"Okay, last one," Louis says, the flashcard in his hand. Harry bites the curve of his thumb, curled up in the corner of the couch in Louis' jumper. Louis can tell it won't fit him and his bump anymore soon, but he'd never say that (unless he wants his head ripped off). "What can a non-custodial parent do if they're being denied visitation?"

"Um," Harry exhales shakily. Louis' never been so stressed about an exam in his life, and it's not even his own. "They...can initiate contempt proceedings."

Louis grins. "'S right," He says. "You got all of them right."

Harry's eyes widen. "All of them?" He asks, clearly not believing him. "Seriously?"

"Yup," Louis laughs a little. "All one hundred and twenty. I think you're passing this exam, babe."

Harry's cheeks are a pretty, rosy pink colour as he bites his bottom lip, trying to keep from smiling too much. He's so fucking cute, Louis gets butterflies in his stomach. "Hey," He says. "You deserve this, H, you've worked really hard. 'M proud of you."

"Thank you, L," Harry giggles, tucking a curl behind his ear. "But, can we go through them one more time? Just to be sure."

He is absolutely ridiculous. Louis is so gone for him. And, because he's so whipped, he picks up the flashcards again. "Sure. One more time, and then you should take a break."

"But-"

"Haz," Louis raises an eyebrow at him, grinning. "Baby's gonna come out ready to pass the bar. You've practiced enough, you deserve a little break." Harry pouts. "Now. What is annulment?"

♛

"Do you want a boy or another girl?"

"Louis, I haven't even taken the test yet."

"I'm just wondering!"

Harry sighs, slipping the test out of the box and twisting his mouth. "I don't know," He admits, tucking one of his curls behind his ear. "I think it'd be nice to have either."

"I want a boy," Louis says, sitting on the edge of the bathtub and looking up at Harry. Harry grins at him, raising an eyebrow, silently asking him to elaborate. "I think Gracie would love a brother, and this way when her and Doris gang up on Ernest, it'll finally be an even fight."

Harry laughs, staring down at the test in his hands. "Do you really want this?" He asks softly, and Louis furrows his eyebrows. "I mean. I don't want you to change your mind about uni or anything because we're having a baby."

"Don't worry about that, H," Louis assures, voice soft and warm in the dim light of the washroom. The sun is barely rising. "We'll figure it out."

Harry swallows thickly, looking down at the test again. "Okay," He says quietly, his expression unreadable.

"Hey," Louis says gently, and Harry looks back up at him again. "I love you. No matter what."

Harry's face softens, his eyes glowing in the light of the sunrise out the window. "I love you too," He smiles, gripping the test tightly in his hand. He takes a deep breath. "Okay. I'm doing it."

"Are you sure I can't leave for the weeing part?"

"Nope."

"Alright."

Harry snickers, taking the test while Louis twiddles his thumbs nervously. It's impossible not to get his hopes up. He wants this, really badly. He wants to have a baby, wants Gracie to be a big sister, wants Harry to be pregnant and, maybe, slow down a little bit.

"Okay," Harry finishes, fixing his joggers and setting the test down on the sink. "Five minutes."

Louis' quiet, staring at a framed picture hanging over the toilet. Gracie had painted it, so, so proud of herself and her pink and blue scribbles, and Louis' heart swelled. He had it framed the next day.

"What if I don't get into uni?" Louis asks.

"You will."

"But what if I don't?" Louis asks softly, still staring at Gracie's picture. "They don't want me, Hazza, not when everyone else applying is eighteen and smart and...young."

"Lou," Harry grins, fond. "You're only a few years late, and more accomplished than any of those kids applying." Louis scoffs. "You were working full-time to support a family at only twenty years old! If you prove to them that you're committed, that this is something you really want, you'll get in."

Louis twists his mouth, looking down at his lap. "I just don't think I'm meant to go," He admits softly.

"Why?" Harry furrows his eyebrows.

"I'm not smart," Louis says, ignoring how Harry rolls his eyes. "I don't know if I can keep up with the work, and everyone there's gonna be younger and better than me."

"You're incredibly smart," Harry says. "And I can help you with the work, just like you helped me. And you being older has nothing to do with how well you'll do, you have life experience. You're the most intelligent person I know."

Louis doesn't say anything. He knows Harry wants him to believe what he's saying, but his conscience is getting in the way. "Your mum called me last night," Harry mentions. Louis furrows his eyebrows. "And she was telling me how proud she is of you, and how great we've both done with Gracie," Louis grins. "Granted, she'd probably had a few glasses of wine," Harry smiles, and Louis laughs. "But, she's right, you know. You give everyone lots to be proud of, even without uni."

Louis looks down, sighing a little. "Thank you, H," He says after a moment. Harry just smiles wider, looking back down at the pregnancy test. He picks it up, staring down at it.

"Negative," He says softly. Louis' heart drops. His first instinct is to stand up and hold Harry, so he does, wrapping his arms around him and cradling his head against his chest.

"You okay?" Louis asks, voice raspy and low.

"Yeah," Harry mumbles. He leans up and kisses Louis' jaw, nuzzling his nose into his neck. "We can try again later."

"I'll put Gracie to bed early," Louis says, and Harry giggles. "Four thirty okay?"

"Perfect," Harry grins.

♛

"I want ice cream for dinner."

"Yeah, me too."

"We're not having ice cream for dinner," Harry shakes his head, giggling a little at Louis and Gracie's pouts. "After dinner."

"I hate it here," Louis huffs, stomping his foot.

"Me too," Gracie says.

"Gracie," Harry sighs before looking up at Louis and his mischievous grin. "Behave."

"Never," Louis replies cheekily.

"Can I watch Paw Patrol until dinna'?" Gracie asks.

"Ooh, me too?" Louis gasps. Harry doesn't know why they're trying for a second, it seems he already has two children.

"I suppose," Harry sighs again, grinning when Gracie cheers and Louis scoops her up, throwing her over his shoulder carrying her into the lounge like a sack of potatoes.

"Can you bring my laptop in when you're done, babe?" Louis calls to Harry from the lounge as Harry puts the dinner in the oven.

"Yup!" Harry calls back, looking to where it's sitting on the counter. It's open, and the screen is lit up. Harry steps closer and looks at it–a document labelled uni essay is open. Should he snoop? No. Is he going to? Yes.

Peeking into the lounge and making sure Louis isn't watching him, he leans onto the counter and looks at the document.

Uni Essay – Louis Tomlinson

My whole life has been filled with gaps. Growing up, there was always a gap where my father should've been. My mother tried her best to fill it, but it was never quite full. When I was a teenager, there was always a gap that I was told should be occupied by fireworks whenever I kissed a girl. After secondary school, when all of my friends moved away and went to university, I felt a gap that my job behind a bar couldn't quite fill.

I wasn't handed the opportunity for an education. Between trying to help my mother support our family of six, my sub-par grades because I was in a shitty public school where I was a hyperactive, below-average kid and I couldn't get the support I needed, and our poor financial situation, university just wasn't in the cards for me. But, I never stopped wanting it.

I was nineteen when I met my husband, and twenty when we were married. He was in law school at the time, and soon enough, pregnant with our daughter. I was the primary source of income for our family, working twelve hours a day at a construction site until I was sunburnt and sore, and then coming home to take care of the baby so my husband could study.

Being a husband and a dad has been more fulfilling than anything in my entire life, but the gap of an education, being able to work had for something I really want to do, has stayed with me since I was eighteen. Now that my husband has a steady job, and our daughter is getting older, I've finally been given the chance to do what I've always wanted, and fill a gap that's been plaguing me for years.

Harry's eyes are a little teary as he reads it. He's so focused he doesn't see Louis walk in, jumping a little when he feels his hips being squeezed from behind him. Louis laughs at his reaction, wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing the top of his head.

"'S not done," He mentions, hooking his chin over Harry's shoulder. "And it needs some major editing."

Harry turns in Louis' grip, grabbing his cheeks and kissing him. "It's really good," He mumbles against Louis' lips, feeling Louis grin.

"Really?" Louis leans back, eyes softening when he notices how wet Harry's eyes are. "Haz..."

"'M just really proud," Harry says as he kisses him again, ignoring Gracie when she walks into the room and shouts "Ewww, Papa!"