Summary: Louis and Harry's daughter gets her first period, and the boys don't know what to do.
Call me Taylor Swift because this is from The Vault 🤩
-
Harry leans against his black Range Rover and pushes his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose as he casually looks around the front of the school. Louis usually picks his and Harry's daughter up from school, but he is stuck in a meeting today. That is why Harry grabbed his keys and a pair of sunglasses and raced out the door as soon as he got Louis' text; he wouldn't want to leave his daughter waiting.
He sees the double doors swing open, and a flood of students emerge from the building. Harry straightens his posture and he excitedly searches for Harper. Not even a minute later, he sees her speedwalking over to him. She is wearing her school uniform, which is only slightly less put together than it was this morning. Her brown hair is naturally curly, and her blue eyes match Louis'. They used a surrogate on Harry's side of the family and Louis' sperm, and the couple loves the fact that they can see parts of each other in their daughter's looks and mannerisms.
"Hi Papa!" Harper happily throws her arms around Harry's torso, and Harry hugs her back.
"Hi, princess. How was school?" He asks as Harper pulls away and gets in the backseat of the car.
"It was good. I got all my homework done." Harry buckles his seat belt before peeking in the back to make sure Harper has her seat belt on as well, then sets off for home.
"That's nice," he happily hums.
"Why isn't Dad picking me up today?" Harper wonders.
"Dad's meeting ran late. He should be home soon, though," Harry explains. Harper hums in understanding, then connects her phone to the car to play music. She is particularly fond of older music, but One Direction and Louis and Harry's solo music are fine exceptions thrown into her playlist.
Harry sings along with Harper to the songs he knows, and he smiles and quietly listens when a few of Louis' songs come on. He pulls into the garage a short 15 minutes later, and Harper races to the door when she sees Louis' car parked in the garage.
"Dad!" She calls through the house. While she waits for Louis, she takes her shoes off and leaves them by the door. Harry enters the house seconds after her, and Louis pads down the stairs, having already changed into shorts and a hoodie.
"Hey love. How was school?" Louis hugs her and kisses her on the head before sitting at the kitchen island. Harper sits next to him, and Harry grabs snacks for them.
"It was fine. Got all my homework done," she tells Louis the same thing she told Harry, and Louis smiles.
"That's good. What do you wanna do today?" Louis asks. Harry grabs a bowl of cut up watermelon, a bag of corn chips, and a small container of guacamole. Louis playfully glares at Harry when he sees the guacamole, but younger boy simply smiles back before standing next to Louis.
"I have to practice the piano, then can we watch a movie?" Harper asks, grabbing a chip and dipping it in the guacamole.
"While you practice, Daddy and I can talk about your thirteenth birthday party, which is in two weeks, by the way." Harry smiles. At the mention of turning 13, Harper dances in her seat and cheers.
"Can I have a sleepover with my friends?" She quickly asks.
"We'll talk about it," Louis says with a sneaky smile, and Harper knows the answer to her question is "yes." She takes another chip before grabbing the bowl of watermelon and going up to her room to change.
"Please don't spill the watermelon!" Harry calls, but he doesn't get a response.
"Hi baby," Louis fondly says before kissing his husband, since they are alone for the first time since 7:00 in the morning.
"Hi. The meeting didn't run that long after, huh?" He says.
"Yeah, I wasn't sure how long it was gonna take, though," he replies. "So, thirteenth birthday. What are we thinking? How many kids are you comfortable having over?" Louis and Harry are somewhat hesitant about hosting Harper's party at their house, since they don't want to draw attention to their family. They have tried to keep Harper out of the public eye and away from tabloids and paparazzi, but it is becoming harder to do so the older she gets.
"Well, how many people do you think she'll invite? And the sleepover is only girls, just so we're clear."
"Oh, of course," Louis vehemently agrees. "Boys can come to the party, right?" He asks for clarification, trying to sound like a reasonable parent.
"Yeah, just not the sleepover," Harry nods. "So how many people should we say c-" Harry is cut off by a shriek coming from upstairs. Louis and Harry look at each other for a second, their eyes wide and faces full of concern, before darting upstairs.
"Harper?" Louis calls, not knowing where his daughter is.
"In here." Harry waves Louis over from outside of Harper's bedroom. They walk through Harper's room and stop outside her bathroom door, Louis anxiously gripping Harry's bicep.
"Honey, are you okay?" Louis asks as Harry lightly knocks on the door.
"I'm bleeding," she frantically says after a few seconds of silence. Harry feels dizzy at Harper's words; she has just gotten her first period.
Louis and Harry have talked about it with Harper on and off ever since her eleventh birthday, since they knew it was coming. When she turned twelve and still hadn't gotten her period, they became worried. However, Gemma and Louis' sisters told them it was normal.
Their sisters and mothers have educated them about menstruation, but now that it's actually happening, both boys' minds have gone blank.
"Um, uh..." Harry stutters, not knowing what to say. Louis smacks Harry's arm, successfully shutting him up.
"That's not making her feel any better," Louis harshly whispers.
"Well you didn't have to hit me!" Harry replies in the same hushed tone. Both boys attentively turn their attention back to Harper when they hear her crying.
"What do I do?" Harper asks her dads. Both boys look at each other, until Harry suddenly pulls out his phone and dials a phone number.
"I'm calling Gemma. Talk to Harper," Harry whispers before leaving the room.
"Okay, um, remember when Aunt Lottie was over and she talked to you about periods? Do you remember what she said?" Louis sits on the carpet as he asks, hoping to refresh Harper's mind and get her to calm down.
"She said it happens once a month, and you have to use pads and tampons and stuff," Harper sniffles.
"Okay, good," Louis says. He frantically searches his mind for other things to say, until Harry comes back in the room.
"Aunt Gemma's on her way, okay Harper? She's gonna help you," Harry reassures his daughter before joining Louis on the floor.
"O-Okay," she sighs.
"This is completely normal, darling. It means you're becoming a woman-"
"Stop, you're making it worse," Harper whines.
"Oh, sorry," Harry awkwardly says.
"Nice going," Louis mutters.
"Hey," Harry warns. The small family sits quietly as they wait for Gemma to arrive. Louis rests his head on the door frame and reaches out for Harry's hand. Instead of giving Louis his hand, Harry shuffles over to his husband's side and rests his chin on his shoulder.
"Parenting is hard," Louis whispers. "I feel bad for her. We're underprepared, and she needs us." Harry loosely wraps his arm around Louis' torso as he listens to him. It's true that parenting is hard; nothing could have prepared them for all of the challenges they have faced and have yet to face. However, getting to see Harper grow every day and being blessed with the job of raising her are the most rewarding things in the world.
"We're doing the best we can, Lou. It's okay," he whispers back.
"When is Gemma gonna be here?" Louis asks, wanting to help Harper as soon as possible. "
Any second now." Gemma lives in London as well, and their houses are only ten minutes apart. This was extremely helpful for last-minute babysitting when Harper was little.
"Harper, do you have cramps or anything?" Louis asks.
"What are cramps supposed to feel like?" She asks. She sounds tired and frustrated, and Louis' heart breaks for her.
"Umm..." Harry trails, pulling out his phone to Google it. "Pain in your lower stomach, or a dull ache." He reads from his screen, then waits for his daughter's response.
"Yeah, I have that." Louis and Harry hear quick footsteps up the stairs, and Gemma joins them in Harper's room seconds later with a plastic shopping bag hanging from her hand.
"Thank you so much, Gem." Harry lets out a sigh of relief. Gemma heads straight for the bathroom door, and Harry and Louis jump to their feet and make way for her.
"Harper, it's Aunt Gemma. Can I come in?"
"Yeah," Harper feebly replies. Gemma opens the door just enough for her to squeeze through, then locks the door behind her.
"Let's give them some privacy." Louis grabs Harry's hand and leads him to their bedroom, where they cozy up under their comforter.
"I can't believe that just happened," Harry sighs as he rubs his face. Then, he turns on his side, assuming the status of little spoon.
"Well," Louis starts, turning to lay on his side behind Harry and wrapping an arm around him. "Our little girl is growing up. We're very lucky to have people so close to us, especially women who can help Harper with things we can't." He brushes Harry's hair away from his neck, then places a few soft kisses just below his jaw.
"I guess you're right." The two lie in bed for a long time, nearly falling asleep waiting for Gemma and Harper. However, Louis eventually hears the girls walking down the hallway and into the master bedroom.
"Haz, wake up." Harry whines at the loss of Louis' touch, but he sits up in bed nevertheless.
"Hi princess," Harry smiles when he sees his daughter, who is now wearing black sweatpants and a white hoodie; the hood is over her head and her hands are stuffed in the front pocket.
"Hey," She quietly says.
"I taught her everything she needs to know, and I left some pads and tampons with her. There's also a menstrual cup, I picked it up so she can see her options. Oh, and I brought her a heating pad," Gemma lists.
"Thank you, Gemma. Seriously, you kind of saved us," Louis thanks her, and she smiles.
"I'm happy to help. I've gotta get going now, but give me a ring if you need anything," she tells the family. The three of them say goodbye, and Gemma waves before leaving the house. Harper climbs into bed in between Louis and Harry, and Harry gently takes her hood off.
"This is so embarrassing," she admits.
"What's embarrassing?" Louis wonders.
"You're boys and I just got my period. Boys don't get periods." Harper feels slightly out of place, because she doesn't have a mother to teach her everything a girl her age should know. However, she does have two amazing dads who love her endlessly, and she has so many wonderful aunts that are always happy to help.
"That's true, boys don't get periods. We're pretty lucky," Harry jokes, earning a smile from Harper and Louis. "But in all seriousness, we're here for you, whatever you need. It doesn't matter if it feels awkward, because that's just part of life, yeah?"
"I guess," she shrugs.
"Are you feeling okay now? Do you need anything?" Louis attentively asks.
"No, I'm okay. Can we watch a movie? I don't wanna get up," Harper says.
"Of course. I'll let you pick the movie, even though I'll probably just have to sit through another romantic comedy," Louis chuckles as he hands his daughter the remote to the television, which is mounted on the wall across from the bed.
"Hmm, The Notebook?" Harper cheekily suggests.
"I raised you well," Harry giggles. Louis laughs along, until he realizes that it wasn't a joke. He sits through The Notebook for what has to be the tenth time, but seeing Harry and Harper enthralled by the movie makes his agony worth it. He would move mountains for Harper, even if those mountains are as little as helping her with homework or as rocky as helping her through her first period.
-