Louis can't sleep.

It hasn't happened in a while. The passed two weeks, since Harry's been fired, he's found it harder and harder to stay asleep, even with his medication. So, he's sitting in the lounge doing laundry, like he used to when he couldn't sleep.

Gracie threw a tantrum over having to eat her broccoli that night. She's been a terror lately, and Louis doesn't get it. She never used to be like that. He can't help but wonder if she can sense how stressed he and Harry are. And, since he's so stressed, he's been snapping at her much more than usual. He always feels horrible afterwards.

As he folds one of Gracie's dresses, he hears footsteps walking down the stairs. He doesn't even have to turn around to know it's Harry. "What're you doin' up?" Louis asks, looking up as Harry stands over him.

"Was gonna ask you the same," Harry says, voice quiet and a little raspy.

"Must've had too much tea earlier," Louis shrugs, continuing to fold Gracie's clothes. "I'll probably come back to bed in a few."

"Okay," Harry runs his fingers through Louis' hair. Louis smiles up at him, reaching up and giving his small baby bump a little rub before going back to folding. "Can I sit with you, then?"

"'Course," Louis' smile widens. Harry sits down next to him, resting his feet up on the coffee table. "You feel okay?"

Harry laughs softly. "Yeah, I feel fine," He assures, reaching up and scratching the nape of Louis' neck gently. It feels so good, Louis closes his eyes in bliss for a moment. "Just, you know, fat."

"Shut up," Louis laughs, turning around and grabbing Harry's arm to kiss his hand. "You look beautiful."

Harry smiles sleepily, freeing his hand from Louis' grip to hold his face with it. "You look really tired, babe," He says, quiet.

"Oh, yeah, thanks Haz, cheers," Louis says jokingly. Harry raises an eyebrow at him, and he sighs. "'M fine, I promise."

Harry doesn't look convinced. Louis places the shirt he's folding in the laundry basket, leaning back into the couch with Harry. Harry leans his head on his shoulder, grinning when Louis kisses the top of his head. "You'd tell me if this was too much for you, yeah?"

"Yes, love," Louis assures. He knows that's a lie, but Harry doesn't have to. Harry doesn't say anything after that, just snuggles into Louis more. Harry yawns, and a fond smile makes its way to Louis' face. "We should get you back to bed."

"'M not tired," Harry mumbles, closing his eyes. Louis' smile widens, and he stands up off the couch. He holds his hands out to Harry, who pouts, but lets Louis pull him up and walk him to the stairs, keeping his hand on his back.

♛

"Okay, it's been two weeks. How're we doing?"

Louis frowns immediately at Miriam's words, glancing over at Harry, who's eyes are stuck to his lap. The last time they came was the day before Harry was fired. He clears his throat. "Um. Harry?"

"I got fired," Harry says quietly. Miriam's face falls. She furrows her eyebrows, clearing her throat and leaning back in her desk chair like she's trying to find the right words to say.

"I'm so sorry," She says gently. "Why did they fire you?"

"Uh," Harry swallows thickly, twisting his wedding ring around his finger nervously. "They said that I didn't seem focused, and they'd seen a decline in my effort, and even after I told them I was pregnant-" Harry freezes, eyes widening as he looks up at Miriam. "I-I forgot we hadn't told you yet."

Miriam smiles at him warmly. "'S okay," She assures. "Go ahead."

"Well, I told them about that," Harry says, voice soft. "And about...the miscarriage, and I told them I'd try harder. But. They...they fired me anyways."

"That's terrible!" Miriam huffs. Harry looks back up at her, surprised. "I'm sorry if it's inappropriate for me to say this, but that's not a place you want to work for."

"I know," Harry sniffles, eyes becoming watery already. "I just really loved it. I didn't love working for them, but I got to help people. I was working on a case where this woman's husband was abusing her while she was pregnant, and she lost her baby, and I'm nervous about who they're going to switch her over to. The other lawyers who work there are just as mean."

"Do you think you're going to try and find a job at a different firm?" Miriam asks.

"Um," Harry sighs shakily. "I think...I'm going to take a bit of time off. For my mental health."

"That's good," Miriam nods, giving Harry a small smile and writing something down in her notepad. It always makes Louis nervous when she does that. "You've had a really difficult year, both of you, and you have to prioritise your mental health."

"Yeah," Harry says softly. "Um, that's why I'm kind of worried about Louis'."

"Mine?" Louis wrinkles his nose.

"Why's that?" Miriam asks, though she looks like she already knows.

"He was sleeping fine before with his prescription," Harry explains, twisting his mouth. "But I've caught him awake the past few nights, doing laundry or summat. He and Gracie have had it out at least three times this week. I just worry it's too much for him, that he's just gonna crack one of these days."

"Louis, is your medication not working anymore?" Miriam asks, eyebrows furrowed in concern. "I can increase your dosage if you need me to."

"What-No, I'm fine," Louis assures. "I'm okay. I've been drinking a lot of coffee lately, it's probably affecting my sleep."

"And what about you and Gracie?" She raises an eyebrow. Louis sighs, leaning back in the sofa and crossing his arms.

"Gracie's just been a brat lately," He huffs.

"Louis, Gracie's been a brat for a long time," Harry says. "I've been saying that since she was two and you let her sleep in our bed for months."

"How do you guys usually discipline Gracie?" Miriam asks, tilting her head a little. She addresses both of them, but she looks at Louis like she wants him to answer. Louis twists his mouth, looking down at his lap.

"We usually don't," He admits. "And I know she's spoiled, but she's also really good most of the time."

"If you know she's spoiled, why don't you do something about it?" Miriam raises her eyebrows. Louis sighs again.

"Um," He shrugs, keeping his eyes down. "My dad was...shitty. He was always angry, and he'd hit me and my mum sometimes. But, then he left, and for a long time, even after she met my old stepdad, she never had a lot of money to spoil us with. And ever since I've become a dad, I've just wanted Gracie to have all the things I never did."

"Your dad hit you?" Harry asks softly.

"You've never told Harry about that?" Miriam's eyebrows furrow.

"I've never told anyone," Louis admits. "And, you know, I've been losing my temper with her a lot lately, but I always apologise right after. I know that kind of erases any impact me scolding her would have had, but...every time I raise my voice at her, I remember my dad doing the same thing to me."

"But you're not your dad," Miriam says. "You're you. Everyone loses their temper with their kids sometimes, that's normal, and it makes sense with all the added stress you have right now."

Louis swallows thickly, cheeks heating up at the attention focused on him. "I really am fine," He assures. Miriam still doesn't look convinced, and neither does Harry. "It's only been two weeks, we're going to get back into a routine soon. Harry's the one you should be worried about."

Miriam gives Louis a wary look, but shifts her eyes over to Harry. "What've you been doing everyday?" She asks gently, tapping her pen against her notepad. "Since you stopped working?"

"Um, nothing, really," Harry shrugs. "I've been driving Gracie to school, 'n picking her up."

"That's it?" Miriam frowns.

"I don't feel good most of the time," Harry admits quietly. "It's...um...we're having twins. So. The morning sickness and stuff is worse than usual."

"Twins?!" Miriam seems genuinely happy for them, grinning wide. Louis smiles smugly. "Oh my goodness. Congratulations! In that case, you should totally be resting when you can."

Harry blushes, smiling shyly. "It's not that bad," He admits. "Being home. Gracie's only at school for a few hours."

"Have you told her yet?" Miriam asks. "About the twins?"

"Not yet," Louis speaks up. He can't wipe the smile off his face now that they're talking about the babies. "We're gonna wait a few more weeks, until he's in the second trimester."

"You think she'll be excited?" Miriam's smile widens.

"I think so," Louis says. "Might be a bit of a reality check when she's not getting all the attention, though."

"I think she'll like the idea of having more people to boss around," Harry grins.

"Somebody besides us, finally," Louis laughs.

♛

They're watching TV that night, Gracie asleep, with Harry sitting between Louis' legs, his back leaning into Louis' chest. It's in the middle of an episode of The Office that Harry leans his head back, looking up at Louis. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Hm?" Louis looks back at him.

"About your dad," Harry clarifies. Louis winces, grabbing the remote off the top of the duvet and pausing the show.

"I...didn't think it was important," He shrugs, brushing a piece of Harry's hair out of his face. Harry's eyes look so sad, though, so Louis sighs and says, "It was a really long time ago, Haz. He left when I was five. Not a big deal. I barely remember it."

Harry doesn't look very convinced. Sometimes Louis forgets how well he can read him. Louis leans down and kisses the top of his head. "It was only a few times," He assures, squeezing Harry gently. "I was a little shit, and it would piss him off. He hit me a few times, and then he left. I never told you when we were dating or anything because I was scared you'd think I was like him."

"Louis," Harry says softly, eyebrows furrowing, clearly upset. "I wouldn't have thought that. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"It was twenty years ago, Haz, I'm okay," Louis can't help but smile at him, fond. "I barely think about it anymore. I don't have to think about it anymore. I have you, and Gracie, and you two make up for all the shitty stuff."

Harry smiles back at him, leaning up and pecking Louis' lips. "I love you, L," He says, and Louis' grin widens. "You know you can talk to me about anything, yeah?"

"I know," Louis nods. "And I love you too."