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It was something that had been on their mind the moment they found out Louis was pregnant; how was their cat going to react?
Yves was a fluffy grey and white ragamuffin, just a few years old, very friendly but very much an attention seeker. Louis thought he was an absolute shit, constantly meowing up at him or Harry until one of them picked him up and held him in their arms. Yves managed to wiggle his way in-between the couple almost every night no matter how wrapped around each other they were. He found his way on their laps, perching himself on their laptops until they gave in and pet him. Yves was Harry and Louis’ first baby, but he was a cat. Now they were about to have a real baby, and they weren’t very sure Yves would be able to handle it.
~*~
“What if Yves tries to eat him?” Louis asks from the back seat, finger clamped tight in the fist of their son, Elias. Harry chuckles and slowly pulls into the couples drive.
Elias William Styles-Tomlinson, hell of a name –they know, was just but a few days old with wispy brown hair and eyes bluer than the sea as he entered into the world. His eyes were bound to change colors as he grew, and Louis was hoping they’d eventually transform, to a pretty shade of green.
“Yves is not going to eat our baby, love.” Harry responds. The car engine is cut off but Louis isn’t sure he can get out yet.
“But he’s so tiny! Yves might mistake Elias for a snack.” With a roll if his eyes Harry gets out of their range rover to walk to the back seat. Louis looks up at him with worried eyes when he opens the door.
“Hey,” Harry ducks his head in the car to press his lips to Louis’, “Worst case scenario, Yves sniffs Elias, decides he doesn’t like him, and goes to shed all over our clothes, bed, and furniture like always.”
Louis still isn’t so sure.
“He’s going to be so mad if one of us is holding El and he wants to be held too.” Harry shuts him up with another kiss. Louis watches nervously as Harry unbuckles Elias’ car seat, slipping his finger out of his son’s hand.
The couple walks into their house, and right away they can hear the jingle of Yves’ collar. The cat runs quickly toward them, weaving in-between Louis and Harry’s legs.
“How do you want to do this?” Harry asks Louis. Louis swoops down to pick Yves up, burying his face into the cat’s thick fur.
“Couch? You can hold Elias and we’ll let Yves walk over to you two?” Harry nods at that and they all go into the living room, Harry setting Elias’ carried on the coffee table. Elias let’s out a squeak when Harry picks him up, but settles once Harry has relaxed into the couch. Yves is purring loudly as Louis sits down, his tail swooshing curiously and the wriggling thing in his owner’s arms.
“Okay.” Louis breaths out before releasing the feline. Yves cautiously climbs over to Harry, stepping his front paws on his lap to get closer to Elias. Yves sniffs the baby and Louis isn’t sure he can watch to see the reaction. Thankfully, Yves doesn’t seemed too bothered. He climbs off Harry and turns to meow at Louis. The couple lets out a laugh and Louis lets out a sigh of relief, kissing each member of his family. Louis decides he needs a cuppa after all this, because he just pushed a seven pound human out of his body and he deserves it.
“See! You had nothing to worry about!” Harry calls after Louis. Louis simply flips Harry the bird and smiles down at Yves who is walking along next to him.
~*~
The Styles-Tomlinson house is relatively calm after they bring home Elias. The baby is surprisingly quiet and easy going, something both Harry and Louis are thankful for. Of course Elias still wakes up in the middle of the night to be fed or changed, but that’s typical newborn behavior.
The first few days, Yves seems to be unaffected by the new member of the house, but it all changes after a Sunday morning cuddled in bed.
Elias had just been fed and was sleeping, calmly propped up against his body pillow between Harry and Louis.
“Fuck, are all our babies going to be so wonderful and cute?” Louis cooes, running his fingers over the soft hair on their son’s head. Harry beams at the two of them, reaching out to grab Louis’ other hand.
“Probably not as wonderful but definitely as cute.” Harry voices, “But we’ve got six more times to find out.”
Louis’ eyes almost bug out of his head.
“We are not having seven kids!” He scoffs. Harry just grins at his husband.
“We’ll see, babe.” They’re not, but Louis decides to humor Harry and kisses him softly. They’re drawn out of their kiss when they hear Yves collar ringing and the cat struts into the room.
“Come here, Yves.” Harry calls, patting the space between his legs. The cat jumps up but ignores Harry, only to stalk closer to Elias. He sits there then, stares down at the tiny human as his tail sways.
“Yves, look how lovely Elias is.” Louis speaks softly, still petting at the baby’s hair.
Yves’ head cocks to the side in a moment of confusion before he lifts his paw, making Louis suck in a nervous breath. Harry’s eyes widen as the couple watches their cat’s paw come down softly on their son’s cheek, nudging it softly. Elias instantly pouts and shifts in his sleep but doesn’t seem too concerned, as he doesn’t wake up.
“Louis..” Harry whispers, looking over to his husband. Louis has tears in his eyes, blames it on giving birth a short while ago, his hormones are fucking with him. They watch as Yves leans down and nudges his head against Elias’ letting the baby know that he wants to be pet.
“Oh, my baby Yves.” Louis cries, pulling the cat to his chest.
“You’re going to suffocate him.” Harry gasps out through laughter, because Louis is squeezing him so tight and Yves is looking at Harry completely terrified. Louis loosens his grip but peppers the feline’s face with kisses, making him purr loudly.
“We’re going to be alright.” Louis grins. Harry nods and kisses Louis’ forehead. Indeed they were.
~*~
Yves and Elias become partners in crime after that. Whenever Elias is taking a nap, Yves is found curled up next to him, head usually buried in the crook between Elias’ shoulder and neck. It doesn’t matter where Elias is, because Yves is right there next to him.
Elias will be in his little baby swing, and Yves will be asleep on his tiny chest, the two lulled to sleep by the slow rocking motions and soft music.
Elias will be in the sink getting a bath and Yves will be sitting in the opposite side, licking at the water as it falls out of the faucet and pawing at the loofa as Harry or Louis run it over their baby’s body.
Elias will be getting diaper changed and Yves perches himself on the baby table, watching as Elias giggles and grabs at him.
Elias will be lying in his crib and Yves will find a way to jump in as well, just sitting there and watching Elias protectively.
It’s safe to say that the two are inseparable.
~*~
Elias is an absolute menace when he starts crawling at eight months. It’s a little later than Harry and Louis thought but it didn’t make a difference to them. They were just happy that he was healthy and mobile. And mobile he was.
Elias was an absolute speed demon, crawling at lighting speed as soon as Harry or Louis set him on the ground, and he was always on the move in search of his best friend. The couple would know when the two found each other, because loud giggles and meows would fill their house. Elias’ baby books are full of polaroid pictures Harry takes of him and the cat. There might be more pictures of the duo than of just their son but the way Louis sees it, Yves and Elias are both his babies, and he loves both of them so, so much.
~*~
They’re sitting in the living room on a hot summer night just after Elias’ first birthday when he says his first word. It comes completely out of the blue, Harry and Louis watching Friends re-runs as Elias plays on the floor. A distant jingle is heard and Harry see’s Elias’ head snap up.
“He hears his pal.” Harry says, nudging Louis’ thigh with his foot. Louis smiles at Elias, whose eyes are wide.
“Is that Yves, baby? Do you hear Yves?” Louis cooes. Elias takes the pacifier out of his mouth, turning to look at the living room entrance.
“Eee?” Elias asks, looking between his fathers. Louis’ jaw drops and he turns to Harry quickly.
“Did he-?” He’s cut off.
“EEE!” Elias shrieks, and then Yves is bolting into the room.
“Eee!” The baby points at the cat, opening his arms. Yves rubs against Elias’ body, and his chubby hands go to bed at the cat.
“Oh my god, he did.” Harry confirms, mouth still open in shock.
“Our son just said his first word, Harry!” Louis squeals, moving to the opposite side of the couch to fall into Harry’s arms. Harry kisses Louis like their teenagers, giggly and smiling against each other’s lips.
“I can’t believe our son said our cat’s name before he said ‘dada.’” Harry breathes out when they pull away from each other.
“He is yours, you know.” Louis remarks. Harry kisses Louis again at that, cradling his husband’s face between his hands.
“Do you think this is going to be a problem with all of our kids?” Harry mumbles, his lips brushing against Louis’.
“I guess we’ll find out in about eight months.” Louis says, and Harry pulls away completely.
“What?” Harry gasps, looking down to Louis’ stomach. “You’re?”
Louis nods his head sheepishly.
“I’m just over three weeks. Went to the doctor when mum took Elias for the day. Congratulations.” Louis kisses Harry then, short and sweet because he’s sure Harry has so many questions.
“Who do you think is going to be more jealous of a new baby? Yves or Elias?” Louis giggles at that question, looking over to the duo on the floor.
“I’m putting money on Elias. Yves is going to be obsessed with the new baby.” Louis guesses. Harry shakes his head.
“No way. The new baby is going to have the attention of you and me and Elias. Yves is going to be pissed.” Harry says and Louis quirks an eyebrow at him.
“What’s on the line here?” Louis questions.
“Hmm. The loser has to plan a huge, magical date and pay for everything.” Louis rolls his eyes at that suggestion.
“We have a joint bank account. So technically we’re both paying for it.” Louis points out. Harry hushes him by covering Louis’ mouth with his hand.
“Shh. So is the bet on.” Harry asks.
“Of course it is.”
And the two of them seal it with a kiss.