Paradise Child Book 3 (Imprisoned in my Heart trilogy...Larry)

Chapter 8

Harry smiled as he walked across the kitchen to slide his arms around Louis from behind, watching fondly as Louis made himself a cup of tea and generously awarded himself about six spoonfuls of sugar. Him and his sweet tooth! It was adorable. Harry rested his chin on Louis’ shoulder and turned his head to kiss him lightly on the cheek, admiring the cute look of concentration on Louis’ face as he poured boiling water into his mug and started stirring the teabag around. Behind him, Harry smiled and then he stepped backwards and shook his head in amusement at how far Louis had to stretch his arms to reach the kitchen counter.

These days, everything made Louis have to concentrate. He was slower than he had been, and he struggled to do the things he had always been good at – Harry found it funny, and he offered to help regularly, but Louis always pouted and turned him down, saying ‘I can do things by myself!’ Harry found it all pretty hilarious if he was honest, especially the time when he had said something particularly cheeky, Louis had gone to swat at him, missed, and then attempted to chase him around the house and tickle him like he usually would have done – except he got breathless halfway through the chase and had to lie flat on his back on the floor, puffing and panting, while Harry nearly choked on his own laughter, almost crying with amusement at the sight.

Shaking his head like he could read Harry’s mind – although from the flaming grin on his face, his thoughts were probably pretty obvious – Louis snatched a tea towel from the side and playfully flicked Harry with it, although he was clumsy and almost missed. Tutting at himself, he patted his stomach regretfully and turned back to the counter to put the towel back and give his tea another token stir.

“Good God, Lou, how do you cope like that? I don’t know how you can still stand. You’re the size of a house, for crying out loud!” He grinned.

“I’m an elephant,” Louis agreed, turning around with his hands folded over his swollen stomach and laughing as Harry’s eyes popped at the sight of him.

Harry was still getting used to the sight of seeing Louis with such a huge, rounded shape blossoming from beneath his shirt – to be fair, if Louis had been female, he might have gotten used to it quicker; seeing your true love with a suddenly very pregnant stomach was a struggle enough to become accustomed to, but what with Louis being a man, it was even harder to get his head around. Not that he didn’t like seeing Louis with a baby inside of him; it was heart warming, especially since he happened to know that he himself had put it there, but it still made him jump a little bit every time he saw it.

“Bless. Keep your eyes in your head; they’re popping out more than my belly button,” Louis joked.

“That’s disgusting. But true.” Harry smiled and held out a hand questioningly. “Can I..?”

“Be my guest.”

Harry reached out and carefully pressed his hand against Louis’ stomach, feeling his own pulse fluttering fiercely. Through all the layers of skin and muscle, he was touching their child. It was the most amazing feeling in the world, and he couldn’t help but stroke Louis a couple of times, feeling the strangely round shape of him. All of a sudden, Louis made an odd face and started spluttering with laughter.

“That tickles!”

“Sorry,” Harry said, and he stepped back to examine Louis from a distance.

His face was lightly flushed with pleasure and his eyes were shining as he gazed back at Harry, one hand resting on his stomach like it was a table strapped to him that was there for his own convenience. Despite his calm, there was a strange protectiveness in the way he cradled the bump, like he was guarding it, and Harry felt curious as to what it must feel like to know that something – someone! – was growing inside of you. How it would feel to have it kicking your insides…he loved it already, this thing that Louis had inside him, the thing that he was keeping safe.