This House (l.s.)

14

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing"- Walt Disney

"Can you believe Joshua is going to be two in a few weeks?" Louis asks in awe over dessert on the first date night of September.

"No, I really can't," Harry says. "But let's not talk about the kids right now, okay? This is about us. We talk about them a lot and I want to talk about you."

Harry reaches over the table, grabbing Louis' hand and feeding him a bite of chocolate cheesecake. Louis smiles at him, letting himself be fed and swallowing.

"You know it all."

"Maybe, but you're my favorite topic," Harry says, taking a bite for himself. Louis smiles, his heart light in his chest.

"I've gotten quite boring though, no?" Louis asks.

"Never," Harry murmurs softly. "You've got this lightening personality, you make everyone so happy. You of all people will never be boring. Me, on the other hand, I can be quite boring."

"Maybe," Louis smirks. "Sometimes your stories drag on."

"You love my stories though."

"I'd listen to them until I croaked."

"Stop," Harry says. "Don't want to talk about that. Never want to lose you."

***********************************

Louis' heart beat was dropping rapidly while Harry's was speeding up. Louis' pregnancy with their third child was hard from the start with frequent trips to the doctor and they weren't sure he would even carry full term. He did, though, he made it all the way to the nine-month mark, but there were so many complications when his water broke.

Harry looked around the room, three nurses and two doctors rushing around the room, machines beeping all over, and Louis, Louis crying in agony, gripping Harry's hand like a lifeline. Harry bends over and kisses Louis' tear-stained face, murmuring comforting words to his husband, wishing and praying those words would make it all better.

"If..." Louis sniffs. "If it comes down to me or the baby, pick her, Haz. Couldn't live with myself."

"Stop it!" Harry yells, squeezing his hand tighter. "It's not going to come down to that, Louis. I am not going to lose you, do you understand me? You're not going to leave me; you're not going anywhere. You're going to be fine and so is our baby, okay? You're a fighter, and so is she. Don't talk like that, ever."

"Harry," Louis sobs brokenly, stroking his belly with a gentle hand. "I'm so scared."

"I know, Lou, I know. But we're going to get through this one way or another," Harry promises, and he somehow seems firm, like he's sure of the outcome. Louis nods wordlessly, his eyes closing. Harry can tell he's in so much pain and his body can't handle it, can't handle the complications. His movements on his stomach are slow, his breathing is long and labored, and Harry feels like his knees are going to give out.

But at the end of it, Louis was sitting up in bed, holding their new baby girl with a gentle smile on his lips, and everything felt okay again.

*************************************

Harry shudders every time he thinks about it, how close he came to losing Louis. He tries to put it at the back of his mind, mostly.

"Y'alright, Harry?" Louis asks, taking another small bite from the cheesecake. Harry nods his head distractedly.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking, nothing important. I'm here," he smiles softly.

"I want you to be here," Louis grins. "I like having you around."