Chapter Text
Louis wasn't known exactly as a pacifist; wasn't known as some kind of murderer either. He could be considered a pretty normal person when it came to murdering urges; he sometimes thought about it, ways of ending that specially annoying person's life, that one person that wouldn't be missed in this miserable world and that in fact, would only bring joy with their death.
When Louis thought about it, the name that came into his mind was one and one only.
Harry fucking Styles.
His so called best mate, that new kid next door with wild curly hair and giant green eyes, someone who Louis still regretted helping more than ten years ago, back when he was a good not-quite-a-teenager-but-not-a-kid who took pity in seeing smaller and younger kids on the street with their knees busted. Thinking back, he should had left the crying neighbor bailing him eyes out and continued his away home, a few steps away from said crying neighbor who really was pissing him of at the time.
Had he been more intelligent at that time, he would have considered his annoyed person as a sign, a warning for him to continue his way. But then again, he made some pretty big fuckups when he was younger, and maybe (just maybe, though) Harry wasn't the worst one.
"Pretty please?" said Harry fucking Styles asked him, using that damn kicked puppy face of his.
Running a hand through his carefully styled-to-look-like-bed-hair hair, the older man hissed "Fuck no"
The way the younger's lips trembled almost made him think he had used a to harsh tone. "But Louis, man- I already- Fuck, I..."
"Spit it out, Styles. I don't have all day" he wore a slightly calmer voice. "I still have to go to El's house for Christmas Eve. Bid me Happy Birthday and fuck of"
Harry bit his lower lip, turning his head to the side and fumbling with his large fingers; Louis knew by this that he would start rambling at any given moment "You know mate, it's just that I... Well, you always tell me that I make decisions on the moment's heat and I can agree with that at a certain extension, remember when I got us a ticket to Vegas 'cause- that's not really important right now. The thing is that sometimes maybe I get to excited and boom!, I do something like... like I did last week. We were at that club and you said that you wanted a fucking fantastic present for your birthday and it stuck in my head- so, I was walking around this really nice neighborhood on Monday and I saw a pet sale and I though 'why not?'" Harry breathed sharply "Ikindofboughtapetandputitinyourname... Happy Birthday and... Surprise?"
Oh, forget about him not being Louis biggest fuckup.
He definitely was.
"You did what?!" like thunder, his bright blue eyes flashed dangerously, and Harry whimpered, cowering in his spot on Louis' couch "In fact, don't repeat whatever bullshit just came out of your mouth. Leave"
"But, Louis..."
"I said leave"
The curly haired man fidgeted, his lower lip so red it looked like it could split at any time "... It's outside"
Louis had to take deep calming breaths, counting from one to ten in his mind, trying to calm his temper; it didn't work, to the point he felt even more nervous by the end of the counting, cursing the other male up to his 10th generation. "Fuck you Styles. I don't have time for your shit, so pick your damn present and go" standing, he threw a glare at the younger man, straightening his clothes.
How dared he? He did asked (more like demanded) a fucking amazing present for his 28th birthday, but in what fucking world would a pet be a fucking amazing present? if he was making eight years instead of twenty eight, then a pet would be a pretty great gift; the thing was that it wasn't the case. He didn't have the patience, the time or the want to take care of a whiny, clingy, starving for love pet. He was selective when it came to feel something, anything for a person (or a damn pet) and he didn't like the idea of being forced to give affection freely and unquestionably because Harry Styles couldn't keep his shit.
"You don't want to see it?" Harry asked, standing too but keeping a safe distance. The older knew it was because the last time he had lost his temper, he had thrown a beer bottle on the other, causing Harry to receive eight stitches on his shoulder. It wasn't an action he was proud of, yet it made him feel a bit better knowing the curly haired man was treating him carefully. Served him right, for being so thoughtless and so damn Harry.
He snorted, feeling the pull of curiosity and cursing it "Just a look, and be quick"
He saw Harry releasing his respiration, clearly relieved "Right! ZAYN! ZAYNIE, COME HERE!"
The main entrance's door opened (Louis cursed again; Harry had this annoying and dangerous habit of letting doors open), revealing Louis' supposed new pet.
At least Harry got it right on looks, was the first thing he thought as it carefully (almost fearfully, as if it expected the floor to have some kind of trap to hurt it) walked in Harry's direction, its bare feet not making a single sound on Louis' wood floor, which tended to creak in weird places. The pet kept its' face down, the black hair enough to hide most of its' fluffy ears and forehead, and it was clothed with a jumper that clearly belonged to Louis himself (and that at some point had been stolen from his wardrobe; another of Harry's annoying habits), striped red and white, contrasting strongly with the tanned skin. It stopped next to Harry, hands clutched tightly together in the front of its body, the jumper material swallowing them like the rest of its lithe form. The type of body was exactly Louis' preference when it came to males.
"Zaynie, look up so Louis can see the great deal I made" Harry softly ordered.
It obeyed, of course it obeyed.
It had golden (fucking golden, like a damn expensive jewelry) eyes, with thick and dark eyelashes framing them, and that still didn't looked directly in Louis' blue eyes; plump pink lips that were being worried by white teeth repeatedly, the action serving to swell it and give an even plump-ier appearance. Cheekbones that could cut glass with its' sharpness and a high and gracious nose. On overall, the pet looked one of those that people used to advertise brand pet's clothes and accessories, so pretty it must have costed a fortune out of the youngest Styles.
"... Hm" he grumbled, trying to pretend he wasn't pleased with the pet's looks.
Apparently, that had been a wrong response, judging the way Harry beamed, dimples carving deep holes on his face "I knew you would like it! Pretty, right? He was one of the most expensive in that damn sale, and I had to sweet talk the owner for like, half a hour before he agreed to give me more discount and- Fuck Zaynie, I said that he would love you!" as he rambled, the taller of the three turned around to hug the pet. It stiffened with the sudden action, taking a few seconds to react, its hands loosely holding Harry's sides.
"Don't assume things" Louis started "So the pet has a good appearance, well, like I care, 'cause as I said, I don't want a fucking pet"
The pet -- Zayn, Zayn; such a complicated and unnecessarily hard name to pronounce -- froze immediately inside Harry's embrace, looking into Louis eyes for the first time, the deep golden orbs full of confusion, heartbreak and crushing, rooted, raw fear. It went limp, letting Harry support most of its weight, and by the boy's reaction -- the slightly frowned eyebrows, the double-check to see if he was really supporting the smaller body --, the pet didn't weigh a lot.
Harry stuttered, looking back and forward from Zayn to Louis "Mate, come on- Zayn's a good pet" the pet instantly shook his head, agreeing even if wasn't a question directed to him.
"If it is so damn good, then keep it" Louis smirked, wiggling his head enough to indicate the two close bodies "You sure look like its' owner"
The curly haired man sighed, releasing the pet. Its' ears trembled for a millisecond before dropping, forming a sad arch; the tail curled in itself, and the pointy canines were biting down hard its' lips flesh, turning them so red the skin could split at any moment.
"I can't have a pet" he said bluntly "Not with my lifestyle"
Louis snorted at the chosen word. Lifestyle indeed.
More like promiscuous don't-know-exactly-how-many-somes -- three, four, sometimes five -- and forever bachelor like life that would never allow the presence of a pet and everything it brought with it. A pet meant stability, domesticity, the ability to keep, to be attached to something so completely dependent that required love and dedication. For a person like Harry, who had the famous 'free-spirit', a pet meant a cage, a form of imprisonment, something he bothered to offer affection for few minutes per week, and nothing more; this if the pet belonged to one of his friends, like Niall's. He was the kind of lad loyal to his friends, but never to his lovers.
He didn't want stability or whatever.
Just because Louis had a stable life, a large condo and a girlfriend, it didn't mean he was one to wish for a pet.
A ringing sound coming from his phone cut short his line of thought; Eleanor. "This is Greatest God Lou; what is your wish, my beautiful mortal?" he purred, delighted in hearing the girl's soft giggle on the other side of the line.
"Hello to you too babe" she said, and he imagined the smile that surely stretched her lips "This beautiful mortal only has one question to ask upon the Greatest of Them All- When are your magnanimous presence going to appear before this humble self?"
A smile of his own broke the annoyed frown that was in his face since Harry's news; his girl the capable of brightening his day no matter what "Well, me, in all of my grandiosity, am 'bout to kill a certain curly haired wanker, yeah... I'll be by your side in forty minutes"
Another giggle, this time, more loud "Lou, language" she chastised "What Harry did this time?"
With a side glance in the wanker's direction, the older saw the other two looking straight at him; Harry with that knowing look and dimpled smirk (and that you're-so-fucking-whipped-mate air around him) and Zayn with its' ears high and mouth agape, like it was seeing Louis for the very first time (technically, it was its' first time, considering they were partly introduced for no longer than fifteen minutes), longing deep into those gold pools it had as eyes.
"...He bought me a pet"
There was hesitation on the other side of the line; Louis sent a glare towards the mentioned boy, who visibly lost his smirk so a sheepish little smile could assume its' place.
Then "Good God, Lou, that's- that's great!"
"Pardon?" maybe he heard wrong; was Eleanor excited? "El, babe, how many drinks you've had until now?"
"Two and a half and no, I'm not drunk... yet"
"So why this non-sense escaped your kissable lips?" he blinked, the flirtatious words leaving his mouth easily, an habit of his when talking to her.
Another pause, smaller than the first one, followed by a exasperated sigh "Lou, I'm catching a plane to Brazil in two weeks and- three months, Lou, three months until we can see each other again. I don't want you to be lonely"
Yeah, there was this; his girlfriend was pretty inside and out, her degree in Sociology and Politics making her (and consequently his) life impossibly difficult, with all of her several travels to the most unimaginable places (who goes to Brazil to study about native tribes in Amazon instead of going to chill in one of their amazing beaches? Oh yeah, his girlfriend) that usually took most of the year.
Like the time she was in Egypt for six fucking months, or the time before that, when she spent an entire year on Thailand. By now they had already mastered the 'long-distance' relationship, being together for five years, having split for almost four months and knowing all the perks and bad sides in each other's profession; Eleanor with her all goodies-two-shoes and 'let's save the world' actions and Louis with his 'I'm the best, you know, I know, everyone knows' attitude, as the CFO of a big multinational who dealt with beauty products for both men and woman. Thing that normally required him at his office in weird hours and skipping dates to persuade stubborn investors and the list went on and on.
"I really didn't want to be remembered of this, babe" he pouted, knowing she wasn't able to see, but also knowing she was able to guess. "It's my birthday"
"I know Lou, sorry, but I am right, you wanting it or not"
She was dammit, but he wouldn't give up without trying "You speak in a way that makes me seem one of those miserable minor character in a terrible soap opera. I have mates"
"Lou, stop with the drama. So you have Harry, Niall and Liam- But it's not the same. They're not with you all the time..."
"Thank God for that"
"Lou!- My point is: A pet can provide you and your egocentric persona the attention you need, both platonic and physical"
The phrase made his retort die in his throat, surprise settling in "You... El- you"
"Come on Louis" Eleanor used his name, not the short version. Things were serious "We're talking about genetically fucked up creatures that aren't humans or animals fully. They're made to attend to our needs, so if you want to fuck it, then do it. It's not like I will feel threatened by a damn pet, for gods sake. Harry probably thought about it too, he's a bastard, but a good friend"
Louis felt his mouth hanging open for different motives; 1) Eleanor cursed, and Eleanor didn't curse, 2) she said that she was okay with the idea of him fucking another... person? It's not like it was a human or a animal, so he can see her point and 3) he kinda liked her idea a bit too much. Zayn or whatever had the looks and judging the way it was still looking at him like he was the eight wonder in the world (which honestly he thought he was most of the time), it certainly wouldn't oppose to offering its' body to him if he asked, or demanded.
God, he loved Eleanor too damn much.
"You know you're fucking amazing, yeah babe?"
He could almost see her victorious smile, that marvelous, fantastic woman "Yep, I know. You wouldn't have kept me around so long if I wasn't"
Louis laughed; she was right, again "I love how right you are. So, I'll talk to the wanker here, explain some things to the pet and I'm going. Don't do anything I wouldn't"
"You mean: 'don't'... Wait, there's something you wouldn't do?"
"I wouldn't sleep with anyone less prettier than myself, and since I know there's no one in your family an' friends who can reach my beautiful feet, not worried" cocky? No, realistic.
"Bastard"
She sounded amused "Love yah too babe. See yah soon"
"Sure, love you"
A beep indicating the call's end.
Finally focusing on Harry and Zayn, Louis saw that at some point during his conversation with Eleanor, they had moved to his couch, his friend laying on it with sprawled legs, his apparently new pet sat in the space between them and with bare, hairless legs on top of Harry's right thigh. It was positioned in a way that made it possible for it to comb Harry's curly hair in a caress, while Harry did the same with its' legs, talking about amenities.
The CFO quirked an eyebrow high "Yo, mate, you're sure you don't wanna keep it?"
Harry stopped Zayn gently "Nah, I'm fine by myself- no offense Zaynie"
It nodded its' head.
"So, Lou, what's your final decision?" a cheeky grin spread-ed in Harry's face; he surely knew what Louis would say, probably paying attention to it and entertaining the pet at the same time (Harry was good at multitasking).
"Don't look at me with this shit-eating grin, you wanker" he snarled, but smirked "I think I can afford having a pet... for some time"
Zayn didn't seem to bother with the 'some time' part, its' whole complexion brightening as it jumped out of the couch, approaching Louis so they were a few steps from distance; Harry frowned, but quickly seemed to dismiss the subject, lifting as well. "Well, you can thank me later" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively
"Really, Happy Birthday and Christmas Lou, mate. See you in New Years"
They hugged 'bro's style' before Harry left, sending Zayn a little kiss, to which it blushed.
The door closed, and then there were only Louis and Zayn.
Atmosphere suddenly tense, the businessmen eyed the pet eerily, measuring him from its' hair to its' toes "Zayn"
Immediately straightening up, the pet answered "My master"
It had a surprisingly soft but deep voice (Louis' first time hearing it).
Crossing his arms in front of his body, Louis started "First of all, I don't really want a pet, but I must admit that your presence can be beneficial to me in some ways" he lifted his finger "Two, I don't like to repeat myself, and I won't tolerate disobedience" another finger up "Don't whine or do anything around the house without getting my permission first, except for doing your business and showering, which makes me remember that I don't have time to walk around with you, so start to get accustomed with being locked inside the house" three fingers were up by now "Lastly, you're mine, so I will do whatever I want with your mind and body, understand?"
A shaky "Yes" closely followed by a nod.
Nodding himself, Louis went to his room and picked his the bag he would use in Eleanor's family house. Back in the living room, he was satisfied in seeing that Zayn hadn't moved from his spot "There's food on the fridge and cupboards, and you can sleep on the couch"
He left without looking back, locking the door and humming to himself while playing with his car's key.
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