Animal

54

Are you packed?" Harry entered the master bedroom with his hands clasped and hair damp from a very recent shower.

"Almost!" Louis answered him from the closet, rifling through their hangered clothing and excess sweatpants. One cannot have too many sweatpants.

Harry ventured into what is probably now declared a danger zone. He watched Louis walk from one corner to the next, dumping things in a large bag with no organisation whatsoever.

"Princess." Harry caught Louis around his middle that has healthily expanded to accommodate their new unborns.

"Not now, Daddy." Louis whined. "We're busy."

He squirmed when Harry started kissing his neck, pulling the neckline of his shirt aside to have more access. Harry knew this shirt was his, pure silk and expensive enough to convince anyone. Louis was not someone who respected that but Harry didn't mind.

The use of 'we' got Harry to hold on tighter and blow a raspberry kiss into Louis' neck.

"I'm not our daughter!" Louis gasped but his giggles were, without a doubt, genuine.

"You certainly aren't." Harry lightly bit Louis' ear lobe. "I told you to have everything packed by yesterday, princess."

"I did." Louis insists truthfully, padding over to the bag again. "I just don't think we have enough sweatpants."

Pregnant people ordinarily had cravings for food and beverages of outrageous mixtures, but Louis had a new-found obsession with slacks and sweats. He wore them at any and all opportunities, even wore Harry's and folded up the cuffs to keep them clean.

"You've packed them all, darling." Harry took the bag from Louis when the boy tried to pick it up, and hauled it onto his shoulder.

"Evidently." Louis chewed his lip and stretched up on his tiptoes to kiss Harry on his lips, once turning into thrice. "How late are we?"

"We've got an hour give or take." Harry answers. "Bean is sleeping in her carrier."

"Are Niall and Zayn here yet?" Their friends had volunteered to take care of the Styles household in their absence, pets and all.

"They're with her. Hurry up, princess."

* * * * *

After saying goodbye to their friends and getting on the on the road, it takes thirty minutes of driving for them to reach Chicago's International Airport. Liv slept through the entire trip and awoke with a grumpy exposure when they arrived in the parking zone.
"Aw sweet pea. What's gotten you so moody now?" Louis lifted her out of her car seat and bounced her on his hip to sooth her.

They stood where they were until Harry got a trolley mechanism to carry their luggage into the terminal. Olivia quietened down as soon as she recognised her mother and laid her head on his shoulder, one hand of hers holding his. She was looking at every new thing with wide eyes and when strangers waved at her, she hid in Louis' neck.

It was discovered as Louis waited with their bags and an energetic baby Bean, that their flight is delayed. He watched in sheer horror as Harry took off with the woman behind the counter as if it was her fault alone that a plane from South Africa is running late. Louis suddenly experienced the need to slip away into the small coffee shop to his left.

"Bean?" Louis turned his daughter around to face him, neatening her mittens and kissing her rosy cheek. "Let's go get some cupcakes, yes?"

Olivia recognised the word because Louis bakes a lot with this new pregnancy and she gets to see all the pretty icing colours, rainbow cupcakes and the like. It's exhilarating for a one year old.