"Ooo. Aria lookie."

I looked down at the head of curls attached to the tiny hand tugging on mine to see her point excitedly at an insanely frilly pink dress. It was the girliest thing I had ever seen but little Darcy was looking at it in awe.

"That's... something alright." I said while cocking an eyebrow at it.

"It's pretty."

Oh dear lord, I know where this is going.

"Darcy, baby, I think that dress might be a little," I looked from her to the hideous dress once more. "Much."

Darcy didn't look convinced. To her little 4 year old mind the pink, frilly, lacy, ribbon-y disaster was exactly what she needed for her weekend trip to her grandmothers where she would be joining her grandparents and aunt Gemma. Apparently Gemma was visiting her mother and step father, Robin and wanted to see her niece as well.

Harry had managed to talk his way out of going, claiming to have some sort of band stuff to do but he had confessed to me this morning before handing me his credit card that it was more like he was avoiding the lectures that apparently ensued whenever his mom and sister where in the same room.

He didn't elaborate on the topic of those lectures but whatever it was seemed to have him running for the hills.

As it was, he also managed to talk his way out of shopping with me and Darcy for an appropriate ‘tea party' dress. During our brief card swapping conversation this morning, Harry had informed me that Gemma and Anne also had a slight tradition with Darcy where they would dress up and have a princess tea party. Being the only baby in the family had the two women wrapped around her finger.

I thought the idea was adorable but Harry rolled his eyes when I mentioned that. Obviously girly wasn't his thing.

But even I had to admit the dress I was still glaring at in disgust was a bit too girly.

"I think daddy would like it." She concluded with a defiant nod.

She was probably right too. Despite Harry not doing girly Harry loved anything that would highlight the fact that Darcy was his little girl and I was all for that... but I had to draw the line at that atrocious concoction.

Darcy looked up at me after a few quiet moments while I tried to think of a better way to steer her away from the dress. Her eyes were wide and her pout was still evident but it was slightly deferent now. "Aria, why didn't daddy want to come with us?"

Since I started working for Harry I hadn't once thought about Harry's relationship with his daughter outside of their home. It wasn't something I needed to think about. Harry spent whatever time he had away from his job with his daughter, but I realized that was always in their home. Harry never left with Darcy. Anne normally did, I had even seen Harry's friend Lou stop by to take Darcy out, I had taken Darcy to the park a few times but Harry never left his home with his daughter.

And when someone did leave with Darcy it was always a production to get out of the house unnoticed. Back entrances and decoys and such.

I suddenly realized how sad that must be for the both of them.

I knew he was doing it to protect her. I knew it wasn't because he was ashamed of his daughter, because if there was one thing I was certain of it was that Harry Styles was utterly and desperately proud of his daughter. I couldn't imagine what it must be like to have a job that would make you want to keep your child out of your life half the time just to keep them out of the lime light, just to keep their life as close to normal as possible.

It hadn't once crossed my mind until I saw that Darcy was starting to realize that her daddy didn't do simple things like taking her to the park or to get ice cream, but here she was with a lot more understanding then I was comfortable with shining in her eyes.

Without a second thought I released my hold on Jamie's stroller and knelt to be eye level with the sad little girl in my charge.

"Baby your daddy really, really wants to be here," I was sure of it. "But he had to go to work with your uncles today."

It was the best and easiest explanation I could give her. I wasn't about to tell her that Harry couldn't be here because his very presence in this mall would cause a riot and we would more than likely be trampled while girls tried to get a piece of her father.

Work was a much better explanation.

Even still though, it wasn't a good one.

Darcy nodded with understanding, sticking her chin up in the air like a brave little solder who understood the world of adults even though I knew that was far from the truth.

"I'll tell you what," I said looking around the children's section of the random department store I had wondered into on a whim. "How about we take a break from all this silly dress shopping and head over to the teddy bear shop?" I asked in hopes of getting a smile out of her as I recalled the Build a Bear Workshop we had passed before entering this store.

It worked like a charm. Without another sad face in sight we were off and out of the store, Darcy skipping at my side. Worries forgotten like only a child could.

The rest of the day had gone smoothly and a few hours later found us walking in through the back door of Harry's home with a bear dressed conspicuously like her uncle Niall and much more appropriate dress in hand.

Harry, who sat reading over what I assumed where songs yet to be recorded, looked up at us with a wide smile.

"How did the dress hunting go?" He asked my back as I laid the plastic covered dress over one of the kitchen table chairs.

I spun around to find Darcy had already climbed up Harry's legs and was sitting on his lap. I raised an eye brow at him and folded my arms over my chest. "Darcy's got... interesting taste in clothing."

Even I had to admit Harry's laugh was slightly attractive and it was a little hard to hide the blush that I could feel rising up my cheeks.

What the hell Aria? Get a grip!

Even as I chastised myself Louis words from a few nights ago rung in my head.

He had hinted all night that Harry's date was no big deal and when he confronted me about how I felt about Harry's date, well let's just say it is hard as hell to hide anything form Louis Tomlinson. He didn't really say much after that except for a cryptic comment about Harry always doing thinks ass backwards.

"You alright there babe?" Harry asked pulling me out of my thoughts causing me to duck my chin into my chest and looked all over the floor hoping for the blush to die down. I glanced up at him only to find his cocky smirk like he was much too pleased by what he had seen.

I knew he knew what had just happened there, he knew he was affecting me and I didn't want to give him anymore fuel to laugh at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him and held my hand out to Darcy. "Come on munchkin I think we need a nap after all that shopping."

Darcy hopped off her father's lap and instantly snatched up my hand.

She really was a dream child, she never put up a fuss when it was nap time like some children, mostly because I would lie down and watch cartoons with her and chat quietly until the day's events caught up with her and she was out cold. It was never a negative event for her, more like girl time with a bit of shut eye.

I kept glaring at Harry, who kept on grinning like the cat that caught the canary, as I walked out of the room.

After getting Darcy and Jamie ready for their nap I stretched out besides Darcy on her bed with Jamie fighting to keep his eyes open on my chest as we watched the Fairly Odd Parents reruns.

"Aria can we go dress shopping again?"

I glanced down at the little girl who kept her heavily lidded eyes on the tv as she tucked farther into my side.

"Did you have fun today?" I asked quietly.

She nodded her head with a yawn.

"Well we already got you a dress for this weekend but maybe when you get back we can go again."

I'm all for wasting Harry's money. Cocky jerk face.

Her green eyes that were strikingly similar to her fathers glanced up at me. "For you next time."

I widened my eyes at her and chuckled silently. "For me? What do I need a dress for?"

"I dunno." She shrugged and squirmed a bit so she was now looking at me instead of the tv. I internally sighed because the sleep was being pushed back a bit in her eyes by this conversation. "Maybe daddy can take you to a date like uncle Louis and Eleanor."

This time I didn't only widen my eyes, I nearly choked on air at her words. Jamie startled awake looking very upset to be woken up by the manic shaking of my chest.

As soon as I caught my breath and had Jamie back to sleep. "Um... Darcy I don't think that's going to happen, baby."

"Why?"

She looked so hopeful, like Harry and I going on a date would be the best thing ever.

All I could do was gulp. "Because we're not as cool as your uncle Louis and Eleanor. Now," I wiggled my fingers into her side making her giggle a little before flipping onto her back again like I wanted. "let's take that nap kiddo."

We both settled back into quietly watching the cartoon when I felt her turn once more into my side and snuggle under my arm. Glancing down to confirm that she was knocked out I sighed and squeezed my eyes shut before rubbing my face with the hand not holding Jamie to my chest.

She had no idea, but Darcy was slowly killing me with these notions she had of me and Harry. Just because she sounded like a child didn't soften the harshness of the idea on my already delicate emotions regarding her father.

I laid there staring at the ceiling for quite a while trying to wipe the silly thought implanted in my head by Darcy of Harry and I actually out on a date. Of the two of us actually getting along for a solid period of time, of him smiling at me in more than an off handed friendly way. Of our hands brushing against each other awkwardly or.... not so awkwardly.

And then my mind went into dangerous territory. His perpetually swollen red lips that looked softer than mine had ever been being the focal point of those thoughts.

He had kissed me once but I was too concerned with getting him off of me at the time to actually evaluate how it felt.

I wonder if they would feel as good as I imagined now.

"Aria?" I heard my name being called quietly, almost hesitantly.

I pushed myself up with Jamie still sleeping and clutched to my chest to see Harry casually leaning against the doorway to his daughter's room. I was sure he could see on my face that he had startled me.

"I thought you were asleep too." He chuckled rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes scanned over Darcy, Jamie and I cuddled together on Darcy's bed. "You lot looked comfortable."

I shrugged and slid my legs over the edge of the bed, turning to pull the quilt over Darcy's tiny body before standing up.

"I was just thinking." I confessed, not looking at him for fear of my over active imagination taking flight again.

Harry stood up a little straighter as I approached allowing me to pass by him into the hall. We both stood just outside of Darcy's room, me looking down at my feet with Jamie still passed out and Harry's eyes burning into my forehead like he was trying to see my thoughts.

Honestly all I wanted was to cowardly back away and lock myself in my room until Darcy woke up and I had someone other the Harry to interact with but for whatever reason my limbs didn't seem to get the panicked message my mind was sending out to run.

For his part, Harry said nothing, he didn't even move, he didn't even alter his facial expression.
He just stared.

And just when I thought we had stood there in silence for more then was comfortable, he moved and I couldn't have been more grateful.

I literally had to bit the inside of my cheek to keep from throwing my head back and sighing in relief as he casually walked past me towards the stairs.

"Oh Aria, I almost forgot," Harry's voice called from behind me. I took a deep breath hoping that my face was relaxed and not at all as tense as I felt.

When I looked at him his eyebrow raised and the corner of his mouth lifted in that insanely attractive way I had seen him give but never aimed at me, until now.

I was so caught up in the smirk and how luscious his lips looked while doing it that I nearly missed his words... nearly.

As it was, my wide eyes snapped up to his amused ones and I was sure all the color drained from my face as he spoke and backed up, sending me a wink.

"I think you and me are way cooler then Louis and Eleanor."

What. The. ACTUAL. Fuck.

Notes

Alrighty kiddies.... So the fun really starts in the next few chapters.... I may be able to be talked into posting a few more chapters later. Let me know what you think <3