"You don't have to come, Louis, it's okay."

"But I want to."

Harry rolls his eyes, sitting down on the edge of the bed so Louis can help him with his shoes. He had to admit that he couldn't bend down that far a few weeks ago. "I wouldn't even be going if my Mum wasn't making me."

"You don't wanna show me off?" Louis pouts a little, slipping Harry's Converse on him. Harry giggles, letting Louis help him stand up. He leans forward to peck Louis' lips, leaving Louis with a big smile.

"I always do," Harry assures. "But, being honest, the women in my family can be kind of...nasty."

"What?!" Louis scoffs. "No way."

"My Mum is an exception," Harry shrugs, smiling sheepishly. "They don't like that I'm married so young, or that I'm pregnant, and I don't want them to take it out on you."

"Harry," Louis laughs a little, grabbing Harry's hand and squeezing it. "I'll be fine, baby. I'm a big boy, I can handle it."

Harry sighs, shaking his head. "Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you."

♛

"Papa looks sad, Daddy."

Louis sighs a little, pulling Harry's toast out of the toaster. "Um. Yeah, baby. He is a little sad."

"Why?"

Louis turns around and squats down in front of Gracie so he's eye-level with her. "It's grown-up stuff, princess. I wish I could explain it to you, but I can't. The most important thing is that we try and cheer Papa up, yeah?"

"I'm gon' ask him to watch Frozen with me!" Gracie gasps. She's about to run off and ask him, but Louis wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her back gently.

"Okay, that's a good idea," Louis smiles wearily. "But Frozen's your favourite movie, yeah?" Gracie nods. "So if Papa's sad...?"

"We should watch Papa's favourite movie," Gracie grins, and Louis smiles back at her. "Papa likes Coco!"

"There you go," Louis gives her a high-five. He'll have to tell Harry about how he saved him from watching Frozen again. "I'm gonna finish Papa's toast, m'kay? I'll join you in a mo'."

"Okay!" Gracie smiles, running out of the kitchen towards the stairs. Louis doesn't even bother to tell her not to run–it's no use, and he's too tired. He doesn't think he's slept more than four hours over the past three days.

He grabs Harry's toast and brings it upstairs, finding him and Gracie curled up under the covers. Gracie looks up and Louis and smiles. "We're gonna watch Coco, Daddy!"

"Woah," Louis raises his eyebrows, giving Harry a small grin. "Wonder who's idea that was."

Harry smiles back at him wearily, taking the toast. "Thank you, L," He says softly. "You gonna join us?"

"Of course," Louis plops down on the bed, resting his elbow on Gracie's head and making her giggle. "'S not a party until Daddy shows up, right?"

"Right," Gracie beams up at him. He only melts a little. "I'm gon' go get my blankie."

"Hurry up, I wanna start it," Louis whines, and Gracie giggles as she climbs off the bed to run off to her bedroom. Louis looks over to Harry, who hasn't taken a bite of his toast yet. "How you feeling?"

Harry sighs. "I don't know," He admits softly. "A little better, I think. Not great."

Louis leans over and kisses his cheek, and Harry smiles wearily. "Whatever you need, I got you, okay?" He assures. Harry tightens his lips, looking down at his toast.

"Whatever?" He asks. Louis nods. "I want you and I to get a marriage counsellor."

Louis' face falls. "I..."

"Louis," Harry says softly. Louis bites his tongue. "I don't want to lose you over this. We were doing really well. I wanna make sure that we're okay, that we'll be alright. There's nothing embarrassing about needing a little help. So, you're going to have to swallow your pride and do this for me. Please."

Louis' softens. He did tell Harry he'd give him whatever he needs, and he may be stubborn, but he's not one to go back on his word. He sighs. "Fine. I'll find someone for us to go to, okay?"

Harry looks up at him, eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" He asks, and Louis nods. He sets his toast down on the nightstand before attacking Louis in a hug, burying his face in his neck. "Thank you, L."

That hits Louis right in the heart. He wraps his arms around Harry, kissing the top of his head. "Yeah, love, of course," He mumbles.

Gracie runs into the room, pouting when she sees Harry and Louis hugging. "Papa, get off! We're gon' watch the movie."

"Hey," Louis warns, but his heart flutters when Harry giggles into his neck a little. "We don't talk to people like that. Especially Papa."

"Sorry, Papa," Gracie climbs up onto the bed, snuggling into Louis' side. "We can both cuddle with Daddy."

"Perfect," Louis grins, smoothing his hand over Gracie's hair.

♛

"Harry, darling, I haven't seen you in ages!"

Louis' hand goes to the small of Harry's back protectively. He's seriously like a dog, Harry thinks. "Hi, Aunty," He smiles politely, fidgeting nervously with the plastic water bottle in his hand. "How are you?"

"Oh, look at you," His aunt ignores his question, putting her hand right on his belly. Without asking. He just knows Louis is seething right now. Harry's used to this, though, so he just continues to smile. "You must be getting close now, yeah?"

"Oh, um, not for another ten weeks," Harry says. His aunt raises her eyebrows.

"Oh!" She hums, looking up at him. "You should try wearing black, love. Very slimming."

"Um, have you met my husband?" Harry changes the subject so Louis won't feel the need to step in and defend him. He grabs Louis' arm and squeezes it gently, silently telling him to relax. "This is Louis."

"Nice to meet you," Louis says flatly. Harry is urging him in his head to be nice.

"Louis," His aunt smiles, but it clearly isn't genuine. "Oh, you're so handsome! Are you in law school with Harry?"

"Um, no," Louis' a little embarrassed. Harry squeezes his arm again, this time for reassurance. "I work. I'm a construction worker."

"Oh!" His aunt nods. "I see. So...you're going to be able to provide? For Harry and the baby?"

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Aunty!" Harry starts to guide Louis away, mostly as damage control. "Say hi to Uncle Rick for me!"

Once they're far enough away, Louis turns to Harry and frowns. "I hate her," He grumbles. "Why would you let her talk to you like that?" Harry smiles sympathetically, leaning over and kissing Louis.

"I know, I'm sorry," He sighs. "I told you, though I know you never listen."

"Oi!" Louis exclaims, but he's smiling fondly.

♛

"I think Niall's gonna bring us some dinner, love," The movie's over. Gracie passed out a while ago, and Louis had just finished carrying her to bed. This means she won't be able to sleep later. It's not like he will either. "And Liam said he'd get us some groceries...?"

"That's fine," Harry whispers. Louis climbs back into the bed, laying next to Harry and grabbing his hand. Harry looks over to him, his eyes tired. "Have you been sleeping?"

"Hazza, I never sleep," Louis laughs a little. Harry sighs a little.

"I mean, like, at all?" He asks. "Usually you sleep at least a little, right?"

Louis smiles, fond, and brings Harry's hand up to his mouth to kiss it. "Yeah, I've slept. Definitely less than usual, but it's something."

Harry visibly swallows, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Why do you think you can't sleep?" He asks softly. Louis twists his mouth, looking at where their fingers are intertwined.

"I don't know," He admits. "There's just...so much to worry about, y'know? My mind won't let me rest when there's shit I should be thinking about."

"What do you worry about?"

"You. Gracie. Our marriage. My siblings, and my mum. The future. There's always something."

"And why don't you ever tell me about it?"

Louis stops and looks back at Harry again. "Don't you think it'd be easier if you weren't the one carrying all of the weight?" Harry whispers. Louis twists his mouth again.

"I just don't wanna worry you too," He admits softly. "You're so stressed at work all the time."

"That's what marriage is," Harry points out. "You tell me about your problems and I tell you about mine. Anything you're losing sleep over is something I want you to tell me about."

Louis forgets how smart, and kind Harry is sometimes. He knows he's right about everything, but he won't dump all of his problems on Harry right now. He's got enough going on.

♛

"Do you need to sit down? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, L," Harry assures softly, squeezing his hand. It's then Harry's mum's cousin, Lina, comes up to them, giving Harry a huge, super-fake grin.

"Oh my gosh, Harry, it's been ages!" She gasps, a glass of wine in her hand. It's only 2 pm. "Look at you, ready to pop!"

"Ha, yeah," Harry squeezes Louis' hand again. "Um, this is my husband, Louis."

"Oh, you two are so cute!" Lina gushes before getting serious. "And, you know, I am totally okay with it. I have a lot of gay friends, I totally understand."

"Wonderful," Louis deadpans. Harry elbows him a little, but he's snickering.

"So, do you know what you're having yet?" Lina asks, raising her eyebrows and taking a sip of her wine.

"Well, yeah, but we're really not sharing that with anyone..." Harry bites his bottom lip, feeling a little bad, no matter how annoying Lina is.

"Oh, c'mon, you can tell me," Lina pushes. "How am I gonna know what to get you for your baby shower?"

"Well, um, the gender doesn't really matter," Harry points out shyly. "Like, if it were a boy you wouldn't have to just buy him blue clothes." Lina just blinks at him like he's stupid. "And we're not having one."

"What?!" Lina gasps. "Why not?"

"We're just...busy," Harry shrugs. "I've got school, and Louis' working."

"So how're you gonna get all the stuff you need?" Lina asks, dumbfounded.

"Well, my mum and Gemma and Nan have been buying us clothes and stuff," Harry explains. "And Louis' mum is covering the furniture. She's having twins, so she's buying new cots and giving us an old one."

"Your mum is pregnant?" Lina asks Louis, laughing a little. "Holy shit, that is rich."

"Hey," Louis says, finally speaking up. Harry decides to let him go for it. "Don't fucking talk about my mum."

"Oh, I wasn't-"

"Yes, you were. Don't talk about my mother, and don't fucking talk to my husband like that. What gives you the right to come up to him and comment on his body like that? And berate him about telling you the gender of our baby? And about us not having a baby shower. From what I've heard, you're thirty years old and still living with your parents. I'm only twenty, 'n I've got a flat and a husband and a job. Stay in your lane."

Lina's jaw goes slack, her eyes wide. Harry is trying so fucking hard not to laugh. Instead, he puts his hand on Louis' shoulder and turns him away. "Always a pleasure, Lina."

♛

"Hey, mate," Niall greets, a pot in his hand. "Barbara made this. She told me what it was, but I honestly zoned out."

Louis laughs, taking the pot from Niall and carrying it to the kitchen, Niall trailing behind him. "As long as it's edible. Thanks, Ni."

"Liam should be over soon, I think," He says, leaning against the counter while Louis sets the pot down. "How you holding up, mate?"

Louis blows out a puff of air, crossing his arms. "I dunno. Better," He admits before lowering his voice. "He wants us to see, like, a couples therapist."

Niall raises an eyebrow. "Uh. Yeah. In my professional opinion, you guys should've done that a while ago."

"Your professional opinion as a bartender?" Louis laughs a little, shaking his head. "Thanks, Niall."

The door opens, and Liam walks in with a paper bag. "Groceries!" He announces, plopping the bag on the counter. "Hi, guys."

"Payno!" Niall gasps. "Whole gang is here. That never happens anymore."

"Where's Harry?" Liam asks, pulling a carton of milk out of the bag and putting it away for them. "I wanna give him a hug."

Louis chuckles. "He's upstairs, I think," He twists his mouth before saying, "Hey, you guys busy tonight? I could start up the fire pit, we could drink a few beers..."

"Sounds perfect to me, mate," Niall grins.

"Count me in!" Liam's still putting the groceries away. What a dork. Louis loves him.

So, Louis starts up a fire, and they all sit on the patio with their beers, talking about their partners and work and whatever else until Harry appears in the doorway.

"Harry!" Liam cheers, raising his beer.

"Hi," Harry says softly, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Hey, love," Louis says, holding his arm out. "You wanna join us?"

"Sure," Harry steps onto the patio, shivering a little. "Gracie's still sleepin'."

"Let's pray she gets at least a little sleep tonight," Louis smiles. Harry, instead of sitting on one of the chairs, opts to sit on Louis' lap. Louis wraps an arm around his waist, beer in one hand and whole world in the other. "How you doing, baby?"

"I'm fine," Harry assures, smiling a little.

"This is seriously reminding me of when we were kids," Niall says, staring into the fire. "Like, even before you got married, when you guys were actually fun."

"What?" Louis scoffs. "We're still fun!"

"You and Harry were the life of every party," Liam says. "You used to do belly shots off of Harry while he laid on the kitchen table."

"Oh my God," Harry mumbles, covering his face with his hand.

"You think we don't do that now?" Louis laughs. "That's why Gracie goes to bed so early."

"Gross," Niall wrinkles his nose.