With A Touch Of Magic (Larry Version)

25. Call It What You Want

This is where my chapters got out of hand and just started to get longer and longer. Sorry.

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"Haz?".

In his half-asleep state, Harry could feel Louis poking his cheek for probably the third time. Too tired to react just yet, he nuzzled his nose further into his chest, breathing in the smell of simply Louis and it made his heart flutter.

"Haz?" Louis wouldn't stop poking him, sounding the tiniest bit alarmed by now, so Harry blinked one eye open to glance up at Louis and waited for an explanation. "Coco's staring at us".

And that made him snap both eyes open in bafflement and sit up in Louis' bed. "What? What are you talking about? She isn't ...".

"She's right there, Haz" Louis pointed with his head at the end of his bed, where for sure Coco was sitting, watching them curiously.

"Where the hell does she come from?" Harry gaped at his cat, who should be in his flat and not in Louis' bed.

"You tell me. You're the witch and that's your demon cat" Louis fell into amused laughter before he even finished his sentence.

"Normally I'd be offended you called her that but this time, I have to agree. It makes her look like a demon cat" Harry kept staring at her in utter disbelief, especially when she made her way over to Alexa, who was sleeping right next to Louis. "Would you look at that? They're getting along. Someone bewitched my cat".

"Not a fan of dogs, huh?" Louis watched their pets curl up next to each other like old friends.

"Of anyone, remember?" Harry couldn't trust his eyes. This was the strangest sight to wake up to. "Well, except you".

"Exactly. She loves me, so it's only logical that she would love Alexa as well. Probably smells like me" Louis made sense of this in a heartbeat, his morning voice being so endearing.

"Or you smell like her and Coco is used to her scent already. As much as Alexa likes to plop down on you ...".

"Are you saying I smell like a dog?" Louis asked him outraged like the drama queen he was. "That's outrageous. I smell like ...".

"Cinnamon and vanilla and baby powder and daisies in the early spring" Harry's brain was still too asleep to control his mouth. "I mean, um ...".

"Harry Styles, I adore you" Louis pecked his cheek softly.

"You do?" Harry asked dumbly, adjusting his head enough to be able to look at Louis, not willing to let him go just yet.

"How could I not? You are so bloody adorable" Louis trailed with his pointer finger over his facial features. "Such a precious petal".

"Why petal though?" Harry had always wanted to ask that. He loved that petname but it had come out of nowhere.

"I don't know. It just suits you" he could feel Louis shrug, looking thoughtful for a moment. "You love flowers and have them almost everywhere and you just ... You're kinda like a flower yourself but even softer when I'm allowed to see it. Like a petal".

And no, he wasn't gonna cry in the morning over Louis being so taken by his soft side, that he barely let anyone see at this point in his life. Not because he was actively hiding it. More because life needed him to be strong more than soft and vulnerable. But with Louis, he felt safe enough to drop all of his walls and let him see every part of him. Louis would keep them safe.