If there were ever a time where Louis wasn't sure his heart was beating it was probably right then - thirty thousand feet above the ground with Niall's voice ringing in his ears.
_"Scarlet's in the hospital"_
"W-What happened?" Louis stuttered, feeling his stomach tighten with worry.
"Uh anaphylaxis... yeah that's what the nurse called it. Um... apparently it was something she ate at school, the headmaster said she collapsed in the cafeteria. They've got her stable but they're keeping her here overnight to make sure she's okay and they're not letting us see her yet." Niall explained then sighed. "Shit, I wouldn't even be calling you cause Harry said not to because he didn't want to worry you but he's so freaked out..."
"Niall" Louis cut the Irish lad off. "I'm already on a plane heading home, I should land in London in an hour or two and then I'll come to the hospital okay?"
"Okay, yeah... um I have to go, just text me when you get here and I'll come down." Niall said then proceeded to give Louis the name of the hospital.
Louis touched down in London an hour and a half later and was the first one off the plane. He hurried to grab his luggage and then hail a taxi outside, ordering the driver to take him to the hospital. It was a thirty minute ride and the car had barely stopped before Louis was tossing money at the driver and stumbling out of the car.
Niall was waiting at the entrance like he said he would be five minute earlier when Louis had text him.
"Okay flight?" Niall questioned as they walked to the lift.
"Yeah. I wasn't supposed to leave for like another three days but I just got this weird feeling and booked the first flight back." Louis replied.
Niall hummed in reply and pressed the third floor button.
"Harry's probably in Scarlet's room." Niall said when the doors opened on the waiting room where Anne, Megan, and Liam sat.
"Room number?" Louis questioned handing his suitcase to Niall.
"321." Niall replied and Louis was gone.
Louis hurried down the halls of the hospital earning a few disapproving looks from some of the nurses but screw them - honestly - his baby was in the hospital. He stopped in front of room 321 and took a breath, calming himself a little.
He knocked on the closed door and a muffled 'come in' sounded on the other side. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped in letting it close behind him. Harry was curled in a chair near the hospital bed where their daughter lay asleep. He looked up and his eyes went wide and then his face crumbled when he saw Louis.
"Oh Harry!" Louis exclaimed quietly, rushing to him as the younger sat there. "It's okay baby, I'm here and she's gonna be okay." he said wrapping his arms around Harry.
"H-How'd you f-find out?" Harry stammered, nuzzling into Louis neck.
"Niall called me. I was on a flight back, just had a feeling I needed to come home." Louis said leaning his cheek on top of Harry's head and rubbing his hand down the younger man's arm. "Did they say what the reaction was from?"
"The headmaster phoned me after school at the end of the school day and said that there had been pineapple on Scar's tray. I've never given her pineapple and all the other stuff were things I've given her before." Harry replied, closing his eyes and letting him relax in Louis' arms, sniffling a little.
"Well, at least we know now... no pineapple for our girl." Louis murmured, turning his head so he could press a series of kisses to Harry's hair and forehead. "I came here straight from the airport, sorry if I stink... I was... terrified."
"I'm sorry you had to cut your trip short. I know you were excited to see the girls." Harry responded and Louis pushed him away and took his chin so he'd look at him.
"I'm right where I'm supposed to be and want to be Harry. I love Scarlet, she's my little girl too and if something happens to her, good or bad, I want to be there for her and for you. Harry..." Louis paused reaching out with his other hand to wipe away a single tear on Harry's cheek. "I love you, I never stopped loving you, and I am going to be there for you no matter what and if I have to spend the rest of my life proving that to you and earning your forgiveness for being a complete idiot, then I will. But what I will not do is let you go through anything alone. Even if you never love me back, I'm still gonna love you and love her."
And by then Harry was letting tears run freely down his cheeks, faster than Louis could wipe them away. Harry let out shaky breath as he shook his head and moved in to hug Louis, burying his face in the older lads' neck.
"I never stopped loving you either." Harry cried and Louis' arms tightened around him.
And then it was Louis' turn to cry. He held Harry tight to him and both of them cried for a few minutes. Slowly they pulled apart and Louis wiped the rest of Harry's tears away with a watery smile, he never honestly expected to hear those words come out of Harry's mouth.
"You know..." Louis started as he shifted in the chair, curled his arm around Harry's shoulders, and let the younger man rest his head on his shoulder, "I was gonna like make it all romantic when I asked you to be my boyfriend... but honestly... I don't wanna wait and I know you haven't forgiven me yet but..."
Harry looked up at Louis was still watery eyes and gave him a small chuckle, Louis had never been very patient.
"Will you be my boyfriend again?" Louis continued, looking down into Harry's green eyes.
"Yeah." Harry nodded and leaned up some to kiss Louis' cheek.
Louis smiled and kissed Harry's temple before letting him settle back against his shoulder.
He didn't really know how long he had been asleep, but he knew whatever he was leaning against was warm and comfortable. Harry opened his eyes and blinked slowly, taking in his surroundings. He was still in Scarlet's hospital room and she was still sleeping soundly in bed. The steady rise and fall of whatever he was leaning on brought his attention back to that question. So he turned and oh... right... Louis.
Louis had shown up at the hospital, cuddled him, told him he loved him, and then asked him to be his boyfriend again and he had said yes.
A soft smile graced his lips as he looked at Louis, sleeping with his head resting back against the wall. Scarlet squirmed in the hospital bed drawing Harry's attention away from Louis. He watched as she slowly sat up and blinked at him before rubbing her eyes.
"Daddy?" Scarlet questioned in her just woken up state.
"I'm right here baby girl." Harry said getting up and jostling Louis a little causing the older lad to awake. "How are you feeling?" he asked moving to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Okay I think..." Scarlet replied looking past Harry and at Louis. "Dad's back." she commented looking back at Harry while Louis stretched.
"Yes he is, he came in last night when you were sleeping." Harry responded picking up a brush Anne had brought and began brushing out her tangled hair.
"Hi love, feeling better?" Louis questioned coming to sit on the other side of the bed, leaning over to kiss her forehead.
"Mhmm, m' hungry." Scarlet replied turning her head towards Louis so Harry could get the back of her head easier.
"Hmm... I think we can do something about that." Louis smiled reaching out to press the call button for the nurse.
Five minutes later a nurse came walking in and smiled at them, "Did you need something?" she questioned as she moved to look over Scarlet and make sure there weren't any hives or a rash on her body or swelling in her throat.
"She's hungry.. um what would be okay to give her?" Louis asked watching the nurse examine his daughter.
"Um I'd say any breakfast food as long as it doesn't have meat, we want to let her stomach have an easy day, nothing too hard to digest." The nurse said then began jotting notes on her clipboard. "She doesn't have any hives anymore and the swelling in her throat is gone. The doctor did recommend that you get an EpiPen for her just in case something like this ever happens again. You still need to seek emergency medical care but it could be the difference between life and death."
Harry and Louis nodded and the nurse finished what she was doing before heading back to the door.
"Oh, would you like me to send some food for her?" The nurse stopped and looked back.
"Um, no, no thank you." Louis spoke up immediately, no way was he letting her eat hospital food - yuck.
The nurse nodded then headed out while Harry gave him a questioning look and Scarlet pouted at him.
"What?" Louis said looking between them. "I'm not letting her eat hospital food Haz. Trust me doll, you don't want it, it's nasty." he looked over at Scarlet. "What do you want to eat, I'll go get you something?"
"Pancakes with strawberries!" Scarlet exclaimed, her eyes widening and a smile spreading on her face.
"Consider it done." Louis smiled, standing up. "What about you Haz?"
"The same with ex--"
"With extra syrup because one packet is never enough, I know babe." Louis laughed leaning over to kiss Scarlet's forehead again and then walking around the bed to peck Harry's cheek. "Be back soon!"
"Daddy?" Scarlet questioned once Louis was gone.
"Hmm?" Harry hummed, going back to brushing her hair.
"Do you like dad?" Scarlet asked looking up at him curiously.
"Yes, I do. Very much." Harry nodded, setting the brush down on the table by the bed.
"I like him too." Scarlet responded, laying back in bed.
"Do you now?" Harry mused, grabbing the TV remote, prepared to turn on the small TV and find a cartoon.
Scarlet nodded her head and smiled, "He's nice."
"Yeah love, he is." Harry chuckled as he put the TV on Tom and Jerry.
A while later Louis came strolling back into the room with a bag of takeout from a nearby café. Harry moved the attached bed table so Louis could set Scarlet's meal down on it and she could eat comfortably before accepting his own food. There's two extra packets of syrup and it makes Harry smile, after all these years, Louis still remembered when they were younger and Harry would whine when there wasn't enough syrup.
"Everything good?" Louis questioned sitting down with his cheese, bacon, and veggie omelette.
Scarlet and Harry both nodded with their mouths full of food. They ate in silence, watching Jerry get chased by Tom on the TV, chuckling every now and then. Once they finished up there was a knock at the door and the doctor came in.
"Morning everybody! Oh hello..." The doctor paused looking at Louis. "I assume you're the other father?"
"Yes, I am. Louis Tomlinson." Louis said standing to shake the doctors hand.
"Yes, I'm familiar with you, my daughters are big fans of uh... Little Mix, yes?" Doctor Chaney inquired and Louis nodded his head.
"Yeah, that's them. They're on tour right now." He said proudly.
"Oh, trust me. I know." Doctor Chaney laughed. "They've conned me into buying them tickets for both London shows and Manchester."
Harry and Louis chuckled while the doctor opened up Scarlet's folder.
"Okay so. Scarlet doesn't seem to be showing any signs of her body still being in distress from yesterday so whenever you're ready you can check her out. Nurse Bree told you about the EpiPen and really the only other thing is keep her away from pineapple and just keep an eye on her. I'm certain she's recovered, but just to be safe." Doctor Chaney said.
"Right, we'll be getting those EpiPens." Harry said as he tossed his breakfast trash away. "And definitely no pineapple."
"Alrighty then, you're free to go. It was a pleasure meeting you all and I hope not to see you again in here." Doctor Chaney smiled and shook their hands before leaving the room.
"Well, what do you say we get out of here?" Louis said tossing his trash.
"Yes! I wanna see Sugar!" Scarlet said moving to get out of the hospital bed.
"Hold on their sweetie, you need to change." Harry chuckled, handing her a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
Scarlet took the clothes and went to change in the bathroom while Louis and Harry waited, sitting in the chairs against the wall.
"I'm glad you came back yesterday." Harry stated quietly leaning his head back against the wall.
"Me too. I would've gotten on a flight in the middle of the night if you asked me to." Louis responded holding out his hand for Harry to take.
Harry slid his hand into Louis' and smiled, "Thanks."
"No problem love." Louis replied leaning over to kiss Harry's cheek sweetly.
Soon they found themselves walking out of the hospital with Scarlet and climbing into Harry's Range Rover. They drove back to Harry's flat where Harry hurried off to his room to change for work since Scarlet was doing fine and he really couldn't afford to miss a day. When he walked back into the living room, Louis and Scarlet were sat on the sofa watching SpongeBob (a show he didn't understand why she liked) with Sugar laying next to Scarlet, her head resting on the girls lad.
"She missed you." Harry commented and Scarlet smiled as she rubbed Sugar's ear.
"Can I take her with me to Uncle Niall's?" Scarlet questioned looking over at Harry.
"If Uncle Niall says you can." Harry agreed pulling out his phone to text Niall.
And of course Niall says yes because he can't deny the child anything even if he wanted to. Once they were ready to leave they hooked Sugar's lead to her collar and headed out.
"I guess I'm going to head back to my flat." Louis said as they walked towards the SUV. "Don't really have much use for me at the bakery do you?" he chuckled lightly.
"Not unless we're short staffed again. We were yesterday especially after I left with Megan." Harry responded, pressing the button to unlock the vehicle doors.
"Well if you do, I'll help... um if your mum wants me to. Not sure what use I'll be but otherwise I'll just go back to my flat or office." Louis said pulling on his seatbelt, turning to make sure Scarlet was doing the same.
They dropped Scarlet and Sugar off at Niall's house, the six month old dog hurrying to greet the Irish man once Scarlet let her go. They chatted for a minute before heading back to the SUV and off to the bakery. Unlike the prior day, they weren't short staffed. Megan was in the back frosting cupcakes while Tammy was at the cash register with Alex, one of their newest employees, filling orders, and Reighlyn, another new employee, bused the tables and refilled coffees.
"I'll just take a cab back to my flat, change, and head to the office suppose." Louis stated eyeing all the people in the bakery. "Hey! I'll bring you lunch! When's your lunch break today? Noon?"
"Yeah, you don't have to do that though Lou..." Harry started but Louis shook his head.
"Don't be silly Haz, you're my boyfriend, I can officially spoil you rotten and I will start by bringing you a five star lunch." Louis smiled, reaching up to ruffle Harry's curls, making the slightly taller lad squeak in protest, swatting Louis' hand away.
"Something simple will do." Harry responded as he ran a hand through his hair to fix it.
"Fine." Louis sighed. "Sandwiches from Mia's?"
"As long as it's simple, I don't care." Harry chuckled walking towards the counter where Tammy smiled and waved happily.
"Okay, I'll see you at noon then." Louis said following after Harry. "I won't leave unless I get a hug." he called as Harry started towards the kitchen.
Sighing dramatically but unable to keep the smile off his face, Harry turned around, walked back over to Louis, and hugged him tight.
"Okay. Okay!" Louis squeaked, trying to escape Harry's tight grip. "Hazza, can't breathe."
Harry laughed, pulled away, and kissed Louis' cheek taking the older by surprise.
"Bye Lou." Harry called as he hurried to the kitchen to start frosting cakes.
Louis stood there a little dazed then hurried out of the bakery to hail a taxi. At his flat, he showered and changed into more suitable clothes, tossing his travel clothes into the pile next to his washer (he really needed to take care of that), and then headed to his office.
Around 11:45 he headed over to Mia's, a gourmet café that made sandwiches and pitas to die for.
"Louis!" Natalia greeted with a bright smile. "What will it be today?"
"Hmm, let me get two of the turkey pita's with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and provolone cheese." Louis ordered pulling out his wallet. "To go."
A few minutes later he was walking back to his SUV with the pita's in a bag and heading to the bakery. It was just after noon when Louis walked in. He started walking towards the kitchen when someone squealed.
"Oh my gosh! You're Louis Tomlinson!!" A young girl said pointing at him.
"Um yes?" Louis responded, confused.
"Little Mix is my favourite band! I can't wait for them to come to London! They always talk about how great you are managing them and whatnot." the girl said before a man was walking up beside her.
"Bella... leave the man alone... he's obviously here with lunch for someone." the man scolded and the girl pouted.
"It's fine really, um, it was nice meeting you, hope you enjoy the concert when they get here." Louis said then waved and walked away.
"What was that about?" Harry questioned having seen the exchange from the kitchen.
"Just a fan of Little Mix, they recognized me as their manager." Louis explaining the held up the bag from Mia's. "I brought lunch!"
"And it says gourmet!" Harry teased, looking at the bag.
"They have the best sandwiches and pitas though." Louis said pulling out a box with a pita and handing it to Harry.
Of course Louis might be right about Mia's, but Harry doesn't let him know that. They ate together in the small employee break room while Megan harassed Louis for not bringing her anything.
**
Once the work day was over, Louis met Harry back at Harry's flat once Harry had picked up Scarlet and Sugar. Louis had stopped on his way over a picked up a simple dinner for them, knowing Harry was tired from being at the hospital all night and then working.
In the middle of eating, Scarlet suddenly looked up at them with wide eyes.
"Uncle Niall said Uncle Liam and Aunt Sophia went to the zoo the other day. Can we go to the zoo?" Scarlet questioned, pleading both parents with her eyes.
"I don't know love, it's kind of pricey right now." Harry answered and Louis quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I can pay for it Haz, it's definitely no trouble..." Louis said. "Gosh I haven't been to the zoo in ages!"
"You want to go?" Harry questioned, while Scarlet bounced impatiently in her seat awaiting an answer.
"Yeah, definitely." Louis smiled and Scarlet gave a shout startling the cat and dog.
"Well, I don't have to work this weekend, so how about we go then?" Harry suggested.
"That works for me." Louis nodded spooning up another bit of chicken soup.
"Yay!" Scarlet cheered happily.
**
Saturday rolled around quickly and soon Harry, Louis, and Scarlet were standing at the admission gate to the zoo.
"Two adult and one child fast pass tickets." Louis told the girl sitting behind the window.
"That'll be 74 dollars." The girl said and Louis handed over his bank card.
By the time they had seen the gorillas, otters, and monkeys Scarlet was ready to eat so they stopped at one of the zoo restaurants and sat down for lunch. The zoo was getting busier with parents bringing their kids, though thankfully everyone seemed to want to eat at the same time so Louis, Harry, and Scarlet ended up getting great views of a lot of the animals without the crowds since they had eaten earlier.
As they walked Louis let his hand brush against Harry's as Scarlet skipped a couple feet ahead of them, rambling on about how she wanted to see the tigers. Harry's arm went warm as he felt Louis' hand brush his and by instinct, he reached for the warmth. Their fingers laced together and Harry blushed, because after all these years Louis still makes him blush with just a simple touch. Louis smiled and rubbed his thumb against Harry's hand, pulling him a little closer and swinging their hands a little between them.
They were still holding hands as they visited the last exhibit and headed back to the entrance area to leave. Scarlet had taken up position next to Harry, holding his other hand and talking about her favourite animals that they had seen.
"The giraffe! Daddy they're so tall, like you!" She exclaimed as they walked through the parking lot.
Louis and Harry laughed and continued to listen as she went on about a cute little monkey they had seen.
"Love how about you go wash up while I make dinner." Harry said once they had gotten back to the flat.
Scarlet headed off to the bathroom while Harry moved to the kitchen and Louis sat on one of the breakfast bar stools. Harry made a simple stir-fry and called for Scarlet when it was done, who was no doubt in her room playing with Sugar.
After dinner, Harry sent Scarlet to shower while he cleaned up the kitchen with Louis' help.
"You wash, I'll dry." Louis smiled picking up the dish towel.
They talked and laughed as they cleaned up the kitchen together until it was all done and everything was once again spotless.
"I better be heading home." Louis said hanging the dish towel up.
"Thanks for today, it was a lot of fun, both of us really enjoyed it." Harry thanked Louis with a soft smile.
"Anytime, I had a great time too, got to hang out with my babies." Louis responded, reaching out to tap Harry's nose playfully.
Harry blushed and turned his head away as though trying to hide it.
"Don't hide it love, it look good on you." Louis stated softly, taking Harry's chin in his hand and turning his face back towards him. "I'll see you soon, yeah?"
"Definitely... think we're overdue for a date." Harry teased.
Louis laughed and pulled Harry in for a hug, "We really are. What are we thinking? Dinner and a movie? Sailing on the yacht? Fine dining? London Eye?"
"London Eye." Harry said immediately.
"You pick the time and I'll pick you up." Louis said pulling back.
"Okay, I'll let you know." Harry replied leaning in a little.
Louis smiled happily and pressed his lips sweetly to Harry's cheek like he always did, only for good measure he kissed his cheek twice this time.
"Goodnight Haz." Louis pulled away.
"Goodnight Lou." Harry responded, his voice gone a little softer than normal.
Once Louis left and Scarlet was in bed, Harry showered then crawled into bed himself, exhausted. He smiled as he remembered Louis flying home just because he had a bad feeling and Louis asking him to be his boyfriend in the hospital. He had made the right decision by saying yes, he was sure of it. And as he drifted off his dreams were filled with the blue eyed lad, only instead of heart-breaking nightmares, they were beautiful dreams.