Animal

51

"The club?" Louis puts his hands on Harry's shoulders and straightens up after his brief cuddle-up. "Why the club?"

"It will be closed. The bouncers will keep you safe."

"What about Zayn?" Not that Louis wanted Zayn's presence but Zayn was always there with him and Niall when Harry was fighting.

"He'll be with me." Harry's expression transforms to apprehensive while he answers. "As will Liam."

Liam? "Harry, what are you going to do?" Louis withdraws even further and crosses his arms, eyes resolute.

Harry decides that this night has been long enough and glances at his watch for the madly late time. "Not now, princess. Let's-"

"Now now?" Louis manages to get to his feet with flexibility Harry's not noticed on him before. It's magnificently dangerous. "When on Earth do you want to discuss why you three are forming some sort of mini mafia on Friday?"

Harry doesn't mean to laugh so loudly but his cackle comes out anyway and Louis is peeved.

"Harry!" He appears to be thrown by the amusement but remains angry. "It's not funny."

At last Harry stops mocking Louis' 'mini mafia' analogy by laughing and stands as well. He brushes Louis' cheek with his knuckles gently, always gently. "You worry too much about me, darling."

"It's my job." Louis' raw eyes burn past the walls Harry's set up around his mind. "Let me do my job, Haz."

Harry starts shaking his head but between the left side and his midpoint, Louis kisses him. It's a sweet and chaste kiss, ones they did in the morning before Harry left and at night before bed - no sex.

"I'm fine, darling." Harry sets Louis back on the level of his flat feet carefully. "This will all be over by Saturday."

"Are you-"

"Don't." Harry's gaze flickers to something sharp, something edgy and cold.

"Don't ask questions I don't want to know the answer to?" Louis provides, amusement at none.

"Yes." Harry takes Louis' hand but Louis pulls away and he sighs. "What now, Louis?"

"You're going to kill him, aren't you?" The realisation slams into Louis like a freight train on steroids. His face falls to the deepest pits of heartbroken, angry and furious about being betrayed.

Harry remains impassive. He's a master at the notion, but these few past days have been cracking his skill. "It's late, Lou."

"As if I were worried about the time right now, Harry!" Louis throws his arms up and looks exhausted.

"Raise your voice to me one more time-"

"Enough punishing for crying out loud." Louis does lower his voice but he remains adamant on his position in this argument. "You get to raise your voice and I don't? For as long as we have Bean that rule is void."

"This doesn't concern our baby."

"Everything concerns our baby." The fire in Louis' eyes burned bright and defensive. "Did you think about what this would do to her?"

"How is she ever going to know?!" Harry had to close the door to keep Bean asleep. She always fussed when her parents fought. "She's three months old and I'm doing this for her."

"Oh now you're doing it for her?" Louis hitches one leg on the table - the injured ankle one. "Who were you doing it for before?"

"For me!" Harry pulls on his hair for a short second with one hand. "Is that what you want from me? To know that I'm going to do what I am tomorrow for myself. Someone fucking forbid I do something for myself for once."