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Louis sniffled, turning over in his sleep. He could tell he was in the crib, the one that Harry had finally gotten for him, but he missed sleeping next to his boyfriend. “H-Hazza…” he whimpered, rubbing at his eyes. He couldn’t breathe.
Fumbling with the door, he stepped out of crib, stumbling from his room and into the dark hallway. He was so scared, his knees shaking and knocking together. He whimpered loudly before collapsing onto the ground, heaving out loud sobs. “Hazza!” he shouted.
Harry ran out out of his rooms, turning the hallway light on. He gasped when he saw his baby crying on the floor. “Lou, sweetie!” he shouted, running to his side. He pulled him onto his lap, cradling him as he continued to sob. “Sh, sh, baby. You’re OK.”
Louis was sobbing into his chest, clinging to his shirt. “Dawk!” he screamed. “No!”
“Hey, baby, it’s OK. It’s not dark anymore. I’m here.” Harry comforted, picking him up bridal style and carrying him into his bedroom. He laid him on his bed, wrapping the blankets tightly around him. “I’m going to get you some warm milk and your Bubba, alright?” Louis looked scared, gently shaking his head. “I’ll leave the light on.”
Gently, Louis nodded, whimpering as he left.
Harry felt so terrible. He hated seeing his baby hurting, so scared that he couldn’t even make it to his room. He quickly heated up some milk for him, putting it in his favorite sippy cup, and grabbing his Bubba that had been discarded on the living room floor, after he collapsed into sleep that night. His Bubba was his special blanket. Harry got it for him when he first started being little and he rarely let go of it now.
“Hazzy… Wa’ Bubba…” he whined when he walked back in. Harry smiled warmly at him, handing him the blanket. After he snuggled into the blanket, Harry sat next to Louis and helped his suckle on the sippy cup, draining the milk out of it.
“Feel a little better?” Harry asked, kissing one of his cheeks. Louis nodded, scooting over so Harry could lay next to him. “Do you want your dummy?”
Louis shook his head. “Wa’ Papa fumb,” he mumbled.
Harry froze for a second. Did he just call him Papa? “Sweetie, you-“
“P-Pwease, Papa?”
Sighing, he nodded. Laying next to him, he held his thumb out for Louis and he instantly sucked on it, pruning his thumb. Harry smiled at him, kissing the top of his head. “Papa’s here, baby. Nothing to worry about.”
Louis stared at him, sucking furiously on his thumb. “Papa…” he mumbled happily, fingers running along his cheek.
Harry pulled his thumb from his mouth and lifted Louis so he was laying on him. Louis giggled and kissed his cheek. “How’s my little munchkin doing now? All better?”
Another loud giggle and he grabbed his thumb, shoving it into his mouth. “Papa!”
Harry chuckled. “Let’s get you back to bed, baby. You’ll have so much time to play with Papa tomorrow. We’ll have so much fun.”
Louis giggled and nodded, immediately falling asleep next to his Papa.
x
“Lou, sweetie, don’t bite that,” Harry said, pulling the wire from his mouth. “That could shock you and Papa doesn’t want you getting hurt.” Louis whined, shoving it back in his mouth.
Today was not a good day.
Louis woke up soaked. He had had an accident and just started crying, apologizing to Harry. He told him it was OK but he still cried for hours, sucking on his thumb, denying his want for his dummy. Once he was finally calmed, he wouldn’t eat his breakfast, knocking over the eggs and toast Harry had made him onto the floor. Now he was chewing on the TV wire, even when Harry asked him to stop.
“Louis, do you want a time out?” he asked. Louis shook his head. “If you keep chewing on that when I ask you not to, you’ll be sent to your room for the rest of the afternoon.”
Then, Louis screamed. “No, Papa, no!” he cried. He balled his hands by his eyes and shook his head. “I’m… I’m sowwy!”
Harry sighed, bringing him into his arms. He rocked him, calming him as he cries turned into whimpers. “Let’s get you’re dummy. The one with dinosaurs on it. You’re favorite.”
Louis shook his head. “Fumb,”
“No, bub. You can't suck on Papa’s thumb anymore. Let’s get your-“
Louis wailed, throwing his head back as Harry lifted him bridal style in to his arms. “Fumb!”
Another low sigh. “Here,” he said, slipping his thumb into his mouth. “Five minutes. And then dummy.”
Louis nodded happily, resting his head on his Papa’s shoulder as he carried him to his room. They sat together on his bed, Harry making funny faces with him.
But after five minutes, Harry tried to pull his thumb from his mouth, and suddenly Louis bit down. Hard.
Harry gasped, grabbing his thumb in pain. Louis had never down anything like that. "Fumb!" he screamed. Louis grabbed his thumb and tried to put it back in his mouth, but Harry pulled back.
"Louis, stop," he said sternly. Louis sobbed, shoving him away. He wanted away. "No. You're going in the timeout corner right now."
This pushed him over the edge. Louis sobbed, he had never cried so hard. "No, P-Papa!" he cried. "I won'... I won' d-do a-again!"
Harry shook his head. "Keep crying and you'll get a spanking." he warned him. This just caused him to cry harder and he reached up and hit him.
"That's it!" Harry snapped. He in one swift motion, he flipped Louis over onto his stomach, propped him up in his knee and tugged his pants and underwear down. "Ten hits. I want you to count and if you miss one or I can't hear you, then two get added. Got it?"
Louis sobbed. "No, Papa!"
Then Harry smacked down.
Silence.
"Alright it's twelve know," he said before smacking him again. More silence. "Fourteen."
"Papa..."
"Count or you'll get more."
He smacked down for the third time and Louis mumbled, "One,"
"That's three, bub. Alright? Can you say three?"
Louis whimpered. "Fwee,"
Harry let that slide, bringing his hand down onto his bare butt for the fourth time.
After ten more smacks, Harry was done and Louis was a blubbering mess, holding back his tears. "We're all done, baby. You were so so good for Papa. You were my good little baby." Harry poked his tummy, causing the boy to giggle slightly. But that giggle went away quickly, turning into tiny sniffles. "Please don't cry, baby," he said. "Papa just needed to punish you for being bad. I still love you."
Louis nodded. "I... I weally sowwy, Papa," he said. "I wo' do 'gain." he told him.
Harry smiled, kissing both of cheeks. "I know. You're my good baby boy. We won't have to do that again,” Louis giggled. “Now go watch some TV. Do you want your dino dummy?” he asked. Louis nodded tentatively. Harry reached into Louis’ little bag and grabbed it, gently slipping it into his mouth. “Daddy will be right out there with some warm milk and a sandwich for you. Does that sound good?”
Happily, Louis nodded, jumping from his lap and scurrying into the living room. As he left, Harry let everything that just happened sink in. He had never been so dominant over Louis. And he didn’t want to hurt him. It all just happened so fast.