thank you @SydneyBethea for requesting!

title from post malone's 'hit this hard'

Lou, are you alright?" Liam asks, wincing as Louis wretches into the toilet. "Do...do you want me to get Zayn?"

"Why Zayn?" Louis snaps, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and panting a bit. "Why would I want Zayn? Why not Niall? Or Harry?"

"Because-" Liam sighs and shakes his head. "You're right. I'm sorry. Do you want tea or something?"

Louis grunts, shakily standing up from his kneeling position in front of the toilet and walking toward the sink. "I can do it myself," He grumbles, pulling mouthwash out of the cabinet. Liam sighs and shakes his head, walking away from the entrance of the washroom.

Louis stumbles out of the washroom of the tour bus and to the small kitchenette, and Harry is giving him a worried look as soon as he enters. "You alright, mate?" He asks, taking a sip from a white mug. Just the thought of the bullet coffee inside the mug is making Louis' stomach turn.

"Just got a bit sick," Louis shrugs, trying to sound upbeat as he pulls out his box of teabags. "Might just be motion sickness, I always get nauseous." Harry doesn't look convinced. "I'm fine, H."

"Alright," Harry sighs, rolling his eyes and taking another sip from his mug. Zayn pokes his head into the kitchen, and Louis' heart flutters.

"Um, I'm calling a quick band meeting in the lounge," Zayn says shakily. Harry nods while Louis gives Zayn a small smile.

After Louis makes his tea he and Harry walk to the lounge where Liam and Niall are already sitting. They sit down, Zayn standing in front of all of them.

"Um, I guess you've sort of noticed how...distant...I've been," Zayn sighs, looking down at his shoes. "And this has sort of been a long time coming, but I've decided..."

"What is it, Z?" Liam asks when Zayn is quiet.

"I'm leaving One Direction," Zayn blurts out. "And I'm so sorry to be doing this in the middle of the tour, but I just...I can't do this anymore, lads. And it's nothing personal, nothing against any of you, I just don't feel like I'm able to express myself creatively in a group the way I would if I was alone."

"You're joking," Harry practically whimpers, staring up at Zayn. Zayn sighs and shakes his head.

"You can't just leave!" Liam stands up, looking exasperated as Zayn looks away. "I-It's the middle of the tour, what about the fans? What about Lou-" Liam sighs, burying his face in his hands.

"Fuck you," Louis stands up and glares at Zayn. Zayn looks like he's about to argue, but Louis points his shaking index finger at Zayn accusingly. "Fuck you, Zayn. This is such a...such a fucking selfish move. Do you realise the amount of people you're hurting?"

Zayn puts his hand on Louis' shoulder. "Babe-"

"Don't touch me!" Louis practically shrieks. "What the fuck, Zayn? You told me you loved me last night, did you just not mean it? Why would you fucking leave me if you love me?"

"This isn't about you, Louis," Zayn sighs.

"Oh, fuck you," Louis spits.

"Please don't leave," Harry sniffles and wipes his eyes, standing up in between Liam and Louis. "Please. We...We can do music that's more your style, we'll do whatever you want. Just please, Zayn, stay."

"I already signed the paperwork, mate, I'm sorry," Zayn sighs, and Louis crosses his arms and looks away when Zayn's voice gets a bit shaky. He doesn't deserve to cry.

"How're you going to get back home?" Niall asks softly, looking down at his lap.

"I was going to take an Uber to the airport at our next stop," Zayn mumbles almost shamefully, looking down at his shoes. "I'm sorry, lads, I'm so sorry."

Zayn's eyes travel over to Louis, who has never felt so betrayed. "I hope you're fucking happy," Louis whispers. And then he stomps to the toilet and vomits.

♛

"Maybe you should've at least said goodbye," Harry points out, running his fingers through Louis' sweaty fringe that was stuck to his forehead.

"You gonna be alright, mate?" Niall asks softly, laying a blanket on top of Louis. Louis sniffles, but doesn't respond. "Lou, babe, c'mon.

"I don't want to talk about it, Ni," Louis practically whimpers. He'd thrown up four more times since Zayn had left earlier that evening. Liam was angry, locking himself in his hotel room and not responding to Harry and Niall's pleas to come out and talk with them. So Harry and Niall were the grown ups that night. They tried to comfort Louis the best they could, but Louis was stubborn, and refused to do anything but lay in the bed and sulk.

"I have to wee," Louis sighs, slowly getting up from the bed and trudging to the washroom. Harry just sighs while Niall twists his mouth and shakes his head as the door closes.

"Do you think he's, like, seriously ill?" Niall asks worriedly. "Throwing up for days, having to go to the washroom constantly..."

"Niall," Harry gasps in realisation. "Niall, those are pregnancy symptoms! Do you think he and Zayn...?"

"Holy shit," Niall's eyes widen. "I...uh...should I run out and get a test? Holy fuck, what do we do? Do you think Louis knows?"

"Go, get a test," Harry urges. "I'll break the news to Lou. Don't tell Liam yet."

"Right, yeah," Niall stands up and picks up his phone, opening the Uber app as he rushes out of the hotel room. Louis walks out of the bathroom rubbing his eyes.

"Where'd Niall go?" Louis asks, sitting back down on the bed next to Harry. Harry sighs and licks his lips while Louis watches with furrowed eyebrows.

"Um, he went out to get you something," Harry says slowly. "Lou, have you, like, thought about your symptoms? The vomiting? The constant rushes to the washroom?"

Louis looks down at his lap. "No," He sighs shakily. "Fuck, Harry, what do I do? I should've known, shit."

"Hey, hey, Lou," Harry pulls Louis into a hug. "You'll be okay, mate. Niall and Li and I are gonna take care of you. We don't even know if you are yet anyways."

"Did Niall go out to get me a test?" Louis asks.

"Yeah," Harry sighs quietly.

Niall comes back with three tests. They're all positive. So that's that. Louis is having his ex-band mate's baby.

♛

When Louis is three months articles start to come out about his weight gain. They don't ponder the fact that it could be pregnancy, of course, because of the image their management had made him make of himself. Instead they called him fat and unhealthy, which resulted in the rest of the boys buying him ice cream and watching Grease with him so the tears would stop.

Liam was angry when Louis had first told him–calling him out for being irresponsible. Management was angry too, but just because once the public found out they'd realise that Louis was forced to go out with girls and such by them.

When Louis hit five months he did a pap walk with Niall and Lottie at a Babies R' Us. Everyone soon got what was going on, and started to question who the father was. Nobody suspected Zayn.

On stage he wasn't allowed to fool around as much, being scolded by Liam whenever he started to. There were signs made about the baby, something that brought Louis to tears almost every concert.

"He's alright, guys," Liam assured as Harry brings Louis into a hug, Louis crying into Harry's chest. "We're all very tired, and Louis' just very hormonal some of the time, but he does appreciate your support very much!"

"And we do too!" Niall adds in.

Louis sends out a tweet later that night: "Sorry for being so emotional tonite, but thank you so much for your support !! x"

♛

"Oh, fuck you!" Louis hisses as he glares at Liam, who turns off the telly and crosses his arms. "I was watching that."

"Lou, I think you need to tell Zayn," Liam sighs. Louis looks down at his belly and huffs. "You said you'd call him and tell him when you found out the gender. It's been three days since then."

"He didn't answer my calls or my texts," Louis huffs. "He doesn't want to talk to me, Li."

"I could try calling him?" Liam asks, blushing from realising he was wrong. Louis just sighs and shakes his head.

"If he wanted to talk to me he would," Louis points out, holding his arms for Liam to help him stand up. Liam twists his mouth and slowly helps Louis stand, setting his hands on Louis' shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Lou," Liam says softly. Louis just shrugs, avoiding Liam's eyes. "How about we watch a movie or something? I'll get the other lads and you can have your gross pickles and ice cream."

Louis giggles, nodding his head. "That sounds nice," He admits, letting Liam help him into the kitchen where Harry and Niall are arguing over the last mug.

"Just wash the other one!" Niall huffs, holding the plain mug close to his chest as Harry huffs and rolls his eyes.

"But I had it first!" Harry argues. "You fucking snatched it out of my hands!"

"Seriously?" Liam huffs, shaking his head and rolling his eyes while keeping his hand on the small of Louis' back. "Please, we do not need any more stress around here. Give me the mug."

"Fine, mum," Niall huffs, reluctantly handing the mug off to Liam as Louis giggles.

"Maybe if you lads did any of the dishes in this goddamn bus we wouldn't have this issue," Liam sighs, setting the mug on top of the refrigerator.

"I get a free pass," Louis points out, pointing to the swell of his belly before opening the refrigerator. He tries to bend down to grab the jar of pickles at the bottom shelf only to realise he can't bend down. He huffs and turns around, and Harry steps into action.

"Thanks, H," Louis sighs gratefully when Harry hands them the jar of pickles. He doesn't even bother telling him he wants the ice cream too, he just opens the jar and fishes a pickle out.

They all sit in the lounge and watch Superbad, Louis snuggled into Niall's side with the jar of pickles on the table next to the sofa.

Louis feels it whilst his head is against Niall's chest, feeling the vibrations from his laughter in his chest. He sits up suddenly, and the movie is paused almost immediately after that. "Louis, you okay?" Liam asks.

"I-I think she just kicked," Louis stutters, and all the boys are stood up immediately, Niall pulling Louis up with him. "Here, right here," Louis says in disbelief, grabbing the first hand he sees and placing it on the spot. It's Harry's. Harry furrows his eyebrows before his lips slowly split into a large smile.

"I feel it," He nods, and Louis lets go of his hand before grabbing Liam's and placing it on the same spot. Liam beams.

"I do too, oh my god," He laughs. Louis feels his eyes fill with tears as he then grabs Niall's hand.

"That's proper incredible," Niall says with a large smile. Louis covers his mouth as she continued to kick softly, tiny little flutters against the inside of his stomach as all of the boys brought him into one large group hug.

♛

"So, Louis, I have to ask the question everyone's been dying to know...who's the father?"

Everything goes quiet. Louis can barely think about an eloquent answer with these goddamn lights in his face. He's never liked this interviewer, he's dealt with her before.

He can feel Harry reach over and squeeze his knee, but he barely acknowledges it. A microphone is being shoved into his face, so he says the first thing that comes to his find."

"...David Beckham."

Niall snorts. Liam sighs and covers his face with his hands. Harry wrinkles his nose and looks down at his lap. The whole audience laughs. Louis feels his face become hot.

And the interviewer doesn't ask again, thank God. As soon as the interview is over Liam is on his ass. "David Beckham?"

"I could've said you," Louis points out, Niall lowering him onto the sofa in the dressing room. "I am seven months pregnant, get off my ass and get me a root beer instead."

Liam sighs, but walks to the mini fridge anyways.

♛

"Lou, baby, are you alright?"

Louis is so happy to be back at home again, especially because of his mum. She always knows what to tell him when something is wrong.

"It hurts," Louis whimpers. "A-Am I in labour? I can't tell. It keeps coming and going."

"Sounds like labour, lovely," Jay nods, and the calmness to her tone relaxes Louis' nerves, but only a bit. He nods and lets his mum help him off the couch, hyperventilating as her palm runs up and down his back.

"You'll be alright, darling, okay?" Jay assures softly, kissing Louis' forehead. "I'm just going to go get your bag and let Dan know. Why don't you call the boys?" Jay sits Louis down at a chair at the kitchen table, and Louis presses Harry's contact on his phone, his extra hand rubbing his belly slowly.

"Hey, Lou."

"Harry, H, I'm in labour," Louis whimpers. "And you're the only one who knows how to calm me down."

"Oh, okay, okay, deep breaths, mate, you'll be alright. Just think, you're not that far away from holding her."

Louis smiles through his tears. He doesn't know when he started crying. "Yeah."

"Do you want me to call Niall and Liam for you?"

"Yes please."

"And Zayn? Should I...should I try Zayn again? I'll even try his mum, if you want."

Louis thinks it over. "Yeah."m

"Okay, I'll call them. Love you, Lou, and you'll be okay."

"Thanks, mate," Louis sighs shakily. And that's that. There's a chance he'll have to face Zayn.

♛

"Louis!"

"Oh, Jesus Christ," Louis mutters, rolling his eyes as he's wheeled down the corridor. "Not now."

"Louis, what the fuck?" Zayn pants as he catches up to Louis. "You think you have something you'd like to tell me?"

"Not really, actually," Louis replies through gritted teeth. Zayn sighs.

"Why didn't you call me or something?"

"I tried," Louis argues.

"Fuck, I changed my number."

"Really now?"

"Louis, I'm so sorry," Zayn sighs, lip trembling slightly. "I should've tried harder to get into contact."

"No shit," Louis grunts. "We'll talk about this later. I'm sort of in the middle of something."

So Louis gives birth to his baby girl alone.

"She's beautiful, Lou," Liam says, looking down at Alessia with a smile. Louis smiles wearily before looking over to the door, watching as Zayn sheepishly enters the room. Everyone's eyes widen. Liam hands Alessia back to Louis.

"I-I'll hold her later," Niall stutters before walking out of the room, Harry and Liam following.

"She's gorgeous," Zayn observes, eyes wide as Louis avoids his eyes.

"I know," Louis mumbles. "Alessia Jade Malik."

"You gave her my last name?" Zayn asks, slowly walking over to the bed. Louis nods.

"She looks too much like a Malik," Louis says, finally looking up at Zayn. Zayn leans over a bit to see Alessia's face better, face softening.

"I'm so sorry, Louis," Zayn whispers.

"I know," Louis sighs.

"I really do love you."

"Then we can work this out," Louis nods. "Do...do you want to hold her?"

"Please," Zayn exhales, and Louis slowly hands Alessia over to Zayn. Zayn's hands are shaking as he holds her close to his chest, almost gaping at her sleeping face. Louis doesn't feel alone anymore.