Baby Fever

Four

"Hazza?" Louis speaks into his phone, fitting it between his shoulder and his cheek. He leans back in his desk chair, frowning slightly. "What's the matter, baby? You're never up this early."

"L-Louis, I-ah, I think I'm in labour, love. You don't have to come back home, I just thought I'd let you know."

Louis thinks back to that morning. He kissed a sleeping Harry like he always did before going to work, seeing Harry wincing as though he was in pain. Probably had a bit of a contraction, poor thing.

"I'll come home," Louis soothes, standing up and grabbing his coat off of the back of his desk chair and pulling it on. "Deep breaths, okay?"

"L-Lou, I've never gotten-ah, I've never gotten a c-section before, I'm kinda freaking out."

"Try to relax, lovey," Louis coos, making his way to his boss' office to explain that his husband was in labour. (His boss excitedly says "I didn't know you and Harry were expecting!" which Louis corrects very awkwardly).

♛

"It's okay, baby," Louis soothes as Harry sobs into his shoulder, knees bent a bit as the contraction ripples through his entire body.

"Louis, I-" Harry whimpers softly, Louis rubbing his back and kissing the top of his head. "It's never hurt this bad, what if something's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Hazza," Louis assures sweetly. "Every labour is different, right? It's okay."

"I-I" Harry grunts, not even bothering to finish what he was going to say. Louis buried his face into the top of Harry's curls, closing his eyes as Harry clings onto his hips.

"You called the parents, right, love?" Louis asks, feeling Harry squeeze his hips.

"Mhm," Harry hums. "Th-They said when we want to leave we can, and they'll meet us."

"Okay, bub," Louis nods, rubbing Harry's back. "It's okay, darling, just breathe through it, yeah?"

"Louis, what-" Harry sniffles. "What if I can't go through with it a fourth time? What if I physically can't handle it?"

"That's okay, love," Louis coos. "You're the strongest person I know, H, and I think you can do it. But if you can't, then we'll find a way. Okay?"

Harry sniffles again, letting Louis lean back from him and wipe his eyes. "O-Okay," He nods. "I trust you, Lou."

Louis smiles wearily, putting both of his hands on Harry's cheeks. "That's good," He chuckles.

They leave for the hospital a few hours later, with Louis calling the parents while Harry sobbed into his shoulder. They met them there, and Harry was brought into delivery as soon as they arrived, with Louis being left behind in the waiting room.

Harry gives birth after only an hour. Louis isn't surprised–Harry's a trooper. They reunite after the baby's been signed off to the parents, and the rest of the night is spent with Louis cuddling Harry in the hospital bed.

"You're so strong, love," Louis hums, rubbing Harry's back as Harry buries his face into Louis' chest.

"Yeah?" Harry hums into Louis' shirt. "I don't feel like it."

"What's the matter, Hazza?" Louis asks softly, pulling the blanket up to Harry's chin and watching him nuzzle his nose into Louis' chest.

"I feel empty," Harry mumbles. "I want a baby, Lou. I was really attached to this one."

"'M gonna give you a baby, darling," Louis assures quietly. "Soon, okay?"

"I love you," Harry whispers.