Louis wakes up to lights that are way too bright. He feels numb, everything does, and his head is pounding. His eyes blink open, and he sees his Mum sitting next to the bed. She's on her phone, not even noticing that Louis is now awake. Louis is so glad she's so invested in her phone while she's there to take care of him. Maybe she just wanted to get out of going to work (he's joking, he totally appreciates that she and everyone else are there).

"Hi, Mumma," He says, voice hoarse. Jay's head whips upwards, and she smiles.

"Hi, baby," She greets, putting her phone down on the table and standing up to be closer to the bed. Louis reaches for her hand, and she takes it. He feels drunk, except not as sad. "How do you feel?"

"I dunno," Louis mumbles. "Where's Harry?"

Jay chuckles. "He left to get some food with Lottie and Fiz, should be back soon. Want me to text him and tell him to come back?"

"No," Louis tries to shake his head. He's not fully aware whether or not he does. He can't feel his head. "No, let him eat. He needs it."

"Okay, love," Jay grins fondly, leaning down and kissing Louis' forehead. Louis looks down to see a tube going into his chest, and he wrinkles his nose.

"I don't like that," He points at it.

"There's nothing we can do about that, babe," Jay looks amused. "I'm sorry. You'll probably get it taken out in the next couple days."

Louis groans, rolling his head back. Jay runs her fingers through his hair. "The meds have really kicked in, huh?" She chuckles, watching as Louis blinks slowly.

"I can't feel anythin'," He says. The door opens, and Harry walks in with Lottie and Félicité trailing behind him. Louis gasps. "Hazza!"

Harry raises his eyebrows. "Hi, babe," He greets, walking over to the bed. He leans down and pecks Louis' lips. "How're you feeling?"

"He's on a lot of pain meds," Jay warns.

"So good," Louis murmurs, grabbing Harry's hand slowly and kissing the back of it. "Now that you're here."

"Oh, Christ," Lottie rolls her eyes.

Harry giggles, and Louis pulls on his hand. "Come sit with me," He whines. Harry sits on the edge of the bed, his hand still being held by Louis. "I dreamt about you while I was asleep."

"Is that what I'm skipping school for?" Félicité asks exasperatedly. "My education, overlooked by Louis flirting with his boyfriend, high on pain meds."

"I had a dream that the baby looked just like you," Louis whispers. Harry's eyes are soft with fond, an amused grin on his lips. "Had little curls and green eyes and everything."

"Sounds lovely," Harry whispers back to him, kissing his knuckles. "I'd like the baby to look a bit like you too, though."

"I'd be fine with them looking just like you," Louis' eyelids droop, a lazy grin on his face. "You're so beautiful, baby's gon' be beautiful, I'm so lucky."

"You are definitely drugged up right now," Harry giggles. Louis scoffs, closing his eyes and smiling when he feels Harry stroke the back of his hand with his thumb.

"If you're tired you should sleep, baby," Jay says. Louis pouts, shaking his head slowly. His head feels as heavy as his eyelids.

"No, no," Louis mumbles, eyes still closed. "I'm okay, Mum. Wanna...talk."

"You should sleep a little," Harry says softly, brushing Louis' hair out of his face. "You've been through a lot today, you need rest."

"Keep petting my hair," He mumbles.

"Jesus," Lottie sighs. Félicité snorts.

"Sleep, L," Harry suggests, voice gentle. "I'll still be here when you wake up, okay?"

Louis sighs softly, feeling Harry's hand pressed against his cheek. "M'kay," He replies, barely a whisper. "G'night."

No one points out that's it's only a little after noon. "Goodnight, love," Jay chuckles from where she's standing.

♛

The second time Louis wakes up, he's not as numb. The shit they gave him before the surgery must have worn off. He grunts, a light pounding in his head that makes him take his hand and put it on his forehead.

"Lou?" He hears a soft voice ask. Slowly, he blinks open his eyes to see Harry's blurry silhouette standing over him.

"Hi, Hazza," He mumbles. Harry sits on the edge of the hospital bed, taking Louis' hand off of his forehead and entwining their fingers.

"How do you feel?" Harry asks, expression soft with concern. Louis gives Harry a weak thumbs-up, making Harry smile. Louis doesn't really feel like a thumbs-up—his lungs hurt, and he feels so weak. He lifts the collar of his hospital gown a bit to see a gnarly scar between his pecs, as well as a tube going into one of them.

"I thinks it's kind of badass," Harry offers, noticing Louis looking at the scar and wincing. Louis' face melts into a grateful smile.

"Where's my mum?" Louis asks. "And the girls?"

"Your Mum is talking to the doctor in his office or something," Harry shrugs. "Lottie and Félicité are in the cafeteria getting some food. I think Jay said Dan is on the way with both sets of twins."

"Good," Louis says simply.

"The doctor said the surgery went really well," Harry brings Louis' hand up to his mouth, kissing the back of it. "My strong boy."

Louis brings his index finger to his lips and taps them. Harry rolls his eyes before leaning down and pecking Louis' lips. Louis grins brightly, eyelids still a bit droopy from his nap.

"I love you," Louis whispers.

"I love you too," Harry whispers back.

"'M sorry I'm probably not gonna be able to do much for your birthday," Louis mentions, squeezing Harry's hand gently. Harry giggles, shaking his head a little.

"It's okay," He says, then pauses. "Actually, no, it's not. How dare you schedule your major surgery a week before my birthday."

Louis laughs, and Harry smiles fondly. The door to the hospital room opens, and Dan walks in, the four youngest in tow. "'Ello, Louis," He greets, smiling at the two boys. "Harry. How you feeling, Lou, mate?"

"Alright," Louis shrugs. "Not as cancerous as I felt this morning." Dan shakes his head, but he's smiling amusedly.

"Achoo!" Ernie squeals, running towards the bed. Harry grabs him before he can climb all over Louis, and potentially hurt him. He pulls Ernest into his lap.

"Careful, E," Harry says gently. Ernie looks up at him curiously. He and Doris always seem so mesmerised when Harry talks. Louis supposes he probably looks the same way when Harry talks to him. "Lou's still in a bit of pain from the surgery."

"Sorry, Achoo," Ernest says softly. Louis grins at him.

"'S okay, mate," He says, holding his hand up. "Gimme five." Ernest slaps Louis' hand, and he hisses and shakes it, acting like Ernie hit him so hard it hurt. Ernie laughs, and Harry just grins fondly.

"Did you get to see the part of your lung they took out?" Phoebe asks, almost excitedly. Louis furrows his eyebrows.

"No?" He says, confused. "Do people do that?"

"Sometimes," Daisy shrugs. "Phoebe's just gross."

"'M not gross," Phoebe argues. "It's cool."

"Hiii, Harry," Doris greets, walking over and standing at Harry's feet. Harry giggles.

"Hi, D," He replies. "What's up?"

"Hey, remember me?" Louis asks. "Your brother who just had a part of his lungs removed?"

"Nope," Doris replies. Harry laughs, leaning his head back. Louis decides being roasted by his little sister is worth seeing Harry laugh like that. He looks like the whole sun. That's what he is, really, Louis' sunshine, and he's glad he's got someone like him to support him through this.