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The house is quiet when Louis gets home from the studio late one evening, just the quiet hum of the television coming from the living room. He'd presumed that Harry would already be tucked up in bed but he's obviously waiting up for Louis to get home.
"Hazza?" he calls, hanging his coat on the hook in the hallway and kicking his trainers haphazardly underneath beside Harry's neatly lined up brown boots.
"In here!"
Louis follows the sound of Harry's voice into the living room, shaking his head when he sees his fiancé lying sprawled out on the couch, a green cereal bowl balanced precariously on his huge eight-month baby bump and Bruce curled up around his feet.
"What are you doing?" Louis says fondly, leaning on the doorjamb and watching Harry as he glances up at Louis with a wide grin, arms spread out to make sure that the bowl stays perfectly still on his rounded belly.
"Check it out, Lou, I learned a new trick!" he says and he sounds so proud of himself that Louis can't help but laugh.
"Bored without me, were you?"
"A bit," Harry admits as Louis crosses the room to crouch in front of Harry, shooing the dog down off the couch and over to its bed in the corner.
"How's the little one?" he asks, moving the bowl to the side table and smoothing a hand over Harry's tummy through his oversize black woolly sweater.
Harry had fallen pregnant halfway through their last world tour, and despite neither of them being aware that Harry could even get pregnant they were excited about the prospect of a baby of their own, starting the family they'd been talking about for years because both of them had known from the very beginning that this was going to be their forever. They were already engaged and so happy together and the idea of having a little person that was a part of the both of them, a tiny baby to love and take care of was breathtaking.
"She's alright," Harry shrugs, wiggling his bum a bit to keep it from going numb and so he can sit up to see Louis a little better. "Been kicking like crazy all day though."
"Probably just missed her Daddy," Louis coos, leaning down to press a soft kiss just above Harry's bellybutton. "Didn't you, bug? Did you miss Daddy today while he was at work and you had to stay home with Dada while he was being all silly?"
"Hey," Harry whines, drawing out the word but he's smiling softly at the sight of Louis talking to their unborn daughter.
"Just saying, love," he says to Harry with a wink then he lowers his head back to Harry's belly. "Think you can settle down for a little while, though, bug? Give Dada a rest so he can cuddle with Daddy for a bit."
Harry bumps his knuckles against Louis' cheek and tucks a stray hair behind Louis' ear. "She's already calmer, has been since you walked through the door."
"See? I told you," Louis grins, pushing himself up so he's standing after one last kiss to Harry's bump. "She's just missed spending time with her Daddy."
"I missed him too," Harry pouts up at Louis and Louis affectionately rolls his eyes at his fiancé acting like a needy child but plants his hands either side of Harry's head on the back of the couch and ducks down to press a kiss to his lips.
"Love you," he murmurs, slipping one hand to the back of Harry's neck and tugging on the ends of his bandana where he's tied it to keep his hair off his face. Harry's been complaining for weeks that he feels huge and gross but to Louis' he's never been more beautiful, keeping their baby safe inside him growing big and healthy until she's ready to come and meet them. Louis' thinks he looks lovely in his big sweaters and loose pants with his long hair constantly tied back with scarves or in a bun and a protective hand on his bump to soothe their restless daughter and Louis swears he's falling more and more in love with Harry every day.
"Love you too," Harry says with a smile, stretching up as far as he can to kiss Louis back.
They lay together until they're both almost asleep; Louis settles into the gap between Harry and the couch, his legs tangled with his fiancé's and a hand on Harry's belly so he can rub soothing circles with his thumb to keep the baby calm. Harry rests his head on Louis' chest, close enough to be able to feel his heart beating beneath his ear and turns the TV to a football game on the sports channels, Louis thanking him with a kiss to the corner of his mouth as Bruce jumps back up onto the couch to lay down on their feet. Louis can't wait for the baby to arrive in a month's time but he thinks that, for right now, this is the perfect place to be.
~fin~