lust for life {l.s.}

part 11

"You look like that character they created on Sesame Street," Louis teases him. "What's it called again?"

"The Muppet Show," Harry answers sullenly, scowling at nothing in particular. Hmm. Maybe he is Oscar the Grouch. "And, I do not."

Louis ignores his protest, instead delightedly clapping his hands at the correct reference.

"Yes, exactly!" He exclaims, "You look just like Kermit the Frog."

Then he starts singing in an exaggeratedly low voice, "you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch."

Harry hates how good he sounds, even when he's playing around. "Those aren't even the same two characters, Lou." He huffs exasperatedly at his antagonization from his boyfriend. Honestly, the things he puts up with.

"Okay, someone is grumpy today," Louis saunters up to him before wrapping his arms around his neck, Harry automatically stooping to accommodate his height. He's a sucker for his boy.

"I'm not grumpy," he grumbles, and okay. Maybe he is feeling a little sour.

"What's wrong?" Louis asks, before tacking on an innocent, "daddy."

Harry gestures to the teetering mountain of boxes and haphazardly wrapped furniture that threatens to tip over like the Titanic at any moment. It's terribly hot out, and the movers he hired are nowhere to be found. Louis's energy is indicative of the seven bright blue and pink pixie sticks that he'd down in lieu of breakfast, and he's been bouncing off the walls since the sun had risen.

"Look at all this stuff, baby," he feels his voice get tense as he imagines the arduous process of transferring it all into the truck and then unloading it once they get to their new place. Doesn't even want to consider the fact that anything could be damaged or go missing. "I'm just stressed about getting everything to the new house in one piece."

"It's okay," Louis soothes him, even his voice does wonders to calm Harry down. "We'll get it all figured out."

Harry winds an arm around his boy even tighter. "You're so good to me," he murmurs, planting three kisses on the top of Louis' head.

Louis beams up at him. "So good that you'll unpack that big box so I can find my favorite pair of sneakers I accidentally packed?"

Harry levels him with a stare and they spend the rest of the afternoon chasing each other around Harry's yard, spraying the garden hose until they're both shaking like wet puppies.

Harry thinks he could deal with anything as long as he has Louis with him.

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