Like Real People Do

by quietframeofmind

Summary:

Harry is a tired lawyer trying to juggle his job, his kids, his boyfriend, and his insufferable ex-husband. All while pretending he’s fine.
Louis is a moody tattoo artist with a talent for sarcasm and a knack for making everything harder than it needs to be.

They can’t stand each other and, luckily, they don’t have to anymore.
Until the kids start taking sides, and suddenly, they have no choice but to prove they can coexist.

Or, the one where a stubborn little boy and a very opinionated teenager force their parents to spend time together again… and maybe remind them why falling out of love was so hard in the first place.

Notes:

So, I have no idea if this story will actually reach anyone. It was just something I wanted to read, so I decided to write it myself. As it turns out, it was obviously a lot more work than I originally thought, so I figured I might as well put it out there, just in case there’s someone else who wants to read about two people who love each other but somehow lost the way to talk to one another (I promise it’s not just angst!!)

If you do decide to read this, you should be warned:
English is not my first language; there will be mistakes.
I’m sure I’m mixing a lot of American English with British English, but I can’t always tell, please bear with me (they’re supposed to be British, though.)
No one’s read this besides me, so there’s a chance it’s absolute trash.
I use - - for dialogues instead of " ", which I know is a very unpopular preference, but hopefully not a dealbreaker.
The story is already finished, so there’s a 100% guarantee of a very happy ending.

And that’s it! If you read it, I hope you enjoy it and that it fills your expectations enough so you don’t have to end up writing your own 100k fic ;)

Chapter 1

PROLOGUE

“Honey, just put your sweet lips on my lips, we should just kiss like real people do.”

Like Real People Do, Hozier

 

 

The soft music played through the room while the breeze of the night swayed the curtains adorning the windows. It was one of those nights that seemed to stretch into forever. No one rushing them, no deadlines to meet, just the pure simplicity of the moment.

— How do you think our lives will be? — Harry asked, his voice barely above a whisper, afraid that anything louder would break the moment.

He lifted his head from where it was resting on the chest he had come to know so well, looking into bright blue eyes that always seemed to shine the most when looking back at him. Harry knew this wasn’t just anything, he knew it wouldn’t phase out. This was the kind of feeling that lasted forever -just like this moment.

— Good. — Louis answered his question with a certainty that left no room for second guessing. They were still in the very beginning, but Louis spoke in a way that felt unquestionable. — I’ll get to draw my sketches on people and you’ll be a big shot lawyer, walking around freeing people or locking them up, whatever you decide to do.

Harry laughs, his hands moving up and down Louis’ arms, his fingers tracing the lines of his tattoos like muscle memory.

— I’m not so sure about that. — he says, a smile still perched on his lips, the way it always was when he was with his wonderfully sweet boyfriend.

— I am, love. — Louis emphasizes his words by trailing soft kisses down Harry’s face. — I know you’ll get everything you want.

— I want you. — Harry answers, like it was the simplest thing in the world. It truly was.

Louis just smiles, tucking a strand of curly hair behind Harry’s ear, their eyes locked, their mouths meeting for a few seconds.

— You already have me.

It really, honestly, was so simple.

At least, it used to be.