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Louis was strolling through the streets of London with Clifford, looking to grab some lunch. Tuesdays were his slower days—no in-person meetings at Tomlinson Firms, where he served as CEO—so he figured it was the perfect chance to try something new. He’d recently come across a restaurant called Hoppers on a website, and today felt like the right day to check it out.
He was dressed effortlessly: a loose beige button-down left unbuttoned over a plain white t-shirt, the sleeves casually rolled at the wrists. He paired it with straight-fit black trousers, finishing the look with clean white sneakers.
As Louis walked along, enjoying the crisp London air, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen—It was Lottie one of this sisters. He answered right away.
“Hey, love,” he greeted warmly.
“Hey, Lou… can you do me a favor?” her voice came a little rushed, like she was already juggling a dozen things at once.
“Yes, of course. What is it?” he replied without hesitation.
She sighed. “So, here’s the thing—I’m at this event I absolutely can’t leave, and Lewis went off to play tennis with his friends, but he’s not picking up his phone. Lucky’s daycare just called… apparently he’s not feeling well. He was fine when I left, but they said someone needs to pick him up. I’m on the other side of town, and it’ll take me at least an hour to get there. Your place is closer—could you please go and get him? I know it’s your day off, but please, Lou…”
“Hey, hey, love, calm down,” Louis soothed gently, his voice soft but steady. “It’s okay, I’ll go get him. You know I’m always happy to take care of him. Just send me the address, yeah? Did the daycare say what happened?”
“Yeah, Lou… they said he’s running a bit of a fever,”
“Alright, love,” Lou said, “I’ll get him. Don’t worry too much, okay? I’ll call you when I get home.”
“Okay, Lou… bye! Call me as soon as you get back. Love you!” she replied, relief in her voice.
“Love you too, lots,” he said
As soon as Lottie sent him the location, Louis started walking toward the daycare. Halfway there, a thought hit him. Shit… I can’t bring Cliff in.
Pushing the thought aside, he reached the entrance and noticed someone standing nearby with a little girl, maybe five years old. Taking a deep breath, he approached them.
“Hey,” he said, forcing, “would you mind watching my dog for a minute while I take my nephew out of the daycare, please?”
The stranger turned toward Louis. Green eyes, curly hair… he was almost too pretty, and for a second, Louis completely forgot what he was doing.
“Hello! We’d love to, too. Won’t we, Mae?” the stranger asked the little girl.
“Uhm… thank you?” Louis said awkwardly.
“Harry,” the stranger said with a small smile.
“Thank you, Harry. I’m Louis. I’ll be back in a minute,” he added, trying to regain his composure as he headed toward the daycare.
Louis walked into the daycare and approached the front desk.
“Hey, I’m here to pick up Lucky Burton-Tomlinson. I’m his uncle. My sister got a call that he’s running a fever and asked me to pick him up,” he said.
“Yes, sir. Right here,” the receptionist replied. “I’ll just need to call Ms. Tomlinson and confirm with her.”
“Of course,” Louis said, waiting patiently.
After a short moment, she spoke again. “Yes, sir. She’s confirmed it. Let me take you to him.”
The woman led Louis to Lucky. “His fever has actually gone down quite a bit,” she explained. “He should be fine if you just let him rest.”
Louis nodded. “Alright, thank you,” he said, relief washing over him
Louis spotted Lucky and crouched slightly. “Hey, big guy.”
“Uncle Lou!” Lucky squealed, running into his arms.
“Let’s get you home, shall we?” Louis said with a smile, scooping him up effortlessly.
Lucky giggled, wrapping his little arms around Louis’s neck as they headed out
When Louis stepped outside, his eyes immediately landed on the stranger again. Harry was leaned casually against the wall, one hand buried in Clifford’s fur, curls falling into his green eyes. He looked so at ease, so pretty, that for a second Louis almost forgot to keep walking.
“Hey,” Louis said, a little breathless.
“Hi, hello,” Harry replied with a smile that made Louis’s stomach flip. “This your nephew, then?”
“Yeah.” Louis shifted Lucky in his arms. “Lucky, this is Harry. Say hi.”
“Hi,” Lucky mumbled shyly, burying his face in Louis’s shoulder.
“Hi, love,” Harry cooed gently, his voice softer than Louis expected.
“Thanks for taking Cliff, Harry—you’re a lifesaver,” Louis said, maybe a little too quickly.
Harry’s lips curved. “I wouldn’t call myself a lifesaver. Mae and I were happy to take care of him.”
Louis glanced at the little girl. “Hi, Mae, I’m Louis.”
“Hii!” she chirped brightly. “How old is Cliff?”
“He’s the same age as you, love—five,” Louis said, then glanced back at Harry. “Funny, he doesn’t usually warm up to strangers this fast.”
Harry smiled, scratching behind Cliff’s ear. “Guess I’ve got a bit of charm, then.”
Louis felt his lips tug upward. “Yeah… guess you do.”
“Is Lucky alright? You mentioned he was sick,” Harry asked
“Yes, love. His fever’s gone down—he just needs some rest,” Louis said, the endearment slipping out before he realized.
Harry’s lips twitched into a small smile, a faint pink brushing his cheeks.