"Okay, your favourite song being by ABBA is not a deep, dark secret."

Louis pouts as Harry giggles, their legs tangled together as they lay on Louis' twin bed. Harry beams up at him, eyes sparkling, only sixteen. Louis' friends always tease him for being with someone so much younger than them, but he thinks it's worth it. They've only been going out for a few months, but Louis can tell this one's different.

"I don't have anything else!" He defends, giggling himself when Harry rolls his eyes. "What about you, then?"

"Do I have a secret?" Harry asks, and Louis nods. He twists his mouth. "I mean. I dunno."

"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," Louis assures softly, reaching for Harry's hand and entwining their fingers. He doesn't miss the way Harry blushes at the gesture.

Harry hums softly, biting his bottom lip before looking back up into Louis' eyes. "I'm a carrier."

Louis can feel his face soften as he looks into Harry's eyes, seeing how scared he looks. "Really?" He whispers. Harry nods, his cheeks a burning red.

"I hope you don't think of me any differently," He says shyly. "I know it's weird."

"No, no," Louis assures. "No, H, of course not. It's not weird, I'm glad you told me." The world has gotten more and more accepting of male carriers over the past few years, which Louis thinks is great, but also; why was it ever an issue in the first place?

"Really?" Harry asks sheepishly.

"Yeah, it's not a big deal," He leans forward and pecks Harry's lips. Harry starts to smile. "I might actually have a secret."

"Yeah?" Harry's smile widens.

"Yeah," Louis swallows thickly, squeezing Harry's hand. "I think...I'm in love with you. Like. Really in love with you."

Harry beams. "I'm in love with you too," He giggles. Louis' face becomes warm, and Harry leans up to kiss him, a little longer than the first.

♛

Louis' body is wracking with exhaustion as he steps into the house, shivering a little. It's raining, and he had daftly forgotten to wear a proper slicker, so here he is; cold, wet, and tired. When he looks up and sees Harry sleeping on the loveseat, though, it remedies all the negative feelings and fills him with warm ones.

He stopped on the way home to buy Harry flowers. It's not any special occasion, their anniversary isn't until January (which, Louis has to write down somewhere once it gets closer. He forgot last year. Didn't go down well). He just wanted to remind Harry he appreciates him.

Quietly, he closes the door behind him, slipping off his wet trainers and pushing his hair out of his face. He sets the roses down on the coffee table before grabbing a throw blanket off the top of the sofa and spreading it over Harry.

He tries to keep his footsteps light as he makes his way towards the stairs, walking up and going to Gracie's room. Gracie is laying on her stomach on her bed, colouring something. She looks up when she hears Louis walk in, gasping, eyes lighting up. "Daddy!"

"Hey, peanut, what're you up to?" He asks, pulling his shirt where it's stuck to his skin. Usually he would go over and give Gracie a hug, but he feels as though she probably doesn't want to get soaking wet too.

"I'm making a picta' for Nana Jay," She says, legs swinging in the air.

"Wow," Louis grins. "Bet she'll love it. I'm going to hop in the shower, and then I'll make some dinner, okay?"

"Pizza?" Gracie asks. Louis twists his mouth.

"We're not getting pizza tonight, G," He says. Gracie pouts. He already feels a little guilty for buying the flowers, they can't afford to throw around as much money as they used to. "I'll make you mac n' cheese, though?"

"Okayyy," Gracie huffs. Louis' just glad she isn't getting fussy over it. He does walk over and kiss the top of her head before going to take a shower, letting out a soft sigh as soon as he's alone. He rolls his shoulders back, trying to relieve the tension building up in them.

He takes his time in the shower, changing into a pair of pyjama pants and one of Harry's jumpers when he gets out. When he goes back downstairs, Harry seems to be waking up, so he leans down and presses a kiss to his forehead. His eyes blink open, and he grins when they seem to focus on Louis. "Hi."

"Hi, love," Louis leans down and pecks his lips. "Tired?"

"Mhm," Harry yawns. Louis sits on the edge of the loveseat, next to Harry's legs, and Harry closes his eyes again. He looks sleepy and soft, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Hey, I got you something," Louis grabs the roses off the coffee table, getting down on one knee and presenting them to Harry. Harry opens his eyes, sitting up a little and grinning wide when he sees the bouquet in Louis' hands.

"What're these for?" He asks, taking them and sitting up all the way so he can admire them.

"For being lovely," Louis grins, but it stops when he sees Harry's eyes tearing up. "Hey, what's the matter?"

Harry sniffles, laughing a little in spite of himself. "You just haven't bought me flowers in so long," He wipes at a tear with the sleeve of his jumper. "And I really didn't feel good today, and Gracie was giving me a little attitude. 'S like you knew I needed them."

Louis smiles, standing up so he can lean down and kiss Harry again. "I was just thinking about you today," He admits. "More than usual."

"I love you," Harry giggles, eyes still watering. "I'm gonna go put these in a vase."

"Here," Louis helps Harry up. Which, really, isn't necessary, but he worries. Harry rolls his eyes, but he's smiling fondly at Louis' incessant protectiveness.

"Think we're going to have to tell her," Harry says, running his fingers through Louis' wet hair. Louis' eyes shift down to Harry's stomach. It's like it popped out overnight, going from a soft little tummy to a proper bump. You can't really see it underneath the jumper he's wearing, but now that he's twelve weeks, it's time to start telling people (much to Harry's dismay).

"'S gonna be fine," Louis assures, resting his hand on Harry's hip. Harry just gives Louis a weary smile, kissing him one more time before leaving to the kitchen.

♛

"Gracie Mae, can you come here for a mo'?" Louis asks, noticing Harry's anxious expression in the corner of his eye. They had just finished dinner, and Louis knew it'd be better to talk to her afterwards, once she had some time to settle down and eat. Gracie obeys, walking over to the sofa and crawling up so she's sitting between her parents.

"Am I in trouble?" Gracie asks, cautious.

"No, but I did hear you were giving Papa some attitude today," Louis mentions. "And we're going to talk about that later." Gracie pouts, but doesn't argue. "Do you remember when we were talking a few weeks ago, and you were saying you wished me and Papa would have another baby?"

"Mhm," Gracie nods, swinging her legs. "In Papa's tummy."

Harry blushes. Louis grins. "Yeah, in Papa's tummy."

"For nine months!" Gracie chirps.

"Smart girl," Louis chuckles.

"Gracie," Harry says softly, holding his arms out to her. Gracie crawls into them, cuddling up on Harry's lap. "Babe. How would you feel if I told you there are two babies in my tummy right now?"

Gracie takes a moment to think about it, looking up at Harry. "Two?" She questions. Harry's cheeks are a rosy pink as he smiles, nodding.

"Yeah, twins. Like Ernie and Doris," He says. "They grew in Nana Jay's tummy together."

Gracie takes the liberty of grabbing at Harry's jumper, lifting it up so she can look at his tummy. Louis laughs a little as she shakes her head. "No, Papa. No babies. Your tummy's not big."

Harry giggles, brushing Gracie's hair out of her face. Louis could watch the two of them all night, he thinks. "Well, not yet. The babies are only about this big;" He holds his fingers up ten centimetres apart. "But they're gonna grow."

"Oh," Gracie hums.

"Whaddya think, G?" Louis asks, putting his hand on Harry's knee. "You're gonna be a big sister, isn't that pretty cool?"

"Are you gonna forget 'bout me?" Gracie pouts, clinging onto Harry, his jumper still pulled up over his stomach. Harry frowns, wrapping Gracie up in his arms and kissing the top of her head.

"Never," He assures gently. "We just thought, you know, you're so wonderful, we should have a few more."

"Nana Jay didn't forget about me, and she had six babies after me," Louis points out, giving Gracie a smile. "Papa has a big sister, you think Nana forgot about her once he came along?"

"No," Gracie mumbles.

"Exactly," Harry nods. "And when your new siblings come, we're not gonna forget about you. Being a big sister is actually a really important job."

"It is?" Gracie looks up at Harry, eyes sparkling. His face melts into a bigger smile.

"Yup," He nods. "Because babies are a lot of work, and sometimes Papa and Daddy might need help. Being a big sister is a big responsibility, but I think you're perfect for the job."

"I'm not helping with nappies," Gracie says.

"We'll leave them for Daddy, then," Harry grins up at Louis, teasing, and Louis wrinkles his nose. "So what do you think? About being a big sister?"

"Sounds good," Gracie nods. "As long as they don't have big mouths and cry all the time."

"Nobody could compete with your big mouth, Gracie Mae," Louis teases, tickling her tummy and making her squeal.