little bitty rattle (and all our dreams are comin' true) | Larry Stylinson

Chapter 5

Nineteen and Twenty-Two, January

From his spot on the bed, Harry watches as Louis hurriedly hops into his pants by his closet. The sound of his belt-buckle clanks throughout the bedroom as he pulls his jeans up. His legs are so bulky with muscle that it's a struggle getting them up his thighs.

"I could head out alone real quick so you can get some more sleep," Harry suggests. "I can ask Zayn and Gemma to try and meet me there. Really."

Quickly pulling on a hoodie, Louis just says, "Harry," and that word alone—just his name—gives Harry his answer. There's no way he's missing Harry's first prenatal class. Even if they're running late.

Harry smiles, obviously pleased that Louis's so invested in going with him, especially after he'd spent so long having misplaced resentment towards Louis for not wanting to get Olivia's nursery set up. At the same time, though... The reason they're running late is because they'd napped too long and overslept their alarm. Louis's basically catching up on four months' worth of sleepless nights lately as it is, and after Christmas, they're both super tired.

"You get that we're about to move in just a few days, right?" Harry asks. He's learned that if he sits at the edge of the bed in a certain way and twists his foot up on the knee of his other leg, he can put his shoes on easier. Still, he grunts as he shoves his foot inside his favorite pair of boots. With the tight leggings he's got on paired with his long sweater, he doesn't look half-bad, even if he just woke up five minutes ago.

Louis smirks as he looks in the mirror over their dresser to quickly fix his hair. "I do."

"And that you're about to start your last semester of college?"

"I do."

"And that we're about to have a baby?"

Louis gasps. "Are we? Thought you've just been a bit bloated lately."

Harry rolls his eyes and forces his lips to stay closed so he doesn't give Louis the pleasure of laughing at his stupid joke. He's being serious here. Trying to. He pats the spot next to him on the bed. "Sit down for a second."

Now fully dressed in black jeans, a big green hoodie, and converse, Louis takes a seat. Harry stretches back in order to put his foot on Louis' lap, and Louis wordlessly begins to tie the laces of his boot. When he's done, he slides to the floor, sits up on his knees, and ties the other one.

"I know what you're about to say."

While Louis's still crossing Harry's laces, Harry seeks out his eyes. They have that sunken-in appearance they get when he's either sick or exhausted, plus he's looking kind of pale today, too. "Still gonna say it. Please don't do too much. Please. I don't want you wearing yourself out."

"Isn't that my line?"

Louis stays on the ground for a bit, staring up at Harry, then he stands up. He reaches out to tuck some fallen hair behind Harry's ear.

"You're crazy if you think anything to do with this baby is ever gonna be too much. It's... She's..." He looks down to Harry's stomach and touches it.

Softly, Harry looks up at Louis. Louis just as softly looks back.

"Everything," Harry supplies.

"Everything," Louis repeats. "Come on, baby," he says next, holding out a hand for Harry. "We can still make it on time if we leave now."

On the way to the omega center, Louis tries to keep his cussing-at-bad-drivers to a minimum, saying that he's gotta train himself not to curse in front of his baby. Instead, he sings along with Harry to lingering Christmas songs still playing on the radio while Harry pulls his hair back in a bun. Some tendrils of curl still fall out the front.