I Want You So Much (But I Hate Your Guts)

Epilogue

Notes from Author: For the very last time, welcome back!

I kept this epilogue rather short and a little suggestive, because that is what felt right for me to do. I hope you'll like it, because once I had written it all down I realized it was one of my favorite parts of this story and I hope you will share that feeling.

This fic wasn't supposed to end this happily, to be honest. I mean, that's just not realistic. But then I thought to myself: It's fanfiction, I'm the author and I want a soppy, cheesy, all-too-perfect ending for Harry and Louis (because they deserve nothing less) and then it basically wrote itself and there was nothing I could.

Thanks again for the support of every single one of you — there were times I didn't think I could pull through with this one, but your comments and kudos and messages really made me realize how much I loved the idea, why I wrote the story in the first place and what do you know, here we are, at the end of all things. Thank you again, love you all!

Julia x

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There was a microphone shoved into his face, and Louis had to fight the urge to glare down the reporter for getting all up in his business. Instead, he focused on keeping Nolan cuddled close and secure to his chest, shielded from the camera's view and protected from the journalists who were getting progressively more aggressive each time Louis encountered them. There was a trend there.

It wasn't hard to see why today, of all days, they wanted to talk to him, even though for once he was just as much an ordinary guy in the audience as the people all around.

"Mr Tomlinson, Louis. Good afternoon, it's great to see you again. Just a quick question, you don't mind, do you?" A blonde lady had finally managed to get a word in edgewise in all the media chaos and things quieted down so the microphones stretched in his direction would be able to catch every word exchanged. "Can we expect to see you return to the professional football pitch soon? Is your being here a good sign? With your pregnancy obviously over now," here, the woman, towering at least a head over Louis in her heels, gestured to the bundle pressed to Louis' chest, "so are you ready to jump right back in?"

The deafening sounds of the stadium crowd above and around them remained, thunderous, unstoppable cheering over the win the team had just brought home shaking the walls.

"Shouldn't you be asking me about the game? I'm sure that's what your viewers actually care about right now," Louis said, dodging the question, and hunching in on himself, curling around his baby. If there was one thing he hadn't gotten used to, even after years of professionally playing football in the A-B premier league, it was the constant media attention. He didn't complain, knew it was a part of all this — his world —, something he used to feverishly wish for when he was twelve, fifteen, twenty years old. Now, though, he knew the reality of things and he didn't like it half as much as he thought he would. He kept his voice quiet as he spoke — the mics would pick his words up anyway, and Nolan had just fallen asleep a short while ago, snuggled up as he was. There was no need to disturb his peaceful baby dreams.

The reporter grinned, shark-like, and shrugged. "Of course, you're right. It was a rather sensational game. How did you like it, then? Any opinions on your husband's performance?"

"Harry did a great job, but that's hardly surprising. I think he proved once and for all that he deserves to play the attacking midfield position, from start to finish, in each and every game. I might be a little biased, but I think there's no one who can hold a candle to him." With a small smile, Louis threw a furtive glance over his shoulder, but the pitch was barely visible from where he was standing now in the tunnel. He had been almost at the changing rooms, not wanting to get caught up in the after-win huddles and general noisiness of a significant win with Nolan, when he got intercepted by the reporters. Any moment now the players would be leaving the field, though, and Louis couldn't wait to see Harry and give him a thorough (child-friendly) victory snog. Turning back to the microphones and cameras, he continued. "Apart from that, well, the lads won, didn't they? Deservedly so, if the final score is anything at all to go by. I think our new goal-keeper did a fantastic job, especially considering this was his debut game in the league. Really, there is nothing I'd see a reason to complain about, although I'm sure Coach will find something to criticise." He chuckled quietly, hoping the media would take his joke for what it was and not twist his words around, as they had done once or twice before.

"It's definitively a big win for the team, assuring them once more the prime position in the league table." The Alpha lady nodded along, then grinned again, casually pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. Louis tried not to be prejudiced against her — he knew firsthand how unfair that was, how small-minded, how getting judged unfairly held people back and kept them from developing to their full potential — but she seemed like the most stereotypical Alpha: pretty, bossy, sly and adamant of getting her will. Things Louis couldn't stand in a combination like that, but figured made her the perfect reporter. "Any chance you'll still give us an answer to our initial question? I'm sure your fans would like to have an update on the state of things."

Louis abstained from rolling his eyes, rather lowered his gaze to the top of his baby's head, covered by a wooly hat, knitted in the team colours. "I want to come back, at some point, if my team will still have me after my absence. It will be hard, after such a long time-out, to get back into things, and I don't feel like pressuring myself at this point, because for now, I'm going to be a parent — full-time."

The reporter opened her mouth, surely about to dig a little deeper, but Louis felt the commotion of an entire football team enter in the building behind him. A very familiar football team including his hot, sweaty and victorious husband. With a quick nod and a muttered "thank-you" he turned away from the reporter, his eyes scanning the joyous faces of his own team-mates, Coach, trainers and co-trainers, medics and a dozen assistants, before falling on Harry — looking tired, but smiling broadly.

He was more than sure that the media would be occupied elsewhere, the slew too much to handle even for the various TV, radio and newspaper teams around, so he didn't waste time before pulling Harry into a hug, careful of the precious cargo bundled up between them, and kissed him soundly on the mouth. "So proud of you," he muttered, breathing in Harry's spicy, musky scent. "You did fabulous, if I say so myself!"

"Thanks, love," Harry replied, his dimples popping with the intensity of his smile, but he seemed absent-minded while replying. His eyes have darted from Louis' face towards their son in a matter of seconds, the expression on his face turning incredibly soft and fond as he nuzzled one barely visible baby cheek for a second. "Couldn't have done it without the two of you cheering me on."

Louis knew he must look dorky, what with beaming so hugely at such a clichéd declaration, but truthfully, he didn't care. Standing in the gloomy tunnel just beyond the football pitch, their team having just won and Harry one of the strongest players of the game, with their baby son strapped to Louis' chest and Harry's happiness radiating around them, there was truly nothing Louis felt the need to wish for.

His hand flitted to the bitemark on his neck, not visible for anyone today since it was hidden under the collar of Louis' jacket, but it didn't take Harry a second to read the subtle sign and pull the fabric aside to let his lips swiftly kiss upon the place where he had marked Louis over two years ago.

There was a time when Louis thought he could have it all, then believed to have lost it all, and then again a time when all itself had been redefined in its entirety for him. Now, having the support and backing of his family, friends, trainers, team mates and basically a whole nation for his decision of pausing his rather successful professional career to start a family with the one and only love of his life, he didn't think there was much more he could want for. Having Harry and Nolan, here, by his side, in his arms, he realised that he experienced a form of bliss he didn't even think to wish for, but was lucky to get in such abundance.