This post sparked an idea that I have been longing to have. Just little snippets into the life of Daddy!Finn and his son Harry (ode to real life Rae's son and because for some reason Harry sounds like such a British name, you know cause Harry Potter, Prince Harry and dare I say it Harry Styles) anyway enhoy!

Wake Up Daddy

The scream pierced through his head like a jackhammer. Harry was at it again. He'd only been home from the hospital for just over a week and it was suffice to say that Rae and Finn learned pretty quickly that Harry wasn't going to be a 'good' sleeper.

"Fen" Rae mumbled out what was supposed to sound like Finn's name. "Yr trn"

Rae didn't have to make proper words for Finn to know what she was saying. Finn rolled off the bed with a groan, trying not to be annoyed at his little man. Shuffling down the hallway, with his eyes half closed Finn stubbed his toe on the door to Harry's room.

"Bloody hell, stupid door" Finn's cursing did nothing but intensify his son's cry. Finn sighed and finally approached the cot. Leaning over and seeing his son there in a fit of tears took away all his annoyance. He was even beautiful with a red face, snot and tears dripping while producing the scream of someone being murdered. Finn picked him up so gently like he thought he could break him.

"Hey hey, watsup mate" Finn cooed as he rocked him back and forth, patting him on his bum. It was in that moment he realised exactly why Harry was crying. He would be too if he was sleeping in that mess. Finn carefully carried him over to the change table and took off his nappy.

"You stinky little chicken, you're lucky I love you mister" Finn whispered as he routinely went through the process of changing a dirty nappy. Not being as bothered as most people would be having to wipe up poo at 3am.

Finn picked up the freshly changed baby, bouncing him in his arms trying to get him back to sleep. Finn became too tired to stand and so walked over to the chair that sat right by Harry's cot, gently humming to him as his cries stopped and his eyes began to flutter closed. After he finally closed his eyes, Finn looked at his son like it was the last time he was ever going to see him and couldn't bear to put him back to bed just yet so he decided to stay holding him. Just for a little while longer.

Half an hour had passed when Rae woke up to ask Finn what had Harry crying. She rolled over to see that her husband had not returned to bed. Confused, she herself got out of bed to see what was keeping Finn.

Rae quietly walked into Harry's nursery to see Finn sitting on the chair snoring with Harry lying over his chest. There they were, her two favourite boys in all their glory, looking as beautiful as ever.

Daddy The Clown

(This may have slightly been inspired by my work as a Santa photographer – you get some doozies)

"Hello there mister, are you excited to see Santa Claus today?" The photographer bent down to the 4 year old trying to coax a smile out of the shy little boy. Harry did nothing but cling on to Finn's leg and bury his face in his knee.

"Hey stop bein' a little grumpy sod and answer her question" Rae tried to get Harry to answer the photographer. But alas, he hid right behind Finn and held onto his hand tight. Rae and Finn both knew this was going to happen. It had happened the last three years with Santa, luckily for Harry's first Christmas he had been too young to even realise he was being handed over. No matter how much they worked him up to it beforehand, getting him to wave every time they walked past, it was one of the most difficult tasks of the Christmas season. They had considered not getting it this year but then decided it wasn't worth hearing it from Linda about not getting a photo of her grandbaby with Santa.

"C'mon, mate, I'll come up with you" Finn lent down to his son hoping to offer him moral support for his big expedition. Harry just shook his head at Finn clearly indicating he wasn't having any of it. Rae and Finn were about ready to give up and try another day; after all it was only the 2nd, but then Finn thought about his special weapon.

"I tell ya what, if you go sit on Santa's lap for mummy and I, when we get home, we can put on whatever record you want" Harry's stubbornness wavered for a moment. Even at 4, music had become a huge part of his little life. He was definitely an Earl-Nelson hybrid. Harry slowly started walking over to Santa, the man picking him up and sitting him on his knee. The only problem was, Harry's face was not the picture perfect one they had been hoping for. Daddy didn't say he had to smile. He sat on Santa's knee with a right pout on, his arms crossed firmly across his chest.

The photographers tried everything to get him to smile. Bubbles, tickles, even tried giving him toys to hold. Nothing. Rae looked at Finn, begging him with her eyes to get Harry to smile. She knew Finn's silly faces always cracked Harry when he was being stubborn and she really didn't want to have to come back again or make everyone else wait any longer.

Finn wasn't normally one to act silly in public, but luckily for Rae, he was one to please his wife. Finn stood next to the camera, making bunny ears over the photographers head, poking his head out from behind the stand, while poking his tongue out and crossing his eyes. Harry's arms unfolded and he tried not to look at Finn because he was losing the battle, he was gonna smile.

Finn was acting downright daft, but he sure as hell wasn't gonna give up now, not when he was so close to getting a smile. He took a pair of reindeer ears out of a basket of gifts for the children and put them on his head and pretended to be a reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh. Even Rae was laughing at him. The photographer had her finger ready at the button for when Harry finally succumbed and just as Finn tripped over a stray camera cord, Harry burst out into a fit of laughter, the photographer clicking away. While Harry was still laughing on Santa's lap at his father's expense, Finn got up off the ground, rubbing his knee and went to go and look at the photos with Rae to help her try and chose the shot they wanted.

They looked at the screen and there it was, the first shot taken. Harry's eyes were opened wide, and his smile open mouthed and huge. He may have been looking a little off the camera, focusing on Finn's face plant instead, but they didn't care, because he looked so happy, they bought copies for everybody.

Harry ran up to Finn, leaping into his arms, still with a big smile on his face and Rae looked at Finn with grateful eyes.

"Not too shabby Finley."

There's No Place Higher Than Dad's Shoulders

It was Harry's 6th Birthday and Rae and Finn had promised him he could have a day at the fair with all his family. Uncle Archie and Uncle Barney, Aunty Chloe and Lily, Uncle Chop, Aunty Izzy and the twins, Aunty Jazz, Nanna and Giddo and Pop were all there to celebrate. The fair was going to end with a fireworks display at 7:30 and Harry couldn't wait, he loved fireworks.

Finn had given his son enough fairy floss to last him a lifetime and Harry was bouncing from his sugar rush. Finn, Archie, Chop and Barney had offered to take the four kids and a 13 year old Jazz on a few rides whilst the mothers and grandparents started setting out some food they brought along. They'd been on a few rides when they decided it was time to take the kids back to eat some proper food that wasn't just simple sugars and food colouring, when Harry virtually leaped onto Finn's back shouting "PIGGYBACK RACE". Although Finn was nearly knocked off his feet from the blow, he had no choice but to heed his son's orders. It was his birthday after all. Lily jumping onto Archie's back, Chop's son on his and his daughter jumping on Barney's, Jazz counted down from three and waved her arms like a flag girl at a drag race, shouting Go. The men ran back to where everyone else was sitting, Finn and Harry winning by a long shot.

"There you guys are. We've been waiting for you" Finn walked over to Rae with a cheeky smile on his face, knowing she didn't appreciate how much sugar Finn had given Harry, he was a hyper enough kid as it was.

"Mummy look, I'm taller than you!" Harry shouted from Finn's back whilst bouncing around like an eager little puppy. Rae drew her hand over her head and compared it to Harry's to emphasise his point. "Well it looks like you are. But only just. It must be because you're seven now" Rae humoured her son. Harry laughed and jumped of Finn's back, heading for the food laid out.

The family spent the day playing the games and going on more rides, following every whim of the birthday boy, until it was finally time to watch the fireworks. Everyone was sitting down looking up at the sky in anticipation, Harry the most excited he'd been all day. The first one went off with a colourful bang.

"Dad! Dad! Look!" Harry shouted, pulling at Finn's arms as if he wasn't aware that there were fireworks going on.

"Yeah I can see 'em mate, they're cool aren't they?"

Harry looked over at Finn for a moment, leaving Finn wondering why he was looking away from the fireworks. "Daddy, I wanna get higher so I can try and touch them". Even though Finn knew very well that was not possible, he couldn't say no to his favourite kid on his birthday, so he stood up, lifting Harry onto his shoulders. Harry squealed with delight as he reached his arms up, aiming to touch the beautiful display with awe spread across his face. Harry didn't care that he couldn't actually touch them because right in that moment he felt like the tallest person in the world and that left Finn with a huge smile on his face knowing his son was having a good birthday. Not to mention a look of awe that matched Harry's coming from Rae as she looked at a wonder more beautiful than the fireworks.

*Giddo is Arabic for Grandfather (well at least in the Arabic my cousins are – They're Egyptian but meh close enough)

Thanks for reading. Review if you like, or not, whatever floats your boat