Eight Cakes and Two Eulogies

Chapter 4

The next day, after work, instead of getting off at Parsons Green Louis travelled on with Liam to his house in Southfields. The Paynes owned a four bedroomed terrace house on a quiet street, not far from the main road. It was almost identical to his own but with the nice little addition of a small square drive and a long strip of lawn in the back garden. That was the one thing that really disappointed Louis with his own home; his small back garden. Having grown up with ample room to kick a football around it had taken him some time to get used to only having a small private space. But his house was perfect for him in many other, more important ways and that's all that mattered really.

As per usual, Charlie and Jack were very pleased to see him. "Uncle Louis!" Charlie cried, completely ignoring his father and jumping up at Louis instead. Leaning back so that the dragon mask didn't take his eye out, Louis laughed and hoisted the kid up onto his hip.

"Agh, it's a monster!" he cried as another little masked person ran towards him, brandishing a plastic claw.

"No!" Charlie shouted, "it is Jacko, the Wear Wolf! And I am Charlie, the Golden Dragon. Rawr! Come and see our cool den!"

And that's where Harry found them an hour later; sitting in a tent made from throwing blankets over the settees and munching on Wotsits as How to Train Your Dragon played in the background. Little Jack was running back and forth with his potty on his head saying, "I smell a dragon. I smell a dragon!" When he spotted Harry he ran over to him, waggling a tiny sword in his face, "Hawwy!! You haf to help me find him! Help me find the dragon!" At least Jack hadn't forgot who he was during the time he'd been absent - although he was disappointingly unsurprised by his reappearence. Kids.

"Have fun," was all Liam said as he and Sophia made a quick exit, having already been half-way out the door when Harry arrived. "Quick kiss for mum and dad?"

The boys scampered over and after kisses and cuddles they waved to their parents until the taxi pulled away.

Once they were gone, Harry clapped his hands together. "Right lads, who wants to go on an adventure?"

Three hands went up, "I do! I do!" Louis clamoured in his best child-like voice. "And I also want food!"

"Food! Food! Food!" the two boys chanted after him.

"Okay," Harry laughed, "get your coats, shoes and hats on then. Oh, and remember boys, you mustn't let go of our hands while we're out otherwise the adventure will be over." Harry peered down at Louis and tapped his nose, "That includes you mister."

In reply Louis threw a Wotsit at him, which Harry caught with his mouth and ate, waggling his eyebrows triumphantly.

~*~

The next morning Liam shoved the Metro in his face with a 'hurrumph' the second he sat down on the train. Louis unfolded it and chuckled impishly. He, Harry and the boys had made the entertainment section. "Harry Styles is back in town!" it read. "His first stop; dinner date with Louis Tomlinson at The Ivy - along with two adorable little boys believed to be Tomlinson's godsons." There was a picture of the four of them walking into the restaurant and underneath it said, "Harry Styles' dreams may have finally come true as he was spotted having dinner with the man he recently admitted he has a crush on *wink wink*..." Louis rolled his eyes and skipped down to the images at the bottom of the column. There was a strip of four and the first showed he and Harry laughing as they sat at the table. The next showed Jack standing on a seat as he tried to shove his fingers up Harry's nose. The third showed all four of them attacking an After-Eight sundae between them, and the last was of them leaving - the kids giddy and excited as they rode high up on their shoulders. It was all rather cute and the paper had even had the decency to blur out the boys' faces. Still, he knew Liam was already worried about his boys getting too much exposure in the press thanks to Sophia's high profile in fashion. Having his friends increase that exposure didn't help.