Larry Stylinson: These Arms Were Made For Holding You

Chapter 22: Louis

 "Have you told her yet," I question nearly a month later on Darcy's third birthday as she comes tearing into the room, the cat close on her heels. Harry rolls over, clutching onto his pillow and looking over at me with a tired look in his eyes.

"No. We ought to tell her now though," he muttered as she crashed in between Harry and I. "My little princess," Harry asked. She rolled to face him as he told her that the one thing she'd told him she wanted more than anything was happening today. "You remember what you told me you wanted more than anything for your birthday," he questions.

"For Papa to adopt me," she questions and Harry nodded.

"Papa and I went down to the courthouse a few months ago to see what needed to happen in order for that to be a possibility, and you know what's happening today," he asked. She simply stared at him with a confused expression and shook her head. "Today, Papa is legally becoming your Papa," he said. She quickly turned over to face me, her eyes blossoming with excitement.

"Papa's adopting me," she shyly asked. I nodded and she seemed to smile even wider than she had been a moment ago.

It took nearly half an hour for Harry to even convince her to wear the dress he'd bought for her. She'd complained that it was 'too pink' and hadn't wanted to wear it. Harry had argued that it wasn't as it was a much calmer shade than say hot pink and it had these pretty little white lace pieces that were really pretty. Eventually, him promising that he would do her hair in the braid crown she adored that I'd never been able to figure out had convinced her.

"PAPA LOOK AT MY DRESS," she'd yelled through the flat once she'd put it on. And man did Harry have an eye for dresses that looked absolutely beautiful on our daughter. When she came to a halt in front me, she twirled around in her dress. The skirt lifted a bit and her hair, which was still down, spun and looked like one of those stereotypical air freshener commercials where a woman would spin in a field of flowers. The difference was that this was real life and Darcy was far more beautiful in my eyes.

"You look absolutely beautiful, baby girl," I'd said, scooping her up and bringing her back into the bathroom where she'd most likely run away from at the first chance. She was much like me in that aspect, where she had a really hard time sitting still and would bolt when she knew she would have to sit still for a while. "Look, here's daddy all ready to do that braid crown you love," I said sitting her down on the stool. Harry glanced at me with a grateful smile as he began doing her hair into the braid crown thing.

"Papa," Darcy asks. I moved around so I was in front of her kneeling in front of her. "I'm a little scared," she admits.

"Darling, there's nothing to be scared of. It's just going to be me, you, and Daddy forever," I tell her.

"Promise," she asked, sticking her pinkie out.

"Promise," I repeat, linking her pinkie with my own.