Cancer. Louis has cancer.

Stage 2 lung cancer. That's why his chest had been hurting so badly, and why he had been struggling to breathe even when just sitting down. He never even thought twice about it. At footie practice the other day his best friend Niall had pointed out he was literally wheezing after only half a lap around the field. Louis smacked him in the back of the head and then beat him in a race. By the end of that race he was wheezing even harder.

His mum is crying. She's driving them home from the ER and crying, and Louis is just sitting in the passenger seat silently. He really just does not feel the urge to cry. He doesn't really feel anything right now.

Louis always figured lung cancer was for old people. Elderly men who smoked huge cigars. He's smoked weed twice in his life, and now he has lung cancer.

Well, okay, it's obviously not from that. The doctor said so herself. Sometimes things like this just happen. Louis can't imagine why God would do this to him now. He's...he's expecting a child, oh, holy shit. What's he gonna do? How will he tell Harry?

Louis puts his hands over his face. "Are you okay, love?" Jay sniffles. Louis takes his hands down immediately.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," Louis assures quickly. "A little stressed."

"Oh, baby," Jay sighs. "I'm so sorry this is happening to you, Lou."

Louis doesn't want to say it's okay, or don't worry about it, or I'm fine, because none of those things are really true. "Yeah," Louis says softly.

"And don't worry about your sisters or Dan," Jay assures. "I'll talk to them for you. I wouldn't ever want you to have to do that."

"Thanks, Mum," Louis whispers.

They get home late, everyone else is asleep. "Are you heading to bed, love?" Jay asks gently.

"Yeah," Louis nods. "I think so. 'S late. 'Ve got school."

"You don't have to go tomorrow if you don't want to, boo," Jay assures, putting her hand on Louis' back. "It's okay if you need to take a day."

"No, it's fine," Louis shakes his head. "I think it'd be better for me if I went."

"Okay," Jay nods, wrapping Louis up in her arms. "I love you, Louis."

"I love you too, Mum," Louis' chest aches. It could be the cancer, it could also be the thought of putting his mum through all of this. He's not too sure. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Louis walks upstairs and to his room, turning on the light. Ernest is fast asleep in his bed, making him smile weakly. He quietly walks over to his wardrobe and takes out a jumper, pulling it over his t-shirt. He leaves his joggers on and crawls into his bed, careful to not disturb Ernie. It doesn't work, and he frowns as Ernie's eyes blink open.

"Achoo?" Ernie mumbles sleepily, the four year old rubbing his eyes.

"Hi, mate," Louis says softly. "I think you fell asleep in the wrong bed."

"J-Jus' missed you," Ernie explains. "Daddy let me sleep in your bed."

"Ah," Louis nods. Dan probably knew he wouldn't mind. "Well, I'm here. And we both have school tomorrow, so I think we should go to sleep."

"M'kay," Ernie closes his eyes again, cuddling into Louis' pillow. "G'night, Achoo. Love you."

"Love you too, E," Louis grins, leaning over Ernest and turning off the light.

♛

"Hi, Harry," Louis can hear his mother from upstairs as he ties the laces to his Vans. He's nervous, nervous he won't be able to keep this from Harry until after school today. His heart is pounding as he grabs his rucksack and goes downstairs.

"Hey, H," Louis greets, wrapping his arm around Harry's shoulders and pulling him closer so he can kiss his cheek. "How're you?"

"I'm okay;" Harry grins sheepishly. "A little tired."

"Do you want some breakfast, Harry?" Jay asks from the kitchen.

"Yes, he does," Louis says quickly before Harry can politely decline. He puts his hand on Harry's lower back and leads him to the kitchen table, pulling a chair out for him to sit down. This feels wrong. He's keeping a secret from Harry and a secret from Jay simultaneously.

"You should eat something too, Louis," Jay mentions, giving him a knowing looks. Louis just sighs and nods, sitting down next to Harry. "Eggs and toast okay?"

"Mhm," Louis says. Harry looks over at him and shakes his head. Oh, morning sickness. "Actually, Mum, can the both of us just have toast, please?" Harry nods with a weak smile.

"Of course, babe," Jay says. Louis reaches over and grabs Harry's hand, squeezing it. Harry squeezes back. "How's your sister, Harry? Enjoying university?"

"Oh, yeah," Harry smiles. "She really likes it. I might want to go to Oxford too, she always talks about how wonderful it is."

"If you're going to Oxford, I am too," Louis points out. Except, what if he doesn't make it to university? What if he's too sick, of what if he...what if he dies?

"I'm not sure you have the grades for that, love," Jay smiles teasingly, and Harry giggles while Louis pouts. "Maybe if you did your homework."

"I'll just have to tell them we're a package deal," Louis shrugs indignantly. "Because Harry will get in. He's certainly smart enough."

"I don't know about that," Harry blushes. "Gemma was a straight A student and played, like, three sports."

Jay just smiles fondly at the two boys and sets down two plates of toast in front of them. Both Harry and Louis thank her and eat, Louis keeping his hand on Harry's thigh.

After they eat, Louis kisses his Mum goodbye and walks out with Harry to Harry's car. As soon as they get in Louis raises his eyebrow at Harry. "How do you feel?"

"Disgusting," Harry groans. "So gross, and tired. I puked three times this morning."

"Oh, baby," Louis sighs, lifting Harry's hand to his mouth and kissing the back of it. "I'm so sorry."

Louis knows that if Harry knew about the cancer, he would never be complaining to him like this. He's milking this while it lasts, how endearing Harry is even when he's whiny and grumpy. "It's okay," Harry sighs, starting the car. "I'm okay. I'm just going to have to get used to this."

Louis frowns sympathetically. His poor boy. He squeezes Harry's hand as Harry pulls away from Louis' house and in the direction of the school.

♛

When Louis and Harry get back to Louis' house, Louis' heart is pounding. He has to tell him. "Are you hungry, babe?" Louis asks, leading Harry to the kitchen.

"Yeah," Harry nods shyly. Louis smiles and kisses him on the nose before walking to the pantry, tossing him a bag of pretzels. Harry barely catches it. That boy has some seriously terrible reflexes.

They go up to Louis' bedroom, and Harry immediately plops down on Louis' bed and starts to eat. Louis sets their rucksacks down (he carried Harry's into the house for him).

"How was your day, baby?" Louis asks gently, sitting down next to Harry and wrapping him up in his arms. Harry smiles, leaning his head against Louis' chest and shrugging.

"Same as always," He mumbles. "I got a 97 on my math test."

"Ayyy!" Louis grins, kissing the top of Harry's head. "That's my boy!"

Harry preens under the praise, cheeks turning rosy as he turns his face into Louis' t-shirt. Louis chuckles and gives Harry's shoulder a squeeze. And then, oh, he remembers. He has to tell Harry.

"Hey, love, I need to talk to you about something," Louis says softly. Harry sits up straight, leaning against Louis' pillow and furrowing his eyebrows.

"Okay?" He says, finishing his bag of pretzels and putting the empty bag on Louis' night stand. Louis sits across from him, putting his hands in his lap and sighing.

"Yesterday my chest hurt pretty bad," He explains. "And after you went home, I...I fainted. In my kitchen."

"Oh my God," Harry sits up straight quickly. "A-Are you okay? Why didn't you tell me?"

Louis smiles weakly, looking down. "I didn't want to worry you," He shrugs. "But, my mum and I went to the ER. And...um."

He looks up at Harry. Harry's watching him carefully, big worried green eyes looking into his. Louis runs his hands over his face. "I-I have lung cancer. Stage 2 lung cancer."

He watches as Harry's face falls. "No," He says softly.

Louis nods solemnly. "I'm sorry, baby," He says softly. Harry swallows thickly before leaning forward and attacking Louis in a hug, crawling into his lap and holding him tight.

"Are you okay?" Harry mumbles into Louis' shoulder. A overwhelming sense of emotion washes over Louis as soon as Harry asks. Tears sting in the corners of his eyes. He's been so strong ever since he found out.

"I-I think so," Louis chokes out, voice shaky. "I'm a little scared, if I'm being honest."

"It's okay to be scared," Harry assures, leaning back from Louis. His eyes are shiny. Louis smiles at him weakly as Harry puts his hands on Louis' cheeks. "You're the bravest person I know, though. I think you'll be okay."

"Yeah?" Louis sniffles, taking one of Harry's hands off of his face and kissing the tips of his fingers. Harry nods with a sad smile on his face, leaning down and pecking Louis on the lips. Louis frowns. "What're we going to do about the baby, H?"

Harry frowns back, sniffling and sighing. "I don't know."

"I..." Louis twists his mouth. "I don't really have a say in what you do with your body. But...I still feel the same as I did before."

Harry bites his bottom lip. "I do too."

Louis smiles weakly. "This is crazy, you know that, right? Two teenagers, one pregnant and the other with lung cancer."

"Fuck it," Harry shrugs, and Louis chuckles, eyes still shiny. "Our parents are going to kill us."

"I know," Louis sighs softly. "They'll just have to get over it, I suppose."