"Harry, love."

Harry whines, wrinkling his nose and burying his face into the pillow. He just wants to sleep. He feels a hand on his face, his skin automatically recognising it as Louis'. "They've gotta check up on you, H," Louis says quietly, and Harry blinks his eyes open to see Louis' soft smile, instantly remembering that, oh yeah, he's in labour.

"We've just got to see how dilated you are, babes," The nurse at the end of the bed says. Harry doesn't want to. He's tired. But, he lets Louis help him roll onto his back and sit up just a bit. The nurse spreads his legs apart, and he makes a face before closing his eyes again.

"I don't like that," He mumbles sleepily.

"I'm sorry, love," The nurse replies, laughing a little. "I'll be quick."

Louis takes Harry's hand. Harry squeezes it, wincing a little when the nurse gets all up in his ass (literally) with something metal and cold. "You should sit down," Harry mutters.

"'S like having my Mum around," Louis huffs, and the nurse giggles. "I'm fine. I've been sitting for hours. Let me stand next to you."

"No. You smell," Harry teases.

"How did I ever get the privilege of being with someone so diplomatic?" Harry blows a raspberry at him, and Louis laughs, and the tubes up his nose must be working, because he doesn't cough.

"Six centimetres," The nurse declares. Harry sighs. "You're getting there, hun."

"Not fast enough," Harry whines.

"I'll be back in an hour or so, okay?" The nurse pats Harry's leg before standing up off her stool, taking her gloves off and walking out of the room. He's so fucking tired, and he just wants this to be over. He's been in labour for hours. As soon as the door is shut, Harry bursts into tears, and he can feel Louis' hand on his face again.

"Hey, hey," Louis soothes. "It's okay, love. You heard her, you're getting there."

"I'm so tired," Harry sniffles, finally opening his watery eyes to see Louis looking down at him. Louis wipes his tears, and Harry sighs shakily. "I don't think I'm ready."

"Haz," Louis chuckles, endeared. "Love, you're ready."

"Promise?" Harry whimpers.

"Pinky promise," Louis let's go of Harry's hand to link their pinkies together, and Harry giggles weakly. "You're gonna be the coolest dad ever."

Harry's about to reply, but he's hit with a contraction that makes him squeeze his eyes shut and whimper again. Louis sits on the edge of the bed, letting Harry squeeze his hand hard. "I know, babe," Louis says softly. Harry groans pitifully, his stomach and back and thighs aching. Once it ends, he deflates back into the bed, bringing Louis' hand to his face. Louis frowns. "I wish I could take the pain away and experience it myself."

"I love you," Harry sniffles. He looks up at Louis, his pale skin and sunken-in cheeks and tired eyes, and his chest aches at the thought of a future without him. He wipes his eyes and says, "We're gonna be together forever, right?"

"Yup," Louis answers, no hesitation. No jokes about dying. "In a few years we'll be in uni, and we're gonna move out of my Mum's house, and get married, and have, like, ten more kids."

"Ten?!" Harry giggles. "Only if you plan on doing this the other nine times."

Louis pretends to be annoyed, huffing. "Fine. How about...six?"

"Two."

"Four?"

"Three."

"I can live with three," Louis grins, bringing Harry's hand up to his mouth and kissing the back of it. "And a dog."

"Yes!" Harry smiles. "A big dog."

"Mhm," Louis' endeared grin widens, kissing the back of Harry's hand again. "Maybe two."

"Fuck the kids, I want ten dogs," Harry says sleepily. Louis chuckles.

"We'll see," He says. Harry yawns, and Louis' smile turns sympathetic. "You can go back to sleep, baby. It's okay. I know you're tired."

"It's okay," Harry says softly, shaking his head a little. "I wanna talk."

"About what?" Louis raises an eyebrow.

Harry sighs a little, looking up at Louis. "How often are you going to be able to see her?"

Louis frowns. He twists his mouth, reaching up and brushing some of Harry's curls out of his face. "I don't know," He admits quietly. "Any chance I get."

"I can bring her to see you," Harry says.

"She'll be a little too young to take out for a while, yeah?" Louis reminds, giving Harry a weak smile. "Don't worry about it too much, okay? That's my job. Maybe after my surgery next week I'll feel a little better."

Harry knows he's lying. He knows he's probably not going to be able to see Louis for a while. He's right, Layla's gonna be too little to leave the house with for a while, and Louis will have to recover from surgery. Who knows if it will even work?

"I hope she looks just like you," Harry whispers. He doesn't want to think about it anymore.

"I hope she comes out looking just like David Beckham," Louis replies, grinning. "I'll finally have proof of your affair."

Harry giggles, and Louis leans down and kisses him, just because.

♛

"Let's see," The nurse does the same thing as before; spreading Harry's legs and checking his dilation. Harry is miserable. Louis keeps squeezing his hand, silently reminding him to relax. The nurse grins up at Harry. "10 centimetres! I think you're ready to go to delivery."

"I...really?" Harry asks, voice soft. He looks up at Louis, who grins back at him, although his hand is trembling a little where it rests in Harry's. Harry feels a little nauseous.

"Let me get the doctor," The nurse stands up, peeling her gloves off. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Thank you," Louis says, because Harry, frankly, is speechless. As soon as she's gone he looks up at Louis, and Louis leans down to kiss the top of his head. "You okay?"

"No," Harry says shakily. "Louis, I can't do this."

"Are you kidding me? Yes, you can," Louis assures, squeezing Harry's hand. "You're the toughest person I know, H, you're gonna kill it!" He kisses the back of Harry's hand, his favourite spot, between his index finger and his thumb. "You got this, kid."

The doctor comes in, giving Harry a warm smile. "Alright, love, let's see," She sits down where the nurse had before, Harry's legs still spread apart. She doesn't use any of the metal tools the nurse had, she just smiles. "Yup, baby's crowning. You're ready for delivery."

"Holy shit," Louis blurts out, voice cracking a little. Harry gives him a look.

A few nurses enter as Harry squeezes Louis' hand hard, forcing him to look down and see Harry's teary eyes. Louis' face softens, and despite his obvious anxiety, he brushes Harry's hair out of his face and says, "You're incredible, have I ever told you that?"

"Shut up," Harry laughs shakily, sniffling.

"I'm being serious," Louis smiles at him, fond. "I could never do this."

"Okay, Harry," The doctor says, and Harry turns his head towards her. "You can push on the next contraction."

"O-Okay," Harry sniffles. He wishes Jay were here. He wishes he was giving birth knowing Louis was going to be able to see her everyday. He wishes things were better. His thoughts are interrupted by a contraction, and he lets out a small "Ah!"

"Push, love," The doctor urges. Harry obeys, tucking his chin to his chest and pushing down, squeezing Louis' hand. When the contraction passes, he leans back into the pillow, panting. He looks up to see Louis' face, his expression looking like he's seen something amazing.

"I'm in love with you," Louis says softly.

"Shut up," Harry pants, and Louis' sober expression disappears as he laughs. Another contraction hits him, and his breath hitches as he pushes down again.

"Head's almost out," The doctor says. Harry keeps pushing until the contraction passes. "Do you want to see, Dad?"

Curiously, Louis let's go of Harry's hand and shyly walks to the end of the bed, eyes widening. "O-Oh my God," He blurts out.

"Louis," Harry groans.

Louis retreats to the top of the bed, slipping his hand into Harry's again. "I'm never going to be able to look at it the same way," He mutters. One of the nurses audibly stifles her laughter.

"You're such an ass," Harry growls. Louis just kisses the top of his head.

"Almost time to push again," The doctor says. Harry exhales shakily, feeling Louis' free hand wipe his face. He doesn't know if he's wiping away sweat or tears, and he doubts Louis knows either. A contraction starts, and Harry pushes down.

"You're almost there, Harry," The doctor says. "A few more pushes and you'll be all done."

"I'm so tired," Harry weeps, leaning his head into Louis. Louis runs his fingers through Harry's hair, soothing him.

"You're doing so, so good, love," He mumbles as Harry hiccups. "I'm so proud of you."

"Really?" Harry sniffles, looking up at Louis.

"Always," Louis says softly. "Especially now, though."

Harry can feel the next contraction starting, and he winces, squeezing his eyes shut. He pushes down, feeling Louis' hand on his back. "You're doing great, love," The doctor says, but Harry barely acknowledges it, focusing on the fact that his asshole is on fire. They all seem to last forever, and the breaks in between seem so short.

"Here," Harry can feel his face being gently wiped off with a towel, and when he opens his eyes he sees that Louis is doing it. He doesn't know of any other man who would wipe the gross sweat off of his face without even being asked.

"One more big one," The doctor says. "Then you're all done, Harry."

Harry sighs shakily. Louis gives his hand a squeeze. When the next contraction comes, he pushes down hard, just wanting this to be fucking over with. He only stops when he hears it–a weak little cry that causes him to open his eyes and look up at the tiny, squirmy little baby the doctor is holding up.

"It's a girl!" The doctor announces. Harry's eyes are glued to her as one of the nurses offers Louis a pair of scissors.

"Do you want to cut the cord, Dad?" She asks. Louis' the dad, he's dad, what the fuck? Louis just nods, his face looking like he's just seen a ghost. He takes the scissors and cuts where the nurse shows him, and the baby is placed on Harry's chest.

"Holy shit," Louis whispers.

"Hi," Harry sniffles, cautiously touching the baby's arm while she cries. "It's okay, don't cry."

"Holy fuck, H," Louis chokes out.

Harry can feel the tears streaming down his face as he stares at her. She's tiny, and pink, and kind of gross, but Harry can't even describe the feeling in his chest right now.

♛

"Okay, here she is," A nurse walks back in, wheeling a tiny cot, Layla swaddled in it. She hands her to Harry, who swallows thickly as he stares down at her. "Hit the button on the side of the bed if you need anything, okay?"

"Th-Thank you," Harry says sheepishly. The nurse gives him a warm smile before leaving, and they're alone with her for the first time. Louis still looks like he's seen a ghost. Harry looks over to him. "You okay?"

"This is...crazy," Louis admits, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I can't believe she's real."

"Do you want to hold her?" Harry grins.

"Can I?" Louis asks shyly, biting his bottom lip. Harry nods and carefully passes her over to him, and Louis stares down at her. "Holy shit."

"Language," Harry chastises.

"Shut up," Louis laughs. He scoots back a little so he's sitting next to Harry, kicking his shoes off and propping his feet up on the bed. "Alright, well, she doesn't look like Becks, so."

"You've gotta give her time to grow into it," Harry grins cheekily. Louis gives him a glare, and Harry laughs. "I'm just kidding. She looks just like you."

"Really?" Louis asks softly.

"Yeah," Harry rests his head on Louis' shoulder. "'S not fair, actually, I'm the one who carried her around for nine months."

Louis turns his head to kiss the top of Harry's. "I'm so, so proud of you," He mumbles.

"You said that already," Harry teases, but he can feel his cheeks flush. He looks up to see Louis isn't smiling, he looks dead serious.

"I could never do what you did," Louis admits quietly. "That was so fucking cool to watch, and you were incredible." He looks back down at Layla. "I really, really love you. Thank you for giving me Layla."

"You need to take a nap, you're being all soft and I don't like it," Harry mumbles.

"You're such a pain," Louis huffs, but he kisses the top of Harry's head again.