This House (l.s.)

17

"I'll never stop dreaming that one day we can be a real family, together, all of us laughing and talking, loving and understanding, not looking at the past but only to the future" – LaToya Jackson

"What is going on in here?" Louis asks through a yawn, padding into the kitchen on his birthday. He woke up to an empty bed and the sweet smell of pancakes. The empty bed sucked, but Harry's pancakes are totally worth it.

"Morning, daddy!" Joshua screams happily, resting on Harry's hip. Harry whispers something in his ear with a fond smile before the toddler is shouting again. "Happy birthday!"

"Thank you, baby," Louis grins, taking him out of Harry's arms to kiss his baby boy.

"Happy birthday, baby," Harry murmurs, leaning in for a kiss. Louis stands on his tiptoes, licking into his mouth softly before pulling apart.

"Thank you, honey," Louis smiles, pushing away some of Harry's messy curls. "Looks delicious."

"They're my pancakes," Harry says flatly. "Of course they're delicious."

"You're right," Louis' mouth quirks up. "Forgot."

"The rest of the kids are wrapping up your gift," Harry says. "They did it by themselves, actually. They told me not to tell you."

"You? Keep a secret? Never."

"Ha ha," Harry deadpans. "I can take these pancakes away in a heartbeat."

"Rude," Louis frowns. "Papa is being mean," he frowns at Joshua.

"No be mean, Papa!" Joshua scolds, wagging his finger at his father.

"Okay, okay, sorry!" Harry laughs, his dimples showing off in that way that makes Louis weak. Those dimples have always been his favorite. It gives Harry that boyish charm of his.

"Happy birthday!" four voices yell, coming into the kitchen carrying a wrapped present.

"Thank you guys," Louis smiles fondly. "Is this for me?"

"Duh," Jake says, exasperated.

"He has your attitude," Harry chimes in, flipping the pancakes over. Louis glares at him and sticks his tongue out.

"What do you guys have for me?" Louis asks.

"Sit first," Sophia says, pulling out a kitchen chair for him. Louis laughs and sits down, scanning the faces of his kids.

"The anticipation is killing me," he says.

"Okay, go ahead," Lucas says, putting the box down inside of him. "Open it."

Louis smiles and tears off the paper and opening up the big white box it comes in. He finds a thick photo album. He gently takes it out of the box and sees a recent family photo of all seven of them when they took a trip to Spain in October. Louis has a feeling he's going to cry.

He opens it up and sees it it's done by year. 2012 is the first one with a picture of Louis and Harry drunk off their asses at a bar together. It's a timeline, he realizes. There are pictures for every year of his relationship with Harry, and soon there are baby pictures and Halloween costumes and Christmas morning toys and his entire family in one album. It's beautiful and incredible and represents them so well, it's amazing.

"Oh," Louis tries to hold back a sob. "This is beautiful, guys. I absolutely love it. Papa didn't help you at all?"

"Well," Harry says. "I might have put out a box not so secretly with pictures and such. They asked if they could use it for a gift and I said yes."

It's not just pictures; it's sonograms and hospital bracelets and concert tickets. It's full of his memories; full of memories he was able to build with Harry. It's amazing when he looks back, how fast the time has gone. 20 years just flew by, right past him, and he wishes he could slow time down a bit. He doesn't want to turn around and see Joshua is already getting married. He wants him to stay a baby as long as he can.

"This is the best gift I've ever gotten," Louis sniffs, opening up his arms. "C'mere."

The kids all crowd in and hold Louis tightly, all taking turns to give a kiss. Louis tries to dry his fallen tears quickly so they don't see it, but Gabriella catches it. She's so intuitive, just like Harry. They pick up on everything.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" she asks, sounding concerned.

"Nothing, honey," Louis smiles, wiping his eyes. "I just love you all so much. They're happy tears, I promise."

"Good," Harry says, standing next to him and putting his arm around his shoulders. He bends down for a kiss to his forehead. "Breakfast is ready."

"Didn't you get me a gift?" Louis asks, not meaning to sound rude, but Harry is always buying Louis gifts constantly, even if it's not his birthday. Harry just grins, though, putting the plate of pancakes on the table.

"That's tonight. Don't' worry."

"Gonna make me wait for it?" Louis asks, appalled.

"Don't I always?" Harry says lowly, smirking at him. Louis tries to hide his smile and swats him away.

"Watch it, the kids are here," Louis says quietly, but sneaks a pinch at his husbands butt.

They spoil Louis rotten, and it's so nice to be the one pampered for once. He doesn't have to wash the dishes or do the laundry or vacuum the carpets or make the beds. Everything is taken care of for him, and it's so nice.

After dinner, prepared by Harry, they're all around the Christmas tree with mugs of hot chocolates and a big plate of cookies. It's so cliché, honestly, and back in uni he would think this was ridiculous, but as he got older and had more kids, this is perfect. He likes having this, these traditions that his kids can pass down if they want. It makes him feel whole.

"Okay," Louis says, putting his mug down on the coffee table. "I want to know what this gift is now."

Harry smiles, his eyes shinning in the twinkle of the Christmas lights. God, Louis' life is one fat cliché now, and he wouldn't change a thing.

A small box is presented in front of Louis in Harry's palm. "Open it."

So he does, and he finds a diamond silver band shining bright inside the black velvet box. There's a small note on the top with three simple words, written in neat cursive writing.

Marry me again?

Louis does cry now, letting out a bit of a whimper before throwing himself against Harry, pressing his face into his neck and sobbing out yes after yes. Harry wraps his arms around Louis' middle, holding him close and nuzzling his nose against his jaw.

"I love you so much," Harry murmurs, kissing wherever he can reach. "And I can't wait to marry you again."

"Me either," Louis sniffs. "I love you, too."

"Forgive me?" Harry asks, holding his breath for the answer.

"Yes, I forgive you. You're an idiot, but I love you and I'm never going to stop loving you. You and me forever."

"Good," Harry breathes deeply, carding his fingers into Louis' hair and pulling him in for a long kiss. The kids all coo at them, so happy to see their parents working things out. Their family feels complete again, like all those shattered pieces have come together one at a time, and the missing piece was finally found. It's still fragile, but it's fixed, and it's beautiful.