Harry has been working almost non-stop for five years.

He auditioned for X-Factor when he was seventeen and just never came home. He got put together with the band, signed with their label, started touring, released an album, and that was that. He gets little breaks now and then, between tours or for holidays (sometimes), and he loves it all. Loves performing and making music and connecting with so many people all over the world.

But, he misses normalcy sometimes. So whenever he is home, he indulges in the non-glamorous things. So, when he got home and his mother mentioned she was missing an ingredient for dinner, he willfully volunteered to venture to the grocery store.

It's not completely normal–his sunglasses and hood probably make the employees wary of him robbing them–but it's something to just walk around without bodyguards and teenage girls yelling at him (as much as he loves them).

The 24-hour shoppe down the street takes him right back to being a teenager, stumbling in drunk with his friends in search of sweets, or picking things up for his boyfriend, Louis, before swinging by his house, or coming with him because Louis insisted on making cookies, and Harry would gripe and whine but end up paying for all of the ingredients anyways.

This whole store, whole town is practically screaming 'Louis' right at him. Usually when he gets a break from tour he stays at his own place in London, but his mum had made so many not-so-subtle comments about how empty his bedroom was and how lonely it felt, he decided to spend his two week break there instead.

He supposes he hasn't properly been back here since he was seventeen, when Louis had broken up with him at his house just down the street. Had given Harry the worst heartbreak of his life, to this day, and ended their two year relationship just weeks before One Direction started recording their first album.

Two years feels like a lifetime when you're seventeen. It has, in fact, been the longest relationship Harry's ever had to this day. Taylor came in at number two–eight whole months. Everyone else has just been flings, boys and girls and people who he would get infatuated with for a little while before getting scared of another heartbreak.

Camille feels different. She feels like the happy ending that's supposed to come from his relationship woes, the one to fix it all. He thought so, at least, until last night.

He wills himself to stop dwelling on it, pacing the aisles trying to find Oregano. Which, is just a spice, why did his mother need it that bad? She was using other ones as well, whatever she's making won't end up like Niall's poor attempt at chicken.

Maybe there's someone around he can ask. There aren't many people here, it's a Saturday evening, a typical England downpour outside. He opted for taking his mum's car rather than his motorcycle for that reason.

He can hear the squeaky wheels of a shopping trolley coming closer as he stands by a refrigerator of frozen veg. Finally, a sign of civilization.

When he looks to his right, his heart almost jumps out of his chest. Louis is standing there, seemingly not even noticing him, a little girl sitting in his cart. She does look up at him. She looks a little too young to be one of the younger twins, who were born when they were just sixteen.

"Louis," Harry says, before even really thinking about it. Louis looks over to him. The confused expression on his face tells Harry he doesn't recognise him, but he smiles anyways.

"Oh, hi," He greets. He looks beautiful, Harry can't stop himself from thinking it. Prettier than ever, he suddenly remembers why he was so gone for him. Harry takes off his big sunglasses, and Louis' face softens into realisation. "Harry."

Almost immediately he notices how Louis' hands start to shake, his wide eyes studying Harry carefully. Why is he so nervous? It's not like Harry's going to chew him out for breaking his heart five years ago.

"Um," Louis clears his throat, his voice soft and raspy. "What're you doing home?"

"'M just here for a few weeks before 'm back in the states for tour," He says, giving Louis a small smile. Louis looks like he's going to be sick, his eyes dropping to the little girl before back to Harry.

Harry looks down at her too. He can't determine exactly what makes it click for him, maybe the curly hair or the little pouty lips or how anxious Louis looks as he studies her, but the realisation hits him right in the gut. No. That can't be right, she couldn't possibly be-

"Daddy, can I have cheese, please?" She asks Louis. He's a dad, it makes Harry's chest ache. And it's slightly, very slightly possible that he is too.

Louis' nervous expression softens, and he gives her a smile. "Sure, Bug, here," He says, picking up the back of sliced cheese from the deli and giving one to her. She takes it and starts nibbling at it, and Harry's still staring.

"Who's this?" He manages to croak, but his eyes can't leave her face.

"This is Mila," Louis says quietly. Harry swallows thickly. There's no way Louis would be acting this scared if she wasn't his.

"How old is she?" Harry asks. Louis looks down.

"Four," He whispers. "Four and a half." Four and a half years. Now, Harry's not finished school, but he can do some quick math in his head that tells him his suspicion could be right. He blinks at Louis, who's cheeks are bright pink. "She's, um."

"Mine?" Harry chokes out. Louis' hands are still shaking. "Would've been nice to at least have gotten a phone call."

"Hey," Louis snaps, the feistiness Harry knows him for finally returning. "I tried calling you at least twice a month for two years. You never answered. You changed your number. What else do you want me to do?" Harry is silent. He can't process this. Mila looks up at him.

"Do you want some cheese?" She asks. Harry's face softens. "My Daddy tells me I should share."

"No thank you, Mila," Harry says, tone a lot softer than it was moments ago. She goes back to eating her cheese while Harry closes his eyes. "Holy shit."

"Woah," Louis says, covering Mila's ears. Mila giggles and shakes her head so Louis will take his hands off, and Louis smiles at her lovingly. He then looks up at Harry. Harry's never had a panic attack before, but he thinks he may currently be having one. "Harry, would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow night? So we can, um, talk?"

"How about tonight?" Harry asks, a sense of urgency in his voice. Louis gives him a weak smile.

"That doesn't give me a lot of time to tidy up," He says. The last thing on Harry's mind is the state of Louis' house. He studies Harry's face for a moment before sighing softly. "'S six good? She's got to be in bed by seven-thirty"

"Yes," Harry nods after a few seconds. "Yeah, sure, that'd be good."

"My Daddy's making Mac n' cheese," Mila squeaks. Louis puts his hand on her chubby little cheek and strokes it with his thumb, smiling gently.

"Maybe now that we have a guest we'll make something else, babe," Louis says.

"Mac n' cheese is good," Harry says quietly, still freaking out internally. Louis looks up at him and gives him a weak smile, hand still on Mila's face. "Um, what's your address?"

"Here," Louis digs into a tote bag in the trolley, pulling a box of magic markers out of it. He picks out a pink one, uncapping it and holding his hand out. Harry lifts his own, and Louis rolls the sleeve of his hoodie up, writing a phone number on the inside of his forearm. "Text me 'n I'll give it to you."

"I-Okay," Harry nods. He might be sick.

He returns home with no Oregano, having to tell his mother he won't be able to eat with her tonight. "Y've been home for three hours," Anne pouts. "Where could you possibly have to be?"

"I ran into Louis," He blurts out. Anne's expression immediately softens at the mention of him. "He has a daughter, she's four and a half."

Anne furrows her eyebrows, taking a moment before realisation hits her just like it had hit Harry. "Harry, no," She gasps.

"I-I think so," His voice trembles as he says it. "Um, I'm gonna go over to his house tonight, 'n find everything out, but-" He chokes on his words, swallowing thickly. "She looks just like me, Mum."

"Baby," His mother says gently. Harry sniffles. He's feeling about a thousand different things right now, his stomach churning. But, hey, at least he isn't gutted about Camille anymore. 

"I-I can't have a kid," He says, chest heaving as tears stinging in the corners of his eyes. He reckons he's never been more scared in his whole life. "I'm...I'm touring the world in two weeks."

"Oh, babes," Anne steps forward and wraps Harry up in her arms. Harry feels like a little kid, burying his face into her shoulder, so hunched over with their height difference his back aches. This cannot be happening.