Harry gets a call from Lottie when he's trying to get some school work done. The problem with online school is that he's gotten really, really lazy. He looks away from his laptop and picks up his mobile, holding it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, Harry. Um, Louis' n-not doing too well today. I think you should come over. Maybe you being here will help."

"Did something happen?" Harry asks, already getting up from bed.

"He and Mum got in a really bad fight. He's...I think he's not doing so well mentally, and I figured he was too proud to call you himself."

"You've got that right," Harry shakes his head. "I'll be there in a few. Is Jay okay?"

"No. Dan's taking care of it. Louis is your job."

"Got it. I'm coming."

♛

Harry knocks on Louis' bedroom door lightly, looking over his shoulder at Lottie, who's standing in the doorway of her bedroom. The baby will not settle, probably sensing Harry's nervousness.

"Not right now, Ernie."

Harry twists his mouth. "Lou, babe, it's me," He responds. He hears a sigh, and then the door opens.

"Why are you here?" Louis asks, voice hushed and raspy. His cheeks and the tip of his ears are red like they always are when he's mad. Harry's taken aback just a bit. Louis never talks to him like that. He really didn't even say anything inherently harsh, but his tone cut deep. Harry swallows thickly.

"I just wanted to come see you," He says timidly, furrowing his eyebrows. Louis sighs, looking out into the hallway and seeing Lottie standing there.

"Did you need something?" He snarls. Lottie just walks into her room, slamming the door shut. Louis sighs again, walking back into his own room, Harry following and shutting the door gently. "Twit."

"Is everything okay?" Harry asks, crossing his arms over his chest. Louis runs his hand over his face, looking down at his feet and licking his lips.

"No. I made my mum cry," Louis says quietly, not looking Harry in the eye. "I...I don't even wanna tell you what I said to her. It was really mean, H."

"Lou," Harry sighs, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I'm about to be a dad," Louis' getting riled up again. Harry doesn't know what to do about it. "And I have fucking cancer. I can't even do anything on my own anymore. And I make my mother cry. What the fuck is wrong with me? What's wrong with us? What're we doing, Harry?"

"Louis-"

"You'd all be better off if I just die!" Louis exclaims. Harry looks up at the ceiling. "That's what I said to my mum. She should just stop paying for all my medical shit and let me die. Then she'd be less of a cranky, stressed out bitch all the time. I called my mother a bitch, Harry."

"Okay, L, take a deep breath," Harry says calmly.

"You would be better off if I just fucking died," Louis continues. "This baby certainly would. My siblings would."

"Louis William Tomlinson, shut the fuck up," Harry raises his voice. He's getting angry now.

Louis turns away from Harry and punches the wall. It leaves a hole. He's never this temperamental. Harry grabs him by the arm and drags him over to his bed, shoving him lightly to get him to sit down.

"You're acting like a tosser," Harry mumbles. Louis just stares at his bright red knuckles. "Give me your hand." Louis obeys. Harry examines it for a moment before holding it to his chest. "You need to take a minute and relax. This isn't like you."

"Lottie called you," Louis realises.

"She did," Harry nods. "She's a great kid. She cares a lot about you. So do I."

"Harry, I've got a 30% chance of surviving."

"I wish you cared about yourself the same way I care about you," Harry shakes his head. Louis can't look him in the eyes. Harry kisses his knuckle. "I'm trying really hard to make it clear I'm here for you, L, but it's hard to do that when you hold everything in for so long that you explode on your mother. What is bothering you so much, Louis?"

Louis takes a deep breath before his lip starts trembling. "I'm causing everyone I love so much pain," He whimpers. Harry softens. "I don't want to hurt you anymore, Harry."

"You just hurt your wall more than you've ever hurt me," Harry mumbles. Louis gives him a look, but his wobbly bottom lip turns up into a small smile. Harry grins. "You're going through a lot. You have a lot going on. I understand, your Mum understands, baby understands-"

"Harry, I might not be able to be there when she's born," Louis points out shakily. Harry squeezes his hand gently.

"Aw, you're gonna miss all the fluid shooting out of me," Harry whines. Louis just looks up at him. Harry wipes a tear that's running down his cheek. "At this point we just have to go with the flow, kid."

"Hey," Louis pouts. "I'm supposed to call you kid."

"You're also supposed to call me when you need to talk," Harry points out. "And you should do that from now on, to avoid any more damage to your walls."

The door opens. Jay is standing there, and it's obvious she's been crying. "Oh. I didn't know you were here, Harry, love."

"I-I just got here," Harry says quietly. "Um, actually, I had to ask Lottie about something," He's really just saying that because he knows Louis and his mum should talk. He leans down and kisses Louis' forehead before walking out of the room.

Jay shuts the door gently before walking over to Louis' bed and sitting down. "Louis, the wall," She sighs. Louis knows she would be angrier if she had the energy. "Are you doing okay?" She asks, resting her face in her hand. Louis furrows his eyebrows.

"I just called you a bitch, and you're asking me if I'm okay?" He shakes his head.

"I know you didn't mean it," Jay sighs. "It really hurt my feelings, but I know you don't really think that."

"I don't," Louis assures. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I was taking out my anxiety on you. You're the best mum ever, and you've been so great about everything, and I'm sorry I'm putting you through everything."

"Lou," Jay says softly. "Why are you apologising? You didn't ask to be sick, it's not your fault."

"I don't know," Louis buries his face in his hands. "I'm a mess."

"Mummyyy!" A voice, probably Doris, calls from downstairs. Jay groans softly, standing up off the bed and kissing Louis' cheek.

"We'll talk later," She says. Louis just nods. Harry appears in the doorway within seconds.

"I can leave if you want to be alone," Harry offers.

"Can you just come sit with me?" Louis asks timidly. Harry closes the door gently, walking over to the bed and sitting next to him. Louis leans into him, and Harry kisses the top of his head. "I need to get my shit together."

"Louis, darling, you haven't had your shit together since the day I met you," Harry teases, holding Louis close to him. Louis chuckles into Harry's shoulder weakly. "Do you wanna lay down?"

"Always," Louis mutters.

"Can you do me one favour first?" Harry asks.

"What, love?"

"Take my shoes off for me? I can't bend down that far."