Louis wakes up in a cot in the hospital. Harry is still sound asleep in the hospital bed, eyes puffy and cheeks red from all the crying he had done. It makes Louis' chest ache. He slowly sits up, running his fingers through his unruly hair. He has this feeling in his heart, this longing to see Beverly.

Slowly he climbs off of the cot, giving Harry a weak smile. He's still fucking gorgeous, even when he's pretty much a wreck. Louis feels as though he probably looks the same.

Grabbing his phone, he stuffs it into his pocket before walking out of the hospital room, quietly shutting the door behind him. There aren't many people in the halls, it must be early. He needs a coffee, or a tea, or something.

Walking to the cafeteria, someone puts a hand on his shoulder. He turns to see Félicité standing there, a sheepish look on her face. "Hi," She says softly.

"H-Hey," Louis replies. "Hi, what're you doing here?"

"I-I just wanted to come visit," Fizzy answers quietly. "Mum said you were still here."

"Yeah, um, the baby, she's..." Louis sighs. "She's not doing too well. She's got a lung thing. I need some coffee before I can deal with this again, c'mon."

He starts to walk only to realise Fizzy isn't following him. She's staring at him, eyes wide. "C'mon," Louis urges. Fizzy is quick to follow him after that, trailing behind him as he practically clomps towards the cafeteria.

There are only a few people in the cafeteria. Louis walks right up to the coffee machine, which is free (thank God), and turns to Félicité. "Do you want some?" She just nods. Louis grabs two cups and fills them both, handing one of them to Fiz.

"So Beverly," Louis starts. He watches as Fizzy furrows her eyebrows. "Right. That's her name. Beverly Rue Tomlinson. I quite like it. Anyways, she's got this thing. I don't know how to explain it," He takes a sip of his coffee. "Makes it hard for blood to flow to her lungs. So. We don't know if she'll be okay or not. She was born a few days ago, and she's gotten a bit better. I don't want to get my hopes up though."

"Oh," Félicité says softly. "How...How's Harry doing then?"

"He's not great," Louis admits. "He's really upset. Heartbroken, honestly. I feel terrible."

Fizzy frowns, looking down into her coffee. "This needs sugar," She decides, reaching for a sugar packet. "I'm so sorry, Lou."

Louis twists his mouth. "We can go see her," He offers. "After we finish the coffee. No food and drinks in the NICU."

"Oh," Fizzy's eyes widen. She seems surprised Louis would even consider letting her go to the NICU with him. "Yeah, yeah alright."

♛

"She's not as small as I expected her to be."

"Yeah," Louis shrugs. "Most of the babies in here are preemie, so they're small. Bev's been eating really well, though, she's pretty healthy size-wise."

"Oh," Félicité nods. "She's really cute."

"Thanks," Louis grins. He gently strokes Beverly's cheek with his knuckles. She looks up at him with her huge blue eyes, and it practically melts his heart.

"It's proper mental," Fiz plays with the crinkly material of the hospital gown a nurse gave her. It's so the babies don't get sick from the germs people are bringing in, Louis assumes. "The fact that you're a dad, I mean."

"I know," Louis agrees softly. "Doesn't feel anything like I thought it would. It's so much better than what I thought it would be like."

"Yeah?" Félicité questions. She's fidgeting like hell. She's nervous, she probably wants a smoke so bad right now. Louis' surprised she hasn't excused herself yet.

"Yeah, like," Louis shrugs. "I don't know, I didn't expect it to like...change everything. Change how I feel about everything. I went to America, and I would go to pubs every night and make out with people I had just met. And then I got back, and I saw Harry, and I just went fucking soft."

Félicité laughs. Louis can't help but chuckle. "It sounds stupid, yeah, but he looked so pretty, Fiz. I'm in love with him. I haven't been properly in love with someone in so long."

"Yeah?" Fizzy questions.

"Don't think I've ever felt like this about someone," Louis admits. His phone goes off in his back pocket, and he pulls it out to see a text from Harry.

Harry: Are you in the NICU?

Louis: yeah, i'm w félicité. she wanted to see the baby.

Harry: Can you come back when you're done?

Louis: what's the matter, baby?

Harry: I'm sad. And I miss you.

Louis: do you want me to bring you to see B?

Harry: Okay.

"Hey, uh, I'm going to go get him and bring him back here," Louis says. "Are you cool staying here for a few?"

"Alone?" Fizzy asks.

"There are, like, four nurses in here, Fiz," Louis chuckles. "'M not too worried about it. Just sit tight, okay?"

"Okay," Félicité nods, giving Louis a weak smile. Louis pats her back as he makes his way out to the corridor, walking in the direction of his and Harry's room.

When he steps into the room, Harry is laying in the bed with his eyes half closed. "Hi, baby," Louis greets softly, walking towards the bed. Harry just smiles at him sleepily, giggling as Louis pinches the tip of his nose. "Ready to go see Bev?"

"Mhm," Harry sighs, letting Louis help him sit up. "Is Félicité still there?"

"Yeah, she's been really good today," Louis can't help but grin as he says it. "We got some coffee and I brought her down."

"That's good," Harry gives him a weak smile. Louis helps Harry into the wheelchair next to his bed, leaning down and kissing the top of his head.

"I love you, H," Louis mumbles into his hair.

"I love you too," Harry says softly. Louis smiles and starts to push Harry's wheelchair out of the room, down towards the NICU.

"We should get you something to eat after we see Beverly," Louis mentions. Harry fiddles with his hospital bracelet, fingers trembling just a bit.

"I'm not hungry," He says softly. Louis frowns. He hasn't eaten since Louis forced him to eat a sandwich yesterday.

"Well, you should eat anyways," Louis urges quietly. Harry just sighs, but he doesn't argue, and Louis shakes his head. "I'll get you something from Nando's or summat, okay?"

"Sure," Harry shrugs. Louis bites his lip. His poor boy.

They reach the NICU, Félicité still standing by Beverly's cot, peering down at her. She looks up when she sees Louis and Harry approaching, giving Harry a small smile. "Hi."

"Hi," Harry says back, smiling weakly at her.

"How's my princess?" Louis asks, reaching into the cot and resting his hand on Beverly's tummy. "Hi, pretty girl."

"Can I hold her?" Harry asks.

"Yeah, 'course," Louis gently lifts Beverly up, careful of the little tubes and wires attached to her as he hands her off to Harry. "Think she's doing better today."

"Yeah," Harry grins. "You look good, B."

"I think she should be a baby model," Louis mentions, flashing Félicité a smile. "We were going to do that with you, but you were a fat baby."

"Hey!" Fizzy gasps, but she's laughing.

"Louis," Harry scolds.

"Oh, I was kidding," Louis waves them off. "Lottie was chubbier."

"Daddy's so mean," Harry coos towards Beverly. "It's okay, though, because when he's mean to us, we'll just team up on him."

"I'd like to see you try," Louis sticks his tongue out at Beverly pointedly.

♛

"She's getting better," Doctor Thirlwall sits down in the chair next to Harry's bed, holding a clipboard in her hands. "After observing her the past few days, I'm starting to think she has sleep apnea."

"W-What's that?" Louis interrupts, his face flushed with worry. Harry reaches over and holds his hand, his grip tight as he gives Louis' shaky hand a squeeze.

"Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing in your sleep periodically," Doctor Thirlwall explains. "It's very common in babies, specifically preemies, or elderly people."

"Jesus," Louis whispers.

"So, when we send her home with you two, we'll give you this machine that you put on her when she's sleeping," Doctor Thirlwall explains. "It will sound off an alarm if she's stopped breathing."

"When we take her home?" Louis asks. "You think we'll be able to take her home soon?"

Doctor Thirlwall smiles and nods. "It's going to take a long time, and a lot of medication and doctor's visits," She says. "But, it is very likely that the damage on the lungs will reverse. I think Beverly will be okay. Her case is not as severe as others. You can take her home as soon as tomorrow if she makes it through tonight okay."

"Oh my God," Louis breathes. "Th-Thank you, thank you so much."

"It's no problem, lads," Doctor Thirlwall stands and gives Louis a business card. "Call me anytime you have any questions or concerns, okay?"

"Would it be totally inappropriate to hug you?" Louis stands up from the bed. Doctor Thirlwall laughs and shakes her head, and Louis attacks her in a bear hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Of course, Mr. Tomlinson," Doctor Thirlwall gives Louis a warm smile before waving to Harry. Harry gives her a small smile, eyes shiny as she walks out of the room.

"Holy shit, Harry!" Louis turns around to look at him, his eyes watery as well. Harry bites his bottom lip to keep from grinning too much as Louis swoops down and presses their lips together.