– Athena & Harry –
Selfless deeds. When people hear it, they think of someone being happy to do good for others. That he or she is being a 'good citizen' or 'good person' – someone that deserves a reward. And that's when it doesn't become a selfless deed. However, a selfless deed can be selfless depending on how the person reacts to the appreciation. Athena, she was doing a selfless deed, her father just hadn't noticed yet and it's a true selfless deed because she absolutely hates what she's doing.
A week after the dinner at the Highland house, Harry had talked to Monica about dance lessons one morning in where Monica was – once again – late. That was also the day the two had swapped phone numbers, and though the reason was to settle a time, date and extra information for dance classes Athena believed that it was something more.
It was a Friday afternoon, a few hours after school had let out. Harry and Athena were driving to the dance studio in which Monica owned, the name was "Dana's Dance" – Monica had told Harry that Dana was her mother and that she had always wanted to open a dance studio – much to Athena's confusion but she didn't dwell on it because she thought of other things. Things like her Father and Monica and how she can't wait for them to be together so Harry can be happy again.
"So, are you excited for dance again, Cupcake?" Harry questioned, his fingers tapping the steering wheel as he took a quick glance to Athena in the back seat before looking back to the road and making a left.
"Yeah," Athena said as happily as she could, looking out the window and watching the scenery blur by. She was dressed in calf length yoga pants and a loose shirt – Harry had noticed that she dressed like a teen already and she hasn't even reached double digits. Her hair was pulled into a single ponytail, one that Harry spent fifteen minutes perfecting.
At her response, Harry grew curious. He wondered why she wasn't bouncing off the walls and telling him to drive faster because she had begged him to let her take these lessons. He also wondered if she was going through those phases of liking something one day and then hating it the next, but it's only been four days since her last lesson, she surely can't be tired of it already because just the other day she had told Monica that she was excited for her second lesson.
The sound of One Direction slipped through the speakers – Harry had all the CDs and he knew Athena was a fan of their music plus, he really just loves to hear him and his bandmates again – up until Harry parked the car in the almost empty lot (only one other car was there and no doubt it was Monica's) and shut off the engine. Stepping out, he fixed the bandana on his head before placing his sunglasses on. He then shut his door and opened Athena's letting her undo her seatbelt before hopping off of the booster seat. He grasped her hand and walked toward the entrance, his teeth unintentionally sinking into his bottom lip.
.
"Good, Athena. That's called a pirouette." Monica met Athena's eyes through the mirror, her hands rested on Athena's stomach and back since she had hovered her hands there just in case the girl fell.
This was the second lesson Athena's been to and she officially confirmed that she hated dancing. She was and is as clumsy as her father – only she stumbled by tripping over her own feet and not just on a flat surface like Harry.
Athena smiled at Monica before turning around and looking to Harry who stood on the other side of the window; his eyes were on Monica before drifting to Athena, giving her a dimpled grin. He loved watching his daughter dance – even if she's as clumsy as him – and he admits that he likes the interaction between Monica and Athena. It was something he'd use to see Katelyn do but with a much younger Athena. Katelyn used to always hold Athena by her stomach and back when Athena had just started to walk, laughing and calling to Harry who was either in the kitchen or in the loo to come and see their daughter walk.
Shaking that thought away, Harry looked away from the two girls who had already turned away and looked to be learning some weird leap and down to Jake who stood beside him, on his tiptoes to look through the window at his mum and friend. He and Jake had previously talked about racecars – because Jake liked things that go fast and of course, The Hulk – and that one time when Harry had actually went to NASCAR just to see if he was missing out on anything. Jake was amazed by this story, especially how Harry told it – with bright emotions, hand gestures and distanced eyes as if he was picturing that moment once more.
"Do you always come here after school, bud?" Harry questioned the smaller brunet with raised eyebrows. Because if he did, poor boy he had to sit through these hour and half long lessons alone or with the parents of the student learning.
"Only three days," Jake answered, looking up at him with big brown eyes. He put his heels down on the floor before smiling. "But now you come here!"
Harry ginned and patted the boy's head before looking up again, watching as Monica let out a bubbly laugh as Athena tugged the hair tie out of her hair. I worked so hard on that, he frowned.
"It hurts my head," Athena complained throwing the hair tie on the ground before pouting. Monica laughed again, instructing Athena to sit down in front of her as she picked up the hair tie and sat behind the blonde. "Are you going to do my hair?"
Monica nodded, raking her fingers through the younger girl's hair before creating a soft and not-at-all-tight bun. After doing so, she looked up at the clock in the studio and sighed, realizing that only four minutes were left. At that moment, Harry walked in the studio with Jake in tow, something churning within him when he'd watch Monica do Athena's hair.
"Look, Daddy, Monica does better buns than you." Athena jumped up from the floor and looked up at her father who faked sadness. Although he did feel betrayed because he is the expert at buns.
"How did you ever beat my incredible bun skills?" Harry asked after complimenting Athena, looking to Monica who still sat on the floor with her legs tucked into her chest. He couldn't help but think that she looked adorable.
Monica shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips as Jake ran toward her and roped his arms around her left arm. "Well, when I was pregnant and didn't know the sex of the baby I just thought that if it'd be a girl I'd want to make the cutest hairstyles ever. But as you see, my skills never was put into use until now."
At that statement, Harry couldn't help but think about the fact that Jake doesn't have a father – well he does, but he's not in the picture – and that makes him think about what happened between Jake's father and Monica. He was curious yet scared to know why because in these situations, you never know. And then he thought about how Jake told Liam that he could be his father – Jake wanted a father so bad which made him wonder if Athena desires a mother.
"You could always let Jake grow his hair out." Harry shrugged, his hands shoving themselves into his pockets.
Monica giggled. "Sorry Harry, but I don't think I'll let my son grow his hair to how you had it in twenty fourteen."
"Oh, well aren't you memorized on One Direction appearances," Harry mocked with raised eyebrows. Monica blushed lightly, looking down to the floor trying to hide it. Athena quickly met Jake's gaze, both of them smiling at this banter between parents – everything was going in a positive direction.
"I told you that I was a Directioner," she mumbled finally looking up and meeting Harry's emerald green eyes.
It got silent for a moment, making Harry realize why he had walked into the studio in the first place. It was time to leave. His gaze drifted down to Athena, taking grasp of her hand shaking her arm slightly. "Well, we've got to go. Say, by 'thena."
"Bye Jake and Monica," Athena almost stuttered at the sudden leave. She caught both Highland members lifting their hands in a wave before the door closed. Harry hadn't bothered to give them a goodbye and that made Athena curious. "Why didn't you say bye?"
It's a rule that you always say goodbye.
Harry didn't answer; instead he just opened the door to both the back and the driver and waited for Athena to be situated before taking a seat in the car. He placed his hands on the wheel, letting out a deep breath before putting the keys in and placing the sunglasses he had hanging off his shirt since first entering the building onto the center consul.
He honestly didn't know why he had left so abrupt; everything was good – great even. It was almost like Katelyn was here, teasing Harry and blushing when Harry would just straight out embarrass her afterwards, and how Katelyn would give him hair styling lessons, but Harry would always just doze off into his thought of how beautiful Katelyn was and how beautiful her voice was and how everything she did was beautiful – he missed it, and he missed her. And in that small moment with Monica, it reminded him so much of Katelyn and – that's it.
It felt like his family was complete in that moment, Monica had acted so much like Katelyn in that moment and he wasn't ready for that. But no way, no one could replace Katelyn not now, not ever. And Harry feels bad about even picturing it like Athena, Monica, Jake and himself all seemed like a family at that moment.
.
After arriving at the Styles' household Athena went straight to bed, slowly making her way up the stairs – due to her small legs – and to her bedroom. Harry told her he'd come up later and kiss her goodnight before taking a seat on the sofa in the living room, his gaze fixed upon the blank television before drifting to a picture of Katelyn and him; it was a photo shoot from when Kate was seven months pregnant with Athena. It was black and white; Katelyn was smiling beautifully as Harry stood behind her, hands rested on her extended stomach and lips on her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Kate," Harry whispered once he held the photo in his hands tightly. His eyes squeezed shut, his teeth biting down on his bottom lip in attempt to not shed any tears. "I just don't know what goes through my head sometimes – " he let out something between a laugh and a hiccup " – you always said that it was pretty little brain but damn is it confusing."
Opening his eyes, he traced over Katelyn's hair in the photo with the tip of thumb almost as if he were to tuck it behind her ear.
He released a shaky sigh. "I'm trying. I'm really trying to be strong for our little girl but it's hard knowing that you aren't here. That you can't give me hair lessons or be that one thing Athena needs – a mum and of course I can't be that because I'm male." He sighs. "I just you were here."
After five minutes of complete silence, Harry wiped the tears off of his now rosy cheeks and placed the photo down before making his way up the stairs and into Athena's room. She, of course, was already fast asleep with the covers up to her lips – it made Harry's heart ache a bit since Katelyn always did the same thing – he pushed her blonde hair out of her face before placing a soft kiss onto her forehead.
He then took a seat on the chair he hadn't sat in in three years and did something he hadn't done for Athena in three years, he sang to her. His voice drifting into the room only illuminated by the moon's light that peeked through the window, and he didn't only sing for Athena but he also sang for Katelyn. And he sang a song that he connected to so well at this moment.
"So many questions, but I'm talking to myself, I know that you can't hear me any more, not anymore. So much to tell you and most of all goodbye, but I know that you can hear me anymore..."
"Goodnight, princess," he whispered after finishing the song. Standing up and leaving the room, whilst pulling his mobile out of his pocket scrolling through his contacts before finding Monica's. He sent a quick 'I'm sorry I didn't leave without a goodbye... goodbye' before shutting it off and entering his own room, his eyes automatically going to the photo on his bedside table.
"There's so many things that I want to tell you about, so many things I want your answer to, so many things, Kate. So many."
- - -
(A/N): aw, Harry you little cupcake you shouldn't have to deal with this pain (btw, I had to write 'pain' twice because I kept writing 'payne' #problem) anyways, I hope you liked this chapter – although you might hate me for putting Harry through pain – because I certainly did. Sorry for this late update, school starts tomorrow and I've been working on my homework I out off until the last second. Oops.
Importance of Chapter: well, this is showing you how dance lessons are going and how Harry and Jake are interacting now – I think it's really cute how he calls him 'bud' – as well as Monica's interaction with Athena and how mother like she is toward her and that's what had set Harry off a bit and though they had this cute teasing moment it seemed to backtrack the two because it only reminded Harry of Katelyn which is why he rushed out. Then with the picture, Harry wishes for Katelyn to be here mentioned how he's confused and that Athena needs her. Not only that but he said that Katelyn will never will be replaced, and she won't she'll always be Athena's mum and Harry's wife. It won't be easy for Monica and Harry to get together – if that happens – because as you can see, Harry felt like he replaced Katelyn for a moment. And he feels terrible about which is why he broke down and wished for guidance. And then with him singing to Athena (and Kate) was another thing to show he's getting better. K? K.
SONG OF CHAPTER: WORDS – SKYLAR GREY
Importance of Song: this song is basically for Harry's breakdown and how he has so many things to say to Katelyn and how much he misses her here and he wishes that she could respond and tell him everything.
P.S. this song is so beautiful and sad – heard it while watching Step Up Revolution like a while before I posted this story which is where I found Monica. Oh, and I'm about to post a new story, stay tuned
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