Chapter Text
Hallie
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Screw him.
Hallie thought as she stomped back up the stairs, huffing and puffing the entire way.
She didn’t have time for this.
That dumb stupid man.
She was going to be late for work and it was all his fault.
In an effort to ensure the alpha downstairs was well aware how angry she was about this predicament, she slammed her bedroom door behind her, feeling the prickle of angry tears hit her eyelids.
A part of her wanted to take the scissors in her dresser and cut the damn shorts even shorter just to spite him.
She groaned as she sat on her bed, pressing her palms into the sockets of her eyes as she thought of his demands. She hated the fact he was always in her damn business. For most of her life she’s felt like a fucking dog on a leash, untrusted and sheltered in a damn crate. She was sick of it.
The click of her door opened, and she almost threw a damn pillow at whomever was creeping through it.“Care to explain why we’re slamming doors at seven in the morning?” Her omega-father said, stepping inside her room and looking about the space.
“Leave me alone!” She said, trying to keep her composure, rolling over on the bed and shoving her head between her elbows.
“Something tells me this is about your father telling you to change.” Louis said as he sat upon the edge of her mattress, sighing at the end of his statement.
This was the thing her parents did. Harry would put his foot down with some outlandish expectation he’d made up on the spot. Then, he’d send Louis in to try and make it all better. It was a perpetual cycle. One she didn’t want to exist any longer.
She wasn’t interested in entertaining this conversation with her father. Not when he was trying to get her to see “reason” or whatever. It was bullshit. All of it was. Her alpha-father was just a bored fucking control freak determined to ruin everything for her at all point in time.
“They are short, Hal.” Louis tried again. “You don’t need to wear those to the summer program where you work with seven year olds.”
She could hear the slight joke her father was trying to make, she didn’t appreciate it. It felt as if he was making fun of her.
All she wanted to do was be a normal teenager. Not the daughter of the executive director of the Teen Centre, the granddaughter of the recently retired Prime Minister, Josephine Tomlinson, or the newly appointed head-omega of Knightsbridge High.
Why couldn’t she just be like everyone else? Without the rules of Harry Styles , or the expectations to succeed. She should be able to wear shorts in the summer-time or go out on a date or even go to a damn fucking party.
“C’mon sweetheart.” Louis stated calmly as he ran his hand gently down her back. “We’re gonna be late, and the bus leaves at eight-thirty.”
Hallie bit her tongue, the words of where she’d like both of her fathers to go, sitting prettily on her tongue.
Probably figuring he wasn’t getting anywhere with this sad-attempt at a heart-to-heart, Louis stood. “Well, I’ll be downstairs whenever you’re ready. Don't take too much more time, please.”
Then, he was gone. Finally.
She sat up, annoyed and frustrated at everything that had transpired over the morning and the clock hadn’t even struck seven-thirty.
One day, she would find the ability to be able to stand up to her fathers and for what she wanted in her life. Today, when she had to be at work in less than an hour, was not the day for battling.
Maybe if she wasn’t working thirty-five hours a week, researching the universities she was going to apply to in a few months on top of balancing her new expectations with student government before the school-year arrived, she’d have time to plan out her wardrobe to a tee.
This morning though, she’d woken up late due to being out with her best-friend Aaliyah, planning the beginning of the year festivities til late the night before. To which Harry had also reprimanded her about when she’d arrived home.
The man wasn’t giving her a break…and the expectations he had were only increasing in numbers and size. It was as if she couldn’t make a correct turn. She couldn’t do enough. Wasn’t doing it correctly. Maybe she’d never be good enough in her father’s eyes. Maybe that was something she just had to accept.
Angrily, she shoulders her temporary defeat before ripping open her bedroom door and trudging straight for the bathroom, shoving herself inside of it.
Inside, her younger sister, Maisy, was spitting out her toothpaste in the sink, standing before in her light work-out attire..
“Fuck is wrong with you?” Maisy asked, taking a towel and wiping her face.
“I hate dad.” She uttered, before burying her arms in the hamper to try and find the other shorts she owned that she didn’t think were much different in length than the ones she had on. Apparently her alpha-father had precise enough vision to notice the tiniest centimetre difference.
“What did he do now?” Maisy asked, apparently unsurprised as she began to pull her long brown hair up into a pony-tail, her bangs falling into her big-blue eyes.
Hallie took a step back, inquiring with her sister about the situation at hand. “Do you think these are too short?”
With the hair-tie hanging from her mouth, Maisy spun her index finger in the air, gesturing for the other girl to turn around. As soon as Hallie did, she heard the sound of her sister’s laugh. “I can see your arse-cheeks.” She stated. “Yeah, they’re short.”
“You’re no help.” Hallie muttered, giving up on her search for the pair she was looking for.
“You’re peachy.” Maisy said under her breath as Hallie ripped open the bathroom door for a second time and moved to invade her sister’s room, wondering if the little thief had taken them.“Hey!” Maisy screamed, following her sister. “Get out of my room!”
“Where are my white shorts, Maisy?” She said, kneeling in front of her younger sister’s drawer and searching through it.
“I don’t fucking know! Why don’t you keep track of your own shit?!”
“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Their alpha father stood in the door-frame, an obvious angry expression sitting on his features. He was dressed in his work clothes, looking posh and arrogant, a perfect match for the tone of his voice. “Why is there so much screaming!? And Hallie, I already told you to change!”
“I’m fucking changing, for gods sake!” Hallie screamed, breezing past her father and moving back towards her own room.
“Do not swear at me!” Harry’s low alpha-timbre made her bones shake and tears fall over her cheeks as she slammed the door again. As she bent down, her back firmly pressed against the wood she could hear Harry mutter her name in disappointment.
Her sobs choked her as she tried to muffle them by covering her mouth with her forearm.
She didn’t even care if she was late any more.
Her father was the fucking worst.
***
Maisy
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“Are you ready?” Harry asked as Maisy crept down the stairs.
It was very apparent the alpha was still upset over the interaction he’d just had with Hallie only a few minutes ago.
Over the last few months, Hallie and Harry arguing almost everyday was becoming the norm.
Sure, some of the rules their father’s had were a little strict and annoying and overbearing, but it wasn’t worth trying to fight him on it.
“Yeah.” Maisy nodded, grabbing her football bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
It was the last day of try-outs for Knightsbridge High’s football team, and she was counting the hours until it would be over. Her muscles were sore and she was exhausted from the long week of sprints, pushups and scrimmages they’d played. She just wanted to be done, to be able to curl into her bed and binge watch movies all weekend in the comfort of the air conditioning. Overall, ignoring the inevitable first day of school, that was approaching faster than she’d like to admit.
“You sure you don’t want to eat anything, love?” Louis asked Maisy cautiously as he shoved his hands in his short pockets. “You need the energy.”
“I’m fine.” She denied, trying to head to the door, hoping her other father would get the hint and follow her out. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to eat. It was the fact that she couldn’t. She was too bloody nervous. The last thing she needed was to vomit all over the field because of a nasty mix of the august heat, her anxiety, and a bowl of cheerios her dad had made her consume.
“At least take something.” Harry urged from behind her, listing off the options. “A banana, an apple, a granola bar for later.”
Maisy only stared at her alpha-father, feeling helpless against his insistent stare.
“Here.” Louis stated, giving her a handful of all three.
Maisy groaned internally, staring up at the ceiling at an attempt to not unleash her irritation verbally. Hallie had managed to use up all of their dramatics for the day already. It was more than possible if she pushed either of her fathers even a tad, they would spontaneously combust due to shear stress alone.
“And!” Louis called out, moving towards the refrigerator, pulling out two more reusable water bottles and handing them to her. “Take these. It’s extra-warm out today.”
“I have a water bottle.” Maisy retorted, only looking at the plastic in her father’s hands.
“I know.” Louis’ gaze was obvious in the way he was very patiently holding steady to his requests. “These are cold though, and if you need the water without having to refill it, it’ll be better.” He took the liberty of opening her duffel bag and sliding the extra water inside. “And you looked a little dehydrated last night.”
Internally, Maisy was rolling her eyes.
Her fathers’ needed a hobby.
Something, anything, that didn’t revolve around their two daughters. Maisy was begging. Hallie was begging.
They both needed to get laid or something. They had far too much time on their hands.
She didn’t say any of that though. Instead, she mumbled. “Thanks.” Before looking down at the floor as her stomach dropped in nervous anticipation about having to return to the field. “Can we go now?” She asked Harry. “Before I’m late?”
“Yeah.” Harry agreed, moving to open the front door, his eyes glancing in the direction of the staircase before looking back at his husband. “Sorry if I put her in a mood.”
“S’fine.” Louis sighed, before accepting a short kiss from the man. “Have a good day…and Maisy–” He caught the young girl before she could escape.
She exhaled sharply, but felt a lot of her irritation melt away as her omega father’s lips pressed against her hair covered forehead. “You’re gonna do great, baby.” He whispered. “I know you will. Don’t worry about the final outcome.”
She gulped, feeling her throat go dry and her stomach flip. In order to attempt to keep herself from vomiting pure stomach acid, she shifted her weight onto the other foot.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t good at football. She’d been playing since she was four, she knew she was good.
The problem was the older, stronger alphas on the team. The ones who stared at her as if she didn’t belong—or maybe like she was fresh meat.
She’d overheard a conversation Tuesday after practice about “omega’s not belonging” because they slowed everything down and made a team weaker. Which was dumb because the school sports association had a rule related to an equal amount of alphas, betas and omegas on the field at all points in time. Therefore, they’d be disqualified without the participation of omegas like her.
Overall, she tried not to let it bother her. Ever since she'd presented as an O, her fathers had always taught her, her status did not define her. She could do whatever she set her mind to.
She just wasn’t sure that was how the general public felt about it.
“Wait!” Louis yelled out the front door just as Maisy was about to slip into the car. She faltered, turning back to look at his small stature standing on their porch. “You have your inhaler, right?”
“Yes!” She rolled her eyes with a huff, and forcefully closed the car door behind her.
She didn’t need to be coddled, she didn’t need to be looked after.
If Maisy was being honest…sometimes she just wanted to disappear.
The car-ride to Knightsbridge High was awkward and silent besides the low murmur of the rock-station Harry had it consistently turned to.
Maisy watched as her father drove with one hand on the wheel and the other pressed against his mouth in obvious thought. More than likely about Hallie.
She felt badly for him. Her sister was a complicated creature, one Maisy didn’t understand some of the time. She knew though, that Hallie didn’t mean to curse or to scream. At her core, Hallie wasn’t like that.
Something was going on with her, that was a collective agreement.
Maisy felt as if she should know. They’d always been close, even when they were screaming at one another over stolen clothes. Which– Maisy didn’t have the damn shorts this time .
Whatever was wrong with Hallie, was something the girl was keeping to herself.
“Call your father when you’re done.” Harry said as Maisy pulled herself from the car. “He’ll come get you.”
She nodded, seeing the shadows of people on the field already stretching for the long day of training ahead. She wasn’t ready. The thought of m&ms and popcorn in her bed, with Black Widow playing in the background, as the alpha’s tight black-ensemble began a glorious string of sweet wet-dreams, was a much more tempting offer.
One more day. She told herself. One more day.
As she heard the car drive off, she trekked her sore body over towards the field. She tried not to overthink about everything that stood between now and the time she would be able to bury herself under the covers. The morning sun was hot on her shoulders though, and her nervous jitters churned in her empty stomach.
“Maisy-moo!” The echo of her best-friend's voice called out from across the car park.
Reluctantly, she turned, feeling the burden of having to deal with Jamie Horan so early in the morning, for the fifth day in a row.
As Jamie stumbled out of a car, she felt the sting of a whole other presence wash over her.
Behind Jamie flailing his arms like a goofball, Kyla and Zamari Malik were pulling out bags of what was probably cheer and rugby equipment from the boot.
The three had been carpooling all week to get to their respective sports activities at Knightsbridge High. The twin-alpha’s, living only a few blocks down from the Horan's, were doing everyone a favour by offering to cart around the never-ending-ball of energy that was–Jameson Horan.
The combination of early morning glow of the sunlight, and Maisy’s sleep-deprived mind led to her getting hypnotised by the way the female’s alpha’s tan thighs looked in those white work-out shorts.
They outlined the curve of her arse and the hot-pink razor tank top highlighted the golden hues of her blonde hair.
Maisy’s heart-thudded desperately in her chest.
A sad pathetic reminder of how much power Kyla Malik still held over her.
“Watch it, Maise,” Jamie said as he approached her. “Before you start drooling.”
“Piss off.” Maisy grunted, turning to walk towards the football field, willing the image to burn away from her mind.
The last thing she needed was the spell of Kyla Malik to destroy any chance of her getting on the football team. It was the only damn thing she was good at.
She may as well make use of it while she can.
***
Harry
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Harry’s mind was racing as he sat in the early morning London traffic. The idling of his vehicle was allowing him to ruminate over why his relationship with his eldest daughter was spiralling out of control in the worst of ways.
He didn’t understand why it felt like she was acting out every day.
The day before this disagreement about her jean- cut bikini-shorts, she’d been out at Aaliyah’s house past curfew by almost an hour. He was forced to call Zendaya, Aaliyah’s mother, to make sure that Hallie was alive and where she said she was.
Thankfully, the female alpha found them in Aaliyah’s room and apologised profusely about losing track of time herself before driving her back so the girl wouldn’t have to walk in the dark.
Maybe Harry had been too stern when she’d gotten home. Louis had reminded him of that after the fact. He couldn’t help it though. Hallie was terrifying him to no end. They were only months away from her turning eighteen, and days away from her very first day of twelfth year.
His little girl was growing up, and it wasn’t that he was trying to stop that from happening— contrary to what Louis seemed to think. Harry just wanted her to be safe…and staying out past curfew and wearing shorts so short if she bent over everything would be hanging out, was not her being safe.
This intense feeling of frustration was only increased when he walked into his office of Anne Twist and Co, his eyes settling on one of the framed pictures he had on his wall.
Immediately his mind went straight to the very day he’d acquired it.
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Harry had come home late, annoyed.
It was hard to stay that way when his sweet little blue eyed toddler had greeted him as soon as he stepped through the door.
“Da-da!” Maisy said, separating the syllables at an attempt at greeting. Her face was all drooly. Louis had put her in unicorn pyjamas, more than likely already prepping their girls for bed-time. The little one was as adorable as ever with those pudgy little cheeks, and he just wanted to kiss them forever.
“Hi, baby.” He cooed as he bent down, spreading his arms out to pull her into a hug. “Did you have a good day today?”
Given the fact she was only a year old, that was much too big a question to answer for her. Her bright smile, with the little dimple popping at the corner of her lips, made his heart soar.
“Look, who’s home!” Louis came around the corner, smiling at the little baby who sat on Harry’s hip. “It’s dada!”
The baby, against Harry’s request, reached out for her omega father, which meant that he lost the weight of a sweet pup. He sighed. “Where’s Hallie?” The alpha asked in curiosity.
“Upstairs.” Louis said before leaning in to kiss his husband. The omega’s hand trailed down Harry’s chest suggestively, making the alpha's eyebrows raise in immediate attention to what his mate was trying to communicate. “Told her to change into her pyjamas. Are you hungry?”
“A bit.” Harry shrugged. He couldn’t believe he’d missed a whole day with his family. All because the shipments from their main warehouse had failed to be released on time, due to a dumb mistake of the factory manager. He’d had to skip his preschool pickup duty, Hallie’s ballet class, and dinner with his babies and husband.
“I saved you a plate.” Louis said as Harry shrugged off his dress-jacket. “I could heat it up for you.”
“Yeah, sure.” The alpha agreed, wanting to be in the presence of his husband’s comforting scent of mahogany and berry. After his stressful day, he needed to be wrapped in his omega’s warmth and sweet embrace, maybe even to let some of his tension out by knotting him later. He figured playing his cards correctly, started now. “How was your day?”
“Good.” Louis said shortly as he pulled out a prepared plate of Harry’s supper. “Regular day, I suppose.”
“Nothing crazy?” Harry asked, his fingers stretching to catch the omega’s waist. Maybe he was being needy, he didn’t really care. Louis’ bright smile looked up, giving into the alpha’s request as he allowed Harry to pull him into him. “No. Not really.” His eyelashes fluttered…the wisps of a tempting orange scent tickling Harry’s senses.
After all the years they’d spent together, the aroma still made the alpha’s body react physically. He pressed his crotch into his husband, leaning in to kiss him again as the microwave hummed above them.
“Dada!” The sound of their three year old’s voice stopped both the husbands in their tracks. Hallie’s curls bounced behind her as she ran towards him. She wore a light pink pair of pyjamas, her bare feet padding against the hardwood at a rapid pace.
“Hi, honey.” Harry laughed, stepping away from his husband to greet his pup.
She all but jumped into his arms, hugging his shoulders tightly.
“Did you have a good ballet class today?” Harry asked, lifting her up into the air and squeezing her extra tight.
“Uh-huh,” She nodded. “I dance on my tippy-toes!”
“You danced on your tippy-toes?” Harry gasped, looking over at his husband for a moment. “I bet you looked so pretty!”
She dropped her chin to her shoulder, a shy smirk spreading.
“I think–” Louis said with a smirk. “That Miss. Hallie has something she wants to show you. Something she made at preschool today.”
“You do?” Harry asked, his interest officially peaked. “What did you make today?”
Hallie peered over at her omega-father nervously, as if she didn’t appreciate his random drop of information.
“What is it you need to show me?” Harry asked, trying to make his voice as soothing as possible.
Gently, Hallie kicked her feet, a request to get down from Harry’s hold.
The alpha let her, and watched as she moved towards her little ballerina rucksack that sat on the floor, ready for a new day the next morning.
Her big green eyes looked weary as she pulled out her home folder and handed Harry the item.
Confused, Harry glanced at his husband.
The omega was biting his lip, giving an encouraged nod towards Harry to open the folder.
So, he did.
Inside was a worksheet. At the very top in printed ink were the words, ‘My Hero’. Beneath it was a drawing of what appeared to be two stick figures, although they looked a little dysfunctional. The tall one was a bright neon green, and the little one a hot pink, the scribbles above their heads were more than likely a big blue sky. He had to stare at it to be able to really understand what it was.
Her preschool teacher must have written the words underneath. ‘My dada is my hero because he makes me feel safe’.
Immediately, Harry felt his lip tremble. A tickle invaded his oesophagus as he thought of his little girl sitting in her classroom, telling someone he was her hero.
He cleared his throat, trying to maintain his composure.
Slowly, he lowered to the ground, to be able to reach her height. “Hallie,” he said, feeling his heartbeat and grow in his chest. “This is…so sweet.” He let the folder fall to the floor, his hand covering her cheek as her big eyes looked so innocently up at him. “You know how much dada loves you, right?”
The little girl nodded.
He pulled her into a hug, picking her up into a big-bear hug, sniffling against her shoulder as a stray tear fell. “Dada loves you so much.”
After a moment, her sweet little voice mumbled against his shirt. “I wuv you too, dada.”
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Now, the picture was framed in his office. The crayon, a bit sun-bleached, but the sentiment was still as loud as ever.
The simple fact his daughter wouldn’t say the same thing any longer, broke his heart more than he ever thought it would.
He sighed, dropping into his desk-chair as he prepared for another day as CEO of Anne Twist and Co.
He had no idea where he’d gone wrong—and no idea how to get his relationship with his girls back on the right track.
***
Louis
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Carefully, Louis pulled out a tray of homemade pizzas, fresh from the oven.
Pizza night was always Harry's favourite, and the omega figured it would be a nice segway into telling the alpha the celebratory news.
Through the last few years, Harry had been increasingly more protective over his teenagers. Which sometimes led to the alpha being a bit too picky and secluding them a bit too much. Especially after both of them had presented as omega’s. Harry may not have been aware of his biases. However, Louis had been wondering for a long while if his husband would be raising them differently if they presented as alphas. Harry’s strict curfews and caution surrounding their friendships were only two of the ways the alpha kept tabs on their daughters. At the end of the day, Louis assumed the answer was yes. He supposed Harry was right in a way, the world was a cruel place for young o’s, and Harry had a right to make sure their daughters stayed away from harm.
The days in which the girls had happily squealed at their father’s arrival home from work had trickled down, replaced with Louis and Harry having to coax them out of their bedroom for family time. As all children do, Hallie and Maisy had acquired their own groups of friends and began to crush on people at school. Justly, Harry seemed to acknowledge their growth, but tightened his reins on them… too worried they would lose their innocence or their need for their alpha-father. Well– Harry never acknowledged those things, but Louis was certain that was a part of his husband's need for control.
Which was exactly why the omega was attempting to sweeten up his husband's demeanour before the alpha asked the inevitable question.
“Daddy, I’m starving.” Maisy whined, pulling on the handle of the refrigerator, staring into it as if a snack was preparing to jump right out at her.
“Dinner’s almost done.” Louis quipped, as he pulled the oven-mitt from his hand and plopped in onto the counter beside him. “You’re more than welcome to help me chop up some vegetables for the salad.”
“Help you?!” Maisie scoffed, a bright mischievous smile on her face. “I should do it for you…you're a hopeless chef.”
“Excuse me?!” Louis laughed as he opened the utensils drawer. “I’ve just made a whole pizza for you, actually.”
His daughter chuckled as she began balancing packages of tomatoes and lettuce with bags of carrots and free roaming cucumbers in her arms. “Pizza is the only thing you do well.” She said, “Everything else is shit.”
Louis eyebrows rose as he began to cut into the dough, slightly annoyed at the banter he was instigating in. Although, he wasn't sure he could argue. He had a few good stints of meals in his time, but mostly he failed in making anything that wasn’t between two pieces of bread. Even still, that was questionable too. So, he changed the subject. “How do you feel?” He stated proudly, wrapping her arm around her shoulder as she set a cutting board on the granite. “My star varsity player!”
She allowed a small smile, rolling her eyes at an attempt to brush off her father’s praise.
“C’mon now.” Louis tried again. “You’ve got to be a little excited! Varsity in tenth year! That’s a big accomplishment!”
Even if there was a chance Harry was going to stomp his protective alpha feet over it…this was something Maisy deserved to be proud of.
“It’s not a big deal.” She finally responded. “There weren't that many o’s that tried out.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Louis retorted. “You still made it, didn’t you?”
“I suppose.” She mumbled, dumping a whole package of lettuce into a bowl as keys jangled against their front door, signalling Harry had come home.
The alpha stepped into the kitchen, running his hand through his hair, chewing a piece of gum. “Hey, baby.” He said, kissing Louis’ cheek, the faintest hint of fresh spearmint loitering after the ghost of his lips left.
“Hi.” Louis said softly, feeling the heat burn up his cheeks, embarrassingly. It was quite annoying how he responded so immediately to the presence of his husband, even eighteen years after they’d met. “Dinner’s almost done.”
“Looks good.” Harry exclaimed, looking over the hot pizza before pressing another kiss to the top of Maisy’s head. “And how were try-outs today?” He asked, placing his bag on the chair in front of him and looking at their daughter.
Louis mentally prepared himself for the conversation ahead.
“Good.” Maisy mumbled. “I made the team.”
“Congratulations.” Harry said, unphased. “Knew you would.”
“She made Varsity. ” Louis corrected, feeling the need to just rip the band-aid off while they could.
“Varsity?” Harry asked, surprised, his shoulders tensing.
Louis watched as his husband took a deep breath, the alpha’s gaze lingering on Louis, as if Louis was going to be the one to retract their agreement; to let Maisy try out for both teams, and see where she would end up. If she ended up in Junior Varsity, so be it. If she ended up in Varsity–Harry would allow it.
The alpha’s features though, were seeming to tell a different story.
Louis wouldn't let Harry hold their daughter back because of Harry’s fears of the world.
The alpha seemed to realise his delayed response, and he was quick to attempt to fix it. “That’s great honey. I’m very proud of you.” His tone of voice was lacking emotion and thick of uncertainty.
Yes, very encouraging, H.
“I think she’s gonna do great!” Louis announced, trying to fix his husband's misstep. “It’ll be good for her.”
Harry made a noise of non-committance, as if he didn’t agree with the omega, but wasn’t going to actively argue in front of their daughter. As an attempt to look busy, the alpha opened the fridge and pulled out a can of ginger-ale, an obvious glare of discontent sitting heavy on his features as he took in a sip.
It was a rule they had. No tension in front of the girls.
Whatever bullshit they were fighting over was never important enough to submit their children to. They would deal with it later, behind the closed door of their bedroom. More than likely, for it to always end in them fucking each other as an apology.
Harry took a long, far too loud, sip of the soda in his hands before looking about the space, sighing. “Where’s Hallie?”
“Upstairs.” Louis grunted, taking out a stack of plates from the cupboard. “Think she was on the phone with Wesley when we got home. Something about planning for the fall formal and wanting to go shopping for their outfits.”
“Is that a plan she cleared with you?” Harry asked cautiously, eyeing Louis as he watched as the omega plated slices of pizza. “Not sure we should be rewarding her previous behaviour with a trip to the shops.”
“We can’t not let her go to formal.” Louis scoffed, wiping his greasy thumbs on the kitchen towel. “It’s her twelfth year. Besides, it’s just Aaliyah and Wes– it's not a big deal.”
Aaliyah Coleman and Wesley Malik were arguably Hallie’s closest friends. They were two other omegas who Hallie got on well with. Neither of them were trouble-makers and they were all respectful. Their friend-group had been intact since the early elementary school days.
“You mean Aaliyah who she broke curfew with last night?” Harry retorted.
Louis huffed, rolling his eyes to look up at his husband before shoving two plates into his chest, insinuating he wanted help setting the table. Luckily, the alpha knew well enough to comply. “They lost track of time, H. It’s not that big of a deal. Zendaya even admitted to it. You know the Coleman’s wouldn't lie to us.”
“Hallie is seventeen years old.” Harry said quickly. “If she’s responsible enough to be head-omega then she should be capable of keeping time, herself.”
Louis twisted his face into an expression he hoped communicated both frustration and the need to drop this matter that instant. They didn’t do this. They did not talk badly about one of their daughters, especially in front of the other. No matter how angry Harry was about any situation.
Harry sighed. Giving in to the silent but unmistakable request of his omega as he continued to help Maisy with setting the fresh salad upon the table.
Needing to get out a bit of his pent-up anger, Louis strutted to the staircase, calling out for their absent child. “Hallie! Dinner! Come down, please.” He didn’t get a response, but hoped the teenager would be kind enough to do him the favour of showing up to meal-time without an attitude.
As he approached the table, Louis realised his alpha must have been trying to attempt to re-earn some brownie points. The man had gotten him a glass of water and had pulled out his chair for him. The omega hated how his internal wolf was preening at the gesture. “Thank you.” He uttered, as Harry pushed him in, his hand grazing his shoulder lovingly as the alpha moved to sit at his usual spot at the head of the table.
“So,” Harry sighed, leaning over and grabbing the bowl of salad, placing some on his own plate, then on Louis’ before handing it to their daughter. “Anything else exciting happen at tryouts? Did Jamie make it too?”
“Unfortunately.” Maisy uttered, rolling her eyes as she spooned a mountain of lettuce onto her plate, purposely avoiding any tomatoes. Which was ironic really, because she was the one who made the dang thing. “And besides Brynn Sandoval passing out... No, not really.”
“Someone passed out?!” Louis asked. “Wow…see aren’t you glad I made you take those extra water bottles?”
As expected, the teen didn’t reply. She only flicked a cut cucumber around her plate before sighing at the stair-case, obviously annoyed they were waiting on her older sister before they could eat.
“HALLIE!” Harry called out again, making Louis’ shoulders crunch in irritation. His wolf whining at their mate’s sudden use of his angry tone.
As if he knew he’d upset him, the alpha’s hand reached over and clutched the omega’s thigh. “Sorry.”
Thankfully, the creak of their daughter's bedroom door was heard and her descending foot-steps echoed.
“Took you long enough.” Maisy muttered under her breath as Hallie took her seat next to Louis.
Louis’ gaze sharpened at an attempt to silently reprimand his youngest. Then, he turned. “We’re just glad you’re here.” He said, before brushing a little wisp of sand off of her delicate curls.
Apparently, Hallie had managed to have a pretty good day despite her morning, or at least that's what Abigail had reported. According to Abigail, Hallie and Aaliyah made a quite impressive sand castle with some of the little ones before they played beach-volleyball with a few sixth years’ —and of course, with Callum Sheeran, one of the other teenage camp counsellors.
Louis had been watching this new relationship his daughter was creating with the teenage alpha. Callum had just recently moved with his family from the Hertfordshire area. They’d hired him for the summer program and he was great with kids. However, he also seemed to be developing quite the crush on Hallie.
The teenage alpha may have not let it affect his work, which Louis was grateful for, because that would have been an awkward conversation. However, he could see this relationship progressing, and as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was saddened by the thought of Hallie dating.
It was something he was slowly accepting more and more. At the very least, much better than his husband seemed to. Even if it was hard.
In his soulmate-mark there was a tingle of discomfort, like something stiff going unsaid. He sighed.
The times in which there was a disagreement between one of his daughters and his husband were the most uncomfortable. After all, each party was part of his soul, which meant it felt as if he was splitting in half–sometimes even in three. At the end of the day, there was no reason why an argument about a pair of shorts should linger into the late part of the evening.
“So, Maisy,” Louis smiled. “How does it feel to be officially a Varsity player?” Louis asked, trying to get Maisy to lighten Harry’s heart up a bit about this very scenario. It was a gamble, opening up this can of worms again. However, if Maisy could effortlessly prove she was excited and would be gutted to learn about her alpha father’s disapproval, maybe the conversation would be null and void.
“A bit nervous.” Maisy shrugged in between bites of her pizza. “Kind of worried about the older kids but…it’ll be fine.”
Louis braved a glance at his husband.
Harry’s flick of his eyebrow, as if insinuating he was right, made Louis immediately annoyed.
“Sure you are.” Louis stated as if that was no big deal. Because really, it wasn’t. There are plenty of things people did that they were scared of doing. All to which they turned around and made that thing their mother fucking bitch. Maisy could absolutely make the Varsity football team her bitch. Louis had no doubts about it. “Doesn’t mean you won’t smash it, love.”
“I know.” Maisy confidently spoke this time, her eyes set on a lone cucumber on her fork, as if she was deciding if she was willing to eat it or not. “I’m not that worried about it.”
Oh Maisy, never failing to be an enigma.
This time, Louis was the one raising his eyebrow at his husband.
The alpha, sighed, obviously discontent. “You’re not worried about any of the twelfth years?” Harry pried. “They haven’t threatened you? Certainly no hazing going on, right?”
Maisy pressed her tongue to the side of her cheek, looking at her sister as they both shared a smile of disbelief.
Hallie shook her head.
“No, dad.” Maisy rolled her eyes, laughing. “No one is bullying me.”
“Would you tell me if they were?” Harry wasn’t reading the room, pushing into his narrative.
“It's a bloody sport, dad.” Hallie grunted. “They kick a damn ball around for fun. It’s not like a gang or something, jeez.”
Maisy chuckled at her sister’s comment before her blue eyes found her father at the head of the table, speaking directly to him. “No one is hazing me, or bullying me…and if they do I promise I will tell you.”
Harry bit into a large bite of his salad, staring down at his husband with daggers in his eyes. Almost as if Louis had been the one to place Maisy on the Varsity team himself.
Louis was beginning to lose his appetite.
***
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea, Louis.” Harry said as Louis and him stood on opposite sides of the bed, tossing the decorative pillows onto the floor.
Both of their daughters had retired to their own bedrooms, the dishes from dinner packed away. They were now slipping into their own room to ready themselves for night.
Harry began listing all of his reasons. “She’s younger than all of them. She’s smaller. She’s impressionable–”
“--She’s an omega.” Louis grunted under his breath, finishing his husband's sentence for him.
“I didn’t say that.” Harry sternly spoke, pausing in his actions as he stared at his husband who was shoving himself under the covers. “I just think she’s a little young for a Varsity team.”
“If she was an alpha would it be different?” Louis asked, watching the way Harry’s shoulders sagged as he registered the question. “Because I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and I feel as if an alpha child of yours wouldn’t be held back from anything.”
“I’m not holding her back.” Harry fought. “I’m trying to keep her safe…and considering she’s only turned fifteen, I’m not sure I feel comfortable with her playing with eighteen year olds…both from her team and from others.”
Louis rolled his eyes. “You and your fucking safe.”
“It’s true!” Harry said, slightly too loud for Louis to feel as if the girls wouldn’t have heard it from somewhere down the hallway.
Louis reprimanded him with a dead-stare.
Thankfully, the alpha lowered his voice. “She’s going up against alphas who are three years older than her…and you know how it is, some are going to target her for her status alone.”
“What do you mean, I know how it is?” Louis asked, offended. “What in the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?”
Harry’s head fell to the bed-post behind him, sighing. “I meant—that even as far as we’ve come in a society…some will always think omegas are lesser. I don’t think that…but some do.”
“Omegas have to be a part of the game, they need three on the field for each team at every point during the game.” Louis said, as if the other man didn’t know how the game worked.
“Yes, I know that.” Harry muttered.
Louis was sick of this argument. So, he turned over, flicking the light off as he did, exhaling sharply. “She’s staying on the team. I won’t let you fucking determine this for her.”
Maybe he was angry because a part of him felt like his husband was doing the same thing to their daughter that his uncle had done to him. To kick him off the sports team just because he was an omega. Whether Harry was being prejudiced or really trying to keep their daughter safe, Louis wasn’t having any of it.
Maisy could hold her own on a football field. She’d been doing it for eleven years. Nothing has changed now. It may be older players with raging hormones, sure. But Louis had raised his daughters to be strong, independent omegas and women. He would be damned if anyone, even his husband, kept them from living their dreams.
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
Maisy had cried the entire way home from the doctor's appointment after her thirteenth birthday.
When they’d gotten home, she’d holed herself in her room and refused to come out.
It had torn Louis’ heart in two, having to watch his baby come to terms with what being an omega for the rest of her life would mean.
For a while, the family was divided in what Maisy would come out to be. Her sister was a text-book definition of an omega, which surprised no-one after her thirteenth birthday when she’d presented as such.
Maisy though, was feisty and determined, head-strong and stubborn. She spoke her mind. She also liked cuddling up in Louis’ nest and watching movies on rainy weekends, and enjoyed learning to cook beside Harry in the kitchen. Those were just hobbies.
Louis had really thought Maisy was going to be an alpha.
It seemed Maisy thought so too.
To no avail, Louis had tried and failed that whole summer day to get his youngest to stop crying. He’d bought her MacDonald’s and offered to take her to the amusement park. Told her they could get a fish or anything she wanted from the pet store. Desperately, he’d tried to get his sweet-baby to stop sobbing into her pillow.
Nothing worked.
Not until Harry had come home.
The alpha had been informed through text-threads about what was going on. Every failed attempt Louis had made to bring a smile back onto her face, even the worried conversation he’d had with Hallie who just wanted her sister to feel better.
Harry shrugged off his suit jacket the moment he’d gotten home and kissed Louis’ cheek before making his way upstairs and into Maisy’s bedroom.
Louis leaned against the doorframe, watching the entire conversation unfold.
“Maisy,” the alpha said softly, sitting on the edge of her bed.
The little girl only seemed to cry harder at the sound of her fathers voice.
“Sweet-heart, talk to dada, baby.” The alpha tried again, his hand rubbing up and down her spine as he talked softly to her.
The child was just as responsive to this father as she had been to the other one.
Harry looked over to the doorway, almost looking to Louis for strength.
Louis took a deep breath as he felt another wave of defeat. This was a battle he’d been struggling with all day long.
“Alright,” Harry sighed, placing his hands gently on his daughter’s waist and grunting as he lifted her. If it wasn’t for Maisy’s small physique she’d gotten from Louis, Maisy might have been able to stay stubbornly keeping her head in the pillow.
Instead, she crossed her arms in obvious disagreement, a pout on her lips. Her big blue eyes were all red and puffy under her bangs that were wet from her tears.
The alpha manoeuvred the girl on his lap, holding her against him, protectively before kissing her cheek. “It’s okay, honey.”
“No.” Maisy grunted out a response for the first time since the doctor's appointment. “I don’t want to be an O!”
“Why not?” Harry asked, no judgement or anger in his voice at all. “What’s bad about being an O?”
“I wanted to be an alpha!” She cried, attempting to rub the tears out of her eyes, as if she was ashamed of those too. “Everyone makes fun of O’s!”
“Who makes fun of O’s?” Harry asked, this time offended, but patient.
“Everyone at school.” Maisy muttered, hiding her face into Harry’s chest.
Louis felt his wolf relax, knowing that his baby was officially allowing herself some comfort.
Harry let the little one let out a few more tears, as he petted her hair. “Sweetheart,” He said after a while. “You should never be ashamed to be an omega…you want to know why?”
Maisy, apparently ready to listen, hummed an emotion that sounded as if she was intrigued to hear what her father had to say.
“Because some of the strongest people Dada knows…are omegas.” He uttered. “And you, my sweet, are related to all of them.”
“Like Mimi.” Maisy stated assuredly, referring to Harry’s mother.
“Yes, like Mimi…you know she started the business all by herself, right?”
Maisy nodded, her tears slowing.
“And your Grammie, too.” Harry nodded. “Grammie started a non-profit for orphans. She finds them homes and families faster than the government does.”
Maisy stayed silent, resting upon Harry’s shoulder.
“And the most amazing omega of all.” Harry said, a twinkle in his eye as he looked up towards the door frame. “Is your daddy.”
Shyly, Maisy smiled, her bright red cheeks pinching as she did.
“You can and will do amazing things no matter your status.” Harry said softly. “Your family has paved a path for you to do so. You and your sister. You don’t need to be an alpha to do those things.”
Louis allowed himself to step foot into the room, moving to sit next to his husband. “Besides,” He joked. “Alphas are dumb anyway.”
Maisy finally laughed, before looking at Harry as if Harry was going to reprimand his mate.
He didn’t. He just nodded. “S’true, you know.” Harry laughed. “Most alphas are annoying and self-centred.”
“Useless,” Louis continued. “The whole lot of ‘em.”
“So you’re not mad?” Maisy said shyly, looking up at Harry with a whole lot of fear deeply rooted in her blue eyes.
Harry tried to not act offended, but Louis knew he was. “Mad? Why would I be mad?”
“Because I’m not an alpha—and neither is Hallie–and,”
Harry cut her off right there. “No, no, no.” Harry said, shifting to make sure his daughter was facing him. “I do not care what you two turn out to be…as long as you are kind and good-hearted, I will be proud of you, no matter what.”
“Even if we’re omegas?” Maisy asked.
“Especially,” Harry corrected her, “because you’re omegas.”
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
The memory almost brought tears to Louis’ eyes as he laid in the silence between him and his husband. He didn’t know why all of this was bringing these emotions now. Harry had spent his life since that moment of Maisy’s presentation, proving his daughter’s statuses didn’t matter to him.
He didn't know why it felt like something was changing now.
There was a rustling of the bed-sheets beside him, and then a forearm pressed to his waist before the alpha’s lips kissed his cheek. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” Harry whispered.
“I’m not upset.” Louis lied.
Harry seemed to find something about that funny. “You just turned over and gave me the silent-treatment after declaring you were done having this conversation.”
“And I am.” Louis stated, pulling the sheet even farther up his body, trying to ignore the heat rising from his alpha’s touch.
“You know I love you, right?” Harry muttered, pulling his feet up to cocoon the omega’s arse.
Louis hated that his stomach did the fluttery thing like it always did.
“And our daughters.” Harry continued, kissing Louis’ neck. “And I’d do anything to make sure you were all healthy and happy.”
“Yes.” Louis sighed, just wanting his husband to stop saying sappy things that made him want to turn around and give the man what he wanted. Louis was still mad at him, god damnit. He couldn’t just stomp his feet about Maisy making Varsity and get to pop his knot in the same night. Louis would not allow it.
“She can play on Varsity.” Harry stated, finally. “But I want us to have a conversation with her about it. I want her to know my worries…she deserves to know what she could be up against.”
“Up against?” Louis laid on his back, turning to attempt to look at his husband in the darkness. “It's a bloody football match. There’s separate locker rooms for omegas. She’s not going to be anywhere alone with any of the beta’s or alpha’s you’re so worried about.”
Harry sighed, propping himself up on his elbow. “Can we just meet in the middle here? I know I need to support her and I’m doing my best. Sports make me nervous, not just with locker-rooms and bus-rides…but also with her getting hurt…and with social media and cell-phones…I’m just scared, Lou…okay?” Harry sighed. “I can’t protect her from the world that is getting bigger than me by the second.”
The omega pressed his weight onto his hands, shifting so he was resting his back against the headboard, watching as his husband's face seemed to turn glum.
“They’re growing up, Lou.” He said softly. “And it's the most terrifying shit in the world.”
The anger washed away with the vulnerability in Harry’s tone. He pressed Harry’s cheeks in with his hands, placing a kiss on his lips. “We can’t stop time, H.” He uttered under his breath. “As much as you may want to.”
“I do.” Harry sighed, running his hands through his hair. “I do want to.”
“I know.” Louis stated, letting his head fall to the alpha’s chest as he listened to the gentle hum of his heartbeat. “Me too.”