "He's getting attached to you out of school."

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

"What's done is done." - I shrugged. - "Let's just pray he doesn't tell his mother."

"Lou..."

"Is that shop okay for milkshakes?" - I changed the subject as I pointed with one hand to the store ahead. - "What do you say, buddy?" - I asked Freddie, looking at him through the review mirror.

"Yes! Strawberry and Banana please!"

"Alright, Strawberry and Banana for my little lad." - I said, already parking on double line. - "What flavor do you want, H?"

"Blueberry." - He sighed.

"Great, be right back, boys."

🌈

My boss and I were half done with the case, so close to reach a settlement in between the parts, so close to give our client the justice they needed.

I still couldn't believe I was working side by side with him, with one of the greatest lawyers and that he had asked for my help, that he had asked for me for such an important Pro Bono case.

We were doing some good, we were doing what many powerful lawyers never did in their entire lives. We were bringing closure and peace to these people that could have never afford it on their own.

I was being part of something big.
And I couldn't step back.

I needed to keep working hard, stay up late and maybe, possibly sleep in the office for the next couple of nights.

Which, it would actually be beneficial while I find a new place to live.

This case was just so close to come to an end, that I couldn't be distracted.

But still, I had too many things accumulated in my mind.
And I was really struggling to get the concentration I needed.

My phones were both turned off and my nose was buried in files, folders, archives.
Reading over and over the same words.

I knew there was a mistake there, there was something, something I knew we could use to negotiate.

My boss was the one snapping me out of it, patting my back.

"Tomlinson, go eat something."

"What? No. I'm fine."

"C'mon." - He smiled, encouragingly. - "Go to the toilet, eat, wash your face. We'll continue later."

"Yeah?"

"Please, you've been working non stop, you deserve it."

"Thank you sir."

"Go." - He smiled and I nodded, leaving the file back inside the folder and standing up.

My back cracked and my knees almost gave up because of my bodyweight.
I picked both of my phones, knowing I should let Harry know I'd be staying the night at the office and not at his place.

But, when I turned my phone on, I found that Brianna had called three times and then left a voicemail.

I frowned, walking down the hall and pushing the door of the terrace opened.
Breathing the fresh air was just what I needed.

Sitting in the ground with my back against the wall, I went to the voicemail, putting it on speaker.

"That's it. Don't you dare showing up tomorrow or today, or never again! You're not seeing Freddie anymore, I mean it for real this time. Don't call, don't come here, just vanish. You're the cause why he's misbehaving and now you're also exposing him!" - She screamed.  - "You exposed our son! He told me you took him for milkshakes? With that teacher?! Are you out of your mind?! I specifically told you I didn't want him close to that guy! But you freaking did because you don't care at all about your son. You only care about your stupid boyfriend, don't you? Yes! Niall told me everything, and you disgust me, Louis! You only care about yourself! And you're gay now? Ha!" - She snorted. - "That's why you were defending him so much. That Harry, he's only getting inside your head, don't you see it? I'm not letting him or you put any more shit inside my son's head." - She stopped for a second to breathe. - "You are a terrible father."

Then the line went dead.
The message was over.

And I was terribly screwed.