Harry smiled as he sat in the studio writing a song with an up and coming singer that his label wanted him to work with. Some nineteen year old blonde girl named Jennifer and she was beautiful. So beautiful and Harry knew they were probably doing more flirting than actual writing.

But there was never any harm in flirting. After all Harry was sure his ability to flirt with people of any sex really was what lead him to the level of fame he had right now. Even if he knew it made his wife Charlie upset. Upset at the fact that his career had skyrocketed as well as upset over the fact that he was known for flirting with anyone he could flirt with.

Though Harry was certain Charlie had to know by now that he'd never cheat on her. Regardless of how much he flirted with anyone or how tempted he felt he'd never cross that line because his wife still did mean the most to him even if he didn't show it as much anymore.

If it wasn't for Charlie and Abel he wouldn't even be half of what he was and it was both his wife and his son that kept him going every day. Kept him breathing and doing what he loved to do, what everyone always suspected he loved the most in the world. Making music.

But making music wasn't what he loved most in the world. What he loved most was his wife and his son. The people he felt like he rarely saw now days and one of which he was sure hated him. A fact he was sure of if their constant arguments that Charlie always seemed to start was anything to go by.

"So Harry," Jennifer started bringing Harry out of his thoughts and he looked up from the notebook he was supposed to have been writing in. A notebook which had a measly three whole lines of lyrics in it. "I was thinking you should go out tonight with me and a few of my friends," she suggested with a flirty little smile as she rested a hand on his thigh.

Her hand a little too close to a certain body part of his and Harry hoped it didn't go up any higher. It was already high enough.

"I'm not sure I can," Harry admitted with a shake of his head as he tried to give Jennifer a polite smile. "I kind of promised my wife that I'd be home early for once," he said remembering the argument he and Charlie had this morning.

It was one that had stemmed from him coming home late thanks to the many nights he did go out and party with Jennifer and her friends as well as other friends he had in the business.

Charlie had lashed out and called him a deadbeat husband and father because even now that he was home from tour he wasn't helping her with Abel nor was he even contributing to their marriage and maybe he had gotten a bit whiny and denied her accusations though he knew they held truth to them. Harry was just a stubborn man and didn't like to admit failure, especially when it came to being a father and husband. Two things he had been doing since he was sixteen which now at twenty-two, almost twenty-three felt like half his life.

"I'm sure Charlie can handle things on her own," Jennifer laughed as she scrunched up her nose. "Isn't that her job now? Being a stay at home wife. She takes care of the house and the kid while you work. Anyway you're still young Harry. You deserve to have fun," she added on and Harry chewed his lip hard as he indeed felt Jennifer's hand hitch higher up on his leg. "Have some fun with me please."

Reaching down to move Jennifer's hand off his thigh, he again tried to give her a polite smile, "I can't," he said again denying the invitation to go out and party. "I'm sure Charlie can handle things too on her own but that doesn't mean she has to do that," he sighed as he closed the notebook. "Anyway I kind of miss spending time with my son," he smiled sadly.

He did miss Abel and he swore he felt like he missed out on everything with his son. A boy who was constantly changing and Harry wasn't even sure he could tell anyone what his son's favorite color was or what stuffed animal he preferred or even what book he liked to be read at night.

All things he should have known and yet all things he missed out on with his busy lifestyle. A lifestyle Charlie resented him for having when in the end, most days he'd much prefer the one she had of staying home and raising their son.

But choices had been made and he had followed his dreams and made it big and he could never go back to that. But he could try to be better, would try to be better.

Jennifer sighed loudly as she stood from the couch, "Your loss then but if you change your mind, my friends and I are going to the same club we always go too," she stated as she looked down at Harry and as they locked eyes he could see a bit of hope in her eyes.

Like she expected him to change his mind and join her and her friends. Just abandon the promise he had made to his wife.

"It won't be the same and I know I'll really miss you," she added on with a hint of something more. Something that made Harry feel uncomfortable though he couldn't figure out why just yet.

"Maybe next time," Harry spoke a little too fast, though his words were only said so that Jennifer would drop the issue. Not words that he meant.

Jennifer paused as she took in his words but she didn't seem to argue with him anymore. She just once again heaved a sigh before turning to leave the room they had been in.

After Jennifer had left the room, Harry just leaned back into the couch as he let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. Feeling a bit better that Jennifer had finally left and seemed to also finally accept his refusal to go out tonight.

Shaking his head he willed himself to stand up and head outside to his car so that he could head home to his wife and son. So that maybe he could appease Charlie and make up for the argument that they had this morning.

---

Parking in the driveway once he made it home, Harry slipped his keys out of the ignition after turning the car off and he quickly headed inside.

"Charlie," he called out softly just in case Abel was already in bed. It was a bit after eight and Harry was almost sure Charlie still tried to get Abel in bed by eight-thirty or nine. Something she had been doing since he was a toddler.

"In the kitchen," Charlie replied back and Harry toed off his boots before heading into the kitchen where he paused at the sight of his wife.

She was standing in front of the sink, her hair in a messy bun and she had clearly already changed into her pajamas. A pair of flannel pants and an old band t-shirt that he knew had once been his and she had somehow stolen from him.

"I put the leftovers in the fridge," Charlie spoke as she turned to face him and Harry was brought out of the daze he had been in. Clearly stricken by the fact that even when she didn't try, Charlie was still beautiful. "Unless of course you got something on the way in. Then you don't have to eat what I made."

Harry shook his head as he gave Charlie an easy soft smile, "I didn't eat on the way home," he admitted as he stepped into the kitchen, walking to the fridge. "Was sort of craving some of your home cooked food. It's been so long it feels like since I ate something you made."

"It probably has been," Charlie said and Harry cringed internally at how bitter she sounded. "I mean most nights you come home around midnight and never touch what I left in the fridge," she sighed and Harry who had opened the fridge, kept his back turned away from her.

Not wanting to see the looks she was giving him because he doubted they were nice. They were probably rude if the bitterness she still had was any indication of things.

"Because I do eat before coming home then," Harry spoke as he moved away from the fridge once he had the container of food in his hand and he turned to face Charlie, seeing that she had turned away from the sink and was looking at him. "Usually before I go with my friends to the club."

Charlie rolled her eyes at that and Harry half waited for her to say something snarky, though to his surprise she obviously held her tongue. "Abel's still awake," she told him instead. "I told him you were going to be home early and he wanted you to read him a story before bed," she said with a tiny smile finally which was better than the look she had given him before.

"You can do that after you eat," she finished as she nodded her head and turned to leave the kitchen. Though before she fully left, Harry watched as she paused in her tracks. "Which before we go to bed..I..I kind of wanted to talk about something," she added on and Harry felt his heart began to thump a bit faster in his chest.

The way she seemed so hesitant when mentioning it, whatever it was couldn't be good and his mind was rattled with tons of scenarios. The most common being that she was going to tell him she was done with him and their marriage.

A simple idea that scared the ever living shit out of Harry if he were being honest with himself.

"O..okay," Harry replied feeling his own voice catch and if Charlie heard it she didn't let on.
Instead she easily walked out of the kitchen, leaving him standing there scared and alone. A sense of dread coming over him for whatever Charlie wanted to talk about.

---

After finishing dinner, Harry stood from the table, taking his dirty dishes to the sink where he quickly cleaned them up. Not wanting to leave a mess for Charlie because he was afraid if he did it would just start an argument. But then again if she were going to tell him that she was leaving him did it matter if they argued?

"Don't think like that Harry," he told himself as he finished up what little dishes he had dirtied before turning and heading out of the kitchen. "Keep your head on straight and your wits together," he said as he began the walk to his son's bedroom.

Taking a deep breath as he paused outside the doorway because the last thing he needed was his six year old son seeing that daddy was upset. It was something he always wanted to keep Abel out of. The issues that he and Charlie had.

After he had calmed himself down some Harry stepped in the doorway, smiling when Abel turned his head quickly towards the door. Obviously having been on the lookout for Harry.

"Daddy!" Abel yelled as he soon shot toward Harry from where he had been in the floor, playing with tiny toy soldiers. "I missed you," he spoke as he reached Harry and Harry quickly bent down to his son's level.

His green eyes locking with Abel's own green eyes. The boy reminding him so much of himself, except he did have Charlie's hair color. The only thing he got from her really it seemed.

"I missed you too little man," Harry smiled as he reached out to pull his son in for a hug. "I always miss you though when I'm at the studio," he added on feeling Abel's tiny arms wrap around his neck.

"Then why do you go?" Abel asked so innocently as he held on a bit tighter to Harry. "You could stay home with me and mommy all day."

Harry laughed softly at that as he pulled away from the hug, "I wish I could little man," he admitted honestly. "But I tell you what I'll try to be home earlier every night from now on so I can read to you. Does that sound like a deal?"

"Yes," Abel nodded his head as he smiled and his dimples came out. "You're better at reading me a story anyway," he said his voice going softer as if he was afraid Charlie would hear him. "Mommy doesn't read the story using all the character's voices. She just uses one voice and it's never any good that way Daddy."

Harry faked pouted as he stood up, reaching out and picking Abel up as he did so, "Well that's no good then," he teased as he walked to the bed. "What good is a story if you don't read it with all the character's voices?" he asked Abel which made his son laugh. "Maybe I should have taught Mommy better so she'd know how to do it."

"No," Abel said too quickly as Harry laid him down in the bed. "It's our thing Daddy," he spoke as he looked up at Harry all innocent. "Just a boy thing."

Again Harry laughed, "Just a boy thing," he nodded in agreement as he reached for the book that was laying on the bedside table.

It was some Winnie the Pooh book and Harry couldn't help but smile because even if Abel was growing way too fast at least there was still some things that hadn't changed yet. Like his love for Winnie the Pooh. Something Harry knew the boy had, had since he was a baby and Harry had insisted on buying him a stuffed Eeyore for his first Christmas.

Even if Charlie had said he wouldn't care or remember because he'd only have been a month old. But that stuffed animal had been his favorite toy. His soother toy and it had lead to the Winnie obsession that he still clearly had.

---

Leaving Abel's bedroom once the boy had fallen asleep, Harry gently closed the door behind him as he headed off down the hall to the room he shared with Charlie. Not surprised to find her in their bed already, a book in her hands and her reading glasses on and again he was struck at how beautiful she was even when she didn't try.

It was always something he had admired about her.

"Abel's asleep," Harry spoke as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. "Fell asleep mid story so he must have wore himself out today," he reasoned as he turned to look at Charlie as he quickly lifted his shirt over his head before undoing his jeans and stepping out of them.

"Your mom more than likely wore him out," Charlie shrugged and Harry looked at her curiously. A look she must have noticed because she explained herself more. "She watched him while I did groceries and then kept him a bit longer so I could have lunch with Helena."

Harry slipped into bed beside her as he made a face, "Niall's wife Helena?" he asked as he vaguely remembered the woman who Charlie had made friend's with while she had been pregnant with Abel.

Helena herself had been pregnant too and both women had bonded which in turn meant that Harry had gotten to know her husband pretty well even if lately he had lost touch with Niall.

First with being away on tour and now since coming back and working on his next album right away.

"Yeah, Niall's wife Helena," Charlie nodded her head before biting her lip softly. "She's actually the reason I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" Harry asked still feeling a bit nervous over this talk she wanted to have.

Again Charlie nodded her head and as she did so Harry could see how nervous she looked. Like she almost didn't want to broach the subject. "I've told her about the problems we've been having," she finally started. "How we argue and things just aren't like they used to be. I've..I've even confessed to her that I've been thinking about filing for a divorce."

Hearing Charlie's last words, Harry swore all the air that had been inside of him had swiftly been kicked out because this conversation was going exactly where he had seen it going. Charlie was going to tell him it was over.

"Charlotte..." he started only to get interrupted by his wife.

"Let me finish," Charlie said as she shook her head. "Helena thinks I shouldn't throw in the towel just yet. She mentioned something that she and Niall tried once when their marriage got a bit...dry," she spoke pausing only slightly. "They umm they tried a thirty day sex thing. They had sex for thirty days and she swears it helped them. Swears it did them good and I..I was thinking that maybe we could try her suggestion just to see if it works. I mean if you want too," she added on sounding like she didn't expect him to say yes or agree to it.

Which was fucking silly because Harry would have done anything to save his marriage. If Charlie had told him she wanted him to jump from the tallest building in the world to save it, he would have.

Anything to keep her from walking out on him.

"Of course I want too Charlie," Harry told her as he shook his head. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't?"

Charlie paused slightly and that alone was all the answer he needed really. "No," she spoke though they both knew it was a lie. "I mean you're a man of course you'd want sex for thirty days," she said as she forced a smile though her words made Harry frown.

The fact that she thought he was just agreeing because of the sex and not because he did want to truly fix whatever was broken. It hurt Harry but for now he'd just keep it to himself. Afraid that if he said anything they'd just argue.

"So when do we start?" Harry asked as he leaned against the pillows on his side of the bed as he eyed her curiously. "Because you're lookin mighty fine tonight if I do say so."

Charlie blushed at his words as she looked down and away from him, "We start tomorrow night," she said as she laid the book she had been reading down on the bedside table before looking back at Harry. "But I mean if you really want we could have sex just to have sex tonight."

Smirking at her words, Harry leaned into her, his lips just mere inches from hers, "I think I do want that," he whispered as they locked eyes. "I don't think you realize how beautiful you are and I want to show you," he said before kissing her finally.

Doing what he wanted to do since the first moment he had laid eyes on her tonight. Claim her body as his like he had done a million times before.

Notes