(play the song when you see the '*' , it fits so well and makes it so much better!)
Harry Styles
I had left Lydia for a little longer than I thought. Turns out my nose was in fact broken. They had bandaged it and said it would take a couple weeks to heal. I had some bad bruising, but it wasn't anything super severe. I was just happy to be alive.
And I was happy to be a father.
I cant believe the time had come. It wasn't just apart of my imagination anymore...I actually had a daughter.
I was all beat up, but I walked through the halls of the hospital with a smile. Nothing could ruin what I felt right now.
I was approaching Lydia's room, when I heard my name being called.
"Harry!" I whip around, recognizing the voice as Niall's. Sure enough, I saw him
jogging up to me.
"What?" I furrow my brows.
"Louis' awake." he says, immediately making my heart jump. Niall and I begin to rush to the room Louis' was in.
Zayn had kept his word, and saved Louis just like he saved me. I didn't know what to think.
Upon entering the room Louis was in, I saw him sitting up in a hospital bed, his face kind of beat up but not too badly.
I turn my head to see Zayn sitting in a chair.
He glances up at me, but then averts his gaze. He can't look me in the eye.
He knows what he's done.
"You okay, Lou?" I ask, standing at the foot of his bed.
He nods. "Sore, but yeah."
I'm glad he's okay...but now I had shit do deal with.
I turn my head to Zayn.
"You saved him?"
He nods. "I told you I would."
"Yeah well, you're not exactly the type to keep his word." I dig at him, making it clear that I had absolutely not forgotten about what he did.
He looks down. "Harry, I fucked up, I know-"
"No, I'll tell you what you did." I step away from the bed, and walk right up to him.
"You drugged me then allowed me to be kidnapped by my enemies. You tried to drug Lydia...and for the past nine months, you've been out to get me and her just like the rest of them have. Don't sit here and think that I'm just going to forget about all that shit."
He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I needed the money-"
"I would have given you the fucking money!" I boom.
He sits in silence, looking up at me before speaking again.
"I-I'm sorry. I know that's not enough...I'll prove it to you somehow...but Harry, I'm on your side."
Deep down, I wanna believe him. He was one of my closest friends at some point.
But he betrayed me so badly. It was almost irredeemable.
For all I know, he could still be working with Xavier and this could all be a trap.
"Did you know about Liam?" I ask.
He sighs and looks down with a nod. "That was my breaking point. It was at that moment that I knew I needed to help you beat Xavier." he explains.
I back off a bit, crossing my arms. "Where is he? Xavier?"
"He fled. Same with your mum."
Of course they did. Cowards.
I groan in frustration, knowing I let him get away again. "Fuck! I don't understand. What does he want with me. Why has he been so obsessed with finding me and ruining my life."
"Styles, I can explain. You just need to relax."
I take a deep breath and sigh. If Zayn was going to be my only source of information, then I'll take what I can get.
"This might be a lot to register." he begins. I exchange a look between Louis and Niall, who seemed just as wary of Zayn as I was.
"Your dad was not who he said he was."
What does my dad have to do with this?
I stand and wait for him to continue, my lips pressed into a line.
"Xavier and your father were business partners." he says, making my eyes widen.
"What-"
"They ran a gang together, Harry."
I suddenly felt like a pound of bricks had hit me.
"Your dad wanted his son to be his successor, so, from the second you were born...Xavier already had a vendetta against you."
I felt like I was gonna be sick.
"Xavier got jealous, and had to get your father out of the way...so he made an arrangement with your mother to murder him and take you."
"So Xavier has a gang I don't know about?"
"No, not anymore. His gang was attacked by a rival one, who haven't been heard from since. They managed to kill over half of their members...the rest just quit." Zayn explains.
This was a lot.
I had no idea my father and Xavier worked together...let alone ran a gang together.
"H-how do you know all of this?"
Zayn shrugs. "I got Alexander drunk off his ass one night so he'd spill everything about his father. He told me that Xavier started working with The Phantoms because they wanted you dead, too."
I was a little shocked at the fact that Zayn basically manipulated information out of Alex. But, I guess that's what he was good at.
"So, Ive been lied to all this time..." I trail off as I look at the tiled ground in thought.
"Do you have any idea where Xavier would have gone?" Louis chimes in.
I look up at Zayn, awaiting his response. "No. Sorry, guys. He probably would have fled far away from here. I'd suggest taking all the security precautions you possibly can while he's gone."
I take a deep inhale before running my hands through my hair.
"Okay, well, right now I just want to be with Lydia and my kid." I say, not wanting to worry about anything else right now.
It was silent for a moment before Niall spoke up.
"So you're really a fucking father now, hey Styles?" Niall chuckles.
My lips curl a little. "Yeah, I guess so."
"So, what does this mean for The Kings?" Louis says.
I shrug. "I cant be apart of this gang shit anymore, guys. I've got way too much to lose."
They nod in understanding.
There was a point in time where this gang was my life, but now I have a new purpose. I'm not fucking that up.
"You know it's not gonna be easy, Styles, right?" Louis cautions.
I nod. Of course I knew that this would be a struggle. I'm gonna have to work harder than ever to protect the both of them.
I have a target on my back, but I don't care what happens to me, as long as Lydia and Daisy are alive and safe.
That's really all that matters.
"Okay, I should probably go be with my girls. You guys good?" I say, preparing to leave. The guys give me the 'go ahead', and I start on my way back to the room Lyds was in.
I was walking along, not letting anything that was just said get to my head that much. I just wanted to keep a positive attitude for as long as I possibly could.
But my thoughts stopped when I felt someone grab my arm from behind, making me halt and turn around.
"Harry?" Corey, Lydia's dad, says as he stood before me.
I blink a couple times out of surprise because I just didn't expect to see him there. I didn't even know how they knew the baby was born.
"Oh, hi." I turn fully, standing at the same height of him while he was maybe a foot away.
His brows furrowed when he saw my face, noticing all the cuts and bruises and the broken nose...which I had honestly forgotten about.
"Holy shit, what happened to you?" he says with wide eyes.
I panic a little, because Lydia's parents don't know about my life...and also, her dad isn't exactly fond of me at the moment...so I need to weave around this somehow.
"I-uh, I was boxing...with the guys...and we took it a little too far." I try to form a lie on the spot.
He slowly nods. "Uhm," he clears his throat, "well, Eliza gave us a call and let us know about the birth. Jane and I went to Lydia's room but you weren't there so I went to look for you."
"Oh." I nod. "I'm going back now, if you wanted to come."
He shakes his head in agreement, and we begin our awkward, silent walk back to the room.
When I walked in, I saw Jane standing over Daisy's swaddled body. Lydia was still fast asleep, probably so exhausted from what her body endured.
Jane looks up as her husband and I walk in. I give her a small smile, trying to cushion any sort of hard feelings.
"She's beautiful." she says quietly, referring to my daughter.
I half smile at her comment, walking over to Daisy's little 'crib'. I haven't really gotten a great look at her.
She was asleep, a soother in her mouth and the soft pink swaddle encasing her tiny figure.
"She gets it from her mum." I mumble, gently running my finger across her small, soft cheek.
She was so tiny next to my hand.
"She's got her nose." Corey says, all three of us now crowding the baby.
I couldn't really pick apart her facial features right now. Her nose looked like any baby nose to me, but I'm sure it'll change over time. Regardless, she's a beautiful baby.
Taken together, she looks like both Lydia and I in different ways.
She's got some light, golden hairs at the top of her head, which only lead me to assume she'd have Lydia's pretty blonde locks.
I haven't seen her eyes yet.
"I cant believe my little girl has a little girl." Jane wipes a joyful tear from her eye.
"She's gonna be a great mother." I say, making Jane smile.
"And you will be a great father." she rests her hand on my shoulder for a moment.
I take my lip between my teeth as I look down at my little girl, contemplating all I've put everyone through.
I shake my head. "I'm sorry." I say under my breath.
"What was that?" Jane says.
I repeat it. "I'm sorry." I look up between both Jane and Corey.
"I'm sorry for causing you guys so much grief."
They exchange a quick look between eachother.
"Oh, Harry it's-"
"No. No, I need to apologize." I say, suddenly struck with immense guilt. "I didn't mean to disappear like that-I...I didn't wanna hurt any of you-"
"Harry, you were recovering from your accident...it's alright." Corey chimes in.
"Y-yeah...I know-" I lick my lips, knowing they don't know why I was really gone.
"I just wish I reached out to Lydia sooner, and you guys." I look between them. "And now, I've fucked up any relationship I had with you guys, because I was stupid."
"Kid, listen...sure, you fucked up." Corey says. "And yeah, I was fucking pissed at you for knocking Lydia up after a year of nothing..." he continues, making me look down in shame. "But," he says. "you've clearly proven that you love her. I don't doubt it for a second, actually."
I glance back up at him. "Really?"
He sighs before stepping up to me. "I think I owe you an apology as well, Harry. I was so cold towards you because I just wanted to protect my daughter. The last thing I would want is for her heart to be broken."
"I'd never break her heart. I love her." I say in sincerity.
"I see that now. And thank you, for protecting her and making her happy." he adds.
"Of course."
"So," he says, looking at Jane then back at me, "what do you say we start over? Become a big family again? I mean, you are going to be my son in law soon." he smiles and nudges my shoulder.
I chuckle under my breath. "Sounds okay." I say with a slight smirk.
I was just relieved that Lydia's parents and I made amends. Really, they were the closest thing I had to parents. My mother and father were not what parents should be. I've never experienced that nurturing nature from anybody.
That's why Jane and Corey giving me the cold shoulder hit so hard.
I just needed love. That's it. And I'm starting to realize it more and more.
Jane and Corey say their goodbyes, leaving just me and my two sleeping girls in this small room.
I exhale, feeling a weight lifted from my bruised shoulders, and I look down at Lydia.
Her hair was swept over her angelic face as her chest moved up and down. She was so tired, but she worked hard.
Then, I look back at my baby.
*
I could see the tiny little soul we've been waiting for so long to arrive, right in front of me.
We risked so much. We lost so much. But now, we have her.
So, for the first time, I reach down and pick my daughter up...holding her in my arms.
I've never held a baby. I was nervous I'd be doing it wrong, but the moment I had her in my arms...it was like she was molded perfectly to be held by me.
She stirred a little bit, her tiny head moving around.
"Hi, flower." I say as softly as I can.
Her eyes slowly open, revealing a beautiful bright blue color, just like her mother's eyes.
"Look at you." I whisper with a small, surprised chuckle under my breath, astounded by the innocent wonder in her irises.
The moment her eyes met mine, I felt my heart rate pick up. I was looking my daughter in the eyes. All I could feel was love.
She stares up at me, lips moving against the pink soother in her mouth. Her eyelashes were long and fluttery.
She was so beautiful.
She's only been here for a few hours, yet I can see the future begin to unfold. She's going to be a heartbreaker, no doubt.
She'll be such a light in this dark world.
She's going to conquer shit one day, if she's anything like her father.
"Um-" I stammer a bit, as if she could actually comprehend what I was saying to her. I didn't want to mess up my first speech to my daughter. "You're gonna have to get used to me not knowing what I'm doing, kid." I let out a breathy laugh.
"You might be new to this world, but I'm new to this father thing." I lick my lips slightly. "I guess we'll figure it out together, hey?"
I look over at Lydia, who was still asleep, and smile a little bit more.
"Good thing we have her to help us out, right?" I say. "She's gonna be good at this. She's gonna love you more than she's ever loved anything...and you're gonna adore her."
I smile back down at Daisy. Her big blue eyes still gazing deeply into mine.
Already, I could feel my life being changed. I could feel everything shifting. My life is dedicated to this tiny being now.
"I'm gonna do everything I can to keep you safe, angel." I whisper, my smile dropping as I lift her a little higher to bring my lips to her head, her eyes closing as I very gently kiss her forehead.
Our lives had been changed in the blink of an eye.
These two girls are my life.
Everything I've ever needed or wanted is right here in this room.
"What am I doing?" I say with a slight head shake, looking back down at Daisy. "I don't even know how to change a diaper." I laugh under my breath.
"That's another thing mommy's gonna deal with." I add as a joke.
She begins to fuss a little bit in my arms, making me bounce her around very gently.
"Shhh, baby. It's alright. Dad's got you." I mumble.
I couldn't help but remember Liam. He showed me how to do this with the watermelon. I owe a lot to him. I wish he were here to see my girl.
As she calms down, I stare at her with my lips curled slightly, rocking her gently in my arms.
"You're gonna be a little badass, aren't you?" I laugh, thinking about her growing up around Niall and Louis.
They'll be her two mischievous uncles, I can see it now.
As I roam around this tiny room with her, I knew that there would come a time where she'd grow up, and be independent...and that terrified me.
I sigh. "I wish you'd stay this way forever, baby."
But, both Lydia and I's blood was running throughout her tiny little veins.
"You'll be brave and smart like your father." I mumble. "You'll be strong and kind like your mother."
I take one more deep breath.
"You'll be alright."
//
One more chapter to go omg.