Harry’s been through a lot in the last seventeen years. He lost his eyesight, met his future husband, got a wonderful daughter who was also blind, got married, had a son named Alex, their cats had kittens that they all refused to give away, and to top it all off Darcy got a boyfriend. So, he thinks he’s coping well considering all he’s been dealt in life, even if he does end up crying when Darcy goes on her very first date. “Papa! You’ve got to stop crying, you’re gonna scare him away when he finally shows up.” Darcy laughed, wiping away the tears she felt on Harry’s face and he could hear Louis laughing in the background, making him pout in the middle of his crying. “Louis William, if you don’t stop laughing at me I’ll let Alex sleep with you until he’s 18 and I’ll sleep in his room.” Harry sniffled and his mope fest was interrupted by a knock on the door, a loud sound that scared Misty and Falcon out of his lap. Harry could sympathise.
He seemed nice enough, shaking Harry and Louis’ hands like a grown man and promising to have Darcy back home before ten that night. “Hey, maybe she’ll get her first kiss and the two of you can stay up all night and talk about him.” Louis whispered in Harry’s ear and Harry swatted at where he thought Louis’ chest was, tears welling up in his eyes. “Don’t say that! She’s still seven years old and in love with Elsa, thank you very much.” Louis rolled his eyes at his husband and pecked Harry on the cheek, smiling to their son when he pretended to gag. “She’s sixteen, love. She has a boyfriend. She’s growing up.” Louis teased and honestly, why did Harry even marry him in the first place? “Come on babe. Let’s go make dinner with Alex and we can plot ways to kill him if they show up late.” Right, that’s why. He never fails to make Harry smile, no matter how crappy the situation.
When he dropped Darcy off, Alex ran to the living room before Louis or Harry could stop him. “You better be nice to my sister, or I’ll help Papa hide your body.” Alex said innocently, making Harry laughing behind his hand and Darcy gasp at him. “Note to self: probably shouldn’t have made murder plans with the seven year old.” Louis muttered with a grin on his face, eyeing Darcy’s boyfriend where he stood by the door. Louis really didn’t like him, he just gave off a bad vibe but Darcy liked him so he would deal with it. “Oh my god, Luke I’m sorry about my family. They don’t know how to function with normal people.” Darcy said and glared in the direction of her family, earning a smile from Louis before she hugged her boyfriend goodbye and he left with a small slam of the door.
Four months later, Darcy came home with tears in her eyes and lines on her pale wrist; telling Harry about how Luke had just used her as a dare. “If he could get to second base, the girl that he was really interested in would say yes to going on a date with him. I was a joke, Papa! And he just told me that it wasn’t personal, that he just wanted her to love him back. Why couldn’t he love me back!? Is it because I’m different? Papa, what’s wrong with me!?” Darcy yelled, voice breaking and Harry wanted to beat Luke with his cane. Maybe he would like the thing if he could use it so his daughter would hurt less. “Baby, there’s nothing wrong with you! He’s just not your person. Hopefully he’s never anyone’s person, he’s an arsehole and no one deserves that. Baby, you’re perfect just the way you are. Don’t let how much you love yourself be based off of how much someone else loves you.” Harry rambled and Louis took Darcy’s arm in his hands, kissing the red puffy lines that he knew for a fact weren’t there this morning. “You know, I never understood why people said they felt blue when it felt like cold days. I get it now. Blue doesn’t feel like cold days anymore. It feels like broken hearts and dying stars and bleeding skin. It feels like tiny pieces of cold metal and salty tears and I fucking hate it.” Darcy sobbed and Harry just wanted to pull her into his arms, but she outgrew that a few years ago and deep down he knew that she would get over this on her own, let her heart open again and one day she’ll finally understand why they tell her love feels like rainbows; that it’s scary but the best thing she’ll ever get to experience in life.
Alex crawled in bed with Darcy that night, right next to Louis and Harry because recovering from the first ever heartbreak was a family affair. “Don’t worry, Sissy. My friends and I can beat him up. We have Nerf guns and he smelled like pickles anyway. You need someone who smells like honey or whatever girls like.” Alex said seriously, drawing a smile out of Darcy and Harry and Louis must have done something right with their children because this was what family was about. “Don’t worry, love. My best friend said she would hit him in the man bits for me, right after she told him where to go and how to get there.” Louis thinks he would love Darcy’s best friend. “Why don’t you ask her to come over, love? You can have a girls night anytime you want.” Louis offered and Darcy agreed, kissing everyone on the cheek before they fell asleep in a pile of limbs on a too small bed. It was a Family Thing.
Darcy brought her best friend over a few months later, a wisp of a girl with blonde hair and eyes kind enough to end wars. “Papa, Daddy! Come meet Alice!” Darcy yelled and Louis tugged Harry into the living room behind him, smiling to himself when he saw the way she looked at Darcy. It was the same way he looked at Harry all those years ago, fond all over her face and Louis thinks he’s gonna love Darcy’s best friend. “Nice to meet you, Alice. I’m Louis and this is my husband Harry. If you girls need anything, just ask.” Darcy lead Alice upstairs and Louis pulled Harry down on the couch, snuggling into his side. “Alice is in love with our daughter. Just thought you should know. I wish you could see the way she looks at Darc, it’s beautiful.” Louis whispered, just in case the girls could hear him from upstairs. Harry cried. It’s another Thing, something that’s been happening for the past few months because he was an emotional wreck and his baby was growing up. He thought he was dealing rather well.
The next morning Louis came downstairs to see Darcy and Alice on the couch, limbs tangled up together and sneaking soft kisses like they wanted to keep it a secret from the world. So Louis flopped down between them and embarrassed the hell out of both girls, heart happy because Alice seemed like all she wanted out of life was to make sure Darcy got to know what rainbow felt like. “Daddy, you were wrong.” Darcy whispered after Alice went to the kitchen to get juice. “Red doesn’t feel like holding hands with someone safe. It feels like kissing her.”