Chapter 5-

Louis blinked.

"My...father?"

The man nodded. "How are you, Louis?"

"How am I," Louis asked red-faced. This wasn't mood swings. "How am I? I'm in fucking rage, that's how I am! Why the hell are you here?"

"I wanted to see you," was his simple answer.

"Oh? You wanted to see me? After almost nineteen years, you want to see me? Really? You left us. What makes you think you have the right to see us?"

"I left, Louis. I know I did. I was scared-"

"Scared? You were scared," Louis interjected. "How do you think Mum felt? She was left alone to raise and take care of an infant. How the hell were you scared? Because you weren't. You weren't scared. You were a coward."

"Son, I-"

"Don't call me son. Alright?" He took a deep breath. "I really had to leave Harry's for this low-lying excuse of a human being-"

"Harry? Who's Harry?"

"None of your business."

"It is to my business. Are you gay?"

"So what if I am? Why should you know? Why should you care-"

"Because I'm your father-"

"Don't cut me off," Louis yelled.

"Don't tell me what to do! I'm your father-"

"No! You're not! You are not my father! No way in hell! If you were my father, you wouldn't have left us. If you actually loved us, you would have stayed nineteen years ago instead of leaving."

He took a few short breathes as a silence rang through the air.

"I want you to leave," he said in a calmer but still strong tone. "Right now. And I don't want you to come into either of our lives again. You don't deserve Mum, or me. You will never know your grandchild-"

"Grandchild? Who did you knock up?"

"What did I say about cutting me off? Yes, a grandchild. And it's none of your business and no one you will ever know."

"Jay," he tried.

"No. Listen to Louis. Leave."

Louis opened the door. "Go ahead, Dad. The door's wide open."

He glared at his father as he left their house. From the doorway, he watched as he got into his car and drove away. Once he was out of sight-yet not out of mind-he shut the door and turned to Jay, who was on the verge of tears.

Louis crapped her in a hug, trying not to cry. When his mum cried, he usually followed suit and comforted her. They were just that close.

"I'm so sorry, Mum," he said.

"It's my fault, Boo. I shouldn't have let him in." She buried her head into his shoulder.

"It's fine. Perfectly fine."

"I really wish I never met that man..."

Louis pulled back and looked at her. "If you never met him, you wouldn't have me."

She smiled. "That's is very true."

"And you know what? Mum, we don't need him. We've survived on our own without him for years. For a long time. We just need each other, right?"

"Right," Jay smiled.

"I'll protect you, Mummy. Even if I am pregnant."

Jay smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you...I love you, Louis."

"I love you, too, Mum."

He gave her one last squeeze before letting her go.

"I'm going to get started on dinner," she sighed. "Want anything specific?"

Louis shook his head. "No. Just something that won't make me sick."

Jay laughed lightly. "You're lucky that your stomach is still sensitive right now, or else I'd take that to offense."

Louis just smiled. "I'm gonna go call the boys. Call me down for dinner when it's ready?"

She nodded, pecking his cheek quickly before heading into the kitchen, Louis upstairs to his room.

He flopped back onto the bed, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He dialed each number, combining it all to a conference call.

"You guys all there," he asked. They all responded quickly.

"Why did your mum want you home early," Harry questioned.

"For something I wish she hadn't called me for."

"Which was," Niall trailed off.

"My dad."

The line got dead silent.

"Your...dad? What do you mean-"

"I mean that he showed up, Liam," he cut off. "After nineteen bloody years he shows up! All bescause he wanted to see me. Do you think that's appropriate?"

"No. Why the hell would he do that," Zayn sighed.

"I dunno, but he's a coward. And he probably thinks I'm gay now, too."

"Why," Harry asked.

Louis shook his head, though they couldn't see. "Because I asked why I had to leave Harry's for that arse."

"So now he thinks you're gay," Liam asked.

"Probably. But maybe not with the other thing I said."

"What was it?"

"Grandchild," he muttered into the phone.

He heard a phone get put down, the plastic clatter against wood, soon realizing that it was Harry when he breathed out "shit."

"I was doing a lot of yelling," Louis continued. "And now I'm all pissed and stressed and-"

"Hey," Zayn interrupted. "Don't stress. Stress isn't good."

"I know..." He took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair.

"We're gonna let you go," Niall said. "I'm not sure if he's still on, but talk to Harry."

"Alright. I'll, uh, I'll see you guys tomorrow."

They all said goodbye then hung up.

"Haz?"

Harry breathed out in response.

"You there?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"Your dad being there. I mean...what dick would do that?"

"Leave their family and return years later?"

"Yeah."

"My dad," he stated simply. "Just ignore it. It's not your fault."

"Ok...are you alright?"

"I guess. I let it slip that he won't ever see his grandchild. What if...Harry, what if he does some-"

"No. That's not gonna happen. You can't think like that."

"Yeah, but-"

"No buts. Lou, you'll be fine, the baby will be fine, your mum will be fine. Your dad's not gonna do something."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Louis smiled and swore he heard Harry say something else on his end of the line.

"What was that?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Night, Boo."

"Night."

That entire night, Louis had a restless sleep. The moment his eyes closed, they were open again. He kept tossing and turning, just thinking. He kept thinking and couldn't stop.

He woke up the next morning, unfortunately getting sick after his shower, did the injections and checked his phone.

Harry: Want me to pick you up? I'm leaving now.

Louis answered him: Sure. I'll see you in soon.

He waited for Harry downstairs, talking to Jay before he arrived.

"Good morning," Harry greeted with a smile, which Louis returned.

"Tired?"

He nodded. "I couldn't sleep last night. Kept thinking."

Harry laughed, backing up the car. "Couldn't get your brain to shut up?"

"Nope." He smiled at the green-eyed boy and closed his eyes, feeling as if he woke up not five minutes later. They were at school.

"Are you sure you're up to school today," Harry asked. "I can drive you back home."

He shook his head, rubbing his hands on his legs. "No," he answered. "I'll be fine."

"Tet me if you need me when I'm not with you. Or just give me a signal of some sort."

He smiled. "Thanks, Harry."

Louis got out of the car and headed up towards the school. He felt a tug on his hand, and the next thing he knew, his cheek was pressed into Harry's chest, strong arms wrapped around him tight.

He looked up at Harry. "What's that for?"

He shrugged. "Everyone needs a hug, right? And Niall's not around, so..."

Louis smiled. "Your hugs are better than Niall's anyway. Don't tell him."

Harry laughed and followed Louis into the building.

"I have a present for you," Niall exclaimed to Louis when the found the others.

Niall handed him a large bottle of Ginger Ale.

"What's this for," Louis questioned, taking the bottle.

"Helps when you're sick. Nauseous, you know?"

"That's true," Harry nodded.

"Thanks, Ni." Louis unzipped his bag, placing the green bottle safely inside. "I'll have it when I need it."

The bell rang, and they all headed to class.

"Is Harry acting...er...different to you lately?"

Louis was sitting next to Zayn in their biology class.

"No. Not really. Why," Zayn asked.

"He just seems very...I dunno, sweet, I guess? I dunno." He exhaled deeply.

"Well, you two have always been very comfy," he responded. "You always seem to cuddle."

Louis sighed. "Yeah, but he just seems even more cuddly than usual."

Zayn let out a short laugh, which sounded more like a snort. "Who knows? Maybe he has a crush on you, or something."

Louis went into a millisecond of shock before regaining himself, blinking rapidly.

"Doubt it," he laughed.

Harry didn't like him like that, did he? Louis just brushed it off.

"Well, Lou. There's also the fact that you're carrying his baby." Zayn lowered his voice for anyone who may potentially hear. "That could be another reason."

"Yeah. Maybe."

"...He's just trying to be gentle?"

"I'm not dying. He can act the same, right?"

"He's Harry...He's mushy."

Louis simply nodded, going back to his work.

One Month Later...

Louis stood in front of his mirror, his shirt pushed up. Visible. His stomach was becoming visible. More and more each day. It was growing rounder, larger. Swelling. Dr. Burton was right; he was beginning to grow much more. His cravings had begun, and his mood swings had also started up.

Especially today.

He'd noticed them more and more, the sudden change in his mood. Sometime crashing from a great, happy Louis, to a sad, upset one. Louis just felt like crying at random moments for utterly no reason at all. Alex had laughed at Louis when he started sniffing and rubbing his eyes in the middle of class.

He sighed, coming out of his thoughts, and rested a hand on his belly.

"Hi," Harry smiled, walking into his room.

Louis turned and offered Harry a tight but weak smile. "Hey."

Harry placed a careful had on Louis' stomach, smiling at it before looking up at the smaller boy.

"Are you alright?"

Louis merely nodded.

"You're not."

"Hormones," was all the blue-eyed boy said.

He pulled his shirt back down and lay down on the bed, facing the window opposite the room. He curled up, the swell of the growing life, of his child, layered between his legs and folded arms, which were against his chest.

He felt the bed sink down under more weight.

"You're not alright, Lou. Please tell me what's wrong. I won't be able to help you if you don't."

Louis let out a quiet breath. "I dunno...stuff. Everyone, everything."

Harry rubbed his back. "Is there anything that I can do?"

"Just stay."

He could tell that Harry smiled. "Forever."

Louis relaxed and turned onto his back, seeing Harry sitting upright on the edge of the bed. He smiled at him and looked down and his stomach, resting a hand there.

"I'm a balloon," he laughed. "Or at last I look like I'm smuggling one under my shirt."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Compromise: a bit of a flattened balloon."

Louis sat up, leaning back against the headboard. "And now it looks even bigger."

"Lou. You're pregnant. You're gonna get bigger as the baby grows. Which is good because that means you're healthy, as well as the baby.' He smiled. "Just remember that. I don't want you get all upset over that at some point.

Smiling, he pushed the fringe out of his face. He concentrated on how the light caught on Harry's eyes. Those beautiful green eyes, which seemingly pulled him in when he looked at them. Louis imagined them as two green depths of an ocean that were dabbed into Harry's eyes. The way the darker green rimmed the outside of the light green. Almost like a tea-like color. His chocolate brown curls which were perfect and soft-

"Lou?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts. Why was he thinking like that?

"Oh...Uh-er speaking of the baby," he covered, hoping his face wasn't becoming more and more red. "I kind of want to keep the sex a surprise. Like a surprise, your baby's a...what ever our baby is: a boy or a girl or a mutant like me."

Harry laughed. "You're not a mutant. But alright. That sounds good. I'm in."

"You're ok with that?"

"I am if you are."

He smiled. "Alright then."

***

"Oh, Louis," Jay said a few hours later at dinner. "I went out and got your iron suppliments today, along with a few other vitamins."

"Great. When do I take them?"

"The iron in the morning and at night, one each, and the vitamins in the morning only, one of each as well."

"So I'll have the iron thing after dinner?"

She nodded. "Yep."

A little while later, Jay cleared up the table and placed a glass of water and one supplement in front of Louis.

"I have to take this?" Louis picked up the supplement. It was roughly the size of the pad of his pinkie finger.

"Oh, come on, Lou," Harry said. "It's not even that big. Just don't think and swallow it."

"No," he groaned. "I don't wanna."

"Really, Louis? Are we actually going to start this?" Jay crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes, we are. Can't I just take off the clear...shell thing and take it that way?"

"You won't get the benefits of it."

"Please?"

"Louis. Just take a sip of water and gulp it down.

"God. Fine." He put the tablet on his tongue and took a long sip of water.

"Open," Harry said.

He remained still.

"Lou. Take another sip and just don't think this time. You're making this hard for yourself."

Louis closed his eyes and pretended to swallow, just before feeling a strong hand clap his back.

"Ow! Harry," he choked out, swallowing the tablet. "What was that for?"

"You swallowed it, didn't you," Harry smirked.

"Yeah..."

"That's why."

"You may be to do that all the time now, Harry," Jay smiled.

They both laughed while Louis slumped down into his chair, arms crossed, and he let out a huff of breath.