Just a short one to get it started heh x
- - -
Chapter one
There was a soft knock on the front door before Louis let himself into the apartment. "Haz?" He called out hearing a muffled "Here." In response come from the kitchen, the boy's mouth clearly full. He found the boy sitting at his kitchen island, shovelling some cereal into his mouth, only giving his father a nod once he entered.
"Geez H. How many cats now?" Louis laughed, noticing his boy surrounded by four cats who were trying to get the milk from his bowl." Harry just shrugs, not really knowing which ones he owned and which ones he was cat sitting as he seemed to have been watching those cats for a little longer than what would count as a quick vacation.
"So, your brother's here?" Louis asked, noticing the familiar shoes in the entryway and Harry gave a nod as he swallowed his mouthful.
"Yeah. Called me last night asking for his own address so I figured he wasn't in a state to go home." Louis let out a chuckle. "I'm trying to scarf down my breakfast because he brought a girl back and she freaked last night. Don't really want to be here when they get out." He admitted, not wanting to sound mean but he liked his privacy.
"Take it he had a nice birthday celebration last night." Louis laughed, causing Harry to smile. "Have you talked to Li recently?"
"No. I've been meaning to call for ages but been a bit busy. Don't really want to interrupt him either."
"You wouldn't." Louis assured. "It's your godson, I'm sure Liam wants you to spend loads of time with him." Louis offered a smile, knowing it was a touchy subject for the boy who wanted to have his own kids, biologically that is, but his latest doctors visit had crushed all his dreams. He blamed his tight pants for a while.
Harry's head snaps up as he hears the guest bedroom door open, quickly putting his bowl down before ducking behind the island. "Not here." He whispered to which his father laughed at.
"Oh, hey dad." Niall mumbled, walking towards the fridge, spotting his brother crouched down on the floor, giving him a weird glance. Louis greeted the girl who stood in the kitchen entryway, clearly dressed in the clothes she had been clubbing in the previous night.
"H-hello." She stammered, clearly embarrassed. "Uhm, is Harry here?" She mumbled, not wanting to intrude but she was a big fan. Niall started to point towards the floor, but Louis beat him. "No love. Think he popped into his room for a shower." And Niall furrowed his eyebrows, clearly confused.
"Oh, well." She looked at Niall. "I best get going. Uhm, tell Harry thank you for letting me stay." Niall gave a thumbs up, already shoving grapes into his mouth, before he waved to the girl who fetched her heels by the door and let herself out.
"No idea what her name is." Niall mumbled, turning to Harry. "What's up with you?"
"Wasn't in the mood, I'm sorry." Harry mumbled, and Niall shrugged. Harry digs back into his cereal but found it had gone soggy, so he set it back down. "What brings you here so early?" Harry turns the attention to his father who pouts and looks down to the floor.
"Just... needed to get out of the house really." And Harry nodded, understanding. "Niall told me he said some pretty nasty things to you the other week, why didn't you call me?"
Harry waved his hand. "It's nothing. He doesn't mean it." It's clear that it bothered him, but Louis didn't push it. "Have you heard from him?" He whispers, knowing it was a very tough subject in the family.
"Oh, uhm not for a while." Louis started. "Just waiting until he gets out of rehab so he can um... sign the papers." Louis choked up but willed himself not to cry. "Asked if he wanted me to visit but he didn't want me to, but that, that...woman... is allowed to." He sounded angry, and he had the right to be. "You know she came over the other week to get his clothes and stuff." This time Louis cried, "She took everything that was his."
"Oh dad." Harry sighed, walking towards the man to engulf him in a hug. "You don't deserve him, not after what he did." Harry spoke softly. Niall had gone back to the guest bedroom, the conversation clearly bothering him. "Laying his hands on you was the last straw, and you don't deserve that prick."
"He's your papa, H." Louis sighed. "Don't talk about him like that."
"Stop it dad. I don't care if he's apologized a bajillion times, it doesn't make it right. I know you love him, I really do, but that relationship was not healthy at all."
"It was the alcohol." Louis defended and Harry gave him a pointed look. "I know." Louis whispered. "That's just another shitty excuse and blah, blah, blah."
"You gave him plenty of chances, which he never deserved." Harry sighed, rubbing Louis' back as he calmed down.
"I know." Louis pouted, twiddling his thumbs, a nervous habit he picked up from Harry. "You know he's gonna need support though." Louis looked up at Harry. "After rehab you know. And if I can't be there for him, you boys will though, right?" He asked pleadingly and Harry gave a gentle nod.
"Yeah, I know." Though the last thing Harry wanted to do at this moment was to see his papa, the man who managed to tear the family apart over the last couple of years, he knew the man was going to need a support system.
"He's probably gonna move in with that woman you know." Louis spoke after a couple of minutes of silence, though he wasn't crying anymore he looked defeated. "I'm thinking of selling the house."
"That's good." Harry nodded. "I think a change of scenery will do you good." He smiled, offering the man to move in with him whilst he went through the process.
"I just... I can't even sleep in the master bedroom; I've been sleeping in your old room." Louis chuckled. "But every time I speak to a real-estate agent I back out. The house holds a lot of happy memories for me too, you guys grew up there."
"I know, but I do think the right thing to do is to move."
"I think so too." Niall spoke, startling the two men. "Sorry." He chuckled. "But Harry's right dad. I think you should let go of the house. You could even move in with me while you look for another place." And this time Louis chuckled.
"You boys. What did I deserve to get you?"
"I'm gonna be in the studio over the weekend, but we'll look into it next week, okay?"
Even with all circumstances, Louis can't help but to think how lucky he is. He has three wonderful boys and even a grandchild that he'd do anything for. "That sounds lovely." Louis engulfs his son in another much-needed hug. "You know, you smell like your mother."
Harry just smiled. "Been putting a lot of perfume on poor Elmo." He chuckled. "Thought I was getting too used to the scent and it scared me." He admitted sheepishly but Louis didn't laugh, he would never laugh. "And one of the bloody cats peed on him the other day so he had to go twice through the washing, and it took a while to get rid of the detergent smell."
"Cats." Louis laughed. "Nasty creatures aren't they."
"Heyy... If I remember correctly, you were a complete mess for weeks after Felix died."
"So were you." Louis stuck his tongue out earning a laugh from Harry. Niall stood there, arms crossed as he leaned on the counter and watched them bicker.
"You two will never grow up, will you?" Niall laughed, shaking his head. "Well, I've got practice in an hour so I should get going."
"You're coming over later though?" Harry looked at his brother. "To help me with the guitar?"
"Oh yeah, forgot about that." Niall chuckled. "Uhm yeah, you buy dinner for me and I'll come over." He reasoned earning a scoff from Harry.
"All I do is buy food for you." He crossed his arms.
"And all I do for you is teach you the guitar." Niall bickered back. "I'm going, see you later H. Love you."
"Love you too." Harry mumbled, looking at his dad who held a fond smile on his face.
"For a long time, I thought you two would never become friends." He shook his head. "Look at you now." And Harry can't help but to smile, because he and Niall took ages to get close, Harry was probably fifteen when they hung out properly for the first time, finding out they had so much more in common than he originally thought.
"So, lunch?" Harry asked, earning a nod from Louis.
"I love you, H."
"I love you too, dad."
