Locked Down (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter Four - Barking Mad

Having Louis around was now as natural as if he'd always lived in the house, he fit into their routine like he belonged there.

The first week in the house was rather uneventful, the news formally announced the lockdown on Monday it didn't come as a surprise and they felt rather ready for it.

Louis and Niall weren't having to do anything for their schools for the week and they were both considerate to Harry when he did need to work, although Harry being in his bedroom meant they didn't really disturb him all too much and it only really mattered when he was on the zoom calls.

He made sure he didn't stare too openly at Louis, and he tried to make Louis' time in the house as easy as possible although Louis was helpful as he could be considering he still didn't know where everything was yet. Probably more helpful than Niall If Harry was honest.

Niall was using the week to sleep as late as possible, but Louis was up in the mornings with him and after taking Clifford out, he'd join Harry for breakfast and a couple of the mornings had even got their breakfast sorted himself.

They didn't speak too much in the mornings, both usually still half asleep, but the company was definitely appreciated. When Harry was done with work, he'd go for a run and once more, Louis would accompany him to the park and twice had met him at the end which Harry wasn't sure how he felt about it, since he was kind of sweaty both times and still trying his best not to openly show his attraction to the boy which was difficult.

Niall had gone all out on the garden, the end of the garden looked like an amusement park. There was a stand up pool with a ladder, which he'd spent hours filling. He'd topped it with a watermelon float and a flamingo blow up ring.

There was a slip and slide and he'd come through with the sprinkler system as well as a smaller paddling pool at the end of that which was filled with floating rubber ducks.

Clifford had spent most of the week taking one out at a time and hiding them in the hedges much to Niall's annoyance and Harry and Louis' amusement.

By the time it was completed, since Niall had refused to let them help it was late on Sunday and the sun had set meaning they couldn't make use of the space.

It seemed Louis too had embraced drinking wine out of a pint glass and so as Niall announced it was completed they decided to celebrate, they sat out in the dark on the decking looking out over Niall's hard work with their pints of wine in hand.

"You know if we could have helped we'd have been able to actually use it for the last week," Louis noted.

"Right, and you wouldn't have hid stuff like you hide all my markers and Harry wouldn't have fallen in the pool and drowned."

"I mean I wouldn't drown, it's not that deep." Harry said smiling over at his friend. "I would have definitely fallen in though."

"You have no shame," Louis chuckled, he'd taken the other outdoor sofa and was laying on it with one arm dangling off the side and his pint of wine resting on his chest like a tabletop.

"I can't really have any when I have Niall exposing me for everything I ever do." Harry said, "If I did, I'd never be able to show my face again."

"You expose yourself just as much," Niall shrugged and Harry hummed because that was kind of true too.

"What do you do with all the markers?" Harry asked Louis and Louis grinned looking up at the sky.

"They're hidden all over his room, he obviously hasn't looked hard enough for them. I even put one in the tuba." Louis said and Niall sat up quickly knocking Harrys foot off his lap where it was resting and wine slopped onto Niall's hand as he looked at Louis.