Back to the Beginning (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 46

Louis pressed his cell phone to his ear and nibbled at his bottom lip as it continued to ring. He ran his fingers through his hair as he heard the all too familiar voice telling him to leave a message at the beep.

Louis let out a quiet breath and shoved his phone into his pocket before making the short journey from the the kitchen to the dining room table with two plates of food in his hands.

"Daddy where's papa?" Alexis asked as her father set her cut up food in front of her.

"I don't know bug." Louis said quietly. "I think he's still at work."

Alexis let out a huff before picking up her fork and taking a bite of the chicken her daddy made. "Well you cooking is good now that papas not home." She said with her mouth full.

Louis offered her a small smile before taking his own bite of food. "Thanks love. I'm glad you like it so much, but why don't we try to chew our food and then talk?" He suggested through a quiet chuckle.

He had found himself really not that terrible of a cook since he's been making breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past week with Harry busy at the cafe. Louis gets it. Really he does. Starting a business is hard work and especially with Niall leaving on his honeymoon the younger lad is even busier than before. Louis just wished that he could see his husband more than an hour or two a day.

With the cafe opening at 7 am Harry gets up at 5:30 and leaves at 6 to prepare for the morning rush. And then the younger lad doesn't come home until 10 or 11 pm because he had to close up, but by then Louis and the kids are in bed.

Louis' trying his hardest not to get fed up with it or feel lonely but it's becoming increasingly difficult. Especially with Alexis asking where her papa is and even Cody whining when he doesn't see his father.

But Niall comes home from his and Gemma's trip in about five days, so hopefully when he does Louis can see his husband during the day and not when he is climbing into bed and immediately drifting to sleep or when he shuffles out of bed in the early hours of the morning.

"Daddy." Alexis said as she waved her little hand in front of her father's face, seeing as he was staring off into space.

"Sorry what?" Louis asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"I asked for more chicken and rice." Alexis said as she passed him her plate. "And Cody wants more puffs." She said as her little brother was whining in his seat and repeatedly signing 'food'.

Louis nodded and took his daughter's plate before standing up and getting her more food. He cut up her chicken and got Cody's puffs out of the pantry before filling a bottle of juice for him and heading back to the table.

He made sure both his kids were happy before picking up his own fork and continued eating. "So what should we do after dinner? Maybe go for a little walk or pop in a movie?" He asked.

"Can we paint nails?" Alexis asked through a hopeful grin.

Louis looked over at her and bit the inside of his cheek, not quite sure how well that would go since Harry always did her nails and Louis knew he was utter shit at it. "Um sure love I can try. But don't get mad at me if I mess it up." He said through a chuckle.

Alexis shook her head as she swallowed her food. "No daddy I want to paint your nails."

At that Louis stopped chewing and glanced at his daughter who was looking right back at him seriously. "... How about we do my toenails?" He asked, knowing if he showed up to practice with painted finger nails his teammates would grill him about it for hours.

Alexis nodded happily as she continued to eat her second helping of chicken. "Good. Thank you daddy." She said through a wide smile.

Louis grinned back at her before he finished what was left on his plate.