Room 22A [Narry]

Chapter 57.

Noah and Niall were discharged from the hospital a few days later. Noah still wasn't eating properly so he went home with the naso-gastric tube still up his nose and down his throat. Harry and Niall hadn't talked much since they'd arrived home although Harry was satisfied that he didn't have to make early-morning trips to the hospital anymore.

They didn't talk about the whole dad-visit thing either but when they did, they were down each other's throats. One evening, Niall decided to cook Harry a famous Italian meal that came from Gino D'Acampo's recipes. It was some sort of lasagna with a spicy chili tomato sauce on top. To Niall, it was a sort of peace offering for all the arguing they'd done the past couple of days. It didn't really help much that Noah would scream the place down as well, when he heard the raised voices.

"Something smells good." Harry compliments, after coming home from work. He sets his leather jacket over one of the chairs in the hallway and heads inside the kitchen. His hair is tied up in a bun and he's dressed in a floral shirt and skinny jeans and ankle boots. Sometimes Niall forgets that he had been his teacher once and it felt like lifetime away. Niall was hovering over a steaming stove, stirring something in a pan. Noah sat on the table, in one of those bouncy chairs and he was chewing on some sort of rattle that he had become freakishly attached too, staring anxiously at Niall and Harry.

"It's this new recipe I'm trying. Here, try this." Niall suggests, holding out a wooden spoon to Harry's lips. Harry takes in the delicious tomato sauce, letting it run down his throat.

"Needs a bit more pepper." Harry decides and Niall nods, getting too it. "Right on, chef." Niall teases and Harry smirks, heading over to Noah.

"He just woke literally five minutes ago. I swear, he knows when you come home or something. There must be an alarm clock inside his head that's set when you arrive home from work." Niall jokes and Harry laughs, taking Noah out of his bouncy chair and setting him on his hip.

"He's just his papa's boy, isn't he?" Harry cooks, pecking Noah on his cheek. There's a short pause and Niall stops stirring the sauce.

"As opposed to what?" Niall counters and Harry blushes, realizing what he's just said. "As opposed to "mama's" boy?" Niall challenges and Harry's eyes widen. "No! No, of course not. Nothing." Harry grins reassuringly and hurries to the other side of the kitchen island before he's earned himself a slap in the crotch. Niall's too tired to argue with him anyway and Harry noticed this when Niall yawns and rubs his sleepy eyes - which was so very Noah-like.

"Y'know, according to the pregnancy book - when the baby's sleeping, you should be sleeping." Harry tells Niall and Niall rolls his eyes.

"You really shouldn't pay attention to these books anymore - they're rotting your brain." Niall replies and Harry purses his lips at him.

"And watching daytime TV cookery programs isn't?" Harry raises his eyebrows, nodding toward the sizzling pot.

"Oh, this is just a hobby. I had to have something to keep me occupied while I was under house-arrest." Niall defends and Harry sighs, heading to the bathroom to change Noah's nappy. Once Noah was cleaned and in his cot to nap, Niall set the baby monitor on and set it at the side of the two-seated table. 

"So...what's this really for, then?" Harry asks curiously, scooping up a bit of lasagna as soon as it's placed down in front of him. Niall sighs and sits down opposite him.

"What, I can't do something nice for fiancé without him being suspicious?" Niall gasps, pretending to be hurt. Harry cocks an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side impatiently and Niall sighs. "It's just a...peace offering for the whole visiting my dad thing. I know you only mean well, but -"