Playing House

5

"Playground! So what do think Darcy wanna do first?" Louis grinned.

"She's a doll. She doesn't care." Harry replied dryly.

"Alright teenager going grumpy old man. Aren't you like sixteen? Play along!" Louis teased.

"Fine. Swings?" Harry suggested.

"Good choice." Louis replied and grabbed the doll and shoved it down a kid's swing.

He started to push the swing higher and higher and giggled. Harry couldn't help but smile at how silly Louis was. He walked up to him and watched. Louis pushed the swing extra hard, which made the doll fall out.
"Shit! We'll leave that out of the report, right?" Louis cackled and fetched the doll and brushed off the sand.

"I think I'll use it to file for custody." Harry joked.

Louis laughed.
"Look at you cracking jokes. Come on! Slide!"

Harry watched as Louis brought the doll to the top of the slide. He held it while he went down with a "weee."

He handed him the doll.
"Your turn."

Harry glanced around them but no one was paying attention. The playground was fairly deserted. He climbed up the slide and went down. They took turns and then Louis suggested they do it together. Harry got behind him and they went down the slide together. Harry giggled.

Thirty minutes later they had tried everything on the playground. The doll started crying.
"She's hungry." Louis said.

They found a bench and took a seat. Harry retrieved the bottle from the diaper bag and handed it to Louis who shoved the bottle in the doll's mouth.
"Do you want kids?" Louis suddenly asked.

Harry looked at the doll.
"Yeah, someday. You?"

"I want a whole bunch of them." Louis smiled.

"How many is a bunch?" Harry wondered.

"I don't know. At least three. I probably end up adopting." Louis replied.

"Adopt?" Harry blurted out and bit his tongue. That might be a sensitive question.

Louis gave him a side glance.
"Yeah, you know, a lot of kids need a home."

"Of course. I think it's great. I might adopt too." Harry hurried to say.

Harry glanced at him just to find Louis doing the same. They looked away.
"Can I ask you why you're two years younger than us? I mean, fuck, I didn't mean to come off rude."

"I skipped two grades when I was younger." Harry shrugged.

"So you're a brainiac?" Louis asked.

Harry looked at him to see if he was making fun of him but Louis just stared at him with innocent, blue eyes.
"Something like that."

"That's cool. If I need help with me homework I know who to ask then." Louis grinned.

"Yeah." Harry smiled. Louis was the first person at school who had actually held a conversation with him.

Louis fished his phone out of his pocket.
"It says that we have to take a picture so Mr. Graham knows we were actually doing the assignment."

Harry put his head closer to Louis'. They held up the doll and made sure to capture the swings in the background before Louis snapped a picture.

Harry took out the paper from the diaper bag. Louis looked over his shoulder.
"Support an interest. I guess you'll have to watch a football game." Louis smirked.

"A whole game?" Harry sighed.

"Hey! I'm offended." Louis pouted.

"I'm sorry. I've never watched football. Not really my thing." Harry apologized.

"Well, your baby daddy plays football. For one day you have to be a supporter." Louis smirked.

Harry blushed at Louis' choice of words. Baby daddy? Geez.
"Fine. When's your next game?"

"On Sunday. Three o'clock." Louis informed him.

"I'll be there. Me and the doll." Harry said. He didn't sound excited.

"So, what kind of hobbies do you have?" Louis wondered.

"Base jumping." Harry replied quickly.

"What's that?" Louis asked.

"You know, parachute jumps from fixed buildings, like sky scrapes or bridges." Harry shrugged.

Louis' eyes grew wide.
"What?"

Harry laughed.
"I'm joking."

"Thank God. Me mum would kill me." Louis replied and laughed too.

When they had calmed down Harry continued.
"I don't really have that many interests, except photography."

"Well, then you can take me picture." Louis said and held up the doll.

"I need my camera for that." Harry said.

"Another day then. I have to go home now. I promised me mum to look after the twins." Louis said and got up.

"Of course." Harry hurried to get up as well.

Louis gave him a look.
"You could help me out if you want to."

"Help you babysit?" Harry questioned.

"Yeah, I mean, they usually play by themselves. I just have to be there. We could hang out, if you want to?" Louis offered.

Harry looked at him to try and decipher if Louis was joking but it didn't seem like it.
"Are you sure?"

"Of course, why not?" Louis replied.

"Okay." Harry smiled.

They walked back to Louis' house. His mum was in the hallway.
"There you are. Cutting it short. I have prepared dinner. You just have to heat it in the microwave. You can manage that, right?"

"Mum! I'm eighteen!" Louis whined.

"Don't burn the house down. Oh, hi. Harry, right?" Louis' mum said and turned to face Harry.

"Yeah. Louis invited me. I hope that's okay?" Harry stuttered.

"Of course, love. I'm Jay. Make sure Louis doesn't burn down the kitchen. I have to go." Jay smiled and headed out the door.

Harry looked at Louis who made a face.
"Honestly, it was one time! She will never forget it."

"You almost burnt down the kitchen?" Harry questioned.

"I burned popcorn. It could happen to anyone." Louis said and waved dismissively.

Harry giggled as they walked into the kitchen to heat the dinner Louis' mum prepared. He couldn't believe he was hanging out with Louis. Like, Louis actually asked him over. No one had ever done that before.