Scales- Larry Stylinson

Chapter 1

"Now remember," Louis could practically hear his last conversation with his friend Liam replaying in his head. "He's going to be scared when he gets to your place, that is normal. Don't try to touch him or make him move. They'll probably bring him in a cage, on a leash and that will look weird but its how they transport hybrids. When Niall first came to my house, he just sat in his cage for an hour and wailed. Just sit by the cage and talk to him. Explain who you are and just try to get a feel for him. If he's anything like Niall, he'll warm up as soon as food is involved."

Louis had heard all of Liam's advice before, having watched videos on what to expect, and speaking with the handlers at the hybrid shelter in his town.

"And speaking of food!" Liam had insisted to him before he left for his own flat, "Be careful not to over feed the hybrid, even if he's skinny, and even if he begs for more. If he was being starved, then he needs to come back to a healthy weight slowly."

Louis was pacing across his living room, picturing what kind of hybrid he was going to get. Liam had gotten a puppy. A rambunctious puppy at that. Niall was amazing. He was sweet and loveable but he was just so goddamn energetic. The lad never stopped talking. Louis didn't know how Liam hadn't gone mad after living with the hyperactive blonde for the nearly year that he had been. But it seemed to be one of the qualities Liam adored. Louis definitely didn't want a puppy.

Of course he wouldn't say no if he was given one. Louis was desperate at this point for companionship. But in all reality, Louis was hoping for a kitten. Someone soft and warm to curl up with and listen to them purr. Yea, that sounded like just the hybrid for him. He saw ads on tv with beautiful kitten hybrids, with wide innocent eyes and big fluffy tails. They were, after all, the most popular breed of hybrid for a reason.

*Ding*

Louis had to catch himself, rushing forward to the door so quickly.

"Hi, my name is Louis...Hi, I'm Louis." He practiced in a whisper to himself before opening his front door. His wide grin faultered a bit as he saw a van driving off, leaving a large crate on his doorstep and a note on top addressed to Louis.

Louis took the paper, reading with a raised eyebrow. He had expected the handler to come in like they had with Niall. However this one seemed to want to drop off the hybrid as quickly as possible.

'Name: Harry
Age: 20-25
Diet: Meat'

Louis frowned at the simple hand scribbled note. Liam had been given a packet of Niall's documentation, all about him and his previous placements. A hissing sound from the cage snapped Louis back to his hybrid. He hadn't even looked in yet.

"Oh! Sorry, you probably want out. Here." Louis bent down to look inside but whatever-whoever, was inside had fully covered themselves with a blanket. Louis cooed.

"Poor scared kitten." He murmured and stood once more, hauling the crate inside. He closed the door and sat down beside the crate, opening it.

"Hi, its alright. My name- oh!" As soon as the door was open the hybrid had pushed his way out. Louis let out a gurgled noise of surprise as what exited the crate was not actually a kitten but something Louis had never seen before. The front half was a man. From the head down to about the naval was all pale white skin, and a normal human body. Then it morphed into a long, thick tube of snake. Louis didn't have much of a chance to see his tail because the hybrid launched himself at Louis.

Louis screamed as he felt the hybrid grab onto his arms with his hands, wrapping his long muscular body around Louis' torso and legs.

"No! Don't eat me!" He couldn't help but scream, thrashing and struggling against the beast. The hybrid, who had pushed himself to lay chest to chest on top of Louis pulled back at that, glaring down at Louis with dark green eyes.

"I-" Louis muttered as the hybrid hissed, letting him go and completely unwrapping him. Louis could just stare at him with wide eyes, still laying where he had been tackled a moment previously. He watched as the hybrid pulled himself up to a surprising height, slithering through the hall and opening doors.

Louis finally found his footing, cautiously following the hybrid from a distance.

"That one is your room." He said as the hybrid opened the door to the bedroom Louis had set up. The curtains were drawn. The hybrid slithered in and threw the curtains back, staring out the window with a displeased look. Then he turned and moved right past Louis in the doorway. Louis couldn't help himself but make a noise of disgust as the hybrids tail slithered over his foot, shuddering. The hybrid shot him a look over his shoulder, opening Louis' door across the hall.

The sun was streaming directly in the windows, filling the room with the warm light. The hybrid hummed and slithered onto the bed.

"No! No, please-not my bed-ahh." Louis groaned as the snake hybrid slithered and laid out his long tail all across the bed, rolling so the white underside of his long snake tail was facing up, stretched up and out over the whole bed, soaking in the sun. "God, I hope you're not slimy." Louis couldn't help but mutter, watching the hybrid with a frown.

Louis left the hybrid in his room, closing the door with a huff. He couldn't believe what rotten luck he had gotten. A snake hybrid. A big ugly snake creature. There were no ears to pet! Yea, he had a tail but that was literally the issue! He was almost all tail. If Louis had to guess, the hybrid had a good 8 feet of tail on him.

"Pick up." He muttered, holding his phone to his ear. Louis was now pacing in front of the crate that the hybrid had come from.

"Hello, Southwest Hybrid Shelter, this is Mark." A voice came on the other line.

"What the hell, Mark?" Louis demanded without even greeting the man back.

"Uh-who is this?" Mark asked.

"Louis Tomlinson." Louis sighed out, moving from pacing to now sitting on his couch and bouncing his leg.

"Oh, you're the one that got-"

"The snake monster, yes. Please come pick him up." Louis frowned. "This isn't at all what I agreed to."

There was the sound of some papers shuffling before Mark replied "Uh, well according to our paperwork, you agreed to take any species."

"Yea!" Louis groaned "I thought that meant cats or dogs! Not fucking snake people!"

"According to the foster policy, which you signed-" Mark sounded as if he had given this speech before. "We do not accept foster returns within the first 72 hours of placement."

"Wh-Three days?!" Louis demanded. Instead of a reply he hear Mark promptly hang up on him.

Louis leaned against the couch and covered his face with his hands. "Fuck..." He muttered to himself. Now all he had to do was just not get eaten for three days by the snake creature currently occupying his bedroom.