"Nathaniel!! Nate come- God dammit," Harry muttered to himself, his camera bag falling off his shoulder and nearly smashing to the ground before his already full hand caught it and managed to somewhat push it back up his arm.

"Come on daddy!!"

"Buddy just- hang on, give daddy a second!" Harry yelled back, trying to organize himself and the million and one bags they seemed to have. "Nathaniel please come here."

He knew at this point he was almost begging, but there were a thousand things running through his head, mainly making sure his son didn't get taken or lost in the crowd on the dock.

"Daddy you not be having such hard time if you no bring cameras," Nate huffed as he ran up to his father and tugged the camera bag off his dad's arm, trying to help him out a bit.

"Buddy we're going on an adventure, don't you want to be able to look back at all the fun times we're gonna have?"

Nate looked up to his daddy with raised eyebrows, letting out a deep breath and shaking his head, because his father brings his cameras with him everywhere. To the park, out to eat, even watching movies on the couch at home is considered an "adventure".

"Don't give me that look, I'm doing all this for you," and Harry may have been half lying, the whole purpose of him taking pictures of his son is so he can remember all the moments they had together when he grows up, but he thought he could keep that to himself. "You should be saying 'thank you daddy, I love the surprise you got me'," he said with a teasing smile.

At that Nate bit his lip, hiding his growing smile as he reached for his father's two fingers and wrapped his little hand around them. "Thank you daddy," he said bashfully.

"You're welcome love," Harry laughed to himself, bending down just enough to press a quick kiss to his son's head. "Now come on, Uncle Liam is waiting for us."

"Yes!!" Nate cheered, tugging on his daddy's fingers as hard as he could to get him moving towards the huge boat.

And Harry had no choice but to follow of course, pulling their luggage along the way and praying he wouldn't trip anyone, or that he wouldn't trip over himself.

It was definitely a lot harder than he thought with Nate nearly dragging him to the cruise ship, but Harry got it, he really did. His son was only 3 and this was the first vacation they've ever been on, and everything was so foreign to his little boy, he knew he wanted to explore it at all. But not only was Nate excited, but Harry was too. He's never left the country before this, and truth be told he isn't really the adventurous type, but when Liam offered him this deal he couldn't pass it up.

"Daddy where uncle Liam? I no see him," Nate groaned, tugging his father another way and not paying any mind to the other people walking by them.

"Buddy!" Harry shrieked, his son successfully making him crash into a small brunette haired man. "Sorry, I'm so sorry!!" he called over his shoulder as Nate kept pulling him, only to see the quick flash of bright blue eyes on him, offering a small smile and wave translating not to worry about it before he kept on his way.

"Nathaniel I know you're excited, but please, be a little more careful big guy."

Nate let out a small breath but nodded anyways, slowing down his pace and giving his daddy a break so he could adjust their bags.

"Alright, uncle Liam said he'd be waiting by the entrance for us, so we're almost there," Harry said, looking at the huge ship in front of them and trying to figure out just which entrance Liam was talking about since there were about 10 of them.

He knew there was no way in hell he was going to go to the right one though, so his only hope was to go through one of them and text his best mate once they were inside. And that's exactly what he did, making sure they calmly and carefully got aboard the boat, Nate shaking with excitement as the minutes passed. But of course as soon as Harry texted Liam and they managed to find the older lad the 3 year old was screaming.

"Uncle Liam!!!"

"Nate!! Big guy!" Liam said, scooping up his nephew as he ran at him. "I'm so happy you're here, now the real fun can begin!"

"Yes!!" Nate cheered, jumping in the older man's arms and hugging him tightly.

"Hey mate," Harry breathed out, smiling at Liam as he adjusted the bags in his arms. "Listen, thank you again for helping me out with this, you have no idea-"

"H, c'mon, stop thanking me," Liam scoffed. "It wasn't like it was any trouble for me."

"Yeah, but still," Harry said sheepishly.

He didn't even want to know what strings Liam had to pull to get them such a cheap deal for this trip. Of course he knew his best mate was pretty high up in the chain, being head of entertainment on the ship, but he was still shocked and grateful Liam did this for them.

"Well I'm sure you guys are tired and want to relax a little bit, so I'll take you to your room and get you settled in," Liam said happily, taking one of Harry's suitcase in the hand that wasn't occupied with Nate and started heading to the lift.

Harry gratefully followed after Liam, more than relieved to finally be out of the burning Florida sun. He swears just from being outside for 10 minutes he already was starting to get sunburned, he was just happy Nate didn't have his skin tone so he didn't have to constantly coat him in sunblock like he did himself.

Despite the inevitable sunburn Harry was going to get he knew this trip would be great, just him and his boy and some much needed relaxing time.

And from the looks of this ship he knew there was going to be a lot of that. This was place huge and luxurious, and now Harry really wondered how much of a deal Liam gave them, because this cruise looked like it was built just for the rich, and he was far from that.

It wasn't just him who noticed how nice the ship was either, Nate's little eyes looking all over the place as Liam carried him to their room, even marvelling at the marbled and shiny lift that carried them to their floor.

"Here we are boys, home for the next two weeks," Liam said happily, pulling a keycard from his pocket and opening the door for the two.

"Liam holy-" Harry cut himself off, his jaw going slack and barely shuffling into the room to get a full look. "Mate what the hell?! You- no, no, you didn't have to do this for us, we-"

"Daddy shush! Thank you uncle Liam!!" Nate squealed as he crushed the older man in a hug.

Liam couldn't help the surprised laugh that escaped him as he hugged Nate back and kissed his head, not really expecting this reaction. "Well of course buddy, it's no problem."

Harry wanted to tell him that yes, this was a very big problem. A room like this should not be given to someone like him who paid so little to be here.

"Liam really, we'd be good in a small room, just two twin beds and a bathroom..."

"Harry," Liam warned, raising his eyebrows at the younger lad and silently telling him it really wasn't a big deal. "It's an empty room we had on board and this little guy needs some room to run around."

Harry let out a deep breath, looking between Nate and Liam, knowing he could beg for a smaller room, but if his best mate was insisting...

"Thanks Li... For everything."

And Liam just hummed, knowing that wasn't the last time Harry would thank him, even though he really hoped it would be. "So do you guys wanna settle in and relax before we dock off or explore a little bit of the boat?"

"Exploring!!"

"Nate you don't want to unpack?" Harry asked, more than ready to empty their suitcases and organize their belongings.

Nate just looked back at his father from his uncle's arms, giving him a blank stare before huffing to himself and shaking his head. "Daddy you do that when I go to bed, but first explore!"

Harry really should've guessed the 3 year old would say something like that, but truth be told getting a personal tour of this enormous cruise ship from his best mate seemed more fun than unpacking.

"Alright, alright, we can explore," he smiled at his son, unable to miss the way Nate lit up.

Even Liam's own grin could be seen from miles away, shifting the 3 year old in his arms and nearly skipping back towards the door. "Well I hope you two are up for some walkin cause we have a lot to cover!"

And just at hearing that Harry wanted to groan, after hours of travel the last thing he wanted to do was walk around, but instead just nap. The look on Nate's face though was all worth it, especially since it was something so simple as following Liam around and seeing everything the cruise had to offer them.

*~*

"And over here is where we have the midnight buffet, now Nate I know you'll be in bed, but H if you wanna sneak out for a snack it's awesome, especially the cocktails," Liam said happily, knowing he himself was going to make a few trips out here when he gets off duty.

But all Harry did was hum, as tempting as drinks and endless food sounds at midnight he knew he couldn't leave Nate in the room by himself.

Overall the cruise ship seemed more than amazing. There were plenty of things for Nate to do, too many shows, and activities they could do together and Harry wasn't going to lie the adult only parts of the ships were more than tempting, but he knew it would be a bit hard to go unless someone could watch Nate.

And by the end of the tour there was no lying, both him and his son were more than exhausted from walking all over the place, but if anything Liam had more energy than he did before they started. It was clear he loved his job, and loved showing off everything he set up for the guests, but Harry had to give him credit of course, they had just launched off the dock and already people seemed to be having the time of their lives.

"Uncle Liam where the kitchen? I'm hungry," Nate groaned as he tugged on the older man's hand.

"Oh you're hungry now are you? Well good thing uncle Liam has just the thing for you then," he smiled down at the 3 year old. "I set you two up with a table at one of the restaurants tonight, thought you could start the first night off with a nice dinner."

At that Harry raised his eyebrows, about to say just how grateful he was until Liam shot him a quick look and shook his head. So he snapped his mouth shut, instead just smiled gratefully at his best mate and followed him to wherever this restaurant was.

Harry just wished he looked a little nicer, especially since he hasn't showered or changed since the flight. He hasn't looked himself in the mirror since they left London, and Harry was sure he looked like a hot, sleepy mess, but then again, food seemed to be a very pressing matter if his son moaning and groaning in Liam's arms about how hungry he was was anything to go by.

"Here you are big guy," Liam said softly as he placed Nate down in a chair at one of the larger tables in the place. "Now when the waiter comes to give you the check just tell him your name, it'll be on the house."

"Liam-"

"No, nope, stop it," Liam quickly stopped him.

Harry just eyed the older man for a second before letting out a huff and looking to the table. "Fine," he muttered. "Can I at least ask why we have such a big table for the two of us?"

"Oh, so this is something new the ship is trying out, my idea actually," Liam laughed sheepishly to himself. "So we want more people on the boat to get to know one another a bit, make it easier to make friends and whatnot, so we have multiple groups that come in sharing a table."   

Harry hummed and bit his lip, focusing his eyes on the three empty chairs at their table and curious as to who might be occupying them and joining him and his son for a meal.

"Don't worry H, have fun with it, meet some people, be social," Liam smiled softly at him. "I really have to get back to work but text me later alright? Let me know how you're settling in or if you want to grab a drink after my shift is done."

Harry nodded back at him, sending him one more grateful look before taking his seat next to Nate and seeing his son with his eyebrows furrowed, eyes squinted and his tongue sticking outside the corner of his mouth as he looked down at a menu.

"See anything that looks good buddy?" he chuckled to himself, knowing very well his boy couldn't read a single thing this menu had to offer.

"I guess the chicken tenders," Nate hummed and shrugged to himself.

At that Harry raised his eyebrows, scanning over the menu and seeing no such thing being offered. "How do we feel about baked mac and cheese? That seem okay?" he asked through a small laugh.

Nate pursed his lips, tapping his chubby little finger on his chin as he thought about it. "Sure," he said easily enough, not needing to consider it all that much.

And Harry couldn't help the fond smile that came over him as he looked down at his son and kissed his curls. He could see Nate winding down a bit as he slumped in his chair and tried to fight off sleep.

It's been a long day for them and truth be told Harry was a bit shocked the 3 year old didn't pass out in Liam's arms as they took a tour of the boat. But then again he knew how excited Nate was for this trip and all the adventures they were bound to get up to.

There was no hiding it, this trip was more than important to Harry. He hasn't been the father he needed to be for Nate for too long now, and he knew he had to change, had to make a difference in his life if he wanted his son to know that he really does love him, that he cares about him more than anything in the world. And he was hoping he could start with this trip.

"Here you are gentlemen, enjoy your meal."

Harry looked up, his eyes catching a waiter motioning to their table and seeing 3 guys that looked about his age thanking the older man gratefully and taking their seats.

"Hey man, how's it goin?"

Harry smiled back at the blonde lad, his Irish accent impossible to miss as he took a seat next to him and stuck his hand out to shake.

"Hey, good, m'Harry," he said, offering him a small smile and accepting his waiting hand.

"Niall."

And all Harry did was nod back at him, looking across the table and seeing a dark raven haired man grinning back at him, offering his hand as well before introducing himself as Zayn.

"Nice to meet you," Harry said back to him before dropping their hands and looking to the last and final guy sitting directly across from him.

But as soon as their eyes met Harry went still, swallowing thickly and clearing his throat slightly at seeing this man just staring at him with his bright blue eyes, not moving an inch or making a sound.

And Harry was a bit stuck himself, seeing just how handsome this stranger was and knowing he looked like an absolute mess, definitely not making a good first impression. But what he didn't understand was why this guy was still just staring at him, there's no way he already said something stupid, all he did so far was introduce himself.

"Uhm.." Harry fidgeted a bit in his chair, shifting his gaze away from the man across from him but still feeling his eyes on him. "This is my son Nate," he said, trying to fill the silence. "Nathaniel wanna say hi?"

"Hi," Nate said shyly, tucking himself into his daddy's side and trying to hide himself a bit from the three other men.

"Hey little man, how ya doin?" Zayn smiled softly at him.

And Harry really was grateful that they were being nice to them, in the back of his mind almost cursing Liam for doing this to them. He would've hated if these guys were rude or obnoxious, or were just annoyed having to sit with a toddler.

It was a bit weird for him, sitting with a group of guys that were his age, clearly here for some type of "boys retreat" while he was here with his 3 year old son.

"Uh hi."

Harry picked his head up at the soft voice, his eyes meeting a pair of blue ones that were watching him carefully.

"I'm uhm, I'm Louis," he said through a small smile, offering his hand to Harry. "Sorry, I was kinda off in me own little world."

Harry just grinned back at him as he slipped his hand into Louis' much smaller one, seeing he was a bit embarrassed if his pink tinted cheeks were anything to go by. "It's no problem."

And Louis' smile just grew, biting his lip to try to hide it, but Harry could see right past it, could see the way he was grinning so much that it reached his eyes.

"Daddy..."

"Huh?" Harry's eyes snapped to Nate, seeing the 3 year old look at him confused before he realized he was still shaking Louis' hand. "Oh! Uh, sorry, sorry!," he rushed out.

Louis pulled his hand away as Harry did, shrugging like it wasn't a problem at all before a sudden realization came over him. "Wait... Were you the one who crashed into me on the dock? The guy who apologized like a million times?"

Harry's jaw went slack, knowing his face was going bright red as he did recognize those bright blue eyes. "Uh... Uhm yeah?" he said with nothing but sheer embarrassment.

And it was the same time the three guys around the table burst into laughter, only making Harry blush that much more.

"I really am sorry about that, he was just excited and tugging on me, I didn't mean to-"

"Mate! Mate! Calm down, it's okay," Louis stopped him.

"Shoulda seen Lou, he seemed like a truck ran over him, he was so scared," Niall said in between his laughter.

At that Louis stopped his own laughing, instead turning to his mate and narrowing his eyes at him.

"I was happy, it got him to shut up about finding the right entrance to the boat," Zayn muttered through a smile as he glanced over at the blue eyed lad.

"I didn't even say that much!" Louis countered back. "Just all you need is faith, trust and little bit of pixie dust!"

Harry looked between the three guys, having to hold back his own laugh as they bantered a bit, but then he felt Nate tugging on him, and he looked down to see his son almost in shock.

"Daddy... Daddy that's Peter Pan."

"Nate, love, don't point," Harry said softly, gently pushing his son's hand down and offering the man sitting across from him an apologetic smile. "That's not Peter, he just-"

"How did you know I was Peter Pan?" Louis interrupted him, whispering to Nate as if it was a secret just between them and looking at him just as shocked. "Are you one of my lost boys?" he asked, a small smile playing at his lips and an eyebrow quirked in curiousity.

Nate's jaw completely dropped as he heard the older man, his entire face lighting up before he was standing up on his seat and pointing an excited finger at Louis. "You are!! You are Peter Pan!!"

"Nathaniel!" Harry quickly said, trying to get his 3 year old to sit back down and stop screaming.

"Oh, did I forget to introduce myself?" Louis asked, his voice filled with surprise as he stood up from his own seat. "I'm Peter... Peter Pan," he said with a bow.

At that Nate actually shrieked, him smiling so wide it could be seen from miles as he jumped on his seat