smitten kitten // larry stylinson

when harry met louis

"I'm Harry, what's your name?" Harry asked.

The kitten moistened his lips and opened his mouth for a few seconds, before he spoke for the first time, slowly stuttering out, "L-Louis' name i-is Louis." The kitten's voice was soft, quiet, high-pitched and raspy, and Harry thought it was the most endearing sound.

Harry smiled warmly. "That's a nice name. I like it."

Louis tilted his head cutely. "H-Harry like?"

Harry nodded. "Mhmm. It suits you."

Louis looked a bit confused, but said, "Okey dokey."

Harry chuckled. "You're adorable."

The kitten's cheeks flushed a pretty pink. "Thank."

Fascinated with Louis' ears, Harry reached out a hand. "Can I...?"

"H-Harry not gonna h-hurt Lou?"

"No! Of course not!" Harry was taken aback at even the suggestion of harming the little kitten. "Just... never seen a kitty like you before."

Louis hesitated, then said, "Okay. Harry can touch."

Harry reached forward and gently carded his fingers through Louis' soft hair and scratched the fluffy caramel ears, making Louis purr and lean into Harry's touch. Harry opened up his arms and let Louis crawl into his lap, snuggling with the kitten and scratching his ears. A few minutes later, Louis had fallen asleep in Harry's lap, face buried in Harry's chest and tiny hands clutching tightly at Harry's shirt.

Behind him, the bathroom door creaked open and Karen poked her head in to check on them after several minutes of silence. "Are you guys doing okay?"

"Hmm?" Harry turned around. "Oh, yeah. Louis fell asleep."

"Louis?" Karen looked puzzled.

"That's his name."

"He talked to you?" Karen's voice was filled with excitement.

"Yeah, I think he trusted me enough to talk to me. His voice is really cute and soft."

"You're a lifesaver, Harry, thank you for calming him down and finally getting him to talk," Karen said. "Poor Louis, he must be exhausted from all of the excitement and crying today. How about you carry him downstairs? It must be uncomfortable sitting on the bathroom floor."

So Harry carried the little kitten downstairs to the couch, where he was about to set Louis down on the couch and let go, but the kitten whined in his sleep and grabbed onto Harry's finger, refusing to let go. All of the Paynes cooed at Louis' subconscious clinginess, and Harry let out a small huff of laughter, resolving to cuddle Louis for his entire nap.

When the kitten finally woke up, he looked up blearily at Harry and yawned, covering his mouth with his dainty little hands.

"Hey there." Harry looked down at the kitten fondly. "Have a good nap?"

"Mm." Louis snuggled closer to Harry. " 'arry comfy."

"Good." Harry stroked Louis' hair and hummed. "Listen, Louis, you need to take a bath."

The tiny kitten froze. "B-bath?"

"Sweetie, you're all dirty and you need to get clean. I promise, we're not going to hurt you, we just want to clean you up and give you some new clothes," Harry said.

"L-Louis don't want bath."

"We'll be really careful."

"N-no."

Harry sighed. "Please? For me?"

Louis wavered for a few seconds, before relenting with a small, "Okey dokey."

Harry carried Louis back up to the bathroom, where Karen and Ruth were waiting with a warm bath. They stripped Louis down to his boxers, and gasped in horror at the amount of cuts and bruises that covered Louis' small frame. He looked so fragile and skinny, but they decided not to comment on it lest they triggered Louis, and Harry lifted Louis into the bathtub.

Louis was still a bit sleepy from the nap and leaned against the side of the tub while Karen and Ruth bathed him, Harry holding his hand to provide some moral support. When they were done, they wrapped him in a big, white, fluffy towel and dressed him in some of Liam's clothes, which were almost double the size of Louis' body and swallowed him up.

Louis insisted on being carried by Harry and Harry willingly obliged, letting the kitten scramble into his arms and tuck himself under Harry's chin for comfort. He hummed, swaying Louis in his arms. "There, you look so much better. Doesn't it feel nice to be clean?"

"Hmm." Louis yawned again and buried his face into Harry's chest.

Harry laughed, placing a chaste kiss on Louis' soft hair and resting his cheek on top of his head. He was so smitten with this little kitten.