"You sure you can handle it?"

"You're a proper pain in my bum, you know that?" Louis huffs out, picking up the screwdriver from next to him. "Yes, I can handle it."

"Okay, I believe you," Harry smiles as Louis screws the bottom of the cot on upside down. He's sitting in the rocking chair his mum had got for the nursery the week before, and Beverly will not take a rest. She's been going at it all morning, he can barley catch a break. She sends one really hard kick or punch or something, and Harry hisses in pain. "Oi, babes, give me a break."

"You okay?" Louis asks, raising an eyebrow. Harry sighs and nods, waving Louis off. The worried expression on Louis' face doesn't go away.

"She has not stopped moving all morning," Harry explains with a pout. He usually loves her movements, gets excited when he can feel their girl's little feet and hands, but right now he could really use a break. Louis still looks worried, so Harry changes the subject. "Let me do something, I feel useless just sitting here."

"You being here and looking pretty is enough for me," Louis says, smile fond as he continues to screw the upside down bar onto the cot. "Don't want you straining yourself, pumpkin. 'M doing swimmingly."

Louis finishes screwing the bar, scooting back from it before his face falls. "Were you planning on telling me I was screwing it wrong?" He huffs exasperatedly. Harry can't help it–he throws his head back and lets out a loud belly laugh.

"You told me you could handle it!" He points out with a teasing grin. Louis puts his hands over his face as Harry doubles over with laughter.

"Is that enough for you to let me help?" Harry asks with a cheeky grin, face pink from laughing so hard. Louis rolls his eyes, but he nods, and Harry smiles triumphantly.

"I really don't want you doing anything that could put too much strain on you, Haz," Louis says warily, helping Harry out of the rocking chair and giving him a weak smile. "I know you don't like me coddling you, but I need you to take care of yourself."

Harry's face softens at Louis' sudden seriousness. He leans forward and presses his lips to Louis' sweetly, and he can feel Louis' hands automatically gravitate towards his hips.

They separate, and Harry gives Louis a smile. "I'll be okay, Lou, really," He assures. "I'll just fold Bev's clothes and put them in the dresser, okay?"

Louis leans forward and kisses the tip of Harry's nose. "Sounds good, Hazza. Now, let me see if I can fix this goddamn cot."

"Language," Harry reminds in a singsong voice. Louis just kisses him again.

♛

"Are you okay?"

Harry is not okay. Beverly won't stop kicking, and everything hurts, and he just wishes he wasn't pregnant anymore. He feels so horrible for even thinking that.

"I'm fine," They're laying on the sofa watching Shameless, Harry laying in between Louis' legs with his back against Louis' torso. Someone yells a few profanities at someone else, and Harry gasps. "I don't think Bev likes this."

"She can't see it."

"She can hear it."

Louis sighs slowly, but he lifts his remote and turns Shameless off. "Fine, what would you like to watch?"

Harry's about to answer, but Beverly kicks hard near his ribs. Harry sits up. He lets out an "Ah!" that makes Louis tense up.

"Harry, babe," He says quickly, putting his hand on Harry's hip. "What's the matter? Is it time?"

"No, it's not time," Harry says, a bit aggravated. He feels guilty as soon as he does. "She won't stop kicking. It really hurts. But it's okay, she always does. We can keep watching TV."

"Harry," Louis sighs, hooking his chin over Harry's shoulder. "Your pain is important to me. You should tell me when something's going on."

Louis is so sweet. Harry kind of can't help it, he starts to tear up. Fucking hormones. "You're so nice," Harry says, sniffling.

"Haz," Louis coos, chuckling a little. "Don't cry."

Harry keeps crying. He doesn't know if it's the pain or if it's his hormones. He leans back into Louis and feels him wrap his arms around his chest. "Hey, hey," Louis says softly, kissing the top of Harry's head as Harry wipes his eyes. He doesn't say anything else, though. Just lets Harry collect his thoughts.

"I'm so shit at this," Harry weeps, and he's just swore, so Louis knows it's serious. He turns his body so he can cry into Louis' chest, feeling Louis' hand on his back.

"What are you talking about?" Louis asks. He doesn't sound mad, or even exasperated in the slightest, he's just asking.

"She never stops kicking and everything hurts all the time," Harry sniffles. "A-And I'm always so tired and sometimes I snap at you without even meaning to. A-Am I doing something wrong?"

"Darling, no, of course you're not," Louis soothes, running his fingers through Harry's hair. "All of those things are common, Hazza. It's okay to be upset. Your body's going through a lot."

"I feel so stupid complaining," Harry admits, wiping his eyes. "And I know I've got less than a month left, and I should just toughen up, but sometimes I don't..." Harry trails off with a sob, but Louis kisses him on top of his head again, and that encourages himself. "I don't think I'm good enough to be doing this."

Louis wipes a tear off of Harry's cheek. "You are amazing," Louis says, and Harry scoffs. "Hey, I'm being serious! You're growing a person, do you know how cool that is? And you're handling it like a champ. I don't think I could ever do what you're doing."

"I can barely do what I'm doing!" Harry exclaims with another sniffle. Louis chuckles.

"I think you're doing wonderfully," Louis says, giving Harry a squeeze. Harry nuzzles his nose into Louis' t-shirt, getting a whiff of Louis' smell that he's gotten used to over the past few months. "How do you feel right now?"

"Shitty," Harry replies. Louis lets out a soft sigh, brushing a curl out of Harry's face.

"What can I do to make you feel better?" Louis asks softly. Harry's heart is bursting. Louis is the best. "What do you usually do to make yourself feel better?"

"Take a bath," Harry mumbles, Louis stroking his hair as he rubs his eyes.

"Let's run you a bath, then," Louis says, but neither of them move. "Do you...want me to, like..."

"Yeah," Harry whispers. Louis had been taking some showers with Harry, mainly because he's so scared of Harry slipping and sometimes Harry needs help. It wasn't really awkward or anything, they'd obviously already seen each other naked. But baths are sort of different.

"Okay, let's get you up," Louis helps Harry sit up before standing up from the sofa, grabbing both of Harry's hands to help him up as well.

Louis helps Harry to the washroom, sitting him on the toilet before turning around to start the water. He glances at Harry over his shoulder, and grins when Harry raises his eyebrows.

"You're pretty," He says fondly. Harry rolls his eyes and sniffles, cheeks and nose still rosy from crying.

When the bath is filled, Louis starts to help Harry up. "This is what you call a bath?" Harry scoffs, sitting back down. Louis furrows his eyebrows and looks back at the tub.

"Yes?" He replies confusedly.

"No," Harry giggles. "Top shelf of the linen closet."

Louis, eyebrows still furrowed in confusion, turns and opens the linen closet. There's a bowl of bath bombs. "What the fuck?"

Harry laughs harder. "Y've never seen a bath bomb before, Lou?" He asks teasingly.

"No!" Louis exclaims. "I'm a grown man, I'm turning thirty in a few weeks, why on earth would I need a bath bomb?"

"Heyyy," Harry pouts. "They're nice. They make my skin all sparkly afterwards."

Louis wants to tease him, but that's too goddamn endearing. He just snickers and shakes his head before slowly putting the pink bath bomb into the water. He gasps as it fizzles, whipping his head towards Harry. "That's so cool!"

"Right?" Harry laughs. Louis helps Harry up before taking his shirt off, and Harry subconsciously bites his bottom lip.

"Would you like help?" Louis asks. Harry nods sheepishly, and Louis smiles warmly before squatting down to help Harry out of his trackies. Harry puts his hand on Louis' shoulder to stabilise himself as he steps out of them, and then Louis helps him with his underwear, and Harry's cheeks turn pink.

"Don't be embarrassed, sugar," Louis says softly, grinning at Harry as Harry looks down. He just pouts a little bit and starts to pull his t-shirt off, watching as Louis takes off his pyjama pants and underpants all in one go. "How do you want to sit, what'll make you feel the best?"

Harry twists his mouth. "Like we were on the sofa," He says quietly. Louis nods before helping Harry into the bath slowly, inserting himself behind him once he's settled.

"Are you comfortable?" Louis asks as Harry leans back into Louis' torso.

"Yeah," Harry grins to himself, feeling Louis rest his chin on his shoulder. "Thank you, L, you're the best."

Louis presses a kiss to Harry's jawline. "You're too sweet," He mumbles. He looks at the pink bath water and smiles. "Okay, yeah, bath bombs are cool."

"I told you!" Harry points out. "They're relaxing."

"What does Bev think of them?" Louis asks. Harry's heart is bursting–Louis is adorable.

"I think she likes them," Harry replies, turning his head so his cheek is against Louis' chest. "She's stopped kicking so hard. She's still moving, though. I like when she moves like this."

Louis puts his hand on Harry's belly. "Hello there, Beverly Rue," He says adoringly, and Harry smiles. "You being good? I hope you're behaving in there."

"Of course," Harry says with a sweet smile. "She's a good girl, right, B? Sometimes she just gets a little excited."

Louis kisses the wet skin of Harry's shoulder. He's in love. He can feel it. He can feel the warmth blooming from his stomach throughout his body, can feel the fluttering in his chest, can feel the smile that grows on his lips every time Harry looks at him.