It was a bad idea.

They're fighting over the coffee maker the next morning. They only stop when it's time for Harry to leave for work. The argument lingers over Louis like a cloud all day until he picks Gracie up from school.

The sex was amazing, and not just because they hadn't had it in so long. Louis almost forgot how much he loves Harry's body. They went for three rounds before they both passed out on the bed. It wasn't even just having sex, they made love. It was passionate and makes Louis' whole body warm whenever he thinks about it.

"Daddy?" Gracie calling him from the backseat snaps him out of it. Thank God. Thinking of how Harry moaned and whined last night could get them in an accident.

"Yes, love?" Louis responds, glancing at her in the rear view mirror.

"Can we get p'za for dinner?" She asks. Louis chuckles.

"Sure," He says. "Remind me to order one with veggies for Papa."

"Yuck!" Gracie wrinkles her nose. Louis laughs as he pulls into their driveway.

He and Gracie play footie until it's supper time (she wins) and Louis is surprised to see a car turning into their driveway as they go in. Harry's never home this early.

"Papa?" Gracie gasps as the door opens. Harry gives her a tired smile as she runs towards him.

"Hey, love," Harry lifts her up and holds her on his hip. "How was your last day of school?"

"Good," She leans her head on his shoulder. "Daddy said we could get p'za for dinner."

"Ooo, that sounds good," Harry sets his keys down, shutting the door with his hip. "What're you going to get on it? Pickles?"

"No!" Gracie giggles.

"Oh. What about sardines?"

"Eww," Gracie wrinkles her nose, shaking her head. "Nooo, I like cheesy pizza."

"Oh. That's good too, I guess," Harry sets her down before looking up at Louis. Shyly, he gives him a sheepish "Hi."

"Hey," Louis gives him a small smile in return. Silent forgiveness for that morning. Harry smiles back, his whole body seemingly relaxing when he sees Louis isn't angry. "Was just gonna order. Veggies on yours?"

"Yes, please," Louis nods and gets his mobile out of his pocket. Harry scoops Gracie up again, taking her to the sofa while Louis orders the pizza. He joins them when he's finished ordering, smiling at the sight of Harry sitting on the sofa, Gracie between his legs laying against his chest.

"Will you sing a song, Daddy?" Gracie asks, pointing to Louis' guitar. Louis grins, grabbing it off it's stand before sitting on the opposite end of the couch.

"What do you want me to sing?" He asks.

"You and Papa sing together," Gracie requests. Harry raises his eyebrows while Louis grins.

"Harold, up for it?" Louis asks, smiling at him. Harry sighs, but he can't help but smile back.

"Sure," He nods. Louis strums his guitar before humming.

"Do you remember this one?" He starts to play a song. Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. Harry's grin widens, his grip on Gracie tightening a bit.

"Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my Ma and Pa," He sings softly, laughing a little as Gracie closes her eyes in bliss. "Not the way that I do love you."

"Well, holy moly, me oh my, you're the apple of my eye, girl I never loved one like you," Their eyes meet, and Harry's cheeks turn pink.

"Man, oh man, you're my best friend, I scream it to the nothingness, there ain't nothing that I need," Harry kisses the top of Gracie's head.

"Well, hot and heavy pumpkin pie, chocolate candy, Jesus Christ, ain't nothing please me more than you," Louis winks at Harry. Harry shakes his head, a fond smile on his face.

"Oh, home, let me come home, home is wherever I'm with you," They sing together, and Gracie giggles when Harry bounces her a little. "Oh home, let me come home, home is wherever I'm with you."

"I like when you sing togetha," Gracie says.

"I like it too," Louis laughs. "Papa has a nice voice, huh?"

"Mhm," Gracie hums. Harry rolls his eyes, smiling fondly. "When's the pizza comin'?"

"Should be soon, baby," Louis grins.

Gracie nods before declaring "I'm gon' go get my picture to show Papa," She climbs off the couch and hurries to get her rucksack upstairs.

"No running up the stairs!" Harry calls back. She doesn't listen. Harry shakes his head and sighs while Louis laughs. Their eyes meet before Harry's face softens a little.

"I'm sorry about this morning," He says sheepishly. It's clearly hard for him to do so.

"I am too," Louis replies. "It was stupid. It was a petty argument."

"Most of them are," Harry mutters, and Louis laughs again. Harry grins a little. Gracie comes back in, a paper in her hand, and shows Harry her painting. She had already shown Louis–he seriously has no idea what it's supposed to be.

"This is beautiful, love," Harry says softly. He's always soft as soon as Gracie even breathes. Louis knows Harry wishes he was closer to Gracie, and it makes me feel bad, honestly. Louis' been home with her everyday after school for a really long time, so it's natural that they're closer, but still.

"It's f'you," Gracie says, leaning into Harry. "Because you came home early today."

Harry's face softens. "Thank you, G," He says, kissing her cheek. "I'll hang it up in my office at work so I can look at it all day."

"And maybe it'll make you remember me," Gracie says. "And you'll wanna come home more."

Louis can tell how much this is hurting Harry to hear. "Yeah," He says softly, and Gracie smiles. "Yeah, maybe."

♛

"Louis?"

"Yeah, love?"

Gracie is in bed, and Louis is sitting against the headboard of their bed with Harry laying next to him, snuggled into him. He feels warm, and good.

"Do you think we'll be okay?" Harry asks softly, his head against Louis' stomach, arm wrapped around his waist. Louis sighs a little, scratching at Harry's scalp lightly.

"I don't know," He admits. "I really hope so. I...I think we're on the right track."

Harry closes his eyes. "I don't want to get a divorce," He says. "For a while it just felt like the only option. We were just stuck in one place for such a long time."

"I know, love," Louis says softly, tucking Harry's hair behind his ear. "It's okay."

"Do you think Gracie knows?" Harry asks.

"Yeah, I think so," Louis admits. "Kids always know. They can sense it. But I think it'll be good for her to see us work it out instead of give up."

"Maybe we should go see someone," Harry suggests, voice soft. "Like...a counsellor."

"No," Louis says immediately.

"Louis," Harry sighs.

"We don't need a counsellor," Louis says sternly. "If we have a problem we should be able to work it out together."

Harry doesn't say anything. Louis knows he disagrees, but he doesn't want to start a fight. "Was Gracie good for you today?" He asks quietly, changing the subject.

"She always is," Louis nods. "She reminds me so much of you sometimes."

"Yeah?" Harry lifts his head to look up at him, a small smile on his face. "How so?"

Louis sighs wistfully, looking up and thinking about it for a second. "Like, she's always on this whole rant about you shouldn't kill bugs," He says. "Because they haven't done anything wrong."

"Well, she's right," Harry giggles.

"And, like, when she's passionate about something, her eyes light up," Louis grins wide. "And she's always trying to defend other people. Like the time someone pulled her hair at school and she said 'maybe she was having a bad day'," Louis kisses the top of his head. "All of that? That's all you."

"Yeah?" Harry's smile grows bigger. "I see you in her too."

"Yeah? How?"

"Like how she doesn't listen to me."

"Alright, you know what?" Louis laughs, and Harry starts to laugh as well.