"Alright, c'mon, babe."

"Tired," Angelina mumbles, eyes droopy as Louis unbuckles her seatbelt. Gently, he lifts her up out of the backseat, shutting the car door with his hip.

"I know, darlin'," Louis says softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He carries her towards the house as she nuzzles her face into his neck. "I'll bring you up to bed, you can take a nice, long nap."

"I don't need a nap," Angelina mumbles, words slurred with exhaustion. She's always like this after her treatments, even turning down a Happy Meal on the way home.

Louis can't help but smile a little, fond, as he opens the door and brings her inside. The smell of pasta sauce hits his nose as soon as they're inside, and he furrows his eyebrows as he closes the door with his hip.

He gets Angelina upstairs and into bed before returning downstairs. He walks into the kitchen, met with the sight of Harry with Frankie on his hip, Clara standing next to him and stirring a big pot on the stove.

"Just be careful," Harry says, tone stern and soft at the same time, a smile on his face. "It'll be hot if it splashes up on you."

"'Ve got it," Clara assures, tongue poking out in concentration. It's then Harry looks up at the entryway, noticing Louis standing there.

"Hi," He greets. "You're just in time for dinner."

"Dinner?" Louis asks, though it's obvious that's what the huge pot of pasta sauce is for, but. He can't believe it, can't believe there's a person so sweet that they would go out of their way to make his daughter her favourite dinner during their first time meeting.

"We're making pasta, Daddy!" Clara says, a huge grin on her face. Louis melts a little, walking over and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She leans her head back to look at him. "Can Harry come over more often?"

Harry giggles, dimples popping out, and Louis can't help but smile a little. "You haven't driven him crazy yet?" He asks, brushing her hair back over her shoulder.

"I'll be good for anyone who makes me pasta," Clara says. Louis snorts, shaking his head as Harry laughs. Louis looks over at him, finally meeting his eyes again and giving him a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Harry," He says softly, watching as Harry smiles back at him.

"Anytime," Harry assures, passing Frankie over to Louis. Frankie leans her head on Louis' shoulder, her thumb in her mouth as Louis brushes her little wisps of hair off her forehead. "I'd better get going, then."

"No!" Clara protests. Harry raises his eyebrows, surprised. "Please stay for dinner, please please please."

"Yeah, y'should," Louis agrees. If he didn't know any better, he'd think Harry's cheeks turn a bit pink at his words. "Unless y've got plans tonight or summat."

"Um, no," Harry shakes his head. "I don't. I can stay, as long as you'll have me."

"Yes!" Clara grins, still stirring the sauce. Louis smiles, shaking his head. "'S it done, Harry?"

Harry leans over, looking into the pot. "Looks like it," He nods, turning the burner off. "Would you like to set the table while I mix it with the pasta?"

"Okay!" Clara stands on her tiptoes to get the plates out of the cabinet. "Can we eat at the table outside?"

"Sure," Louis nods, Frankie on his hip as he goes to unlock the door to the back garden. Clara carries the stack of plates outside to the patio, walking very carefully as to not drop them.

"Did Frankie behave for you?" Louis asks. She takes her hand out of her mouth, and before she can touch anything with it, Louis lifts up the bottom of his shirt and uses it to wipe it off. Is it gross? Yes. Is he completely unfazed by saliva at this point? Also yes.

"Um," Harry's eyes land on Louis' abs as he reaches to move the pot off the burner, so distracted he forgets to put oven mitts on and uses his bare hand. Louis hears him gasp out a breath, and looks up from Frankie to see him cradling his hand against his chest.

"Woah, you burn yourself?" Louis is quick to set Frankie down in her swing next to the kitchen table, then moving over to Harry and taking his hand in his own, inspecting it.

"I-um, yeah," Harry's hand shakes slightly as Louis uses his free hand to guide Harry to the sink, turning on the tap and pulling his hand under the cold water.

Harry finally snaps out of it, shaking his head. "Sorry, shit, I'm sorry, that was so stupid of me."

"It was an accident, 's alright," Louis assures, still holding Harry's hand under the cold water. "Here, keep your hand here. I have a first aid kit from the station somewhere, I'll be right back."

Harry just nods, gulping as Louis walks down the hall to the washroom, digging through the moving boxes on the floor behind finding his first aid kit. He brings it back to the kitchen, where Harry's still standing with his hand under the sink.

"Three kids later, and you get familiar with these things," He opens the first aid kid on the counter, digging out some ointment. Harry doesn't move, paralysed.

"I'm so sorry," Harry says. "I understand if you're mad at me. That was so careless of me."

Louis furrows his eyebrows, gently grabbing Harry's wrist himself and pulling it closer to him. "Hey, 's alright," He assures gently. "Not a big deal, accidents happen. 'M just worried if you're alright."

Harry just exhales shakily as Louis puts some ointment on the burn, giving his wrist a reassuring squeeze. Harry hisses quietly in pain as Louis gently rubs the ointment over his hand. "I know, 'm sorry," Louis grabs the roll of bandages from the first aid kit. "Almost done."

"You sound like a proper dad," Harry giggles, his voice still weak. Louis gives him a small smile, rolling the bandage around Harry's hand a few times before ripping it off the roll.

"Injuries always put me in dad-mode," Louis explains, using the medical tape to secure the bandage. "Alright then, good as new."

"Thanks, Louis," Harry says quietly, cradling his hand to his chest.

"How about I get the sauce and the pasta mixed?" Louis suggests, already opening the kitchen drawer and pulling out some oven mitts. Harry gives him a weary look, and Louis grins. "With your supervision."

Harry laughs weakly. "M'kay," He nods, and Louis turns around to move the pot off the burner, not noticing how intently Harry is looking at him.

♛

"I would eat just pasta all the time, if I could."

Louis smiles, fond, raising his eyebrows. "Y'don't think you'd get sick of it?"

"Nuh-uh," Clara shakes her head, on her second bowl of pasta as Harry giggles. Louis guides a plain buttered piece of pasta to Frankie's mouth, and she nibbles at it. "I could never get sick of pasta."

"You are a pasta fiend, Clara Grace," Louis mumbles, laughing when Frankie just takes the piece of pasta off the fork and shoves it into her mouth. Clara finishes off her plate, and stands to bring it inside.

"I gotta go do my homework," She says. Louis grins, proud. "Thank you for the pasta, Harry."

"You're very welcome," Harry laughs, and Clara carries her plate inside. "Very polite girl y've got there."

"If I knew that pasta was all it would take to get her in a good mood, I would've sought you out months ago," Louis says, and Harry giggles. "You mind if I save some for Angelina, n'case she's hungry when she wakes up?"

"No, of course not," Harry assures. "All yours."

Louis gives him a small smile, looking back down at Frankie has he feeds her another piece of pasta. He's quiet for moment for twisting his mouth, saying "Hey, um. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier, with the whole decaf thing."

"Oh," Harry says softly. "No, you didn't."

"No, I know I did," Louis says. "'N I'm sorry. 'S none of my business."

"It's not you," Harry assures, quiet as he folds his hands in his lap. "I just..." Harry sighs, seemingly mulling over his words. "I'm not...entirely sure I'm going to go through with it."

"Oh," Louis nods.

"I hope you don't think any less of me," Harry practically whispers as he says it, looking down at his hands. "It's...just complicated."

"No," Louis says quickly. "Of course I don't." Harry is silent, not looking up. Louis sighs softly. "Their mum, she got the procedure done," Harry looks up. "Like, two years before Clara was born. We hadn't been together for that long. And it was difficult, and complicated, but absolutely the right decision for us at the time."

Harry looks at him for a moment, swallowing thickly. "I want it," He says, voice still has quiet as it used to be, his eyes dropping to Frankie. "I want to keep it, it's just-" His voice catches, and he takes a second to breathe before continuing. "Their dad is evil. And I don't know if I feel good about bringing them into the world."

Louis nods, giving him a small smile. "I get it," He assures gently. "I grew up without my dad. But, I had a great mum, 'n she loved us so much it didn't feel like we were missing anything at all."

Harry's eyes soften, still looking at Frankie. "I think you'd be a great parent," Louis continues. "If you want to be. I also think whatever decision you end up making will be the right one."

Harry bites his lip, looking down at his lap again. "I thought you weren't much of a talker," He mumbles, grinning a little when Louis scoffs.

"Oi!" He huffs, and Harry laughs weakly. Louis shakes his head before getting serious again. "Hey," Harry looks up at him. "Whatever y'need, I'm here, okay?"

Harry nods, giving Louis a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Louis."