if it means a lot to you (Harry/Louis Merman AU #3)

Chapter Two

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L

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Just because Louis had given a couple of kittens away didn't mean he was free from being woken up at the worst times. As if Abby hadn't been enough already. Always on the clock, at three in the morning, Jojo was up pouncing on his face, being very vocal and merciless in trying to get his attention. Louis sucked in a deep breath and let it out, still keeping his eyes shut, thinking maybe if he just didn't move or breathe, Jojo would leave him be. He didn't know why he always hoped for that because it was never the case, and he knew that, too. One could dream, right?

Jojo crawled up onto his face, his tiny paws pressing into his skin. Louis snorted and groaned when the kit decided to lay down right across his eyes. "Every night." Louis whispered, pulling his arms out and grabbing the small cat, earning a small meow. He yawned and sat the kit on the bed before he got up and started walking out of his room. Immediately, Jojo bounded down and passed him, nearly making Louis trip. "Jesus fucking Christ, Jo."

Coming up with Jojo's name was difficult. Louis and Zayn didn't call him anything for three weeks. It was only when Louis took on the task of babysitting Ernie, Doris, and the twins that they all ended up watching Horton Hears a Who. Zayn and Louis were chilling on opposite ends of the couch when Louis was suddenly oh so very inspired by the character Jojo.

"Patches!" Louis heard Zayn shout. Patches was the youngest of the three kittens they had. Zayn named her due to her calico colored patches of fur. "Fine, fine, I'm getting up, I'm up."

This was just routine at this point. When Louis and Zayn entered the kitchen, hair mussed up and eyes half open, they found Poseidon had managed to climb up onto the counter and was sat in the sink where the faucet was open just enough for drops of water to fall. Poseidon was named as such because he was the only one of the three who strangely loved water. It got worse whenever he heard the water fully running or either Louis or Zayn start the shower. He would always scurry over to them as if he were stepping on small eggshells so he could sit right under the water. Sometimes when in the sink—like right now—he would start licking at the faucet to get any water droplets that may fall onto his tongue.

Poseidon was the weirdest cat.

"Like clockwork." Zayn muttered with a yawn, picking up Poseidon from the sink to set him down, a tiny string of meows falling from the kitten in protest. "I'm gonna move out. I'm losing sleep."

Louis sleepily laughed as he grabbed three cans of kitten food and poured it into three bowls. "They've still got water. And honestly, you say this literally every night."

"I know. I love them too much." Zayn said with a sigh. He picked up Abby, who was much calmer than all the active kittens. "I could always take one. I'm growing fond of Patches. We've definitely got our own thing going on. She kneads on my chest to wake me up. It's cute. Even if she doeswake me up at three in the fucking morning."

With Abby purring contently in Zayn's arms, Louis reached over to scratch behind her ears. "On the subject of moving out... I was... I've been looking at places, actually." Louis said. Zayn's eyebrows furrowed curiously. "I mean, honestly, the restaurant pays me pretty good. I've... I've probably got a goldmine sitting in my closet with the rare fossils and megalodon teeth Harry gave me. If I get money out of those that can be well enough for a place on my own, you can be free of my cat-loving self. I'm probably going to die alone with eighty of them, just you wait."

Zayn rolled his eyes. "You won't die alone with eighty cats." Louis sighed. "And... and, hey, I don't mind the cats. Like I said, I love Patches. But, if you want to move out... y'know, we moved in together so that I could help you be independent originally—and because we're best friends, obviously!" Zayn said the last part quickly at the offended look that appeared on Louis' face. "But if you're well off, or will be, and you're thinking you sort of wanna ditch me—"