Harry: 28
Camryn: 27
Darcy: 10
Lennon: 8
Auggie: 7
Bowie: 6
Calum: 4
Bindi: 23 months (1 month away from being 2)
❤️Thank you so much to olivia6293 for this amazing request!! Your support means the world❤️
February 21st
"As much as I'd love to keep arguing with you about this I've gotta go film,"Harry shortly responds, grabbing his jacket off of the bed as Camryn keeps her back to him, trying to pretend like she's putting away folded clothes into their drawers, but Harry knows she put the last shirt away three minutes ago and has been acting the whole rest of the time.
"Of course you do,"Camryn whispers under her breath with a little eye roll as a lonely tear rolls down her cheek which she hastily wipes away so that Harry won't see it.
"Don't give me that,"Harry sighs, looking at Camryn's back in exasperation as he drops his hands by his sides.
"Give you what? Just leave,"Camryn responds, turning away from the drawers and trying to walk towards the connected bathroom, trying to hide and take a minute to cool off.
"This isn't something we have to decide right now,"Harry explains with exasperation hinting on his voice as he watches Camryn walk into the bathroom, "I don't understand why you're getting so frustrated with me having to leave!"
"Cuz it's our f*cking child, Harry,"Camryn hisses, turning around as she shoots bullets at him with her eyes, her full on mumma bear coming out, "and I wish talking about his education was more important to you than your music video was!"
"Camryn we've been arguing about this for weeks now,"Harry responds bitterly, his voice beginning to raise just slightly as he watches her continue to try and not break down into tears. "And we can argue about it when I get home from work, but I can't do this right now."
"He came home with a black eye two days ago,"Camryn calls out with a shaky voice that alerts Harry that she's about to break down even though his back is to her as he reaches for the bedroom doorknob. "And he hasn't spoken since, I think that's pretty important."
"Nothing's gonna change whether or not we talk about it right now or in six hours,"Harry fights, his voice raising to a yell as Camryn begins to shake with anger, her arms crossed over her chest protectively.
"I'm so done with this sh*t, go film,"Camryn sputters out with a few tears rolling down her cheeks as she turns around. "I can't believe you sometimes! You don't even care!"
"DON'T CARE?"Harry yells, walking closer to Camryn as they stare right at each other, neither wanting to back down. "Really? Who laid in his bed all night that night to make sure he was okay from his concussion? Who? That's right, it was me, so piss off!"
"I do everything for him, don't even f*cking try me right now,"Camryn yells, pointing viciously at my chest. "Who sat with him for hours when he was little and went over the same word flashcards over and over and over again? That's what I thought, not you! You were probably at f*cking work."
"Yeah I was at f*cking work so we could afford all of his specialists, how else do you think we would've gotten the money for that, huh?"Harry snaps back nastily, leaning more towards Camryn as she keeps her ground, staring up at him.
"You're just trying to change the subject, it's not about us, it's about Auggie,"Camryn hisses back, using her hands in the air as she talks just like she always does when she gets flustered. "And his school that's way more important than your music video."
"I'm the one who said he shouldn't go to that f*cking school in the first place!"Harry yells, trying to keep his voice down so that the kids won't hear, but he's failing tragically.
"He needs to be with Lennon and Darcy,"Camryn hisses, her voice raising as well, "switching schools isn't going to make kids be any nicer, it's just going to take him away from the two kids who won't make fun of him."
"So we're gonna keep him in that school and let him get beat up every month? That's a great idea, Cam, I'm all for that one,"Harry sarcastically remarks, rolling his eyes as Camryn seethes, her body almost trembling.
"I am so done with you right now, f*ck off Harry,"Camryn hisses, shaking her head at him as tears roll down her cheeks while she turns around to try and hide in the bathroom.
"And now you won't even talk to me?"Harry laughs in disbelief, shaking his head as he watches one of Camryn's hands raise to her face as she wipes at her tears with her back still towards him.
"Yeah because you're making it out to be that I'm not a good mum!"Camryn exclaims, throwing her hands out in the air in Harry's direction as more tears roll down her cheeks.
"That's not at all what I'm—"
"Mummy! Beenie has a stinky diaper!"Darcy's voice calls from outside the closed bedroom door as a little squeal and squeak from Bindi alerts everyone that she's outside as well.
Harry wipes his palm down his face to try and calm himself, shaking his shoulders to try and brush the argument off and appear fine for the kids as he reaches towards the doorknob and pulls at it, opening the door to reveal Darcy.
She's standing in the hallway right outside of Harry and Camryn's door with almost two year old Bindi in her arms, her little back against Darcy's chest as she wiggles in her arms, trying to get out of Darcy's arms as Darcy leans back to try and support Bindi's weight.
"Oh my goodness, Belle, what's going on,"Harry laughs as he takes Bindi out of Darcy's arms, a very prominent smell entering into his nostrils as he sets her on his hip, pressing a kiss to her temple. "You are stinky! DD was right!"
"Inky,"Bindi exclaims, holding her hands up above her head as she grins cheekily at Harry who laughs tightly, his mind still on the argument but trying to focus on Bindi as he presses a kiss to Bindi's forehead that's covered by her hazel bangs.
"Just go to the set, I've got her,"Camryn whispers hastily, walking towards Harry and Bindi and reaching out to take her out of his arms.
"Bye mummy!"Darcy bubbles, holding her arms out for Camryn as Camryn wraps her free arm around Darcy, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head.
"Bye, baby, have so much fun with daddy on set, okay?"Camryn grins at Darcy as she tips her chin up to look at her mum. "I'll follow you downstairs so I can say goodbye to the boys too."
She walks down the hall with her hand resting gently on the top of Darcy's back, her other arm holding Bindi to her hip as Harry walks behind them and combs his fingers through his curls nervously, specifically watching Camryn who he knows is hurting just as bad as he is because of the argument.
"Daddy, I got my shoes on,"Lennon proudly exclaims, standing at the bottom of the staircase right next to Auggie, both of them very eager to go to the music video set as Bowie sits on the floor and begins to pull his shoes on, although he's struggling with the laces since he just barely learned how to tie them a few days ago.
"Oh good job, mate, I'm so excited for you guys to come with me,"Harry smiles widely, holding his hand up for Auggie for a little high five before holding his hand out for Lennon to get a high five as well.
"Daddy, I'm ready too!"Bowie smiles widely with his left dimple popping out as he holds his two untied laces in his fingers, trying to figure out how to tie them as Harry's heart sinks into his stomach.
"Buddy, you're staying home with mummy and Cali and Beenie remember?"Harry cautiously responds to Bowie, walking over to him and squatting down with his hands resting on his knees as Bowie looks up at him with a faltering light in his face. "You're gonna have so much fun with mumma, though."
"I wanna go with you, dough,"Bowie whispers brokenly, his voice shaking a bit as he looks up at him dad with droopy brown eyes. "And with Gussy...and Lennie."
"I know, I know you do, bud, but you're just a bit too little to go, but the next video I film, I promise you can go, okay?"Harry whispers, reaching out to ruffle his fingers through Bowie's hair, hoping that he won't get emotional because that's going to just make him feel even worse.
"Buddy, you're gonna stay with me and we'll do something fun too, okay? Maybe we can get some ice cream or something,"Camryn suggests with a little grin, trying to put on her best face for the kids even though her heart is still hurting as Calum runs up to her and wraps his little arms around Camryn's legs.
"No I want to go with DADDY!"Bowie yells out with the most distraught face, his whole heart breaking as he realizes that yet again he's getting grouped into the "little" kid section of the family instead of the "big" kid section like his three older siblings.
"Sweetheart,"Camryn tries to calm him, attempting to walk towards Harry and Bowie as Calum continues to cling onto her leg, making it very hard for her to move at all.
"Daddy!"Bowie sobs, flinging himself back against the floor and beginning to throw a tantrum, his fists and feet banging against the floor.
"Bowie, bud, c'mon,"Harry sighs, reaching his hands towards his little boy to try and prevent the tantrum from getting any worse as he pushes Harry's hands away and continues to scream and sob.
"Just go, it will be easier if you just leave,"Camryn whispers, squatting down by Bowie's head and cupping his cheek as he continues to swing his head side to side with his face bright red and scrunched up as hot tears roll down his cheeks.
"I don't want to leave you with him like this,"Harry whispers back, looking up at Camryn cautiously who is looking straight at Bowie and trying to shush him so that she won't have to look at Harry.
"It's fine, I've got him, just go,"Camryn allows, hearing Harry sigh beside her before he stands up and motions for Auggie, Lennon and Darcy to follow him.
"C'mon guys, let's go get in the car,"Harry calls, motioning for the three oldest kids to follow him as they do, like little ducklings.
"Bye bye kids, I love you,"Camryn grins at her three oldest kids as they wave at her and blow her little kisses as they walk out the door.
Harry stays at the front door, quietly watching Camryn try to soothe Bowie who's still on the floor while she holds Bindi with her other arm. "Bye Cam."
"See ya,"Camryn whispers, not even bothering to look up at Harry as he sighs at her response and shuts the front door quietly.
"Bowie, honey, I know you're so upset, I do, but you need to take a few deep breaths,"Camryn whispers calmly, resting her hand against Bowie's chest that's heaving with tears as he continues to sob out desperately, his hands and feet swinging around as his chest sputters. "I know you wanted to go with daddy, but we'll still have a good time here."
"I want daddy!"Bowie screams out, looking up at Camryn with teary brown eyes, his wobbly lips wide open as Camryn nods down at him calmly and understandingly in a way a mum only could.
"I know you do,"Camryn acknowledges, nodding softly as she holds her arm out for him, "c'mere, can you get off of the floor, c'mere, I wanna talk to you."
Bowie sputters out another sob and shakes his head, staying on the floor as Camryn nods and keeps her palm rubbing against his little belly. "Do you want some space? Mummy can give you some space if you want."
Bowie sobs out again and Camryn takes that as a yes, so she pats his little belly once more before standing up and walking into the living room to change Bindi's diaper finally that's just getting worse and worse as the seconds go on. "C'mon, Cali, follow me bub."
"Beenie stinky,"Calum giggles as Camryn lays Bindi down on the floor on top of the changing mat, reaching for the waistline of Bindi's ruffled skirt that she was wearing as Calum plays with Bindi to keep her entertained and prevent her from moving, which Camryn is very grateful for.
"Bindi is stinky,"Camryn coos, tickling her fingers against Bindi's belly that's revealed a bit from her shirt that's been rolled up slightly. "Your sissy is a stinky stinky girl."
"Stinkyyyy..."Calum teases, leaning his face over Bindi's face as she giggles and reaches her hands up for Calum, specifically his curls that she loves to pull on which he finds quite silly until she pulls a bit too hard which results in tears and usually a fight and hitting of some sort. It's a very love hate relationship these two have, that's for sure.
"Holy crap, Bindi Belle, what have you been eating, girlfriend,"Camryn all but gags, holding her breath as her eyes water slightly, trying to move as fast as possible in changing Bindi's diaper who is finding this all very amusing as she wiggles her little ankles that are caught in Camryn's grasp. "That's so bad."
"Oh stinky,"Calum complains with his face pinched up in displeasure, a cough escaping his throat as he begins to scoot away from his little sister.
"What am I going to do with your three,"Camryn laughs, wiping Bindi's little round bum cheeks with a wipe. "Daddy left me with the three stinkiest kids, didn't he?"
***
"Daddy, is it there?"Lennon bubbles, pointing to the open door of the room where they're filming the music video.
"Yeah, it's right in there, I think,"Harry confirms, squeezing Auggie's hand reassuringly that's clasped in his much bigger one before looking down at Lennon and excitingly raising his eyebrows up and down towards him, the argument with Cam still weighing on him, but he's trying to brush it off and remind himself that they always make up.
They were both just stressed and that stress was coming from love. They both just love their little boy so much.
"Daddy will Liam be here?"Darcy asks, walking beside Harry with Lennon on her other side as Harry continues to guide the kids towards the set up of the music video, the first spot in the big empty room with the large spinning platform inside of it.
"No, Liam won't be here, sorry babe,"Harry chuckles, combing his fingers through Darcy's loose curls that Camryn tied half up with a small bow. "But I think him and Auntie Gem are coming over for dinner on Sunday so you'll see them then."
"Woah,"Lennon gasps in utter amazement as he looks at the huge spinning circle in the middle of the room. "Dad, look at how big it is!"
"I know, isn't that crazy,"Harry chuckles, waving to the producer, Tanu as she waves brightly, catching Harry's eyes as she excuses herself from the group of people she was standing around and having a conversation with as she rushes towards Harry and the kids.
"Hello! It's so nice to finally meet you in person,"Tanu greets, holding her arms out for Harry and giving her a quick hug as Harry squeezes her as well.
"You too,"Harry smiles widely, pulling away from Tanu and motioning towards the kids. "I hope it's still okay that I brought three of the six crazy munchkins with me."
"Oh of course!"Tanu assures Harry with the kindest smile as she looks at the three kids surrounding their dad, all looking up at her curiously with big polite smiles. "What're your names?"
"This is Darcy, she's our oldest,"Harry proudly introduces, motioning his head down towards his little girl before looking over at his oldest son, "and that's Lennon, he's eight," he changes his attention to little Auggie who's curling against his leg right now, trying to hide from the gaze of the stranger as Harry keeps a tight hold of his little hand to reassure him. "And this is Auggie, he's seven. Our other three are at home with my wife."
"Oh awesome,"Tanu smiles, waving at the two kids who are looking at her as they wave back with happy smiles. "Are the other three going to join us later? And your wife?"
"No no, they're a bit too young and I love them, but they would probably create a lot of distractions,"Harry jokes with a little chuckle, reaching his other hand that's not held tightly in Auggie's to cup the side of his head to make him feel more secure. "So they're gonna stay home with their mumma."
"Oh well that sounds perfect, maybe I'll meet them at the first watch,"Tanu grins before motioning her hand towards the dressing room. "Harry Lambert is already in there getting your outfit ready if you want."
"Perfect, thank you so much,"Harry nods, waving once more at Tanu before looking down at the kids, "alright you three, do you wanna go sit back against the wall? The first time you see Uncle Jeff I want you to all jump on him and annoy him, alright?"
The kids giggle and nod, sitting back against the back wall of the room as Harry squats down in front of Auggie who's still holding true to his quiet and nervous demeanor as he reaches out to run his fingers through Auggie's bleach blonde hair.
"Are you gonna be okay if I leave you for a second, bud? I know there are lots of strangers here, but they're all so nice,"Harry soothes, smiling lovingly at him, "and you have DD and Lennie, just stick with them, alright? If you need me I'll be in that room over there, just come and get me, okay? I love you."
Auggie quietly nods, keeping his knees pulled to his chest as he sits right up against Darcy, trying to huddle as close as possible to her as she smiles down at him protectively.
*
"Daddy you look so pretty!"Darcy squeals in excitement as Harry walks out in his sparkly red jumpsuit, a wide smile appearing on his face at the sound of Darcy's compliment.
"Oh thank you baby! Do you like my jumpsuit?"Harry laughs, motioning towards himself as Darcy eagerly nods and runs towards Harry, throwing her arms around his waist as she snuggles her cheek against Harry's stomach.
"It's so SPARKLY!"Darcy exclaims, widening her blue eyes dramatically at Harry as she looks up at him while he giggles and cups her cheek, brushing some of her brown hair out of her eyes.
"It is quite sparkly, what do you think about it, bud?"Harry asks, looking over at Lennon who has also run up to his dad, smiling widely at him with his little lopsided grin.
"I like it!"Lennon smiles, nodding at Harry who winks at him before looking over at Auggie who's still sitting with his back against the wall and his knees curled up to his chest, softly brushing his fingers against his little black eye that's healing slightly, but is still very prominent and achey.
"I'm gonna go talk to Auggie real quick, okay? I think Uncle Jeff has some snacks set up in the other room, what about you guys go and find some?"Harry suggests, watching as Lennon and Darcy agree with a nod, seeming to understand that Harry needs this time alone with Auggie as they run over to the neighboring room that has a huge table set up in it with all the snacks and treats they could want.
"Hey buddy,"Harry whispers, sitting down next to Auggie with his back against the wall as he wraps his arms around his shoulders, pressing a kiss down to his blonde hair. "How're you doin'?"
Auggie quietly nods and leans over to rest his head against Harry's chest as his fingers move upwards to trail through Auggie's soft hair.
"You're doing okay? We've got some snacks over in the other room if you want,"Harry offers, looking down at his little boy who has no reaction to the offer, his hands still twiddling in his lap. "Are you okay being here, bud? I know it's a lot of noise and new people, and I know you don't like either of those things."
Auggie stays on his talking strike that he's been at ever since the fight at school, which really wasn't a fight since fights have to be two ways, and this was anything but two ways. It was more of Auggie getting beat up and miraculously being saved by a teacher, not before he got a bloody lip and a black eye, however.
"Hey, look at me, bud,"Harry whispers, cupping Auggie's chin and tilting it upwards so that they can go eye to eye as he tries to keep his composure at the sight of Auggie. He's never seen a child remain so innocent in the face of adversity, and yet Auggie has, and he's never loved him more because of it. "I love you."
Auggie keeps eye contact with Harry for a second more before burying his face back into Harry's chest as Harry wraps his arms around Auggie tighter, resting his chin on top of his head.
"Do you wanna just stay by me?"Harry suggests, rubbing his hand up and down Auggie's back soothingly. "We can stay right by each other until I need to film and then you can stay right by Len and D, does that sound okay?"
He gets the tinniest head nod from Auggie which makes his heart soar softly. A response. Finally, a response. He stands up and helps Auggie stand up, keeping Auggie's little hand in his as he guides him towards the snack room where Lennon and Darcy are going to town, both acting as if they haven't eaten in days.
"Dad, they have crispssss...!"Lennon exaggerates with a dropped jaw and a mouth full of crisps, holding his bag of crisps up with one of his hands as he holds a paper plate of sweets in his other hand.
"Oh my gosh, how lucky are you, huh?"Harry laughs at Lennon's dramatic explanation before looking over at Darcy who has become best friends with the chocolate fountain and strawberries that Sarah is helping her make.
"Hey, don't let her eat too many, I don't want to deal with puke tonight,"Harry calls teasingly as Sarah rolls her eyes at Harry and wraps her arm around Darcy, whispering something to her which makes Darcy burst out in a little laugh.
"What do you want, bud?"Harry asks, leaning down a bit to look at Auggie who's looking towards the snack table warily, his eye looking more swollen than it did this morning since he's been trying to use it. "Do you want some sweets? They've got sugar cookies, I know how much you love those."
Auggie looks up at Harry and gives him a slight nod as Harry grins and leads him towards the snack table to help him pick out some things that will keep him distracted while he has to shoot the music video.
*
"'Kay, I'm just going to go and film a section really quick, okay?"Harry tells the kids, specifically Auggie, as they all sit on the floor with their backs against the wall so they can get a good view of their dad on the spinning platform. "Just tell Aunt Sarah if you need anything, okay?"
Harry walks over to the platform, glancing over his shoulder at the kids to make sure Auggie's okay in his position in between Lennon and Darcy who are being the sweetest to him and offering to share their treats with him. He smiles softly to himself and climbs up onto the platform, getting a few quick instructions from the dancing director before nodding and smiling at her to assure her that he understands.
"You okay?"Jeff asks, looking concernedly at Harry who was staring off into space before he quickly snaps out of it at the question, shaking his head to clear it as he plasters a little grin on his face.
"Yeah, sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind,"Harry explains, shaking his head once more before running his fingers through his brown curls that have been neatly done.
"Anything you need to talk to me about?"Jeff asks, trying to catch Harry's gaze as he yet again begins to stare off into the distance before he catches himself. "Mate, what's going on?"
"Nothing, I promise, Cam and I just had a disagreement, it's fine, really, not a big deal,"Harry promises, offering Jeff a little grin of reassurance before looking towards the kids who are all sitting against the wall with their eyes plastered on him as he stands in the middle of the spinning circle that's been stopped for the time being. He shoots them a thumbs up with both of his hands and a mighty smile as Lennon and Darcy giggle and cheekily smile back at him, offering him their own tiny thumbs ups while Auggie continues to huddle into Darcy's side and softly looks over as his dad.
*
"I'm a bit dizzy,"Harry calls with a little laugh, putting his palm to his forehead as he looks off at the directors who all chuckle and nod along with him, his chest heaving slightly from the many times they've had to redo the platform scenes since he just can't seem to get it right. He blames it on him not spending enough time with the choreography, but he knows that's not it. He knows the choreography like the back of his hand, his mind is just somewhere else completely: back at home with Camryn who is surely still mad at him.
He tries to get off of the platform, but he loses his footing slightly, the dizziness in his brain not helping to stabilize himself as he trips and crumbles to the ground beneath the platform with a loud smack that sounds a lot worse than it actually feels.
"I'm okay,"Harry immediately calls with a little chuckle, picking himself up from the floor to sit down as he laughs over at the group of adults who are laughing along with him now that they know he's not injured. His reassurance, however, does not help Auggie from bolting up from his spot cuddling into Darcy, running straight towards his dad with tears of fear forming in his eyes.
"Oh hey, hey there, mate, I'm okay,"Harry promises with a little chuckle, hugging Auggie tightly to his chest as he rubs his hand up and down Auggie's back. "Did I scare you? I'm sorry, I'm okay, I promise, I just got dizzy."
He cups the back of Auggie's head who is now burying his face into Harry's neck with his arms tightly wrapped around there as Harry presses a soft kiss to his temple. "I love you, bud. I'm okay, I promise. Thanks for looking out for me."
Auggie pulls away from Harry slightly now that he knows he's okay, shooting his dad a wary look as if he questions whether or not he's telling the truth as Harry reaches up to cup Auggie's soft and rosy cheeks, giving them a little squeeze.
"Are you having fun watching the video? Do you wanna come on the platform with me?"Harry asks, motioning his head backwards towards the platform. "I can carry you if you want, we can mess around on it. It's really fun, I promise."
He gets a slight nod from Auggie which makes a big smile cross his face at the response, immediately standing up as he leans down to pick up Auggie's little body, settling him on his hip while using his other hand to motion for Darcy and Lennon to come along as well. "C'mon, you two, do you wanna go on the platform with Augs and I?"
Darcy and Lennon rapidly nod as they run towards Harry, climbing onto the platform with him and Auggie as it begins to spin slowly so that it won't harm the kids.
"Look at meeee,"Darcy squeals, running around the whole circumference of the platform with her arms straight up in a joy, the biggest smile across her face as she dances with her hips slightly.
"We're going so fastttttt,"Lennon screams, looking at his dad in awe before laying down on the platform with his legs and arms out wide, looking up at the ceiling as it spins.
"What do you think about this, mate?"Harry laughs, looking down at Auggie on his hip who has a little peek of a smile beginning to form at his lips. "Is this pretty cool?"
***
"C'mere,"Camryn pouts, holding out her hands for a very teary eyed Bowie who sniffles and pouts dramatically, his bottom lip sticking out as he sniffles and holds his little hands out towards his mum who was sitting on the couch next to Calum, cuddling as they watched a show now that Bindi is upstairs taking her daily nap that she desperately needs to calm the Bindi storm.
"I know you're so sad, I'm so sorry,"Camryn sympathizes, cupping the back of Bowie's head as she presses little kisses there, resting back against the couch with Bowie sitting on her lap. "I'm so sorry you didn't get to go, you can go next time, I promise."
"I wanted to go,"Bowie sniffles miserably in a little shaky voice as he rests his teary cheek on Camryn's chest as she cups the side of his face, his body sitting sideways against hers.
"I know you did,"Camryn nods, combing her fingers through the straight brown hair above Bowie's ear. "I know. We can have so much fun here, though. Should we go get ice cream once Bindi wakes up? Would that make things a little better?"
"Two scoops?"Bowie sniffles, looking up at Camryn with a teary little hope filling his eyes as Camryn giggles and cups the side of his face, leaning down to rest her forehead against his.
"Three,"Camryn counters with a big smile that courses a little giggle out of Bowie as he places his little palm against Camryn's cheek.
"Mummy I'm gonna go play with trains,"Bowie informs Camryn, patting her cheek before pulling away from her slightly as she nods and presses one more kiss to his forehead before she lets him climb off of her lap.
"Just be so quiet so you don't wake up Belle, okay?"Camryn instructs, watching as Bowie runs through the living room and up the stairs.
"Mummy,"Calum calls with a little giggle coating his voice as he continues to lay down on the couch with his little feet pressed against the side of Camryn's thigh. "Mummy, I love you."
"Oh you love me?"Camryn grins, turning her body towards Calum as she climbs onto her knees to kneel on the couch, leaning over Calum with the biggest smile. "Well that's good because...I...love...CALUM!"
"No mummy I love you!"Calum giggles as Camryn's fingers collapse against his stomach and neck, tickling him mercilessly as he squeals and squeaks out, reaching his little hands up to try and push Camryn away.
"No Calum I love you!"Camryn laughs, collapsing her lips against Calum's neck and blowing a little raspberry there.
"No mumma I love you!"Calum fights, his little fingers brushing against Camryn's neck to try and tickle her, but he hasn't quite gained that skill yet.
"No Cali I love you!"Camryn professes, giggling as she continues to lean over Calum, tickling her fingers against his little sides. "I love you so much!"
"Mumma,"Calum takes on a serious tone, cupping both of Camryn's cheeks as she continues to lean over him, her hands stilling as a few strands of her blonde hair hang over him. "We boff love each oder."
"You're so right,"Camryn giggles, resting her face against Calum's cheek, nuzzling her nose against his skin. "We both love each other, huh?" She collapses her body on top of Calum's which makes him squeal.
"Oh sorry sir, were you laying here? Sorry I didn't see you,"Camryn teases, pressing her face into Calum's as she continues to lay on top of him as his chest sputters with a little giggle. "I'm just gonna take a nap on you, okay? Is that okay? I'm so tired."
She expects Calum to catch onto the joke and continue to tease her and try to push her off of him, but he doesn't, and he remains the sweetest little thing ever reaching up to cup Camryn's cheek and rubbing it with his little thumb.
"That's 'kay, mummy,"Calum whispers, his thumb continuing to brush against her cheek bone as her heart melts and a little grin appears on her face as she pretends to fall asleep. "That's 'kay."
*
"Oh you're so tired, I know, I'm sorry I had to wake you up from your nap, you deserve to be mad at me,"Camryn coos with a little pout as she reaches to unbuckle a very unhappy and whimpering Bindi who fell back asleep in her car seat on the drive to the ice cream shop after Camryn had to wake her up early to get them there since she wanted to be back home by the time Harry and the other kids got home.
Her little lips pout out at Camryn as she keeps her cheek rested against her shoulder, her hair falling out of it's two bunches that it was pulled up into on the top of her head, one of them completely lopsided from her sleeping on them.
"C'mere, you don't have to walk, mummy will hold you,"Camryn whispers, picking Bindi up out of her car seat and hugging her tightly as her tiny head falls against Camryn's shoulder.
"Do you want your bunny?"Camryn asks, reaching for Bindi's stuffed rabbit with fluffy ears as she hands it to her little girl who immediately takes it under her arm, huddling even closer to her mum as her eyes begin to fall closed.
"Hey hey hey, stay by the car, we're in a parking lot, you two know the rules,"Camryn calls, watching as Bowie and Calum dare to venture a bit too far away from the car for her liking. "One hand on the car at all times."
She walks over to them, holding out her free hand towards Bowie who clasps his hand in hers before reaching out his other hand to clasp in Calum's as they walk towards the ice cream shop. They walk into the store, immediately greeted by a kind worker behind the register as both Calum and Bowie bolt towards the glass wall that's preventing them from being able to touch the ice cream, pressing their palms and noses against it as they eagerly point out all of the flavors, even the ones they don't like and don't want.
"Mummy, I want that one,"Bowie exclaims, pointing his finger against the glass towards a blue and pink swirled ice cream.
"That one's cotton candy? You want cotton candy?"Camryn checks, watching as Bowie looks up at her and nods rapidly. She knows that he's just choosing it purely because of how colorful it is since he's never tried cotton candy ice cream before, but then again he's not too picky about ice cream in general.
"Yeah!"Bowie confirms with a rapid head nod and a big smile as Camryn giggles and nods, running her fingers through Bowie's hair.
"Mummy, I wan' dat one!"Calum squeaks, tapping his finger rapidly against the glass protecting the ice creams.
"Ooo rainbow sherbet,"Camryn giggles, knowing that like Bowie Calum just picked it because of the colors, "great choice, buddy."
"What do you want, sis?"Camryn whispers as Bindi sleepily picks her head up off of Camryn's shoulder, her thumb in between her lips as she continues to hug her bunny to her chest, her hazel eyes blinking slowly and droopily. "Do you want strawberry? You love strawberry."
She gets a little nod from Bindi in response before resting her cheek back down against her shoulder, nuzzling her face closer to Camryn's neck as Camryn begins to order for all of the kids. After their ice creams are all picked out and handed to each of the kids, Camryn guides them towards a little booth in the back of the ice cream shop, sitting down with Bindi on her lap while Calum and Bowie sit on the other side of the booth right next to each other.
"How's your ice cream, boys? Is it better than going with dada,"Camryn grins, helping scoop a bite of ice cream into Bindi's mouth as she continues to sit sideways on Camryn's lap, resting her cheek against Camryn's chest and holding her bunny against her chest.
"Yeah,"Bowie nods through a muffled mouthful of ice cream as he continues to shovel it into his mouth. "It's good."
"CalCal, baby, take your napkin and wipe like this,"Camryn instructs, motioning her hand over her own lips to try and get Calum to clean his lips that are now tinted rainbow colors.
"Mummy look,"Bowie giggles, taking a little frog from his ice cream bowl in between his fingers before he gnaws off the head with a cheeky grin and a little giggle.
"Oh no! You ate his head off Bow!"Camryn laughs, scooping another spoonful of ice cream into Bindi's little mouth. "How's he going to eat any ice cream now?"
"I dunno, he's in my tummy now,"Bowie giggles, dramatically chewing the rest of the frog's head as he looks towards Calum who thinks his older brother is just the funniest human ever, laughing as he bites down on his spoon.
***
"Mummy we're home!"Lennon calls as he runs through the front door with Darcy closely following behind him, both of them immediately running into the kitchen where Camryn is preparing dinner.
"Oh you're home! Yay, I missed you guys!"Camryn exclaims dramatically to make the kids giggle as she rushes towards them, leaving behind the cheese toasties she was preparing as she wraps her arms around Darcy and Lennon hugging them tightly. "How are you two? How was it?!"
"It was so fun!"Darcy squeals as she squeezes her arms around Camryn's waist, "there was a huge spinning platform and daddy and us played on it and it was so fun!"
"Oh my goodness, that sounds amazing!"Camryn giggles, cupping Darcy's cheek and giving it a little squeeze as Harry walks into the kitchen with Auggie's little hand cupped in his, his non black eye red rimmed and his cheeks splotchy.
"Oh lovey, what's wrong,"Camryn immediately asks, moving away from Darcy and Lennon to focus her attention on Auggie as she kneels down in front of him, immediately hugging Auggie as he falls into her, burying his face into Camryn's neck.
"He got a bit overwhelmed, there were a lot of people and a lot of noise,"Harry explains, standing in the doorway, resting his shoulder against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest as he watches Camryn be the most caring mum to their little boy, as she always is, but he doesn't miss how she tightens uncomfortably at the sound of his voice.
"Were there loads of people,"Camryn nods understandingly, rubbing her hadn't up and down Auggie's back as she presses her cheek against the top of his head, refusing to look up at Harry, instead focusing on her little boy. "I know that's scary for you, I'm sorry buddy. But did you have a bit of fun? I bet there was loads of good treats, huh?"
Auggie sniffles and nods, reaching his hand gently into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out a cumbled sugar cookie, holding it out towards Camryn.
"Is that for me,"Camryn giggles as her eyes go molten, keeping her hand rested on Auggie's back as he holds the sugar cookie up closer to her, knowing that they're one of her favorite treats. "Oh thank you, lovey! That's so nice of you to think about me!"
"He must've snuck that into his pocket when I wasn't looking,"Harry chuckles softly, looking at Camryn with a smile, hoping that he can sneak his way back into her heart easily, but she's stubborn, he knows that much, and he knows that she, like he, is still hurt by the argument and the things said, so it's not going to be quite as easy as he'd like.
"Thank you, baby,"Camryn whispers, cupping the back of Auggie's head and pressing a kiss to his forehead, "do you wanna go snuggle? I've missed you."
She gets a slight nod from Auggie who transfers the crumbled up cookie and crumbs into Camryn's palm as she uses her other hand to grab his, guiding him out of the kitchen and through the living room, using the door that Harry's not standing in.
Harry sighs heavily and rubs a palm down his face and through his slightly sweaty curls as he feels a little hand tug at his pant leg before squealing out happily. "Dada!"
"Belle Belle,"Harry chuckles with the same squeal, matching her energy as he feels his heart burst at the sight of his little girl standing beside his leg, her hands reaching up towards him expectantly as he immediately picks her up, throwing her up in the air slightly before catching her and setting her on his hip. "There's my girl, hi baby."
"Dada,"Bindi exclaims excitedly again, tapping both of her tiny palms against Harry's cheeks as she nuzzles her nose against his.
"Hi baby,"Harry grins, puckering his lips, "I missed you! Kisses?"
Bindi grins and nods, leaning in as she presses her lips against his with a loud and exaggerated "MWAH!"
"Mwah!"Harry copies with a little giggle before stealing one more kiss against her lips. "I love you so much. What did you do today?"
"Ceem,"Bindi responds excitedly, one pig tail only a centimeter above her ear while the other is still on the top of her head, showing which side of her body she slept on.
"You got ice cream? That's so awesome! Was it so yummy?"Harry inquires, tickling his fingers against her little tummy as she nods rapidly
"Umm,"Bindi hums dramatically with her lips vibrating.
"Yummm,"Harry giggles with a nod of agreement, pressing one more kiss against her forehead that's covered by her hazel bangs. "You're so cute. Are you a cutie? Daddy thinks you're cute." He collapses his lips against her cheek, which she thinks is hilarious and tickly because of his scruff. His lips continue to nuzzle against her neck and cheek and all over her face as she giggles and squeals, trying to push his face away from hers.
"Don't escape my kisses! Don't push them away!"Harry teases, bending at the hips to hold her upside down as she laughs heartily, the cutest baby belly laugh ever, her tiny fingers still gripping at his curls as her eyes crinkle up. "How dare you, Belle Belle!"
"C'mere, buddy,"Camryn whispers, from the living room, sitting on the couch with her hands held out towards him as he slowly slumps towards her, climbing up towards Camryn and climbing onto her lap, resting his cheek against her chest as she cradles the back of his head with one hand and rubs up and down his back with the other.
"I love you so much,"Camryn whispers, rubbing her thumb against the side of Auggie's face. "You're such a good boy."
She feels Lennon's little head droop to rest against her bicep as Darcy cuddles into Lennon's side, dropping her cheek against his shoulder while they all lazily watch the television, except Auggie who has no interest in the television. He only has interest in cuddling with his mumma.
*
"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"Harry asks, standing in the doorway of the kitchen and the living room with an apron still tied around his front since he finished making dinner so that Camryn didn't have to move Auggie.
Camryn peeks up at Harry, realizing that he's looking right at her so the request was meant for her, she has to physically stop the sigh that rouses in her body because she doesn't want the kids to catch onto the tension between them as she softly whispers, "sure." She presses a kiss to the top of Auggie's head before whispering something in his ear which makes him nod softly before climbing off of Camryn's lap and instead laying on the couch with his cheek smushed against the cushion, his black eye swollen and half shut.
She slowly walks into the kitchen with her arms crossed against her chest, slumping into the kitchen where she finds Harry holding a bouquet of red roses with a cautious grin crossing his lips.
"These are for you,"Harry whispers, holding out the bouquet of flowers that he got on the way home from filming the music video with the kids, explaining that he just wanted to do something nice for mummy, which they all went along with without thinking too deeply about it. They all know it's not out of the ordinary to surprise Camryn with little gifts to let her know that he's thinking of her or loves her.
"Thank you,"Camryn murmurs as she cautiously reaches her hand out to take the flowers from Harry, peeking up at him warily before casting her eyes back down at his lower stomach.
"Are you gonna keep looking at my crotch or are you gonna talk to me?"Harry teases, hoping that the joke was warranted as he watches Camryn crack a little smile before her pride gets in the way and swipes it from her face, peeking up at Harry with blushed cheeks.
"I wasn't looking at your crotch,"Camryn whispers, watching as Harry cracks a smile and nods, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning his hip against the counter.
"I know, but I wish you would've been,"Harry slyly responds with a smirk as he watches Camryn's face remain stoic before she sighs and looks up at Harry.
"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?"Camryn asks with a hint of annoyance and exasperation hinting her tone as she keeps her arms crossed against her chest. "Because if so I'd rather be sitting with the kids." She turns away from Harry and begins to walk out of the kitchen, feeling a lump form in the back of her throat that she's desperately trying to keep down for her sake and the kids'.
"Cam,"Harry calls with a tiny sigh, reaching out to grab Camryn's bicep to stop her as she turns around cautiously, "sorry, I won't joke anymore."
"This is serious, Harry,"Camryn whispers, looking up at him with her blue eyes so that he can realize for the first time how teary they've become.
"I know it is,"Harry inhales deeply and nods in understanding, reaching his hand up to run through his curls, "I know. I was being an ass this morning and I'm sorry."
Camryn sniffles, nodding as she continues to look at Harry, watching the remorse cross his face, "thank you. I'm sorry for getting mad at you."
"You deserved to, I wasn't listening to you,"Harry responds, reaching his hand back out to rest softly against Camryn's bicep. "I haven't been listening to you and I'm sorry, your his mum, you know what would be best for him."
"No, see that's not it, I don't want to be the one making the decision,"Camryn explains, her voice cracking with tears as she stops and swallows, watching as Harry's eyes go molten as they watch her with understanding that makes her heart burst, "and you shouldn't either. We should both be making the decision because we're both his parents."
"You're right,"Harry agrees, nodding his head as he continues to lean his hip against the counter, "but I do want to start hearing you out, I think you may be right about the whole school thing."
"We should talk about it where,"she motions her head towards the wall that separates the living room and the kitchen, raising her eyebrows at Harry, "can't hear."
"Right,"Harry agrees with a little smile, rubbing his palm up and down Camryn's bicep, "later tonight? You, me, our bed, one spoon and a tub of ice cream?"
Camryn can't help but crack a smile as she looks up at Harry with her eyes lit to match his, "sounds great."
"C'mere,"Harry whispers, taking both of Camryn's shoulders into his hands as he pulls her forward, hugging her tightly to his chest. "I've missed you. I hate arguing with you."
"I do too,"Camryn says through a muffled voice, her cheek smushed against Harry's chest, "I couldn't keep my mind off of it...you're very sweaty."
"Am I?"Harry laughs, pressing a kiss to the top of Camryn's blonde head, "sorry, I had to do the stupid choreography a billion times because I couldn't stop thinking about the argument."
"I'm sorry,"Camryn sincerely apologizes, looking up at Harry with her bottom lip pouted out, "did it ruin the video?"
"I don't think so, everyone said it looked good,"Harry responds with a little grin, raising his hand up to comb his fingers through the hair above her ear, wrapping his other arm around her waist. "I'm sure it will be fine."
"Good,"Camryn whispers, going on her tippy toes to press a soft kiss against Harry's lips, the first kiss they've shared at all today, "I love you, and I love the song, it's so good."
"You say that about all of them,"Harry giggles, rolling his eyes jokingly as Camryn giggles and rests her chin against Harry's chest, looking up at him with dopey eyes.
"Because I love all of them,"Camryn replies honestly, pressing a kiss to Harry's chest before tipping her head back up to press a kiss to Harry's lips, "and because I'm very proud of you."
***
"Daddy, where're we goin?"Calum asks, sitting on Harry's hip as he walks through the parking lot with him, pressing a button on his keys to lock the car behind them as they venture towards the recording studio.
"We're going to record some of my new song, remember how I'm making a new song and Auggie and Lennon and DD went with me to watch me film the video for it?"Harry inquires, meeting Calum's green eyes as he nods at Harry and keeps his little hand placed on the nape of Harry's neck.
"Yeah, I member,"Calum confirms, nodding his head slightly as Harry reaches one of his hands up to comb his fingers through Calum's curls, brushing them back as they fall on his forehead slightly.
"Well I want your voice to be at the beginning of the song cuz you have such a cute voice,"Harry explains, grinning softly at Calum who's still trying to process everything in his little mind, his soft brows slightly creased with his chubby and squishy cheeks resting lowly, "would that be okay?"
"Okay,"Calum agrees, nodding his head as he continues to bounce slightly on Harry's hip as Harry walks against the pavement and towards the front door of the studio.
He unlocks the door and walks inside the dark studio, pressing his hand against the wall and blindly searching for the light switch, flipping it on once he finds it as he feels Calum's tight grip loosen on him slightly now that it's light again. He's never been a fan of the dark.
"Do you remember this place? You haven't been here in a while, huh? Last time you came here you were really tiny and Bindi was in mummy's tummy,"Harry explains, walking through the studio that's lined with recording booths as he goes to his designated one, pushing the door open with his palm and walking inside before he sets Calum down, walking over to the sound machine to begin setting everything up.
"You can sit down, buddy,"Harry offers, motioning his hand towards the stool by the sound machine as he flicks on a few buttons, an ear piercing static sounding through the tiny box, making their ears ring painfully.
"AH!"Calum shrieks, his entire body flinching as his little palms immediately go up to his tiny ears, cupping them to try and protect them from the sound as he whimpers out, Harry's hand immediately going to the sound box to turn off the static.
"Sorry buddy, I flipped the wrong switch, are your ears okay?"Harry checks, looking over at Calum who looks up at him with a dramatic pout, his green eyes showing a worried expression as he keeps his hands over his ears.
"Daddy, it's loud,"Calum whimpers, his legs hanging from the stool he's sat himself upon.
"I know, that was super loud, huh? That won't happen again, I promise,"Harry assures Calum, flipping on a different switch before reaching towards Calum, "c'mere mate, let's get you a pair of headphones, shall we?"
Calum holds up his tiny arms towards harry who immediately takes him in his arms, settling him on his hip as he walks over to the corner of the booth where a circular microphone is hanging, grabbing a pair of earphones and handing them to Calum. "Put them over your ears, you'll be able to hear yourself, it's gonna sound so cool."
He helps Calum situate the earphones on his ears, his cheeks smushing adorably which causes his lips to smush together as well, his green eyes never leaving Harry's although they do grow more and more confused by the second.
"CAN'T HEAR YOU DADDY!"Calum yells, unable to realize how loud his voice is from the muffling of the earphones as Harry laughs out and nods, biting on his bottom lip to try and prevent himself from laughing anymore.
Harry takes one side of the earphone and brings it away from Calum's ear so that he can hear, "I know, that's okay. Are you ready to record? I'm gonna have to put the earphones back on when you record."
"Okay, I ready,"Calum agrees with a little nod as he looks towards the microphone.
"Okay, you're gonna say 'c'mon Harry we want to say goodnight to you!'"Harry explains with a big smile, watching as Calum studies him warily.
"But you daddy,"Calum confusedly responds, his whole face pinching up as he looks towards his dad with the most distraught face.
"I know, I know my name's daddy,"Harry chuckles, nodding his head understandingly as he continues to hold the earphone away from Calum's ear, "but can you call me 'Harry' just this once?"
"But you daddy,"Calum presses again, the furrow in his brow deepening, his four year old brain not seeming to be able to comprehend that Harry goes by 'Harry' to most people.
"I know. You know how I call you Cali Z? Or Cali or CalCal?" He raises his eyebrow and gets a little head nod from Calum who's still trying to understand and compared everything that's being said. "Those are nicknames, but we all know your real name is Calum, huh? Well that's the same thing with daddy. It's a nickname you call me, but my real name is Harry."
"Okay,"Calum agrees, turning back towards the microphone as Harry shifts him more up on his hip to be level with it, setting the earphone back on Calum's ear as he leans in towards the microphone, pressing his face up against it with his lips smushed, muffling all of his words. "C'monHaywewan'osayg'nighttoyou!"
"Oh good job, good job,"Harry laughs, raising the earphone from off of Calum's ear again as he looks towards Harry with a proud little grin. "That was awesome buddy! It was perfect! Can we try having you keep your face right here? Keep it right here and talk into the microphone, it will still work."
Calum nods and wipes the back of his hand against his nose once before smiling and leaning slightly towards the microphone, not nearly as close as the first time. "C'mon Harry we want to say goodnight to you!"
"Perfect!"Harry exclaims, bouncing Calum excitedly on his hip as he reaches for the headphones so that Calum can hear him. "Buddy that was perfect! Up high!" He holds his palm out in front of Calum who giggles and tucks his chin to his chest shyly, pressing his little palm against Harry's. "That's gonna be the best part of the song, Cali."
***
(A few weeks later)
"Alright alright, sit on the couch with mummy, calm down,"Harry laughs as Bowie and Calum cling to each of his legs as he tries to search through his phone for the confidential email he was sent that contains the first cut of the music video so that he can project it up on the television and watch it for the first time with the family.
"C'mere, boys,"Camryn calls, holding her arms out for her two youngest sons as Darcy and Lennon sit on either side of her, curling up against her, Darcy with Bindi on her lap and Auggie sitting on the other side of Lennon.
Calum lets go of Harry's leg and bolts towards Camryn, climbing up onto her lap and situating himself there, resting his back against her chest as Harry finally pulls up the music video which earns excited screeches from all of the kids.
"Alright, here it is,"Harry excitedly announces, turning around from the television and sharing an anxious but excited smile with Camryn. "Can I sit by mumma? Can I steal your place DD?"
Darcy nods and uncuddles herself from Camryn's side, allowing a bit of space for Harry to squeeze in as he wraps his arm around Camryn's shoulders, resting his cheek on top of her head, his fingers rubbing against her shoulder.
"Are you ready for this,"Camryn giggles, tipping her chin to look up at Harry as he widens his eyes and smiles, looking down at Camryn before nuzzling a kiss to her forehead.
"I'm so ready,"Harry confirms, widening his eyes once more at Camryn before pressing play on the television.
C'mon Harry, we want to say goodnight to you!
"THAT'S ME! DADDY IT'S ME! MUMMY!"Calum immediately exclaims, sitting up from resting back against Camryn's chest and looking at her with the widest eyes and the biggest smile. "IT'S ME!"
"It is you, Cal!"Camryn laughs, nodding her head rapidly as she widens her eyes to look at her little boy, matching his gaze of complete surprise. "You're famous, mate!"
"Dada! Dada!"Bindi bubbles, bouncing up and down on Darcy's lap with her thumb in her mouth and the other hand pointing towards the screen where Harry is illuminated.
"That is me, huh?"Harry giggles, reaching his hand over to rub against Bindi's hazel hair that's of course pulled into two bunches on either side of her head with her bangs hanging down, almost covering her eyes. "Am I singing?"
"Yeah! Yeah!"Bindi gushes, continuing to bounce against Darcy's legs as Darcy's little hands rest on Bindi's waist.
"I like this daddy!"Lennon exclaims, looking over at Harry who smiles widely and nods at his oldest son.
"Do you? I'm so glad you do, I think I like it too,"Harry agrees, leaning his cheek back down to rest against the top of Camryn's head.
In this world, it's just us, you know it's not the same as it was...
"A-A-As it w-w-was,"Auggie exclaims, putting together the title of the song and the lyric as he sits up from leaning against the couch, looking at his parents as if he just solved a puzzle as they both chuckle softly and nod at him.
"Are you dancin' Belle Belle,"Harry laughs, watching as her bounces start to get even more prominent against Darcy's thighs. "Show me your moves! Lemme see them!"
Bindi takes that as a little approval to slide off of Darcy's thighs, her feet hitting the ground beneath her as she immediately begins to bounce up and down, her own little version of dancing.
"Oh nice, Beenie,"Camryn giggles, watching as Bindi continues to dance along to the song while Bowie and Calum jump off of the couch to join her. "Oh look at you guys! Nice booty shake Cal!"
Auggie and Lennon soon join which gets Darcy to join as well, all six of the kids dancing in the middle of the living room with the television still blasting "As it Was", Auggie and Darcy holding hands as they dance around in a little circle.
"As it was! As it was! You know it's not the same!"Darcy sings along, already catching onto the song as she bumps into Bowie who's bouncing up and down with his arms above his head.
"C'mon mummy!"Lennon urges Camryn on, motioning for Camryn to follow him as she laughs and stands up, turning around and offering a hand for Harry who raises an eyebrow up at her.
"C'mon hotshot, you're not too embarrassed to dance to your own song, are you?"Camryn teases as Harry jokingly reluctantly reaches his hand for Camryn's to help himself get off of the couch.
"If we can have sex to my songs then we can dance to them,"Harry whispers huskily in Camryn's ear which makes Camryn burst out into laughter, shaking her head as she collapses her forehead down to Harry's shoulder.
"Mummy! I'll spin you!"Lennon offers, holding his hand out towards Camryn who pulls away from Harry to rest her hand in Lennon's, his hand guiding hers up as she bends down to spin under their raised arm. "Spin! Spin!"
"You're stealing my woman, mate!"Harry laughs, feeling Bowie and Calum accidentally bump into his legs as they continue to crazily spin around in circles, dizzying themselves like no other. "You have been for eight years now!"
Camryn giggles and ruffles her fingers through Lennon's curls before turning towards Harry again, resting one hand on his shoulder, her other hand taking his as he rests his free hand on her waist, both of them beginning to dance around in a little circle with the kids dancing around them.
He presses his forehead to Camryn's, smiling widely as she smiles back at him. He presses a little kiss to her lips, "I'm kinda glad it's not the same as it was, bug."
***
"Cami! Baby what do I hit again,"Harry calls, sitting in front of his laptop with Zoom pulled up, his earbuds in and a worried crease in his brow as he tries to figure out how to get his audio to work.
"With computer audio!"Camryn calls back from down the hall, rushing down it in a sweatsuit set with her long blonde hair wet and hanging down to her waist with Bindi on her hip who's just in her diaper, her thumb in her mouth. "Do you need help? You got it?"
"Yeah I need help!"Harry calls uselessly as he picks up his phone and quickly texts Roman to let him know that he's trying to get on.
Camryn rushes into the room with a little smile, leaning over the table that Harry's sitting in front of, using the mouse to click on a few buttons before Roman's face illuminates the screen.
"Harold!"Roman Kemp exclaims, holding his arms out wide as Harry, Camryn and Bindi's faces appear on the screen. "And Camryn!"
"Roman!"Harry exclaims back, copying Roman's moment and throwing her arms out wide.
"Hi Roman,"Camryn greets, scrunching her fingers at him with a big smile. "Beenie can you say hi? You remember Roman, right?"
"Hi Bindi, how're you sweetie?"Roman greets with the sweetest smile, waving at Bindi who sleepily uses her hand that's not holding her thumb to her mouth to wave at Roman.
"Alright, we'll leave you to it,"Camryn grins, massaging her hand against Harry's shoulder, pressing a kiss to the top of his curly head.
"Alright mate, I've listened to the song, I love it, we're gonna play it here in a bit, but it's fantastic,"Roman congratulates Harry, watching as Harry bashfully chuckles and grins.
"Thanks mate, thank you,"Harry responds, tapping his fingers against the desk. "I'm super proud of this one, I love it a lot, and I worked super hard on it."
"Now when I first listened to it it took me a second to realize who the little voice is in the beginning of the song cuz you have so many d*mn kids,"Roman teases, watching as Harry bursts out into a laugh, nodding his head admittedly. "But it's Calum right?"
"It is Calum, yeah,"Harry confirms with a little laugh, "he was so proud to hear his voice at the beginning."
"It's such a cute touch, I really like it,"Roman agrees, readjusting his headphones. "Is there a special reason for using his voice in the beginning? Or was it just for fun?"
"Yeah, I have all of my kids' voices featured in all of my songs at least once, and I haven't had Calum's voice, so I decided this was a perfect time to include him,"Harry explains, folding his arms on top of the desk and leaning forward slightly as he continues to bubble on, always more than eager to talk and gush about his kids, "on the next album I'll include Bindi's voice somewhere probably so we can get her involved as well."
"I know we've talked a few times about where the other kids appear on in your other songs, but for our new listeners can you tell them?"Roman asks, watching as Harry immediately nods with a little smile.
"Yeah, Darcy's voice is in Midnight Memories, a song the boys and I made while we were in One Direction, and then Lennon and Darcy's laughs are both included in History that I also made with the boys,"Harry explains, his face visibly brightening as he talks about the kids, "Auggie's voice is in Treat People with Kindness, and in the beginning of Sweet Creature you can hear baby Bowie's coos, which is one of my favorite things I've ever included in any of my songs."
*
"Hey, where do you think you're going mister,"Camryn grins, picking Calum up from behind as he whimpers and reaches towards the stairs that he was trying to make a quick escape up.
"I wanna see daddy, mummy,"Calum whines miserably with a pout that breaks Camryn's heart as he keeps his little hand outstretched towards the stairs. "Daddy..."
"You can see daddy in just a minute, he's upstairs in an interview right now so we gotta be quiet,"Camryn explains, pressing a few kisses to Calum's squishy cheek. "Do you wanna eat your eggs? I made them with extra black pepper, just like you like."
She walks Calum over to his designated chair in between Bowie and Bindi and sets him down as Bindi impales another strawberry with her baby fork, bringing it two her mouth in one big bite.
"Hey, chew good missy, chew chew chew,"Camryn instructs, pointing her finger at Bindi who's lips are pursed as they try to keep all of the strawberry in, her mouth munching cutely as a bit of red strawberry juice dribbles down her chin.
"Mummy, I don't like this,"Bowie whines dramatically, holding a blackberry between his fingers towards Camryn with a pout.
"Buddy, those are blackberries, you love blackberries,"Camryn tries not to laugh, a little exasperation coating her voice as she rests her arms on the back of Calum's kitchen chair.
"I don't,"Bowie professes, shaking his head as he pinches his face in disgust.
"Okay, you don't have to eat them, push them to the side,"Camryn tells Bowie, waving her hand nonchalantly as she looks over at the big kids to make sure they're doing okay, "or give them to Augs, he loves them."
"I w-w-want t-t-them,"Auggie volunteers with a rapid nod, reaching his hand over the table to steal all of the blackberries from Bowie's plate.
"Heyyyy! You took my strawberry!"Bowie whines as he frowns at Auggie with a little glare, crossing his arms against his chest with a little huff.
"N-N-No I d-d-didn't,"Auggie shakes his head, holding out his hand full of blackberries to prove his point. "It's o-on your p-p-plate."
"Lovey, it's right there,"Camryn giggles, pointing her finger towards the strawberry that was hidden by a little mound of eggs on Bowie's plate as he peeks his eyes over to look at it.
"Oh,"Bowie whispers, reaching his fingers towards the strawberry as he feels Camryn press a kiss to the top of his head.
*
"Can you tell us a bit about what the song means to you and how you wrote it?"Roman asks, sitting back in his chair slightly as Harry nods.
"Yeah, so I wrote 'As It Was' as kind of...a letter I guess to teenage Harry and Camryn, before we got pregnant with Darcy and everything. It's kind of the feeling of everything is so different and nothing is as it was before, but that's okay,"Harry explains, interlocking his hands and resting them on the table in front of him as he continues to speak. "I remember when Camryn and I both moved to London, we were so young and had never lived away from our parents and she was pregnant and the band was still new and it just seemed like everything was changing, and we were just talking one night, it had been a really rough day for us, a really emotional one, and we were just both like 'wow, nothing is the same as it was'." He clears his throat to try and swallow back the emotion that has suddenly come up in his eyes that he didn't think would appear. "And that conversation just always stuck with me, I guess. And I was just thinking back to that, I wrote this song on Darcy's ninth birthday last year, and I was just reminiscing and thinking about how happy I was that it's not the same as it was because I'm so grateful to be where I am in my life currently."
He hears the door creaking open as he immediately looks behind his shoulder to try and figure out who it is, finding little Calum peeking his head through the door as he walks in with a cautious smile.
"Hi daddy,"Calum whispers, shutting the door as he softly waves towards Harry who chuckles and swivels around in his chair.
"Hi buddy, c'mere, what're you doing here?"Harry laughs, holding his hands out for Calum who giggles and immediately runs into Harry's arms as Harry picks him up and settles him on his lap with a kiss to the top of his curls as he swivels the chair back around to face Roman again who's chuckling. "Can you say hi to Roman?"
"Hi Roman,"Calum greets, waving his hand at the screen, sticky strawberry juice still clinging to his lips as he looks back over his shoulder at Harry. "Shhhh, mumma doesn't know."
"Mama doesn't know you're up here,"Harry laughs, pressing another kiss to the top of Calum's head. "I bet she doesn't, mate. You snuck out huh?"
"She's changing Beenie's diaper,"Calum explains, resting back against Harry's chest.
"Oh she is? And you snuck away, huh?"Harry laughs, drumming the tips of his fingers against Calum's little belly. "She's gonna figure out you're missing soon, I'm afraid mate."
"Nooo, we want Calum to join the interview, huh bud? You're apart of the song too, so you should be in it!"Roman justifies as Calum blushes bashfully and giggles, nodding his head in agreement.
"Do you like that you're apart of the song?"Harry asks, nuzzling his lips down close to Calum's ear as he squeezes him tighter.
"Yeah, I like it,"Calum confirms, patting his hands against Harry's. "I called daddy Harry!"
"Oh yeah, he thought it was super silly that he got to call me Harry instead of daddy, huh?"Harry explains to Roman who chuckles out.
"Well we've loved having you on the show today, thank you so much for joining us,"Roman grins, winking at Calum who smirks lopsidedly. "Do you wanna introduce the song, Harry?"
"I'm Harry Styles and this is my son Calum and you're listening to my new single 'As It Was'."
C'mon Harry, we want to say goodnight to you...
~~~~~~~
Ahhhhh in honor of this amazing song I just HAD to make a chapter dedicated to it!!!!
I literally still can't get over the music video like HE IS JUST SO AMAZING I LOVE HIM
I've only written arguments between haz and cam a few times (but they're lowkey fun to write) and I like to include them cuz they're a normal couple so of course they have arguments but UGH SAD AUGGIE HURTS MY HEART
BUTTTTTTT
WE DONT HAVE SAD AUGGIE ANYMORE BECAUSE OF DAZY AND SPEAKING OF HER...
Next weeks chapter will be dedicated to Darcy since it's her birthday week!! I haven't explored her pregnancy with Penny too much before, so it's going to be dedicated to that!! So lots and lots of cute teen Darcy pregnancy fluff!!
I hope you're all doing amazing!! I'll see you on Wednesday for a chapter all about Auggie and Em's first month with Dazy🥺🥺🥺
I LOVE YOU ALL SO FREAKIN MUCH
MWAH
-Mel 💛
~~~~~
FOR CAMRYN AND HARRY'S INSTAGRAM POSTS THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS CHAPTER HEAD OVER TO MY OTHER STORY "Family Forever Instagram" AND READ "April 1 2022 (Goes with Finally As It Was Music Video)".
For more of the Styles kids in their future lives (including Styles grandkids), check out their spin off books! There's a chapter in this book titled "Masterlist (how to read the kid's novellas) that will give you a list of the order you should read the chapters in!
If you guys have any requests for chapters you'd like to see PLEASE message me! I'd love to write whatever you guys want!
Also, I have a lot of requests right now from people so I'm sorry if I don't get to yours right away, I promise I haven't forgotten about you! I will get to all of them! 💕