Louis wakes up with a gasp for air, shooting up and glancing around the room. He's sweating through his t-shirt, hands shaky as he brings them up to him dampened hair. He then looks down next to him to see Harry is still sleeping beside him, face squished into the pillow. It was just a dream.

He rubs his eyes, trying to get the image out of his head. It was the accident from the week prior, the mother and child who died in the burning car, but when Louis approached the flame-engulfed car this time, Harry was inside. And he couldn't save him either.

He's been having nightmares like this a couple of times a week, maybe for the last three months. They're always the same–he can't save them. Sometimes it's Harry, sometimes it's his sisters, or his friends, or just complete strangers.

With shaky legs, he stands up out of the bed. He needs some water, and to change out of his sweaty pyjamas. He stumbles out of the bedroom, trying to keep his footsteps light as he makes his way downstairs, switching the lights on as he enters the kitchen.

Millie immediately waddles up to him, nails tapping against the hardwood, and he sighs softly. "'N what're you doin' up, little lady? Past your bedtime, I reckon."

Millie just stares up at him with big eyes. Louis sighs again, but turns towards the counter and opens the treats jar. "Fine. Just don't rat me out to mum," He holds the treat a bit over her head, giggling to himself when she stands up to get it.

He feeds it to her, the only sound being her munching while he grabs a glass from the cabinet, filling it with water from the gap. His hands still tremble as he brings it up to his lips.

Normal people don't have nightmares like this, he knows that. Not so often, and not so intense. Not where they are literally picturing their spouse's burning flesh. He looks down at Millie, who is licking the crumbs from her treat off the floor. "I feel like I'm losing my fuckin' mind, Mills."

Millie looks up at him, cocking her head to the side, and Louis laughs out loud, putting his hand over his eyes. "'N now I'm talking to the fucking dog," He mutters. "Absolutely looney. Get a grip, Tomlinson." Millie whimpers. "No offense, mate."

Louis drinks his water, but it doesn't do much for the ache in his chest, how nauseous and dizzy he feels, echos of Harry screaming "Why aren't you helping me?!" replaying in his head. It makes him want to quit, want to stay home keep Harry inside and safe and just hold him forever. If only.

He puts his empty glass in the sink, walking to the lounge and plopping down on the sofa. He has no idea what time it is, how much longer it will be before Harry's up, but he turns the telly on to distract himself anyways.

He watches the episode of Friends where Phoebe has the triplets until he hears footsteps creaking down the stairs, and guilt washes over him. He hopes he didn't wake him up.

"Lou?" Harry mumbles, walking over to the side of the couch and rubbing his eyes. Louis gives him a soft, hopefully-convincing smile.

"Hey, sweet boy," He greets quietly.

"'S two in the morning, what're you doin' up?" Harry asks, words slurred with sleep. He walks over and plops down next to Louis, leaning his head on his shoulder.

"Couldn't sleep," Louis lies, kissing him on the forehead. The last thing he wants to do is worry him. "What're you doing up?"

"Bed's cold without you," Harry mutters, closing his eyes. Louis wraps his arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer. When he opens them, Phoebe's three babies are on the screen, all in little blankets and tiny hats. Harry smiles to himself, whispering "Babies."

"Nothin' gets passed you, huh?" Louis teases, laughing when Harry pinches his side.

"They're so cute," Harry mumbles, still sleepy as he noses at Louis' shoulder and closes his eyes again. "I love babies."

Louis kisses his forehead again, but it feels extra tender this time. "I know, love," He says softly. "Me too. Can't wait for you to have mine. Someday."

"Someday," Harry repeats like a promise, smiling to himself again. He can deal with someday, as long as he knows it's approaching. He hums softly, content in Louis' hold, dozing off with his cheek squished up against his shoulder.

"Alright, let's get you back to bed," Louis stands up off the couch, turning the TV off with the remote. Harry whines, flopping down onto the cushions now that he doesn't have Louis' shoulder to lean on. Louis let's out a small laugh, scooping Harry up and holding him bridal style. "C'mon, baby. 'S a school night."

"Mm, don't wanna," Harry mumbles, although they both know that's not true. He loves his job, loves seeing all of his kids everyday. "Can't they teach themselves?"

"Maybe," Louis chuckles. "But they all love you so much, Haz. Bet they'd miss you terribly."

"You're such a sap," Harry sighs sleepily, his hand finding its way to Louis' cheek, eyes still closed. He feels Louis grin, turning his head to kiss the palm of his hand. Harry giggles, and before he knows it he's being lowered onto the bed again.

Louis takes his shirt off before crawling in after him, pulling the covers up over them and wrapping Harry up in his arms. "G'night, darlin'."

"Night, Lou," Harry replies, half-asleep and already drooling onto the pillowcase.

♛

Harry wakes up the next morning with Louis wrapped around him, his alarm blaring. He immediately feels the queasiness in his stomach and wrinkles his nose, groaning softly into his pillow and hitting the snooze button on his phone.

That's the thing about kids, they're always sick, and always all over him. No matter how much he loves them, he can't help but wish he could wear a hazmat suit to work sometimes.

"Don't go," Louis mumbles into his curls, his grip on Harry tightening. The pressure on his stomach is enough to set him off, and he wiggles out of Louis' grip as quickly as he can, practically sprinting out of the room and into the washroom.

He kneels in front of the toilet just in time, unloading the contents of his stomach. Ew. He sighs, hearing Louis' heavy footsteps walking towards the washroom.

"Woah, y'alright?" He asks, voice soft and raspy with sleep. Harry just nods, sniffling, and Louis walks right over and rubs his back. He's so sweet, it makes Harry's eyes water even more.

"'M good," Harry croaks, words barely coming out. "Probably got a bug from one of the kids."

"Maybe you should stay home today," Louis suggests, kissing the top of Harry's head, protective as always. "Shouldn't be workin' if you're sick."

"Used too many days off for the honeymoon," Harry mumbles, closing his eyes as Louis scratches his scalp lightly. "I'll be okay, I feel a little better now. Maybe our takeaway last night was bad."

"I dunno, Haz," Louis says softly. "We ate the same things, and I feel fine."

"I'm fine," Harry assures. "Promise. Not gonna kneel over and die if I go to work."

Louis sighs in defeat. "Alright, alright, stubborn," He grumbles. Says him. "You need anything? Might be good to get something into your stomach."

The thought makes Harry want to stick his face in the toilet again. "No, 'm all set," He says, letting Louis help him to his feet. "I'll feel a lot better once I shower."

Louis shakes his head, but he kisses Harry's cheek. "'M'kay. I'm gonna try to go back to sleep, then, wake me up if you need anything."

♛

"You guys ever have nightmares?"

"Looking at one right now," Joe says with a snicker. Paul laughs, and Louis rolls his eyes, sticking his rucksack in his locker with a sigh.

"'M serious," He says, taking his wedding ring off and tucking it in the small pocket of his rucksack. He needs to get one of the rubber ones to wear at work like Joe does.

"Sometimes," Joe shrugs. "I don't know. I don't remember a lot of my dreams."

"If I see somethin' really bad that day, maybe," Paul says, sticking his phone in his pocket. "But not enough to be significant. Why, do you?"

Louis sits down on the bench in front of the lockers, running his hand over his face. "Yeah. Like, a lot. Couple of times a week."

"No shit," Joe furrows his eyebrows. "About what?"

"Harry, mostly," Louis admits quietly, feeling a little vulnerable in front of his friends. Paul frowns sympathetically. "Or, like, my family. You guys, sometimes. It's always that something happens, like a fire or summat, 'n I can't save them."

"That sounds kind of serious, Lou," Paul says gently. Louis feels his face become a little warm, and he sighs and shakes his head. "Maybe you should go and see one of the counselors or something."

"What? No, I don't need counseling," Louis scoffs. "I'm fine."

"Might help, mate " Joe nods. Louis feels like he's being ganged up on. "After I wasn't able to talk down that bloke that jumped from the building last year, I went to see one. It was super helpful."

"I'm okay, lads, seriously," Louis says, standing up and straightening out his work shirt. "Probably wasn't even worth mentioning."

Paul and Joe look at each other, Joe just shaking his head slightly as he closes his locker. "Gotta go restock the ambulance," He says, giving Louis' arm a playful punch as he walks out of the locker room.

"I'll be right there!" Paul calls back to him. He turns to Louis, twisting his mouth. "Actually, now that you mentioned it, I did have a nightmare recently. You were in it."

Louis furrows his eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Paul closes his locker before turning to face him. "You were drowning. Right in front of everybody. And you wouldn't let us help you."

Louis doesn't know what to say. Paul pats him on the shoulder before turning and going to help Joe. Louis plops back down on the bench, putting his face in his hands.

♛

"I think you should ditch Louis and take me to Elton John instead."

"Sorry, not happening," Harry shakes his head, taking a sip of his coffee. He came down to Taylor's music classroom to eat lunch, but he's honestly not that hungry. He's been a little queasy all morning, one of his kids probably gave him a bug. "I'm taking all the time with my husband I can get."

"I get it," Taylor sighs, moving her salad around with her fork. "I feel like I never even see Joe anymore. His birthdays in three weeks, 'n I have no clue what to get him. I'm not even around him enough to know what he wants."

"Another cat?" Harry suggests, raising his eyebrows. Taylor laughs.

"Feels a little self-serving," She says. "I think he'd kill me if we started spending any more money on cat food."

Harry giggles, shaking his head and taking another sip of his coffee. Taylor furrows her eyebrows, looking down at his packed lunchbox on the floor next to his chair.

"You're not gonna eat?" She asks.

"I'm not that hungry," Harry admits, shrugging. "Feel kind of sick."

"Like nauseous?" Taylor questions, and Harry nods.

"Yeah, and I'm, like, exhausted," He sighs.

"That sucks," Taylor frowns. "That used to happen to me sometimes when I took my birth control too late. I was terrible at taking it on time."

"I went off mine right before the wedding," Harry admits. "It started giving me a really bad headache. I might just get the implant."

Taylor is quiet for a moment. "Harry," She says, her tone much more serious than before. "You went off your birth control, and now you're nauseous and fatigued."

"Thank you for the recap," Harry laughs, furrowing his eyebrows. "Yeah, what about it?"

"You're off birth control," Taylor repeats. "And now you're feeling sick. In the morning. Morning sickness."

Harry pauses, his stomach dropping as he stares at her. "That's-no. No way. We use condoms, always."

"They're not 100% effective," Taylor points out. Harry is feeling queasier by the second. "Haven't you ever seen Friends?"

Harry sits there for a moment, looking down at his cup of coffee. No. This can't be happening, not now. Louis doesn't want it now. He swallows thickly. It does explain why he's been so emotional, why he cried when they fought last week. Why babies have been on his mind lately.

He looks back up at Taylor, eyes wide, and she tightens her lips. "Harry, sweetie. I think you're pregnant."