Louis supposes he should be used to seeing Harry in a massive amount of pain from contractions but seeing him falling apart now in the car, right before his eyes is something he decides he'll never be able to handle.
They're nearly home now and Harry's been doing remarkably. He had a bit of a contraction on the interstate where all he did was lift from the seat and clutch onto the top of his stone hard belly with one hand and sort of whimper. But when groaned and started rubbing fervently at it Louis began to feel upset.
He hates seeing Harry in pain. He wishes so badly he could take it from him. It's not fair. He's so excited for the twins though and he thinks that's what's keeping him together. Anyway, they're so close to home and Louis actually thinks they'll be able to make it to the house without another contraction.
He's wrong, as luck would have it. Louis has always had pretty shit luck. Except for meeting Harry. But that wasn't luck. That was a blessing, fate maybe.
Anyway, he's wrong and Harry starts groaning. His eyebrows furrow and he grabs onto the dashboard.
"Hmmmm....."
He rubs a wide circle soothingly across his aching belly. Louis grabs his hand to squeeze but he wiggles it free and rubs his belly again. He throws his head back hitting the seat and continues groaning.
"Hhhhohhhhh.....hurry Lou....."
The contractions are around twelve minutes apart now and they've started getting pretty intense. Harry can barely speak thru the pain anymore.
He just wants to lie down.
"Pulling up, H!"
Louis parks and massages his palm into Harry's solid belly.
"So excited babe!"
Harry keeps his eyes closed and nods, doing his Lamaze breathing.
"Hhhhohhhhhhhhh......"
The pain finally ends and he's able to take a deep breath.
"Let's get you to bed."
The pair walk slowly up to the door and Louis unlocks it.
"Oh! Back already? I just put the kiddies to bed."
"Yeah, Harry's is having some pretty bad stomach cramps."
"Yeah? It's happening then?!" She squeals.
Harry winces and Louis nods.
"Yes! Should I take the kids with me? I don't mind!"
"That's ok, Gems. We'll just let them sleep. Niall promised he'd be the one to bring them to the hospital. You go home and get ready to head to the hospital soon!"
She smiles.
"So happy, Haz. You're gonna do great! Just like last time." She wraps him in a hug and he hugs back weakly, waiting for the next contraction.
She leaves and Louis helps Harry upstairs to the bedroom. He sits and rubs his belly again, breathing in slowly thru his nose and out his mouth. He stops when a contraction begins building in his belly. It tightens considerably and Harry gets up starting to rub ceaseless circles into it. It grows rock hard beneath his palms and he begins pacing.
"Hhhhhhhohhhhhhhh......"
He keeps his eyes closed and hands rubbing wide circles over his contracting belly. It's hard as stone and so painful.
"Ohhhhhh...my belly....." He moans and hums until the pain finally dies down.
He then goes to the bed and lies down.
"What can I do, H?"
"Hmmm..massage my belly?" He hums, arm thrown over his eyes.
"Of course, Love."
He begins massaging the tense muscles in Harry's tummy. He feels the twins having an absolute party.
"They are going wild!"
"Yeah...they do that after every pain."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Doesn't feel too good to them either."
"Oh my poor wittle loves. I'm so sorry. It's no fun being born, huh? You're gonna love it out here though."
"Can you run me a bath? Think I'd like to labor in there for a bit. Water might help with the pain."
"Of course, love! Hang tight."
Louis runs to the bathroom and starts the water. He takes a moment to collect himself and breath before heading back into Harry.
"All right love. Let me grab you a towel and I'll help you out of your clothes."
He just nods.
Louis runs and grabs a towel and then walks to the bed.
"Arms up, Angel. Let's get this shirt off."
Harry lifts his arms and Louis slips the top off. As soon as the shirt is freed, Harry puts his hands back to his belly.
Louis sees the contraction tighten up his belly as he groans.
"Hhhohhhhh..they're getting so intense so much faster this time."
"Yeah? Maybe a quicker delivery?"
"Hhhohhhhh...." He rubs circles on either side as the pain peaks.
He puts a hand to the top of his belly feeling it quiver as it contracts. He throws his head back and groans until the pain ends.
Louis helps him into the tub and he lies back, attempting to relax.
"Belly's hurting...."
"Yeah. Figured it might be." Louis says with a small laugh.
Harry exhales deeply and rubs a hand soothingly down his bump. He's nearly asleep when the bathroom door opens slightly. Zayn toddles in rubbing his eyes.
"Hey mister. What are you doing up?"
"Noises."
"Yeah? We're sorry. We were being too loud, huh?"
"Dada wanna take a bath with you." He says, eyeing Harry laid back in the tub.
"Zayn, I don't think daddy's feel-"
"Come on in, my love." Louis looks at him like he has so heads.
"Harry, you're in LABOR."
"Yes, but the tub is jacuzzi size, Lou. He won't even be near me! He's my baby and he wants a bath with me and it's the last time he'll be the only boy in the family."
Louis rolls his eyes, giving up and puts the squirmy boy in the tub.
"Z, stay off Daddy, ok? His belly's hurting."
Zayn nods wide eyed.
"Bit late for you lad. Did Auntie Gemma not give you a bath before dinner?"
"She not has ducky." Zayn says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, showing his father his ducky.
Harry lies back as the tightness in his belly becomes a bit too much for him.
"Hhhhohhhhh Louis. Here comes another.."
He squeezes Louis hand and leans over the tub a bit. He tries not to moan as to not scare his son mere inches from him but his belly is hard as stone and the pain radiating over it is no joke. It's like he's forgotten how badly it hurt.
"Breath, H."
"Hhhhohhhhh."
He puts a hand to his belly and presses the heel of his palm in, desperate for the pain to end.
"Ohhhhhhhh." He puts both hands to it and sits up, throwing his head back.
"Da Da?"
"It's ok, Z. He's ok."
"Wrong Dada?" He begins to panic and Louis takes him out of the tub quickly.
"He's ok. Your baby brother and sister are just coming and daddy's belly hurts so he'll know."
"Will come?"
"Yes, baby. William and Johannah. Now go to sleep and Uncle Niall will bring you to meet them. But they won't come until you're sleeping."
"I sleep Da Da!"
"Ok, kiss Daddy goodnight."
The contraction finally dissipates and Harry's able to talk to his son.
"Yes. Kiss for Daddy."
Zayn kisses Harry's cheek and hugs around his neck.
"See soon, babies!" He grins and Louis takes him hand in hand to bed.
He returns not long after to see Harry lying back, with a fist to his forehead.
"Getting intense?"
"Yeah..pretty bad. Around ten minutes now."
"Yeah? Feeling any better with the water?"
"Not really. I kind of want to get out now."
"No problem, H. Let's get you into some pajamas."
Louis rushes to the bedroom and put some pajamas on the counter and gently helps Harry out and dressed. Just as he finished putting his pants on, his belly is rocked with another contraction. He leans over the counter, one arm holding his head and the other rubbing circles into his belly and groans.
Louis gets behind him, gently massaging his back.
"Hhhhhhohhhhhhh."
"It's all right, H. Doing great."
"Hhhohhhh..."
-
Twenty minutes later, Harry is pressing his head into his crossed arms on the bed moaning. He rocks his hips slowly and Louis gets behind him massaging his tensing belly.
He exhales with a "whoooo." Louis always laughs about it sounding like an owl but Harry has to be vocal about his pain. It's how he got thru the first birth and how he'll get thru this one as well.
He's so caught up in the pain, he doesn't hear the door open and his daughter walk in wide-eyed or he would've tried to hide his pain a bit better.
Somehow. His belly is killing him.
"Da Da?" She asks.
"It's ok, darling. He's ok."
"Da Da?" She asks again, clawing up the bed, "Da Da hurt?!"
The pain fades and Harry turns over slowly, calling her over for a cuddle. She rushes over with eyes as wide as saucers.
"It's all right baby. Daddy just has a really bad belly ache."
"Your baby brother and sister are coming soon, C." She puts a hand to his belly.
"Belly hard, DaDa."
"I know babe." He kneads his knuckles into the firm sides, "but it's ok, it just means your brother and sister are coming."
"HANNAH coming?! When?! Where?!"
Capri for whatever reason can say Hannah but not Johannah and she doesn't see the difference in the two names so Louis and Harry have stopped trying.
"Yes love, and if you go to sleep, they'll be here even sooner."
"Baby come if I sleep?"
"Yes baby."
"Night Night Da Da."
She kisses Harry's belly and he smiles, ruffling her curls.
"And one for me?" Louis asks.
"Belly not hurtin' YOU Da Da."
He picks her up and attacks her with kisses anyway as she giggles. Harry tries to pay attention to that instead of the building pain in his tummy.
Louis takes her back to bed and goes back to Harry.
"Think we need to call Niall soon. They're getting pretty intense.."
"Yeah? How far apart?"
"Round seven now."
"Let me get your bag, H."
He sits Harry up at the end of the bed as he groans.
"Hhhhohhhhh......"
He rubs up and down his belly. His tight white pajama top expands as his belly contracts.
"HHHHOHHHHH, hurry Lou. Really hurts..."
He holds himself up with one arm and presses the heel of his palm into his aching stomach with the other.
"Hhhohhhhhhh...."
"Sorry! Sorry, love! Trying to find it! Dear God, why am I so bloody messy?!"
He finally finds it and trips his way over to Harry.
"Get my pillow.." Harry moans out, still in the midst of a tough contraction.
His eyebrows furrow as he points to the back of the bed. Louis rushes over to it and hands it to Harry.
He calls Niall quickly and Niall heads over. They hear the door open as Harry is bent over his pillow moaning with a contraction.
It dissipates and Louis helps him up.
"All right, H? Let's head out."
Harry grabs his hand and Louis kisses lips and bends down kissing his belly.
"Let's go have some babies." Louis says.
Harry smiles softly, rubbing the side of his belly.
-
Louis is quite proud of himself, at first. He's kept completely calm and collected and Harry's contractions are nearing the five-minute mark.
He's getting him there early.
He's a good husband.
But then he pulls onto the highway and-stops. He can't even SEE the road there's so many cars. It's fairly late and he's confused. But mostly, he's angry and a bit worried.
"Bloody traffic at this time of night, are you KIDDING ME?!"
Louis beats the steering wheel as Harry turns on his side, belly tensing painfully beneath his hands.
"Hhhohhhhh...."
"Shit! I'm so sorry H!! Are you all right?!"
"Hhhhhhohhhhhhhh..."
He rubs the bottom of his belly and pinches his nose with his free hand.
Right. Stupid question Louis. Of course he's not ok. He's in bloody labor & they're stuck. He begins to panic because um-he's a footie player not a bloody Doctor!
If Harry gives birth in this car the only thing Louis will do is pass out.