Animal

Chapter 43

No matter how fast the light travels, it finds that the darkness was already there.

*NARRATOR'S POV*

Harry's been working on the sixty plus art pieces he has to have ready by mid-November. It's a surprise for Louis as it centres around the boy and their unborn baby girl. The gallery Harry's opening is elegant and elite but open to the public as off November eleventh.

He's locked himself up in his art studio with his phone right beside him on loud, should Louis need him. The sounds of Hans Zimmer's Pandora fill the studio and muffled traces of it travel throughout the house now at nearly nine at night.

In the middle of mapping out the contours of a perfected image with blackened fingertips and an abused pencil, Harry's phone starts to vibrate on the surface he has it on. Hans stops playing and Harry rushes to answer the call.

"Louis?" He leaves his shiny white phone case to get black fingerprints on it while he grasps the device tightly.

"Harry, it hurts." Louis is breathing heavily and it sometimes rustles the phone connection. "I think- I think it's.....oh Harry, I don't know!"

"I'm coming, darling. Give me two seconds."

They went to hospital and found out it was just a false alarm and that Louis had mere indigestion from supper. Harry locked his studio and followed the boy upstairs for a good night's sleep instead.

* * * * *

"Darling?" Harry had Louis' legs on his lap, massaging the boy's swollen feet through his socks as they watched TV.

Louis hummed, not diverting his gaze. He had a jar of peanut butter balancing on his baby bump and a plate of pickles beside that. "Hmm?"

"Is that appetising at all?"

"Want some?"

"No."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"It looks nauseating."

Louis giggled and rubbed his bump affectionately. "It's what little Bean wants."

The old television show ended and Louis had fallen asleep with all his eating utensils on the coffee table beside him. Harry sighed as he stood up and kissed Louis' forehead, then spared a loving kiss to Bean's bump.

* * * * *

"What do you think about spaghetti and meat balls for dinner? With home-baked bread?" Louis was examining two choices for the addition of tomato in the spaghetti sauce.

Harry leaned forward against the cart's handle with his phone in hand. "I don't want you on your feet more than necessary."

Being extremely close to his due date in September meant Louis got grumpy really fast if he was on his feet too much. Harry didn't even want to bring him out shopping for groceries but there's no saying no to a pregnant Louis.

"I know, Daddy." Louis kissed Harry's cheek. He spoke freely with such endearments nowadays, no matter where they were.

"Cook whatever you want, darling." Harry pulled Louis in between his body and the cart, a sneaky hand gliding down to Louis' bum that's gotten sinfully perkier. "But I don't want you whining when you're tired."

"But what if I am tired?" Louis kissed Harry's lips.

"Don't whine."

"But-"

"You're whining now, princess." Harry leaned closer to the boy and tugged on his bottom lip with his teeth, not kissing him but lightly warning him.