Mindreader (L.S.)

08.

Harry and Louis stand in silence for not even a minute before crying is heard from the livingroom. It startles Harry, as he was not expecting it, but Louis is used to the constant sound of babies crying by now.

"I'll warn you, I have 5 sisters and a brother, and they are all a lot to handle at times, so brace yourself." Louis informs Harry when they walk towards the livingroom.

"I love kids, it'll be fine." Harry says, not letting it affect him. He's just happy to spend time with Louis.

As soon as they enter the livingroom, all eyes point to them, Doris crying, Daisy, Phoebe, Felicite and Lottie immediately asking a million questions.

"Finally!"

"What took you so long?"

"Are you okay?"

"Who's that?"

"Is that your boyfriend?"

"He's cute."

"Lottie!" Louis cuts all their questions off and glares at Lottie while Harry blushes at the compliment. "No, he's not my boyfriend, and no, he's not yours either Lottie."

Harry chuckles at that while Lottie sulks and falls back on the couch dramatically. Meanwhile Louis picks up Doris from the floor and sways her from side to side in his arms. She slowly stops crying, but seconds later, Ernie starts as well, wanting attention like Doris.

Louis' hands are full so he looks at Harry, who instantly understands and walks gently over to Ernest. "Hey, there." Harry smiles warmly at the baby and picks him up gingerly in his arms, Ernest's crying immediately dying down and his hands grabbing onto Harry's cheeks in adoration.

"I'm sorry I'm late, we were practicing for dance and I just forgot the time."

"Why do you get to dance with all the hot guys while I can't even get a boyfriend?" Lottie questions dramatically, sighing into the air.

Louis smirks at her and replies, "Because I'm not intolerable like you, and boys actually like me."

Lottie slumps back again and makes mock crying sounds in her hands. "I'm unlovable!"

"Of course you're not," Louis replies, a little more serious. "You're very pretty, it runs in the family, and you're funny and smart and everything a boy should want." Louis sits down beside her, rubbing her back while still holding Doris in his lap.

"Not as pretty, funny and smart as you." Lottie replies with a small smile.

"Is anyone really though?" Louis smirks and Lottie punches him in the shoulder while they both laugh. Louis doesn't even notice Harry looking fondly at him while he talks to his sister.

"Now that that's done with, Harry and I will go put Ernie and Doris asleep, so keep quiet down here."

"We have to watch a barbie movie afterwards!" Daisy exclaims happily.

"Only if it's Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses." Louis raises his eyebrows and both Daisy and Phoebe squeal, it being their favorite barbie movie, which Louis of course knows.

Louis laughs at their reactions before he motions for Harry to follow him upstairs where they enter Ernest and Doris' room. It's half blue and half pink, two large cradles standing on either side of the room.

"I like your family, they seem nice." Harry says in a low voice while he gently lays Ernest down in his cradle, Louis doing the same with Doris.

"Chaotic, you mean." Louis chuckles cautiously.

"No, I think they're lovely, and I think you're a great older brother." Harry smirks at the smaller boy, knowing Louis is actually the biggest softie with a heart of gold underneath.

Louis blushes automatically, not knowing what to answer to that. They both rock the cribs back and forth until Doris and Ernest are sound asleep. Louis turns on the baby monitors and brings one down with him as him and Harry walk back downstairs. All the girls are waiting, the TV already on, displaying the start of the movie.

"Who wants popcorn?" Louis asks and all hands in the room, including Harry's, are raised instantly. "Harold, come help me?"

Harry follows Louis to the kitchen where Louis pops a packet of popcorn in the microwave before taking out cokes for all of them. It is Friday after all.

After 2 minutes, the popcorn are ready and Louis takes them out and poors them in a bowl while Harry grabs the cokes and they walk back into the livingroom. There's just enough room in the couch for all of them, but Harry and Louis have to sit close, which neither really minds.

Lottie presses play on the remote and they spend the next hour and a half watching the movie silently. When the end credits roll over the screen, Daisy and Phoebe are both asleep against each other, so Louis quickly snaps a photo of the girls because they look adorable.

"Help me carry them up?" Louis looks at Harry who is up and standing immediately and pulling Phoebe into his arms. Both girls are still small enough for Louis to carry them, so he lifts Daisy up and guides Harry to their room like earlier.

When they walk back down Lottie and Felicite are looking at them with knowing looks on their faces.

"What?" Louis questions.

"Now that everyone are asleep, you have to tell us what's going on here." Felicite smirks.

"Where?" Louis knows where this is going, but is dreading it.

"There." Lottie says motioning between the two boys.

"Here? Nothing," Louis exchanges an awkward look with Harry, both uncomfortable with the situation. "We're friends."

Harry lights up at the word friends, more than happy that Louis considers him a friend and not just his dance partner.

"Is Harry not gay?" Felicite questions bluntly.

"Fizzy! You don't just ask people that!" Louis whispers harshly, not wanting to raise his voice with four sleeping children in the house.

"Why? It's not a bad thing if he is. You are."

"Yeah, but that word can offend people. Not everyone are as okay with it as you guys."

"Oh, sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to offend you." Felicite apologizes quietly.

"You didn't. I am. Gay, I mean." Harry smiles warmly to make Felicite feel better again even though he feels kind of awkward about the whole thing. Felicite lights up at that and raises her eyebrows at Louis.

"Nope, whatever you're thinking, just nope. Now go to bed both of you." Louis looks at the girls pointedly and they just huff, but stand up and go to their rooms nonetheless.

Louis turns back to look at Harry and they both have faint blushes tinting their cheeks. "So, I guess I don't need anymore help. Thank you though, it really helped a lot." Louis says genuinely.

"No problem. Would do it anytime. I'll see you on monday?"

"We can practise on sunday if you want? If you don't have any other plans?" Louis asks shyly.

"Sure, I would love to. We can do it at my place, so there's not a lot of people in the house?"

"Okay," Louis smiles and just as Harry is about to leave he gets the impulsive idea of pulling him in for a hug. "Thanks for today, I had a great time."

"Me too, Lou. Bye." Harry smiles after squeezing Louis back. He then walks out the door and both boys are left smiling like idiots.