Baby Fever

Eighteen

The minute the first baby is placed on Harry's chest, all of Louis' anxiety melts away. Harry is sobbing, Louis handing the nurse the scissors she gave him to cut the cord with. Louis puts his hand on Harry's arm, looking at the tiny baby in awe.

"Hi," Harry sniffles, smiling weakly at the baby as he wails. "'S okay, don't cry."

"Oh my God," Louis chokes out.

"Do you want to hold him while we deliver the other baby, Dad?" The nurse asks. Louis can't find his voice, so he just nods. He holds his baby, with slimy stuff all over him, and feels his eyes sting with tears.

"Hi," He whispers. "Hi, I'm your dad."

"Lou," Harry grunts, holding out his hand. Louis grips onto it, holding the baby in his free arm.

"You got this, H," Louis assures. Harry pushes down, and Louis keeps his eyes on the baby in his arm. He's beautiful, holy shit. He can't believe there was a time he didn't want this.

The second baby comes quicker than the first, and Louis falls in love all over again. Louis gives Harry the first one before cutting the second one's cord. Soon enough Harry has both babies in his arms, and he smiles up at Louis wearily.

"I'm so proud of you," Louis says, leaning down and kissing Harry's forehead. "Oh my God, Haz, you're amazing."

"Thanks," Harry giggles weakly.

♛

"So, do you have names yet?"

"No," Louis sighs, Doris resting on his hip. He looks over to Lottie, who's eyes are glued to the babies in the nursery. "We need to come up with some, I suppose."

"Which ones are they?" Doris asks, resting her head on Louis' shoulder. Louis grins, kissing the top of Doris' head and pointing to them.

"You see the tiny little baby with the yellow hat?" Louis asks. "Right there," Doris nods. "And the baby with the blue hat next to him?" Doris nods again. "Those are your nephews, kiddo."

"Oh!" Doris squeaks. "They're tiny, Achoo."

"They are, love," Louis agrees, smiling wider. "Do you want to go see if Harry's up from his nap?"

"Yes!" Doris asks.

"I'm going to go grab some coffee and see if Ernie's done with his tantrum," Lottie says. Ernest, probably tired from being up a little passed his bedtime the night before, had a total meltdown in the waiting room. Louis and Harry could hear it from the room. "I'll come afterwards."

"Sounds good, Lots," Louis nods, fist bumping her. Lottie waves goodbye to Doris before walking the other way.

"We've got to be careful with Harry, okay?" Louis says as he carries Doris down the corridor. "His body did a lot to get the babies here, and he's tired."

"O-Okay," Doris agrees. Louis walks into the room to see Harry sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

"Look who's up!" Louis gasps over-dramatically. Harry smiles sleepily, and Louis walks over and kisses him. "How do you feel, baby?"

"I'm okay," Harry shrugs. "Hi, Doris."

"Hiii!" Doris waves at Harry, making him giggle.

"What do you think of the name Samuel?" Harry asks, Louis' free hand resting on his cheek. Louis smiles almost immediately, stroking Harry's skin with his thumb.

"I like it," He nods. "What do you think, Doris? How about we name one of the babies Sammy?"

"Sammy," Doris says, almost as though she's testing it out. "I like it."

"It's settled then," Harry grins. "And the other baby?"

"Um," Louis twisted his mouth. "I liked Matthew for a long time, but now that they're here, I'm not really feeling it."

"Can we use Matthew as a middle name for Samuel?" Harry asks sheepishly. "Samuel Matthew Tomlinson?"

Louis smiles. "I like that," He nods. "So, um, what about Parker? For the second baby? Parker James, I kind of came up with it on the car ride here, so if you don't like it, it's cool."

"I really like that," Harry's beaming, his eyes sparkling. "Samuel Matthew and Parker James."

"I love you," Louis says, swooping down to kiss Harry.

"I think you should name one Spaghetti," Doris says, and Harry breaks the kiss to laugh at what she said. Louis snorts, and the door opens when two nurses bring the babies in.

"At least one of them is hungry," The nurse chuckles, and both babies are handed to Harry. Harry immediately looks overwhelmed. "Just call when you want us to take them back, okay?"

"Th-Thank you," Harry says, and the nurses leave. Louis kisses Doris' cheek and sets her down on the floor.

"I'm going to guess he's the one who's hungry," Louis says, pointing to the baby who's evidently been crying. He takes the calmer baby, sitting down in a chair while Harry prepares to breastfeed the whiny baby.

"I touch?" Doris asks, running up to Louis, and Louis laughs.

"Sure, D," He says, and Doris touches the baby before giggling to herself. "I think...this one is Samuel."

"I was just about to say this one's Parker," Harry smiles, the baby latched onto his nipple. "So that's that. They have names."

"Hey, H?" Louis asks. Harry looks over to him, and Louis smiles. "Thank you."