Louis' heart is pounding as he knocks on the open door of his coach's office. "Coach? Can I talk to you?"

Coach Corden looks up at Louis surprisedly before smiling. "Of course, Tomlinson," He says, not sensing Louis' nervousness. Louis comes in and sits down in a chair across from Coach Corden's desk. "What's up, lad?"

"Um," Louis inhales sharply. He doesn't know if he can do this. He leans back and closes the door to his coach's office from where he's sitting, making Coach Corden furrow his eyebrows. He then folds his hands in his lap. "Coach, I-I'm quitting the team. I'm sorry."

"What?" Coach Corden asks. "Tomlinson, why would you quit?"

"I, um," Louis clears his throat. He can feel it, the knot forming inside his throat. "I have lung cancer, sir. I-I can't play anymore. I'm sorry."

Coach Corden's face falls. Louis bites his bottom lip. "I'm really sorry to hear that, son," Louis smiles at him wearily. "We'll miss you on the team, lad."

"Thank you, Coach," Louis nods.

"And if you need anything, you know where to find me," Coach continues. Louis' smile widens. "Do you want me to tell the team for you?"

"Tell them I have cancer?" Louis twists his mouth. "Um, I-I guess so. Think I kind of owe them an explanation as to why I'm leaving."

"Sure," Coach Corden nods. "We'll miss you, Tomlinson."

"I'll miss playing for you, Coach," Louis stands up from his chair and shakes Coach Corden's hand. "Thank you for understanding."

"Of course," Coach Corden gives him a small smile. Louis smiles back before walking out of the small office, seeing Harry waiting for him at the end of the athletic corridor.

"Hey," Louis says as he approaches Harry, leaning down and pecking his lips.

"Hi," Harry smiles wearily. "How was it?"

"Shitty," Louis twists his mouth. "I felt really shitty, I mean. Coach is going to tell the team about the cancer and everything."

"Oh," Harry nods. Louis shrugs, and he takes Harry's hand as they walk towards the door. "Well, hey, I have an appointment next week. Do you want to come?"

"Of course I want to come," Louis says. He holds the door open for Harry as they walk out of the school. "Are we going to your house?"

"Unless you don't want to," Harry says, reaching into his pocket for his keys. "We're taking a nap, wherever we go."

"Your bed is better," Louis decides.

"Think that's what got us in trouble in the first place," Harry looks down at his stomach. Louis lets out a laugh before wrapping his arm around Harry's shoulders and kissing the top of his head. God, he loves his boy.

Harry drives them to his house, and Louis can't help but exhale in relief when he sees that Anne isn't home. As soon as they get inside Harry leads Louis to his room, kicking off his Vans and dropping his rucksack on the floor.

"Nap with me," Harry huffs, flopping down onto his bed. Louis follows suit, wrapping his arms around Harry and holding him tight. They get under the covers, Harry clinging onto Louis as Louis kisses his forehead. Harry looks up at him. "There's a baby inside of me."

"Oh really?" Louis raises his eyebrows.

"It's just weird to think about," Harry admits. "That's a lot of responsibility for one person."

"Yeah," Louis agrees. "But you got this, kid."

"I like when you call me kid," Harry giggles. Louis smiles fondly, kissing Harry's forehead again.

♛

When Louis wakes up, Harry is awake. He's on his phone, looking up from it to see Louis smiling at him. "Why're you smiling at me?" He asks, eyebrow raised.

"Because," Louis says, wrapping his arm around Harry's waist. "You're beautiful."

Harry rolls his eyes, but his cheeks become pink. "Oh, please," He huffs. Louis just grins, nuzzling his face into the crook of Harry's neck.

"How was your nap?" Louis asks. Harry puts his phone down and turns so his face is buried into Louis' chest.

"Good," He mumbles. "You were talking in your sleep." Louis can practically hear the smirk he must have on his face.

"Oh yeah?" He groans. He tends to do that. It's embarrassing.

"Mhm," Harry giggles. "You kept saying my name, and you didn't stop until I held your hand."

"That's so embarrassing," Louis whines. He did the same thing a few weeks ago, and his mum had told him that she heard him the next morning. "I don't know why I keep doing that."

"It's cute," Harry assures.

"I was dreaming about you," Louis admits. "Someone was keeping me away from you, and I couldn't protect you."

"Baby," Harry coos. Louis blushes. "Nothing's gonna keep us apart. I promise."

"I know," Louis says lowly. "I have nightmares like that all the time, I think I just get anxiety about everything that's going on."

Harry frowns sympathetically. He grabs Louis' hand and kisses his knuckles, making Louis smile. "You make everything better, though," Louis whispers.

"Sap," Harry teases. Louis pouts, and it makes Harry giggle. Louis' phone vibrates from his pocket, and he takes it out to see a text from his mum.

Doctor Freeman just called. Your surgery is scheduled for three weeks from today x

Harry reads the text along with him. He looks at Louis. "You okay?" He asks gently. Louis sighs, turning his phone off and wrapping his arms around Harry.

"Mhm," He hums into the crook of Harry's neck. "Talk to me about something that isn't cancer."

"Hm," Louis feels Harry run his fingers through his hair. "I'm getting fat."

Louis laughs, because that's such a Harry thing to say. "You are not," Louis assures. "Shut up."

"I am!" Harry argues, pouting. He sits up and little and lifts his shirt up. Louis can't help but grin, setting his hand against Harry's bare skin. He watches Harry's cheeks become pink.

"You're cute," Louis says. Harry shoves his hand off of his bare skin and pulls his shirt down, and Louis laughs at Harry's little pout.

♛

Lottie bursts into Louis' room later that night, when Louis is sitting on his floor, in the middle of playing Fifa. "How could you not tell me?" She exclaims. Louis pauses his game and looks up. He's never seen Lottie look so betrayed.

"What?" Louis asks, furrowing his eyebrows. Lottie rolls her eyes, her bottom lip trembling.

"The cancer, Louis," She says, and oh. "How could you not have told me? We tell each other everything."

"Oh, Lots, I-I'm sorry," Louis puts his controller down and stands up. "I didn't want to be the one that had to tell you. I thought it'd be better if mum did."

"I tell you everything," Louis has never seen his fifteen year old sister so upset. A tear drips down her cheek. "I can't believe you kept it from me for so long!"

"Lottie," Louis says desperately.

"It's not fair," Lottie cries. "You should have told me."

"Hey," Louis says, raising his voice. "If anyone here gets to talk about things not being fair, it's me. I'm the one with cancer."

Lottie doesn't say anything. She just stands there, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Louis sighs, approaching her and wrapping her up in his arms. "'M sorry," He mumbles into the top of her head. "I just thought it'd be easier for you if it came from mum. I didn't think you'd get so upset. I'm sorry."

"It's not fair that you have cancer," Lottie weeps into Louis' t-shirt. "You're one of the best people ever."

Louis doesn't really know what to say. "What exactly did Mum tell you?"

"That you have lung cancer," Lottie hiccups. "And everything's going to be really different for a while."

"So she left the details to me," Louis mumbles. Lottie giggles a little, sniffling. "Okay, Lots, sit down."

Louis sits Lottie down on his bed, plopping down next to her. "I'm having surgery in three weeks," Louis says softly. "You'll probably get to miss school. You're welcome."

Lottie gives him a look. "Okay, sorry," Louis sighs. "And after surgery, I'm going to do chemo. I don't know how long all of this'll last. Lung cancer is...is dangerous. Well, like, all cancer is. But. You know."

"But you're going to be okay?" Lottie asks.

"Of course I am," Louis doesn't know if what he's saying is true. He just doesn't want Lottie to stress over this, the only person that should be doing that is him. "Has mum had the Harry talk with you yet?"

"The what?" Lottie asks. Louis assumes that means she hasn't.

"Okay, you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you," Louis says. "I'm only telling you because you're my best friend."

"Okay..." Lottie furrows her eyebrows, wiping her eyes.

Louis twists his mouth and sighs. "Harry's pregnant," He admits quietly. Lottie's eyes widen. "And we're keeping it. So. 'Ve got a lot on my plate. Sorry I didn't think to tell you about the cancer myself."

"Oh," Lottie says softly. Louis just nods.

"Don't tell anyone, though," Louis reminds. "Especially the girls. This is definitely the kind of thing mum needs to tell them."

"Got it," Lottie nods.

"Everything's gonna be fine, though," Louis assures. "I promise."