Warnings: A whole lot of fluff, Artist!Louis, Father!Harry, some sad moments, smut, alcoholism, swearing, etc.
Summary: Harry is a single father mourning over the death of his girlfriend while trying to look after a six year old. Louis on the other hand has no responsibility whatsoever and spends most of his time in his art studio or sleeping around. After many coincidences, Harry and Louis’ friendship begins to blossom. Their friendship grows stronger until Harry realizes he may like Louis more than he thought.
A/N: This chapter is just about Harry and his life basically. It will also show the relationship he has with his daughter.
Chapter 1: Harry
“What about.. Ruth! She’s pretty fit,” Zayn suggests as he leans across Harry’s counter while Harry makes lunch for the house. Zayn had been rambling on about five hundred different girls names for the past hour trying to find Harry a suitable girlfriend. Harry however, had no interest whatsoever in it.
“Ruth also stalked me for a whole year during school Zayn! I’m not talking about it any longer. Emma’s inside and I don’t want her hearing you talking about things like this,” Harry scolds as he continues stirring pasta in the saucepan, avoiding Zayn’s intense gaze on his back.
“Harry you may not want to, but sooner or later you’re gonna have to think about moving on,” Zayn says, his voice much softer now as he slowly descends of the stool and comes to stand next to Harry. After a moment of silence, he places a warm hand on Harry’s shoulder and almost whispers, “I know it’s hard Harry, but Rose would want you to find someone you can be happy with.” Harry drops the spoon in his hand into the pot and leans both his hands on the counter for balance as he drops his head.
“You don’t understand Zayn, she was my everything and I don’t think I can just ‘move on’ especially when there’s someone who’s half her sitting in that room,” Harry exclaims a little louder and points towards Emma’s closed bedroom door.
“I’m not saying this is something that needs to happen right now just.. Just think about it maybe?” Zayn requests as he tries to find Harry’s eyes. Harry looks up and nods weakly.
“I will. I’ll.. I’ll try,” Harry agrees and smiles a little before yelling, “Emma! Get in here, pasta’s ready!” Then he turns to Zayn with a glare, “Don’t mention a thing!”
“Yay! I’m so hungry!” Emma moans as she practically sprints into their conjoined living room/kitchen. Her face lights up when she realises Zayn is there too and she immediately runs to give him a hug. “Zayn! I didn’t know you were coming today.”
“Yeah kiddo, I thought I’d come and pay you and you’re dad a visit,” Zayn explains as he scruffs up her long golden curly hair that looks so like her mothers’. Emma grins up at him and then climbs onto a stool to wait for her food.
“Did you finish you’re reading for school?” Harry asks sceptically just as he’s about to place the steaming hot bowl of pasta in front of Emma. A scowl spreads across her face and she looks as if she wants to grab the bowl from his hands.
“Well..” Emma pauses for a moment and a cheeky smile spreads across her face. “I know what the book’s about.” Harry just rolls his eyes and hands the plate to his daughter who’s just too smart for her age.
“I’m guessing you’re staying then?” Harry assumes as he raises his eyebrows at Zayn who shrugs and smirks at his best friend.
“If you insist!” Zayn smacks the back of Harry’s shoulder and takes a seat next to Emma, nudging his shoulder against hers making her giggle as he does so.
*~*
“-And then Lucy told everyone that I love him just because I gave him my crayon but I don’t,” Emma pauses her endless rant and fakes a shiver down her spine. “Boys are icky except for Daddy and Zayn.” Harry always finds it so amusing listening to Emma tell him about her day. She would always manage to make him laugh and has so much wit for such a young age. He knows that won’t last though and fears the day that she grows up and leaves him.
“Well it won’t always be like that Em,” Zayn explains as he smiles at the little girl who’s expression remains the same, scrunched up. Harry immediately kicks Zayn’s leg under the table in response causing Zayn to shrivel up in pain.
“What Zayn means is that-” Harry pauses for a moment thinking how he’s going to kill Zayn for this later and the continues, “-when you’re older you’re going to have some friends who just so happen to be boys-“
“My god Harry you do suck at explaining things!” Zayn looks at Harry in an unbelievable manner as he shakes his head at him. He then turns to Emma. “Basically what your dad’s saying is, one day you’re going to find a boy who you love very much and you’ll get married just like-” Zayn pauses when he realises what he was about to say. Harry always tries not to mention Rose in front of Emma unless she asks. He doesn’t want to really talk about her until Emma is older anyway.
Harry then gets off his seat and begins collecting the plates, not wanting to hear anything else. He knows Zayn didn’t mean it but it still hurts. “Just like who?” Emma asks, her voice softer and a little more confused.
“Your uh-” Zayn clears his throat as he tries to compose himself a little for Harry’s sake. “-Like your mum and dad were going to.”
“Oh.” Emma’s little voice is as quiet as a mouse as Harry faces the sink, trying to hide the tears in his eyes from Zayn and his daughter. “But mommy’s not here anymore. I don’t want that to happen with me.” Harry’s heart breaks even more if that’s possible and he turns back to Emma and picks her up in his arms.
“That’s not going to happen to you baby. You’re going to live happily ever after just like the princess’ in your books okay?” Harry assures Emma through his cracked voice and she nods obediantly.
“Daddy please don’t be sad,” Emma begs and reaches her tiny hand up to wipe Harry’s wet eyes. “I don’t like it when you’re sad.”
Zayn quickly buts in to avoid anymore tears and suggests, “Why don’t we watch a movie? One with lots of superheroes in it like you love them Emma?”
Emma nods excitedly and practically jumps out of Harry’s arms before running to find a DVD. “Thanks.” Harry looks at Zayn with grateful eyes and he smiles modestly back at him.
“It was my fault to begin with. I’m sorry,” Zayn apologizes looking guilty as the two watch Emma put the DVD in.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just.. Some days it gets too much for me to handle. I try not to let her see but she’s so quick to catch onto everything. I can’t hide anything from her.” Harry runs his hand through his mass of curls and shoves the other one in his pocket.
“I know and I’m so sorry mate but you just can’t keep living in the past. This is going to sound harsh but Rose is gone. She wouldn’t want to see you getting upset in front of Emma and neither do I. I want my best friend back.”
*~*
“Mommy! Mommy help!” Harry jolts awake immediately at the sound of Emma’s cries and jumps out of bed, sprinting across the hall to her room to find her sitting up in her bed. Her hair was matted to her head from sweat and her eyes were bloodshot from crying.
“Ssh baby I’m here, I’m here,” Harry cooes, leaning on her bed as he wipes her blonde curls from her face. She shakes her head wildly in protest.
“I miss her,” Emma says quietly and Harry pulls her into his chest and begins to stroke the back of her head softly.
“I miss her too,” Harry replies, still keeping a firm grip on his distraught daughter. “I miss her too.”
Emma pulls out of Harry’s arms after a couple of minutes and asks, “Can you sing to me?”
“What do you want me to sing?” He asks although he already knows the answer.
“The song you sang to mommy when she was having me.” Harry can’t help but smile at the memory and he begins to tuck Emma back into bed before clearing his throat.
“Isn’t she lovely, isn’t she wonderful, isn’t she precious, less than one minute old,” Harry sings softly and sweetly to calm his little girl down and withing a minute, she’s fast asleep.
He leans down to press a kiss to her forehead and whispers, “Goodnight Emma, I love you so much.”
He lifts his weight from the bed and heads towards the door and just as he’s about to close it he hears, “I love you too daddy.”
*~*
“She just keeps having these nightmares and waking up screaming for Rose and literally the only thing that can calm her down is that song,” Harry explains to Niall who is currently tuning his guitar and drinking a mug of tea at the same time.
“How long has it been going on for?” Niall asks, genuinely interested as he places the mug back on the floor next to his stool. Harry shrugs and sighs.
“Uh.. three months? I mean it doesn’t happen every night but it happens an awful lot.” Harry continues trying to set up the microphone which for some reason is not working at all.
“Maybe you should ask a girl or something? I mean I don’t know what to tell you buddy. It’s not really my area of expertise to be honest,” Niall chuckles and stands of his stool.
“Yeah maybe you’re right. I wonder would my mum know anything,” Harry shrugs as he mumbles to himself and then begins to concentrate more. “Ok we really need to get sorted here, I only have an hour before I have to pick up Emma.”
There is a moment of silence and the two boys continue working when Niall says, “Harry, what about if we do ever get a record deal. I mean, what happens with Emma. I love her to pieces and all but she can’t exactly come on tour with us.”
“I’ve never really thought about if I’m honest. If it does come to that then we’ll deal with it but I’m not going to worry about it right now,” Harry states with yet another shrug of his shoulders and Niall just nods with a blank look in his eyes.
“Right.” There’s an awkward silence this time that makes the two of them uncomfortable. “Hey uh.. Zayn told me he was at yours yesterday. He talked to you about the thing.”
“You knew about that too! Did you guys have like an intervention or something?” Harry asks sounding annoyed that they had planned this and raises his eyebrow at the Irish-man.
“We’re worried about you Haz. The only time you’re out of the house is to work, get food or collect Emma. I mean when’s the last time you had an actual night out? One where you let loose?” Niall pesters placing his hands on his waist.
“I let loose! I let loose all the time. I’m a party animal I’ll have you know!” Harry exclaims, defending his honor as he looks Niall up and down trying to look intimidating.
“I’m sure you are but how about we test that huh?” Niall suggests and reaches his hand into his pocket before pulling a piece of paper out. “The lads and I are going here this weekend. Hire a babysitter to watch Emma and just have some fun!”
Harry looks skeptically at the piece of paper for a moment. “I don’t know Niall, this isn’t really my kind of club,” Harry comments, still looking at the paper and avoiding Niall’s stare.
“Mate, don’t worry, we’re only there to have a bit of fun, that’s all,” Niall reassures him and Harry just nods disbelievingly. “It’s not like I’m asking you to hook up with a guy or anything but gay clubs are always a lot more lively. Just take a break.”
“Yeah ok, I’ll come but I’m not promising to have a good time.”
“That’s all I ask. Now go call someone for Emma,” Niall then shoos Harry to the other side of the room and hands him his phone. Harry looks down at the phone for a second. “Go on.”
He dialls the number for Perrie, Zayn’s girlfriend since his mum doesn’t live anywhere near him. “Harry?” She says, sounding confused on the other end of the phone.
“Yeah it’s me. I was wondering if uh.. If you weren’t doing anything this Saturday is you could maybe babysit Emma for me? It’s just that Niall asked me to go out and I haven’t been out in a really long time but I really don’t want to go an-” Perrie cut him short of his ramble before he could continue.
“Of course I will Harry. Go out, have some fun okay?”
“Thanks Perrie.”
*~*
“You look nice daddy,” Emma comments casually as she comes into the sitting room and plops onto the couch. Harry is fixing the collar of his blazer which he’d forgotten to iron the night before and is currently having a panic attack.
“Thanks Em..” He pauses for a moment as he thinks and then speaks again, “Are you sure you’re ok with me going out tonight? I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Harry tells Emma trying to reassure himself more than anything.
“Perrie’s coming so I’m going to have lots of fun!” Emma exclaims, jumping up and down on the couch with excitement. Harry just smiles in adoration and goes back to fixing himself.
When Perrie arrives, Emma jumps into her arms, shouting about all the exciting things they were going to do together.
"Are you sure you're up to it?" Harry checks for at least the hundredth time since Perrie walked through the door. Perrie rolls her eyes at him and places both her hands on his shoulders, looking straight into his eyes.
"Harry, I'm telling you this because its for the better," she lowers her voice to a whisper and narrows her eyes, Harry gulps. "Get the fuck out of this apartment before I cut off your balls."
Perrie then immediately goes back to her smiley self and says, "Emma do you wanna play princesses?!" She turns back around to Harry again and makes an 'I'm watching you' signal with her hands.
Harry's eyes widen at the seemingly harmless blonde and gulps again.
"I uh.. Right ok.." Harry is speechless for a moment but then calls his daughter in for one last hug before leaving.
"Behave for Aunty Perrie okay?" Harry lifts Emma's chin up so that she's looking him in the eye and she swiftly nods, wrapping her arms around her dad which only manage to reach halfway around him.
"I'll be good, I swear," Emma promises and Harry grins down at her.
"Good girl."
~*~
"Niall what are we doing here?" Harry questions, regretting coming in the first place as he looks around the gay bar appropriately named 'The Manwhole'.
"Look, Josh told me he'd meet us here at eight and he apparently thinks this place is great so let's just wait for him," Niall begs as he scratches the back of his neck nervously.
Harry sighs uncomfortably. "Is Josh by any chance, you know, gay?" Harry asks skeptically and Niall shrugs.
"Well if he is he never told me," Niall tells Harry like it's nothing.
"I should have just stayed home," Harry mumbles to himself. "I knew this would happen." Niall puts his hand on his shoulder.
"Look Harry, I don't care what we have to do but you're going to have a good fucking time tonight!" Niall exclaims and drags Harry towards the bar. "Let's start with getting completely wasted."
"What can I get for you two fine looking lads?" A clearly camp man behind the bar asks Harry and Niall as he leans across the counter that divides them.
Harry just leaves Niall to it as he continues looking around the bar. He didn't feel nearly as uncomfortable as he thought he would. I mean, no one was grinding against him which is good and no one was flirting with him -apart from the bar man- but all in all he was having an okay time.
Until..
"Harry I've got our drinks!" Niall shouts as he waves his free arm around wildly in Harry's direction. Harry, without thinking, turns way too quickly and of course runs straight into someone.
"Shit, I'm so sorry!" He apologizes, without even looking at the stranger he'd knocked down and helps him up.
"It's fine don't worry about- oh god I'm sorry I've spilled beer all over you." Harry already realized and was currently wiping at his stained white t-shirt under his blazer.
"It doesn't matter, really I'm fi-" Harry looks up to see a set of shining blue eyes staring back at him and he feels as though he's just been punched in the stomach. "What's your name?"
"Louis come on! We have to go!" Harry hears someone shout and the stranger who is obviously named Louis turns around before turning back to face Harry.
"I have to go but.. I'm really sorry about your shirt," Louis sticks his hand in his pocket and pulls out a fiver. "Here take it, get yourself a drink on me." He shoves it in Harry's hand before he can say another word and runs off.
Harry is left standing speechless. What just happened?
He doesn't realize Niall is shouting at him until he's tapped on the shoulder. "Are you alright lad? You look like you're about to collapse." Harry just shakes his head although he does feel slightly faint and his eyes are still wide. He can't help but smile though.
He looks down at the money in his hands and quickly shoves it into his pocket. "Yeah I'm fine I just think I need a drink is all." Nails face lights up at this and he hands him one of the two vodkas in his hands.
"Let's do this Styles."
~*~
"Jesus Christ!" Harry exclaims as he sits up a little too quickly in bed the next morning causing a wave of dizziness to flush over him. He places his hand gently to his forehead and covers his eyes from the blinding light seeping through the window.
"Good morning sunshine!" Harry recognises the voice of Zayn clearly trying to piss him off and pulls the duvet back over his head.
"Fuck off Zayn, I'm not in the mood," Harry moans and rolls himself into a ball under the covers. Zayn pulls it away from him immediately.
"Language Styles! Don't want Emma picking up on bad habits now do we?" Harry peeled open one of his eyes to see Emma sitting happily in Zayn's arms.
"Sorry Emma, I just have a really bad headache is all," Harry exclaims, finally able to open both his eyes although it still hurts like hell.
"S'okay daddy, I don't mind." Harry feels weight on his legs and realises Zayn had put Emma at the end of the bed.
"So I'm guessing you had a good time then?" Zayn asks, raising an eyebrow at Harry as he also takes a seat on the edge of the bed (that smells like shit I may add).
"Well I can't remember most of it so that must be a good sign," Harry mumbles as he tries his hardest to sit up. He immediately puts his hand back on his hand and whines yet again.
"Where exactly did you go?" Zayn queries, furrowing his eyebrows together remembering that he'd never actually asked where Harry was going. Zayn couldn't go because of work but he didn't really mind as long as Harry was having a good time.
"Okay don't laugh but we went to-" Harry lowers his voice and points his eyes towards Emma for a moment who's messing happily with the Barbie doll in her hands. "A gay bar," Harry says through gritted teeth.
"A ga-" Zayn booms but is immediately ssh'd by Harry, making Harry squint from the noise.
"A gay bar? I didn't know you went down that road," Zayn remarked, still slightly confused. Harry shakes his head slightly and looks over at Emma again.
"I'm not but apparently Niall's friend Josh is and Niall didn't know or something. I'm not sure," Harry pauses for a moment and then says, "would it matter if I was?"
"No not at all but.. Are you?" Zayn asks seriously, looking at Harry dead on, no longer worrying about Emma hearing.
"No I'm not I was just wondering," Harry explains doubtably and he climbs out of the bed before saying another word. "I'm gonna I take a shower, can you wait with Emma until I finish?"
Zayn nods and Harry leaves, leaving him completely confused. Why would Harry ask something like that?
Harry certainly isn't gay.. Well he doesn't think he is anyway. But that moment he had with that stranger, Louis the night before, it was like time stopped and maybe it was because he was a little overwhelmed but he felt something really weird, something that made him feel as though his heart was swelling up inside of him.
