Louis runs a record label and Harry is his daughter's new nanny. Over the course of a year, Harry helps Louis learn what it really is to be a father and somehow they find an unexpected home in each other.
Or, the kid fic where Louis wants to make Harry a star, Zayn just needs everyone to stop being stupid, Niall laughs his arse off at everything, Liam attempts to keep things in order and Harry takes a chance.
.........
The living room is a disaster.
That's the first thing that Louis notices when he steps into his flat after a week away. The second thing he notices is the way his seven year old daughter Olivia is sitting in the middle of said mess with an expectant look on her face.
"I want her to leave," Olivia announces before Louis can even open his mouth and ask what the hell happened to their living room.
Louis sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face. He shuts the door behind him with his leg and walks over to Olivia, stepping around the various piles of rubbish in his way. "Alright then," he says, mostly to himself, and crouches in front of her. "Tell me what happened, please?" He has to admit that even to his own ears the level of patience he exudes is just remarkable, considering the situation.
Olivia hums, lips pressed into a thin line and Louis sighs again, setting his briefcase down. He gives in and completely sits down in front of her. "If you don't tell me what's wrong, I can't fix it," he reminds her, reaching forward to brush the fringe out of her grey eyes.
Olivia scowls in return, but eventually her shoulders slump and she leans into his touch. "I don't like Cassi, papa. She's so mean. She wouldn't let me do anything!" she complains, throwing her arms up exaggeratedly. "I just wanted to build a lego house and she started yelling at me!"
In any other situation, Louis might've laughed at how serious she's taking this. As it is, however, he just got off of an eight hour flight. All he really wants to do is sleep.
"And where is she now?" Louis asks, mainly because the nanny he hired is nowhere to be seen and also because he's probably going to have to talk her out of a lawsuit (it wouldn't be the first time). He knows how Olivia gets when she's really upset -- the living room is example enough.
Olivia snorts, shrugging her shoulders, but then tilts her head towards the hallway that leads to the guest room. "She always wakes up really late," she explains, exasperated disapproval in her voice, "I have to make my own brekkie."
This time Louis just stares at his daughter aghast. "You have to what?"
His expression must be funny because Olivia breaks into giggles and shrugs again. "Don't be silly papa, I make cereal. I am your child, after all."
Louis isn't ashamed that he exhales sharply in relief at that, maybe even catches his breath a little. "Okay, Liv," he mumbles, rubbing one of his hands up and down her back. "Did you make this mess or did Cassi?" He gestures wildly to the living room with his other hand.
The way her cheeks turn a light shade pink is answer enough. He lightly pats her back once before standing up and dusting off his jeans. "I want you to start cleaning and after I talk to Cassi, I'll come and help you. Does that sound fair?"
At first Olivia pouts but eventually she nods and holds her hand out. Louis takes it easily, helping her to her feet. "Do you promise you'll help me?" she asks quietly, ducking her head. Louis thinks she could probably ask him to help her take over the world and he'd still lend her a hand without so much as a second thought.
"Pinky promise," Louis assures. He loops his pinky finger with her own and presses a kiss to the top of her tiny head.
After he's sure that she'll actually clean and not just wait for him to come back, he treks through the rest of the living room to get to the hallway. He wishes he could say he's surprised at the state of the wall (covered in small handprints of various colors; Olivia is going to be grounded from using paint for a week and so is Zayn for buying her them in the first place) but he really isn't.
