Chapter Text
Harry Styles and Zayn Malik Get Married in Italy
BY ELLIE MOLLING 30 JULY 2030
Take two on matrimony works out for the power couple. Five years after rekindling their romance, the popstar duo got married in an intimate ceremony in the south of Italy. Surrounded by their closest family and friends, the pair said “Yes” and the whole world cheered.
Keeping the ceremony quite secret, we don't have much information. The couple's reps have confirmed the union but the pair themselves kept it cheeky and didn't post anything on their social media accounts. We have seen bits and pieces shared on Instagram via their family and friends. From what we know, the ceremony and reception took place at a romantic resort with a view of the sea. The affair wasn't star studded, the biggest names there being the grooms themselves.
While keeping the wedding fairly private, we slipped a question or two into our latest interview with Harry, supporting the editorial in our latest issue where you can see the popstar/actor with his co-stars from his latest film. In our 72 questions video, we chose three particular ones. The first one was “How was the wedding?”, to which Harry cheekily replied with “Good.” and moved along. Next: “Who dressed you for it?” and the answer didn't surprise us at all: “I had two looks, one for the ceremony, one for the reception. Both custom by Gucci.”. And the last one: “How is married life for you?”. This one got the longest reply out of all three: “Really good, I'd say. It's just lovely, isn't it? Having that kind of a commitment with someone. What can I say, I love love.”
Check out the whole video below or on Vogue's official YouTube channel.
------------------------
A decent number of Harry's friends have called him a psycho for remaining friends with the majority of his exes. There's a very popular saying, that you stay friends after a breakup only if you're still in love or you've never been in love at all. Harry can very quickly disprove it. His theory is that you need a period of absolutely no contact to get the romance out of your system and if you truly liked or loved the person you had dated, you'll be just fine as friends because you still have mutual respect for each other. There had to be something other than sex bringing you together. So friendship after a breakup, in Harry's opinion, is the right way to go. Unless the breakup was disastrous of course.
So when Harry finds himself at a late lunch with Lucrecia and her baby daughter in an aggressively Christmas-y Manhattan, it's just normal friends stuff. They've seen quite a bit of each other recently since Harry has been in New York for almost two months now, filming. And it's been nice, it's been really nice. They're both married to different people now, Luc had another kid last year and the romance has been gone for quite a number of years now.
“So how's married life treating you?” Luc asks as she tries to feed Lena in her high chair that's set by their table. “You haven't been talking about it all that much.”
“It's fine,” Harry replies before drinking some water. “There hasn't been like, a huge change or anything. No great revelation. Life just goes on. We're just legally bound to each other and we wear matching rings on our left hands.”
Luc frowns at him. “That's a pretty pessimistic outlook for Mr. I love love.”
“Why pessimistic?” Harry shrugs and digs into his salad again. “Just realistic, I'd say. I think I built up the idea of marriage in my head and now… it's still the same. I mean, we're still in love and all, but nothing has changed.”
Luc hums and gets Lena to eat some broccoli at last. “When Wendy and I got married, I guess I felt similarly about it all. I think you're too busy to really notice the possible differences maybe.”
Harry rolls his eyes. “Busy my arse. Am I supposed to sit at home all the time now just because I'm married? Get a nice little apron and be a housewife?”
“No,” Luc mocks his eye roll. Lena pulls the broccoli Luc was feeding her off the fork and eats it with her hands. Luc sighs and looks at Harry again. “Maybe put a bit more effort into spending more time together.”
“We spend enough time together,” Harry argues. “Zayn came to New York two weeks ago so we're together. I can't have him follow me around the globe. He has his own thing going on and Amara's based in London, so.”
“I need to meet her,” Luc smiles. “I feel like anytime I run into photos of her somewhere, she just screams you. And it's funny, because you're not even biologically related.”
“Really?” Harry tries not to blush. “I mean, I am her very own micro influencer when it comes to fashion. She's a really good kid.”
“Better than this one who won't let me eat my lunch,” Luc sighs as she tries to contain Lena's food to her plate.
“I'll handle the little diva,” Harry says and without Luc's go-ahead, picks Lena up from her high chair and sits her in his lap. Luc hands him Lena's food but Lena's not really interested anymore so Harry just lets Lena hang out and play with one of his leather gloves.
Harry makes silly faces at her and slaps the glove around in the air, making Lena laugh until Luc interrupts him. “When are you getting your own baby?”
He looks up and Lucrecia in mild shock. “Um, I don't know. Soon? We've not really spoken about it seriously. Amara's only gonna be eight next month so we didn't have time to handle a baby alongside her.”
“Exactly,” Luc points at him with her fork. “By the time you'd have a baby home, she'd be ten, or almost ten. You're not the youngest, sweetheart.”
Harry scoffs around a laugh. “Alright, you're two years older than me, so shut it. Everything will come when the time is right, don't worry.”
“Wanna know a funny thing?” Luc asks.
“Always,” Harry replies as he helps Lena reach a piece of bread from the side of his plate. “Is it a joke?”
“No,” Luc shakes her head. “When Wendy and I were planning to have a baby, we compiled a list of like, guys to provide the other ingredient needed for baby making. You were the runner up.”
Harry chuckles slowly, frowning a little. “Really?”
“Yep,” Luc nods, grinning. “But I felt it was a bit weird, given that at one point we were like, quite serious and if things were a bit different we could've been married now and all that? Just seemed too messy to me.”
“Well, either way,” Harry grins. “Thanks for considering me. It's truly an honour.”
“Don't be a little shit,” Luc laughs and then sighs deeply. “Did you ever regret the breakup? Or do you still?”
Harry furrows his brows. “Do I? I mean, I did, for a while. I felt like we had a real shot at having something good. We did have something really good. And I do wonder sometimes like, how my life would've looked like if you and I had gotten married, if I had stayed with Zayn back then. If I had stayed with Charles even. I think it's just something everyone looks at once in a while.”
Luc nods. “I feel the same. At least we're still friends, right? I would've definitely regretted not staying friends because while the whole relationship thing couldn't quite work for us, I think we're doing pretty good as friends.”
“Yeah,” Harry agrees. Lena is chewing on the bread and leaving crumbs all over him. “I'm really glad we're friends.”
“Since we're friends, you could've invited me to your wedding,” Luc teases him.
“I know,” Harry sighs. “I wanted to. But I didn't want to be a hypocrite since Gigi wasn't coming. So, yeah, that'd be a bit unfair.”
“Are you two like, still very hostile towards each other?”
“No, not hostile,” Harry shakes his head slowly. Lena has now dropped the slobbery bread into his (unfinished) salad and is chewing on his necklace. “We're not friends by any means. We don't talk unless we absolutely have to when it concerns Amara. It's a strange dynamic and I think she still believes I made Amara call me dad, which I absolutely did not do, I wouldn't cross that boundary out of my own initiative. She can't keep her away from Zayn and she's married now too, Amara has a step-sibling and a step-dad from her side as well. I just didn't want her at my wedding and I'm sure she wouldn't want to come either.”
Luc nods while chewing. “Makes sense. Dario's old enough to understand who Wendy really is so I've never had to worry about that kinda thing.”
“Yeah, it's just-” Harry sighs. “Whatever. I love Zayn and I love Amara too and that is all that matters to me. Gigi can have a stick up her arse all she wants. I've never been anything but nice to her.”
“You're both adults, you can decide for yourselves how to act,” Luc waves a hand. Lena abandons Harry's necklaces and tries to stretch out across the table to get to her mum. Harry quickly brings her over to Luc before she starts wailing in the middle of a restaurant.
“Exactly,” Harry quips as he sits back in his own chair. “I don't need to be her best friend. As long as things are civil, I don't care.”
Harry leaves the restaurant a while later, after he and Luc both have a glass of wine. By the end of it, Lena is asleep and that's a good sign to call it a day.
When he gets back to his flat, it's pitch black outside, even though it's not even six in the afternoon. At the door, Harry calls out, “Honey, I'm home!”
“If you're expecting a three course dinner and a cigar, you got the wrong flat.”
Harry grins as he plops down next to Zayn on the sofa. “No, I've got just the right one,” he says and kisses Zayn on the cheek obnoxiously. “Hello, handsome.”
“What's gotten into you?” Zayn laughs, his eyes still poised on his notebook where he's writing down some lyrics.
“Can't I be nice to my husband?” Harry pouts and tries to kiss him again. Luc was right, it's not wrong to try and make a marriage seem a tiny bit more exciting.
“You can,” Zayn chuckles and finally looks at Harry. “You should, to be honest. How was your day?”
“Good,” Harry replies. He has now wrapped himself around Zayn's torso like a sloth. “Loved it on set. Went to late lunch with Luc and the baby. It was a good day.”
“I'm glad,” Zayn smiles and pecks Harry on the lips.
“I just got a brilliant idea,” Harry's face lights up with a smile. “We should decorate the Christmas tree. I have a fake one still in the hallway closet.”
“We're gonna be home for Christmas anyway,” Zayn chuckles. “We're leaving in a week.”
“I know,” Harry whines as he stands up, already trying to pull Zayn off the couch. “But today, everything was just so festive in the city. There's snow and decorations everything, Christmas music. God, I need to write a Christmas song, what am I doing with my life?”
“Haz, it's such a waste of time,” Zayn complains but he stands up nevertheless and lets himself be dragged to the hallway. “Literally.”
“Marriage is about compromise, right?” Harry raises his brows like a mean teacher. At least he hopes it has that effect. “Remember when you dragged me out to that horrible DC superhero movie premiere? It should be illegal to make superhero movies in the year 2030, honestly. So now we're decorating the tree.”
“Okay, fine, yeah,” Zayn relents. “The things we do for love.”
“Exactly,” Harry nods as he opens the hallway closet. “Except that this is a much more pleasant activity than the example used.”
They get the tree into the living room and out of its box, surrounded by lots of small boxes of decorations. Harry puts on a Christmas playlist, lights some scented candles and suddenly, his flat is the set of a festive romcom.
“Remember how we did this once in my old flat in SoHo?” Zayn asks as he comes up to Harry from the back and wraps his arms around his waist.
“I do,” Harry smiles as he hangs the bauble. “We fucked in front of the fireplace then. But I'm warning you now, love, no carpet fucking tonight.”
“Whatever you say, babe,” Zayn chuckles and lets go of Harry. He grabs a few baubles himself and starts hanging them around the tree randomly. “Amara wants a pony for Christmas, by the way. I got the Christmas list she sent 'Santa' in the mail today.”
Harry frowns. “Doesn't Gigi have, like, a whole farm in Pennsylvania?”
“Yeah, she does,” Zayn agrees. “But Amara goes there only in summer so she wants a pony all year round.”
“Wow, okay,” Harry chuckles. “When I was her age, I wanted a toy Batmobile and was super chuffed when I got it. I'll look into it. I know one of my godkids used to take horse-riding classes. Maybe there's a place there where you can get a horse and just have it taken care of. Ride it when you want to.”
“That's a good idea,” Zayn says. “I don't suppose a horse would translate well in a Hampstead back garden.”
Harry chortles. “I know the neighbours would sue me. A few years back, I was genuinely thinking about getting like, a few chickens. I was a bit tipsy at a dinner party in the neighbourhood and it just got out. You should've seen the looks I got from the lot of them. Worse than if I'd said I wanted a dragon.”
“You wanted chickens?” Zayn laughs from the other side of the tree.
Harry blushes. “Well, yeah. I mean, they're not very high maintenance, are they? And it's the best way to get truly ethically sourced free-range eggs. I mean, there's small farms but I thought it would be cool. My nan used to have chickens.”
“You're so weird,” Zayn shakes his head with a smile. “One of the many reasons why I love you so much.”
“Gee, thanks,” Harry pretends to roll his eyes. “I thought it was my good looks and sharp wit that got you to marry me but apparently it was my weirdness.”
“Non-weird people are boring as fuck.”
“You're not wrong.”
Harry doesn't get Zayn to dance around with him to the Christmas songs but that's okay, Harry dances on his own better either way. The tree is done pretty quickly and they settle down on the couch together again. Harry doesn't let Zayn get off so easily with the Christmas stuff so he pulls up Love, Actually on the TV because it is literally the best Christmas film ever made and no can change Harry's mind.
Harry's already sniffling five minutes in. “Who decided to make a Christmas romcom that was so bloody sad? I don't want to cry on Christmas.”
“I don't know, babe,” Zayn says and pulls Harry closer to him, even though it's pretty impossible to get even closer with the way they're cuddling.
“Such a masterpiece, this film,” Harry mumbles. “What do you want for Christmas? I haven't gone shopping yet, haven't had time with filming.”
“I don't need anything,” Zayn replies. “I have you already. Surprise me.”
“Okay, if you get a single pair of socks I see seconds before coming to the till don't complain,” Harry teases but he cranes his head and leaves a quick kiss on the underside of Zayn's jaw. “If you were wondering, I might actually have a present for you that I technically didn't buy.”
“Oh?”
“Helen put a little thing together from the wedding photos,” Harry explains. “It might be a photo album. It might be a photobook. It might be a short film. I won't tell you. That’s a surprise. I just wanted to tell you that something very special will be waiting for you underneath the Christmas tree.”
“Alright, now I'll probably have to go to the edge of the world to find you something that will match this,” Zayn chuckles and kisses the crown of Harry's head. “How can you be so thoughtful all the time?”
“This was a happy accident, more like. More from Helen than me. But I did tell her to try and play around with it, to make something special with the photos. It was an important day. You don't get married every day. Hopefully that was our first and only wedding. It deserved something extraordinary to commemorate it, I think.”
“It means a lot to me, H,” Zayn says quietly. “Our relationship now is a lot more fluid and active than before. You're doing way more things, while I like to just chill more. You've got this mammoth of a career that is breathtaking. I'm glad you still take that extra time and thought for these little things that are really insignificant.”
Harry sits up properly, looking at Zayn with a frown. “They're not insignificant. You're my husband . I know we're not the most loved up couple in the world but married or not, we're still in a relationship. No matter how much work I have, I still think about you all the time.”
“Babe, I know,” Zayn says softly and touches Harry's cheek. “I think about you all the time too. I'm just saying that I really appreciate when you go the extra mile in our relationship, even when I don't, despite having so many things going on.”
“Well, yeah,” Harry leans back against the couch with their shoulders touching. “I'm just glad we're not stupid little prats anymore and we respect our own lives. Like, we can be in love and still have things going on separate from each other. I'm glad you're not like, trying to tether me down and keep me still.”
“I'd never do that,” Zayn says as he reaches for Harry's hand. “It would be like putting out the fire inside of you. I would never forgive myself. I might have to kind of share you with the whole world, but I know your heart is mine when it matters.”
“It is,” Harry whispers. “It always is. It'll never change. No matter what.”
“I love you,” Zayn says and kisses the back of Harry's hand. “I love you so fucking much, just the way you are.”
“I love you too,” Harry says back and leans his head on Zayn's shoulder.
Married or not, this free fluid love was what they needed all along. When they were stupid kids, young adults confused about maturity, now. Love is truly about compromise, but one that feels easy and natural, one that doesn't create a chasm between two people who should love each other no matter what.
Home has always been a person for Harry. Never a place, a city, a house. At first, it was his family, mainly his mum. But there came a time, when he was in his 20's, when he realized that had passed. He's found temporary homes but now he's got his permanent one. And it's the best one of them all.
Harry Styles Reflects on Music, Fashion and Fatherhood
The singer/songwriter/actor/fashion icon sat down with Esquire to discuss his never-waning career and a recent change in his private life.
By Brad Vettel December 4th 2032
If one thing is certain, it's that we're all obsessed with Harry Styles, and have been for more than two decades now. Kicking off with a successful boyband, the now thirty-eight year old artist of many trades, is considered a living legend by many. Styles is our December cover star and Esquire's Brad Vettel sat down for a conversation with him in his London home only a couple of days ago.
…
I'm one of the many people who have been dying to get a glimpse on Harry Styles's Hampstead home for ages. Begging for an Architectural Digest photoshoot or even a good Instagram phone. I never thought I'd get to step a foot inside the upgraded Georgian house. Yet the day comes and I'm greeted at the door by Harry Styles himself, sporting his signature smile, a pair of dark blue palazzo pants and a white V-neck sweater. He welcomes me with a hug and an offer of coffee, tea, water, which I gladly accept. To my surprise, he goes to the kitchen himself, after leading me to the living room, not an assistant on hand. The house is actually empty apart from us two, which is a pleasant change to a typical interview for a profile.
Once we both dig into our coffee and have an initial chitchat, I ask the first question. How does it feel to release his eight album? “It doesn't really feel like that?” Styles replies, smiling. “It's technically the thirteenth, if you were pressed to count the five with the band. But it's, uh, it's quite a number. I tend to almost put milestones to my life based on albums. This one's about that, that one's about this.” At least you have the awards to remember them by, I comment. He smiles again and nods silently. Not one for bragging, I prod. “I guess not,” Styles replies. “It's an honour, of course, to be even nominated by the Academy, the Recording Academy. And winning… when I'm up on the stage accepting an award I often feel like I'm gonna wake up any second and find myself back in my bed, thirteen with my mum calling at me from downstairs to get out of bed at last or I'll be late for school. It's just a massive honour, not a bragging right. At least not to me.”
My next question circles the album: Is it harder writing when you're not after a breakup? I can't not ask, it's one of my favourites for artists in stable relationships. “I don't think so,” Styles replies. “Everyone writes in a different way. Some people don't like to channel their happiness into songs. I do. I like to write the emotions I'm feeling, whether it's sadness, heartbreak, frustration, happiness. I've been married for over two years now and I don't ever plan to write a breakup album again. Have enough of those.”
Styles is one half of a very unique power couple. The other half is Zayn Malik, a successful singer/songwriter in his own right, coincidentally Styles's One Direction ex-bandmate. The pair has a long history and they finally got married two years ago in an intimate ceremony in Italy. Since their reconciliation, Styles assumed the role of a step-dad to Malik's daughter with model Gigi Hadid. In September of this year, the pair welcomed new additions to their family - a twin boy and girl, Milo and Isla. Of course, in true Harry Styles fashion, the twin's godmother is none other than Stevie Nicks.
“Oh, they're absolute darlings,” Styles says after I ask him about the newest family members. “I swear they grow a centimeter every day [laughter]. It's been a very moving, very touching experience. I've been Amara's step-dad for a few years now but Milo and Isla are biologically mine. We had a very, very lovely surrogate in LA. I didn't expect two babies but it happens with IVF often, so. The more the merrier, I guess. But yeah, it's been a bit challenging, taking care of them and everything but I try to enjoy every second of it. Zayn keeps telling me that it'll all pass by in a second, that he blinked and Amara went from a baby to nearly a teenager.” The house seems too tidy to be housing two infants and a nine-year-old but I do spot a stray pacifier between a stack of art books and a vase on the coffee table. Neither of us notice until the very end of our interview.
Was the album inspired by this new experience in a way? “Yeah, definitely,” he replies with a serious face now. “Obviously, it wasn't a traditional experience of like, expecting to bring a baby home. But I was really nervous at times, worrying if I'll be a good dad and all that. Amara was already almost three when I first met her. Isla and Milo are teeny tiny babies, I'll have to teach them everything, how to human basically. But there are a few songs on the album which are very hopeful and are kind of like, a love-letter to them? A wish for the future, a little recollection of feelings to look back to in some years.”
Any new film in works? I can't not ask about Styles's impressive acting career. After debuting in a Nolan film, there were only good things written in the stars for him. Last year, Styles won his first Oscar, turning his third nomination into gold.
“Not just yet,” he replies. “With the album and Isla and Milo, there's not much time for reading scripts, let alone filming. But I'm always on the lookout for interesting projects. I'd like to try my hand at producing as well. All when the time is right.”
How hard is it to handle everything when you're a power couple household. Styles laughs at the question: “It's just our normal. I don't really know anything else, I've been doing this since I was sixteen. I get restless when I don't have anything cooking up, so to speak. Zayn isn't like that, probably thankfully. He likes to be still, he takes it easy. Ever since Amara was born, he hasn't really toured. He never quite liked it, to be honest and I totally understand him. He sticks to music and does a lot of songwriting. I'm aware I'm gonna have a harder time juggling everything with three kids in the house now, two of them babies but I'm sure we'll manage. I know I don't want to be gone for months and come back and then my kids will have taken their first steps, said their first words, and I wasn't there. I want to be with them for every important moment and I'll absolutely make sure my schedule reflects that.”
Will he tour the new album? “Um, not fully,” Styles replies. He's pulling on his bottom lip, his signature rings on display. I'm pleased to see he's still continuing with the trend he kicked off many years now, with his colourful nail polish. It's not a given these days, though. “I want to do a few shows,” Styles continues. “But I'll probably stick close to home. London, Manchester, maybe mainland Europe. I'd like to take the littles with me if I'm out of London. I'll still wait until next year.”
Next, I ask about his long-standing relationship with Gucci. Styles has been a constant with the brand, repping them with fragrances, collections, catwalks and events such as MET Gala. “Alessandro is great,” Styles says. “I feel very lucky to have been able to work with him for so many years. It's a friendship, not just a business relationship. We have a little thing coming out for Christmas so watch out for that. Isla and Milo may or may not be included.” Is it a collection or a campaign? “I can't say exactly what it is, but it's nothing groundbreaking. No elaborate theories needed or you'll be severely underwhelmed.”
We talk for a while longer, discussing everything and nothing. Most of it not fitting for a profile. Harry Styles charms me to no end and I leave just as it starts to get dark outside.
While doing additional research when putting this peace together, I stumbled upon an old clip of Alexa Chung saying talking to Styles is like staring into the face of a lighthouse. After meeting him, I can only corroborate her statement.
---------------------------------------
Harry feels like he's on tour the first few weeks after Isla and Milo are born. Everyone's excited to see them, everyone wants to meet them so he has to schlep the two newborns around LA, show them to their godmother first because there was no way in hell anyone else would get the honour other than Stevie. Then it's Jeff, his family, all his friends in LA. Once they finally get home, his and Zayn's families come to meet the littles of course and then it's time for a casual “welcome to the world, this isn't a christening” party.
It's a warm September for London so they make the most of the patio and the garden and throw the party there. It's a kind of a friends, family thing so there is no pressure to keep face.
Actually being a dad is a strange experience to Harry. He always knew that he wanted kids. At first, years and years ago, he figured he'd marry a girl, they'd settle down and all that jazz. The dreams and goals have changed many times but the outcome remains the same. Isla and Milo are a bit different from Amara. Of course, Harry loves her like his own but she already has two parents who conceived her. While Isla and Milo's mum is someone Harry literally paid to have them and got it done through an agency, they are his children. They'll likely resemble him to a varying degree, they might share traits too.
Not everything is about biology of course. It doesn't matter at the end of the day. Harry just wanted to experience being a parent and knowing he doesn't have to care about schedules and agreements and “This Christmas the kids are with me, next year with you.”. He wanted a family, one that he built from the ground up with the person he loved the most in the world. So there came Isla and Milo.
The plan was for one baby, the gender was irrelevant. But with IVF, they do more because usually only one sticks anyway but not with these two. They were a bit shocked at first, as anyone learning about twins is but eventually, Harry saw it as real luck that came unplanned but made a lot of sense. He wasn't sure if they'd have more kids after this, they're nearing their forties after all. So they have two perfect children in one go and don't have to ponder about it in a couple of years.
Isla and Milo are really good kids, considering they're infants. They sleep quite well, which is pretty much all a new parent can ask for. The only thing that's been annoying Harry is Zayn's constant - 'when Amara was a baby...', all that business. Harry genuinely just wants to tell him to shut the fuck up and stop reminding him where Amara actually came from but he doesn't want to start a huge fight in this situation. He's accepted it, he doesn't mind, he loves Amara but with a limited sleeping schedule and the smell of baby poop everywhere, he's a bit more irritable than usual.
Harry's maybe, just maybe felt a bit too attached to the babies. That's why he's got Isla sleeping soundly against his chest at the no-christening/welcome-babies party as he's sat on a patio sofa. He's trying not to hit Isla with the stem of his wine glass. Truly, he's seconds away from asking someone to go find him a stemless one.
It's a very happy moment, one of the happiest he's ever had. There aren't many people here but it's all just people who Harry loves and wants to spend time with no matter what. He's not very engaged in the conversation that Gemma started with Sarah, about some recent scandal with some brand and the ethics and issues and all. Once everyone's cooed and ahed over the babies enough, the conversation shifted from nappies to normal adult topics.
Harry listens in silently, drinking and making sure Isla's doing okay. He's content like that, with his daughter with him, safe and sound and with great company around. Isla doesn't pay mind to the relatively loud conversation, she keeps sleeping, her back gently rising and falling under Harry's light touch. She might just be the perfect baby. Harry kisses the top of her head with a sprinkling of light hair and goes back to kind of following the conversation. His mind is mostly wandering though.
A few moments later, there's a touch on his shoulder. He cranes his head and sees Zayn standing above him, holding Milo. “There are my favourite boys,” Harry smiles up at them. “Everything okay?”
“Sure,” Zayn says. “No longer with a smelly nappy, Milo's very content.”
Harry just smiles and Zayn quickly pecks his lips before joining the sofa/chair rectangle. Since Milo is awake, he's very quickly snatched from Zayn and passed around, proclaimed the cutest baby ever about a hundred times and Milo loves it. He's not one of those babies that need to be only with their parents all the time. He loves people and keeps staring at them like they're the most fascinating thing in the world. Isla isn't fussy with other people but it takes her a moment to get used to them.
“I actually think he had himself cloned,” Gemma proclaims as Milo reaches her. “I don't believe that surrogacy story, it's a cover.”
“No, stop,” Harry laughs, not too loudly though because Isla is still napping. “Don't be mean. Milo doesn't even look like me.”
“Oh, yes, he does,” Gemma retorts. “I remember very vividly when you were a screaming infant. He's a clone, I'm telling you.”
“Okay, what about Isla then?” Harry challenges her. “She's a girl.”
“I'm not a scientist, H, I don't know how all that works,” Gemma fakes a very offended scoff. Milo pulls at her hair. “Aw,” she smiles at him. “Clones or not, they're both very adorable babies.”
And that, no one can disagree with.
xxx
They don't introduce Amara to the babies immediately. Since they're twins, it's twice the work, twice the crying, twice the nappies, everything. Harry and Zayn wouldn't have quite enough time to pay attention to Amara like they should so she stays with her mum.
It's late November when they decide it's the right time to let Amara come stay for the weekend. Harry decided to take a nap with Isla and Milo while Zayn went to pick Amara up. He truly needed it so he took two baby nests, put them on their bed, laid the babies down in them and then settled down on the other side of the bed. He might be a bit co-dependent on them, which is getting bothersome since he's putting an album out and actually has to work and leave the house sometimes. It's torture, he feels.
Harry probably falls asleep even before the babies and he's woken up by someone touching his face gently. When he slowly peels his eyes open, which is a Herculean effort, he smiles as he sees Zayn leaning above him.
“Hello, Sleeping Beauty,” Zayn smiles. “Amara's here.”
“Oh, that's good,” Harry says and yawns. He looks over to the babies and sees that Isla is already up while Milo is still fast asleep.
“Can I bring her up?”
“Yeah, of course,” Harry smiles sleepily and sits up. He kisses Zayn quickly before he leaves the room to get Amara. Isla looks up at Harry with the baby puppy eyes and he picks her up and cuddles her right away. Yes, he coddles his babies. No, he doesn't care if some people claim you should let a baby cry things out or console themselves. Nope, he does not give a single shit.
Milo's still sleeping when Amara comes in, tiptoeing into the room with Zayn in tow. She looks between the two babies, kind of looking like a deer in the headlights.
“It's alright, you can come in,” Harry says quietly. “Milo's asleep but please, come sit on the bed. Isla's more than ready to meet you.”
“They're so tiny,” Amara says as she very carefully sits on the comforter.
“Yes, twins are usually smaller than singular babies,” Harry chuckles. “So, this is Isla,” he tilts Isla in his arms so Amara can properly see her. “She can't talk yet but I'm sure she is very happy to meet you. And this sleepyhead right here is Milo.”
“Hello, Isla,” Amara says and gently touches her hand as if to give her a handshake. “Hi, Milo,” she tells Milo, who's starting to rouse at the commotion in the room. Harry just hopes he won't start crying right off the bat.
“Do you want to hold her?” Harry asks Amara.
“Oh,” Amara raises her brows. “Can I? What if I drop her?”
“You won't drop her, you're her big sister,” Harry tells her and slowly transfers Isla into her arms. Amara handles her well, holding her tight and Isla isn't crying so it's a great sign. “Mar, you just passed the Isla-likes-you test with flying colours,” Harry chuckles as he picks Milo up. “There's Milo. Had a good nap, darling?” Milo coos and covers his face with one arm. “I'll take that as a yes.”
“They're adorable,” Amara smiles. “I can't wait till they get bigger, they're all floppy and they don't do much yet.”
“You were floppy once too, young lady,” Zayn quips. He's been sitting behind Amara the whole time, watching the whole exchange like a wild nature documentary.
“We all were,” Harry chuckles. “They're only seven weeks old. So very little. You'll be ten in January. That's quite the difference.”
“It is,” Amara agrees. “I'll be a teenager soon. I will get to drive a car.”
Harry and Zayn laugh. “Eighteen is quite a long time away, babe,” Zayn says. “You can't get your license at ten.”
“I'll wait then,” Amara rolls her eyes a little. “Daddy? Will you finally explain to me how these babies came to be?”
“Oh my god,” Harry mutters as he shares a look with Zayn. And Zayn only grins and shrugs, the idiot. “Okay, so,” Harry starts and holds Milo more upright, with his little face against his shoulder. “You learned in biology how babies are actually conceived, right?”
“Yes, the egg and sperm thing.”
“Right, that thing,” Harry frowns a little. “Well, this is very much adult stuff but, there are these agencies, companies, that help same-sex couples have babies. It can be two boys, or two girls. And there's lots of very great people who will help out with one of the parts of creating a baby. So with Isla and Milo, there was this really nice lady who basically carried them and she is biologically their mum, while I'm biologically their dad. But she isn't actually their mum. Isla and Milo don't have a mum, they only have two dads. Me and baba.”
Amara does a lot of frowning before she says, “Okay.” and starts playing with Isla's fingers. Harry blinks slowly at Zayn but they're more than happy to let the matter go and leave it as it is. It's pretty fucking confusing for a kid.
“I really like their names,” Amara says after a while, looking up at Harry. “They both have four letters.”
“They do,” Harry smiles. “Not many people notice. It was on purpose. You're very smart, honey.”
“I think it's cool,” Amara says. “Will they have like those… telepathic twin abilities like in the films?”
“I don't think that's real, Mar,” Zayn says. “It would be sick but it's only in the movies.”
“That's a pity,” Amara says. She looks down at Isla weirdly before saying, “Baba, I think Isla pooped.”
Amara doesn't quite understand why that simple sentence is so funny to her baba and daddy.
Harry Styles Makes Us Swoon With Set Photos
His freshly 2-year-old twins visited him on the set of his latest film and yes, we cried.
BY KATIE RANDALL for Grazia UK| POSTED ON 02 10 2034
If you're anything like us, you're a Harry fan. We wouldn't say we follow his every move but we try to follow whatever we can. This latest bit we got to see made us shed a tear or two out of the sheer cuteness.
Harry's currently filming his new film in London, his first feature in a couple of years, which were filled with an album and a successful mini-series for Netflix. And also the cutest celebrity offsprings we've ever seen - Isla and Milo. Earlier today, the film's director shared a photo of Harry with the twins, who were both sitting in the director's chair and Milo was chewing on the clapper board with the film's logo. The caption reads: “ Sometimes you have unwelcome guests on the set and sometimes you have these two sweeties coming in and stealing your job. I would say they're much better at directing their dad than I am. Or maybe ordering around is a better term haha!”
Isla and Milo turned two just over a week ago and in that time, they've managed to capture the hearts of many people, just like their dad. The twins are also nearly perfect carbon copies of Harry, with wide smiles and curls framing their faces. We first saw the twins in a special Christmas campaign for Gucci Harry did with them, his husband and step-daughter. We are still recovering from the cuteness, truth be told, even though we've gotten similar glimpses at the family throughout the years.
Harry is currently filming a psychological drama, whose plot is being kept tightly under wraps. He is also one of the producers. In an interview with Variety earlier this year, Harry said this: “ Film has been an incredible surprise to me, in my career. You know, I started with Chris Nolan's Dunkirk, which was an incredible project. I'm very grateful to him and his casting team for not throwing my audition away just because of the whole, you know, boyband thing. At that point, I didn't plan to do acting and music 50/50 but life just takes its turns and here I am. The next picture I'm doing, I'm also one of the producers and it's my first time doing something behind the scenes as well. After almost twenty years of dipping in and out of the industry, I felt like I've got enough experience with how it all works to try my hand at this. When I'm you know, recording an album or touring, I can help put some great projects out as well. There's so many talented people trying to break into the scene and it's hard, it's really hard so that's where my focus is. On those debut films, features based on graduate projects or short films. Young people are the future and once upon a time, I was a twenty-one-year old reading lines for the first time and someone was there to take a chance on me, because they saw beyond what was on the surface. There can be a little bit of prejudice with big studios, where they want to protect their investment and go ahead with more experienced writers and directors. I think talent doesn't need experience, as long as you create a good team of people who know what they're doing in terms of production and casting.”
We definitely agree and we love to see such influential figures in the industry doing great things. But in the meantime, we'll be over here swooning over Isla and Milo. Maybe at least one of them will follow in their dad's footsteps and we'll see them on the big screen one day.
---------------------------
It's January and it's snowing in London. Snow in England is generally a rare sight, with most people freaking out, even though it always melts within a few hours or at most days. Harry would've enjoyed the drive, with snowflakes hitting his windshield and slowly melting if he wasn't planning a birthday party on the phone.
“It isn't a bad idea,” Harry argues. “She said she wanted it!”
“If she gets whatever the hell she wants she'll turn into a spoiled brat,” Gigi says on the other end of the line. “She's turning thirteen, spoil her now, she ruins her life before she's legally an adult.”
“Oh god,” Harry rolls his eyes. “She wants to have a pool party and it makes perfect sense. She's on her school's swimming team, lots of her friends are on it as well. It's a nice theme. No thirteen-year-old gives a shit about fancy restaurants.”
“What if someone drowns?”
“I'll hire lifeguards,” Harry says. “I'm not letting this idea go, Gigi. It's cute, it's creative and one turns thirteen only once. Amara's officially a teenager. She deserves a cute party.”
“Fine, whatever,” Gigi relents. “But I'm planning her sweet sixteen. Are you at home? I sent you an email with a few things.”
“No, I'm driving,” Harry replies. “I'm on my way to pick up Isla and Milo from nursery.”
“Alright,” Gigi says. “Just so we're clear, you'll take care of distributing the invitations properly, right?”
“Yeah, there's a PTA meeting on Thursday, so I'll pop into Mar's class and take care of it.”
“Since when are you on the PTA board at my daughter's school?”
“Since I realized I want my son and daughter to attend their primary next year,” Harry replies. “They're snobby and like it when you suck up to them. It helps when you've already got a kid there.”
“How in the hell do you have time for it?”
“The magic of time management.”
Gigi chuckles. “Okay, have a look at the email when you have time. We'll iron out the details later. Bye.”
Harry takes a deep breath after the call is over. He has a newfound respect for all people who have a great relationship with the other parent of their stepkids. They're trying to communicate more but they'll never be friends. Pride, history, personalities - all that clashing together. They'll never be able to go out for a friendly dinner but they're able to share a glass of wine at a function and hold a conversation. Or plan birthday parties for Amara together.
There are a couple of cars ready for pick up in front of the nursery. Harry curses to himself as he parks. He thought he was here early enough to miss the little crowd of stay-at-home parents who have made it their life mission to become Harry's best friends. Or side pieces. So Harry fishes his phone out of his purse on the passenger's seat and decides to use a tiny little call as an excuse not to leave the car and join the crowd of parents gossiping.
“Hey, everything alright?”
Hearing his husband's voice is much more pleasant than gossip. “Yeah,” Harry sighs. “I just called because there's those WASP parents and I do not have the nerves to talk to them after having a fucking presidential debate with Gigi about Amara's birthday party. How are you?”
“Sorry to hear that, babe,” Zayn says. “Um, I'm just at the studio, we're doing some mixing today. Have you got any plans left for today?”
“Kind of,” Harry replies. “I picked up some things Alessandro sent me and I need to have Milo and Isla try them on. Then I'll take some photos to see what they want to use for the campaign. Will you be late?”
“Don't know yet,” Zayn says. “I'll get dinner if I leave early enough?”
“Sounds good,” Harry spots the teacher at the entrance to the school, a flock of kids behind her. “Alright, I gotta go, it's pick up time. I'll text you before six if you're coming home for dinner, okay?”
“Okay, bye, I love you. Give the twins a kiss from me.”
“I will, love you.”
The air outside is very chilly when Harry gets out of the car but he's motivated by finally seeing his babies again. It's been six horribly long hours. Isla and Milo spot him immediately, as they always do and break off from the group and run towards him. Harry's ready for the impact, already crouching down with open arms. It's such a pleasant change, the way kids give their love so easily, freely and frequently.
“Oh my god, sweethearts,” Harry huffs as they both hug him at full force. “How was your day? Was it good?” he asks them between quickly kissing them. “Ready to go home?”
“Daddy, it's snowing!” Isla shouts. “Can we make a snowman?”
“Maybe at home, darling,” Harry smiles. “Let's get you into the car, it's very chilly. You don't want to get sick.”
Milo and Isla don't protest as each grabs one of Harry's hands and they walk to the car with him. Harry greets a few of the unpleasant parents with a manufactured smile. He gets the kids into their car seats and off they go.
“So what did you do today?” Harry asks them on the drive back. “Anything fun? Did you learn anything?”
“We talked about colours, daddy,” Milo answers. “Green and pink and red and orange and… so many colours!”
“Yes, there's a lot of colours,” Harry says, glancing at the rearview mirror. “Do you guys have a favorite one?”
“Mine is purple!” Isla says enthusiastically. “My dog plushie is purple.”
“It is and it's a very pretty colour,” Harry says. “What about you, Milo?”
“I like orange,” Milo says. “It's like the fruity fruits.”
Harry chuckles. “Yes, fruity fruits. Good choice! Very pretty colours.”
“Can I have a snack?” Milo asks. “I want an orange.”
“When we get home, baby,” Harry replies. “We are gonna have a lot of fun this afternoon together. We'll have a snack and then we'll take some pictures.”
The kids are quite enthusiastic about it all. They're mostly excited for the after-school snack, even though they literally have it every day. And they do like photos, especially polaroids which at their age they find very fascinating. Sometimes a bit of analogue photography is exactly what one needs in an era full of technology.
When they get back, Milo and Isla stop beginning to make a snowman thanks to their afternoon snack and a little bribe of some chocolate. Harry would build twenty snowmen with them but there isn't enough snow, they would get all wet and sweaty and in the end fussy, because there truly is around a centimeter of snow and snowman-making is quite impossible. They've still got things to do.
They all snack together at the kitchen island. Harry listens to their toddler babbling, the meandering rambling stories that rarely make sense but he listens with a smile and nods at all the right moments. Embellishes the experience by saying “No way!” or “Oh wow, tell me more.” when the stories ask for it. After they're done, Harry lets Isla and Milo loose in their playroom next to the living room while he tidies us and gets the living room ready for some impromptu photoshooting. When he unpacks the bags he picked up earlier, there aren't too many clothes but it might have to be a two day event because the kids will start getting fussy with so many outfit changes.
Harry can be very sneaky when he wants to so he takes the first change of clothes to the playroom and changes their clothes in the middle of playing so they hardly notice it. He then chooses this approach for the whole thing and takes the camera from the living room to snap the pictures right there.
“Look at daddy, darlings,” Harry tells them once he's got enough shots of them just playing in the little matching co-ords, the last outfit that he photographs. This way of doing it was a great success. “There it is, can you give me a cheese? Say cheese if you like cheese in your lunchbox.” Isla and Milo both grin with all their teeth on display. They both do like cheese quite a lot. Harry raised them well, he thinks.
“Thank you, Milo, thank you, Isla,” Harry says and kisses their cheeks. “You were so good today! Daddy will send these to uncle Alessandro and then later, we'll have a fun little day taking more pictures together. Are you excited?”
“Yes!” the kids grin. Harry smiles at them and changes them into their regular clothes. He was extremely wary at first, showing the babies to the world. People are disgusting and they can say all kinds of things, do a lot of harm. But he's made sure legally, that no paparazzi can post the children anywhere or sell photos of them to any publication. When the world sees Isla and Milo, he's fully in control of how much and what it's seeing. He would never dare put them or their future at risk because of weirdos. But hiding them would've been unfair to them as a family. It would create pressure from the world, it would be hard to control so this proved to be the way to go.
After the little shoot, Harry watches a Disney movie with Isla and Milo on the couch in the living room, each kid on one side of him. It's the happiest place in the world then, in blissful mundanity with his children. Harry has loved a lot in his life but nothing could ever compare to the fierce love he feels for Isla and Milo. When they came into his life, something shifted and made the world feel complete. Harry has stayed close to home ever since then. He's prioritized filming over touring because he can stay right here in London and see Isla and Milo every day and not through a camera. He can pick them up from nursery, take them to playdates or the park, he can watch them grow up. Once they're older, he'll take them on a tour, of course he will but he didn't want to disrupt their routine and life with so much travelling just yet. And even then, he'll likely do it over summer as one prolonged holiday for them.
Zayn comes back once the kids have already been put down and Harry's in the living room sorting out his emails.
“Did I miss Isla and Milo?” he asks when he joins Harry on the sofa.
“Yeah,” Harry says and kisses Zayn quickly. “But don't worry, they were knackered. They were in bed even before their bedtime.”
“I'll make pancakes for breakfast tomorrow then,” Zayn says. He wraps his arms around Harry's waist and hooks his chin over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Planning Amara's party,” Harry replies. “This is worse than a wedding.”
“You're too good, Haz,” Zayn says. “Always taking care of everyone. Who's gonna take care of you?”
“You,” Harry turns his head, grinning. “You signed up for it.”
“I did, didn't I?” Zayn smirks. “There might be a bed upstairs which is the perfect tool to help me take care of you.”
“That sounded more like a euphemism for some elderly care than sex.”
“Maybe but the offer still stands.”
“Take me then.”
xxx
“Do you have them?”
“Yes.”
Harry leans into the doorway to see if Isla and Milo are still happily distracted by the cartoons. They are and they've no idea what their dads are scheming about in the entryway.
Zayn puts the animal carrier on the ground and Harry quickly gets the decorated box he hid in a hallway closet yesterday. It's June, far from the kids' birthdays or Christmas or anything that would warrant this kind of a present. But they've also just finished the school year at nursery and Harry got his way and chose to have the twins at home for the summer, not still at nursery even though he could've.
“Oh. My. God,” Harry says when he sees the two adorable kittens Zayn takes out of the carrier. One is a calico and the other one a tuxedo. “They're so bloody cute. The kids will lose their minds.”
“Mar helped me pick them out,” Zayn explains as he puts the kittens into the box. “I wanted two ginger ones but she said she's barricading the shelter if I do that. Picked these two instead. They're siblings, a boy and a girl. She said it's just like Milo and Isla and I mean, she's not wrong.”
“That is so thoughtful,” Harry says as he pets the kittens. “Is she still coming tomorrow morning? I've missed her. She's been at Gigi's place for a month.”
“Yes, she'll be here,” Zayn nods. “Shall we take them to the kids?”
“Oh yeah,” Harry says and stands up. “I'll take the box, you go first.”
Harry waits a few short minutes as Zayn chats with the kids and teases the big surprise. When he enters the room with the big box wrapped in a gold wrapper and a huge bow on top, their faces are priceless. He places the box on the coffee table and sits next to Isla.
“What do you think is inside?” Harry asks as fixes Isla's hair. “Toys?”
“Maybe,” Milo says. “Or a dinosaur!”
“Dinosaurs are too big,” Isla says. “I think it's a fish.”
Harry laughs. “Okay well, let's open the box and see, yeah?” As the box is lifted, tiny squeaky meows start sounding outside of it and the twins gasp.
“Daddy! It's kittens!” Isla screams.
“They're meowing!” Milo adds.
“Yes, and they're gonna be your friends,” Zayn says. “They're a brother and sister, just like you two.”
“ And you can pick their names,” Harry tells the kids. “Whatever you want. Just be very gentle with them. Careful too. They're very tiny but they also have sharp nails that can scratch you.”
Isla and Milo nod very seriously before reaching for the kittens. Milo picks the tuxedo and Isla takes out the calico. They're good with pets, for toddlers, thanks to growing up with Evie ever since they were born. She unfortunately passed away a few weeks ago of old age and the house just hasn't been the same without a cat trying to eat your lunch or sleeping on your lap in the evening. It was lonelier after Dobby passed away a couple of years ago but Evie didn't like kittens or new cats.
“Thank you, daddy and baba,” Isla says and Milo echoes after her. “Are they Evie's babies?”
“You're welcome, sweetheart,” Harry says and kisses the top of Isla's head. “No, they're not. Evie is in kitty heaven. She never had babies. But I would say they're her friends. She sent them to be your friends now too.”
“Thank you, Evie,” Milo says while looking up at the ceiling, as if he were reaching heaven.
The rest of the day is spent fussing over the kittens and playing with them. Nothing could make Harry happier than seeing his family together, enjoying something as simple as playing with kittens.
It's been a long journey to get where he is, but as he sits on the couch with the love of his life next to him, watching his babies play with kittens, Harry's grateful for the rough road that took him to this point. No matter how long it took, how many heartbreaks he had to weather though, he's here. He's here, with the man he's loved nearly all his life and the best family he could ever wish for. Happiness wasn't a pipe dream. It was just a slow burn. And it's set ablaze now.
