Color Outside The Lines (l.s)

Chapter Twenty-One

Harry was put on oxygen a month later.

The cancer in his lungs was getting worse, and he couldn't barely breath on his own. Louis had woken up in the middle of the night to harry wheezing, trying to catch his breath and rushed him to the emergency room, where they confirmed that harry's lungs were getting worse.

Harry is admitted to a cancer treatment facility two weeks after that, after falling and breaking his ankle when louis went out to buy some eggs. Louis had come back to him their daughter had crawled from her play mat in the living room to harry's side, babbling at him. Harry was unable to get back up, having become too weak to do so.

He hadn't wanted to move into the facility, it wasn't that it was a horrible place, it was a lovely place in fact, but harry despised hospitals. The smell drove him mad and he wouldn't be able to do the things he loved. So just before he was admitted Louis drove them to the field and they spent one last night in the back of Harry's pick-up truck.

Harrys fears were never brought to life as louis stuck by him every step of the way, never leaving his side not once. He came and brought Ellory every day so harry could see her.


Everyone knew harry was getting worse, and everyone accepted it. Everyone but Louis, who refused to accept it. He still was in on the plan of a surprise wedding for harry.

Every monday night, when harry was going through radiation and nobody was allowed in the room, Louis and Gemma would meet up and plan some more. They had to have everything down to a tee, everything perfect. They had picked out louis suit, harry's suit (which Gemma had shown him, claiming harry had loved it forever but couldn't find an occasion fancy enough to wear it to.) the rings were picked out, two identical ones that Gemma once again had showed louis, who had loved them. The location was picked, the efficient was picked, the flowers the decorations the time, the date, the meals, everything was picked.


But louis was struggling with the guest list. He knew he had to invite all his family and harrys, along with friends and relatives, but he didn't know who to invite and who not to, because at the moment harry was pretty insecure about himself. This was their main struggle. Louis wrote down the main people like his and harry's mom and siblings, grandparents and closest friends but he didn't know much else.

He had ditched the idea of 'bridesmaids and groomsmen' for more of a 'the grooms favourite people' thing. For himself had Fizzy as his best lady, Quinn, Niall, Liam (who were two of his other friends) and Phoebe to stand by him. It was a little tricker for harrys. He picked Gemma for his best lady, Lottie, Daisy, Ed (a friend of harry's) and harry's old coworker and friend, Cara.

He was happy with this as well as the fact Ernest was their ring barer, Ellory and Doris were their flower girsl (Who of course would be escorted down the isle by Jay)

When the ten minute radiation treatment was over, harry usually fell asleep for a little while so it gave them around a half an hour to an hour for their planning.


Louis felt like he was keeping something from harry by doing this, but it was the only was to make sure the wedding was a total surprise. He felt bad about it but wanted harry to have the full effect. At the moment harry was under the impression they were going to get married after he got better, but harry was sure that day was never going to come so he clung to every moment he had with Louis and his daughter.

Harry's had begun to tie bandanas around his head to hide his bald head. Louis said he was beautiful just the way he was and harry tried his hardest to believe him but he just couldn't fully accept it, so he wore his bandanas around, and if you asked louis harry looked gorgeous in anything he put on.

"Harry love, what do you want for lunch" Louis asks and harry shrugs


"Chinese is fine" he says and louis nods 

"Okay ill be right back love" he says and harry nods as louis leave the room to retrieve the food harry had requested. Louis walked down the hall and out the front door of the large facility, its huge logo on a tall statue down the path he had to take to get to his car. He sat there for a moment, his head leaned on the steering wheel, fighting back his tears before taking off down the road towards harry's favourite Chinese place.

When he gets back to harry's room, he's holding Ellory, who's asleep against his side. He has his head rested back against his pillows, his eyes closed, a small smile on his face.

Louis walks over and places the food on the bedside table, leaning down and kissing harry's warm temple. Harry wakes up, stirring slightly before pushing himself up to a halfway sitting position, careful not to jostle the sleeping baby in his arms. He puckers his lips, leaning forwards slightly, requesting a kiss, Louis obliges, carefully lifting the baby out of harry's arms, placing her in the port-a-crib near harry's bed. Then he pulls the tray over and puts harry's food on it, kissing his temple before pulling out his own food and sitting on the end of harry's bed cross legged so he can share the tray. 

They sit there and feed each other Chinese food, giggling and talking about everything under the sun. Harry began to cough violently for a few seconds, leaning back against his pillows with his eyes closed for a moment after the hit ended, trying to catch his breath again. Louis pushed the tray away, knowing harry was finished and got off the bed, getting Ellory before coming back to harry and climbing onto the bed. He places Rory between them, holding harry in his arms, making his fiancee smile happily and curl into louis slowly, the aches in his body making it hard for him to do so. Louis grimaces at the sight of harry's pained expression. 

"You okay Darling?" Louis asks and harry nods, his face softening as he looks at louis, snuggling his face in happily

"Im fine, just hold me please" He says and louis nods as harry's hand comes to rest on Ellory "All i care about is you and Rory are here with me" he says and louis frowns

"Well all i care about is you and Ellory are healthy, so get to it froggy, get better for me" he says and harry pouts

"m'not a froggy..." he mutters and louis laughs


"Okay froggy whatever you say" louis says and harry rolls his eyes, leaning up and kissing louis gently.

Louis soon falls asleep and harry is left with their daughter who looks up at him with wide blue eyes, the same shade as Louis. Her curls are fanned out all around her head making her look like a little cloud


"Listen sweetie, if papa doesn't make it through this take care of Daddy okay?" He says and she babbles looking at him


"Papa" she says and harry pushes himself up lightly shaking louis who comes to his senses quickly 

"Whats wrong?" he asks hurriedly and harry points down at their daughter who looks up at harry, giggles and says


"Papa!" again making louis gasp and reach for his phone, turning on video as Ellory begins to babble again, the video capturing harry and her together as harry tickles her tummy and prompts her to speak again

"Come on Rory! Say papa!" he says "say papa!" Ellory looks up at him and giggles, patting his face with two hands, arching her little back so she can reach up higher

"Papa papa papa papa!" she squeals making harry laugh tearily kissing her over and over all over her face making her squeal happily and slap at his face.

Louis stops taping and pulls up a website on his phone, playing a show called We Bare Bears for Ellory, who seems to enjoy it greatly.

Harry really seemed to enjoy it as well, requesting episode after episode of the 11 minute long show long after Ellory has fallen asleep between them. So harry and louis spend the rest of the day binge watching all 30 or so episodes of the show, both, given the scenario as happy as they could be, their daughter between them snuggling together and watching a stupid kids show.