Broken Hearts...

twentyone

It was the middle of the night when Emma's soft cries pierced the stillness of the room. Harry stirred instantly, his body tense and alert before his mind fully registered what was happening. Emma. She was awake. Without thinking, Harry slipped out of bed as quietly as possible, careful not to wake Louis. The last thing he wanted was to disturb him. He couldn't shake the old fear-the instinct that if he woke someone, there'd be consequences.

The floorboards creaked lightly as Harry padded down the hall to Emma's room, his heart racing as her cries grew louder. He hated hearing her upset, but he was more terrified of waking Louis. What if Louis got angry? What if he was disappointed? Harry shook his head, trying to push those thoughts away. This was Louis-he wasn't like April, he wasn't going to lash out.Still, the fear was there, clinging to the edges of Harry's mind.

Harry reached Emma's crib and leaned down, scooping her up into his arms. "Shh, love," he whispered softly, cradling her against his chest. "It's okay. Daddy's here." His voice was gentle, soothing, but inside, his anxiety still hummed. Emma's cries softened almost immediately, her little body curling into his warmth, but she still whimpered quietly, her tiny hands gripping his shirt.

Harry swayed gently from side to side, trying to calm her down. He held her close, pressing a soft kiss to her head, hoping that the familiar comfort of his presence would settle her. "It's okay, sweet girl," he whispered again. "You're safe. We're both safe."

For a moment, it seemed to be working. Emma's breathing began to even out, her little fist still clutching his shirt. Harry relaxed slightly, though his mind was still spinning with worry about Louis waking up. He glanced toward the door, half-expecting Louis to appear, but all was quiet.

Until it wasn't.

The soft sound of footsteps behind him made Harry freeze, his heart lurching in his chest. He kept his back to the door, his breath catching as the familiar panic rose within him. He hadn't been quiet enough. He'd woken Louis.

"Harry," came Louis's voice, soft and full of concern.

Harry tensed, his grip on Emma tightening slightly as she nestled deeper into his chest. He didn't know what to say-he felt guilty, as though he'd done something wrong by not asking for help. He braced himself for disappointment, for frustration, but then he felt it.

Louis's arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him gently into a warm embrace. "It's okay," Louis murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper. "You don't have to do this alone, you know."

Harry exhaled, the tension in his shoulders slowly releasing as Louis's arms enveloped him. It wasn't anger or disappointment. It was comfort. It was reassurance.

Louis rested his chin on Harry's shoulder, his arms still securely around him as Harry held Emma.

"You don't need to be scared of waking me up," Louis said softly, his breath warm against Harry's ear. "I'm here to help. I want to help."

Harry swallowed, his throat tight with emotion. He hadn't realized how deeply the old fear still lived inside him, how afraid he was of being a burden, of doing something wrong. "I didn't want to wake you," Harry whispered, his voice shaky. "I didn't want to bother you."

Louis's hold on him tightened slightly, the gesture full of warmth and love. "You could never bother me, H. You're not alone in this. If Emma wakes up, we take care of her *together.* You don't have to carry this all by yourself."

Harry's heart clenched at the tenderness in Louis's words. He shifted slightly, turning so that he could see Louis's face, still cradling Emma between them. Louis's eyes were soft, full of understanding, and in that moment, Harry realized how much he'd been carrying-the fear, the old wounds, the instinct to handle everything on his own.

"I'm just... I'm not used to this," Harry admitted quietly. "I'm not used to feeling like it's okay to ask for help."

Louis nodded, his expression gentle. "I know. But you don't have to do it alone anymore. We're a team, H. You, me, and Emma. We figure it out together." He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Harry's temple, his lips lingering there for a moment. "You're safe with me. Always."Harry's eyes stung with unshed tears, but they weren't from fear this time. They were from relief-from the realization that Louis meant every word. He wasn't in trouble. He wasn't a burden. He was loved.

Emma had calmed down by now, her little eyes fluttering closed again as she snuggled into Harry's chest, her breathing soft and even. Harry looked down at her, his heart swelling with affection, and then back up at Louis.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Louis smiled, his eyes warm as he reached up to brush a stray curl from Harry's forehead. "You don't have to thank me. I love you, Harry. Both of you."

Harry's breath caught at the words, his chest tightening in the best possible way. He hadn't expected to hear them-not yet, not like this-but now that they were out there, hanging in the quiet air between them, they felt so right. He wanted to say it back, wanted to tell Louis that he felt the same way, but the words stuck in his throat, too overwhelming to voice in this tender moment.

Instead, Harry leaned into Louis's embrace, resting his head against Louis's shoulder as they stood there together, holding Emma between them. The three of them, wrapped up in each other, felt like a promise of something lasting, something real.After a few more quiet moments, Louis gently pulled back and kissed the top of Emma's head before meeting Harry's gaze. "Let's get her back to sleep," he said softly, guiding Harry back toward the crib.

Harry nodded and carefully laid Emma down, tucking her blanket around her as she settled back into her peaceful sleep. He lingered for a moment, watching her, still amazed that this tiny human was his, that he had a future to look forward to now.Louis's hand slipped into his, squeezing gently. "Come on," he whispered. "Let's get back to bed."

They walked quietly back to their room, and once they were there, Louis pulled Harry into bed beside him, wrapping his arms around him just as he had earlier. Harry rested his head against Louis's chest, the warmth of Louis's body easing the last of his anxiety. "I'm here," Louis murmured, his hand gently tracing circles on Harry's back. "You're safe. We're both safe."

Harry nodded, his eyes drifting closed as he let himself sink into the comfort of Louis's arms, the sound of his heartbeat steady and reassuring.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Harry wasn't afraid.

And with Louis beside him, he knew he never had to be again.