Harrow couldn't stop the smile on his face when Cooper so perfectly described his relationship to the small boy, and he just accepted it. The people who used to scream their objections to same-sex marriage often claimed that it would be impossible to explain it to children, and yet, there was Jackie with his apples, just as happy as ever knowing that his Uncle Harrow had a Felix in his life.
"We're going to get married, and live happily ever after together."

He could only hope that his words would forever be true and he would always be able to wake up next to the man who owned his heart so completely. Harrow could see his future in those eyes and he never wanted anything but that.
"I think I could talk Felix into that." Harrow couldn't wait until Jackie fell asleep so the adults could talk more about the finer details of the relationship. He knew that CooperTrooper would have some concerns, especially after what happened the last time the two men dated.

When he would go down to Louisiana in tears because he couldn't figure out why his own boyfriend hated touching him. When he tried to keep himself composed, but would ask Cooper if there was something wrong with him to lead to Felix's disinterest. Cooper, Oliver and Lenore all assured him that there was nothing wrong with him, that whatever it was that kept Felix at arms distance was on him, but Harrow couldn't help but wonder. For the most time of them even being together, it was just Harrow bending over backwards to try to make Felix feel that same spark for him that he felt. Their first go around, it failed. The second. It was like Felix was a whole new man. These were critical facts that Cooper clearly needed to know.

"I don't know, don't women get all hormonal and crazy when they're pregnant." He only saw Lenore a handful of times when she was pregnant with Jackie, so he could be completely off.
"Yeah, we'll talk it all over. Jackie needs a friend or two at Salem if he gets there." There was something beautiful about adoption that really spoke to him. About wanting to have that child who was a little older who maybe didn't get as many looks as the perfect little infants.

"I think I would want one Jackie's age, to be honest." A toddler with all of the energy and happiness that they could give him or her. Someone to play with the dogs and Jackie. It would be wonderful.
"Assuming my husband even wants kids right now. We have moved into all of this pretty quickly." Quickly but in the best way. It was perfect because it was them. Harrow couldn't stop smiling when he said it was fast, because he knew that people had their opinions about it all but who were they to judge what was just meant to be for them?

Harrow took a quick gulp of his coffee and set it back down, standing so he could lead Cooper and Jackie to the guest room. All of Jackie's abandoned toys were kept there, as well as a fair amount of toys that Harrow bought for the boy, and their smaller dog, Ursula the Shiba Inu. A small dog with many characteristics of a fox. She lifted her head and set it back down, content to share her bed with the little boy.

Harrow drew the blinds closed, but flipped on the small nightlight to allow the small boy to fall asleep, but not worry about the monsters that might be hiding in the dark. He stepped aside so Cooper could lay his son down and get him settled. Even though watching them together only confirmed that he wanted to be a father almost as much as he wanted to be a husband.

Fewalix. Done. That was his new nickname and Jack was entirely to blame for it. He smiled to himself, just picturing the confused look on his lover’s face when he called him that. He was sure that some of the adorableness of it would be lost between a toddler saying it and a grown man, but he could dream. He nodded when Jack insisted that he actually said Felix.

“I heard you, buddy.” Clearly dad was just being silly. He smiled at Cooper, hoping that his best friend knew that he had to side with the nephew every once in a while.

Harrow could hear Cooper talking about them visiting Louisiana to see Lenore and Oliver, but he was too focused on Jack. Harrow just focused on the little boy just wrapping his arms around his father’s neck, falling asleep in his arms without a care in the world. He felt his heart squeeze thinking about how much trust Jack had in his father to feel completely comfortable and safe in his arms and knew that he would end up in a bed. That he would be okay if he just trusted him. Harrow didn’t realize how much he wanted that until right then. He wanted a son or daughter to cling to his collar and just sleep.

“Would want to get her a place here, keep an eye on her.” She still lived in the Pacific Northwest with their father. Not in the same house, but close by.
“Not that I don’t think she would do everything to help, but, I would want to just make sure that the niblet is okay.” A term he developed for when he would talk to Lenore about Jackie before they knew his sex. Niblet.

“I still don’t know how we weren’t expelled for half of the stuff we pulled.” Felix once made a comment that the two of them wouldn’t have gotten along in school. That if they had been in the same place at the same time, Felix would have been too shy to say anything to him. Harrow liked to believe that nothing would have kept them from being together.

His first relationship with Felix was painful on both sides. He could remember the times when he would go to Cooper and Lenore just distraught over what happened, but he also didn’t know how Felix coped. If he went to his parents, Owen and Elsa with similar concerns, and similar break downs. Harrow never asked, because he was too terrified to know the answer. He was too terrified that he hurt Felix more than Felix hurt him. He could cope with what Felix did to him, but he couldn’t face himself knowing that he hurt Felix before their breakup.

Harrow knew that there would be a trail period with his friends. They would want to make sure that Felix was everything and more that Harrow gushed about. His family was the same way. They wanted to be sure that this was the real deal and Harrow would happily bend over backwards to make them see it.

Once Jack was asleep, the two men walked back down the hall and into his kitchen. Their coffee cups lost some of their steam, but that was easily fixed with a flick of the wand.
“Yes, Trooper, I’m sure.” He wouldn’t have asked Felix to be his husband if it wasn’t everything that he wanted in his life. Same mistake… he d- he did?
“Can I ask you something?” He held his coffee in his hands and looked down at the swirling cup,

“Do you regret marrying Lenore?”

Harrow grinned when his best friend seemed to think that he owed him something for all of the support. He would do it all over again. Anything that meant he would be able to be in Jack's life, to be the loving uncle who he could depend on, to be the support for Cooper with his marriage to Lenore. Anything that his friend would ever need.
"A good friend of ours owns the Laughing Gnome Inn, do you remember Sparrow Faust?" Most people at Salem either knew her, or knew of her. She was wild and insane. A flirt and loyal to the core. Either people knew her from how she would deliver a flawless right hook for someone, and then steal their boyfriend.
"Well she owns it, and she's desperate for us to be daddys, so she's offered to give my sister a room."

He laughed at this insistence that he was able to talk his way out of anything. He was born with the silver tongue that got them out of a lot of trouble when they were young.
"Only because you and Oli had strict parents." His father was all about questioning authority and having fun. Those Southern parents seemed to be a little stricter about such things.
"And I could run faster than you both." Harrow was good at being the distraction. Usually got the brunt of the punishments, but Oli and Cooper made it up to him.

"Felix is who I'm supposed to love. He's all I need." Harrow knew that it was cheesy, that it was silly and that he was just a love sick puppy.
"I love him more than I can make words for, and I can't wait for you to meet him so you can see that too."

What could there be to make him regret his marriage? His beautiful life and wonderful family who he loved so much.
"Cooper, we've been friends since we were eleven. You can talk to me about anything you need to." Harrow had always assumed that this was a given. That he would have just known by now that they could talk about anything they needed to whenever they had to.

"Talk to me."

Growing up at Salem with Cooper and Oli he was the poor kid. He was the one with duct tape on his shoes because his father had to spend the money from his latest painting on bills or food. He knew that Cooper's parents hated him. That they thought that he was a poor kid who wasn't good enough for their son's friendship. Cooper never treated him like he was a charity case, never acted like he was better than him, he was just Harrow. His too-skinny friend with a larger collection of art than gold.

Harrow chewed at his lip when Cooper seemed to insist on giving them a house,
"You know I hate it when you try to do stuff like that." He was more speaking into his coffee at this point. His home was beautiful, warm and cozy. It was all his and all that he needed in his days. He also knew very well that he wouldn't be able to afford it if it wasn't for Felix's contribution to their income. He knew that Felix came from wealth, and he knew that Felix was slumming it with him. Harrow knew that it didn't matter to his lover, but it was something that was always on his mind.
"I never need you to buy things for me, Coop. You know that."

Sparrow would get paid for her services, even if Harrow had to tend bar or make beds. He refused to be a charity case and that would never change for him.

Harrow took a sip, worried that he insulted his best friend with his comment.
"Felix gets the same lecture from me, don't worry." Felix bought him everything that he even looked at twice, and there were times when it was flattering. Other times when it drove him absolutely insane. He liked being able to work for what he had. He liked knowing that what he had was earned and not bestowed on him by wealthy parents.

He snorted a little into his drink when Cooper asked about the legends of them in Aylward house.
"Their beloved Head of House might encourage such legends." Speaking of himself of course. None of them knew that it was Harrow who dung bombed Paomet after they cheated at a quodpot game. He could only imagine how well it would go over with Ian if he knew that it was Cooper, Oli and Harrow who were largely blamed for the retirement of the former headmaster.

"I can't wait for you to meet him." He really hoped that it all went over well when his Louisiana friends met the love of his life. There was something devious about his hidden agenda. He wanted to try to get them into a drunken conversation where accents would get thicker and he could just enjoy his husband's Swedish mixed with Cooper's American southern.

He was looking forward to it more than he probably should.

Harrow sat up a little more, mildly horrified that this is the first that he heard about all of this. How could Cooper have kept this from him for so long? He had been married since he was seventeen, his son was asleep in his guest room.

Everything was spinning around and this wasn't even his life. He couldn't even imagine how Cooper was keeping this underwraps from him for all this time. Did Oliver know? How did Lenore feel about all of this? Did she love someone else before Cooper came along, or was she tied up into a marriage that was only one sided.
"You're not dumb." More out of habit, than truth right now. His automatic tendency to love Cooper with all of his heart was showing, even if he was confused about how anyone could get into a marriage and bring a baby into the world that they possibly didn't want.

He's been... what.

Harrow looked at his best friend and couldn't figure out what was tripping him up more.
"You've been cheating on Lenore... with Oli? Our Oli? Oliver?" He couldn't make the words work to describe his confusion on the matter.
"You're gay?"

Harrow knew that he meant well. That Cooper just wanted to make sure that he was as happy as he deserved to be. It was something that he wanted to remind Cooper about though. There were so many people who might just want to use Cooper and his family for the wealth that they earned, but he didn’t want to be just another one to use him. He was CooperTrooper. He was a good man with a golden heart. Harrow sipped his coffee, knowing that his pride was always going to get in the way of things. Felix had to deal with the same thing. He wanted to spoil Harrow, and his family provided much more wealth that would provide for it. Harrow didn’t have that, and while he wouldn’t trade his upbringing for the world, he sometimes wished he would be able to help his friends out as much as they offered to help him.

“Shower me with all of your love, devotion and care. It’s all I’ve ever asked for.” He set his coffee down and remembered the little boy sleeping in the guest room,
“And time with Jackie. Of course.” He knew that his nephew would be spoiled rotten by his parents, but he hoped that he could do his fair share of spoiling. He wanted to be the cool uncle who he could go to for anything in the world, the one who would help him hide too many pets in his dorm room and maybe even help his nephew with problems that Cooper and Lenore couldn’t handle.

“Half of the time it’s the only way I get taken seriously.” When his students were first years, they were fine. He was the fun head of house who they could turn to for problems. When he would go to discipline meetings, he could sometimes pull off intimidation. Once they went through puberty and became taller than him, it was all over.

Of course he worried about Cooper not liking Felix. He worried that all of the times when he would turn to Ollie, Cooper and Lenore with his relationship problems would leave a bad taste in their mouths for the Swede. He knew that it was the reason Elsa didn’t like him all that much. He always thought that Felix was deaf to his suffering the first time they were together, but time spent with Elsa proved that Felix had been hurting as much as Harrow had been. Maybe even more.

There was a part of him that wanted to shove his fingers into his ears and pretend that his friend did not just confess infidelity to him. But there it was. Hanging between them while he felt like a fish out of water.
“How long has this been going on?” He asked, sure that it was recent. More of the affair with Ollie. He was evolved enough to know that Cooper had probably been dealing with his sexuality for years and just dove into the marriage with Lenore because of their parents, and did his husband duties to make Jackie.

“How long are you going to let this go on?” It wasn’t fair to Lenore, but it especially wasn’t fair to himself or to Oliver. If they wanted to be together, why hide it?

Harrow made a face at Cooper, knowing full well that he was right. They had to grow up and find their new relationship with each other. Sure, he had to face it that Lenore might not be too happy with him if he just showed up in New Orleans to see Cooper whenever he needed time with his best friend, but it was hard to imagine a world where Cooper would feel unwelcomed to just show up at his house. Even harder to think about a world where his perfect nephew felt unwelcome or even thought that the guest room was no longer solely his.

“Well you have Jackie, so Felix will just have to accept you showering me with time with my nephew, and me giving him all of my love.” A roundabout way, but he still got what he wanted. Harrow took another sip of his coffee and thought about how lucky Cooper was. He had the successful company, the beautiful wife, and the wonderful son. Harrow had his career, his wonderful Felix, but a part of him knew that he wanted a baby. A child to spoil and love as much as he loved his Jackie, but with Felix’s eyes and Harrow’s smile. If something like that was even possible.

“Doesn’t help Felix is nearly a foot taller than me.” He mumbled into his coffee, feigning annoyance over something that he loved so much.
“He grabbed my shirt the other morning and it was a belly shirt on him.” Of course he then insisted on trying on one his Felix’s and took their pictures. It was silly, but something that he loved about his Felix. He could be serious to the world, but when they were together he was a laughing and hilarious man. Harrow liked to believe that he brought out the best in his partner, just like how Felix brought out the best in him.

All of his ideas about Cooper and Lenore’s marriage were crumbling around him and it was getting harder and harder to think about how he always pictured it. He thought that Cooper came home from business trips, Jackie would run to his arms and Lenore would kiss him. They would look at each other with love and know that even though they might not have chose each other, they were still meant to have each other. Those images were replaced with what might have been closer to the truth. Two people who were told that their marriage would be a company merger. The child asleep in his guest room a heir for both of them to have someone to pass things along to. Someone else to teach the trade that Cooper learned when he was just as young.

Cooper was clearly distraught by all of this, and Harrow felt like he was gasping for air like a fish out of water. Everything was starting to make sense. When he would hear about a fishing or camping trip that the two men were on, but he was never invited to. When he would see how Ollie looked at Cooper or when he would see them stop talking to each other as soon as he entered the room. He felt like a moron for not catching it earlier.

“Years.” So what, did Cooper just roll out of bed with Lenore after Jackie was conceived and rush to the one who he really wanted to be with? Did Lenore have any idea? All of the questions that he wanted to blurt out were just burning his tongue. He didn’t want to add to his best friend’s pain, it was clear on his features that he was kicking himself enough for both of them.

“If you chose Ollie.” Harrow couldn’t imagine being in Cooper’s position. The closest he came was when he was with Ian and still craved being with Felix.
“I have almost no experience with anything like this, but what I do know is that when there is someone who you know in your soul you’re supposed to be with. You’re just making yourself miserable by not being with them.” Harrow was sure that his best friend had no idea that he cheated on his boyfriend at the time with Felix. That he went to bed with his then-ex and admitted that he was still in love with him. Harrow liked to believe that it was all for the best, but that didn’t change how Ian looked at him afterwards. Like he was a monster. Dealing with that much guilt for years? It was a wonder how Cooper survived it.

“And I think you know who you want to be with. If there wasn’t a company and Jackie.”