Heartbeats || H.S. [ONGOING]

{twelve}

Harry walked Niko out to the hallway, but couldn't seem to let her go. He was too afraid of this being the end instead of their new beginning.

"God, I don't want you to go," Harry told her as he gently pressed her up against the wall, kissing her hard on the mouth. His hand slipped up the front of her shirt, grabbing onto her breast and she giggled as he pressed his body into hers.

"Daddy?" They heard a tiny little voice and fear shot through both of them.

Harry flew away from Niko in an instant, quickly looking over at his daughter. Niko stood frozen against the wall, her fingers pressed to her battered lips that were still warm from Harry's.

"Ave, what are you still doing awake?" Harry asked, walking toward his daughter.

"I had to go potty," she stated matter-of-factly.

Harry was frozen, standing in front of his daughter, unsure of what to say next, unsure of how much she saw.

"Is Niko going to be our new mommy?" Avery asked, looking over at her as she still stood with her back against the wall.

"Oh, baby..." Harry sighed, kneeling in front of her.

Niko was absolutely freaking out. This was all too much. Too much, too quickly.

"You were kissing her. You kiss her because you love her, right?" Avery asked curiously.

"Avery..." Harry sighed.

"I like Niko. She's a good mommy," Avery stated evenly.

Her words caused emotion to lump in Niko's throat as she looked over at two of the people she loved most in the world. If things were different, Niko would love to stand where Julia once stood and be that for Avery. But it wasn't like that, it couldn't be like that.

Julia was and always would be her mother, and as much as it broke Niko's heart that Julia chose to put her work over being with her children, there was nothing she could do about it. It wasn't her place. It never would be.

"Avery, you already have a mummy," Harry told her carefully.

"But Niko plays Barbies with me," Avery said, pulling a sad face.

Niko couldn't help but smile at the little girl's words. She loved playing Barbies with Avery. She loved playing with those kids no matter what they were doing.

"Baby, that's not the way it works," Harry tried to explain.

"But mommy doesn't play Barbies with me. I like Niko better," Avery said, stomping her foot, having a semi-tantrum in the hallway. Niko bit her lip to keep the smirk off of her face.

"Daddy and Niko are just friends, baby," Harry tried to explain, but Avery was much too smart for that.

"But you kiss her. Grown-ups kiss when they love each other," Avery countered.

"Avery, honey..." Harry sighed.

"I don't want mommy as my mommy anymore. I want Niko!" Avery whined, getting upset.

"Baby, it doesn't work that way. You need to act like a big girl, please. You are much too old for temper tantrums," Harry told her sternly.

Avery crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, frustrated with her father.

"March back to bed, please," Harry told her as he stood on his feet. She gave him another grumpy face, scrunching her nose at him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Avery Rose Styles. Bed. Now," Harry said firmly and pointed to her bedroom door.

"Fine," she huffed, spinning on her heels before she stomped to her room.