Keeping Up With One Direction 2

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TWENTY SIX: The Beginning of Fall-Cleaning

Sure, Spring Cleaning was a thing.

In fact, to Harry it was treated as a Holiday, the man loved decluttering and getting a chance to force his husbands to help him reorganize.

To Harry, Spring Cleaning matched the level of Christmas.

Getting to throw away junk of his husbands, and ridding the house of toys his monsters no longer touched or thought about made his heart swell. 

With his much-loved holiday being labeled "Spring" however, it meant that during the summer, fall, and dreadful winter months he had nothing to look forward to.

That was until today.

Call him a genius, or just a stressed-to-the-max parent, but after stepping on one too many legos with a sobbing Max in his arms, Harry came to the brilliant idea of a "Fall Cleaning".

Yes, it would be a day in October Harry would get to purge the mansion and when done have a bottle of wine in the bathtub with the door locked as his reward.

Just the thought and mere daydream of said fake-holiday has Harry foaming at the mouth and weak in the knees.

He sets Max down shushing him in the process as he grabs Liam's arm lifting him to his feet, "What can Dada give you to help me do something?"

"A hug!" Liam squeals, Harry furrowing his eyebrows at the response, sure he could totally admit to Liam that it was an absolute cutest answer he'd ever heard, and in saying-so immediately made Liam his favorite child for the day - but he fears that after the said hug, Liam wouldn't be of much help.

Louis had taught Liam well on how to truly bargain for what he wanted.

"What else can dada do?" Harry questions knowing the first step to any battle would be getting the most difficult and influential child on board: Lima-Bean-Liam.

"Ice-cream?" Liam asks tilting his head in confusion, he reaches up scratching his own ears wondering why he hadn't been hugged yet, and also why his Daddy was willing to give him ice cream before he had his meltdown at lunch.

Louis and he had been planning this lunchtime meltdown for a week now.

Rolling from his stomach onto his back, Louis sighs aloud, he wanted to voice his frustration as much as possible.

Zayn pokes his head around the corner extending his finger, "Zip it-"

"Papaaaa," Louis whines drawing out the "A", he could always play innocent and act like he didn't know why he was getting in trouble, but he also wanted to ensure he was around for Liam's meltdown at lunch. 

After all, it cost him three dollars and a whole chocolate bar.

Little did Liam know Louis would've paid seven dollars. He had to teach Liam better-negotiating skills.

He rises from the floor making grabby hands towards his Papa with a fake cry of apology, "I-I sorry," he mumbles, Zayn frowning as he scoops the boy in his arms, "No more bad words?"

Louis pouts still trying to figure out how his Papa even heard him say the bad word in the first place, "No sir," he surrenders knowing the offense could've ended with Niall washing his mouth out with soap, but instead he'd been put in time out on the rug with the major punishment being boredom.

Seeing it was near lunchtime Louis grabs his Papa's hand beginning to lead him towards the kitchen when Harry suddenly bursts into the living room with Max in his arms, and Liam trailing him a bowl of ice cream in his hands, a wicked smile on his lips.

Louis glares at his intruding father before he scowls at Liam, "We're going to have a Fall Cleaning day!" Harry announces, Louis, whipping his head up at the words he feared he heard correctly. 

If there was always a day Louis begged to see Ashton, or his mothers, or heck even his grandmothers - it was on Spring Cleaning day. He not only didn't want to help partake in the grueling cleaning, but his Daddy played this really annoying music and spent most of the day fussing as he picked the whole house apart.

Louis truly cherished that the damn day only happened once a year.

"No, No Spring!" Louis reminds, he wants to scoff at his Daddy thinking he could just make up a sudden holiday, if that was the case why did Louis only get one birthday?! 

Harry chuckles ruffling Louis' hair, "I know it's not spring, but this house is in desperate need of a cleaning."

Zayn shrugs, "I'm for it, I'll start in my office,"

Louis watches in horror as the impromptu holiday begins to take place, "Wait!" If he was going to be forced to clean against his will, he could at least get his three dollars worth of a lunch-time meltdown.

It was a win-win for Louis after a meltdown - Liam was usually put down for a two-three hour nap, and Harry would always go meditate after one of the boys had a meltdown.

It left Louis with a minimum of two hours to be completely alone.

Both parents in the room glance at him, "What?" Harry demands grumpy his oldest was stalling his cleaning, he thought Liam would be the one he'd had the most push back from - Liam was quite the hoarder with his toys.

"Lunch?" Louis replies gesturing to his stomach, "I no clean on an empty stomach!" Harry rolls his eyes, "then go grab a snack, then get to cleaning your room. Baba's bringing home dinner tonight."

Harry exits the room once Max is secure in his playpen, Zayn retreating to his office, Louis glaring when his eyes meet Liam that stands innocently eating his ice cream, "T-three bucks?"

"You failed me," Louis retorts, "Enjoy your ice cream."

Liam rolls his eyes with a shrug, he grabs some on a spoon offering it towards Louis, "Some?"

>You guys I wrote this in under thirty minutes, this prompt literally just popped in my head because I need to do some Spring/Fall Cleaning lol. Anyway, Smaller chapter, waiting on my laptop to be fixed, all the love Emma :)