Ready to Run

Epilogue

Four years later.

Louis is in the garden, playing footie with June, he and Harry's daughter. Her sister, Lina, is painting with amateur aquarelles on her table while Harry sits a few feet away from her, smiling fondly as she watches her and the careful swipe of the paintbrush.

They adopted the twins three years prior, them already being three when they adopted them. The first time they set eyes on the two of them, Louis can say he fell in love. In a totally different way that he did with Harry, but he still did.

The girls had needed a little time to adjust to their new life with Harry and Louis, but they quickly began to treat them as their parents.

Louis remembers the first time June came to him while he was cooking, tugging at his shirt and saying, "Dad, I dropped a glass."

Louis's heart had swelled in his chest and he thought he was about to cry as it was the first time she had referred to him as his dad.

"Are you hurt, sweetie?" He had asked, looking at her ginger curl swaying as she shook her head.

Not long after, Lina came around and started calling him and Harry both her dads. Despite Lina being quieter and more reserved than the loud little June, she is very observant and creative, expressing herself through abstract painting.

"C'mon dad, kick it!" June says, smiling widely as she jumps in front of the net, waiting for Louis to kick the ball so she can stop it.

Louis grins mischievously as he runs towards her, the ball on his toes as he gets closer, then he grabs her by the waist and throws her atop his shoulder as he kicks the ball into the net.

"I won!" He exclaims happily, listening to her giggle and setting her down, only to be levelled with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms almost as if she wasn't laughing a second ago.

"You cheated." She states and Louis tilts his head.

"Did I?" He jokes, taking her snapback off her head to ruffle her hair.

"Hey!" She complains and takes her red cap back, putting it on and running to Harry. Louis watches her fondly as she throws her little arms around Harry's neck, startling him.

"Hey, sweet cheeks." Harry presses a kiss to her cheek, watching her scrunch his nose.

Louis bites his lips as he watches them, June starting to complain about Louis cheated. Harry raises an eyebrow in Louis' direction and tilts his head. "Lou, be fairplay."

Louis rolls his eyes and walks to Lina, crouching beside her and tickling behind her ear. She giggles and he smiles, looking at the canvas and asking, "What're you drawing there, love?"

He takes a peek and she hides it from view. She looks behind her shoulder and says, "M'drawing daddy."

Louis raises his eyebrows and glances at his husband who is laughing along to one of their daughter's jokes. Louis turns back to Lina, whose green eyes are narrowed in Louis' direction.

"Is that so?" Louis asks. He watches as she nods.

"Then I'll leave you to it, but I hope you'll show me once it's finished." He smiles, poking at her cheek as he gets up, watching the smile spreading on her lips.

"Who wants a glass of lemonade?" Louis asks, dusting the grass off of his bum.

"Me!" The two little girls exclaim in unison, raising their hands.

"Sweet, I'm gonna get you that." He says, and as he walks round Harry towards the kitchen, he gives him a kiss on the forehead, Lina making a gagging sound that makes them both laugh. "If you keep this up then no lemonade for you, young lady." Louis points to her and disappears inside.