Chapter Text
The weeks after the demon and the tomb and the horribly painful wound down Louis’ arm are spent at home. Not much else to do, really. Louis was meant to have the first week in July off anyway, since the office is empty, so that worked out. For the other weeks he’ll need in order to recover, Niall told him about sick pay. Louis wears a sling, the skin around the wound tight and tender, and Harry puts on an anti-inflammatory cream thrice a day. Reports about suspicious happenings around town seem to have slowed down too, following the demon’s death, the whole place seemingly in a hazy summer trot. The weather is sticky, they have both doors open to try and get some air through the house, and the nights are hot. Louis sleeps with pillows steadying him and his arm, the constant pull on the stitches itching and keeping him up. Harry is a lovely nurse, bringing him tea and cold cordial and snacks. They sit on the chairs out back when that side is in the shade, and move inside when the sun comes around the side of the house. Neither of them shave for a couple of weeks, Louis’ beard quite full and rugged, Harry’s a bit more patchy.
“Harry, will you help me shave? I can’t do it with my left,” Louis asks one afternoon. They’re inside, a squeaky fan trying its best to move the air around in the house. They have some music on while reading. Louis keeps scratching at his beard, it’s hot with it. Harry looks up from his book at Louis’ question, pouting.
“But you look so handsome in your beard. I don’t want to.”
“Well, thank you. But it itches, I have enough of that from the stitches, and it’s hot. I want it off. Please, darling.”
Louis gives Harry his best pleading look, and since he is also somewhat of an invalid, very, very poorly at the moment, Harry can’t say no.
“Fine,” Harry grumbles. “Can I just trim it, though, not shave it off completely? I like you rugged, babe.” Harry’s pleading look is pretty strong too.
“Ugh, fine. We’ll trim it now, but if I still itch from it tomorrow, it comes off, alright?”
“Deal.”
Harry sends Louis out of the bathroom after they’re done. It feels a lot better even just trimmed, Louis thinks, so maybe Harry will get to keep his rugged husband. He stayed behind, said he might as well do his own too. Louis looks through the fridge, it’s coming up on tea time soon. They made a big batch of gazpacho yesterday, and have some bread left, that should do. It’s too hot to cook anything, anyway.
“Ciao, bello,” Harry says from behind him. Louis closes the fridge door and turns to him, only to sort of freeze. Harry’s leaning against the door frame, smiling, having shaved his beard, except for the rather full mustache still left on his upper lip.
“Come stai?” Harry continues, waggling his eyebrows.
“Ciao,” Louis says slowly. He’s still looking at Harry, trying to decide.
“Do you like it?” Harry grins.
“To be honest, love, I don’t know. I think so. It’s very thick, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. I like it, it’s cool. You’ll grow to like it too, Lou.” Harry grins wider, stroking his new mustache. “Grow!” he snickers, and Louis huffs a laugh through his nose.
“You look like an Italian man from the 80’s, picking up Swedish girls on the beach.”
“I do not! Lou, I do not. I look cool. Like, an Italian man in a film from the 80’s, like the handsome hero.”
“Yeah, sure. Might want to unbutton a few more buttons for that, love!”
“Good thing I’m wearing a shirt!” Harry does just that. The shirt gapes open, his chest tanned underneath the white linen, and he has shorts on, showing off his long, equally tanned legs. Louis is convinced, because bloody hell, he is a vision.
“You do actually look really good, baby. You’re a stunner. I like it!”
“Mille grazie, bello!”
“How is it kissing you with that thing, then?” Louis murmurs, coming up close. Harry smiles into the kiss. Turns out it tickles a little if you think about it, which Louis only does for the first few seconds of the kiss.
—
At the end of the second week, Zayn returns with scissors to remove the stitches.
“Looks good, Louis, it’s healed well. Well done, Harry!”
Harry looks very proud from the praise, smiling and standing tall.
“I have to ask though, Harry, can’t be ignored any longer. What in God’s name is on your lip?”
“It’s my Italian mustache, Zayn. It's cool.” Harry crosses his arms, Louis holds in a chuckle at his affronted face. “Right, Lou, it’s cool?”
“Yeah, it is, love. You look cool.”
“See!”
“You do actually pull it off, you handsome fucking bastard,” Zayn agrees, after eyeing him for few seconds more. Harry winks and smiles.
“I know. Grazie. Now, do you want tea, cordial, mint water, beer, gin and tonic? Niall’s coming over for dinner in about 40 minutes.”
Zayn promised Louis it was safe to take the sling off, just be careful since the skin is still healing and needs tending to. Louis figured as much, the one that was much more in need of the promise was Harry.
“Are you sure we can lose the sling, Zayn? I don’t want it to, like, crack open or anything. You’re absolutely sure?” Harry asks for the third time during dinner. Louis pats his thigh under the table.
“Yes, Harry. I won’t say it again: it’s fine. Keep applying the cream, be careful, you’re fine. Stop fretting, alright? And stop cutting up Louis’ food, he’s fine to do it himself.”
Louis laughs out loud, Niall does too. Harry sulks.
“But I like doing it, Zayn, shut up.”
“You’re a sweetheart, Harry, aren’t you,” Niall smiles.
“Yes.” Harry nods a thanks in Niall’s direction, then goes back to his dinner. Louis leans in to kiss his cheek.
“I love you,” he whispers against the warm skin, and he feels Harry’s cheek puff up from his smile.
They had drinks in the sitting room after dinner, talking about that night in the tomb. Louis and Harry had talked about it a lot, but it was obvious Niall and Zayn, Niall especially, needed to talk about it too. With people that were there, that knew.
“I felt like a right tit running out of that tomb, when you all were still in there, fighting it.” Niall seems ashamed, looking down at his beer.
“No, Niall, don’t. You did the right thing,” Louis says sternly. “It was crowded in there, I could have slashed you the way I was swinging. And it was your first time, really, you had no weapons. You absolutely did the right thing getting out of there.”
“I suppose. Like, I know you’re right, but still. I keep thinking I could have helped more or something.”
“Niall, you did help. We needed you there to make that triangle and get everything set up. What you did was enough, be sure about that, alright?” Harry says gently, reaching out to squeeze Niall’s arm.
“Yeah, man. I mean, I hid behind a stone casket, I wasn’t doing much past lighting that shit up. We did our part. But I get where you’re coming from, it’s hard seeing your friends fighting like that and feeling useless on the sidelines,” Zayn says. “I know I did what I was supposed to, but I still wonder sometimes if I could have done more. I know I couldn’t, but the feeling is still there. That’s normal.”
“That's how I feel exactly, yeah. But alright. Okay. As long as you don’t think I’m a twat, like, abandoning you.” Niall looks at all of them in turn, worried.
“We do not, Niall. No fucking way. Alright, son?” Louis assures and gives him a smile, Harry’s still squeezing his arm, Zayn raises his beer at him.
“No way, bro,” Zayn says, and Niall finally relaxes.
“Okay, then,” he nods. “But Jesus, that was scary. When Harry went down like a sack of potatoes, only to come back, and then Louis doing the same. Nearly had that fecking energy bar come up again out of pure fear.”
“Yeah, that was fucking scary. When Harry went down I barely knew what to do with myself,” Louis says, looking at Harry.
“Well, at least I wasn’t bleeding all over the floor,” Harry whispers, eyes going a bit red. Louis nods, that must have been horrible to see.
“I’m glad I was there to help,” Zayn says. “It eases the whole “why didn’t I fight” guilt a bit.”
“Yeah, it felt good to get to help out, to get you home and safe,” Niall agrees.
“Thank you for that,” Louis says. “Thank you so much.”
“Louis, you’ve thanked us a thousand times, it’s fine, mate. We're good.” Zayn sounds exasperated, but throws Louis a salute and a grin.
“Well, it deserves thanks, doesn't it?”
“Yup.” Niall raises his beer in Louis’ direction with a wide grin. “You're very welcome.”
—
Harry is getting to his feet, having stood on his knees in front of Louis who’s sitting on the bed.
“There, Lou, all done.” Harry is about to turn away and put the cream back in the bathroom.
“Hey,” Louis says lowly. Harry turns back to look at him, tall and gorgeous above Louis. Louis reaches out for the cream, takes it and haphazardly throws it on the nightstand. Harry looks down at him, a little surprised.
“Lou?”
“You are so beautiful, darling.”
Louis lets his hand travel up Harry’s abdomen, up over his pecs, lightly tease over his nipples.
“I’ve missed you like this.” He keeps his hand and eyes wandering all over Harry’s body, his stomach, his thighs, his arse, his back, coming to a stop again at Harry’s right pec and nipple, cupping it.
“Lou,” Harry breathes out, “we shouldn't. Your arm.”
“It’s fine, love. I wont do anything with it, it doesn’t hurt anymore. I want you. I can use my mouth still, you know.” Louis smirks, keeping his thumb moving over Harry’s hard nipple, rolling it around. “Come on, darling.”
His finger trails down the middle of Harry’s chest, to his pants. Over his cock. Louis keeps looking up at Harry, who's breathing heavier now.
“Alright,” Harry whispers. He pushes his hips forward, and Louis lets his whole hand firmly grab around Harry’s hardening cock.
“There you go, love.”
Louis moves his hand up and down Harry’s dick, feeling it grow, Harry pushing back into his grip. He pulls down Harry’s pants, letting them fall to the floor. Louis leans in to kiss his stomach, across his hips, his hand returning to the task of making Harry hard. Harry is panting above him, little ‘oh’s escaping him, his hands coming to comb through Louis’ hair, stroke over his shoulders, his neck. Louis teases with his mouth, kissing and licking, biting a little, Harry starting to moan deeper in anticipation. Louis has missed this, the sounds he can elicit, the smell of Harry, his soft skin and hot cock. Finally he takes him in his mouth, starting slowly. Harry gently moves his hips back and forth, a long moaning escaping him.
“Yes, Lou, oh, fuck, that feels good.”
Louis knows how to do this, how to make Harry come quick and hard, but he draws it out tonight, savouring it. He wants to feel the drag of Harry’s cock in his mouth, hear him moan and pant, see him slowly come apart.
Eventually though, he can’t hold off any longer, wanting Harry to get there, to hear him come and to taste him. Harry has his head thrown back, holding on to Louis’ good shoulder hard, still managing to only gently work his hips back and forth without choking Louis. Louis sucks him hard, quicker, using his tongue the way Harry likes, letting his hand grip Harry’s bum tightly, a finger close to Harry’s hole, pulling a bit.
“God, Lou, yes, yes, oh my god”, the last word tapering out into a long moan, as Harry comes down his throat. Louis swallows and looks up at Harry, still with his head thrown back, his chest a bit flushed. Louis is panting on Harry’s cock and stomach.
“Get on the bed, please,” Harry says as he looks back at Louis, who grins and slides up the bed. “Careful with your arm, baby!”
Louis is fine, already lying back against the pillows. Harry pulls his pants down, gets between his legs, and Louis’ hard cock is there for the taking. And take, Harry does. Louis loves this, getting blowjobs from Harry, he’s so fucking good. He lets Louis fuck into his mouth a bit, Louis pushing his heels down on the bed for a little bit of leverage.
“Fuck, Harry, yes!”
Louis won't last long, but that’s fine. He feels Harry’s tongue, his lips, his hands. Louis relishes in the feeling of Harry, Harry’s hands gripping on the inside of his thighs, keeping Louis’ legs open, feeling the pads of his fingers tighten. Louis’ hand reaches down to gently feel along his lips around his cock. Louis sees him when he looks down, his cock disappearing into Harry’s mouth, and that about does it.
“I’m close, Harry, fuck, oh God, I’m close!”
At this, Harry pulls back, using his hand, jerking Louis off to make him come all over Harry’s face.
Louis lets himself catch his breath a little, before looking back at Harry. He’s sitting between Louis’ legs, up on his knees, looking disgruntled.
“What’s wrong?” Louis asks, although he thinks he gets it.
“This mustache isn’t really good with blowjobs, is it?” Harry says. He still looks disgruntled, but there isn’t much to it. They both start laughing, then, Harry using the tissues to wipe his face and try to wipe the cum out of his mustache. Louis laughs so hard he snorts.
“This is fucking impossible, Lou. Help me!”
“You look so fucking ridiculous, Harry, Jesus!”
“Yeah, well. Help me! It’s your fault, you bastard!”
That makes Louis laugh even harder, tears in his eyes.
“You could have just aimed elsewhere, you knob!”
“Fuck off!” Harry’s still laughing, which makes the whole ordeal of trying to get cum out of a mustache that much harder.
In the end he had to wash it out with water and soap, and when he came back to bed, Louis was still laughing.
“Sorry, baby, I’ll try to aim better next time,” Louis says into Harry’s warm neck.
“Please, if you would,” Harry answers primly. They cuddle close, Louis on Harry’s chest.
“I love you,” Harry adds after a minute, ”but I can’t sleep like this. It’s too bloody hot.”
“Yeah, fucking hell, I’m melting.” Louis rolls away, just touching Harry with his foot as they settle. He needs some contact. “Love you too.”
—
The herbs are growing nicely in the kitchen window, Louis keeps getting tickled in the back of his neck by the mint when he sits at the kitchen table. Harry is very proud of them, keeps talking to them.
“What do you tell them?” Louis asks one morning, Harry squeezed in next to him to get to the window to water them.
“Who? The herbs?”
“Yeah. You tell them all your secrets and fantasies?” Louis sips his tea.
“Ha, ha. No. I tell them they’re very good herbs, growing really well, they look so pretty and are so helpful. Stuff like that.”
“Like me!”
Harry turns around at that and cups Louis’ cheeks, softly shaking his head like he’s petting a dog. He pitches his voice higher.
“Yes, just like you, Lou, you are such a good boy, so helpful and so, so pretty. Such a pretty boy, you are!”
“Fuck off”, Louis gets out, a bit muffled from having his face squished, and Harry bends down to give him a kiss, almost knocking the rosemary over with his bum.
“What do we have on today?” Louis asks after Harry has let go of his face.
It’s the end of the third week of July, Louis’ arm is feeling right as ever and the weather is still scorching hot. Really, early mornings are the only time when it’s bearable, but only Harry gladly gets up that early. To run. Louis tries to have breakfast ready when he gets back, sweaty and delicious (Harry, not the breakfast).
“I don’t know, really,” Harry says, bringing Louis back from thoughts of a post-run delicious Harry. “Nothing, I guess. Should we drive out to the river? We can go out past that house where the poltergeist took you over?”
“Leslie’s place?”
“Yeah, exactly! It’s a bit of a drive, but I’ve heard there’s a nice spot out there, and not many people want to drive that far, so hopefully not that crowded.”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
They pack up the car, roll down the windows because the ac is spotty on the best of days, and this is apparently not one of those, and set off. Towels and snacks and drinks and SPF 50 (“I don’t care that you go all golden, Lou, you still need it!”) are packed. Harry is still sporting his Italian summer mustache; at first, Louis thought it was rather cute, but that has turned into thinking it’s downright outrageously sexy. Especially when Harry is concentrated and looks serious, like when he’s maneuvering country lanes. As they drive by Leslie’s house, they see a for sale sign out front.
“Oh,” Louis says, “I thought they moved back in, didn’t they?”
“I thought so too,” Harry slows the car down. “Maybe they couldn't get over the whole ghost thing, which is understandable.”
“It is. Too bad though, it’s such a gorgeous house.”
“Mhm.”
Harry speeds up again and they drive along the lanes, soon feeling the cooler breezes coming from the river. When the stone wall on the left parts, Harry pulls off and follows a small road down towards where they can see water glistening through the grass. They continue with grassy fields on either side, and the road ends just above the river banks. There’s one other car there, parked off to the side, and Harry pulls up next to it. They don’t hear or see anyone else as they make their way down, coming upon a grassy little area and a sandy strip near the water.
“Harry, this is absolutely brilliant!”
“Isn’t it actually! I didn’t think we’d find this gem out here!”
The water is cool and they put their towels down underneath a small tree that gives them some shade. Harry keeps reapplying the SPF on both of them, but Louis doesn’t really mind. Harry touches him, he gets to touch Harry. Louis always gets a kiss at the end. It's nice.
“I wonder what they’re selling for,” Louis says after a while. They’re relaxed, quiet, the river water has cooled them down, they’re comfortable on the grass and towels, both on their backs with their eyes closed, slow breaths.
“Who, Leslie?”
“Yeah. I wonder what that house is on the market for.”
“I mean. Probably a lot, Lou.” Harry reaches out to hold his hand, strokes his thumb over Louis’ palm.
“I know, I know. Still though, maybe they want to make a quick sale? Just to be rid of it.”
“It’s possible, I suppose. But, they’ll probably not put ‘previously haunted’ in the ad, so they can ask for a lot still.”
“Yeah…”
“We’ll have a look, baby.” Harry holds Louis’ hand a little tighter. “Okay?”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Louis lets go of Harry’s hand to roll onto his stomach, closer to Harry, and puts his nose to Harry’s shoulder, drawing in the scent of sun and summer on Harry’s skin. He lets himself dream of Harry and him buying Leslie’s house for a bit.
—
“Hey, Harry?” Louis calls from outside. Harry’s inside getting more crisps. The sun has set and the air is quite pleasant now. They still feel cooled down from going in the river earlier.
“Yeah?” Harry answers as he comes back out, also carrying two beers.
“Oh, cheers, love, thanks! Right, do you remember a while back, like weeks ago, when we were out on patrol and vampires were everywhere? Can’t remember which night exactly, but anyway, do you remember seeing a werewolf?”
“Yes! I think I did. Did you see it too?!”
“I thought I did, so if you think you did as well, then we probably did. Fuck.”
“Fuck indeed.” They sigh, and take a swig of their beer. “What do you think we should do?”
“I don’t know…”
They have only dealt with one werewolf before, and it did not end well. Louis doesn’t like to think about it (“We have to face the bad stuff too, Lou”, and yeah, probably, but what good does going over something endlessly with no other ending do?). They were attacked, out on patrol one night a few years back, and before they realised what had attacked them, in order to not get ripped to shreds, they had killed it. That’s when they realised, as the wolf turned back into human. It was just a young lad, younger than them both, a skinny little thing. Louis had nightmares for weeks, until eventually enough other bad shit happened that pushed it to the back of his mind. It’s still there, but he can keep it at bay mostly. Now it comes back, obviously. He wakes up with his heart racing, sitting up abruptly in bed, chest heaving. Harry is there next to him.
“You’re alright, Lou, it was just a dream. You’re alright, love, it’s okay.” Harry strokes his hand over Louis’ sticky back, smoothing his hair out of his face. “You’re okay.”
“Yeah,” Louis whispers when his heart has calmed down a bit. He leans into Harry’s neck, arms coming up to hold Louis close. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
“Was it the werewolf nightmare?” Harry asks quietly after a while. Louis nods. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“Not your fault, love,” Louis whispers.
“I know, but still. I’m sorry this is happening to you.” Harry’s hands are gentle on Louis’ body, soothing, his heart is slowing down even more, almost back to normal. “I’ll get in touch with Zayn tomorrow, maybe he has some ideas, yeah?”
“Yeah, that’s good.” They lack back down, and even though it’s still so hot they’re sticking together, Harry doesn't let go, and Louis won’t either.
—
“Right,” Harry says as he plops down on the sofa next to Louis. Louis has just come downstairs and made tea, and Harry’s back from his run. Louis might still be waking up.
“Oi, watch it, my tea!” Louis holds the cup out of the way.
“Oh, sorry, Lou, didn’t see. Right, so I talked to Zayn just now.”
“Oh, did ya? Is he alright?”
“Yeah, all good, all good. So, he was saying -”
“Wait, hold on. You talked to him just now? On your run? Fuck, when does he get up?!” Louis does not understand morning people. Not even Harry.
“I did, yeah. Not sure he had actually gone to bed, though. I texted him, asking if we could chat later today, and then he rang me straight away, so we talked when I was on my run. Two birds with one stone, ey?!”
“Sure, yeah. And you talked, while running?”
“Lou, yes. Can we let that part go, that is not what I wanted to talk about!”
“Right, right. Sorry. What did he say then, at bloody eight in the morning?”
“Well, I asked him about the whole werewolf situation, obviously. And he said that he had read about people managing it, like either going deep out into the woods come full moon, or like, locking themselves in a cage or a basement or something.”
“Hm.”
“I mean, we don’t really have that many woods to run to here, but we could probably find, like, a basement or something, couldn't we, or an old barn or cattle thingie that we can lock up, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, maybe. Hopefully. But we need to find out who it is, talk to them, try to get them on board. They do know what’s happening to them?”
“I would think so, yeah. I was thinking that, maybe , we can slow them down, or disturb them, by using silver chains. Like, to just burn them a bit, but not kill, but keep them distracted and focused on something else? So they don’t hurt anyone. And then, for the next full moon, hopefully we’ll have everything sorted with a cage or whatever.”
“Fantastic. Should work like a charm, that. Jesus, that’s a flimsy plan, isn’t it. Do you have many silver chains lying around, Harry?”
“Piss right off, Lou, I’m trying here.” Harry has a sharp edge in his tone, and Louis catches himself.
“Yeah, I know, I know. I’m sorry, this whole thing is just…” Louis lifts his hand up and then lets it flop back down.
“I know, Lou, but still. Don’t take that out on me.”
“Sorry, baby. I’m sorry, I’m being a shit.”
Louis puts his head on Harry’s shoulder and closes his eyes. The nightmare is still lingering in Louis’ mind, the horror of waking up with a hammering heart. Harry kisses his head, and so the nightmare fades a little bit more.
“And no, I don’t have silver chains lying around. But we’ll sort it, somehow. Maybe even just silver necklaces are fine, if they’re long enough, and thick. They are really sensitive to silver, should do the trick of just getting them off track,” Harry continues, his voice gone a bit softer, his hand playing with Louis’ fingers.
“Yeah, that’s good. We really need to try and, like, push it towards the edge of town. Fuck, we’re gonna need to follow it, we want to be there come morning when they turn back,” Louis sighs. “When is the next full moon then, do you know?”
“Yeah, Monday next week.”
“Right. Well, a little more than a week, then.”
They sit in silence for a while, Louis waking up a bit still, Harry absentmindedly massaging Louis’ fingers.
“Hey,” Harry says. “Wouldn’t it be funny if the werewolf was Niall?”
Louis starts laughing, even though that would be the least funny thing on the planet.
“It wouldn’t, Harry!”
“Well, a little bit,” Harry grins.
“Yeah, alright, a little bit!”
—
They go to the big shopping centre outside of town the next morning, where there are at least three shops selling necklaces. Hopefully some silver ones. Louis wishes there were somewhere they could send their receipts to get cash back, because this is not what he wants to spend their hard earned money on. But, it is what it is, he supposes. At least there’s air conditioning. They find a lot of necklaces, actually, and apparently there’s a trend now with bigger chain-like necklaces, so that serves them well.
On their way out, they run into Niall, of all people, and Louis can mask the laugh he feels bubbling up, from what they talked about yesterday, with the joy of seeing Niall.
“Alright, lads, good to see ya, how are ya?”
Niall seems tanned and delighted, relaxed and happy. They haven’t seen him since he and Zayn were over, which isn’t that long ago, but he seems more settled now.
“Alright, Niall, how are you, mate?” Louis says, giving him a hug.
“Hiya, Niall, y’alright,” Harry smiles, scooping Niall up. “Getting some shopping done then, are you?”
“Yeah, well, you know, bits and bobs. How about youse, you’re shopping -” he looks at their bags, “- jewelry?”
“Oh, well. Yes,” Harry starts, clearing his throat. “It’s for work. You know.”
“Right-o, I see, lads.” Niall taps the side of his nose. “I see. What’s it this time?”
“Perhaps not something to discuss outside Boots, you know what I mean?” Louis lowers his voice and looks at Niall with raised eyebrows. “Hey, come round for drinks later, yeah? We can tell you then, if you want,” he adds.
“Yeah, we’d love to have you. We have nothing left to talk about, us two, you'd be a life saver, really,” Harry says with big, big eyes.
“Oi, I’m plenty interesting, you!” Then Louis leans in towards Niall and whispers dramatically “save us, Niall!”
“Jesus, you two. Alright, thanks, I’ll come round later, that’ll be grand. I’m off to the golf course just now, but I’ll swing by (this makes Harry snort loudly and Niall looks pleased) later, yeah. I’ll text you when I’m on my way, but say around five?”
“Perfect!” Harry says, still chuckling.
“Cheers, lads, I’ll see ye later, then!”
“See you later, love,” Louis says, and Niall’s off.
“We should make him touch the silver necklaces,” Harry says as they’re walking out the doors a while later. Louis shoves him, and when Harry laughs, he laughs. A chain reaction of love.
—
The fan is squeaking away in the corner of their living room, Niall seated and seen to in the armchair next to it. He has a beer, and a small bowl of crisps on the armrest, and is in the middle of telling a story of how he once drove a golf cart into a water hazard.
“Accidentally, mind you, accidentally. The fucking brakes weren’t working, and there was a decline towards the water, and little thing just rolled faster and faster. My brother, the eejit, just held on and screamed ‘stop it, stop it now, we’re going into the water, Niall’, and I, equally stupid, kept pumping the brakes and yelled back ‘I’m trying, for fuck’s sake, I’m trying, shut up’ and then we had to jump out before we went in the water too. Both our golf bags went in with it, though. New clubs and all, I was gutted for weeks, absolutely gutted.” He doesn't look gutted now though, smiling as Harry and Louis laugh at his story.
“Anyway,” he concludes, “it’s not all lazy promenades out there, I’ll tell ya.”
“Apparently not. Who knew, huh?” Harry says as his laughter is dying down.
“So, what’s going on in your lives since last I saw you? Any news or anything? What were you shopping for earlier?” Niall looks between them, and Louis looks at Harry who looks back at him and nods.
“Nothing much, it’s been really quiet lately,” Louis starts. “I mean, we've been off work,” he gestures between himself and Niall, “so there's that. And my arm’s healing really well, which is good. No new inquiries, so, yeah, quiet.”
“Except, well,” Harry picks up, and Niall’s eyes turn as big as saucers. “We think there’s a werewolf out there.”
“Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the wee donkey,” Niall whispers. “Those are real too, of course.”
“Yeah”, Louis sighs. “Bit of a nightmare, ‘cause most days of the month they’re human, right, they only turn on the full moon, so we don’t want to kill it. Them. But when they’re turned werewolf, they kill, so we need to do something.”
“Shit.” Niall takes a swig of his beer. “Right. And that’s what you were shopping for today, the jewelry?” Niall looks rightfully confused.
“Yeah, we were buying stuff made of silver. They’re, like, allergic to it, so we were hoping we could use that to sort of, I don’t know, keep them contained, or occupied, or something,” Louis tries to explain, but it sounds a bit daft.
“Right. Well, can I help?”
“God, no, Niall, no, that won’t be necessary, absolutely not,” Harry says, holding his hands up as if to stop him.
“I meant with research, chill out,” Niall chuckles.
“Oh, right,” Harry mumbles. “Still though, it’s okay,” he continues.
“Well, maybe, I mean, if you want,” Louis says carefully. Harry gives him a side eye, but Louis thinks this could be good for Niall.
“We need to find somewhere we can sort of store the werewolf,” he explains. “Not store, but, like, keep, when they’re turned. We were thinking like an old barn or cattle place or something. I mean, shouldn't there be a few abandoned ones out in the vale? We need to keep them far away, and locked up securely, so nobody hears them and they don’t escape. And, well, the next full moon is Monday, so we’re in a bit of a time crunch. We don’t know who it is, obviously, so we can’t talk to them and try to keep them this month, but we need to be out there, and well, this could really help us out. If we already have a place to show them, might make it easier to convince them of the idea.”
"I see, I see. Well, sure, I could do that. Look at maps, drive out the lanes, do some reconiz - whatever, look around. Yeah, sure, if you need me.” Niall shrugs casually, but leans forward a little.
“That’d be fantastic, Niall, thanks.” Louis sees it, and now Harry does too.
“Sure, yeah, no problems at all, lads. Happy to help my boys, you know.” Niall smiles then and straightens up a bit in the armchair, looking a bit proud and, well, honoured to be asked. Yeah, this will be a good way to bring back Niall’s confidence and to move on a bit from the demon thing, Louis thinks. They hold up their bottles to cheer. Settled, then.