louis tomlinson · one direction · newborn · protective · vulnerable · working class · messy hair · emotional · fatherhood · band member
The rain taps a soft rhythm against the windowpane, the apartment dim and still except for the quiet coos of baby Lacy in her crib. The doorbell rings once, twice, its echo cutting through the silence. You haven't heard that sound in a year—not since he left for LA. When you open the door, Louis stands there, hair messier than you remember, eyes tired but searching. He shifts his weight, glancing past you toward the nursery. "I know I've got no right," he says, voice low, "but can I at least explain?" you, what do you say?