The Girl With the Rose

Eight

"So wait," Louis says, leaning forward in his seat as Harry smiles at him. "You graduated and had Lennon in the same year?"

"Same month," Harry corrects, and Louis kind of gapes at him for a few seconds. "I took my finals when I was nine months along, and I attended graduation a week before I gave birth to her."

"I-Holy shit," Louis chokes out, and Harry giggles while he starts to smile. "That's...impressive. Wasn't it hard?"

Harry shrugs. "I mean, yeah. Pulling all nighters when you're eight months along is kinda discouraged. And, like, all that walking around campus. And the commute when there's an almost full sized baby sitting on your bladder." Harry glances to Louis, who's sitting there grinning at him, and he feels his cheeks become hot. He speaks again, softer this time, "But she was so worth it. 'M so glad I did it."

Louis nods. "Lennon's lovely."

"Isn't she?" Harry sighs lovingly. "That's right, your sister's having a baby, how's she doing?"

"She's..." Louis twists his mouth. "Big?"

"Louis," Harry scolds, but he can't help but giggle. Louis' eyes widen and he shakes his head.

"No! I mean, like," Louis sighs. "She needs a lot more help and stuff, because she's farther along. And I love having her around more, she hangs out at my flat a lot, except when she's crying and stuff."

Harry smiles gently. "Tell her if she needs help or advice or anything, she can talk to me if she wants," He offers. "She already has my number."

Louis chuckles at that. "Very sweet of you, love," He points out, making Harry grin wider. "Yeah, 'm sorry if we go back to my place tonight and she's there. She'll stay out of our way if she is."

"Hush, don't worry about it," Harry rolls his eyes. "It'll be nice to properly meet her in person, when she's not talking about how much you gush to her about me."

Louis' cheeks turn pink. "I don't know what you're talking about," He mumbles, making Harry laugh.

♛

"Lottie?" Louis calls out as Harry and Louis enter the flat, both exhausted from the dinner and long walk through the light festival. "Lots, love, you here?"

"In the lounge!" Lottie calls back, and Louis grins wearily before leading Harry to the lounge. Lottie is laying on the sofa in sweatpants and a jumper, glancing over at Harry as her eyes widen.

"You didn't tell me Harry was coming, you twat!" Lottie scolds, trying desperately to sit up on her own until Louis comes over and helps her. "I look proper awful!"

"Harry doesn't care," Louis rolls his eyes. Lottie stands up off the couch and crosses her arms. "He already got his first impression of you when you found his number online and called him, you creep."

"But look where it got you!" Lottie points out. Louis was exaggerating a bit, her bump is a good size, not even that big. Harry's was bigger. She turns to Harry. "'S nice to finally meet you. Kind of wish Lou had decided to introduce us when I wasn't feeling like a proper whale."

"Dramatic," Louis teases, and Lottie flips him the bird before sitting back down. "Harry and I will be in my room. If you need anything, just holler."

"Your room?" Lottie wiggles her eyebrows, and Louis flips her off this time. She just laughs, and Louis takes Harry's hand and leads him towards Louis' bedroom.

"Nice to meet you, Lottie!" Harry calls as he's being pulled away.

"You too, love!" Lottie calls back, and Louis brings Harry into his room and shuts the door. Harry looks around at all the Green Day posters and football merchandise and grins fondly.

"I'm sorry," Louis mumbles, switching on the light to make the dim room brighter. "I've got lots of sisters coming in and out everyday. Might as well just move back home."

"Oh, don't apologise," Harry waves him off. "There's...six of them right? Five girls and one boy?"

Louis grins adoringly. "Yeah, yeah that's right. Lottie's the oldest out of my sisters. The two youngest ones are coming tomorrow while my stepdad goes to work."

"What about your mum?" Harry furrows his eyebrows. He hasn't been told much about Louis' mum, he doesn't know what she does or even what her name is. Louis clears his throat and leads Harry to the bed, sitting down on it.

"My mum passed away last year," He admits. Harry's eyes widen as he sits next to Louis, keeping their hands entwined.

"Oh, my goodness, Louis, I'm so sorry," Harry gushes, cheeks turning red.

"Hey, no, it's okay," Louis assures, giving Harry a small smile. "'M sorry I haven't told you."

Harry frowns, giving Louis' hand a squeeze. Louis can tell Harry's still a bit upset, so he boldly pulls Harry into his lap, making him giggle. "She died a few weeks before my birthday last year," Louis explains softly, and Harry leans down and pecks his cheek gently. Louis grins weakly. "She had leukaemia. My stepdad's in over his head with all the kids a lot of the time, that's why they're here a lot of the time."

"That's awfully sweet of you," Harry points out quietly. Louis gives Harry a small smile, kissing the back of his hand. "You know you can talk to me about it whenever you want, okay?"

Louis' quiet for a few seconds. "I miss her," He admits softly, biting his bottom lip. "A lot. She was my best friend, I told her everything. I would have started teaching last year, but I took the year off to take care of her. And then she passed away, and I barely left the house, until Lottie got pregnant. She was so scared, Hazza, especially since she didn't have Mum to help her or anything. So I had to step up and start taking care of everyone, and I only had a few months to grieve."

Harry pushes Louis' hair off his forehead and presses a kiss to it, Louis leaning into Harry's chest. "You're such a strong person, Lou," Harry says softly, and Louis just closes his eyes while Harry runs his fingers through his hair. "I think that's wonderful of you, looking after your siblings."

"Thank you," Louis mumbles into Harry's chest, Harry just grinning to himself. "'M gonna be honest with you, I'm not really in the mood to have sex anymore."

Harry can't help but giggle. "That's fine," He assures. Louis sighs softly, leaning up and pressing his lips to Harry's.

"You're the best," Louis mumbles against Harry's lips. Harry giggles again, wrapping his arms around Harry's shoulders.