You like to preach with a vodka in your mug

Chapter thirteen

"Lou," Louis winces: he was trying to sneak up on Fizzy but she turned at the noise and is now glaring at Louis. "Lou, I think Harry's here."

"What?" Harry hadn't mentioned getting out. He's still meant to have another two weeks before he's allowed out in time for the wedding. What the fuck? What–

"Hi, my lovely!" Jay coos moments after she opens the front door. Louis aborts all plans of making Fizzy jump and charges down the stairs. Harry is standing innocently in the doorway, shoelaces in his shoes and hair in two neat braids. "Your hair looks nice. Who did it for you?"

"Oh," Harry gulps nervously, "just a friend I made."

Louis barges past his mum and wraps his arms around Harry's middle. The urge to scoop him up and press kisses all over his face is too strong but he assumes his mum will walk away soon enough.

"You look cute," Louis hums as he hitches Harry's legs up to sit around his waist. "I like your little dungarees."

"They're Gemma's. I wanted a cute outfit for all the photos my mum has taken of me. She compared the before and after rehab looks. Why did you not tell me how awful I looked?"

"That would have been a good move, wouldn't it?" Louis scoffs as he squeezes Harry's waist. "Tell you 'you look like shit, see you in a week'."

Harry rolls his eyes and tucks his face into Louis' neck. Louis feels his face twist into a smile so he kicks the front door shut and carries him into the living room. Immediately after being set down on the settee, he has two toddlers climbing all over him.

"Hazzy!"

"Hey, munchkins," Harry giggles as Doris and Ernest situate themselves in his lap. "I missed you both."

"It's been aaaa-ges!"

"I know! Pinky promise I won't go poof again!" Harry says before hiding his face in his hands.

"We know you're hiding there!"

"Boo!" He exclaims, popping his face back out. Doris and Ernest yelp and giggle. "Now, if you knew I was there then how did I scare you?"

"You shouted boo!" Doris points out. Louis is fairly sure he sees her roll her eyes.

"You got princess hair?" Ernest asks gently, pulling Harry's attention before pulling his plait.

"Yeah, it's long now," Harry says with a fond smile. "So is yours, Mister. We could match."

"Achoo, can I match Hazzy?"

"You'll have to ask mummy," Louis coos, "because I don't think it's quite long enough for plaits now."

"Gonna ask mummy!"

Ernest climbs off Harry's lap and Doris quickly loses interest. Louis would joke about how it's been so long since they've seen Harry and all he gets is a few minutes of attention but he's feeling a twang of jealousy watching them curl up in his lap.

"Have they grown?"

"Probably," Louis giggles, "because, you know, they're four."

"Has anything happened?" Harry asks softly as he tugs gently on Louis' arm to get him to sit in his lap. It's almost like he can read Louis' mind. "Like, no one's lost a tooth or gotten a first boyfriend or anything?"

"You've only been gone a month and a half." Harry slithers his arms around Louis' middle and pulls him close. "But, no, nothing's happened. No boyfriends on my watch."

"Did you know Lottie had a boyfriend last year?"

"What? No!"

"Sucks to be the least favourite older brother."