Little Harry Styles

28 - Why did you do that?

"I promise Niall, we won't be long. Three hours tops and then you can go out with your friends." Anne reasons with her eldest, "We'll be back around ten, it's not that late. Plus, they go to bed in an hour, it's nothing you can't handle."

"But mum! I promised them I'd be there at half past nine."

"Niall, can't you do this one thing for me? I didn't mean for the babysitter to cancel, but things happen. Please."

"Fine." Niall grumbled. He had recently turned 18 and his friends were hosting a party but now he was stuck here for the next three hours or so to watch his little brothers. Harry was three, he wasn't too much trouble, but it was Louis, who is five, who you got to look out for. One minute you see him sitting on the couch, the next he's charging after you tossing his toys at you. It can tire you out to be honest.

"Thank you baby!" Anne beamed, hugging her son close much to his dismay. "Only three hours!"

"I promise." The woman reassured before heading out the door, leaving Niall alone with the little ones.

"Nini! Where mumma?" Harry sat in the middle of the living room floor, happily stacking his Duplo blocks with Louis occasionally taking a few of them away when the boy wasn't watching. "She went out with dad. You'll see her when you wake up in the morning." Niall took a seat on the sofa where he could watch the TV for the next hour before he would put the two boys to bed.

"But..." Niall heard a small voice say, looking at his youngest brother. "Don't cry Harry. She will be back, don't be so dramatic."

The boy sniffled and nodded, going back to his blocks feeling a little hurt. His mummy had forgot to say bye; she always gives him a hug when she goes somewhere and the boy was quite sensitive. "Loulou! 'top taking my blocks!" Harry whined around his dummy that was occupying his mouth. "Nini, Loulou taking Hawwy's blocks!"

"Stop it Louis." Niall mumbled, his eyes fixed on the TV, not in the mood to be looking after his siblings. "I wanna play outside Ni."

"Not now Lou. It's almost bedtime."

"NO!" Louis whined, knocking down Harry's little tower in the process, making the smaller one almost start crying. "Louis, don't." Niall warned, pointing his finger at the boy who just huffed and plopped himself on the middle of the floor. Bored out of his mind, he decided to tease his little brother a little bit. First by always knocking down what Harry was building and when the younger realized Niall wasn't going to help, he gave up on the blocks and went to the toy chest.

"No Harry. That mine!" Louis yelled, yanking the toy out of Harry's hands. "But I can play too?" Harry yanked it back, making Louis quite angry. "No! Mine!" Harry nodded, letting Louis have his toy because he loved Louis, he was his best friend and he wanted to everything like him.
"No! This mine too!" Louis whined, taking the doll out of Harry's arms. "No Loulou. This Harry's?"

"Stupid baby." Louis suddenly pushed his brother, not meaning to hurt him of course, but it was a little bit harder than he intended. He watched his little brother stumbling backwards, trying to regain his balance but in the end, he fell backwards, his head hitting the floor quite hard. Instantly the boy starts wailing, not really sure if it was because from the dull ache on the back of his head where there would no doubt be a small bump, or the fact that his brother just pushed him, and hurt him.

"Louis!" Niall scolded, hurrying up off the sofa so he could tend to his wailing brother. "Why did you do that Louis?! That wasn't nice!" Harry wrapped his arms tightly around Niall's neck, taking in all the comfort he could get. "I didn't mean it!" Louis pouted, on the verge of tears himself. He didn't mean to hurt his little brother and now he would probably hate him!

"I w-wan' mummyyy." Harry cried, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the floor. Niall placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, trying to calm the boy. He was already seeing a little bump on his head which his mother would probably kill him for. "Shh. I know baby. It's okay, you're so brave." He rocked the small boy in his arms as Louis frantically watched, hoping his brother would be alright.

"Loulou meanie." Harry cried, successfully making Louis feel ten times worse. "Shh Hazzie, baby. It's okay, should we go warm up a bottle, huh?" Niall got up, picking the boy's dummy off the floor where it had fallen out of his mouth, giving it a rinse in the kitchen sink before handing it back to the boy.

"Daddy."

"Dad is out with mum. They'll be back soon Harry, please stop crying, it makes me sad when you cry." But it didn't work, the boy only continued wailing for his parents as he used his little fists to rub his tears away.

"'m sorry Hazzie. I didn't mean to." Louis frowned, standing behind Niall in the kitchen, feeling a bit abandoned. "Meanie." Harry cried into his brother's neck, not wanting to look at Louis at the moment. He had hurt him and that wasn't nice.

"Shh Harry. You'll cry yourself sick, please calm down." Niall gently rubbed his back, hoping his brother would stop crying as it was starting to give him a dull headache. "See, your bottle is ready. Should we snuggle on the sofa?" The boy took the bottle from Niall, spitting his dummy out in the process. Niall rocked him as he hummed little tunes while Harry sucked on his bottle eagerly, eyes getting droopy. "All better?" Niall cooed, lightly patting his bottom, smiling when the boy gave a little nod. "Good boy."

"What should we do with Louis?" Niall asked the sleepy boy in his arms once the bottle was gone. "Lou meanie."

"I know babe. Should we give a little time out?"

"Yeah! Naughty!"

"Nooo. I didn't mean it." Louis whined, he didn't want to go in time out. He knew his bed time was soon and didn't want to spend his precious play time in the naughty corner. "You were naughty Louis, come on now." Niall held the boy's hand as he walked with him to the corner, setting him on the little plastic chair. "Just a few minutes. I'll come get you when your time is up."

"Nooo Nini."

"You're lucky that mum and dad aren't home because you would be getting a spanking now! Now sit still until I come get you. Understood?" Louis nodded his little head frantically, sitting as still as he could because he sure didn't want his bottom sore before bed.

"You remember to be nice to Louis when he's out of the naughty corner."

"But meanie." Harry pouted, crossing his hands over his chest, his dummy back in his mouth.

"But what does mummy do when Harry has sat in the naughty corner?"

"Give Harry kissy." Harry huffed, knowing his mummy always forgave him once he did his time out. "See. So you'll be good to Lou?"

"M'huh. Go get him now?"

"Just a little bit longer, baby. Then it's bedtime, okay?"

Five minutes later Harry was running as fast as his little legs could to the corner where Louis sat with his head hung low. "Loulou. M'love you!" He gave him the tightest hug and a very sloppy kiss on the cheek but Louis couldn't be happier.

"I'm sorry Hazzie! I didn't mean to hurt you. I will never do it again!" Louis hugged the smaller boy back. "Forgive you Loulou."

"Are you gonna be good now, Lou?"

"Yeah! No more naughty!"

Everyone knows that will never work, but he was good for now. The two little boys got to cuddle on Harry's bed before bedtime while Niall read them a story, but when they both fell asleep with their arms tangled together, Niall didn't want to move Louis to his own room. Yeah, his brothers could be quite the handful, but in the end he didn't mind it. They were his brothers and he loved them all the same.

-