Just One Little Favour

Eleven

"Joey, love, please get dressed," Louis sighs, rubbing the sleep from his tired eyes. 

Joe sits there with a frown against his little lips, brows creased slightly. "No. I want to stay here, I don't feel good." He clings onto Socks, picking the thread making up its whisker between his thumb and forefinger.

Louis huffs, placing a cool hand against Joey's forehead. "Well, you don't have a temperature, and I don't have the time to mess with any silly games you want to pull. I know, love, that you're confused and upset over last night, but you really should go to school. Harry will be there to look after you, won't he?"

Joey nods sadly with a huff and a slight sneeze. Louis quirks a brow, watching Joe closely as he gets up out of his bed, a slight shean of sweat clings his top to his back.

"Shall we get you in a quick bath whilst Grace makes us brekky?" Louis asks and Joe hums.

"Do you have the toys for the bath like mummy does?" Joe asks, putting his hand in Louis', flopping his head onto Louis' arm.

Louis ruffles his hair. "Unfortunately not. The ducks we had went a bit mouldy, had to chuck 'em out."

Joey frowns, rolls his eyes. "Mkay."

Louis quickly draws Joe a bath, helping him step inside once he's undressed and runs a sponge over the boy's back, scrubbing a quick lather of shampoo into his hair before rinsing him off.

"What do you think you'll learn today?" Louis asks, buttoning the top button of Joe's school uniform for him.

Joe sniffs, shrugs. "Nap time."

Louis laughs at that, shaking his head. "We can both wish on that. Hope my work gives me nap time," he replies as they walk down the stairs into the kitchen—where an aroma of cooking eggs and tinge of burning toast wafts through the air.

"Louis, I think you've forgotten that you're the boss of your job. You can initiate anything," Grace calls over her shoulder with a smile. She looks down to Joseph. "Good morning, sweetheart. Hope you're fancying scrambled eggs this morning."

Louis gives Grace a kiss on the cheek. "You're so totally right, love! I could create a schedule of nine til five, full on nap time."

Grace snorts, shaking her head slightly and dishes up the plates of breakfast. "Have you got any ironing for me to do?"

Louis nods, sipping his tea whilst Joe bites into a piece of toast beside him. "Yeah, actually. There's quite a lot in my laundry basket."

Grace hums in understanding, setting down her empty mug into the sink, rinsing it out. "Well I'll go do that now then. Enjoy your day boys."

Louis checks the time on his watch, turning his attention to Joe, tickling his neck, making him squirm. "Right, cheeky chops, finish that up and we'll get going."

Joe sets down the half eaten toast onto his plate. "I'm not hungry." He rests his head in his hand, looking a little pale, Louis will admit.

"You're probably just tired from a late night last night," Louis reasons. He would allow Joe to stay home, but if he's not really ill, he doesn't want Lottie to have his head.

He stands, motioning with his head toward the door. "Come on, we're already running a little late." Joey grabs the cat teddy from the kitchen island that he brought down with him, clutching it to his chest. "Are you allowed toys in school?"

Joe shrugs, but he looks up at Louis with puppy blue eyes. "I want to take it," he mumbles.

Louis sighs. "Alright, just hurry up and put those shoes on, Skimbleshanks, Harry will murder me if we don't get you in on time."