|One Direction Mpreg One-Shots|

.02 |L A R R Y|

Larry.

When Louis first notices it, it’s so weak that he nearly dismisses it entirely. It’s barely there, just a little flutter under his skin. He’s mid-interview when it happens, the movement tiny. Louis jolts slightly in his seat, presses his hand to the small curve of his stomach.

Beside him, Harry’s hand is gentle and questioning on Louis’ thigh. Louis curls their fingers together, letting Harry know he’s fine.

The interviewer addresses him next and Louis focuses on replying, but he can’t stop smiling. That little flutter was his baby.

For about a week, Louis is the only one who can feel the movement of the baby inside him. The flutters increase in frequency, become often enough that they barely surprise him when he feels them.

Harry can’t feel the movement through Louis’ skin, no matter how hard he tries. He was ecstatic when Louis told him he could feel their baby moving, immediately dropping to his knees and placing his hand on Louis’ belly. Ever since, he’s come rushing over every time Louis reports movement, pressing his cheek to Louis’ skin in a desperate attempt to feel it.

He’s been so disappointed that he can’t, a frown settling on his face every time Louis gently touches his hair and says, “It’s stopped now, love.”

The thing is that this is entirely normal. Harry’s beloved baby books have said that the movements would be too small to be felt for a little while.

"Just wait another week," Louis keeps saying. "He’s growing up, getting stronger every day. You’ll be able to feel it soon."

(They only just found out last week that they’re having a boy. They’ve been utterly giddy ever since, and Louis can’t help grinning every time he gets to refer to their baby as ‘he’ - like he’s a person already.)

They’re still on tour, having agreed on a thoroughly decreased workload until Louis hits his third trimester and has to go on leave entirely. He still does as much as he can. Harry will click his tongue disapprovingly when Louis shows up to an interview he could have napped through, but Louis prefers to keep active. He wants to do as much as he can, while he can. He can only imagine how bored he’s going to be in those later months. And yes, he’s tired a lot of the time and some of the other symptoms bother him too but he should be getting used to it, right? He can’t just put everything on hold for nine months.

They’re in their dressing room during their support act’s set when it happens. Louis has been having bouts of dizziness all day (this is apparently normal too, and entirely horrible), so he’s lying on the sofa with his head in Harry’s lap. Harry is ghosting his fingers through Louis’ hair, humming something sweet under his breath. The other boys are scattered around, talking and joking. Louis doesn’t pay them much mind; he’s focusing too hard on the spinning feeling in his head.

"What if it doesn’t go away before we need to go on?" Louis murmurs, his eyes still closed.

"Then we go on without you," Harry says firmly. "And you stay here, and rest."

Louis’ eyes open to meet Harry’s. “Haz, the show…”

"We’ve rehearsed it without you, babe. It’s not as good but it can work. We knew this was always a possibility."

Louis can’t even bring himself to be offended. They did know it was a possibility when he decided to continue the tour despite his pregnancy. They knew the symptoms could get unpredictable, difficult. Knew that his body could refuse to co-operate despite him having a job to do.

"The fans," he protests weakly.

"They’ll deal." Harry’s nails scratch lightly at Louis’ scalp, making him smile at the comforting sensation. "I can’t let you go onstage when you can barely balance, Lou."