"Captain!" Crew member Niall yells as he notices the curly haired pirate stamping across the deck. Boots clanking.

"Yes Horan?" Harry pauses turning his body to face the pirate, he has an exasperated look on his face. As if Niall just interrupted something important.

"Just... um, I think he is sick." Niall pauses before continuing, "Louis that is... he looks sick, think it might be a cold."

Harry bites his lip as he thinks back to yesterday's events. He isn't surprised, the water Louis fell in had to be freezing. Maybe even below 0 degrees celsius. 

Harry does thank the man before ushering Niall away. He makes sure nobody is looking as he abandons his journey to his office and turns back towards his quarters, where he knows he left the tiny boy curled on his bed that morning.

He opens the door with a creak, lucky enough to catch the tiny Prince mid-sneeze. He watches as he sniffles slightly.

He is sitting in the rocking chair in the side of the room.

"H-Harry..." Louis mumbles, suddenly sitting rigidly.

The pirate doesn't correct him, "you're sick."

Louis of course has to be stubborn, "I am not. I'm actually perfectly fine."

Harry grumbles under his breath, removing his captain's hat, placing it on his bedside table before gently touching his forehead, "that's a fever Princess. You are indeed sick."

The Prince grumbles under his breath, pulling away from the man, "I'll be fine. Didn't realise a pirate like you could even care."

The curly-haired man holds in his frown and instead scoffs, "only care because of the money your worth." He pauses as he puts on a fake smirk, "which is a lot indeed."

Louis doesn't get a chance to respond before Harry is grasping in his his arms, carrying him to the bed, "and maybe.. just maybe I care because you're pretty lovely."

Louis genuinely doesn't know what to say, this side of the pirate is so unlike everything else he has experience. 

Harry finally sits him on the bed, tucking him under the heavy covers, "I will get the nurse to fetch you some medicine."

Louis falls into a coughing fit that second. Harry was quick to skip out of the room in search of the crew medic. No longer than five minutes later he is jumping back into the room with a smile on his face, "found some!"

Louis thinks he is almost, cute? Because this Harry is nice.

He is reminded by the cold restricting metal around his neck - his smile falls.

"I also bought you a cuddle buddy? I don't know where we got it, found it in the sick bay. Thought you might like it. Looks really snuggly."

Louis laughs softly as he grasps the stuffed animal holds out, "I'm not two."

"You're short enough...."

The Prince grumbles, hitting the pirate's side only for Harry to grasp his wrists, pulling them back down to the bed.

"Just because you're sick, does not mean I won't punish you if necessary. No hitting."

The royal rolls his pretty blue eyes, Harry chooses to ignore it.

"I will return later, sleep - get better." Harry says softly as he pulls the blankets up to the small boy's chin. He watches with blue eyes as the scary pirate makes a move to leave the room.

"Wait... stay?" 

Harry turns around. His eyebrow raised. The word was almost too quite, but he certainly heard Louis. And as he stares at the tiny boy, all defenceless, sniffly and cute he doesn't know what happens but something inside of him goes soft.

He feels a need to protect the boy.

And usually he would roll his eyes at anyone who suggested such a thing, but this time (even though he has many errands to run) he nods, climbing into the bed besides the boy. 

And he smiles when Louis allows him to pull the boy close. Into his arms. Protected by Harry.

"Thank you." Louis mumbles, sounding nazzley.

Harry sort of wants this to never ending.

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