And Now A Piece Of Me Is A Piece Of The Beach || larry stylinson

6

Caspar’s fluffy little legs stretched out behind him after he had bounded out of the van. He shook his fur as he came in contact with the overcast air. He looked up at Harry with big brown eyes, full of awe and adoration. Harry muttered a reply to his questioning eyes, telling him to wait for a few seconds while he got his lead. There was every chance that the dog did not understand what he was saying, but his voice must have been comforting enough as Caspar perched on the rough ground.

Harry snatched the packet of treats that got Caspar into a bit of a frenzy every time he heard the crackle of the foil. As expected, the small dog perked up excitedly, his fluffy head nudging at Harry’s legs to get his attention. The weather looked a little dodgy, but Harry could not be bothered for the heavy coat weighing down his bones. He grabbed a hoodie and slid the van door closed.

“C’mon, Casp,” Harry said to the distracted dog who was staring out into the distance absentmindedly, his tiny paw lifted in the air for no apparent reason. Honestly, Harry didn’t know what was going on in that dog’s brain half the time. Half of it was fluff and the rest was a jumble of sleep, walk, eat, and repeat.

However, his owner’s calls seemed to grasp a sliver of his attention and he trotted along Harry’s side happily. Because of a very awkward and mortifying situation where Caspar had wee’d on a baby’s pram on his way down to the beach, Harry had made sure to click his lead onto his collar while they were not on his home ground. Caspar did not seem to mind; he was quite content with being dragged around for a bit. He was an odd dog, but entirely loveable.

Eventually, after many stops for sniffs and excretions, they reached the golden grains of sand. Immediately, once Harry had released Caspar’s lead from his collar and patted the small of his curved back, the little dog had bounded off in his own little world. His legs moved faster than ever, racing through the sand in circles. Sometimes he stopped to sniff at the seaweed, but a scalding word from Harry made him scuttle away. Thankfully, all Harry had to do was plonk himself on some of the soft sand and keep one eye on the somewhat mischievous animal.

That one-eye skill came in extremely handy when the star of those infamous Coffee Blue eyes trudged through the silky sand towards him. Harry sent him a nod and a closed-lip smile as he approached a little closer. His caramel frosting hair was styled to perfection, small tufts gelled up, and his fringe was sculpted with careful fingers. His cheeks were dusted with pink sprinkles upon his butter cream skin. Glacé cherry painted lips pouted as the breeze licked their sweetness. His nimble body was covered in black work clothes, tan exposed skin straining at the hem of his shirt. Harry ogled the curvy frame shamelessly, yet did not adorn any of it to the pin board of his mind.

The figure settled beside him quietly, not saying anything. He did not even mutter a greeting, which, for someone Harry actually barely knew, was surprising. Louis was always talking; there was always something he had to say. It was endearing, instead of annoying. Harry had to admit, he did find it hard to keep up with the fast-talker, especially with his slow drawl, but the opposites seemed to click together. Louis’s circle fit Harry’s square.

“You alright?” Harry asked, glancing towards his scrawny pet. Caspar was rolling around in the sand, playing some game where he flipped around on his back and got sand ingrained into his soft curls. Harry was oh-so-happy about that; not.

“I’m great, thanks, you?” replied Louis with a small smile.

“I’m good, yeah,” Harry said, nodding. There was a pause as the two of them looked out at the sea, at the beach, at the people. “What’re you doing here? D’you not have work? Or has Lou loosened her reigns a bit?”

Louis snickered, fireworks in his blue eyes as he looked at Harry. “Nah, I just finished. Lou gave me the rest of the day off, said I should get back before it rains.” He shrugged nonchalantly.