Archive of Our Own ^beta

Harry stared at his reflection in the mirror, his shirt pulled up to his neck, and sighed. “Nothing yet,” he spoke aloud, knowing the speaker of his phone would catch it and relay it to his best friend.

“I can’t believe you’re already looking for a difference,” Liam said flatly, but Harry was pretty sure he could hear some reluctant fondness in there. Harry stayed silent, pouting and watching the mirror do the same, and Liam continued. “I also can’t believe you’re not telling Louis.”

Harry huffed, then. “I’m not not telling Louis,” he defended grumpily. “It’s not like I’m never going to tell him. He’s gonna notice when he comes back.”

“Yeah, in four months,” Liam stressed. “He’s gonna be pissed if you don’t tell him.”

“I told you, I’m going to tell him!” Harry grumped. “But he’s working really hard these next four months. I don’t want to distract him. He’ll find out when he comes home, and not a second before, alright?” Liam stayed worryingly silent. “Liam?” He reiterated. “I don’t want Louis finding out, okay?”

“Okay, okay,” Liam finally relented. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. “Just don’t tell him I knew and didn’t say anything. He might not kill you, but he’d kill me.”

“Liam,” Harry said, disbelief in his voice. “You’re a professional kickboxer. I think you could take Louis.”

“Hey, Louis’ in better shape than half the boxers in my weight class,” Liam defended himself mildly.

Well, he had a point there.

Harry looked at his mostly-flat stomach again and sighed, rubbing his arms over his belly. “Li, why isn’t she showing up yet?”

“Because it is only a few weeks old, and you’re a guy with good muscle tone?” Liam suggested. Harry hated when he refused to be anything but reasonable and logical.

“I hate you,” Harry said absently. He couldn’t take his eyes off his stomach, as if he might be able to watch it grow.

“Listen, Haz,” Liam said hesitantly, “maybe you should get an appointment to find out if you’re actually pregnant before you go getting attached to a baby that might not even be there.”

Harry frowned. “I have an appointment tomorrow,” he said. “But I really think I’m pregnant, this time. I know it’s harder for males, and all that, but I really think I’m pregnant this time.”

Liam sighed across the phone, and Harry’s frowned deepened. “Okay,” Liam said softly. “Do you want me to go with you?”

“It’s during your training,” Harry said.

Liam made an almost hurt sound through the phone. “You know I’d take off a couple of hours to go with you,” he said, and Harry nodded even though Liam couldn’t see it.

“Of course, I know that,” he said. “But I don’t want you to take off. You need to work out. Your match is coming up, and I know you just don’t want to think about it.” When Liam didn’t argue, Harry smiled victoriously and kept it to himself. “I’m bringing Zayn, if that makes you feel any better.” Liam made a sound of approval, and Harry rolled his eyes. “You know, I am twenty-four. I can handle going to the hospital by myself.”

“Of course,” Liam said automatically. “I just – you’re so pretty, is all. I don’t want anything to happen, especially when Louis’ away.”

Harry smiled fondly at his best friend’s worry. With Louis gone, he’d asked Liam to keep an eye out for Harry. It was pretty stupid, but Louis argued that models ran into trouble often in big cities like L.A., and he simply didn’t want anything to happen. Liam had taken the request to heart and had promised that Harry wouldn’t go anywhere alone unless absolutely necessary, which wasn’t any different to when Louis was home, really – Harry rarely went anywhere by himself, simply because when Louis wasn’t busy, he was with Harry, and when he was busy, Harry was out with friends.

“I’ll be fine,” he reassured Liam again. “I’m gonna pick Zayn up and we’re going a few blocks over to that new hospital. We’re going to lunch, and then, we’ll probably come home and play FIFA, or watch movies, or something.”

“So, what you’re telling me is, you’re going to the doctor’s appointment, you’re going to have lunch and talk about your sex lives with your boyfriends, and you’re going to come back to your house and play FIFA, and both of you are going to pick your boyfriends for your team. Correct?”

“Exactly,” Harry confirmed, laughing. Liam knew him and Zayn so well.

“Proper WAG time,” Liam teased, and Harry rolled his eyes. “Is Zayn sworn to secrecy, too?” Liam asked.

“No, Zayn doesn’t know. I’ve just told him I’m going to have a regular check-up. He’d tell Niall right away, and we both know Niall can’t keep a secret.” Harry finally stopped looking in the mirror and sat down on his bed, staring at his toes. He needed to repaint them. The color was starting to chip on a few of his toes.

“You don’t think he’d see your belly if you are pregnant?” Liam asked incredulously. “I mean, I’m not saying I think you’ll get huge, or anything, but you’ll probably start to show in four months!”

“Probably not,” Harry said, feeling a little dejectedly. He’d done his reading: males didn’t show pregnancy until late in the pregnancy, and the better the muscle tone in the stomach, the later it showed. He wouldn’t show probably until the last trimester. “But even if I did, Zayn won’t be here. He’s leaving in a few weeks to start shooting the next season.”

“Right,” Liam remembered, then. “I forgot about that. Honestly, it’s such a terrible show.”

“It is, but it’s a good platform,” Harry agreed reluctantly. He hated trash-talking his best friend’s show, but Partners of Carson, California really was terrible, and at least Zayn had no trouble agreeing with him. It was a great platform for him, though, and it made Harry happy to see Zayn finally getting recognition in the rags, even if it was mostly for being the beautiful and talented partner of Chivas U.S.A. defender Niall Horan on the Partners. He was also the most level-headed, not getting into arguments or altercations with the other wives, girlfriends, and boyfriends of the various teams or sports like most of the others.

“I still can’t believe you aren’t on the show,” Liam said, and Harry snorted.

“I wouldn’t last a second on that show,” he laughed. “Those people are cut throat. Plus, I’m a little too…’gay’. It would reflect negatively on Louis, I think. He’s already under all that scrutiny for his knee; I don’t want to add pressure just for being myself on a reality show.”

“Mmm,” Liam grunted. “I think that’s stupid. Not the you-avoiding-adding-pressure part; just the fact that you being yourself would add pressure.”

“Yeah, Harry agreed, but it didn’t really matter. What mattered was Louis. “I think I’ll stick to modelling. I’m somewhat decent at it, after all.”

“Definitely,” Liam said enthusiastically. Harry smiled and imagined Liam with a cute little tail, wagging back and forth rapidly. He was such a great friend. “I bought three of those TIMES magazines with you on the cover.”

“Thanks,” Harry said genuinely. Liam really was a great friend. “Wanna come over for dinner tomorrow night? Zayn might still be here; I don’t know.”

“Are you eating vegetarian still?” Liam asked warily, and Harry laughed.

“Just vegan,” he clarified. “I can get you some vegan chicken, if you want.”

“That’d be great,” Liam said enthusiastically. “Last time was incredibly.”

Harry glowed pink from Liam’s praise. “Alright,” he said, “then, I’ll get us some while I’m out tomorrow. I gotta go, though; Lou should be done any minute, now, and he’ll want to Skype.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow, then,” Liam said, and hung up with an annoying kissy sound.

---

Harry hopped back into his car and rolled the top down, ignoring Zayn’s glare. “Thanks for waiting,” he said.

Zayn just rolled his eyes. “No worries, bro,” he said, patting Harry’s knee. “So, where are we going?”

“Uh, I have to pick up some chicken tonight – Liam’s coming over for dinner, by the way; you’re welcome to stay – and I have to stop off at the pharmacy.” Harry started the car and pulled out, trying to keep the glowing, amazed (and, frankly, emotional) aura down low, so Zayn wouldn’t find out.

Harry was nine weeks pregnant!

“What are we stopping at the pharmacy for?” Zayn asked, frowning. “You’re not sick, are you?”

“No, uh…” Harry focused on the road as his thoughts scrambled for an excuse. “It’s – a supplement they want me to take,” he said vaguely. It was true enough.

“Who, the doctors? Or CK? ‘Cause that’s way out of line, telling you to take something.”

“It’s a natural thing, Z,” Harry assuaged his friend’s irritation. “I’ve looked it up, and everything. It’s all natural – I wouldn’t take it, otherwise.”

Zayn nodded. “You’re right,” he said, and then rolled his neck, and Harry frowned.

“Everything okay, bro?” He checked, hoping Zayn would tell him the truth if something were wrong. He turned down onto West Carson Street and pulled into Yoshinoya for lunch, their favorite place.

“Yeah,” Zayn said as they walked in. “Just sort of…frustrated. Niall’s kind of being a dick about the show.”

Harry frowned. It was weird for Niall to really be a dick about anything. “What do you mean?” He asked.

“He wants me to do the show again next season, instead of trying to work my way up – like, do the show instead of trying to do extra work, and stuff. He thinks if I got a little more air time on the show, I’d be more successful.”

“That’s not entire untrue, you know,” Harry mediated, but Zayn sighed again.

“No, I know, it’s just… In order to get more air time, I have to act a little more ridiculous, maybe fight with the other partners. It’s kind of stupid, but it’s entertaining, apparently, and that’s what’ll get me more air time. So, basically, Niall wants me to act ridiculous, party it up, fight with the other partners, and be splashed all over the rags a little more while he’s gone, because he thinks it’ll get me somewhere faster.”

“Well, I mean…” Harry wasn’t entirely sure what to say. Niall’s point of view was accurate; if Zayn got more publicity, more people would want him more often for other jobs. At the same time, Zayn wasn’t really an ‘acting ridiculous’ kind of person. “I mean, it’s just a job, right? Explain to your friends on the show that you want more air time, and they’ll probably be more willing to let you act without getting, like, upset or offended, or something.”

“Yeah,” Zayn said with a sigh, but he looked so unhappy.

“Listen,” Harry said, and patted the back of Zayn’s hand with a sympathetic smile on his face. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want, even if Niall wants you to. It’s your career, and you don’t tell him how to do his job, right? Why let him tell you how to do yours? I don’t think he’s trying to be a dick about it; I think he’s just weighing in on what he thinks will make you happiest in the long run. But if that’s not what you wanna do, then don’t do it.”

“You really think I shouldn’t do it?” Zayn asked, and Harry swallowed, choosing his words carefully.

“I think that you should do what makes you happiest, and what will be best for your career in the long run. But you know the media better than me or Niall; you have to do what you think is actually right.”

“Even if it goes against Niall, though?”

“Yeah,” Harry said softly. “Yeah, I think you have to decide what you want to do. I know you love him, but he isn’t always right, you know?”

“So you’d blatantly do something you know Louis wouldn’t want you to do?” Zayn said, like he didn’t believe him.

“I do stuff Louis doesn’t like on a daily basis,” Harry snorted, trying to lighten the mood, but Zayn was persistent.

“But I mean something big, like career-big,” he said.

Harry thought ahead a few more months, when he’d start showing. His belly would get big, and he’d probably get stretch marks and after the baby was born, he’d probably have a saggy stomach. It would affect his career, for sure.

Still, though, Harry smiled. He wanted a baby more than he wanted a career as a hot, mostly-naked male model, and he was pretty sure Louis did, too.

“Yeah,” he said with a grin.

---

Harry waited at the airport in a baggy hoodie, bright eyes, and only a tiny bit of worry in the pit of his stomach.

While the Chivas had been training in Quebec for the last four months, Harry’s body had changed just a little bit. His hair was definitely growing faster and thicker – all over his body – and he’d gained a little bit of weight. His feet were almost constantly swollen, and his chest was starting to grow, as well. As a muscular model, he’d already had pretty nice pecs, and it only looked like he’d been working his chest out a little bit more…until a baby started crying, and his nipples started lactating. Apparently, the supplement the doctor had prescribed Harry made him produce a little more than his hormones would, so he’d be able to fully breastfeed his and Louis’ child. His face had also rounded out just a little bit, making his jaw line just a little softer, and his belly was just a tiny bit less flat, and his abs were almost gone.

His jawline softening was the only thing he wasn’t happy about.

“Harry!”

Harry snapped out of his worrying and looked up to see Niall, who was waving and jumping around. And wherever Niall was…

Harry waved to Niall but his eyes were right next to the blonde, staring at his boyfriend at Niall’s side. Louis’ eyes were bright, as well, and a little tired, and Harry’s worry instantly evaporated, because Louis’ face broke into a huge grin when he saw Harry.

When they met in the middle – a calm, collected walk together, because they were grown men and not in a romantic comedy, thank you very much – Harry wrapped his arms around Louis’ neck and hunched over just the tiniest bit it took to bury his face in Louis’ neck.

“Hello, sunshine,” Louis said in a happy sigh. He wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist and Harry felt home.

“Hi,” Harry sang out quietly, muffling it into Louis’ shoulder.

Louis tilted his head in to press his lips Harry’s ear, and just that little touch had Harry’s overactive sex drive waking up. “Not to ruin the sweet moment, but I’ve waited over four months to have your dick in me. Let’s go home, yeah?”

Harry shivered but nodded, and pulled back to give Niall a hug and say goodbye. The team manager would get Louis’ bags.

---

Harry was already completely hard when he pulled into their driveway, courtesy of Louis’ hand on his cock through his sweatpants the entire twenty-minute drive home. As soon as Harry’d buckled up, Louis rubbed his hand up Harry’s thigh and settled over Harry’s cock, not doing anything – just resting over it, like he wanted Harry’s cock to know it was about to get some attention as soon as they got home.

Louis dragged Harry into the house and straight to their bedroom, where he immediately unzipped Harry’s hoodie and took his shirt off.

“Lou-” Harry began, knowing he should probably tell Louis, but Louis wasn’t having it.

“Shhh, darling, I know. I’ve missed this, too.” Louis stripped off his own shirt, then, and Harry nearly swallowed his tongue.

They’d done ab workouts, too, then.

Louis made quick work of both of their pants and pulled down Harry’s briefs, flinging them over his shoulder without a care in the world. Had it not been four months, Harry would’ve narrowed his eyes until Louis huffed and got up to toss the briefs into the laundry basket. As it were, he didn’t care all that much.

“Louis, I have to tell you –”

“Is it really important right now?” Louis asked, shoving Harry back onto the bed.

“Well,” Harry began, and Louis straddled his waist and bent down to kiss on Harry’s neck. Harry’s breathing got a little heavy and he rolled his head to the side to give Louis more access. “I –”

“Shh, baby,” Louis interrupted again, and bit down onto Harry’s neck. Harry whimpered and rolled his hips up. Louis pulled off and leaned over the side of the bed, grabbing lube and one of Harry’s condoms. “Finger me open, yeah?” Louis asked, and dropped the lube into Harry’s eager hand.

Harry’s breathing was shaky as he blindly squirted lube onto his first two fingers, Louis too busy sucking marks into the skin on his neck to notice that Harry was getting lube all over the comforter. Then again, he probably wouldn’t care even if he did notice.

Harry eased one finger into Louis’ hole and bit his lip when Louis tightened around just that one finger. He felt incredible. Louis moved down to bite at Harry’s collarbone and press kisses all over Harry’s chest while Harry worked his finger back out and in again, pressing and twisting to open him up so he could slide in a second.

Louis started grazing his teeth over Harry’s pecs just as Harry added a second finger, and Harry moaned even louder than Louis. His chest was so sensitive, lately, and any kind of touch to his chest and especially his nipples felt amazing. His nipples were always hard, these days, it seemed.

Harry kept opening Louis up, drawing little whines from Louis even as he focused on making Harry feel good, but finally, Louis’ mouth drifted down to one of Harry’s nipples, and Harry had a feeling he knew exactly what was coming.

When Louis sucked at Harry’s nipple, the most intense feeling shot through his nipple and down his chest and straight to his groin, ripping a loud, guttural groan out of Harry’s throat. Louis flinched back automatically, looking confused, and wiped his mouth with such a shocked look on his face that Harry stilled his fingers inside Louis and laughed.

“What the fuck?” Louis asked, more shocked than upset so far, and looked at the white liquid now covering his hand. “What was – was that-?”

Harry bit his lip, knowing this was the pivotal moment – that Louis might really be pissed off at him for keeping it a secret – and nodded. “I’m about six months, Lou. We’re pregnant.”

Louis stayed quiet for a moment, just staring at Harry, his eyes wide and mouth open even wider. Finally, he snapped it shut and leaned back down, pressing his hands on the mattress next to Harry’s head as he leaned nose to nose with his boyfriend. “We’re having a baby?” He asked in a hushed whisper. “Are we – are we really having a baby?”

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat at Louis’ hopeful face, his eyes shining bright, and nodded, a smile growing on his face. “We’re having a baby.”

“Oh, my god!” Louis shouted, right in Harry’s face, and kissed him soundly, his tongue sliding into Harry’s mouth and rubbing against Harry’s. “Oh my god,” he repeated when he pulled back, needing air. “Holy shit, Harry – Harry, we’re having a baby! Oh my god, you’re so hot, fuck.”

“That’s the idea,” Harry said, and wiggled his fingers again inside Louis. Harry’d had four months to get used to the thought of being pregnant. He wanted to fuck Louis, now. “Let’s talk about this later, shit,” he said, and Louis nodded wordlessly and brought his lips down to pant into Harry’s mouth.

“Are they sensitive?” He asked once Harry set up a rhythm again with his fingers pushing into Louis’ ass. Before Harry could ask what Louis was talking about, Louis leaned down and bit his nipple again, making Harry arch off the bed.

“Yes,” he said through gritted teeth. “Fuck, yes, they are.”

Louis hummed and licked against Harry’s nipple, moaning when Harry pushed his fingers in particularly hard on a new thrust. “Shit,” he breathed, and his right hand came up and pinched Harry’s other nipple between two fingers, releasing it a second later only to flick it a few times. Harry swore and pulled his fingers out, fumbling around for the condom, and Louis took it upon himself in Harry’s distraction to suck Harry’s nipple into his mouth again.

The same white-hot feeling coursed through Harry’s nipple and stomach and down to his groin, and Harry shoved Louis off of him, over to the other side of the bed, to put the condom on himself. Louis laughed, free and excited, and fisted his cock while he watched Harry fumble with the condom. Once it was on, though, he knee-walked across the bed to Louis’ side and knocked the hand away, letting Louis’ cock fall back onto his stomach. Louis didn’t say anything, but he rolled his hips impatiently, waiting for Harry to get on with it.

Harry lined his cock up and slid in slowly, not wanting to hurt Louis after so long of nothing, but Louis almost instantly lifted his legs up and held them there with no hands, waiting for Harry to grab them.

Harry did, as soon as his cock was fully inside Louis and comfortable, and he held onto Louis’ ankles as he sat low on his knees and pulled out almost all the way, thrusting right back in quick, like Louis liked.

Harry’s pace was fast, impatient after so long, and Louis’ tight heat was heavenly. “Shit, Lou, I’m not gonna last long at all,” he said, only halfway apologetic, and Louis nodded and fisted his cock again, stroking it quickly.

“Do it harder,” Louis said, and threw his head back with a moan when Harry grunted and pushed his hips in even harder. “Fuck! Oh my god!”

Harry bit his lip hard enough to draw blood and kept fucking into him when he felt his orgasm taking over, hot and quick as he filled his condom up, an errant thought that he couldn’t believe Louis didn’t like being filled up, the way Harry did. “Shit,” he moaned, and let his head drop so his chin hit his chest. Harry kept going until his cock was too sensitive, and he pulled out.

“So close, Harry,“ Louis whined, and Harry breathed heavily as he pressed three fingers into Louis’ stretched-out hole, curved up his middle finger and thrusted them all in and out at a fast and hard pace. It wasn’t long until Louis started grunting, telling Harry that he was almost there, and Harry eyed the come falling onto Louis’ chest with hunger as Louis arched up and flexed his calf muscles involuntarily.

Harry pulled his fingers out of Louis’ hole and wiped them off on the comforter underneath them. He flopped down on his side and instantly winced when he felt his baby’s foot pressing against his ribs. “Ugh,” he said, and rolled just a little, so he was on his back, his head turned to the side to watch Louis coming down from his orgasm. He took forever, Harry noted with fondness every time.

“Harry,” Louis said eventually. Louis’ head turned sideways so he could stare wide-eyed at Harry instead of at the ceiling.

“Yeah?” Harry asked with a smile. He grabbed Louis’ hand and squeezed.

“Harry, are we really having a baby?” Louis asked, finally blinking and directing his gaze onto Harry, focusing on him instead of just blankly staring.

Harry’s smile grew and he pulled Louis’ hand to rest on his belly, down by his left ribcage where he could feel their baby. “Feel this,” he said, and rolled over, Louis’ hand pressed between his ribs and the bed. When the baby instantly kicked, irritated by the pressure, Louis gasped and pressed his hand even harder against Harry’s stomach.

“Oh, my god,” he said. “That’s – that’s our baby?”

“That’s them,” Harry confirmed, nodding with a huge smile on his face.

“Harry, we’re – Jesus Christ, we’re having a baby,” Louis said, and leaned over, close. His free hand brushed hair from Harry’s temple, and he closed his eyes and kissed Harry deeply and slowly, until their breath was ragged from kissing too much. When they broke apart just to breathe, Louis rested his forehead against Harry’s, his eyes shut tight, and rubbed his thumb across Harry’s face. “I love you,” he said. “I love you so much. I love you, too,” he added, rubbing his hand against Harry’s tummy. “I love you even more.”