A Little Mixed Up || l.s.

Four - Atlas and Puck

Harry's life was good. It was genuinely good. He couldn't have asked for any better kind of company than with the animals that he had. They were his babies. Well, practice babies because it's not a real baby.

God, Harry wanted a baby. A real one. His ex really fucked him up by saying the baby would be dead before three because he wouldn't be a good father. He'll show him. He'll show him that he can take care of whatever he wanted to take of and not have them die on his watch. Then again, he still was shaken up at the thought of actually having a baby. He couldn't have one. Not yet.

He won't admit it but the animals are his gateway. He knew that if he could take care of as many animals as he could, then the responsibility of having a child would be easy. It would be natural and the baby could grow up wonderfully and healthy.

That's the plan.

He still loves his animals, though, and would do anything for them.

Which is why he found himself back at the pet shop. He was in search of more food, toys and treats. Dotty would only eat the soft cat food that comes in the cans so he had to get a couple packs of that, Pickles ate Purina and Mr. Sprinkles only ate Blue. His animals were extremely picky. Well, except for the dogs. They'll eat anything. They like the brand Iam's the most, though. So he gets a bag of that. The blue bag since it says its a healthy choice and has a weight control element. He can't be letting his babies get obese because it wasn't good for their health at all.

Now came the treats. He pushed his full cart over towards the treat isle but on the way he had to stop. There were small glass rooms for the rodents and he just had to coo at all of them. He loved watching the little hamsters run on their wheels so fast that their legs all but disappear. He also loved watching the way that some like to stand against the glass and he could see their little paws and–

"You're back."

Harry jumped a bit and turned to look at the same lady that had sold him Dotty and Pickles and the same lady that seemed to work here every time he had to come buy food. He learned her name was Liza. He pronounced it Lisa for an entire day and she didn't correct him until a coworker pronounced it differently and he left with about a thousand apologies.

"I am. Who knew six animals could eat so much. And who knew I could get rid of treats like their cookies in a classroom of four year old kids." He stated, making Liza laugh.

"I get it, because the kids would eat them in a minute. That's funny." She stated and Harry just grinned. He loved when people found him funny. "I couldn't help but notice that you always watch them when you're here. Would you like to hold one?"

Harry glanced back at the rodents with a small smile and just pointed down to the larger area that held the guinea pigs. "That one seems to be so calm compared to the rest. Can I see him?" It was a white and grey guinea pig that was so small that he could most likely fit about three of him in his hand. Then again, his hand was large.

Liza nodded and knelt down, using a key from the lanyard around her neck to unlock the glass and slid one side of it open, the guinea pigs practically scattering to take cover. Which, obviously Harry found adorable.

"Come here, boy. There we go, don't be scared. This is Mr. Styles." Liza said as she finally got the guinea pig out and gently handed him to Harry, who was practically jumping up and down. "I think Mr. Styles needs to calm down, too, huh?"

With that said, Harry just blushed. "He's cute. Sorry. I'm good." And then he held the cute little guinea pig up to his chest, having it scatter a bit and hide itself in his hair and god, he melted. "I do hope you're not planning on me giving him back..."

"Are you serious?" Liza spoke because Harry looked completely serious. "I think you may have got an obsession there, Harry."

Harry just shrugged. "Its better than being addicted to cocaine or methamphetamine or heroine or PCP or–"

"Alright! Alright. I got it." Liza laughed out and held her hands up in defense. "But just.. Are you completely sure about this? If you are, you need to purchase a cage and bedding and hay since it's their primary source of food, vitamins for their water, their actual food pellets. A dome for their comfort. And their cages normally have to be cleaned out twice a week and they have to be fed at least three times a day and they like to scream sometimes, which sounds like a very high pitched squeak. They're very needy animals."

Harry listened intensely before he just nodded his head solemnly. "Well, we better get all that stuff, then. And you said they're needy animals, yes? Why not get two so he doesn't get lonely."

Liza looked at him as if he was a bit crazy, but he was a customer and she could only just nod and help him with whatever he wanted. "Right.. Soon enough your house is going to be a zoo, you know."

"I've always wanted a zoo."

He was a lost cause.

~

"Alright, Atlas. Puck. This is your new home." Harry stated as he stepped back after finally setting up their cage in the spare room downstairs. They didn't exactly have any more rooms downstairs and it kind of saddened him because that meant a limited amount of new animals could come. If any new animals were able to come, that is.

Atlas was the white and grey guinea pig he first held and the others name was Puck, who was a black and brown guinea pig. They both were males. He wanted a boy and a girl but upon being told that they could mate and have twenty babies a time, which he thought wasn't possible but Liza insisted it was, he decided to go with two boys instead. Twenty baby guinea pigs would overwhelm him.

The room still seemed to bland, though, even if he had the guinea pigs in there. It was an entire room with only one cage in it. It just didn't see fair. But, Harry had spent as much as he planned to today, even if he had more than enough money to really buy a zoo if he wanted. So, he just smiled down at the guinea pigs and walked back out to the living room.

"Oi! Off the sofa! What have I told you, Beast? How did you even get up there?"