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"I'll miss you so much when I'm gone," Louis said that night in bed. He and Harry just got done having a little 'fun' before he was to leave early the next morning.
"Lou, why do you have to go?" Harry asked as he curled up in Louis' arms.
"It's the right thing to do, love. You knew when you married me that this could happen," Louis said kissing the top of Harry's head.
And Louis was right, Harry knew this was bound to happen when he married an army man. Louis enlisted himself right out of high school and was sent straight off to boot camp and afterwards spent a year in battle before returning home to work on a near by base located in Alabama. Once home he met Harry a young boy with wild curls and emerald green eyes and an imagination that could send even the most maturest adult back to their childhood days. Louis fell in love instantly and two years later they married and Louis was moved to another state.
Harry was sad to leave his family behind but he couldn't let his husband leave without him so they packed up and moved to Georgia, at least the move wasn't so far and they could visit their families easily.
Harry still knew this was bound to happen. Close to three years without being deployed was rare for someone who hasn't been in for such a short time. But still it saddens the young man that his husband will be leaving for 12 months and the only communication they will have will maybe be a phone call or two and a few letters.
Harry sighed and nodded his head, his hair tickling Louis' chest. "I know, but still it won't be the same. I'll miss the morning sex, and shower sex and late night we can't sleep sex," Harry smiled and looked up at Louis.
"It seems to me all you'll miss is the sex," Louis joked.
"Haha very funny. Yes I'll miss that because it's a way of being closer to you but I'll miss just you a lot and everything you do for me and who will I have to make dinner for every night and who will compliment it and say they love me and I'm really really going to miss you so much," Harry said holding back the tears that have been building up ever since they found out about Louis leaving.
"Awe, darling, please don't cry. Sweets I will call you every chance I get and send some many letters it'll be like I'm here. Maybe you can see if one of the girls will come stay with you for a year or at least on the weekends so you have someone and Liam is always across the street and I'm sure Soph won't mind you kidnapping him for a few nights. Harry please you'll be okay. Lets just enjoy this last night and all tears are a go tomorrow before I leave," Louis said wiping away the few tears Harry let slip with the pad of his thumb and hugged the boy tightly to his chest. "I love you darling."
"I love you too, boo."
--
The morning was all tears as the two boys said goodbye. Louis had to get his friend Kai, who he was being deployed with, to help him get out the door. Louis thanked Kai as he took Louis' bag to his jeep so Louis could have a final private goodbye with Harry. Louis once again wiped away Harry's tears and his own and gave the younger boy a long kiss before walking away and to the jeep.
Kai gave Harry a wave as he drove them away then turned to Louis and said, "You'll see him soon, Lou."
"I know I'm just gonna miss him. You know how it is I mean how hard was it for you to leave Blaire and Charlie?"
"Hard but we've been through this and Charlie, she is finally old enough to understand that daddy won't be home for a while," Kai explained. The man was twenty-seven and a few years older than Louis and Harry but he took Louis under his wing when they moved in and he found out that Louis was a military man himself.
"I guess I just hope he's okay," Louis said and looked out the window the rest of the way to where they were going.
--
Louis' only been gone for two months and Harry is already miserable and lonely without him. He goes to work at the small diner ten minutes down the road and then once he's down there goes home and feeds the kitten Louis got him as a gift so he wouldn't be lonely while he was away. He's still lonely though and the neighbors can only bring so much entertainment to his life.
Harry wasn't feeling well today anyways so he figured why bother Blaire or Liam or any of his other neighbors. All Harry wanted to do tonight was feed Ella and make himself some soup and go to bed. So that's what he had done. Harry was in bed by eight, but awoken an hour later by his phone ringing. Harry groggily answered the phone and muttered a, "Hullo?"
"Hazza! Baby hi! Did I wake you? You sound tired," Louis said.
"Louis!" Harry shot up. "Louis Louis Louis! Yes you did but I'm so happy to hear from you I miss you so so so much Lou," Harry gushed over the phone to his husband.
"I've missed you too, love. I'm glad I got the chance to call. It'll be awhile before I can again because we are moving to another location and there's no telling if we will have access to phones or not so I wanted to call and see how you were doing and god I miss you," Louis said in a rush knowing he probably won't have much time on the phone with Harry.
"Oh Lou, I'm great now that I've heard from you. Haven't been feeling well today but I think it's just cause I miss you so much. I love you I miss you and I know it's early in the deployment but I'm already counting down the months and days and hours until you come home."
Louis laughed and shook his head at his husband's antics, "It is a bit early for that love but I understand. I have my own countdown as well. Oh darling they are telling me to hurry it up so others can call family too. I love you, I miss you so much and you better go to the doctor if you feel any worse," Louis told Harry.
Harry nodded but then remembered Louis can't see him. "Yes Lou, I will. I love you please come home in one piece."
"I promise Haz. I gotta go bye darling."
Harry hung up the phone and cried as he placed the phone on his nightstand and curled up under the blankets with Ella. He fell asleep like that, crying and holding onto the small kitten.
The morning Harry woke up to run into the bathroom to get sick. He didn't know what this all of a sudden throwing up was from but since he promised Louis that if he was to get worse he would go to the doctors so that afternoon he made an appointment for the next day.
--
"Well hello Mr Tomlinson, I'm Dr Lyles. What brings you here today? The doctor held out a hand for him to shake before she sat on the round rolling chair.
Harry went star tight to the point and told her, "I've been throwing up all morning and just feeling so tired. I at first thought it was from missing my husband who is deployed at the moments but it can't be that with me throwing up so I came in," Harry explained extremely fast showing he was nervous. Louis would usually be here to hold his hand while at the doctors.
The doctor chuckled and wrote everything down. "May I call you Harry?" Harry nodded, "Well then, Harry don't be so nervous about being here. I may have a hint at what might be happening but I want to run a blood test and get a urine same if that is possible?" She asked while searching the cabinets for what she needed.
"Y-yeah no problem." Harry said with a gulp looking at the needle that the doctor pulled out.
"Okay, here go pee in this cup and leave it on the sink and a nurse will get it and when you get back we will do the blood test then. Okay?" Dr Lyles handed him the cup with his name and birthdate written on it.
Harry nodded and took the cup and went to the bathroom to do his business. Once he was done he washed his hands and left the cup where he was told to place it and smiled at the nurse who went in after him to retrieve the cup. Harry walked back into the room to see that the doctor had everything set up for him and was ready to take his blood.
"C'mon Harry. It won't hurt so bad and once you're done I'll even give you a lollipop!" Dr Lyles gave him a smile and Harry got back up on the uncomfortable bed table thing doctors offices usually have.
Once she was done getting the blood sample she patted his back and told him she'd be back with the results. While waiting Harry pulled out his phone and texted his mother and Gemma back since they texted asking how he was doing and why he was at the doctors office. Harry told them it was just a check up not wanting to worry them and then switched over to a game he had on his phone.
30 minutes later there was a knock on the door and then Dr Lyles entered with a smile on her face. "Harry if you'd follow me I'd like to show you exactly what's going on before telling you."
Harry gave the woman a funny look but followed here nonetheless into another room that held a ultrasound machine and another one of those uncomfortable table beds.
"Hop up on the bed and pull up your shirt please," Dr Lyles said and flipped the main lights in the room off and turned the machine on. "This might be a little cold," She put some gel onto his lower stomach and then some on a wand.
"What's exactly going on Dr Lyles?" Harry asked.
"Well Harry a few lucky men in the world have this wonderful gift. It seems like you were one of those men," She told him and then continued to search for something and Harry knew she found what she was looking for when she made and ah-ha. "Congratulations Harry, you are about 9 weeks pregnant."
"What!?" Harry asked with wide eyes. "I know it's not unheard of but what the how?"
"I can't exactly explain it but a few men are born with the reproductive system of a woman and are able to carry their own children. Would like a picture or two?" She asked Harry as he stared at the screen that showed what looked to be a little blob.
"Three please," He said.
--
Once Harry got home from picking up his prenatal meds from the pharmacy he called his mother and asked her to come spend the weekend with him and then did the same with Louis' mum, Jay. Of course they agreed and within three hours they were at his doorstep with duffle bags full of their stuff for the long weekend.
"Oh sweetheart! How are you doing?" Jay said and have him a hug as soon as he opened the door for them.
"I'm fine Jay, c'mon in and I'll make tea," Harry said then gave his own mother a hug as well.
"You look a little ill, love, are you sure you're doing okay?" Anne asked as they all walked into the kitchen.
"Well I do have some news but I'd like for us all to be sitting with a cuppa before I say anything," Harry said while pouring tea into mugs.
"Darling just tell us," Anne said sitting down next to Jay.
"Here," Harry said hangin. Them the envelope with the ultrasound pictures in it.
Anne took the envelope first and opened it taking out the pictures looking them over then looking at Harry. "Harry? Are- are these what I think they are?"
"Yeah," He said looking at the floor. "I didn't even know it was possible and I can't talk to Lou and I'm scared mum."
"Oh sweetie," Anne said getting up and leaving the pictures for Jay to look at. "I'm sure you are love and we can write him a letter and I'll be here and I'm sure Jay will and you can count on us dear," Anne held Harry close to her as he made himself small so his mother could hold him like a young child.
"Louis will be thrilled once he finds out love. I'm sure of it!" Jay said giving Harry a simile then getting up to hug and congratulate him as well.
--
Harry did send Louis a letter. A few letters actually and never received a reply. Harry was worried as to why he never got one but figured Louis didn't have the time. He wouldn't allow his brain to go into uncharted territory for any other reason why Louis didn't reply. He was getting close to eight months pregnant and only really wanted his husband to be home. It was horrible going through the pregnancy without him and Harry just had his days were he did nothing but lay in bed and cry for Louis while Blaire held him or Liam or Sophia. Really depended on who was 'babysitting' him that day. He was upset that Louis couldn't be there to feel the hiccups or kicks and hits or talk to the baby with him. Harry just wanted to share this experience with the one he loved but Louis was still away and there was no calls emails or letters so Harry didn't know if Louis knew or not.
--
Harry was walking around the house right and a half months pregnant when the first round of pain hit. He stopped right in the middle of the hallway to his and Louis' bedroom. It only lasted a few seconds before Harry was able to continue down the hall. He didn't think nothing of the pain and thought they were Braxton Hicks or something. Boy was he wrong.
An hour or so later the pain happened again and Harry shot up from his little cat nap and dialed Blaire, knowing she'd have more knowledge towards this being she already has a kid.
"Harry love what is it?" Blaire answered the phone in the usual way that she does when it's Harry.
"I-I-I don't know but it hurts," He gasped as another wave of pain hit.
Blaire jumped up from the kitchen table where she was doing some work and ran straight to the living room to get Charlie. "I'll be right there Harry. I think it's time dear," she told him and hung up the phone.
Minutes later Blaire was barging into Harry's house car running and on the phone with Anne. This baby was ready to come out and didn't really care if it's carrier was ready or not.
--
Being rushed into an emergency Caesarian Section isn't what you really want when going in to have a child. Normally for a woman giving natural birth or even a planned C-Section it's planned and organized and the hospital knows to expect you on a certain day and time unless things change. For Harry though as soon as he entered the Emergency Room doors it was all organized chaos for him and those with him.Nurses quickly put him on an empty bed and wheeled him in the back to be prepared for the C-Section.
Harry was close to screaming, he had tears streaming down his cheeks and the pain was getting worse and worse. His water had broke on the way to the hospital so it was really a matter of minutes before the baby would start to try to come out the normal way. The doctors worked quickly and soon he was in an operation room ready for them to make the first cut into his skin.
It took about fifteen minutes for them to get to the baby and when they pulled the tiny child out, the baby gave a scream as the doctors announced, “It’s a girl”. And harry cried as they place his baby girl on his chest. The tears he shed were a mix of happiness but sadness as well since Louis wasn’t there to see this wonderful little girl be brought in to the world.
--
An hour or so later Harry was fixed back up and moved into recovery. He was waiting for a room to be made up for him and the nurses were saying it'd only take a few minutes but he was impatient and really wanted to go to his room so he could see his baby girl again and figure out a perfect name for the child.
A nurse walked in as Harry was thinking of names. “Mr Tomlinson, We are going to be moving you into a room now,” She said and came over to unlock the wheels on the bed. Another nurse, male this time, came in and took over. He was the one to actually move Harry out of the room.
“Can I see my baby?” Harry asked.
“Yes sir, just as soon as you get into your room a nurse will bring her by for you.” The male nurse said as he pushed Harrys hospital bed along the hallways of the hospital.
When they got to Harry’s room Blaire and Charlie were already there and Blaire helped the nurse help Harry into the room already placed in the room. Once Harry was in the new bed he thanked the nurse but asked for his child to be returned to him as soon as possible.
A few minutes later a nurse pushes in a plastic crib like cart that hold little baby Tomlinson. Harry squealed and made grabby hands at the bed knowing he couldn't get up on his own quite yet. “My baby!”
the nurse chuckled and handed the baby to Harry and explained breast feeding to him if he wanted to try and then gave him a bottle just in case. Harry and Blaire gushed over the small child before Anne and Jay arrived and the Blaire took Charlie home for the night while the two grandmothers visited them. They spoiled the girl with new clothes gender specific since now they actually knew and Harry told them the name he chose and they cooed and took plentiful of pictures. They all wished Louis was there but they knew there was nothing they could do about it.
--
Four months later it was time for Louis to come home. Harry had gotten a letter in the mail a few days before telling him the details of the homecoming ceremony that was being held on base for all troops that were coming home. Harry was excited for Louis to be home and for him to get to meet their baby girl who grew so much over the four months she had been alive.
It was tough at first caring for the child as a single parent but with the help of his mother, Louis’ mother and Blaire he did alright. Harry recorded and took pictures of absolutely everything so when Louis was to return it would be like he got to see it all. Today though, was the day that Louis would be home and he’d get to meet his daughter for the very first time. Harry had everything packed, baby in her carseat and was climbing in his car when he saw Blaire and Charlie do the same a few houses down.
Once on base Harry parked and unloaded the baby and her diaper bag before walking in the building where the homecoming would be held and took a seat in the middle. A few families that were sitting around him complimented on how beautiful the baby was and asked him if whoever he was here for knew and when he replied with no they wished him luck. Harry thanked them and waited for Blaire and Charlie to show up so he had at least one person to talk to while they waited for it to start.
Within an hour or so though it was time. The troops were marched in and words were spoken. It took about twenty minutes before the troops were told they could go look for their families and normally Harry would have probably run out there like a mad man to get to Louis but he really couldn't do that without putting his four month old child at risk who was somehow sleeping peacefully in her carrier. So instead he waited on Louis, who he spotted making his way through the crowd, to come to him.
“Harry!” He heard Louis call for him and soon the shorter man was running up to him and practically tackling him to the ground.
Harry laughed and made sure they were stable on their feet and gave Louis a kiss.
“I missed you so much, Lou,” Harry said into the kiss.
Louis was just about to reply when a cry of the little girl was heard and Harry hurried to pick her up from her carrier. Louis looked at Harry questionably as he hushed the small baby. “Haz? Who might this be?” Louis asked and stepped back a few steps from Harry .
Harry frowned and sighed while rocking the baby in his arms. “I sent letters, Lou. Quite a few of them. This is our daughter, your daughter. I was apparently Pregnant when you left and well four months ago she came into this world,” Harry explained and watched the expressions cross Louis’ face. Anger, sadness, guilt, and happiness where some and Harry could understand. If he didn't know, he would of been as hurt as Louis is probably feeling or much worse but what else was there for him to do? Harry tried his best for Louis to know but it was a mission failed.
“Can I?” Louis asked looking at the small child.
Without hesitation Harry passed her over to her other father. “Her eyes brighten every day and I’m really hoping they go to your color blue,” Harry told Louis as Louis held the small child in his arms.
“She’s so small,” Louis breathed out. He had a small smile on his face as he took a finger to trace out her small face. “ Harper Louise,” Louis whispered.
“Your favorite name and the name you wanted our first daughter to be named,” Harry said standing close to Louis and Harper. He laid his head on Louis’ shoulder and looked down at the little girl.
“I cant believe you remembered that!” Louis chuckled.
“I remember quite a lot of information you have told me over the last few years,” Harry kissed Louis’ cheek. “Welcome home babe. PLease don’t ever leave us that long again if you can help it.”
“I’ll try not to.”