ink and innocence // l.s.

sixty one

louis grinned when he spotted oliver standing up in his crib. "good morning! did you have a good nap?"

he put away the last shirt that needed to be hung in the closet and padded over to the crib. he flattened olly's bed hair down and kissed the top of his head. "your hair's a mess just like daddy's gets when he sleeps. that's how i know you boys slept good."

he picked his son up and held him on his hip. olly rubbed his eyes and laid his head on louis' shoulder.

"aw, sweetness," louis crooned. "you're so warm. you make mumma want to lay down and snuggle you all day long."

"muh," olly whispered.

"mumma's boy." louis kissed the top of his head. "let's go find daddy. i bet he's ready to start dinner soon."

he checked oliver's nappy before carrying him downstairs, where harry was occupying himself by tormenting alice. he had a plethora of toys around him and was throwing them one by one at their pet. he hadn't been home long, maybe an hour or so. he had business to tend to with the boys regarding trades and was gone all morning.

"there he is," louis gasped. "say hi to daddy!"

harry turned his head and smiled. "hello, olly pop! you look like you slept hard."

"oh, he did. he's still sleepy."

harry made grabby hands for the ten month old. when he was placed on his lap, he peppered the side of the boy's face with kisses. he blew a tiny raspberry on olly's cheek, making him crack a sleepy grin.

harry picked up one of alice's toys and threw it across the living room. when she caught it, he rattled his fingertips on the floor beside his knee.

"come here, al," he clicked his tongue at her and took the toy when she came to him. he threw it across the living room again and repeated it a few more times.

louis came in the living room with a sippy cup in his hands. "what are we having for dinner?"

"i was thinking about some swedish meatballs," harry hummed. "sound good to you?"

"you're the better cook. anything you make is good to me."

harry took the sippy cup and held it to his son's lips. he likes to do it for him so he doesn't look so grown because olly has mastered holding a bottle and a sippy, plus he's crawling and almost walking and he's trying to talk like a real person. he needs to cut it out. he needs his son to be this little forever so that he can coddle him and not have to tell him he can't say swear words. sue him.

oliver had his head leaned against his dad's chest, one hand cupping his sippy and the other trying to grab alice's tail.

"hey," harry murmured. "no no. we have to be nice to alice. she's nice to you."

he took olly's hand and gently stroked the feline's back. "there you go, bubba. see? gotta be more careful with her."

he cleaned olly's hands off and helped him to his feet when he backed away from his sippy. olly stood on harry's legs with wobbly legs of his own. he bounced up and down, hands gripping the man's fingers.

"mumma? what're you up to in there?" harry called over his shoulder when he heard rustling in the kitchen.

louis came in with a tiny bowl in his hands and an embarassed grin on his face.

"you're eating his snacks again, aren't you."

"yup." louis pushed a star shaped puff against harry's lips when he sat next to him. he grabbed a puff and held it out for olly, grinning when he ate it right from his fingers.