If I could fly (BOOK 2)

Hello, love

The knock on the hotel door was aggressive.

Not polite.

Not patient.

Aggressive.

Inside the room, Harry stirred first, blinking groggily toward the clock. It was three hours later

"Who... is knocking like they're the police?" he muttered sleepily.

Y/N shifted beside him, half-awake. "Probably the boys bringing back your daughter."

Harry groaned but slid carefully out of bed, running a hand through his already messy hair as he padded toward the door, still half asleep and very much shirtless.

He opened it.

Louis stood there looking like he had been personally betrayed by fatherhood. Niall stood beside him holding Darcy like she was both precious and mildly offensive to him. Liam hovered behind them with the diaper bag slung over his shoulder like a soldier returning from war. Zayn stood calm as ever, holding a bottle and looking like the only one who had slept.

"She is your child," Louis announced dramatically.

Niall nodded firmly. "And she tricked us."

Harry blinked. "...Goodnight?"

Darcy turned her head.

The moment she saw Harry, her entire face lit up. She kicked her feet wildly and reached toward him, letting out a happy little noise that sounded suspiciously like victory.

Harry's entire expression melted instantly.

"Well hello, love," he murmured, reaching out and lifting her carefully from Niall's arms.

Darcy grabbed at his shoulder immediately, pressing herself against his chest like she had been waiting all night for this exact moment.

Louis pointed accusingly. "She did NOT do that for us."

"She smiled right before disaster," Niall added, shaking his head. "That is manipulation."

Harry chuckled softly, bouncing Darcy gently against his chest as she kicked happily, clearly thrilled to be back in familiar arms.

"You survived," Harry said.

"Barely," Liam replied honestly.

"She weaponized her diapers. She shit everywhere. EVERYWHERE," Louis added.

Zayn shrugged slightly. "She's efficient. And she's the only person I know to make Niall lose his appetite."

From the bed, Y/N pushed herself upright, put on one of Harry's shirts, smiling sleepily when she saw Darcy.

"There's my girl," she said softly.

Darcy twisted immediately toward her voice, kicking again, reaching now between both parents like she couldn't decide fast enough.

Harry carried her back toward the bed and sat her beside Y/N, pressing a kiss to Darcy's forehead before handing her over.

The boys hovered in the doorway like they were expecting debrief paperwork.

"Next time," Louis said firmly, "you pay us."

"You said it was charity," Harry reminded him.

"It was emotional charity," Niall corrected.

Darcy cooed happily in Y/N's arms, completely unaware she had traumatized four grown men overnight.

Louis shook his head. "She smiled after she did it. I saw it with my own eyes. She's a monster."

"She did," Niall confirmed solemnly.

Harry laughed quietly, watching Y/N adjust Darcy against her shoulder.

"You all did great," he said.

"We did terrible," Liam corrected.

Zayn gave a small nod toward Harry and Y/N before stepping back into the hallway. "She slept most of the night. After the incident."

"The STINKY incident," Louis repeated darkly.

Harry grinned. "Go get food or something. You've earned it."

"We're getting food now. I'm stressed," Niall declared immediately, already walking away.

"You're paying," Louis called over his shoulder.

The hallway quieted as they left.
Inside the room, everything softened again.
Harry leaned back against the headboard, watching Y/N rock Darcy gently. The morning light spilled across them, warm and quiet and steady.

Darcy yawned dramatically, tiny fingers curling against Y/N's shirt. Harry reached out, brushing his thumb gently across Darcy's cheek.

"Missed you, my bug," he murmured softly.

Darcy blinked up at him, calm and content now, like the night had never happened.

Y/N smiled, leaning her shoulder against Harry's arm.

"Good night?" she teased.

Harry snorted quietly. "For us? Yes."

He pressed a soft kiss to Y/N's temple, then another to Darcy's head, wrapping his arm around both of them instinctively.

And for a moment, the world outside the hotel room didn't exist.

⸻