Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When they meet, it isn’t cute. It isn’t the movie worthy coincidence that is fawned over by everyone who watches it unfold. Hell, they aren’t even looking for a mate. At least, Harry isn’t. He was just wants a knot up his arse and a decent looking alpha to put it there.

Harry’s at his favourite rut bar, Temporary Fix , while he surveys the selection of virile, unmated alphas on the cusp of rut. The term ‘rut bar’ is a bit disingenuous, as they aren’t allowed to serve alcohol and the focus of the patrons isn’t on hanging around for the night. Everyone who comes is there for a singular purpose: sex. Alphas come to find a partner to spend their ruts with, and betas and omegas alike come to offer themselves to them for a few days of unadulterated lust.

The perfect place for Harry to fill his own appetite.

It’s as the omega is becoming bored with seeing the same faces he’s seen before time and time again that he sees him. Sitting on one of the lounges against the far wall, facing the room, an alpha sits ignored and alone. And this is definitely an alpha. It’s there in the way he holds himself, compact though he may be.

He’s stunning, with striking cheekbones Harry could cut himself on and hair worthy of combing fingers through. (And tugging. Just a little.) His skin looks sun kissed, and there’s a bit of scruff on his sharp jaw that looks perfect for giving Harry beard burn. But the thing that’s most catching are his eyes. Even in the dim lighting of the bar, they shine out a beautiful oceanic blue that pull the omega closer.

Why is this delicious looking alpha left high and dry, instead of surrounded by omegas and betas alike, drooling the way Harry is now? He has to know, has to work out the mystery. As he makes his way across the room, his past beneficial friends try to stop him, ask for another shared tryst. But he just smiles, leaves them hanging, and continues on his mission.

It’s not like he won’t be back in a month’s time anyway.

When Harry’s not but a few feet away, he puts on his best airs, making sure his hips sway and his scent is inviting. He watches as the alpha turns his head towards the smell, giggling when those enchanting eyes dilate. This is Harry’s game, and he’s good at it. He may already have interest, but there’s no harm in playing with his choice before whispering in their ear to take him home.

“Now what’s a handsome alpha like you doing all by your lonesome? No one catch your eye?” He purrs out, stepping closer still and counting the nameless man’s smirk as a win.

“More like I haven’t caught anyone else’s.” the other replies, voice a crisp rasp and higher than Harry expected. “Can’t say I’m too surprised, to be honest, though I was hoping it’d be a bit different at a place like this.”

Now Harry’s tilting his head, a pretty frown on his lips. And he knows it’s pretty. He’s practiced. “Oh? That’s quite a shame. Does your dick not work?”

That earns him a laugh, startled but genuine, and he laughs along. When the man recovers, thin lips pressing into a ‘v’ shape in amusement, he answers. “No, it works quite well, actually. Gets hard and stays hard just fine.”

“Then…” Harry dares to take another step closer, licking over his lips in a way he knows drives alphas wild. “Can’t you form a knot?”

“Oh, that’s not a problem either.” the alpha promises, laced with intent that sends a shiver down Harry’s spine. His gaze seems hazy, stuck on ogling where Harry’s left his sheer blouse unbuttoned three quarters of the way. It makes the omega preen under the attention.

“Then I see no problem!” Harry states gleefully, bending over slightly to whisper in the alpha’s ear. “I’m Harry. How would you like to fuck me into oblivion over the next few days?”

The man seems stunned for a moment, face flashing through emotions too quick to follow, before he settles on a bemused smirk. “Nice to meet you, Harry. I’m Louis, and so long as you don’t change your mind, I’d be more than happy to spend my rut with you.”

The wording has the romantic leanings of a first timer in a rut bar, and Harry giggles again at how new Louis seems to be to all this. Straightening back up, the omega gives the other man his best come hither, hooded gaze. “Well then, why don’t you take me back to yours, big boy?”

Louis gives a hopeful smirk, a look that Harry assumes is due to excitement (most alphas he lets take him home tend to look honoured by the privilege) until the man pulls out some kind of folded collection of short sticks and snaps them into place into one long pole.

A walking cane, to be exact, and it all starts to make sense. Why an alpha this delectable looking was shunned for a partner, both out in life and here in a rut bar. Why he found Harry’s advances amusing and talked as if the omega might lose interest. Why his eyes, captivating as they are, didn’t stray from staring forward with unfocused steadiness.

Louis is blind.

He must take too long to respond, because Louis chuckles and leans slightly on the cane with his head ducked, not moving to stand. He mutters a humourless “Knew it.” and Harry frowns.

“Is that all?” the omega huffs, hands on his hips and head cocked. Louis startles a bit and turns his head in Harry’s direction, eyes wide. “What does it matter if you can’t see? I want you to fuck me, not tell me what colour my blouse is.”

It’s a deep red, for the record, but his point still stands.

It’s not that Harry is unaware of why others would find Louis wanting. Some of the omegas and betas that come here truly are looking to maybe find someone they’re compatible with, to maybe end up bonding with. Physical abnormalities, like being blind or deaf, tend to be genetic if the trait is already present, so the chance of children having similar traits is higher.

But none of that matters to Harry. He’s here for sex, not a mate. And if the other patrons are letting something as trivial as eyesight keep them from paying attention to how mouth wateringly hot the alpha is? That only means more for him. The only thing Louis’ blindness means for Harry is that he’ll have to change his normal approach to seduction.

When Louis continues to gape in shock, the omega rolls his eyes and bends again to take his hand gently, helping him to stand. He pulls him close, carefully, not wanting to jerk him around in his sightlessness. “Know you can smell me, big boy, can smell you too.” he whispers huskily. He tilts his head for Louis, encouraging the alpha’s face to press against his neck and giving off a strong wave of pheromones. He can sense the other alphas nearby snap to attention and the feeling of being watched thrills him. “Want you to use me to satisfy all those yummy urges. Pretty please?”

Louis is almost panting where his nose has pressed against the crook of Harry’s neck. He’s got a small but strong hand gripped onto the dip of the omega’s waist, and a low growl rumbling in his chest. With a slightly clumsy kiss placed under Harry’s jaw, Louis pulls back to nod. “Yeah, fuck, you sure?”

“Of course, handsome.” Harry purrs, taking Louis’ hand to loop through his arm so the omega can guide them out of the crowd and onto the street outside. He sees the way people stare now as they work their way through the throng of bodies, catches alphas turning to scent him, and the omega smirks at the way they all lust after him.

It’s a short stop at the lockers to grab the bag Harry packed beforehand (something the bar encourages the omegas and betas have so they aren’t caught out while staying away from home for about three days) before they’re spilling out into the night and Harry’s curling into Louis’ side against the chill. Pulling out his phone, he brings up an omega transport app before turning towards Louis with a grin.

“Where to, big boy?”

It turns out Louis lives a short five minute drive from the bar, and despite wanting to tease the alpha in the backseat, Harry keeps his hands to himself for the sake of the blushing little omega driver. But that doesn’t mean he follows suit when they’re stood outside the alpha’s flat and waiting for Louis to unlock the door.

Now Harry’s plastered to the shorter man’s back, hands rubbing over Louis’ chest and lips dragging along the alpha’s neck where the scent is decadent, whispering all the naughty things he wants Louis to do to him. All while the alpha methodically counts through his keys and runs a thumb over the wide, flat part before finally sliding the correct one home. If Harry didn’t know Louis couldn’t see, he’d suspect the alpha of stalling.

But now they’re through the door and Louis has him pressed up against it once it’s locked tight and yes . Harry purrs as he’s pinned in place by the hungry alpha, tilting his head invitingly and moaning when Louis noses clumsily along the skin of his exposed neck. But it’s his hands , fuck, they’re everywhere. Smoothing down Harry’s sides, groping at his bum and thighs, cupping his jaw and stroking his cheeks. They explore over the shape of his body with concentrated fervor, Louis painting himself a picture of the omega’s form.

“You should be naked.” Louis rumbles darkly, sending a shudder through Harry. He must feel it, if the smirk curving the alpha’s thin lips is anything to go by. “Can’t fuck you if you’ve still got your kit on.”

“Not with that attitude.” Harry fires back, ever one to rile up his partner. He wants Louis to shut him up. With his knot. Wait. “You’ve got knot rubbers, right?”

Louis growls, a sound that goes straight to where Harry’s already hard and leaking in his trousers. “Want me to knot you, baby? Yeah, ‘ve got knotting condoms, but they’re in the bedroom.”

“Fuck that, I have extras on me.” Harry’s already sticking his hand in his bag, squirming against the door while Louis sucks a mark into his collarbone, and comes up triumphantly with a string of the specially made rubbers. “Ha! Saved us having to walk all the way to the bedroom!”

Even with unseeing eyes, Louis rolls those stunning blues like a pro. “Oh yes, a hardship I’m so pleased to have been spared. Quite eager, aren’t you? Was hoping to enjoy myself a bit more.”

Harry drops his bag away and pats the alpha’s cheek with the hand still holding the condoms, Louis flinching away from the strange feel of the foil tapping his skin. “Louis, Louis, Louis. I didn’t come here to get to know each other. I came here to get rug burn from you fucking me into the carpet.”

At that, Louis seems to contemplate something for a moment, before reaching up under his own shirt and pulling something that looks like a patch of some kind off his hip. “It’s gunna be intense in a few moments, but I’ll take care of you.” Even as he says it, Harry’s head begins to become a bit hazy, and the omega grips Louis’ shirt as his knees buckle. The alpha catches him easily, guiding them carefully down until they’re laid out on the floor of the entryway. “Didn’t wanna risk losing it while I was in public, it’s safer when I block my rut until I’m home.”

Harry’s whimpering under him, licking at Louis’ neck and jaw like the lovestruck omegas he decidedly doesn’t think of himself as. But fuck, the alpha smells magical, and the omega’s pretty sure he’s starting to soak through his pants by now. His hands grip desperately at Louis’ clothes, his biceps, his arse, trying to drag the other man closer with little whines. “Please, want you to fuck me, want you to knot me, please, I need it!” his voice is frantic, needy with desire.

Louis locates and captures Harry’s lips, the kiss greedy and messy in the way first fevered kisses are meant to be, and Harry arches against him. The alpha is a great kisser, catching on to what makes Harry writhe and moan quickly and rendering the omega a complete mess with little effort. Harry’s thoughts follow a cycle of alpha rut knot need please and he doesn’t have the wherewithal to care if he’s whimpering the words out loud. If Louis’ answering growls are anything to go by, he approves.

“Roll over for me, darling? Wanna taste you before I pop my knot.” The omega follows the command without question, turning over and arching his bum out in a presentation. He gets rumbled praises from the alpha as hands seek out and manage to undo and yank Harry’s jeans and pants down just past his peachy bum. An eager, searching mouth is kissing and licking over his exposed skin, and it takes everything for Harry not to shove his arse back against Louis’ tongue before it’s even where he needs it most. He can feel Louis’ breath coming out in short puffs as he sniffs along his skin, and he feels himself leak out more honeyed slick.

“Please, Louis please!” Harry begs again, rising up on weak knees to try and entice the alpha into opening him up. Thankfully, Louis doesn’t seem to want to tease anymore either, as his hands are pulling the omega apart and that mouth is licking at the core of him.

Harry keens, shifting restlessly against the carpet as he slurs out purred encouragements and rocks back on Louis’ face. The alpha doesn’t seem bothered by Harry’s demanding actions, merely reacting in kind to go at it all the more aggressively, adding finger after finger to lick around. They’re both panting messes by the time Louis pulls away, face wet with Harry’s slick and blind eyes dark with arousal.

Pulling his fingers out, he keeps a hand on Harry’s left arse cheek as he leans forward and seeks out Harry’s face with his other hand. Harry meets him halfway, tasting himself on Louis’ lips and moaning needily as he’s twisted to accommodate the angle. It’s a new type of service, adjusting to his partner being unable to see, and it sends a shiver through him.

In the end, Harry gets off on serving someone the most.

When they part, Louis’ patting a hand around on the floor near them, eyebrows furrowed slightly. When it clicks what he’s searching for, Harry finds and places the condoms in his hand for him, giggling gently. “Gonna fuck me now, Alpha?” he puts on a husk to his voice, though using Louis’ status as a title feels like an empty promise, since this is just a one time thing.

Louis groans, breathing out a ‘ yeah ’ as he sits back on his haunches and carefully tears a packet off. Harry watches over his shoulder as the alpha holds the square gently between his teeth while freeing himself from his trousers, thick and dripping and fuck yes before cautiously opening the foil. It takes a few tries, as Louis has to feel over what he can’t see and position just right before he can unfurl the latex down his twitching prick. Harry never thought he’d find the action hot, but the care of making sure it’s done right and the promise of what’s to come has him giving a quiet whimper and pressing his face against the floor.

A hand stutters over his arse again, missing the first time but cupping the skin gently as Louis knees into position and begins to line himself up. Harry tries his best not to wiggle in excitement, can feel his body gush a fresh batch of slick to ease the way in anticipation. When Louis starts to press in, the breath is knocked out of him and the omega begins getting flattened against the floor. It always feels amazing to be split open on an alpha’s cock, but there’s something perfect about Louis stretching out to cover him and pressing him against the floor while doing it that has Harry writhing, whimpering when it drags his own dick against the rough carpet.

“Lou, so big, s’good, give it to me.” Harry sounds drunk where he has his cheek squished against the floor, mouth wide as he pants, and eyes closed. He’s halfway delirious from the stimulus, Louis’ overpowering scent and his cock already halfway inside him. The omega sighs out a moan when the alpha slides further, pressing in, in, in until he’s bottomed out.

Harry doesn’t let Louis try to wait, squirming in effort to fuck himself on the cock stretching him perfectly. He’s letting out desperate whimpers at the way his own prick keeps rubbing the carpet and the angle being all wrong to really move his hips right. Thankfully, Louis doesn’t stall any longer, starting up a quick rhythm with a growl.

“So tight, feel so good baby.” Louis’ grunting in his ear, hands gripped onto Harry’s hips tight and his own hips pistoning into the pliant omega beneath him. “Now I know why all those alphas at the bar wanted to take you home. Could hear the whispers, Harry, smell their want. Got quite a reputation, don’t you?”

Harry whines, flushed hot all over at the words. Do they really whisper about him at the bar? The thought has him writhing under the alpha, arse clenching around the cock fucking him senseless. He’s so wet by now, probably soaked into the carpet beneath them, and he might come soon if Louis keeps nailing him like this.

“Wanna know what they were saying about you, darling? What they called you when they thought you wouldn’t find out?” the voice at his ear rumbles again, and Harry can feel Louis’ knot starting to catch on his rim where it’s swelling at the base of his cock. “Well, Harry? Do you wanna know what word I kept hearing whispered like a prayer in that bar?”

“Please, Louis please, wanna know!” the omega moans, skin irritated and too hot from being pressed into the floor, still dressed in his clothes. He’s so close, just needs Louis to tell him what they all say about him and tie a knot inside of him.

It happens nearly in that order. Louis grunts a few more times, thrusts becoming sloppy before he grinds in deep enough Harry swears he can actually taste it in his mouth and pops his knot while growling “Knotslut” and Harry’s gone. He shivers through his release, the alpha’s knot pressed right against his prostate and prick kicking beneath him to ruin the carpet.

They pant together for a while, Louis using the last of his strength to roll them over onto their sides and curling around Harry before promptly seeming to pass out. The omega doesn’t mind, knows by now that the first wave of a rut can take it out of even the most energetic alphas. He repositions them a bit, pillowing his head on Louis’ arm and wrapping the other tighter around his waist.

As his eyes begin to shut, he thinks this is the beginning of a beautiful, beneficial partnership.

When Harry wakes up, it’s to fingers gently carding through his hair, and it seems he’s been cleaned up. Even been tucked back into his pants and trousers, and the omega hums curiously with a stretch.

“Good, you’re awake. I would’ve moved you to the bed, but I didn’t wanna risk hitting your head against a wall.” comes a quiet murmur near his ear, and when Harry turns and opens his eyes, there’s Louis, eyes unfocused on an unseen point in the carpet and ear turned towards Harry’s breathing.

It brings a smile to his face. “It’s the thought that counts, at least. ‘M awake now, if you wanted to shuffle that way.” he replies back, quiet because it feels right to be. “How much longer do we have?”

Louis’ head twitches with Harry’s voice, trying to follow his words in the small space between them. Licking his lips, his brows tick with thought. “Maybe...another day or two? My ruts tend to last a bit longer, since they’re so intense.”

The omega giggles delightedly and rolls enough to wrap his arms around Louis’ neck, wincing when the effect of sleeping on the floor twinges through his back and hip. “Good to know, but I meant until the next wave. If we’re not careful, you might start up again before we make it to the bed.” he doesn’t bother acting like that’d be so bad. He’s too excited about possibly having a longer than usual rut to look forward to. Most of the time he’s lucky if an alpha can last a full two days.

What can he say? Harry’s great at what he does.

Louis grunts a short sound of understanding, lips parting on a sigh when Harry begins sucking flirtatiously at the line of his neck. “About two seconds if you keep that up.”

Letting out another delighted laugh, Harry scampers to his feet and grabs his overnight bag before sauntering playfully through the rest of the flat. “Might as well get me naked and on the bed, then, eh?” he calls over his shoulder, snickering to himself when he can hear the alpha scrambling to his feet.

He leads a teasing, short lived chase through the flat, taking in what he can of the living room and kitchen areas before spotting the open door at the end of the hall, heading that way. Harry takes in a sparsely decorated space, and he thinks perhaps it’s a guest room instead before the scent hits him. Louis ends up barreling into him blindly where the omega has stopped short at the doorway. It smells even stronger of Louis in here, the alpha’s natural musk making Harry’s eyes flutter and knees weak all over again. It’s sandalwood and nutmeg rolled into one mind blowing scent, and Harry presses back against where Louis’ wrapped his arms around his waist, a bit faintish.

“What’s the matter? Thought you wanted me to fuck you on the bed? Or did you have an idea about doorway sex? Do tell, I haven’t heard about that one.” the alpha purrs from over his shoulder, hands ghosting over Harry’s body in tantalizing drags. He’s got his nose tucked behind Harry’s ear, pulling in deep drags of the omega’s own sweet scent, and knowing Louis can probably catch every subtle shift in Harry’s arousal is a heady thought.

“Fuck, your scent !” Harry groans, tilting his head back in invitation. “Only had a whiff and I’m leaking already.” It’s true, he can feel himself damp in his trousers anew, and Louis must smell it if the way he growls and clutches Harry’s hips is anything to go by.

Harry’s shepherded over to the bed with practiced accuracy and shoved forward onto its soft, unmade sheets. The omega rubs his cheek against the pungent material, thick with raw alpha pheromones and quickly bringing him to hardness. He kind of wants to roll around in it til the smell sticks.

Louis’ hands are on him again, rolling him over to start finally taking Harry out of his clothes. The alpha takes his time, fingers feeling the soft fabric of Harry’s shirt as he slips the buttons through their holes and cataloging the stretch the omega’s jeans have when he undoes the fly. When the task of undressing the omega is complete, Louis drags his nose over Harry’s skin, greedy inhales filling the air as the alpha scents his way over Harry’s body. The omega starts to tug at Louis’ own kit, trying to return the favour of undressing him. It’s hard to accomplish when there’s an amazing smelling alpha in the process of sucking your dick into his mouth.

“ Fuck! ” Harry’s cursing again, hands scrambling at Louis’ hair and shoulders, “Oh, shit, yeeeaaahhh…” he relaxes into the way Louis licks a bit messily, running his tongue around the crown of his cock with a hungry sound. “Thought you’d want - oh, please - want me to do that?”

Louis pulls away slightly, eyes closed in bliss and lips shiny with pre-come. “Don’t deny an alpha his pleasures, baby.” he breathes out over the slick head, grinning when Harry’s cock twitches in response. He goes back to suckling at the crown, pulling the foreskin back slowly to tongue at the sensitive tip.

The omega writhes, or tries to with a strong grip holding him still. Instead he only really manages to kick out a leg in frustration and throw an arm over his eyes. It’s maybe the best blow job he’s received (granted, not many alphas are willing in the first place) and it has him coiling quickly towards the heat in his gut exploding. But a thought catches in his mind, and it won’t leave no matter how much he tries focusing on falling apart from the alpha’s mouth.

It’s after he whimpers through coming down Louis’ throat, fingers tugging on the alpha’s soft hair while Louis swallows around him, that he thinks fit to ask. “Are you holding back?” The alpha wipes his mouth on the back of his hand, brows furrowing. Harry persists. “You can let go, you know, you won’t hurt me. My body’s made for it, and quite frankly I get off on it.”

Louis’ nostrils flare, but otherwise he stays still. “Kinda spent my life learning not to let go. My wolf, he can be…wild.” the alpha huffs out a frustrated growl, rubbing his hand over his face.

Harry pouts, thinking over how he can coax Louis’ wolf out, if that’s what it will take to help the alpha give into his nature. An idea comes, although it might backfire.

He tries anyways.

Pulling Louis up by a hold under his arms so the alpha is level with him, Harry lets his own scent thicken as he wraps his arms around the other man. Once he’s felt Louis take in an alluring lungful, Harry nuzzles in near the alpha’s ear. Speaking softly, careful of how sensitive Louis’ hearing must be, the omega asks, “Do you know why all those alphas call me ‘knotslut’? Why they all whisper about me?”

Louis shivers against him, his nose finding and burying itself right behind Harry’s jaw. His arms are wrapped around Harry, holding him close like it was the alpha’s decision to be pressed up between Harry’s legs like this. “Assumed you were beautiful, have to be to have that many in a room drool over you.”

Rolling his hips with Louis’, Harry licks his lips and lets out a soft moan when he feels Louis hard where he’s still trapped in denim. “Pretty sure I’ve let most of them take me home.” It has the desired effect, Louis growling and tightening his grip. “Maybe I should’ve gone with one of them instead, hm? Let him fuck me proper?”

Suddenly there’s a daring nip at his pulse point and a low rumble vibrating the air around them. Louis’ hips are starting to stutter forward, and his hands are starting to slide across Harry’s skin again. He can feel the alpha’s teeth at his neck, making him shudder and grip at Louis’ shoulders.

Just a little more.

“Maybe I should leave? Go back to the bar and let them bend me over right there? Maybe even have them take turns?”

That seems to do the trick, as a snarl whips through the air and lips are finding and crashing against his. Harry whimpers, wiggling and trying to keep the alpha riled up as he lets Louis explore his mouth, messy and possessive and wonderful.

Hands grab him under the knees and drag him down the bed before settling them around Louis' hips, making Harry moan. Their kiss breaks apart with a wet smack, and Louis’ panting against his cheek while shucking his jeans open and down his thighs, growling low. The sound makes Harry’s toes curl. “Gunna be hard for you to leave when you’re tied on my knot, baby.”

“That a promise or a threat?” the omega can’t help but quip back, reaching down to try and help Louis further out of his shirt and jeans. His hands gets slapped away, then both of his wrists are located and pinned above his head. “C’mon Louis, alpha, ‘m ready, knot me already.”

Louis leans up, a practiced hand shooting out and finding the drawer in his nightstand on almost the first try. He rummages around for a moment before pulling out another foil square. Knotting condom. Fuck yeah. Harry struggles a bit against the hold Louis has on his wrists, needing to speed things along, but instead it earns him a timbre filled “Stay still.”

He stills immediately, dizzy with the alpha tone buzzing in his head. It’s been awhile since someone’s used a command on him. But instead of being irritated as he normally would, it just makes him tremble and whimper quietly, held in place by Louis’ words. He only melts into the mattress once more when Louis licks apologetically against the crook of his neck, scenting him heavily.

“Please.” Harry whispers, not able to think past Louis’ scent again. It draws him in, makes him wetter than ever and gagging for the alpha to claim him. It’s heavy, the strongest he’s ever experienced, and he has hazy thoughts about wanting to bottle it up for when he has his next heat.

They start moving again, slow at first as Louis gets his cock out and secures the rubber in place. Harry stays still with hands twisting in the sheets, if only because he feels taunt like an elastic band ready to snap. As soon as the condom is in place, though, Louis’ surging forward and lining up his cock with Harry’s soaking rim and slamming in.

It punches a moan from Harry’s lungs, high pitched and wanton while Louis holds his legs open, beginning to thrust without pause. It’s rough, the angle just right so the alpha’s tip brushes teasingly close to Harry’s prostate every time. It’s not enough, just a jolt through him of almost and it kind of makes him want to scream. But then Louis shifts them, trying to lick back into Harry’s mouth and yes , “Right there, oh my- please, don’t stop, more, Louis!”

He’d forgotten his hands had stayed where Louis had pinned them until he’s bringing them down to clutch at the alpha’s biceps, whimpered “ ah, ah, ah ”s falling between them to accompany Louis’ grunted answers. The alpha is fucking him hard enough the bed is starting to smack against the wall, and together they make a symphony that will probably make the neighbours angry.

Damn Harry feels poetic when he’s getting wrecked.

By the time Louis’ knot catches on Harry’s rim, the omega’s eyes are rolled back and his mouth is open on babbled words that sound suspiciously like bonding proposals. He may have come again, he isn’t sure, just caught up in the way his nerves feel alive down to his toes, and he can’t wait to have Louis locked inside him again. He must look a mess but Louis’ thrusts get erratic all the same and soon he’s grinding his knot past Harry’s rim, locking them together. Harry spills as well, clenching around Louis as he comes hard in pathetic streaks across his own stomach and holding Louis close as the alpha shudders through the aftershocks of his own release.

They pant together for a moment, muscles relaxing from how they are locked up in ecstacy, and Louis finally shucks his shirt off to toss aimlessly off the bed. The alpha mouths absently at the crook of Harry’s neck, but as he kisses his way towards the omega’s mouth, Louis’ lips come away wet. Sniffing at Harry’s cheek, he pulls back with a worried frown.

“Are you...crying?” A hand, clumsy with adrenaline and blindness, comes up to wipe at Harry’s cheek and oh, yeah, there’s tear tracks. “Oh god, I’m sorry, this is why I didn’t-”

“Shush.” Harry huffs, taking Louis’ hand to kiss his wrist, “You fucked me to oblivion and back, it was the best damn thing ever. Did you know you were hitting my prostate almost the entire time?” he giggles, pulling the alpha back down to trade kisses. “So I cried a little, it’s a good thing. I tear up when I’m getting my world rocked.”

“If you’re sure?” the alpha gets hushed again, and they fall into lazy kisses that help relax him back into a blissful, post knot haze.

Chapter Text

When Louis first caught Harry’s scent in that crowded, lonely bar, he never thought he’d have the omega begging for his knot and writhing underneath him that very same night. But he did, and he’s not sure how he managed to find such a headstrong, delicious smelling partner to spend his rut with, let alone the first time he visited the place.

And he’d visited several others before, all with the same ego-cutting result. He’d shown up, stood to the side so he didn’t end up getting under anyone’s feet. Left alone after last call, dejected, to cope with his rut by himself. Everytime, he could feel the scoffing, disapproving stares aimed his way.

So when he caught the whispers, felt the air in the room buzz with anticipation from where he’d sat himself in the latest attempt at trying his luck, Louis had perked up. He wasn’t sure what was happening at first, could smell the excitement in the other patrons. Then he heard words, near identical exchanges between reverent hopefuls and the same slow voice.

It had a pleasant cadence, dripping through the din like molasses and sticking in Louis’ ears. He tilted his head unconsciously, trying to catch more of the sound. It drifted closer, and with it a scent that had his wolf stirring, lifting his head curiously. A shuffling slightly to the left, a thicker cloud of the enticing smell, and he almost rumbled for attention.

“Now what’s a handsome alpha like you doing all by your lonesome? No one catch your eye?” came the voice, purred out with the kind of confidence only someone Louis has come to know as ‘beautiful’ can possess.

Well, while he has someone’s attention, might as well enjoy it, right?

The next wave of his rut begins as a flush that burns hot everywhere he’s pressed against Harry. He’s only just lost the swell of his knot, slipping out enough to remove the condom and tie it off (moving carefully so as not to wake Harry), and he’s already hard and ready for another round.

He can hear the omega still asleep beneath him, breath snuffling out of him in unbothered puffs and skin sleep warm and soft. It would be rude to fuck into him without at least waking the lad. So he reaches up and trails a hand carefully over what he can touch, finds Harry’s jaw and cups his hand there.

It earns him a stuttering sigh, Harry’s lungs expanding on a deep breath before it pours out of him again. When Louis hears the omega’s heartbeat keep steady and no other indication he might wake, he decides to trace Harry’s face with both hands. Beneath his fingers, an idea takes form in his mind. He finds that the omega seems to own wide features, wide full lips, wide nose, wide set eyes. He thinks they might be proportional.

It’s not like Louis’ ever seen what ‘beautiful’ looks like, so he has no comparison.

Still, though, he thinks he might’ve thought Harry was handsome if he was able to see him. His voice and scent are what convinces him, both thick like honey and warm like cinnamon. Carding his fingers gently into the omega’s luscious curls instead, Louis noses his way into the crook of Harry’s neck, inhaling. Now this, he can indulge in.

He’s not sure what does it, Louis’ fingers scraping gently at Harry’s scalp or his tongue laving over the pulse in his throat, but the omega begins to stir beneath him. It starts with a subconscious sniff, followed up by two more, and then a long pull of air while the lad stretches out under Louis’ weight.

“Mmh, s’that for me?” comes Harry’s velvety voice in his ear, rough from rest and deep with contentment. His hips roll against where Louis’ hard and beginning to drip, humming approvingly. “ Early bird gets the worm , is it?”

Louis groans, rocking into a kneeling position between Harry’s legs and stretching so he can bat absently for his night stand drawer. “Stop making puns when I’m about to mount you. I don’t need my rut to flag because you couldn’t handle a boner without making a joke.” He comes away from the still open drawer with another rubber, nipping at Harry’s jaw.

“Well if you’re gonna be like that, maybe I won’t let you mount me.” He doesn’t have to be able to see the pout to know it’s there, can hear it in Harry’s voice easy enough. He rolls his eyes as he dips his hand to skim down between Harry’s legs, finding and petting over the puckered hole. The omega lets out a startled whine, hands grabbing at Louis as his rim flutters against the alpha’s finger, and Louis smirks.

“You sure about that? Can feel you leaking for me already, can smell it.” he slides an easy finger in, teasing short thrusts in and out that makes Harry writhe and choke out a moan. “Fuck, you’re so easy for it, baby, love how wet and open you get for me.”

Harry whimpers a moment, shifting before then batting the alpha’s hands away. “Hold on, hold on. I, ehm, we should take a break real quick? Please? Sorry...” his hands are planted on Louis’ chest, and embarrassment curls through the air, smelling of lemon rinds.

Blinking, Louis takes stock. Thinking past the rock hard cock between his legs, he tries to remember if they’ve hydrated at all since walking through the door. Coming up blank, he also feels a different call to nature that makes his cheeks warm and erection flag.

“Down the hall and to the left.” he states, and then he’s left alone on the bed as Harry scrambles up and away.

Louis takes care of his own business in the ensuite, then counts his steps to the kitchen. He pulls out two glasses, filling them tall with water and guzzling down one fast enough to have some drip from the corner of his lips. Footsteps and the smell of honeysuckle alert him of Harry shuffling in, and he gestures to the other glass while refilling his own.

“Have a drink. I have some granola in the cabinet as well, and in the fridge we have precooked meals to choose from.” the alpha informs quietly, making a mental note to call and set up an extra delivery to make up for sharing the ones he has with someone else. He tries not to preen when he hears the omega accepts the water Louis provided.

They rehydrate and munch on energy bars, Harry filling the quiet with lilting chatter of seemingly whatever’s come to mind. Anecdotes from work (apparently he’s a baker), excitement for an artists new album (he has an eclectic taste in music, as Louis hasn’t heard of them), insistence that Louis hasn’t lived until he’s tried a particular recipe. Louis listens with a smile, glad to have his flat filled with another’s voice.

Usually, it’s only Liam livening up the place, commentating a football game for Louis or venting about his job at the clinic. Louis’ not sure why the other alpha can get away with spending time with him so often, what with a mate of his own at home, but Louis’ grateful for the company anyway. It’s too often his thoughts linger on how much he misses the crowded environment of home, the smell of family and the understanding of those who know him best.

All too soon the omega is pressing up against him, taking his hand and guiding them both back to the bedroom. It sends a thrill down his spine when Harry pulls Louis until he kneels on the mattress, and he can hear as the omega lays out on the bed. Then the alpha feels Harry splaying his legs out on either side of where Louis kneels, and tugs the alpha’s hand back to Harry’s entrance.

Right back where they started.

Picking up where he left off, Louis slips a finger in once more to begin a teasing rhythm. It’s not long before he can feel Harry start to tremble, thighs tightening on either side of his hips as he draws his finger in and out. It’s not nearly enough, he knows, but making the omega whimper like this feeds his wolf almost as well as if he were fucking the sounds out of him. When Harry moans and begs for more, the alpha presses a second finger in, repeating the process until he’s three fingers deep and Harry’s a writhing mess.

He can smell the salt of tears on Harry’s cheeks when he leans down, rubbing his fingers against the omega’s prostate steadily. He licks them away and purrs out a low, “What about now, baby? Want my knot now?”

“ Yeeeessss! ” Harry cries out, a shock of sound in Louis’ ear that has him rumbling and pulling his fingers out to feel around again for the condom he’d dropped, hand skidding over the sheets fruitlessly.

He growls his frustration, and then feels the bed shift. Reaching forward to feel the omega has sat up, he hears a crinkling of a package. Louis’ so focused on the sound that he jerks when the rubber is suddenly being worked onto his cock.

“Wanna ride you, feel you deep,” the words are breathless, Harry panting them against Louis’ jaw, and then he’s being tipped backwards against the bed and straddled.

The alpha’s hands scramble for purchase, gripping Harry by a thigh and hip as the omega rises and lines Louis up against his hole. He feels the tip teased against the dripping rim, before Harry begins sinking down with a moan.

It’s delicious, hot and tight even through the condom, and Louis can’t help bucking up with a rumble. Harry makes a noise, a cross between a giggle and a gasp, and starts rolling his hips in tight motions that make Louis’ head spin.

”Fuck, feels amazing like this, feel so full.” Harry groans, hips starting to snap and swivel like he’s born for it. It’s not long before he begins to bounce on Louis’ cock, short little “ uh, uh, ah ”s once again punching out of him every time he drops back down.

Louis’ holding on for dear life, feeling somewhat exposed like this. He can only feel Harry where the lad touches him, in his lap and under his hands, but the omega is too far away from him, sat up and away and the alpha whines. Close, he needs Harry closer, pressed against him, if not under him.

“Sshhh, it’s alright, I’m here.” comes Harry’s soothing voice, and oh, Louis must’ve said that last bit out loud. He whines needily anyways, nostrils flaring and mouth open slightly as he scents the air. Then Harry’s leaning down, hips rocking slowly while he peppers kisses to Louis’ face. “Not going anywhere, see? Gonna have your knot filling me up soon, yeah? Pretty please?”

The alpha runs his hands up Harry’s back, drawing him closer as he licks and sucks at Harry’s throat. He can feel the lad’s long hair falling against his face, soft and smelling heavenly. Bending his knees and planting his feet on the bed, he begins fucking up into the omega’s tight heat. They both moan at the feeling, Harry clenching around him and rocking back to meet his thrusts.

They move together in a quick staccato, Harry breathing moans and hiccuping sighs into Louis’ ear. He’s not sure if the salty drips on his cheek are sweat or tears, but when Louis mouths his way to Harry’s lips the lad’s mouth is already open wide, easy for the alpha’s tongue to fuck into. He matches the rhythm of his hips, and the thought that he’s managing to fuck Harry from both ends has his thrusts stuttering and knot catching.

He pulls back to whisper the same idea against Harry’s lips, growling when it makes the omega cry out and shake apart in his arms. It’s a sudden thing, like he couldn’t help it, and the way Harry clenches around him makes Louis’ knot finally swell and tug at the lad’s abused rim. They still, Harry whimpering and lapping at the alpha’s jaw, as Louis pulses his third release into the condom. When they can steady their breaths, Louis pets his fingers carefully through what feels like curls, making Harry purr and nuzzle in against his neck.

“Fuuuck, I wanna bottle your scent. Spill it on my pillow when I have my next heat and go nuts.” the omega’s words are slurred, sex drunk and even slower than his normal speaking voice. His face is pressed against Louis’ neck, lips dragging over the skin when his mouth moves. “It’s some next level shit.”

Louis chuckles, pressing a lazy kiss against the skin he can reach. He thinks it might be Harry’s temple. “Won’t that make your heat partner jealous?”

Harry’s answer is preceded by a scoff. “No, silly, I don’t have a heat partner.” He hums and cuddles closer, dropping sloppy kisses along Louis’ jaw. “Heeeeyyyy, do you think you could maybe knot my mouth next time? Wanna taste you, be full of your come somehow. And I’ll still get a knot! Yeeeyyyy!” his voice is edged with encroaching sleep, dragging out like syrup in winter, and Louis’ halfway convinced Harry doesn’t know what he’s saying.

Still, his own mind sticks on the first bit. “You’ll help alphas through rut, but you don’t have anyone to help you through heat? Seems a bit unfair for you, if I’m honest.”

Harry lifts his hand, probably making a gesture. “S’different, getting help with my heat is like...personal. Something a mate does. Don’t wanna mate yet. So I don’t have a partner.”

The logic sounds flawed in Louis’ head, but Harry’s breaths have evened out and he feels the pull of sleep in his own body. He decides not to push it and succumbs to exhaustion instead.

Louis wakes suddenly to wet heat around his cock and a hand fondling his balls. It startles the alpha, hips jerking by accident, and Harry moans like a pornstar around him. He reaches out a shaky hand to find and comb through Harry’s hair, and gently uses the grip he takes to pull the lad’s mouth off. The omega goes with an obscene slurping sound, and Louis groans.

“ Baby , absolutely sinful. Not even awake and you’re trying to suck me brains out through my cock.” even as Louis addresses him, he can feel Harry mouthing wetly at his prick, using a free hand to jerk him. Trying to tug him away harsher only makes the lad whimper excitedly, using his grip on Louis’ cock to gently slap it against what seems to be Harry’s tongue a few times.

Over Louis’ quiet curse, Harry babbles out a, “Was serious about you knotting my mouth,” and tongues enthusiastically at the alpha’s cockhead until Louis finally eases up on his hold and the omega swallows him back down.

It’s a dizzying affair, one that ends with Harry rubbing himself off on the sheets beneath him as Louis’ knot swells and spills down the omega’s throat. It’s not a true knot, since it can’t practically lock inside Harry’s mouth, but for a moment it catches behind the lad’s teeth enough to feel like they’d be stuck like that for a while. The way Harry moaned when it felt like he’d be stuck rattled through Louis and made his teeth chatter. In the end they’ve made a mess, and what Harry couldn’t swallow of his release drips onto the sheets in a sticky puddle.

Grimacing at the feeling, Louis carefully sits up and moves off the bed to start stripping the mattress. Which is hard to do when Harry stays where he is.

“Come on, love, can’t change the sheets if you’re on them.” he announces, head tilting to listen for the omega’s answer. Instead, he hears a wet sort of noise followed by soft content hums. Brows furrowing, he crawls back on the mattress to listen closer. “What are you-?”

“Taste so good, Lou, didn’t wanna waste it.” is Harry’s simple answer, before the wet smacking slurp picks up again.

It has Louis groaning and rolling him over to lick into his mouth, tasting himself there and starting up the next round.

The rest of Louis’ rut follows the same, punctuated by food and bathroom breaks, and it’s early into their third day that the last of the fever leaves him. It coils out of him like a snake shedding skin, and he feels fresh and raw where he lays spooned up behind Harry, knotted up and face buried in the omega’s hair.

Harry shudders a bit, lips smacking and fingers laced with Louis’ against the omega’s heart, the alpha’s arms wrapped around him tight. When Harry speaks up, it’s with a deep rasp and slower speech than usual “Mmh, gonna need a long bath when your knot goes down. Think I might smell like you for another week after this, though, with how strong your scent is.”

The wolf in Louis purrs delightedly at the thought, and the alpha has to mentally bop the animal on the nose for his eagerness. This is a casual encounter, we were lucky, chill. Out loud he mumbles a tired affirmation and drifts in and out of sleep until his knot deflates.

The bath, it turns out, is a shared experience. Harry drags him into the ensuite with a gleeful squeal of “Oh god, Lou, your tub is huge! ” and proceeds to steam up the bathroom while Louis sits on the toilet, waiting. When the bath is deemed ready, Harry helps settle him down in water that’s just a touch warmer than he usually manages to get it and then there’s a lean omega sat between his legs.

Harry sighs as he relaxes into Louis, back to chest, and just stretches out as much as he can. Louis might be trying to subtly scent the lad, not ready for his own scent to leave Harry’s skin. Or maybe not so subtly, as after a few careful brushes of his cheek with the omega’s (under the guise of “oops, it was an accident, clumsy blind me!”) Harry stifles a laugh and rubs their cheeks together with a sigh.

“I’ll have to start washing off at some point, you know.” he sounds amused, but not at Louis’ expense, so the alpha just rumbles poutily. “I’ll use a bunch of your body wash, how’s that? That way I’ll still technically smell like you.”

The wolf in him purrs at the offer, but something feels off about it. “And why would you do that? Last I checked, this was a casual thing.”

Harry just hums and melts back against him, the sound of water sloshing and a cap clicking open the only answer he’s given.

By the time the water cools and they’re towelling off, the omega smells both clean and like Louis. The alpha doesn’t really use strong scented products, nose too sensitive and wolf agitated as it is with having to mute his scent with neutralizing patches. But all the same, Harry smells like his .

And when he’s chatting and refueling on the breakfast delivery, filling Louis’ flat with his melodic voice, Harry smells like his .

And when he’s giving him a kiss on the cheek and whispering suggestively that Louis should show up at the bar for his next rut, tittering and sweeping away from Louis’ flat, Harry still smells like his .

Harry’s scent lingers. It somehow seeped into Louis’ bed, his carpet, his bones. It greets him every time he walks through the front door, soaked in from when he’d fucked his knot inside Harry the first time. It teases (or torments) him in his sleep, dreams vivid and filled with sensations that have him waking up to a mess in his sheets.

It also isn’t just in Louis’ head.

“Lou, did you find yourself an omega?” Liam asks one evening, sat next to Louis on the couch where they’ve been hanging out, tv on low. Louis can hear him scenting the air, never one to figure out subtlety, and the sightless alpha rolls his eyes at his best friend.

“How many times do I have to tell you it’s impolite to sniff like a pup at my life? Just because I can’t see your dumb face doesn’t mean I can’t hear you.” he’s trying to distract, avert Liam away from the question. “At least I have an excuse to scent like that, and I’m still more discreet about it.”

Liam huffs, used to Louis’ attitude and tactics of distraction, and opts for poking at Louis’ face. “Even without trying I can smell him. Got a good whiff right at the door, which… not something I ever wanted to think about.” Louis winces. “Did you meet at the bar?”

“The one I went to ‘cause I can’t get an omega to sleep with me otherwise? Yes.” he’s shoved, hard, and topples off the sofa. Liam doesn’t treat him like others do, never has, isn’t afraid of Louis breaking just cause he can’t see.

Louis can think of someone else who didn’t seem to care. He tries not to.

“Don’t be an arse, I was just asking. His scent is everywhere.” Liam wraps a strong hand around Louis’ upper arm and helps drag him back on the couch, this time right up against his side. He pulls him into a headlock, laughing like they did growing up and Louis can’t help chuckling along. Liam really is a big puppy. “You gonna see him again?”

Heat spreads across his face, but Louis knows the other alpha means it with the best intentions. Despite having found his own mate during the first year of uni, Liam had never made Louis feel left out. “Does inviting me to come back to the bar when my next rut hits count?”

There’s a pause, in which Louis thinks about the other time an omega saw him for more than one night. Liam must think of it too, as his voice has a careful edge to it when he releases him. “Huh.” They sit there, Louis tilting his ear to take in the way he can practically hear Liam thinking. He could almost swear to being able to hear the moment his friend decides not to think negatively. It has a faint scraping sound, like tires skidding on concrete. “Well, that means he had a good time, right? Wants to see you again, at least.”

His voice is hopeful the way Louis’ trying not to be, ever the optimist, and despite not wanting to get his hopes up, Louis smiles.

“Yeah. At least.”

It’s a month before he gets to have Harry in his world again. Not that he hadn’t wanted to have the omega near him sooner, but he couldn’t exactly visit a rut bar when he wasn’t about to be in rut. As it is, he’s got a scent neutralizing patch attached to his hip and a pacing wolf in his chest, making his way through the doors of the bar. He taps his cane in tight swings so he doesn’t end up hitting anyone, and tries to catch a whiff of Harry’s scent among the crowd of constant, mild arousal.

He needn't have bothered.

“There you are!” the voice is relieved, rushing closer as Harry sweeps into Louis’ space. The alpha can’t help the surprised smile he knows is spreading across his face as the omega presses against him in a ( perfect, fits against me like it’s meant to be ) hug. “Finally, took you long enough.”

His wolf catches it before Louis does, too caught up with holding Harry against him and tucking his face against his shoulder. The lad’s taller than him, so it’s the closest place to bury his nose. And take a long dragging inhale. And tense up at the smell of too much soap.

The growl leaves his throat before he can think about why snarling in a bar full of alphas at the resident sweetheart might be a bad idea. The answering protective grumbles barely register.

“Who?” he rumbles, moving his face to press against Harry’s throat and feeling him shiver. “Whose scent are you hiding?”

It’s too close to his rut, his head too full of Harry’s honey citrus scent, too focused on the way it’s tainted by too strong body wash. The lingering hints of another alpha’s scent rubbed into the omega’s skin.

Harry’s whimpering, trying to squirm and rub up against Louis where they’re only just inside the bar. He had to have been waiting, sat somewhere nearby to have a clear shot at seeing the faces pouring in. Knew he’d be close to Louis, knew the alpha would smell…

“Lou, was just a friend, didn’t mean anything, please.” the lad’s whispering, but he might as well be shouting with the way the whole bar seems to have given the two their attention. He’s tugging at Louis, mouth soft and wet where it’s dragging over the skin of the alpha’s neck as he mumbles mindless excuses, and the patrons around them have all fallen quiet from his antics.

Louis’ wolf snaps under the attention, the smell, the thought someone else left their scent on Harry.

He’s not ours to get jealous of , a voice calls calmly in his mind.

But then Harry’s babbling things like “Want you to mark me up again” and “You smell so good Lou, wanna have it for a cologne” and the wolf drags the two of them out of the bar.

He doesn’t know how he finds it, but Louis manages to lead them to a secluded area somewhere. All he knows is that Harry’s wiggling and whining where Louis has him pressed up against brick. The alpha sucks at salty skin, ruts against the pliant body and growls every time he comes across more of the other’s scent he has to rub out.

“Greedy knotslut, lets anyone bend him over.” Harry hiccups a moan, clinging to Louis and letting off the sweet, mouth watering scent of arousal. “Want my scent, baby? Give it to you where anyone can see?”

The omega moans again, breathing out yes please and driving his wolf mad. Louis feels around over the lad’s front before locating his shirt hem and pulling it up. Bringing it up to Harry’s plush, wide mouth, he tucks the hem in and rumbles his approval when Harry bites down.

Dragging his hands over the omega’s exposed torso, he takes a moment to flick his thumbs back and forth over perky nipples when he finds them and appreciates the way Harry arches his chest out for him. Satisfied with the way Harry’s trembling and whimpering around the fabric in his mouth, Louis drops his hands to fumble his pants open.

He smears the dripping head of his cock across Harry’s abdomen, hand jerking himself to full hardness and the other gripping the omega’s hip to keep him still. It’s not an entirely uncommon practice, public scent marking, but it’s usually confined to a restroom or designated area. And it’s mostly an exchange between a mated pair.

Louis gets another smell of the wrong scent of body wash and another alpha and his wolf decidedly doesn’t care if it’s appropriate or not.

It’s quick, with how riled up he is, and he’s coming in short bursts that have Harry whimpering through a moan after only a minute. This isn’t for pleasure. It’s for claiming. Still, as he tucks himself away and begins rubbing his release into the omega’s skin, Louis can smell how aroused Harry is. Even smears a grope at the bulge at the front of the lad’s tight jeans for good measure, earning another moan from the squirming omega.

He presses in close again, mouthing until he finds and can kiss Harry over the material in his mouth. He tugs it out gently, cooing when all Harry can do is pant and slur out his name. Louis mutters a soft, “So good, such a good boy, did so good for me.” and kisses plump lips until their breathing evens out.

Then his wolf is receding, satisfied for the moment, and reality is setting back in. He almost backs away, but Harry’s got a tight grip on him and gives a discontent grunt when he tries. Nosing along the underside of the omega’s jaw, Louis starts whispering apologies, quiet in the night air. He doesn’t know where they are, exactly, isn’t sure where his cane’s been dropped. They could have just done all that while standing out in the public eye for all Louis can tell.

“Please tell me I didn’t just molest you in the middle of the sidewalk?” the alpha asks, sheepish. Harry chuckles, breath puffing out across Louis’ forehead. “I’m serious, I have no clue where we are right now.”

“In an alley. You kind of went cave wolf and dragged us off in a huff.” Soft lips kiss Louis’ forehead, nose, cheekbones. “Not that I mind, so don’t say you molested me. I was and am totally ok with what just happened.”

Louis huffs throughs his nose, hands stroking gently over Harry’s side. “You’re sure? I don’t...want you to say so just because you think I might...hurt you.”

A big hand cups his jaw and tilts his face up, lips pressing sweet and slow with his own in a dragging kiss that melts the tension out of his shoulders. When they part, Harry brings one of the alpha’s hands up to lay over where Harry’s heart thumps steadily in his chest. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me. I was actively agreeing and responding to everything that just happened. I wasn’t scared of you once.” Though the alpha can hear Harry’s heartbeat, under Louis’ palm he feels the omega’s heart continue on in a steady beat. No up ticks. No skips.

No lies.

Sighing with mild relief, Louis rests his head against a broad shoulder, closing his eyes for no other reason than they feel heavy. “Help a guy find his cane?”

“Only if it means you’ll still take me home.” Harry teases, hands rubbing over Louis’ back like he’s the one who needs consoling.

Louis bites down a smile at that. Harry still wants him.

Chapter Text

“Jesus H, did you go off and bond when I wasn’t lookin?” Niall greets him with when Harry visits one afternoon. “Smell like you bathed in the guy’s come or some shite. Not to mention what your neck looks like!”

For his part, Harry only pinkens a little. Confident though he may be in himself and his body, he still can’t help blushing at the thought of being actually bonded. Like a kid who’s fine with holding hands but the mere thought of kissing makes him cover his face. “Hi Niall, nice to see you too,” he grumbles under his breath as he pushes into the irishman’s flat.

“I’m only saying Haz. Have you seen yourself? You didn’t come here straight after or something, did you? Thought we agree after last time that I don’t appreciate it.” Closing the door behind them, the beta settles back in his worn chair across from the sofa Harry perches on himself. “Looks like you got mauled. Possessive much?”

“It’s not like he could see how many hickeys he was giving me,” Harry huffs, crossing his arms and sniffing primly. He feels...defensive, in a way, not comfortable with Niall bad mouthing Louis. Even indirectly. “And his scent is simply stronger than average, so kindly fuck off.”

“Couldn’t see- how could he not see what he did to your neck?! I’m serious Haz, he all but gave you a claiming bite!” When Harry raises his eyebrows at Niall with a unimpressed air, the beta waves his hands around wildly. “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m just saying, I thought it was an agreed upon thing to not bruise up your rut partner like an animal?”

“He’s blind, Niall, he honestly couldn’t see how many he was leaving or how dark. Now will you please drop it so we can get on with the evening? If I wanted my mum to worry and fuss over me I’d go visit her instead!” Harry’s voice is sharp, body pulled taunt and jaw ticking.

“Oh.” Niall’s voice is quiet, startled, and they sit in silence for an awkward moment. Then the beta is standing to round over to the couch, plopping down and cuddling Harry against his side. “So, you had a good time?”

Harry shoves at him with a huff, but welcomes the snuggle with an embarrassed grin. “Sorry, didn’t mean to yell. And yeah, he was...actually the best I’ve spent a rut with? His hands , Niall, they were everywhere! ” the omega sighs dreamily, laughing along with Niall when his friend begins fake gagging and reaching for the remote.

“I don’t wanna know! Time for movie night!” Niall crowes, navigating the telly to the movie channel. “It’s Nick Sparks all night long, don’t ever say I don’t love you.”

They spend the rest of the night in easy comfort, Harry quoting Rachel McAdams word for word when The Notebook starts and Niall cackling when the omega insists that they’re birds too.

Harry puts his thoughts about Louis on the back burner, not ready to analyze why he’s so eager for the month to fly by.

The thing is, Harry didn’t plan to sleep with anyone during the month as he waited for Louis’ next rut. He’d made a rough estimate in his head, even looked up the effect of patches like the one the alpha apparently uses on the schedule of ruts. Apparently, it helped to regulate the occasion to strict, reliable clock work, so Harry’s estimation should be on point.

Still, though, Harry was excited for the next time he might see the alpha. His eagerness was surprising, but he could always chalk it up to what a good time he’d had with Louis. The omega figured he’d spend a few ruts with Louis until he got bored again, maybe even rotate rut bars for a change in potential partners. After all, he didn’t frequent the establishments to find a mate. He went there to satisfy an itch.

So the fact he ended up spending a rut with someone else? Not planned, but not surprising either.

The alpha was a friend, quiet and over looked (which was a crime in Harry’s mind, but maybe he was just protective of his friends) and Mitch had called him with apologies. He’d helped him out before, since ruts and heats were easier when you had help (not that Harry would personally know about easing his heats, since his suppressants helped regulate and shorten the ones he did have).

The rut was quick, Harry’s prowess shining through as always, and Mitch thanked him with too much shame colouring his voice. They spent some time cuddling and Harry left with a thought towards hooking his friend up with someone who’d appreciate his soft spoken nature without overpowering him.

It was when Harry got home, sparing a glance at his calendar, that it really hit him that maybe he should have found another person to take care of his friend. There, staring back at him, was the omega’s own reminder that he was due to go looking for Louis at the bar within a week.

Four days! That wasn’t nearly enough time for his scent to regulate back to just his own again. He was unbonded, body naturally wanting to cling onto every trace of a potential mate for as long as it could. There was no amount of scrubbing or scent masking he could do to get rid of the scent of another alpha before he saw Louis again. Especially since the alpha himself would be so close to his own rut, senses heightened even more than usual.

It was while he was scrubbing off in the shower that a thought occurred. It wasn’t as if Louis was his mate , he didn’t have an obligation to him. Hell, Harry had been clear about what kind of relationship (if you could call it that) he was expecting.

Motions gentling, the omega began to think about how Louis might react. Would he posture? Maybe growl and take hold of him? Insist on smothering the different scent out with his own? Do nothing?

Harry felt a thrill go down his spine at the thought of the alpha causing a scene. The eyes of the other people in the bar watching them, listening to Louis react to Harry having slept with someone else. Being able to smell Louis’ possessiveness, Harry’s arousal from it.

His shower devolved into a wank session, slippery and too hot and quick. Spilling over his fist with juddering hips, back pressed against the cool tile for support, he lingered on the  thought of Louis fucking him in front of everyone. It was one of his more base fantasies, feeding into his inner wolf’s desire to be claimed and shown off, but it did the trick all the same.

He decided to play to Louis’ wolf, making a mental note to buy cheap scent masking soap to use before he went to the bar. Nothing that would work very well, but just enough that it might trigger a reaction from the alpha. Louis had still been holding back even in his wildest moments during his rut, and anything that would draw a more aggressive side out could help him relax enough to really let loose once they were alone.

As with most bad ideas, the potential ways his plan could backfire didn’t seem to register as he finished up his shower with a smirk.

He’d scheduled himself to start visiting the bar earlier than when he figured Louis’ rut would actually hit. It was so Harry could be there in the event his calculations were incorrect. He sat somewhere near the door, able to see who came in but far enough away that Louis wouldn’t be able to catch his scent right off the bat. It also meant he had to ward off other alphas, and even betas, who would approach with eagerness in their eyes.

Harry wasn’t cruel, though, despite turning them all down, and wound up playing a strange kind of match making game to make up for his disinterest. After all, he knew most of the people milling around the bar by now, if a bit superficially. So spending his time pointing out and calling over possible partners provided an entertaining pastime as he kept a watch on the door.

This went on for three days.

Wake up, go to work, have lunch with his sister or Niall, finish work, go home, take a bath, use the ineffective scent masking soap, dress up nice (Louis may be blind but that didn’t mean Harry couldn’t look good). Go to the bar. Match make. Wait.

He was starting to get restless, sitting closer and closer to the entrance. Logically, he knew it might still be too early for Louis’ rut, but it’d now been a full week since being with Mitch and the scent was starting to naturally fade from his skin. The omega was having a hard time thinking about why he wanted it to still be there when he met up with Louis again, but he’d had a plan and if nothing else Harry liked when things went to plan.

Thankfully, the fourth night of sitting impatiently at the stool closest to the entrance, trying to rationalize why he was so insistent by then on waiting and waving his latest offer over to hook up with a cute omega with pink cheeks, is when Louis finally walks in. The alpha has his nose tilted, scenting the air with a hopeful expression, but Harry’s already striding over to him.

If he’s a bit dizzy with the relief of his patience paying off, he’ll blame it on the way Louis smells and feels against him. The alpha is already growling and gripping him closer, so score one point for Harry on making the best decisions.

Harry wakes up warm and sore in a bone deep way that only comes from the activity that’s been filling up the past two days. There’s a body pressed up behind him, and he can feel Louis’ breath puffing against the back of his neck softly. The sun is streaming in through the gauzy curtains hung over the window (perhaps a friend or family member helped hang them up?) that do nothing to block the golden beams stretching into the room.

It’s a peaceful moment, tucked safely in the arms of a gentle alpha, while Harry catalogues the bare room like he never really got the chance to before. There’s mostly just the bed, curtains, and a nightstand as far as furnishing goes, no extra lighting or things to possibly trip over. The walls are just the blank neutral beige that they probably were when Louis first moved in, and Harry finds himself thinking about how to spruce things up.

It jolts him a bit, heart stuttering in his chest. He’d almost indulged in...nesting behavior? That’s new. Really new. He can’t think of any time he’s ever fallen into such a mindset. Normally, the place of residence for his flings are simply a secure space to tumble around in. Harry couldn’t even tell you any details of the home of even his most frequent rut friends.

Yet here he is, thinking about how nice it would be to hang some canvas art on the bare walls for a splash of colour, wanting to cover the bed in softer sheets. It’s not his place. Louis isn’t his mate. They aren’t even courting .

That’s what you get for spending two ruts in a row with him whispers a smug voice in his mind that sounds suspiciously like Niall.

Harry’s still frowning to himself and his thoughts when Louis begins to stir awake. The alpha stretches, then curls back around him and tangles their legs with a content sigh. Louis starts pressing soft, careful kisses to the omega’s shoulder, humming as he drags his hand up and down along Harry’s side.

“Mornin’ love, sleep well?” Louis’ voice is raspy and sleep warm, like he might still be stuck in a dream. Harry wants to keep him there, happy and satisfied so deep it fills the air with the scent of lavender.

Harry forces himself to relax (not a hard feat when Louis’ clogging his lungs with such contentment) and turns slightly to look at the alpha over his shoulder. He’s sleep rumpled, eyes closed either because he doesn’t need them or because he forgot to open them, and Harry connects the dots with the freckles on his cheek.

He’s in deep.

“Sun woke me up. Did you know your walls are beige?” he says in lieu of an actual answer. He needs time to think about what he’s feeling, thoughts scattered and detached from the way he curls himself closer to the alpha. It’s instinct he’s never dealt with, never indulged.

Louis, oblivious to the inner turmoil Harry’s going through, chuckles and finally opens his eyes. They’re just as beautiful as the first time Harry saw them, maybe more with the way the sun shines in them. “Pretty sure you’ll believe me when I say they could be whatever purple is and I’d still have no clue.”

The way he says it distracts Harry from his mental freak out and makes him turn so he’s fully facing Louis, tucking close again with a curious hum. “So, you’ve been blind all your life, then?”

“Penny for the smart lad.” Louis replies, a smirk tugging at his lips. His voice is softer when he continues, like they’re in a moment all of their own. “Yeah, came out of the womb this way. Mum said she thought I cried so loud because I couldn’t see, but then I started talking and she realized that I’m just loud.”

Harry giggles, thinking about a tiny Louis screaming out his discontent to the world at being born and handled and fussed over. “You’ve been pretty quiet around me, so I’ll have to take your word for it.”

The alpha seems able to hear the warmth in his voice, because he just smiles back. “I just don’t know you well enough yet.”

“I might be open to changing that,” Harry lets slip, blushing and clearing his throat. He decides to change the subject. “Was it really difficult, growing up?”

“I think it’s easier when you’re born with it, you know? I’ve talked to school friends who were in the same programme as me, and the ones who lost their sight always lamented waking up from a dream where they had sight and being hit with the reality that they can’t see anymore.” His smile turns sad, like he’s caught in a memory. “Something we all had in common was our dreams, in a way. Did you know that blind people, especially those born that way, have more nightmares than sighted people?”

Harry grips Louis’ hand he’d latched onto a bit tighter. “No, I didn’t.”

The alpha brings his fingers to his lips, brushing them over Harry’s knuckles. “S’okay, most of them have to do with being lost without my cane, or continuously bumping into things that shouldn’t be there,” he pauses, brows furrowing slightly as he presses his lips against the back of Harry’s hand, thinking. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve had any bad dreams when you’ve been around.”

It sends a flush through him, and Harry shivers. “Bet you tell all the cute omegas that.” He’s trying to sound flirtatious, but his voice wobbles slightly in the middle. It’s a lot to take in.

“Are you cute? I wouldn’t know.” Louis’ grinning cheekily now, and the squawk he lets out when Harry starts tickling him is enough to make Harry breathless with giggles.

It feels easy to just... be with Louis like this, and the realization makes Harry’s heart flutter a bit in his chest. He hopes the alpha just thinks it’s from his laughter.

“Yeah, I wondered about that. Aren’t you supposed to run your fingers all over my face to figure out what I look like?” Harry teases, good natured and light as he carefully drags his own fingers over Louis’ features. They’re softer than they look, sharp angles that give under the omega’s touch. He finds that he, in fact, can’t cut himself on those cheekbones. It makes him feel something warm and dangerous in his chest.

“What good would that do? It’s not like I would have reference in my head to compare what your face feels like to. Besides, those parts in movies are more for the sighted audience. They’re the ones obsessed with whether someone looks good or not.” When Louis lays it out like that, it makes sense. Still, he presses his cheek into Harry’s hand where it cups his jaw. “Although...full disclosure, there was a moment, last month, that I did trace your features.”

Louis looks so chagrined mentioning it that Harry has to lace their fingers together with a soft hum. “It’s alright, even sighted people caress someone’s face. Been tempted to lick your jawline myself, if we’re being honest here.” The alpha smiles bashfully at that, turning his head into his pillow as if to hide. “But now I’m curious. What do I...feel like, to you, I guess is the right question?”

“At least you didn’t ask what you ‘look like’ to me,” comes Louis’ easy answer, like it’s something he’s used to saying. “You’ve got wide features, right? Not, like, extremely so, but your eyes and nose and mouth are set a bit wider than mine. It’s not like I get a picture in my head, and it’s not like I suddenly understand whether you’re ‘beautiful’ or not. That doesn’t matter to me, is impossible to understand.”

Harry takes this in, pressing his lips to Louis hand in a mirror of their position from earlier. “I guess I can get that. Although, for the record? I think you’re very handsome, Louis. And I can’t help thinking of you that way, even though you can’t see it yourself.”

Louis hums, tugging Harry closer with an arm curled around the dip in the omega’s waist and yawning. “I may not be able to see it, but I can appreciate someone other than me mum saying so.”

They share a soft laugh, and then it’s quiet again. It’s not awkward, instead feeling settled and lazy. Harry dozes for a bit before it hits him. “I think your rut’s over.”

“Mmm, yeah, pretty sure I would’ve tried ravishing you by now.” Louis’ eyes are closed again, and he seems to grow uncertain. “Do you...want to leave? There’s another meal scheduled to deliver for breakfast, but there’s no pressure to stay if you have somewhere you’d rather be.”

He sounds so apprehensive that it hurts Harry’s heart. Instead of answering directly, the omega rolls so he’s above Louis, shifting the alpha onto his back. “Breakfast sounds nice,” he husks, before Harry slides beneath the covers and begins mouthing at the alpha’s morning wood.

Harry does leave a couple hours later, a new number in his phone (“It’s just easier if you can contact me directly, Lou, waiting for you to show up was the worst!”) and a spring in his step that lessens the closer to his flat he gets. He had decided to walk, since Louis didn’t live that far from his own place, and the day was pleasant.

But by the time he finally makes it through the door of his flat, he’s aching and feeling feverish, dragging himself to his bedroom. He needs to sleep, maybe, but his bed isn’t right somehow and he spends fifteen minutes fussing over it until he feels like the space is correct. He’s laid out the clothes he’d been wearing over his pillows, and when he buries his face there he catches the lingering smell of nutmeg and sandalwood.

Louis .

The smell makes him groan, rolling around against his sheets and panting as he starts to sweat. His cock has become hard and when he feels himself leaking, tacky and wet on the bedding, his mind finally pieces together what’s happening to him.

His heat has come early.

Groaning, Harry rolls over and tries to locate his phone. He needs to let his work know, needs to warn Niall not to worry, needs to…

The screen unlocks to reveal the text thread he’d started with Louis, just a flirtatious message he’d sent to make sure the alpha had his number as well.

now you can text me whenever you’re feeling horny x

There’s an answer, now, and Harry grins like an idiot at his phone.

Did you just make me your booty call?

Harry starts typing in his answer, rolling over again to spread out on his back and licking his lips.

maybe, are you protesting?

While he waits for a reply, Harry drops the hand holding his phone next to his head on the pillow, and drags the other over his too hot skin. He’s not out of his mind yet, having gained some clarity upon realizing what was happening to him. It doesn’t usually surprise Harry like this, not since his suppressants evened everything out.

He grips his cock in a loose hand when his phone buzzes in the other, lifting it up to read Louis’ reply.

I’m game if you are

Harry blames the moan that pours out of him on the fact that he’s finally started stroking his dick, pulling in quick motions. It’s not as finessed as it would be with his dominant hand, but that one is preoccupied with holding his phone. And typing a response.

game on x

Harry drops the phone onto his pillow, mostly because his hand is trembling too much, and focuses on getting himself off. His head should clear when he’s wrung a climax or two out of himself, and now that he’s got both hands at his disposal it should be easy.

Only, it’s not until he’s forced five orgasms out that his body finally decides he can take a break, and in that time he’s lost himself more and more to thoughts of Louis. Wishing he were there, wishing it was the alpha bringing him off over and over again, wishing it was the alpha who could call and make sure everyone knew where Harry was.

Speaking of which.

He picks up his phone once more, backs out of the conversation with Louis to pull up his texting thread with Niall instead. He types out a quick explanation and asks if the beta would let his work know. There’s some typos, body still trembling with need , but it gets the point across and he sends it with a weak sigh.

While he’s still got his wits about him, Harry drags himself over onto his stomach, hanging slightly off the bed to reach underneath. He tugs the shoebox into view, flopping it open so he can grab up the ziplock on top. Inside is his best knotting dildo, protected from touching his other toys and kept clean.

Turning onto his back once more, he peels the meaty length from its plastic prison and sighs. It’s not Louis, but it will have to do. After all, before he’d managed to find a favourite alpha, David was his favourite toy.

He brings the dildo’s head to his lips, kissing and licking and teasing as he uses his other hand to finally start opening himself up. If he closes his eyes, he can pretend Louis’ kneeling above him, feeding his cock into his mouth while Harry gets himself ready for the alpha. Pretend he hears Louis’ soft, raspy voice telling him he’s a good boy.

He moans at the thought, speeding up the stretch of his fingers and gagging himself on the toy to get it wet. He must look obscene, lips wrapped around a dildo that’s shoved down his throat, legs hitched up so he can fit three fingers inside himself. By the time he’s pulling them out and rubbing the toy at his entrance to replace them, he’s flushed down to his toes and feeling the pull of his heat once more.

Rubbing the dildo between his cheeks, he smears his slick over the length by way of prep and folds himself nearly in half to get in the best position. It’s always a little awkward, no matter how many times he’s done this, will always lead to cramping or strain no matter what position he falls into, but the need to plunge the fake cock inside is greater than worrying over the most comfortable way to achieve doing so.

He doesn’t waste anymore time, fucking the thick silicone past his rim and hissing at how good it feels. The heat is keeping him loose and ready, but there’s still a hint of burn from the stretch and Harry bucks his hips with a keen. He’s always been into a little pain, goes out every month to find an alpha in rut because they grip tighter, shove him into the mattress rougher, fuck into him harder.

He thrusts the toy into himself in quick, shallow bursts, hips rocking and an arm under his knees to hold his legs in place. His cheeks are pink from the embarrassing position, tear tracks making them tacky from being unable to fuck himself just right. Harry tosses his head back, turning his face against his worn clothes and whimpering when he can smell sandalwood and oh.

“Louis!” the name is sobbed out, the knot slips in, and he’s coming hard and messy all over his stomach and thighs where they press against his chest. Harry twitches through the aftershocks, jerking and ending up curled on his side, hiccuping in breaths.

It takes a long while for his mind to swim back to the surface, body shaky as he tries to shift and stops short at the knot in his arse. It feels less satisfying than ever, and the omega sniffles as he rubs his face against the crotch of his jeans laid out on the pillow. Louis’ scent is strongest here, from when he’d scent marked Harry in the alley and then rubbed his come into the bulge in Harry’s jeans. It helps settle him slightly, and a purr starts up in his chest.

It’s shaping up to be a rough heat, and it seems he’s got some things to think about when his head isn’t swimming in hormones.

Chapter Text

“ ...hope I’m not a casualty, hope you won’t get up and leave, may not mean that much to you- no, try -might not mean that much to you- but what comes next? Fuck.” Louis tools around with the cords on his guitar, frustrated that he still can’t fill in the next line. “Sorry, Ed, that’s all I’ve got so far. Hope the rest is good enough to flesh out later, let me know.”

He reaches a slow hand out and stops the recording, changing out the tape with a new one and pressing record.

“Different song, working title is ‘Once in a Lifetime’, might work for a bittersweet number,” Louis announces, fingers finding their place on the neck of the guitar and pick strumming to check his key before he starts in on laying down the starting melody he’d had stuck in his head. When he starts singing, his voice sounds longing even to his own ears. “ Once in a lifetime, it’s just right, we make no mistakes, not even a landslide or riptide, can take it all away. Somehow, it feels like nothin’ has changed, right now, my heart is beating the same, out loud, someone’s callin’ my name. It sounds like- ”

“Harry calling! Harry calling!”

His mobile ring cuts across his playing and he loses the words. Growling, Louis mutters an apology to Ed and stops the tape. Feeling around beside himself, he finds and answers his mobile with a sigh. “Hello? Harry? Not exactly the best-”

“ Loooouuuu! ” the other man sounds breathless, moaning in Louis’ ear and sending a jolt down his spine. “ Miss your knot, want it! Need it! ”

The alpha nearly drops his guitar, fumbling it out of his lap and into its case at his feet. “Uh, Harry? Is everything alright?”

“ Heat, my heat came early, been thinkin about your mouth- ah! -want you to fuck me, ” Harry breaks off with a sob, staticy and small through the speaker, and Louis swears he can hear a wet noise in the background that has his skin breaking out in goosebumps. “ Want you to fill me up so full I can taste it, smell like you for days after- fuck - can still smell you on my clothes! Feel drunk on it, gonna fucking dream about it. ”

Louis’ can feel himself flushed down to his toes, dick already half hard in his joggers and wolf pacing in his chest. He tamps down on his dizzy thoughts, though, because taking care of Harry is more important. “Harry, are you somewhere safe right now? You’re home, right? Do you need me to contact anyone for you, make sure you’re looked after?”

The omega whimpers in his ear, grunting as there’s a rustling over the line and then he’s panting in Louis’ ear again. “ Wish it was you fucking into me. ”

Louis chokes on his own spit when he tries to swallow, sitting forward on the edge of the sofa cushion as he listens closely to Harry obviously getting himself off. He doesn’t really know what he should do in this situation, tense like he’s on the precipice of something and mind racing over how to proceed. Finally, the sound of Harry crying out snaps him into focus, and Louis stands up.

“Are you alone, Harry?” Louis keeps his voice even and low as he starts wandering back towards his room, almost tripping over his guitar case like an idiot when he forgets it’s still underfoot. “Not calling me while some other alpha is fucking that tight little hole of yours, are you?”

Harry lets out excited whimpers, like he knows where this is going and he can’t contain his excitement. “ No, ‘m alone, just me and David, Louis please, I need more- ”

“Who’s David?” Louis pauses on the fifth step down the hallway, skin going cold as he waits on baited breath. He can’t hear anyone else on the other end of the line, just Harry moaning desperately and that same slick sound that makes the alpha’s cock twitch.

Harry groans so loud Louis has to hold the phone away from his ear slightly. “ My dildo! ” There’s some grumbling on the other end about dumb alphas and their possessiveness, then, “ C’mon Louis, it’s not cutting it, doesn’t fill me up like you do! Make me come? Pretty please? ”

It lights a fire through his veins, those words. Louis picks up his steps, fingertips grazing along the wall since he lost count of the amount of steps he’d taken. Licking his lips, he feels his knees go weak. “Yeah? Need me? How can I help, love?”

“ Wanna hear you, just talk to me, I don’t- never done this before… ” Harry breaks off, and so does the wet noises that had played a background to this whole phone call. “ Just- need you to talk, tell me what you’d do to me? If you were here? ”

Swallowing, the alpha finds his mouth rather dry. He’s finally made it to his bedroom, and it’s one, two, three, four steps to his bed. Laying down on his back, Louis lets his eyes close. He doesn’t need to hold them open for a world that’s uncomfortable by his lack of sight, right now. Besides, if Louis were there, with Harry…

“Bet you’ve already come quite a few times by now, haven’t you, love? Had to take the edge off.” The alpha lets his hand drop to the waistband of his joggers, pushing them down and off so he can palm at his straining erection. Hissing through his teeth, he thinks of how wet Harry gets after Louis’ had his face buried between the omega’s legs. “Yeah, bet you’re soaking by now, huh? Be even wetter if I’d been coming inside that sweet little arse of yours.”

Harry moans out a delicious “ yeeeessss ” and Louis has to grip the base of his cock. He’s pent up, the phantom scent of honeysuckle still lingering in the air of his room. The alpha had changed the sheets, but just as it did last time, Harry’s scent clings to his sense memory, in his lungs, and taunts him. He doesn’t realize he’s growling until he hears Harry whimper his name.

“Still got that toy of yours inside of you? Know you were fucking yourself when you called, could hear it,” Louis’ voice is rough, the wolf pressing close to the surface of his mind. He’s fucking into his own fist, the hand holding his mobile gripping it tight enough the plastic creaks under the pressure. “Fuck, if I was there I’d have my mouth all over that, bet you taste even sweeter when you’re in heat. Can you taste for me, darling?”

He hears a small whimper and shuffling on the other end, like maybe Harry’s nodding his head against the phone or shifting to do as asked, but it’s followed by an obscene smacking sound and Louis’ toes curl. He knows that sound, memories of when Harry would suck on the alpha’s fingers after Louis had fingered him open making his own cock kick in his hand.

“Good, that’s good Harry, how do you taste?”

“ Mmm, like honey, like...sugar? ” there’s more of the wet sucking smacking noise, and Louis’ hips jerk faster into his fist. “ Lou, already knotted on my toy, s’not enough, I need- ” the omega breaks off in a breathy moan, no doubt rocking himself on the fake knot up his arse, “ I need you. ”

“Then we’ll just have to take care of you somewhere else, won’t we? Know those nipples of yours are sensitive, would have my mouth on them if I was there.” Louis licks his lips, thinking about the last wave of his rut, only a day ago, when he’d teased and toyed with Harry’s nipples (he has four, and it’d made Louis smile to know the omega wasn’t perfect) until just breathing on them had made Harry jerk and whimper. “How ‘bout you play with them for me? Won’t that feel nice?”

There’s a strained moan on the other end of the line, shuffling static, and then sweet little whimpers are filtering through the phone line. “ Oh, Louis, I’m- ah! -they’re still sore from- mmmm, feels good, though, like it. ” There’s a sniffle, and Louis grips the base of his cock again.

“So good for me, Harry, think you can make yourself come like this? Rocking on your toy’s knot and tweaking your sore nipples?” Louis knows he won’t last much longer, not with Harry whimpering sweetly in his ear and whispering about how he wishes Louis was there.

“ Nng, think so, I’ll try Lou, it’s so much- ” Harry’s voice pitches up, cutting off into a high keen. “ Oh, I- I’m gonna-! Louis, I’m close! ”

“Good boy,” Louis rumbles through the microphone, and the next second he hears the tell tale sounds of Harry coming, moan quiet and soft compared to the ones leading up to it. The alpha easily follows him, growling and panting as he streaks over his torso and spills down his hand.

They breathe together, calming down and sighing through the afterglow. After a few minutes, Harry takes a deep breath and hums out a soft “ Thank you. ” before the line goes dead.

Louis tries not to think about it. Too much. More than once a day…

Okay, so it plagues his mind nearly every waking second. Why would Harry call him like that? He’d been pretty clear about not wanting or needing help through his heats. So why did he call Louis, begging for release? It didn’t add up.

Neither did the frequency of their phone calls, although Louis was less inclined to look a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to a delightful omega wanting to tease him over the phone line. He’d rather just enjoy the attention while it lasts.

“ Oh my god, you’ve never done that? ” came that same purring, deep voice on a quiet Saturday. “ You handled it so well, should take up being a phone sex operator. ”

“I like the job I’ve got, thank you. How are you? You never called me after that, did you keep well hydrated?” Louis smacks a hand to his forehead and mentally scolds himself for sounding like a doting mate. But his brain and the wolf in his chest haven’t been in agreement since Harry had called him during his heat.

There’s a giggle through the line, then, “ You sound like my mother. Yes, I stayed hydrated and ate plenty of bananas and peanut butter. That’s what the mini fridge is for. ”

The alpha grumbles about how he couldn’t possibly know about that, and it earns him another amused huff from Harry. “Yes yes, let’s all laugh at Louis, such a fool for caring.”

The line is quiet for a moment, like Harry’s holding his breath. Louis’ just about to ask if he’s still there, when the omega answers with a soft, “ I don’t mind it. ” They sit in silence, Louis flushed down to his toes, before Harry clears his throat. “ So, what do you do for a living? ”

Little conversations like this become a constant in Louis’ life, as are the increasingly sappy songs he ends up sending to Ed. It’s times like these Louis’ glad he’s a ghostwriter and doesn’t perform his own work. There would no doubt be probing questions on who the songs are about, and he just doesn’t want to think about his inspiration, even in quiet anonymity. Although, Ed has sent him several messages about the subject matter. With building concern when every song ends with longing .

Still, he talks with Harry. And texts with Harry. They play a game where Louis will take and send a random picture, just to listen to his phone read out Harry’s attempt at describing what the picture is of. Sometimes it’s of crosswalks, the omega excitedly answering back that he recognizes the area. Other times, Louis takes a picture in his flat and Harry gently tells him the picture is too dark to make anything out. At least, Louis pretends it’s gentle.

It’s while he’s hanging out with Liam in one of their regular pubs, a few days before Louis’ rut, that he tries to take a picture of his friend. Mostly because the confused yelp Liam lets out when Louis places a cold hand on his face so he can line up the shot is hilarious.

“I could just do it for you, Lou, I wouldn’t mind,” Liam pouts while Louis tries his best to hold the phone in line with his arm, going for a straight on shot.

“What fun would that be, then? Just hold still, I have enough trouble moving before the phone’s done taking the picture.” Tongue sticking out the side of his mouth in concentration, Louis very slowly moves his arm away while trying to maintain the mobile’s position. Once he feels confident his arm will be out of view, he presses the camera button and waits a few seconds before relaxing. “There, sent.”

“I could also have looked over it to see if you even lined the shot up well,” the other alpha sounds petulant, like not being of help is a crime.

“As I said, Leeyum, where’s the fun in that? Harry’s meant to describe the picture to me anyhow, so what would be the point of you telling me if I did a good job? There isn’t one.” Louis waves his hand in front of his eyes, at ease pointing out his blindness when he knows Liam doesn’t pity him for it.

Instead, his friend just shoves at his shoulder and calls him weird. They take swigs at their drinks, the pub alive with the murmur of a Wednesday night, and Louis drops his hand unconsciously to his side to make sure his cane is still folded up next to him. It’s a precaution that started after it had slipped into the floor once when he was eight years old, leaving him so lost in his surroundings Louis had started to cry right there in public. Thankfully, his mother had managed to locate where it had fallen and wrap his fingers around the grip, but the experience stuck.

A text comes through from Harry, and Louis plugs his ear piece into his phone before tucking the single bud into his ear, already smiling. Hitting the button to have the text read out to him, Louis sits back in his seat.

“ Wow, you actually know a human puppy. He looks a bit like he’s ready for a game of fetch. Is this Liam? If not I might be a little jealous lol. Ok, let’s see. You framed the shot pretty well, I’m proud. He looks to have brown eyes, and brown hair. His jaw is square, but soft, and a bit scruffy. I wasn’t kidding about him looking like a puppy, there’s just something about his face that makes me think he’s going to ask for a bone. ”

Another text comes in, then, and Louis clicks for it to be read without pause, ignoring Liam calling his name in the background.

“ Where are you? It looks like a bar, not a rut bar though. Too bright, and I can see a telly in the background. Looks like there’s a game on, can’t tell who’s winning. Good to know you’re not cheating on me, unless you’re sending me a picture of your date, in which case rude. - ”

“Lou, you’re not plugged in all the way!” Liam’s warning comes a bit too late, as the next part of the text reads out undisturbed.

“ -Especially since I like the way you look with my slick all over your face so much. Can’t wait for Saturday, make sure you stock up on that granola I like. x ”

Louis could swear he heard Harry’s voice purr out the words instead of the robotic text to voice programme, mischievous as if he knew Louis wasn’t the only audience. The two alpha’s sit in awkward silence, stunned by embarrassment that stinks up their scents with a tang of lemon rind. It makes Louis’ nose wrinkle, but it’s not something he can exactly turn off, and he can’t make Liam feel any less flustered than he is.

“So…” clearing his throat, Liam shifts with a rustling of fabric. “You’re really sure it’s a casual thing, still? Because I don’t know many flings that last this long. Or that know each other’s favourites. Or say they’d be jealous if said fling were on a date with someone else-”

“Okay, Loam, you’ve made your point!” Louis hisses, bowing his head to thunk against the tabletop. It’s sticky with past spilled beer, and he begins lightly hitting his head against the wood.

“Have I? Louis, you didn’t see your face when the message was being read out. You looked so content, happy , I’ve never seen you like this.” He can hear the concern in Liam’s voice, pick up the subtle splash of warm cotton mixing with the alpha’s natural pine scent.

Louis starts thumping his head harder.

“Lou, come on, I’m worried about you. Don’t wanna see you get hurt,” a sigh, then a gentle hand between Louis’ shoulder blades. “You like him a lot, don’t you?”

Pausing in his assault against the tabletop, Louis gives a sigh of his own before giving a defeated nod. “Yeah. He’s funny, you know? Quick witted even though he talks slower than a snail, and he’s got the biggest heart ever. Did you know he volunteers at three different shelters? And still wishes he could manage to help out at more? He’s ridiculous, too, has this honking laugh when he’s caught off guard by something funny. Has way too many boots. Like, way too many, he’s complained enough times about running out of places to store them. And after all that, he only really wears the one pair.”

“Lou-”

“He works in a bakery, lets the old birds there pinch his bum and gets excited about a new treat they’re selling. Gets excited about pastries, honestly, who gets giddy about that?”

“Louis-”

“He’s really soft too, turned to goo over the special cards the girls sent me that were in braille. Got a bit weepy, actually, the sop. Said it was the sweetest thing ever, and then sighed about wanting his own pups someday, like it was nothing, like that wouldn’t fuck with my head.”

“Louis, please.”

Louis finally turns his head in Liam’s direction, knows his face is showing the longing he’s been aching with ever since it took root in his chest. “What the fuck do I do, Liam? He wouldn’t want me like that, but I want-” his voice cracks, and he turns his face back downwards. “What do you do when you’re not perfect for the person who’s perfect for you?”

“6:55 pm” is announced to him when Louis has his phone read out the time, and he counts the supplies he has ready in the bedroom once again. There’s plenty, more than necessary really, but it comforts him when he thumbs over six boxes of granola and a dozen water bottles. He mentally tallies all the places he’s made sure a rubber is available throughout the flat, just in case they have sex somewhere other than his bedroom, and then rustles through his bedside table to make sure there’s plenty there as well.

Counting his steps to the kitchen, he checks that the bananas he’d gotten are still right where he left them, as well as the jar of peanut butter. He counts the prepackaged food in the fridge yet again, and Louis’ cleaned his flat to the best of his ability. It’s his wolf, fussy and wanting to make a good impression. It’s his heart, wanting Harry to feel taken care of.

He’s just about to check the time again when there’s a knock at the front door, making his heart stutter in his chest. Wiping his sweaty palms over his jogger clad thighs, the alpha counts the ten steps it takes to get to the entryway and unlocks the door.

Taking a deep breath in when the door cracks open, Louis’ hit with honeysuckle and sweet citrus and he nearly tears the door off its hinges to open it wider. A shiver runs down his spine at the heady scent as it’s fanned into his face by the swinging door, and the alpha salivates at the hint of honey coyly teasing him.

“Harry.” The name comes out reverent, Louis already panting as his limbs shake from holding himself back. They stand there, the alpha’s head tilted to listen to the way Harry’s heart flutters quickly. Like a rabbit.

Like prey .

“You gonna invite me in, Lou? Or are we adding the welcome mat outside your flat to our list of weird places we’ve had sex?” Harry purrs, always so velvet in his flirtations, but there’s a tremor there that makes Louis smirk. The omega shifts, boots scruffing against the floor, and Louis grabs for him quick as a blink.

It’s awkward, since Louis mostly ends up yanking Harry to him by his grip on the front of his shirt, but the omega melts against him with a quiet whimper and wraps long arms around Louis’ neck. Closing the door, the alpha locks it back and presses Harry into it, a mirror to that first night together.

“Smell so good Hazza, sweet for me aren’t you?” Louis’ voice comes out in a growl, nervousness from earlier gone with unchecked lust in its wake. He licks across skin, mouths at what he can reach, and runs his hands all over Harry’s torso and thighs. Burying his nose against what must be Harry’s neck, the alpha inhales deep and rumbles out a pleased moan at the intoxicating scent.

Harry keens in answer, legs widening their stance to make room for Louis to press between, rutting his hips greedily against where they're both hard beneath their clothing. He tugs Louis’ lips to his, the kiss bruising and deep from the start. Louis gropes at the soft pudge on Harry’s hips, uses his grip to rock the omega against him so they grind together rougher, making Harry whine against Louis’ tongue.

The wolf in Louis’ chest has taken over his mind, driven wilder by the way Harry reacts to him, for him, and it pushes the alpha for more, wants to know Louis’ made the omega feel good. He slots a hand into the space between them, pressing the palm tight against Harry’s bulge and swallowing the whimper the touch elicits. Grinding his palm along the prominent line of Harry’s cock through his trousers, Louis purrs when the omega begins grinding his hips up against his hand with fervor, big hands gripping Louis’ biceps.

They break apart from their kiss when Harry moans, panting as he works himself with Louis’ help. “Lou, Louis it- fuck! -gonna come if you keep that up!” when Louis just growls his approval, Harry scrambles for better purchase on Louis’ shoulders when his knees go weak. “Please, I’m so wet already, could just slip in, wanna come on your cock, please! ”

Growling again, since he seems to have forgotten how to use words, Louis works Harry’s jeans open and shoves them down with his underwear, pushing his own joggers down enough to free his cock. There’s a string of rubbers that he wrestles from his pocket, holding it up for Harry meaningfully.

Thankfully, the omega understands his appointed task as he takes the rubbers from him so Louis’ fingers are free to reach around Harry and sink into the wet, silky heat of his entrance. The action makes Harry keen and stutter his hips back for more, but when Louis nips at his jaw the omega gets back to freeing the rubber out of its foil while the alpha quickly works him open.

Harry hadn’t lied, he really is gushing with slick and ripe for Louis to fuck into, and as soon as the condom is secured onto his cock Louis’ slipping his fingers out with a wet slurp. The omega is shivering and whimpering against him, and goes easily when Louis bends and lifts him under the thighs. Arms wrap around his neck again, and lips smear against the underside of his jaw as Louis gets them into position, the door providing perfect leverage. Once he’s certain his hold on Harry won’t falter, Louis maneuvers carefully to grip his dick, holding it steady as he drops the omega down in increments until the head pops past the slick messy rim.

It’s a slow, steady progression from there as they both moan, Louis taking his time to sink further into the perfect heat. His wolf wants to just slam in, fuck hard and brutal from the get go, but Louis has at least enough control to wait until Harry’s ready before he starts moving. Once he’s buried to the hilt, hitching Harry’s legs over his arms for a better hold, he keeps still with tense muscles and determination. Harry bucks against him soon, though, whimpering and begging for more and Louis’ all too eager to oblige.

He doesn’t bother with slow, not now that Harry’s scratching over the cotton still covering Louis’ shoulder blades and moaning in his ear. They set a fast pace, shallow but powerful thrusts that have Harry breathing a chant of “ yes yes yes ” and makes the door rattle on its hinges. It doesn’t take much longer for Harry to spill over first with a choked off whine, the smell of his release urging the alpha to find his own completion.

But Louis’ muscles are beginning to ache, and knotting Harry like this wouldn’t end well, so instead he slows his pace before letting himself slip out. The omega in his arms whimpers at the loss, grunting when Louis sets him down on his feet. They’re both panting heavily, and Louis doesn’t bother standing anymore as he crumples onto his back, pulling Harry down with him.

They land in a tangle of limbs, Louis pulling and tugging and groping until he’s straddled Harry across his hips, grunting and growling as he lines himself back up with the omega’s sweet hole. Harry helps, hushing his fevered movements and sinking back down onto his aching cock. The alpha grips at soft hips, planting his feet and pistoning up into Harry with longer, rougher thrusts that punch hiccuped moans out of the man riding him.

His knot is already half formed, tugging at Harry’s rim with every backstroke, and the fear that had gripped him the first time they were in this position is gone, replaced by the delicious certainty of Harry moaning above him. When his knot’s gotten nearly big enough, he slows down, instead popping it back and forth, in and out past Harry’s rim, just to make the omega squirm. To hear him whimper.

Before it gets too large, Louis finally grinds himself deep and pops his knot inside with a hiss, growling while his hips swivel and twitch. Releasing one of his hands from their bruising grip on Harry’s hips, he finds the omega’s cock to start stroking, pulling sweet gasps and whimpers into the air until Harry’s curling forward, hair tickling Louis’ face as they both reach a climax.

They stay like that, panting and trying to regain at least a small amount of composure, Harry curled over him and Louis petting slowly over whatever he can reach. Everything feels cast in sharp relief, like any moment Louis might see the world for the first time. Instead, the tense air between them gets disrupted by Harry chuckling breathlessly.

“Don’t you hold your wolf back ever again. That was...fucking amazing .” There’s lips kissing along the underside of Louis’ jaw, the omega’s voice still breathless as he adds, “Also, we might have...a complication.”

Louis grunts curiously, brain still not quite back online and nose brushing over the inviting scent of Harry’s skin. There’s something...extra, something that has his wolf panting with its tongue lolled out even though he’s already knotted up inside the sweet smelling omega.

Harry seems to take a moment to gather himself, sharing a kiss with Louis that has the alpha purring with delight. Finally, when they break apart, the omega whispers against his lips as if it’s a secret. “My heat got triggered early. Again.”

Chapter Text

Harry needs to have a serious talk with his doctor. This is twice now his heat has been out of sync, which means his suppressants aren’t doing their job. Which kind of interferes with Harry’s plans. A lot.

As it stands, Harry’s laid out on his side on Louis’ bed, the alpha behind him and thrusting into the omega’s soaking hole with rough rolls of his hips. They’ve been switching positions every time they start back up, so they won’t be as sore after, since the need to fuck and claim and knot is doubled. Just when a rut wave ends, a heat wave begins, and Harry’s sorta losing track of how many times he’s had an orgasm spilled out of him.

It’s the best rut Harry’s spent with Louis so far, and the best heat he’s ever experienced in his life . Every time Louis knots him, growling out praises, it makes something inside of him purr in contentment. Perhaps it’s Harry’s own wolf, a presence much quieter than that of his alpha counter parts. It would explain why there’s a whisper, a promise of something Harry doesn’t want to think about just yet sighing through his veins when Louis takes him apart.

Right, plans. Harry had them. Has them.

It’s hard to focus, brain swimming in endorphins and the nectar rich scent of them . He’s too caught up in how good it feels when they lock together again and Harry spills onto the bed sheets in weak drips.

Harry might have to wait to tell Louis his plan later, when he’s able to hold onto his blurry thoughts for longer than it takes for the alpha to wrap a hand around the omega’s sore cock. For now, Louis’ thumbing over his cockhead, slippery with pre-come and past release, and Harry can’t help but lose himself to the way his veins sing with arousal all over again.

“Come on, my sweet boy, need to milk you dry.” Louis grits into his ear, and hearing the words makes Harry start clenching his passage rhythmically, trying to milk the knot tied inside of him, despite the condom catching it all. The action earns him an approving groan, Louis hunching his hips in tiny thrusts. “Fuck, wish you were getting filled up to bursting, don’t you? Milking my cock like a greedy little omega, trying to run me dry.”

Harry whines, reaching up to rub over his own nipples. Yeah, he’s a good boy, dirty in the best way, gonna make his alpha proud. Squeezing his pecs, he imagines them heavy with milk for Louis’ pups. The thought makes him throw his head back, cock kicking dryly in Louis’ fist before everything goes dark.

Harry wakes slowly, mind dragging itself through thick clouds of exhaustion as sleep releases him. He feels sore, in the shifting of his muscles and the stretch of his skin, but it’s not an unpleasant feeling. Just bogs him down, makes him sink into the mattress under him and refuse to open his eyes.

At least, until a hot, wet sensation brings his mind crashing down into wakefulness. His eyes fly open and Harry peeks down his body with a confused groan. There, asleep between his legs, is Louis. The alpha’s head is resting on Harry’s hip, and it seems he fell asleep with the omega’s cock still in his mouth . The realisation is so ridiculous it makes laughter bubble up in Harry’s chest.

The sound startles the alpha, whose head pops up enough that Harry’s cock slips out of his mouth, lips still stuck in an ‘O’ shape. Louis snuffles shortly, rubbing a hand over his face and feeling around himself to reorient his mind to his surroundings.

“Morning,” Harry rasps, voice rough from how many moans he must have let loose over...however many days it’s been. “Please, don’t let me stop you. I’ve never had anyone warm my cock before. Might help soothe any chafing.”

The omega widens his legs just a bit more, folding his arms behind his head even though Louis can’t see the suggestive pose. It’s the thought that counts.

Slowly sitting up, the alpha stretches himself with trembling limbs before prowling forward over Harry’s body, plotting his path with kisses up the omega’s torso. When he reaches Harry’s jaw, the alpha settles against him and gives Harry a clumsy kiss on the lips. “I have a soothing cream we can use, after a bath.” Another, more accurate kiss, then, “Not that I’m entirely opposed to sucking you off again before we move in that direction.”

Humming, Harry brushes his lips against Louis’, trading lazy kisses between them for a minute or so. This is becoming something Harry looks forward to, the soft cool down he has with Louis after the main event has passed. It’s slow and drenched in contentment, Louis’ hands unhurried where they drag over Harry’s skin, the omega’s fingertips sluggish as they trail along the alpha’s spine.

Flinching with a hiss, Louis arches his back away from Harry’s fingers. The alpha’s face is a mask of discomfort, and Harry pouts at their kissing being interrupted. “Wha’s wrong?”

“Back feels a bit stingy, take a look for me? Please?” Louis plants a quick kiss before retreating to sit up again, turning his back to Harry.

“Oh, fuck, Lou!” Harry gasps, sitting up himself to edge fingertips gently over the alpha’s skin. His back is scratched up, thin red lines marking pathways up either side of the alpha’s spine, concentrated over his shoulder blades. “Sorry, I scratched you up pretty aggressively. Guess we’ll both need that cream.”

“Well, I’m sure in the moment it was fuckin brilliant,” comes Louis’ dry answer, unconsciously trying to push into Harry’s touch and then pulling away again when it causes a sting.

Harry bites back a grin, watching Louis twitch under his fingers. It’s not that he thinks Louis’ pain is funny, it’s more that he can see the alpha’s cock starting to chub up when he peeks around his side. Dragging his fingertips along four parallel scratches makes Louis’ breath hitch, and leaning forward to lick over a shallow pink mark draws out a moan.

“A bath will help. I’m not done with cuddling, so prepare for a long-” Harry cuts off when a thought occurs, and then he’s scrambling for his skinny jeans pocket, his overnight bag, the floor, trying to find his mobile. Cursing, he finally locates it under the edge of the bed and tries to unlock it.

Dead. Fuck .

“Haz? What’s wrong, love?” the endearment barely phases Harry as he yanks out his charger to plug his phone in. Louis’ sat on the bed, looking more than a little lost, brows furrowing and head tilted. Listening.

Frowning down at his mobile, Harry pouts a little when he sees it’ll take some time before he’ll be able to turn it on. “I don’t know how long I’ve been here. I know I’ve ended up missing some work.” Sighing, the omega sets the phone on the nightstand and reaches for Louis, helping him to stand from the bed. “C’mon, lets take that bath while it charges. I can worry about it after we feel cleaner and have a soothing cream rubbed in.”

“You’re sure? My phone might still have a charge...wherever it is.” Louis frowns, thumbs rubbing at Harry’s wrists where he holds them. Harry only answers him with a kiss on the cheek.

The omega leads them into the ensuite, starting up their usual routine of drawing the bath. It’s easy for him to sink into the large tub with his back pressed to Louis’ chest, easy to turn his head and nose along the alpha’s jaw. Easy to lay kisses there and hum happily when Louis turns his face to connect their lips.

Easy.

Since when was it so easy to cross the line between something casual and something more?

They talk, because that’s what they seem to do recently. It’s why Harry knows Louis’ older than him by a few years, has a successful career as a ghostwriter (though he refuses to tell Harry which songs he’s written), and has the softest heart of any alpha Harry’s ever met. Why he knows that Louis gets food delivered because while he can cook, it’s only simple things and he needs a better diet than cheese toasties and soup.

He’s also learned that children make Louis’ heart melt and that he comes from a big family, the oldest of seven. Harry knows about how Louis wants pups of his own, even though he’s never actually admitted it. It’s in the way the alpha goes soft talking about his sisters and brother, the way he smiles when Harry tells him about the kids who visit the bakery after school lets out.

A little too late, Harry realizes he likes Louis for more than getting off together.

“So, I had an idea,” the omega purrs while he revels in Louis’ hands dragging over his water slick skin. They’ve finished scrubbing off, just enjoying the lingering tendrils of warmth left in the water before it’s too cool to stay in. “What do you think about getting tested between now and next time? If I’m gonna be landing in your bed every month I might as well find out if we always have to wrap it up.”

The air spikes with diluted spice and citrus as Louis burrows his face against Harry’s neck, hiding. The omega giggles at the bashful reaction, contrasting to the way Louis’ clutching at the soft pudge of his hips. The fact there’s still more that can cause the alpha to blush has Harry nuzzling against Louis’ soft hair where it tickles his jaw.

“How long have you been thinking about that particular naughty treat?” Louis finally mumbles against Harry’s shoulder, tilting his head to press kisses there as well.

“Only as long as I’ve been thinking about it,” Harry replies, earning Louis’ fingers dancing over his sides for his cheekiness. He squirms, giggling as water sloshes against the sides of the tub and trying to pull Louis’ tickling fingers away. “Mercy, mercy!”

Louis relents, if only so they don’t spill any water out onto the floor. “I suppose I could drop by the clinic before next-” the alpha trails off, then curses softly. “My next rut’s gonna hit during the holidays, isn’t it? Fuck, I won’t be here. Wait, damnit, how am supposed to visit back home if I wanna fuck everything that moves?!”

“Fuck me first, then go see family,” Harry states with a shrug. Louis seems to at least think it over, rubbing his fingers in circles in the dip of the omega’s waist. Harry decides to sweeten the pot. “Besides, if my heat coincides with your rut again, then we’ll get both out of the way before we’re off on holiday. Two birds, one stone.”

The alpha has become distracted with paving a trail of kisses across Harry’s shoulders, but pauses at the crook of the omega’s neck. Lingering for a long inhale of the scent there, Louis seems to make up his mind. “Alright, you’ve convinced me.”

Harry gives a cheer, too loud for the shared space, and Louis shuts him up by slotting their lips together.

”Styles? Harry Styles?” A nurse calls from the door that leads back to the exam rooms. Harry perks up and gets to his feet, placing the gossip mag back where he’d found it. He never believed a word in them, but liked to peruse through and laugh at the lack of common sense.

Following the nurse as they lead him to the room he’d be in for his check up, the omega catches the neutral, soft floral scent of a beta wafting off of their scrubs. Which makes sense for a medical office, as betas would have a less likely chance of triggering someone’s rut or heat, or being triggered themselves. True, betas have to deal with their swoons, but the biological need to sleep for a week isn’t brought on by scent, so there’s no real danger.

Betas always smelled the way water tasted at 2 a.m. to Harry, like quenching a thirst that he could easily ignore. He didn’t know many personally, aside from Niall, but he’d also never understood why people tended to write them off. Just because they didn’t go sex crazy every month? Honestly…

Harry’s snapped out of his thoughts by the nurse opening an exam room door and gesturing the omega inside. They go through the motions of getting Harry’s height, weight, blood pressure, and temperature, and then he’s left to sit on the crinkly, paper covered bench to wait for the doctor.

As he waits, he lets his heels thump gently against the exam table and looks around at the sterile decor. It reminds him of Louis’ flat, all neutral tones and minimal decoration. He’s smiling, thinking about the alpha, when a knock comes on the door and the doctor enters the room.

“I’m filling in for Dr. Morgan today, Mr. Styles, I hope that’s alright. I’m Dr. Payne, pleasure to meet you,” the man greets, warm and friendly, and Harry has the strangest feeling he’s seen him once before. He’s also surprised to note the doctor is an alpha, though he must be wearing a neutralizing spray because the soft scent of pine coming off of him is weak. It’s nice though, comforting, and Harry feels relaxed in his company.

“It’s alright, I just hope he’s gone because he’s vacationing in Tahiti, rather than sick in bed or something.” It’s a bit prying, but Harry’s always been a little inquisitive in nature.

The doctor chuckles, going through the rigamarole of listening to Harry’s heart and lungs. “Don’t worry, Dr. Morgan is one of the healthiest among us.” He moves on to giving Harry a very clinical scenting, humming at something he must pick up with the omega’s scent. He makes some notes in his chart, then sets the folder aside to give Harry his full attention. “Now, I was told we’re here to do sexual wellness tests?”

The omega snorts at the wording, but can’t help smiling at the caring nature of the doctor. He must be bonded, if Harry’s this comfortable around him. “I also have some questions about my suppressants, my heats have been off schedule, and more intense as of late.”

Dr. Payne’s eyebrows crease, pouty lips frowning. “How long have you been on your current suppressants?” he asks, turning back to Harry’s chart to check something. “You’re on the Suppressaplex shot, correct?”

“Yeah, have been for...maybe two years now? It’s been the most effective so far, but the past two heats have been early and, ehm.” Harry finds his face heating despite himself. “Intense.”

The doctor seems to pinken in the cheeks as well, clearing his throat and diverting his eyes to the chart. “Has there been a major change in your life? Sometimes stress or having your routine shaken up can cause an influx of hormones that can disrupt the effectiveness of suppressants.”

Harry tries to think over his daily life, but everything has been just as steady as usual. “No, nothing’s changed really. If anything, I’ve been more at ease.” the omega smiles, thinking about the lingering goodbye kisses he’d shared with Louis in the hallway outside the alpha’s flat until an elderly neighbor had tutted at them. “ Really at ease.”

The doctor raises his eyebrows, but makes no comment. “What about sexual activity? You’re unbonded, but I can certainly catch a strong alpha scent mixed with your own. Not to mention…” The doctor gestures towards his own throat, and Harry know it’s in reference to the still prominent love bites adorning the omega’s neck. “Have you been seeing someone in particular?”

“I...well, yeah, but I tend to spend ruts with alphas often? I’ve never had a problem, and I try to be as safe as possible.” Harry’s face crumples in confusion. Could spending ruts with Louis really have an effect this quick?

“Spending ruts with different alphas wouldn’t be a problem, but if you’ve been spending ruts with one alpha in particular, especially one you’re compatible with, that could be the cause of your suppressants going out of sync.” Dr. Payne informs gently, no judgement to be found. Despite how open their society is, there are still some who believe omegas should be submissive and sweet, staying untouched until bonded. Thankfully, it seems the kind doctor doesn’t hold that mindset. “Have you spent any of your heats with this alpha? That could also have an effect.”

Harry squirms, biting at his bottom lip and mentally chiding himself. “I...may have spent the last one with him, uhm...it got triggered even earlier when I arrived at his flat and smelled the rut on him.” It’s been a long time since the omega’s felt sheepish about his promiscuity. “Dr. Payne? If my suppressants aren’t working to regulate my heats anymore, what about the birth control part? Am I at risk?”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about right now, but we can switch you to something that’s specifically meant for birth control for now, if you’d like. Sometimes the best way to get things back under control is to stop the suppressants for a while and simply let your body do what it wants.” The man pulls a pen from his crisp, white coat pocket and clicks the tip out, writing something down. “You could also take a break from seeing this particular alpha through his ruts for a while, if-”

“No!” The word bursts into the quiet room in a too loud rush, and Harry’s sure he’s every shade of red as he slaps a hand over his mouth. Softer, he mumbles “I’d rather not” from behind his hand, eyes trained on a crack in the linoleum floor.

There’s a soft chuckle, and when Harry chances a look up at the other man he finds warm brown eyes crinkled in a kind smile. “Then my suggestion would be to enjoy the next few heats with him, as it will ease the fever most effectively.”

There’s something about the doctor’s face, how approachable he seems, that niggles at the back of Harry’s mind. He can almost imagine soft, floppy brown ears and a wet nose-

“Oh!” for the second time Harry disrupts the muted quiet of the exam room, but this time he’s pointing his finger straight at the alpha’s face. “Liam! You’re Louis’ friend, right? I thought I’d seen that puppy face before!”

Dr. Payne looks startled for a moment, then his whole face lights up with excited glee. “You’re that Harry? I thought your scent seemed familiar! Wow, it’s so weird to meet you this way!” They almost shake hands, but stop short with a laugh. Right. Health Clinic. “Bit awkward knowing my best friend is the one messing with your heat cycle. Unless…?”

“No, I haven’t seen anyone else...well, except for a short rut with a friend, but I know it wasn’t...it’s Louis.” Harry flushes once more, saying it out loud. The words echo in his head, and rolling them on his tongue makes them mean something more. “It’s Louis.”

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Liam thumbs at his brow while looking over his notes. “Uhm, so...if it would be more comfortable for you, would you rather have someone else handle your sexual wellness tests? I’ll understand if you do, I can only imagine how I might feel in your, ehm...position.”

Biting back a grin, Harry leans forward a bit with a practiced smirk. “I won’t tell Louis if you don’t.”

With an added wink for good measure, Harry’s laughs in delight when he manages to make Liam drop the chart and stutter through the rundown of how the tests will be conducted. He can see why the man is such a good friend for Louis, and the omega smiles knowing the blind alpha has such a good influence in his life.

“Niall, I’ve got a problem.” Harry calls by way of greeting when the beta visits the following day, laid out dramatically on the couch as Niall lets himself in with the spare key. That he ‘secretly’ made for himself. Just in case. Even though it was only one time Harry had called him after being surprised with a heat. While in the shower.

Point is, the beta worries too much.

Niall snorts at the sight of Harry’s prone form, kicking at the sole of his foot. “Don’t we all. Stop posing for the front of a bodice ripper and budge up, you only have the one couch.”

Giving a put upon sigh, Harry moves his legs out of the way and instead now kneels in the floor with his upper body smushed into the sofa cushion, arms akimbo. “Niiiiiaaaaallllll, what do I dooooo?” he groans, muffled by the cushion.

The beta seems unimpressed when his only reply is “Sit like a normal person for starters.” Harry pouts up at him, but rearranges himself so he’s at least flopped into a semi upright position. Rolling his eyes, Niall decides to leave it be. “So, what specifically seems to be this problem of yours?”

“I like Louis,” comes out stroppy, but really Harry just feels confused over the admission. It’s been a while since he let himself look at anyone as more than a means to a delightful end, and his feelings for Louis sneaking up on him makes it all the more unfair.

Niall doesn’t seem to understand his plight, because when Harry doesn’t supply anymore information, the beta prompts him with raised eyebrows and a drawn out “Aaannnddd…?”

“And I don’t know what to do about it, Nialler!” Harry cries, arms raising up in defeat, like he’s begging for help from above. He knows he’s being over dramatic, but it feels good to express himself all the same.

“Oh my lord, you’re actin like this over a crush? On a boy ye’ve been fuckin’ already?” Niall grumbles, and shoves Harry bodily off the couch. “I don’t see this as a problem. Just tell him you wanna date and give him a suck. Now where’s the remote, we’re missin’ Bake Off.”

While Niall switches the telly on and flips to the right channel, Harry lays sprawled out on his living room floor between his couch and coffee table, pouting. And thinking. And pouting again. “It’s not that simple.”

“I think you’ll find that it is, lad. You like him, he obviously likes you.” Niall leans over to look his friend in the eye. “Harry, ye’ve spent a heat with the guy. That’s like, your number one rule: don’t share heats with anyone you aren’t lookin’ to mate with. And here you are, fussin’ over whether or not you should date him?”

Chewing at the inside of his cheek, Harry considers being obstinate for a bit longer, but Niall might kick him out of his own flat if he does. He’s saved from further thought by his phone vibrating loudly against the coffee table in two quick bursts.

A text from Louis.

He’d changed the alpa’s vibration pattern to be different from everyone else’s so that he’d always know it was Louis. Perhaps that should’ve been his first clue he was heading in the direction of a crush.

Or maybe the little kissy face emoji he’d added to Louis’ contact name should’ve tipped him off. Or the way he smiles whenever he opens up a new text.

Mum says she just hopes I’ll be home for my birthday, otherwise she’s fine with me getting my rut out of the way before I travel. By the way, I should have my test results by this weekend.

Harry ignores the kissy noises Niall’s making at him as he types out his answer.

When’s your birthday, then? x

Then, after shoving Niall’s face away with his foot and cackling at the squawk it earns him, he tacks on another.

I should get mine beginning of next week. We can find out at the start of your rut, like a saucy surprise. x

“I swear to god if you’re sexting down there I’m tossin’ your arse outside and makin you fend for yourself.” Niall states, tone flippant as he rubs off the residual feeling of Harry’s foot against his cheek. “Swear, you’re gonna send me into a swoon with your antics.”

“God forbid you help your best friend through a crisis.” Harry volleys back, feet now draped awkwardly over Niall’s lap as the beta settles into the butt grove he’s been wearing into the couch cushion. There’s no heat in the exchange, familiarity softening their words.

Just as Niall blows a raspberry, Harry’s phone vibrates again with a response from Louis.

Christmas Eve, which isn’t as cool as it sounds. A lot of people lump my birthday and Christmas gift together, cheap fucks.

And then right after, another message pops up.

Might want to come early then, so we can at least be a little clear headed when we’re finding out. Looking forward to it. ;)

Biting back a grin at the mental image of Louis specifically saying “semicolon, end parenthesis” just to make the winky face, Harry wonders who taught the blind man how to make emoticons.

“Alright.” the omega says, sitting up and letting his feet slip out of Niall’s lap. “Let’s learn me how to court an alpha.”

Niall cheers, tackling him to the floor again with a hug that turns into a wrestling match. After they’ve fixed the coffee table back into place and finished watching the Bake Off episode, the two look up youtube videos with advice on omegas looking to turn the tables and do their own courting.

All in all, Harry’s got a plan of action for the next time he sees Louis.

Chapter Text

Louis sits restlessly, listening to the ringing down the line of his mobile, and wills Liam to pick up. He’s kicking himself for not asking the doctor he’d visited to get his testing done, embarrassed to be asking his friend about such a personal matter. But he needs to know.

Still doesn’t make it any less embarrassing.

The line clicks, and the sound of muffled ambient sounds follows before his friend is answering with a cheerful, “Hello?”

“Hey Li, where are you right now?” Louis inquires, biting at the skin around his thumbnail. He’d rather not have Liam discussing such private things out where just anyone could hear.

The background noise cuts off soon after, like Liam’s closed himself in a secluded area. “I’m just at the clinic, about to go on lunch break. Why? What’s wrong?” Louis can understand why Liam is such a great doctor, voice soothing and genuinely caring.

“Just had a question about, eh...about my next rut.” Louis shifts on the couch and his leg starts bouncing.

There’s a pause, and Louis can almost smell the tang of awkwardness wafting through the phone line. “Lou, I thought we agreed I didn’t, as a friend, want to know about your personal life.” The other alpha clears his throat, and Louis would find his discomfort laughable if he himself didn’t feel so weird about it.

“I know, but this doesn’t have to do with sex so I’m asking anyways.” Louis takes a breath to steel himself, then lets it release through his teeth. “How early should Harry and I…” licking his lips, Louis starts again. “We both got tested for, erm, things , and we need to look over and discuss what our results will mean before my next rut.” clearing his suddenly dry throat, Louis shifts yet again. “How, ehm...how early should we meet?”

“It’s never a simple question with you, is it?” Liam responds, but his voice holds humour in it so Louis doesn’t feel put down by the question. “How soon are you getting your test results?”

“Just got them today, and Harry should be getting his any day now.” He goes back to gnawing at the hangnail he now has from picking at his cuticle. He gets it wedged between the tips of his front teeth and yanks, the pinprick of blood scenting the air with diluted copper. Oops. He sucks at the spot before wiping his thumb against his joggers distractedly.

“And when’s your next rut?” Liam’s slipped into his doctor voice, professional curiosity colouring his tone.

Louis counts once more in his head, though he already knows the answer. “Should hit on Tuesday next week. I’m gunna take something the doctor prescribed to help get it triggered early, so the estimate might be off.”

“That’s close enough to when your rut would happen anyways that it should work out alright. I’d suggest meeting up two days before, though, just in case it comes earlier. If not, you two can enjoy each other’s company while you wait,” some shuffling scrapes through the line, and Louis holds the phone away with a wince. “Sorry, trying to get out of me coat. Is there anything else you needed, Lou? I really should go for lunch now if I want to eat before my afternoon appointments.”

“No, no, that was it really.” Louis slumps back on the couch, body starting to relax now that the awkward bit is over. “Though I’m not sure Harry’ll want to hang around waiting for my rut to start. I guess he can visit first and then just come back for the main event.”

“Louis, calling it things like ‘main event’ does not make it any less awkward for me.” there’s more static shuffling, then, “And I hardly think he’ll mind it. He seemed quite, uhm...excited about it, when I saw him.”

Every joint in Louis’ body locks up with tension. “What.”

“Oh, did neither of us tell you?” Anyone else would probably sound as if they were trying to play innocent, but Liam sounds genuinely surprised. “Oops, sorry Lou, I meant to tell you, guess I just forgot.”

“Tell me what.” Louis has sat up now, on the edge of the couch like he might leap through the mobile line. He’s tense, breath shallow as he listens intently to his friend on the other line. His alpha friend. Who apparently met his omega.

Not ours, a quiet voice whispers from the back of his mind. The wolf bares his teeth.

Liam seems able to sense the tension, as when he responds it’s with a cautious voice, like he’s approaching an animal. “It’s not a big deal, Lou, honestly. I was going to tell you anyway, wasn’t hiding it or anything.” The tone, Louis being treated like he’s wild, only riles him up more.

“Tell me what , Payne.” Louis’ listening so hard he can hear the other man swallow. Good , the wolf thinks. He should be nervous.

“When Harry went to get tested, he came to the clinic. I didn’t even know he was your Harry until he recognized me from that picture you’d sent him a month or so back.” Liam’s voice is purposefully light, like it’s not a big deal.

Louis growls. “If you touched him, I swear to god Payne-!”

“Woah, calm down Lou, I’m a doctor, remember?”

“An alpha , who touched my -”

“A bonded alpha, Louis!” Liam cuts across, voice gone hard but not harsh. When Louis scoffs, he hears one of Liam’s very rare growls and finally snaps out of it for a moment. “I didn’t even do that part of the tests, especially not after we figured out who the other was. I only did my regular check up routine and got a blood sample, honest.”

Louis slumps back onto the sofa, deflated. He drags a hand over his face and puffs his cheeks out with a deep breath, blowing it out into the quiet living area. The walls of his flat must be judging him. He deserves it. “You’re right, Li, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t even get up in arms like that, he’s not mine. Harry’s free to do what he likes. Even if we were...more, it’s not like I’d own him.”

Louis listens to Liam regain his own composure on the other end. It’s generally frowned upon to insinuate an alpha would be unfaithful to their bondmate, and if Liam were a different kind of man Louis would be fearful of getting his arse handed to him. However, because Liam’s a teddy bear, the other alpha settles down easily. “I know you didn’t Lou. Honestly, the two of you need to get your shit together.”

“Shut up, it's not like you were any better back in uni!” Louis snipes back, scowling when it only gets a laugh out of his friend. Then, when the meaning of what Liam implied catches up with him, Louis mutters out a confused, “Hang on, what do you mean the two of us? Did Harry say something?”

“Sorry Lou, gotta go, lunch time!” Liam rushes out before the line disconnects.

Louis sits there dumbfounded for a moment before trying to call Liam back. When neither that nor texting works to get Liam to answer him, Louis resorts to sprawling out on the couch with a frustrated groan.

What is this, primary school? The direction his life has taken is not one he could have possibly foreseen.

Ha. Fore seen . Even Louis’ humour seems to have downgraded.

Turning over on the sofa cushions, the alpha seems to stir up some of the still lingering scent of honeysuckle stored in the spongy surface. Pressing his face there, Louis inhales deep before he can think about how creepy his instincts are becoming. Despite this, the smell calms the wolf in his chest and he purrs in contentment, rolling around on his sofa like he’s a kid rubbing in the scent of family after a hard day at school.

When he finally settles, sprawled out on his back and a leg hanging off the side, Louis thinks about the task ahead.

Louis may be a coward, but in his defense it’s lunchtime, as Liam had stated. So if he takes his time heating up and enjoy one of his packaged lunches and clean up afterward, you can’t blame him.

The entire hour and a half he takes to clean the rest of his already spotless flat is less defensible, as well as the too long shower he stands in until the water runs cold. He’s stalling, but it still feels too soon when he’s checking the time and finds that Harry should be getting off of work any minute now. He’s just starting to pull out his guitar to try and flesh out the ending of the latest sappy as fuck song he’s put together when his phone starts going off.

“Harry calling! Harry calling!”

Once again, he very nearly flings his guitar into the void because Harry’s calling him while the instrument is in his hands. He’s very carefully placing his livelihood back in its case when it really hits him.

Oh God.

Harry is calling him!

Scrambling for his mobile, he feels like the cartoons his sisters try to describe for him, the small device jumping from one hand to the other. He must have looked ridiculous, and he’s glad for once he can’t witness his own flailing. Finally, he manages to press the answer button and hold it up to his ear.

“Hello?” Louis pats himself on the back for not sounding like his heart is pounding in his throat.

“Loooouuu, how are you?” comes that melodic voice from down the line. Even over the phone, Harry’s voice manages to pour out like honey. “Didn’t text me all day, you’re not coming down with something are you?” His voice is pouty, like Harry’s got his bottom lip stuck out, and Louis thinks about how plump those lips really are.

“Don’t worry, love, I’m fine,” wincing at the slip of endearment, Louis hopes Harry doesn’t notice somehow. “What about you? Did you have a good day?”

Harry hums on the other end, and it all almost feels domestic. “Was fine, a really cute older couple stopped by today that pulled on my heartstrings. The alpha was so doting, it was the cutest thing, Lou!” The omega clears his throat, and Louis hears wind cut across the microphone. “Oops, sorry, just walked round a corner, I’d duck in somewhere less windy.”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to-” before Louis can finish, the other end goes quiet and Harry picks up the conversation.

“Uhm, I actually needed to talk to you about something.” There’s a bit of shuffling, and a sigh. “When, erm...when did you want to meet up? For looking over our test results, I mean, uhm. Just, you know, planning would be easier if we do it, uh, do it asap?”

It’s the most disjointed Louis’ ever heard Harry be, stall words and backtracking with nervous sounding hums. It’s a little off putting, but the alpha doesn’t think pointing it out will help anything. “I was actually planning to talk to you about that, just got...distracted,” he hopes Harry doesn’t catch the small fib. “Doctor’s advice suggests we see each other two days before my rut gets triggered. You could come over to mine if you like, or we could meet at a cafe or something instead?”

“That’s over the weekend, right? I could just come over and spend the night. If - I mean, just in case, you know? If you’d rather I leave until your rut hits that’s fine too!” Why does Harry sound so nervous? Louis’ never heard him be this uneasy. “It’s whatever you want…”

The alpha wishes he could be there with Harry tucked away wherever his is. That way he could scent the air, figure out why Harry seems so out of sorts. Maybe press in close and whisper how very much he would like Harry to stay with him.

As it is, they’re on opposite ends of a phone line. “You’re always welcome in my home, Harry, thought you might’ve caught that by now,” he makes sure his voice is as warm as he feels saying the words, affection for the omega washing over him. “Maybe we can watch a movie and you can try explaining what’s going on for me.”

There’s a chuckle on the other end and Louis counts it as a victory. “Do you mind if I bring a snack? Maybe I can cook dinner for us,” he sounds hopeful, and Louis would have to be a stronger man to resist anything the younger man wants.

“That sounds lovely, Haz, can’t wait.” They talk for a little longer, agreeing on what time Harry should arrive and the movie they might share before hanging up on giddy farewells.

Louis spends an embarrassing amount of time grinning into space before he picks up his guitar and starts plucking out the new song beating in his chest.

The start of the weekend comes too soon and suddenly Louis’ already going through the by now routine of anxiously straightening out his flat before Harry arrives. He’s even tossed a freshly washed and still warm from the drier blanket over the back of the sofa for them to cuddle under during the movie. His wolf purrs happily at knowing his den is fit to entertain the delightful omega, even if Louis has to tamp down on his own eagerness.

It still feels good when a knock at the door comes, and he realizes Harry will actually be clear headed enough to hopefully appreciate what a good provider Louis can be. The alpha tries not to look like he’s preening too much as he cracks the door open slightly.

The first thing he catches a whiff of smells of meat and vegetables, and then there’s the undeniable sweet scent of citrus and floral honeysuckle that makes him salivate more than the food. “Is that pot roast I smell?”

A breathy giggle, then, “And dessert,” greets him in the quiet space outside his door. Louis pulls the door open wider, grinning before making a show of scenting the air closer to Harry and the omega giggles again while pressing a playful hand against Louis’ chest. “Down boy, that’s for after supper!”

Still smiling like an idiot, the alpha takes gentle hold of the hand on his chest, catching a hint of tartness in the action and bringing Harry’s hand up to have a better whiff. Sweet, yet clean and with a lingering twinge that makes his mouth water once more. Tugging the omega closer carefully, he smirks at figuring it out. “Strawberries.”

In lieu of an answer, Harry just hums and connects their lips in a chaste kiss. It’s a little awkward, as there’s some kind of container held to his chest that smells strongly of roast. After a moment of indulging in soft, lyric worthy kisses, Louis pulls back to allow Harry through the door.

“Where’d you get strawberries in winter? I doubt they’re exactly in season.” Louis musses as they filter through the flat and into the kitchen area.

There’s a dull thump, and Harry lets out a sigh. “I have my secrets. Lou, is it ok if I sit the crock pot on the table, or would you rather it sit in the kitchen?”

They both fall into arranging everything, setting the tupperware of strawberries in the fridge while setting the crock pot up on a counter in the kitchen. Louis lightly teases Harry for going all out on their dinner and tries not to think about what it usually means when an omega cooks for an alpha. It doesn’t stop him from sliding up behind the younger man and murmuring a genuine ‘thank you’ against his jaw.

Dinner passes in a blissful exchange of how their days went, sharing any news they might have left out while they’d been texting. Harry grows increasingly bashful from Louis’ constant praise of the lad’s cooking, and by the time they’re both full and flushed with content they’ve fallen into a comfortable silence.

Tipping back the last of his glass of wine, Louis smacks his lips and rumbles happily in his chest. He tilts his head in the general direction Harry’s in and smiles. “Clean up and then movie?”

“Lou, aren’t you forgetting something?” the question is light, and the alpha feels his face twitch in confusion until he hears paper rustling.

Right. Their tests.

He stands, counting his steps to his bedroom and procuring the envelope he’d left on his nightstand. He turns it over in his hands as he tracks back to the kitchen, feeling over the raised address lines on the special envelope. It’s still unopened, but he knows the information inside is also in braille.

When he returns to his seat, the air has taken on a charged feel to it and his leg bounces with the energy. “Alright, we check at the same time?” he asks, and Harry hums his approval.

They count down from three, feeling both giddy and nervous, and while he’s tearing open the envelope Louis thinks he might get what Schrödinger was all about a little better. The air tints with the saccharine sweet pause of bated breath, and then Louis’ unfolding the paper and following the information with the tips of his fingers. There’s a sigh from Harry’s direction, and when Louis tilts his head at the sound he has to backtrack over the words he ended up missing.

Finally, his fingers find the information he’s seeking, and Louis feels over them a few times to make sure he understands correctly.

He’s clean.

Trying to keep the bubbling joy off his face, just in case Harry’s news isn’t as good, he turns his face in the omega’s direction, trying to subtly scent the air for his mood. What he catches is the same cool smell of relief that he’s sure he’s also emitting, and he finally lets his lips tug into a smile.

“Clean?” he asks, hoping he hasn’t read the scents wrong.

“Clean.” Harry answers, and Louis can hear his smile.

Though he can’t see it, Louis smiles back. He feels almost lightheaded, now that the tension is gone, and he reaches for Harry without thought. He misses Harry’s lips the first time, but after adjusting his aim he gets it right. He’s bent over the table a bit awkwardly, but it’s worth it for the way Harry smiles against his lips.

When they part, Louis collapses back into his seat with yet another dopey grin. “You were right, sitting through a movie is gonna be way more enjoyable, now that we’ve got that out of the way.”

Harry lets out a soft chuckle, and then there’s an uptick in his breath. “Oh! Right, I wanted to let you know, I didn’t renew my suppressant shot while getting tested,” his voice grows shy towards the end, and Louis feels around for the omega’s hand on the table. The physical support of the touch seems to calm him. “Doc said it might be best to let my body, uhm, settle? Since my heats keep coming early, and...well, ehm, that it would be easier if I shared my next few heats with someone…”

Louis gives the large hand in his own a squeeze, thinking over this new information. “Did you...is there someone you have in mind?” He won’t assume, he has no claim on who Harry spends his time with. Harry can choose to spend his heats with someone else, he’s not obligated to-

“I was hoping you could take care of me? I’ll still be on birth control, don’t worry, but...I mean, if you’d be okay with that.” Harry’s voice has that same nervous quality to it as he’d sounded during their phone call earlier that week, and this time Louis’ able to reach out and find the omega’s jaw, cupping his palm around the curve and rumbling soothingly.

“I’d be more than okay with that.” His voice is quiet between them, and the moment feels intimate with both his hands actively offering comfort, body leaning towards the wonderful scent of honeysuckle.

There’s no easy way to transition into suggesting they get ready for the movie, so Louis simply doesn’t try to be suave when he breaks the silence that had descended upon them with “So, what movie did you have in mind?”

They end up cuddled on the sofa, flicking through Louis’ Netflix account while his tv reads out the titles. Most of what’s coming up are the kind of dark dramas he loves to immerse himself in, so eventually Harry snatches the remote away, smacking a kiss to his cheek. As the omega types out what he wants to watch, Louis listens to the letters get called out and snorts when he figures out what Harry’s decided they watch.

“Daredevil? Really, Haz?” He acts unamused, but really Louis is trying to ignore the way the body leaning against him isn’t making his heart pound.

Giggling, Harry shifts even closer as he settles in after apparently selecting play. “The series, not the god awful movie. I heard they did a really good job.” Louis can hear the way he tries to sound innocent, even as the Marvel splash card flicks in the background.

“And it’s just a coincidence that you’d choose a show with a blind protagonist?” the alpha murmurs low, brushing back soft hair and breathing in Harry’s good humour, fresh cut oranges blooming under his nose.

“A kick arse omega protagonist who just happens to be blind? Complete coincidence. Now hush, we’re missing plot.”

They don’t quiet after that, though, continuing to banter in between the descriptions Harry insists on giving about what’s happening (even though Louis’ Netflix, like all his things, is set to audio description). It takes a while before Louis realises that Harry’s gone off book.

“I’m pretty sure they’re not snogging right now, H.” Louis claims, the two of them giggling where they’ve become even more tangled under the blanket. “It sounds more like fighting. My telly says they are!”

“No, no, they’re fighting for dominance in the kiss! Are you doubting their love, Lou?” Harry insists, even as the audio description states that Matt Murdock, dressed as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, is in fact ambushing dudes after plunging them in darkness.

“I’m doubting your ability to commentate.”

The indignant squawk Harry lets loose only draws out an unabashed laugh from Louis, and soon they’re both gasping for air as they fall into each other with their mirth.

They fall quiet after that, relaxed by their hearty laughter and the lingering tension it released. They’ve never really done this before, just enjoyed each other’s company, and Louis finds himself dragging lazy fingertips along the side of Harry’s neck as if he does it all the time. His heart clenches for a beat when he thinks about why the omega is staying over, but he dismisses the brief sadness to instead bask in the moment.

At around the beginning of the second episode, Harry hums and disentangles himself with a kiss to Louis’ temple. That’s something the alpha’s begun to notice, the amount of kisses they’ve been exchanging is higher. Or...is it? They’re both very tactile people, perhaps this is just the way Harry interacts with those he counts as friends? After all, they’ve had a lot of sex by now, why would kissing be so out of place?

He pushes the thoughts to the back of his mind.

When Harry rejoins him, practically in Louis’ lap he’s tucked against him so close, there’s the tartly sweet scent of strawberries with him. “Figured it was time for dessert,” he purrs in Louis’ ear, making the alpha shiver at the suggestive tone.

He turns toward the omega, tongue darting out to wet his lips in anticipation. He can taste a hint of honey in the air, and he responds in kind. “May I have one?”

The alpha smells before he feels the ripe strawberry that’s brushed against his lips, and opening his mouth, he’s fed the delicious fruit. When he bites into it and the flavour bursts across his tongue, Louis’ convinced he’ll never be able to eat strawberries again without thinking about the way Harry moans softly in reaction. He chews his bite slowly, savouring the perfect mix of sweet and tart.

Louis’ fed strawberries like this until they’re gone, Harry sometimes stealing one for himself, and everything about the interaction, an omega feeding an alpha, has the wolf in his chest purring in approval. The only thing that could even compete is if Harry was fed from Louis’ hand in turn, and the thought is so heady the alpha carefully locates and turns Harry’s chin so Louis can steal a kiss.

The omega whimpers a sweet, soft sound for him, and Louis can’t help sucking at plump lips, first the top and then the bottom. It’s slow and searching, Louis taking his time to explore Harry’s mouth when he opens for his tongue.

When they finally break apart, their breath is heavy and the show playing on in the background is all but forgotten. A loud crash from the telly startles them both, breathless chuckles puffing in the heated air between them.

“We’re missing the show.” Louis whispers, stroking his finger along Harry’s cheek. “How am I supposed to know how the story goes if you’re distracting me like this?”

Harry shudders in his arms, and begins kissing along Louis’ jaw in a way that has the alpha tipping his head back with a groan. “Then I’ll just have to come visit again so we can find out together, yeah?” His breath is hot, smelling of strawberries and honey as it fans across Louis’ chin.

As the tv plays on in the background, their kissing continues in lingering, sensual presses until Harry straddles himself in Louis’ lap and cups the alpha’s jaw in his big hands. Once he’s tilted their lips together to deepen the kiss, it’s a quick slide into heavy breathing and clutching hands.

It’s filthy, but there’s something about letting oneself give in to lust like this voluntarily that lights up Louis’ nerves everywhere they touch. This isn’t because he’s in rut. This isn’t because Harry’s in heat. It’s an active choice, and that thrills him more than any base instinct ever could.

At some point Harry takes hold of Louis hands, and begins guiding them over the omega’s body in slow, encouraging drags. The alpha takes stock of the lean muscles that make up Harry’s frame, more defined than what one might expect but still with a give of softness than makes Louis’ teeth itch to bite and mark. Even over his clothes, Louis’ hands leave a trail of shivers in their wake, but the omega still controls where he touches, the speed and pressure.

Louis flicks his thumbs over pert nipples when he feels them pebbled under the soft sweater Harry’s wearing, and the omega moans beautifully in answer, shuddering and arching against Louis’ thumbs when he does it again. All too soon Harry’s dragging Louis’ hands away again, whimpering against the alpha’s lips as he does.

“Not yet, wanna go slow, take our time.” Harry whispers, honeyed strawberry breath making Louis dizzy with abstract want for a moment. “Help me out of my sweater, Lou?”

It makes Louis feel young, somehow, as he nods with a soft moan and works with Harry to slip the sweater up and off, baring his skin to the world. The smell of honey thickens, swirling teasingly in the air now that there’s one less barrier holding the scent against Harry’s skin.

“Smell so good, H, better than the strawberries.” Louis groans, hands moving to drag over the omega’s newly exposed skin.

His wrists are caught, however, and once again Harry’s the one in control of where and how the alpha’s touching. Not that Louis’ complaining. Having the omega call the shots is soothing somehow, Louis’ mind clearing. Is this what it’s usually like for omegas when they let their alpha take the reigns? If so, he can understand the appeal. Maybe even hope for future times when he can let Harry be in charge, let go of the responsibility for a while.

The omega shifts above him, and Louis gasps when the movement drags over where he’s hard and leaking in his jeans. He jolts at the sudden stimulation, and Harry repeats the action with a breathy giggle, the minx.

“Is that for me, Alpha?” The question is purred low in his ear, and the title has him bucking up agaisnt Harry. “I’ve got something for you, too, something for these clever hands of yours to feel.”

The promise is heady, and Louis noses at the scent gland behind Harry’s ear before the omega is completely gone from his lap. The alpha whines, bereft of the warm weight that had been keeping him pinned to the sofa. Harry hushes him softly, leaning to connect their lips in a kiss. It’s a bit uncoordinated, as the omega’s position is awkward and he’s doing something else, but it helps tide Louis over until the solid, intoxicating body is back in his lap.

When he doesn’t try to touch this time, hands kept limp at his sides, Harry hums warmly and rewards him with a more focused meeting of lips. “Would you like to feel the surprise I have for you, Alpha?”

The words are soft, barely a whisper, but they still rile Louis up further. His wolf is panting in his chest, the animal ready to mount and fuck and breed, but also willing to wait and see where the omega takes them. Louis nods his head, loose and pliant for the man in his lap.

Harry purrs his approval and smooths his hands down Louis’ arms from his shoulders, taking up the alphas hands yet again. Before pulling them to the freshly revealed skin of Harry’s legs, the omega tugs them upwards to place soft kisses to each of Louis’ knuckles. It’s a sweet gesture, incongruous with the inclination of what they’re working up to, and it makes Louis’ heart stutter in his chest.

After the last kiss is brushed against the last knuckle, Harry drops Louis’ hands to spread on powerful, thick thighs where they bracket either side of the alpha’s hips. He’s still teasing, drawing out the suspense, and Louis voices his growing impatience with a light growl.

Harry answers him with a kiss, giggling giddily against Louis’ lips. “Alright, alright, since you’ve been so good for me,” he purrs, and Louis perks up slightly. Yes, he has been good. Very good. “Hope you like them, Alpha.”

As soon as Harry guides Louis’ hands over silky lace the alpha’s done for. He moans, eyes opening against familiar nothingness in shock. Knickers, soft lacy knickers. Harry’s wearing knickers. It might fry Louis’ brain a little.

He whimpers, trying to tug his wrists out of Harry’s hold. He wants to touch, wants to memorize the pattern of what are surely the prettiest knickers ever, fit snug around Harry’s hips. The omega graciously relents, the air spiking with spiced honey and Louis’ mouth hangs open to taste it. He feels over every part of the panties he can reach, even tugging Harry forward against his chest so he can rub between his legs at where the lace is absolutely soaked with slick.

His hands begin to slow, but by no means stop their exploration. Harry’s started to pant above him, wiggling in Louis’ lap with short whimpers as the alpha plays him like a guitar. Eventually one hand settles along the prominent line of Harry’s cock, barely contained in the front of the skimpy fabric, and the other gropes and rubs at the omega’s arse.

Louis realizes he’s growling almost nonstop, now, an approving rumble that’s a low harmony to Harry’s delicious moans and whimpers. The omega is shamelessly rubbing himself against Louis, hips grinding his lacy covered cock into the palm of Louis’ hand. He’s mouthing wetly at Louis’ neck as well, sucking and licking over where the alpha’s pulse beats fast.

A loud crash sounds in the room, startling them both, and Harry curls closer into the alpha, whining. It takes a second to orient himself, but Louis’ protective instincts go to waste once he realizes that the sound came from the telly, still playing the show they’d forgotten about.

“Only the telly, love, you’re safe. Let’s turn it off real quick, yeah?” Louis’ voice is rough from heavy breathing drying his throat and so much growling.

Harry huffs a bemused chuckle and shifts, plunging them into silence once he locates and pauses the stream. There’s some more shifting and a muted clack before he rights himself once more. “I guess we should just do that to begin with next time, I thought someone had come in!”

Louis coos empathetically, still shaking off the way his skin feels jolted. He raises a hand up, feeling his way along Harry’s chest until he can cup the omega’s cheek. “If anyone tried to come in, they’d probably be surprised by how little there is to steal. Also, if they tried to hurt you-” he breaks off to snarl, protective and threatening, “-I’d rip their throats out with my teeth.”

The alpha worries for a split second if that’s too close to courting language, but Harry gasps, and the air fills once more with spice and honey. Testing the mood, Louis lets the hand still in Harry’s lap stroke over the omega’s erection, which has flagged a bit from the fright. The action earns him the sluttiest moan so far, and Louis’ sure his grin looks predatory.

“Yeah, baby boy? Like the idea of me protecting you?” Louis croons, quickening his strokes and trying to repeat whatever causes Harry to keen sweetly. When he finds it might have been his words, he tests out a sentence. “Like the idea of being mine?”

A whimpering whine is his reply, Harry starting to shake above him. The alpha pulls the younger man closer, having him rest his whole weight against Louis. “Yeah, why else would you wear your pretty little knickers for me? Don’t even have to see them to know they’re pretty on you, baby, I just know. Fuck, bet they’d be even better messy with my baby’s come.”

The omega clings to him tighter with a hitching moan, rutting forward needily. “Lou, wanna- oh! -please, want you inside, I’m so wet already, see?” Harry grabs the hand that’s not currently palming his cock and pulls it behind him, sliding under the waistband of his knickers and presses Louis’ fingers against his dripping rim. “Please, for you, ‘m ready, need your cock!”

Growling in approval, Louis slips two fingers past Harry’s slick drenched hole, sinking in easily as the younger man arches his back, giving him better access to start opening him up. After a few warm up thrusts, Louis tasks the omega with getting his jeans open. Harry springs to action, fingers fighting slightly with the fly before the pressure on the alpha’s aching cock lessens. He sighs at the slight relief, slipping a third finger in along the other two in reward.

“Such a good boy, greedy for my cock aren’t you? Why don’t you pull me out while I finish getting you ready, hmm, love?” Louis says it like a suggestion, but the command still rings in his voice all the same. Harry has him gently pulled free and held reverently in his hand between one breath and the next. A thumb sweeps lightly over where Louis’ already starting to form a knot and he crooks his fingers to hit the omega’s prostate in retaliation.

The result is perfect, Harry jerking with a whine as he buries his face against Louis’ neck. “Looouuu, please! ”

“Alright love, budge up,” the alpha coos, voice gentle as he lets his finger slip out of Harry, both hands coming up to help adjust their position and hold the younger lad close. “There we go baby, can you lift up for me?” Harry obeys, whimpering when Louis holds him open with one hand, thumb tucking the panties to the side, and lines his tip up against the omega’s rim with his other. “That’s a good boy, just sink down on my cock now, nice and slow.”

With a hitching breath, Harry begins dropping himself on Louis’ cock, so wet and open that it’s only a short pause before the head pops past the ring of muscle. Louis hisses, shuddering at the incredible, silky heat that’s splitting open around him. It’s dizzying without the barrier of a condom to buffer, and Louis’ grits his teeth with the effort of holding his orgasm at bay.

Harry seems just as affected, whispering breathlessly about being able to feel him. He’s clinging onto Louis tightly, working more and more of the alpha’s cock inside of him in eager rolls on his hips. Louis’ resorted to gripping Harry by his slightly pudgy hips and growling against his throat, teeth bared. By the time the omega is fully seated, Louis’ nearly popped his knot early like a teenager.

“Feel so good for me baby, don’t think I’m gonna last long.” Louis warns through his teeth, still holding himself at bay. He may be holding Harry’s hips a bit too hard, but all he smells from the omega is honey and spice and pleasure . “Go ahead and move when you want to, love, take what you need.”

With a moan, Harry obliges, rolling his hips slowly at first in a sensual grind. They’ve never been able to go slow with this part, always in a frenzy by the time Louis’ satisfied and Harry’s prepped enough. Like this, with Harry rocking in his lap and bringing their lips together for sloppy kisses, it feels more like love making.

Panting into Harry’s mouth and starting to thrust himself up to meet the omega’s downward motion, Louis tucks the thought away with the others he doesn’t want to look at too closely.

There’s no more words, just breathy moans and approving grunts as they start to move quicker, begin to lose rhythm. When the alpha finally pulls Harry down to grind in deep and pop his knot, it’s with a rumbling growl that peters out into a whine. His teeth itch to sink into skin, taste the copper tang of blood, leave a mark that doesn’t fade. The urge is diverted by focusing on stripping Harry’s cock, shifting until his knot must be pressing up right against the omega’s prostate.

Harry cries out, a gasping moan filling the air as he spills over Louis’ fist. The air is flooded with the scent of omega release, and the silky walls wrapped around Louis’ knot begin milking him with every twitching clench. The alpha can smell the way his own release is mixing with Harry’s scent, cinnamon and honey thickening the air, and he lets out a long groan.

They stay like that for a moment, Harry collapsed against him and the both of them trying to catch their breath, before Louis carefully turns them until he’s on his back, Harry laying along his front with his legs allowed to straighten out a little. Propping his own knees up so there’s minimal tugging on the knot, Louis strokes his hands everywhere he can reach of Harry’s smooth, sweat sticky skin. As a last thought, he grabs and throws the blanket over them as best he can so Harry doesn’t catch a chill.

“That was…” Louis trails off, voice sounding too loud in the quiet that’s fallen around them.

“Yeah...” Harry’s whispered response sounds reverent, soft and slow against where he’s buried his face in Louis’ neck.

Held close together, they soon drift off into a satisfied doze.

Louis’ not sure how long it’s been when he wakes from the post knot nap they’d slipped into, but by the time he’s blinking the dry feeling out of his eyes and stretching what isn’t pinned under Harry’s limbs, he’s slipped out of the omega. He feels tacky, is sure there’s a mess under the blanket, and he scrunches his face up in preparation.

Stroking his fingers through Harry’s soft hair, Louis begins nosing at the skin he finds when he turns his head towards where the lad is snuffling against his shoulder. “Hey, Hazza, wake up for me baby, let’s get a shower done,” he murmurs gently, starting to broaden his strokes to the omega’s back, applying pressure along Harry’s spine and earning himself a sleepy groan.

“Mmmm, Lou, my knickers are messy,” Harry grumbles, face rubbing against the alpha’s shoulder a few times. “Can feel you dripping out.”

Louis drops his head back against the arm of the couch, letting out a pained sound. “Baby please, at least wait until we’re in bed before saying things like that.”

There’s a pause, and then, quietly, “I like when you call me that.”

He loses his breath for a moment, shocked by the admission. Harry’s voice had sounded almost bashful, wavering on the last word like the letters that hold it together might topple over. Trying to loosen from where he’s tensed up in shock, Louis turns his cheek to rub against Harry’s.

“Let’s have that bath, yeah?”

The blanket gets wrapped around Harry for the journey to the master en suite, the omega’s finger tangled in the shirt Louis’ still wearing as he leads the way, counting his steps very carefully. When he feels cool tile under his bare feet, the alpha guides Harry to sit on the toilet seat as he begins setting up the shower. The blanket is definitely just as dirty as they are now, despite Harry’s knickers having been pulled back into place (they had felt absolutely filthy with come and slick when Louis had arranged them, and they might be stretched out from being held to the side for so long).

When the water runs at just the right temperature, Louis starts stripping out of his clothes, surreptitiously inhaling the mixture of his and Harry’s scents intermingling in the fabric. The muted sound of the blanket dropping to the floor signals Harry following suit, and by the time Louis’ completely exposed to the rapidly steaming air the omega is reaching for the alpha to guide Louis into the shower stall with him.

They both sort of pause once the water hits them, groaning in appreciation and letting the stream beat down against their skin. Louis can feel his muscles relax from the too warm water and he tilts his head back to stretch it out from the odd angle the arm rest had kept it in. He jolts slightly when a hand smoothes over his chest, but it’s the easiest thing in the world to relax under the touch and let Harry run his hands over wet skin.

“Lou, can I wash you?” Harry’s voice comes from right in front of Louis’ face, and the alpha startles slightly once more. In the humid air he can’t sense the heat of Harry’s skin like he usually might, water diluting both their scents.

It takes a moment for Louis to remember Harry had asked him a question, and when the implications of what the omega is asking catch up with him the alpha’s jaw goes slack. First dinner, then asking if Louis would help him through his next few heats. Harry feeding him strawberries, then his desperation when Louis used courting language as dirty talk. And now this, Harry offering to wash the alpha. If Louis didn’t know any better, he might mistake the omega’s behaviour for...courting.

Impossible. Louis’ just projecting his own feelings onto Harry’s actions.

“Lou?” Harry sounds anxious, and that just won’t do.

“Course you can wash me Hazza, but only if I get to return the favour,” the alpha coats his words in a purr, making it sound more suggestive to hide the way his heart skips in his chest.

They’ve washed each other before, in the bath after Louis’ ruts, but for some reason it feels different when Harry lathers up a loofah and begins dragging it over the alpha’s skin. There’s a strange tension building in Louis’ body, but it doesn’t feel frantic like when he’s lost without his cane. It feels like a natural progression, or being halfway up a flight of stairs, and he lets the buzz beneath his skin seep into his veins.

Harry takes his time, one hand cupped around Louis’ neck, shoulder, hip, as he scrubs over Louis’ body with the other. It’s relaxing, and the alpha finds himself drifting the same as when Harry had controlled Louis’ hands as they felt over the omega’s body. It’s a soft reprieve from how they’ll be in merely a day, the alpha’s rut mixing with Harry’s heat to turn Louis’ docile, sleepy limbs into dominating, lustful anchors.

It’s when Harry’s kneeling at Louis’ feet, lifting each to scrub over as the alpha balances against the cool tile of the wall, that Louis decides it’s time to defuse the thick air between them. Reaching down, he skims his fingers over Harry’s wet hair until he can curl his finger tips under the omega’s jaw, he encourages the younger lad to stand. Harry thwarts the effort to break the significant edge his actions have taken, as he brushes kisses along Louis’ skin as he lifts himself back onto his feet.

The alpha groans, head tilted back, and tries to remind himself that the only reason Harry’s here is because Louis’ going to trigger his rut early for convenience sake. That Harry’s also getting his heat out of the way. That Harry enjoys a good dicking and Louis is apparently good at providing that. It’s casual. Nothing more.

But it’s hard to hold onto the truth when Harry’s pressing against him and sliding their lips together with the kind of familiarity that Louis had thought he’d share with his mate someday.

Taking the loofah from Harry and renewing the soapy lather in it’s webbing, Louis contemplates being quick, perfunctory and impersonal. But even though the thought of taking his time feels like solidifying an empty promise, the alpha just can’t answer Harry’s care with flippancy. God help him, Louis can’t help but give his best to this confusing, intoxicating omega.

As it turns out, Louis has to take his time anyway so he can feel over Harry’s body and make sure he’s washing him properly. The younger lad stays still for him, humming and sighing as Louis works to rid him of the remainder of the mess that’s no doubt clung to his skin. It doesn’t take long for Louis to fall into the service of the action, making sure every bit of skin is gently scrubbed over and cleaned.

He doesn’t come back to himself until his knees are chilled on the floor where he’s knelt down, carefully working the soap into the soft downy curls of Harry’s pubes with his fingers. He can smell a muted hint of spice, even despite the water and soap rinsing it away as soon as it wafts up. When he tilts Harry’s hips toward the spray of the water to help rinse away the bubbles, the omega jolts slightly under his hands, murmuring something that gets lost in the rush of the shower.

Louis tips his head back curiously, mouth open as he lazily scents the air. Yes, there’s a stronger taste of sweet spice, and his hand bumps against where Harry’s half hard between his legs. The position, the scent, and knowledge that his service has aroused the omega, it all sends a thrill down Louis’ spine.

He’s not sure if he should say something, doesn’t have the words ready if he did, and he still needs to clean where his seed has dripped down the insides of Harry’s thighs. Without turning Harry to face away, Louis reaches between the omega’s legs and drags the soapy loofah over a pert bum cheek.

Harry moans softly above him, hands coming to clutch at his shoulders for balance when the omega’s knees weaken. “Lou…” his voice pitches higher, and when Louis slips a soaped up hand between his cheeks to apply gentle cleaning to the more sensitive area around the rim, Harry quakes out a whimper.

It eggs Louis onto mouthing along a soft hip, drawing closer to suck and nip at the pudgier areas and purring when Harry presses into his hands and mouth. Nosing along clean skin, Louis rubs his cheek against the omega’s cock when he bumps against it, licking over where he’s grown fully erect. Sliding a fingertip just passed Harry’s rim, Louis wraps his lips around the head of the omega’s prick and rumbles at the taste of salty pre-come.

Sucking cock is something Louis’ always enjoyed, even if his sexual history is brief and took place during his uni days. There’s something about holding a prick in his mouth, tasting how aroused the recipient is and challenging himself on how much he can take at once.

A couple sexual partners were turned off by an alpha wanting to kneel and bring them pleasure that way, convinced by years of stereotypes that an alpha should never take up a position of service in such a way. But the few that let him always said it’d been the best they’d gotten, and Louis prides himself on the way Harry pants and whimpers above him, cock blurting out more pre-come across his tongue.

He’s sunk his finger all the way to the knuckle inside of the omega’s hole, thrusting shallowly and searching for that bundle of nerves. Once he’s found it, Harry jerks against him, hips juddering forward as he moans and tangles his fingers in Louis’ hair. The alpha just takes it, letting loose an answering moan that makes Harry gasp.

“Lou, Louis, so good, please…” is the mindless pleading filling the shower stall, and Louis doubles his efforts in kind. It turns the pleas into warnings, Harry tapping at the alpha’s shoulder, and Louis only opens his throat, welcomes the bitter tang of come as it spills out onto his tongue, swallowing with an approving rumble. Once he’s sucked Harry dry, he lets the softening prick slip out of his mouth and gently removes his hands from the younger lad’s arse.

As they pant together in the cooling spray of the water, Louis sits back on his heels and wishes that, for once, he could see Harry. He wants to know his effect on the omega in every way, wants to know what shape his face takes, the colour of his skin. Wants to know the way Harry might look at him, if his eyes might answer all the questions that fill Louis’ throat until he chokes on it.

Instead, he quickly helps Harry rinse off completely in the now cold water (and the squeal it elicits is enough to break Louis out of his haze and laugh) before shutting off the water and grabbing one of the clean towels off the rack. The alpha wraps it around Harry first, rubbing soft fabric over his arms and torso before pulling his own used towel off the rung and starting to rub himself down.

They flow around each other, then, Harry brushing his teeth alongside Louis at the sink, bumping hips and chuckling. The lad had taken to simply leaving a spare toothbrush in Louis’ bathroom, claiming it was simply more convenient that way, and Louis would have to be a stronger man to deny Harry whatever he wanted.

While Harry hangs the towels back on their rack, Louis takes the pill to help trigger his rut early. For some reason it makes everything feel solidified, even though they’ve been hooking up for around three months now. As the light is turned off and they get into bed, Louis tries not to think about the way their dynamic has changed in those months, keeps his mind from analyzing the way Harry melts when the alpha wraps around him, spooned perfectly in the curve of the omega’s body.

Thinking about it will do him no good.

Waking up hot and aching, wrapped around the omega in his arms, Louis has the first coherent thought of the day, whispering through his mind: mine . It’s soft, not the growling proclamation his wolf might demand. It’s brought forth by how Harry is tangled with him, laying halfway on top of him and snuffling softly against the side of Louis’ neck. It’s the way their scents cling and intermingle so perfectly in the thin air of morning.

The calm doesn’t last long. Not when Louis’ panting at the scent of spiced honey, ripe in the air and making his mouth water. Harry may be asleep, but his heat is definitely starting to seep through the cracks in the blanket and bringing forth a predatory growl from deep within Louis’ chest.

Harry whimpers, breath catching as he tenses in a rolling stretch that has him pouring back into the planes of Louis body with a yawn. The omega is always so tender when waking up, sleep warm and sluggish with lingering dreams. It’s enough to make Louis dig his fingertips in on either side of the younger man’s spine, drawing out an appreciative groan from Harry.

It’s easy by now to seek out Harry’s lips, kissing him deep despite the gummy taste of stale morning breath. This is familiar, like counting the steps around his flat, and when they break apart to catch their breath Louis knows the best way to start his morning.

Gently, because the moment feels soft, he rolls them over in the sheets so he can suck kisses to Harry’s neck, his chest, abdomen. By the time he’s licking at the jut of the omega’s hip bone, Harry’s started squirming under him with quiet whimpers filling the air.

“Lou, please…” The omega breathes, and Louis feels fingers comb through his hair. (It’s getting quite long, he’ll have to ask Lottie to give him a trim over the holiday.) There’s a tug to his hair, and the alpha indulges teasing his lips along the line of the omega’s cock for a moment, hard and twitching where it rests against Harry’s hip.

He pulls away though, smirking when the grip in his hair tightens and Harry mewls needily. “Not what I want to taste this morning, love,” he states, tapping at the omega’s hip to indicate for him to roll over.

The unspoken command is followed through with enthusiasm, something that might have been an elbow cuffing Louis on the side of the head. As he blinks in startelement, he smells the tang of citrus rinds and offers an unaffected smile, chuckling. Thankfully, Harry relaxes into an answering giggle, both of them letting the moment pass in good humour.

“Love how eager you are for me, Haz, such a good boy aren’t you?” Louis coos, dragging his hands over the supple skin of Harry’s bum and thighs. “Know your heat’s about to start, can smell how sweet your are already. How ‘bout I get you ready for me, yeah?” The alpha slips a finger between Harry’s cheeks, rumbling in approval when he feels the rim wet with slick already. Nosing up Harry’s spine, he whispers the next part against the younger man’s ear. “I’m gunna open you up on my tongue until you’re screaming my name.”

Harry moans beautifully, back arching to press his bum back on where Louis’ finger is still rubbing against his rim. Growling at the omega’s eager behavior, Louis wastes no more time and settles himself between Harry’s legs.

Eating arse is another of those things that Louis indulges in with vigor, especially if it’s an omega he’s licking into. There’s nothing that compares to the taste of slick coating his tongue as Louis makes his partner squirm with pleasure.

Burying his face between Harry’s cheeks now does not disappoint. The omega comes alive beneath him, mewling and moaning as Louis laps over his fluttering hole. It’s not long until Harry’s arching back against his mouth obscenely, and his hips start grinding against the mattress. After a particularly wild wiggle, Louis brings his palm down on the omega’s right bum cheek with a growl.

The reaction it earns him is perfect, Harry whining as he rocks bodily against the sheets. A slap to the other cheek earns him the same delight, and when he fucks his tongue past the loosened ring of muscle Harry chokes on a moan.

“Lou, L-Louis!” Harry keens, panting muffled as if his face is pressed into the pillow. “Alpha, gonna come, please, again?”

Louis lifts his head slightly, hands pressing and pulling the globes of Harry’s arse together and apart. “Again? You want me to spank you again?” When his only answer is a whimper, Louis presses the cheeks together again and licks along the crack like a facsimile of what he’d rather his mouth were doing. “Ask for what you want, Harry.”

It’s yet another instance of toeing the line of what’s only casual, but Harry moans and squirms under his palms as if the command only riles him up further. “Yes! Please Alpha, spank me again!”

Louis rewards the plea by bringing down both his palms on the omega’s peachy arse cheeks, Harry jolting with a moan. When the omega starts begging for another, Louis goes a step further. Spreading Harry’s cheeks with one hand, and tries his best to aim a smack right over the omega’s hole. He seems to connect with his target, fingers coming away sticky and Harry shouting Louis’ name as the smell of his release fills the air.

The alpha slips a finger in to help milk Harry through the aftershocks, licking around the digit until the omega whines and tries to pull away from the sensation. When he does pull away, it’s to crawl up and press his weight into every inch of Harry he can. The desire is instinctual, his wolf wanting to shield the omega from the world while he’s vulnerable and weakened from pleasure. The purr that starts up from Harry’s chest is appreciation enough.

They’ll be consumed by their instincts soon enough. Right now, smelling and feeling Harry’s contentment, he’s happy to bury his face against the omega’s neck and rumble his own happiness in return.

It happens when they’re back to themselves, the heat and rut flushed from their systems and minds clear of the instinctual lust, and they’re bantering over a late lunch of heated up precooked meals and sitting with their ankles tangled under the table. They haven’t even said anything even mildly suggestive since they left the bedroom, instead exchanging stories about their families they’ll be visiting soon, both of them laughing after Louis told a story about one of his sisters bringing home a boy for the first time.

So when Harry leans closer to him over the table and smells of rose petal promise, Louis can be forgiven for being surprised at the change in mood.

“Lou, uhm, I...uh, well, I wanted to ask you something? I won’t expect an answer right now, of course! But, ehm…” He clears his throat, and Louis can hear him shifting around in his seat. “What I mean is...would you like to date me?”

Louis feels frozen, stuck in place by Harry’s words. He has the distant awareness he’s sitting with his mouth gaping open like a moron, but his perception has funneled into a single point, a single thought: impossible .

“What are you on about?” Louis questions, more sharply than he intends. But he’s shocked, mind warring with itself.

Harry’s hand comes to rest on top of Louis’, and the alpha notes that it’s warmer than normal, palm slightly damp with sweat. The omega chuckles uneasily, and the air sours with the smell of fermented anxiety. “Uhm, well, so we’ve been...I mean, I’ve grown to like you, Louis. Really, really like you. Shit, never really done this before...I mean, I’ve dated people, but I’m usually the one getting asked. Not that I’m bragging! Fuck, I’ve mucked this up a bit.”

Panic is starting to wash over Louis in waves. Why would Harry...is he being funny? “Are you having me on right now?” Pulling his hand from beneath the omega’s like it’s burned him, Louis laughs, a manic sound that only thickens the tense air around them. “It’s not nice to play with a man’s heart, Harry, never pegged you as the cruel type.”

There’s a sharp gasp, and when Harry speaks again his voice cracks. “Why...why would you think I’m joking?”

“Come on! Of course you are!” The alpha’s starting to sound hysterical, leaning back in his seat and spreading his posture. Trying to look bigger. Trying to put some distance between them. “You said at the start what this was!”

“It’s been almost four months, Louis, we’re not strangers looking for a quick fuck anymore!” Though Harry’s voice has risen, there’s an unevenness to the timbre that has Louis’ heart tightening in his chest. “I...do you not...has all of it meant nothing for you?”

Swallowing past the pain in his chest, Louis shoves away from the table. He knows his face is expressive, could never hide his emotions when he doesn’t know what visual cue gives them away. Now, he risks exposing his back by turning away, hand gripped on the back of his chair, so Harry won’t see how affected he is. “Harry, we can’t...you don’t want someone like me...I’d only ever be a burden for you.”

There’s shuffling, and then Harry’s arms are wrapping around him from behind, chin ducked down to rest on Louis’ shoulder. “Lou, you’re everything I want.”

His fears, previously kept at bay in the back of his mind, come tumbling forth. “You want a harder life? To be pitied, or thought lacking somehow? People will think there must be something wrong with you as well, or that you settled.” Louis’ shaking with the thoughts bubbling up in his mind, all the reasons his subconscious knows their coupling is a bad idea. “And what if we had pups? What if our child is...defective, like me? Because of me?”Louis feels wrung out at the words. He reaches up, combing his fingers through Harry’s hair absently, seeking comfort despite himself. After a moment, he says, “Think about it over the holiday. Maybe if you’re away from me...you’ll think differently.”

The omega shrinks in on himself, drawing away and sniffling. They stand in jagged silence, Harry’s breathes coming in uneven huffs as a minute ticks by. Then he’s moving, the saline scent of tears trailing behind him and making Louis turn his face away once more. This is right, this is how it should go. No matter how loud and sorrowful his wolf howls in his chest, Louis just can’t let Harry get caught up in endorphins and ruin his life.

The alpha can hear Harry in the bedroom, gathering his things back into his bag, and Louis slumps back into his chair with a defeated air. He’s buried his face in his hands by the time the omega pads back out into the living space, and there’s a lingering minute before Harry finally speaks.

“I meant everything I said, Lou. You’re a better alpha than you give yourself credit for, and if you weren’t so busy sacrificing your own happiness you’d see it too.” A hand, tentative and feather light, is placed on Louis’ shoulder, and he startles at the unexpected touch. “Think about it, please? If you really don’t want me after you’re back from seeing your family, then...then okay. But, please Lou, please know that I’ll still want you.”

The younger lad lingers for a moment, and then he’s slipping quietly out of Louis’ flat. It feels as though he’s slipping out of Louis life, as well.

And Louis has no one to blame but himself.

The journey home to Doncaster would be a bit more complicated for Louis, as most things are in a world that assumes you can see. Thankfully, Liam had offered to escort him to his train, making sure the thick throngs of people didn’t trip and carry Louis in the wrong direction.

Unfortunately, this also meant Liam is fussing over him.

“I just worry ‘bout you, Lou, I think it’s a mistake,” he states for about the hundredth time in as many minutes. “You shouldn’t push people away like this-”

“Lame, the thing is, I didn’t ask for your opinion. It’s very nice you’ve offered to help me make my train but on everything else, kindly fuck off.” Louis cuts across, growling in frustration when he’s jostled and his friend has to grab him by the arm like a five year old. “I only told you what happened so you’d stop asking why I was sad, and now I’m down to my last nerve so thank you, Liam, truly, I’m not sad anymore! I’m pissed!”

The other alpha sighs beside him and bodily hauls Louis past what must have been a rather stubborn group. Louis thinks he hears well wishes and promises to return after the holidays, an exchange happening all around them that’s filling the air of the station up to the ceiling.

“I just want to see you happy…” Liam mutters, soft in the chaos of Kings Cross. It’s right before Louis’ about to board, no doubt standing there with his hands in his pockets and deep frown on his face.

Louis sighs. “I know you do.” He turns and falls into an embrace with his best friend. “Go have a sappy holiday with your mate and stop fussing over me. Hell, maybe start working on having pups so you can worry about them instead.”

“Oh god, don’t even joke, we’re not ready!” Liam chuckles, shoving Louis gently in the direction of the carriage door. “Can you imagine? Me, a father?”

“Think you’d do pretty well, Li, you already fuss like one!” Louis calls over his shoulder, extending his cane and carefully stepping onto the train. He can hear his friend’s disbelieving laughter follow him as he rounds into the aisle. Shrugging his heavy backpack more securely onto his shoulder, Louis starts the process of finding a seat.

When Louis steps onto the platform almost two hours later, his back is stiff and he’s nearly the last one off the train. He’s given up keeping his eyes open, tired as he is, and his discomfort must telegraph in his posture and scent because when the warm, familiar smell of his mum sweeps in, she doesn’t tut at him.

“Mum?” he murmurs, rubbing at his eye with a gentle knuckle.

“It’s me, Boo, missed you so much.” she wraps him in a welcoming hug, smelling of home and all the food that’s set to greet him there. They stand for a moment, held tight in each other’s arms, and the use of his childhood nickname makes Louis’ eyes prickle.

He’s really missed his mummy.

“Missed you, too.”

The station is less crowded than it was at Kings Cross, but no less busy as his mother carefully maneuvers them through the building. They arrive in the parking lot to fat drops of rain spitting down at odd intervals, and his mum hurries them to her car while fussing in that familiar motherly fashion. It reminds him so much of Liam that a smile lifts the corner of his lips despite his mood.

As his mother fills the car with anecdotes about his sisters, how much they missed him, he thinks back to waking up that morning. It’d been a frenzy of packing his bag and tripping over his feet in his own apartment, grabbing the clean clothes he’d dumped into his floor like the miserable chump he’d been the past two days to stuff into his backpack. He’d barely remembered to pack his toothbrush, and had nearly left the flat in only his pants if Liam hadn’t been there at the door to yelp and complain about seeing more of Louis than he ever wanted to.

“-even listening, Louis?” he’s snapped back to the present, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

“Sorry mum, still not quite awake this morning,” he placates, trying to sit up straighter in his seat in a show of paying attention.

She chuckles good naturedly at this, a hand patting his knee. “Well, your younger siblings will see short work of that. Doris and Ernie have been awake longer than I’m sure you have. They’ve missed their big brother.”

Louis lets himself smile at the thought, pushing back the thoughts of Harry and the way his chest constricts when he thinks of him for later.

He’s successful in keeping his mind from unhappy things, for the most part, once he’s been embraced into the folds of home and family as soon as he steps into the house. True to his mother’s words, the first to greet him are his youngest siblings, who barrel into his legs with happy squeals and excitedly begin babbling at him over each other. (He’s developed the habit of bracing himself when returning home for any excited tackles, so he isn’t thrown off balance too badly when Ernie and Doris’ weight slams into his legs.)

From there it’s a whirlwind of loud chatter, hugging, and joking banter. After everyone has lunch, Louis ends up cuddled under a pile of siblings on the couch. A low, content rumble starts up as everyone purrs out their happiness, Love, Actually playing in the background. Louis’ pretty sure the youngest, snuggled up against his chest, have dozed off now that the excitement has worn off, but he doesn’t want to say anything and have them taken away to bed.

It’s not until his mother’s getting dinner ready (Louis’ favourite, of course), that the alpha is able to go settle into the room he’ll be staying in. His old room has been made into the youngest twin’s room now, so instead he’s bunked in one of the older girls room. Fizzy had been the one to lead him to the one meant for him, confiding that she had offered her own so that Lottie’s alpha scent wouldn’t upset his own.

“I know it’s not a conscious thing, but still. Plus, I keep my room clearer than Lots does.” she murmurs to him, the two of them sharing a giggle before she leaves him at the threshold.

He closes the door behind himself, blocking out the constant sound of his family that causes his ears to buzz. He loves being with them, he truly does, but after being used to a quiet flat it can be overwhelming to be in constant noise again.

He tries not to think about how his flat has been less silent in the past months.

Despite the fact he’s 274 kilometers away from his flat, when he opens his bag he’s hit in the face with Harry’s scent like a slap. The warmth from being with his family turns to ice in his veins, and the wall in his mind he’d built up to keep sad thoughts out comes crumbling down and suddenly he’s back in his flat, turning Harry down for the omega’s own good.

It takes him an indeterminate amount of time to unfreeze from where Louis had stopped breathing, and when he plucks up the courage he dumps out his bag onto the bed. Feeling over the pile of clothes, he sifts through three times before he finally finds the culprit.

Lace .

Somehow, while he had rushed to shove clothes into his bag that morning...but why had Harry left them at Louis’ flat in the first place? To taunt him?

As his fingers curl around the lace, he can feel the stiffness of what they went through the last time he had them under his palm. Sense memory of Harry, controlling Louis’ hands and calling him ‘ alpha ’ flood though his mind, and he sinks to his knees next to the bed. Everything in him aches, like a physical loss, and he knows there are tears streaming down his cheeks that get caught in the scruff on his jaw.

Of all the things Louis ever thought he’d be doing the day before his birthday, crying into his sister’s comforter while gripping a pair of knickers would never have ever crossed his mind.

He’s able to pull himself together enough to stuff them in the bottom of his bag, and takes time to fold and place each of his other clothes over them to help bury it as a means to give himself enough time to compose himself. By the time he’s placing the last thing back in his bag (and having found out he packed mostly shirts in his hurry) Lottie’s knocking on the door to tell him supper is ready.

His face must still show signs of his turmoil, because when Louis opens the bedroom door he can hear her breath hitch. She doesn’t comment, though, just loops his arm through her own and quietly leads him to the hallway loo.

“Here, love, let’s take care of some of that redness, yeah?” she mutters low, already busy wetting a flannel. The first touch of the cool cloth still makes Louis jerk, but soon he’s leaning into the soothing feel against his hot eyes. Once his sister seems satisfied, she pats him on the shoulder. “There now, much better.”

It’s a soft moment, the kind he’s been having with his eldest younger sibling more and more as she ages up. They still tease each other mercilessly, but they’ve both matured enough to know when taking the piss isn’t their best immediate reaction to things.

“Thanks, Lots,” Louis whispers, sagging under the weight still dragging on his heart.

“Come on, mum’s made your favourite,” is her reply, taking up the lead as they head down to the kitchen.

Louis thought that was the end of it. After he was able to surround himself once more with his family, the sadness shrunk back in his mind like an afterthought. He gave himself over to enjoying his visit, and for the rest of the trip it seemed to work.

His birthday came and went with everyone teasing him about ‘growing older’ and gifts being handed to him that the littlest ones pouted about wanting to open. Then Christmas, with even more gifts and every holiday themed movie being played throughout the day. By the time evening rolled around, with everyone tired and sprawled about the living room, Louis’ heart was so full of love for those who would always be there for him that thoughts about returning to his flat were forgotten.

But inevitably, the reminder of reality came crashing down. That night he packed up his things, leaving out only his outfit for the journey home and his toiletries, and laid down to sleep. Instead of the satisfied exhaustion taking hold and dragging him into slumber, however, he ended up tossing and turning, desperate for the right position that would finally bring him rest.

After a couple hours, he decides trying is pointless and rolls out of the soft enveloping bedding to go make himself tea. He creeps along as quietly as he can, not wanting to disturb everyone else who’s managed to slip off to the realm of dreams. Reaching the kitchen, he carefully touches over the counters to locate the things he needs.

And comes up short.

He feels around where the mugs should be again, adjusting himself in case he just misjudged where he was. Still, the cool kiss of ceramic ware eludes his fingertips. Louis then begins feeling over the counters as a whole, grunting in frustration when it feels as though there’s everything but mugs at his disposal.

“Mum moved them to the cabinets,” comes a quiet voice behind him, startling Louis so bad he lets out a snarl as he spins toward the sound. As his heart hammers in his chest, the adrenaline and fact that he hadn’t heard someone approaching has panic flash in his mind for a second.

It’s enough, though. As tears prick at his eyes, the thought he hasn’t cried because of being snuck up on since he was a kid only has the tears begin dripping faster down Louis’ cheeks.

“Oh, Lou…” It’s Lottie, he can recognize her voice now. Can hear her pad across the space to him and sigh before pulling him into a hug. “The last time this happened I was around Doris and Ernie’s age.”

“Pointing it out? Not helpful,” Louis grumps, hugging her back so he can let the comfort soothe him. “Couldn’t sleep, just wanted tea, but I’m bloody useless and can’t even find the fucking mugs-”

“Whoa, Louis, slow down for a mo’!” Lottie cuts him off, quietly so they don’t wake anyone else up, and pulling back to no doubt look at what a mess he must be. “I haven’t heard you say things like that for years, what’s happened? Here, come sit.”

She guides him over to the table, tutting at him when he tries to protest before busying herself with getting their tea started. Once the electric kettle’s on, Lottie comes to sit at the table next to Louis, knowing by now that serious talks always worked best for Louis if you were near.

“So, what’s been going on with you? And don’t try to tell me it’s nothing, Louis, not when it’s affecting you this way,” Lottie starts, voice no-nonsense but gentle. “Everyone else has noticed too, you know. We’re worried about you.”

“You sound like mum,” Louis tries to joke, but it falls a bit flat with his heart not in it. “I’ll be ok-” a short growl from Lottie stops him short, and he sighs long and hard. “Fine. I had a bit of a...break up, right before coming.”

Lottie hums, and seems to be trying to tread lightly as she asks, “Was it the omega you spent your rut with?” Louis must look surprised, because his sister chuckles before continuing. “Please, you reek of an omega. The kind of saturation that only happens from very...intimate interaction.”

“I never want to hear you say ‘ intimate interaction ’ ever again.” Louis states, nose scrunched up and lips turned down. His eyes are dry, though. Small victories. “But to answer your question, yes.”

The kettle starts to whistle then, and Lottie hops up to grab it before the noise gets too loud. Louis can hear her pouring the hot water into each of their mugs, tracking her movement back to the table and thanking her when she sets his mug down for him. When Louis wraps his hands around the warm ceramic, he smiles when he finds his sister had chosen the one with braille that said ‘DO NOT TOUCH’ on it for him.

After a moment, Lottie starts rubbing Louis’ back. “Tell me about it?”

“Things were great, you know?” Louis says after a pause. His smile has gone. “I met him at one of the rut bars I’d started trying. Stop making that face, I know you are.”

Whether Lottie was indeed making a face at the thought of her brother at a rut bar or not, he continues after a beat anyway.

“He was the only person to talk to me there. Just walked up and said he didn’t care about…” clearing his throat, Louis shifts in his chair. “We spent a few months hooking up, talking, hanging out. Getting to know each other.”

“So what changed?” Lottie prompts, sipping from her mug and hissing when it’s still too hot to drink.

Louis takes hold of the spoon in his own mug, stirring so the tea bag seeps faster. “”He...he asked me out.”

“...And?”

“And it didn’t go well.”

There’s a long silence, tense and awkward, before Louis’ getting whacked in the back of the head.

“You walnut, why the fuck are you moping then? Here I was about to defend your honor, call him a toad and all the other nasty things, but it’s just you being up your own arse instead!” Lottie squawks, loud in the otherwise quiet of the house.

Louis tries to shush her, worried anyone else might come down and see what the ruckus is about. “Why are you yelling at me? I thought you were trying to comfort me!” he hisses, rubbing at the sore spot on his scalp.

“Because you’re being stupid. Let me guess, he asked you out, you panicked about dumb things, and then turned him down like an idiot? So now you’re sad about it even though it’s your fault you’re miserable?” she pauses only to take a breath, before ending with an, “Honestly Lou, I can’t take your side then.”

“I wouldn’t be good for him, Lots, you don’t understand. He could have anyone, Harry’s better off finding someone who’s not a defect-” Louis tries to explain, but Lottie cuts him off.

“No, Louis. You don’t understand. You always do this. You find something you love, and then use your blindness as an excuse to rob yourself of whatever it is, like a self fulfilling prophecy. And then you get depressed about it as if it’s out of your hands, even though it’s your fault you’re sad in the first place!” the younger alpha growls low, but her voice is at least a decent volume again. “Tell me, Louis, aside from the fact your eyes don’t function like the vast majority of society, is there any reason for you to have said no?”

The question makes him actually stop and think. When Harry had asked if they could begin dating, everything in his mind that can up as a negative had to do with his eyes. The possibility that Harry would come to resent him, that he would pass on his blindness to their children. That he would hold Harry back.

But thinking about being with Harry without his eyes being a factor…

Harry had never cared about his sight, anyway.

“I’ve ruined it, haven’t I?” Louis whispers, sagging defeatedly in his chair and feeling a bit teary once more.

“Maybe not. After all, if he asked you out to begin with then he obviously likes you a lot. He’d have to, to still want to be with you,” she shoves him gently, and Louis feels himself give a small smile. “But if you don’t try to fix it soon, even this Harry won’t wait around forever.”

They sit in silence, both taking testing sips of their mugs and humming when the liquid has cooled enough to drink.

“Help me make a plan?” Louis asks, turning his head toward her with raised brows.

“Only if you promise to name one of your adorable future pups after me.” Lottie quips, leaning into his side.

As they stay up bantering until the wee hours of the morning, Louis feels as if something in his chest has unfurled. He thinks it might be hope blooming.

Chapter Text

Harry never thought himself a kleptomaniac, but here he is. Pulling out the sweater of Louis’ he’d taken from the alpha’s flat and pressing it to his face like the lovesick omega he really is.

He inhales deep, desperately clinging to the hint of Louis’ scent still lingering on the soft fabric. He’s done this enough times since leaving the alpha’s flat that each hit has been weaker than the last, either because his own scent keeps getting rubbed over it or because his senses are going accustomed, he’s not sure.

He does know that this behavior, while natural for his inner wolf, is creepy. He’s meant to be spending time with his family. But instead he’s in his childhood bed, curled up on his side, sniffing a stolen sweater. And maybe crying a little.

Truly his priorities are in order.

Harry’s not sure how long he lays there, but at some point a soft knock comes at the door. When he lifts his head, his cheeks grow cold where the wetness there is exposed to the air of the room. Wiping at the tear tracks, he mutters out a slow “Be just a mo’.”

Sniffing back his runny nose, the omega huffs as he stands from the bed and crosses over to the door of the room. When he opens it a crack, he finds his mum stood on the other side, looking worried. Her concerned frown only deepens upon seeing him.

“Are you alright, love?” she asks, reaching out to cup his cheek.

“‘M fine, just woke up from a nap.” They both know he’s lying, his eyes red and puffy and voice rough with tears. But his mum must figure he isn’t ready to talk about whatever it is that’s got her son crying, so she simply strokes a thumb over his cheek before dropping her hand.

“Ok, darling. I just wanted to let you know that lunch is ready, if you want some.”

Nodding, Harry tells her he’ll be down in a moment, cutting across the hall after she pads away to head back downstairs. Closing himself in the bathroom there, he washes his face and forgets about the sweater still on his bed by the time he makes his way to join his family for lunch.

It’ll still be there when he gets back.

The rest of his visit isn’t much better in terms of socializing with his family, at least outside of meal time. Gemma does manage to drag him down for a family cuddle and a movie, but Harry insists they watch anything but a rom com. This leads them to watch a Marvel movie and Harry crying because he winds up thinking about being on Louis’ couch, pressed against his side, narrating incorrectly in his ear.

They switch to an animated movie after an action scene makes him whine loud enough that Gemma, his mum, and his stepfather all pile around him with worried, soothing noises. He’s not allowed up from the cuddle pile for the rest of the evening.

But no matter how miserable he looks, and how worried his family is because of this, they’ve all held off from prying the reason why out of him, and for that he is grateful.

All too soon the last night there at his mother’s house comes around, and he’s hit with how much he doesn’t want to return to his flat in London. His sleep is restless, and when he wakes up just before the sun peeks over the horizon, Harry decides that he might as well give up on sleep.

As he shuffles into the kitchen, figuring a cup of tea might do him good, the omega finds he’s not the only one awake. Leaning against the counter with the kettle already on is his mum, looking tired and older than he’s ever thought of her. Her eyes, so much like his own, shift from where they had been staring out the small kitchen window and land on him. In that instant, he feels five years old again.

“Morning darling. Sleep well?” she murmurs, only loud enough for him to hear. When Harry shakes his head, his mother nods and starts getting down a mug for him as well. “I think it’s time we had a talk, love.”

Harry whimpers a bit, but when his mum fixes him with a determined stare he nods and goes to curl up on the couch. It’s not the first time in his life he’s had to have a serious talk with his mum, and by now they have a routine. The young omega would sit on the couch gathering his thoughts while his mother makes them tea, then when she joins him they would talk about whatever is bothering him.

This early morning is no different, and when Anne, his mother, finally joins him on the couch, Harry’s quick to curl up against her side with his hot mug of tea held between his hands. It earns him an affectionate tut, his mother wrapping an arm around him as if he isn’t too big for this anymore.

“Now, what’s taken my boy’s sunshine away? I haven’t seen you this miserable since some boy told you he didn’t like tall omegas,” Anne asks, combing his curls off of his face.

The thought about boys and heartache only makes his chin begin to wobble, and in a choked voice he confesses, “Love hurts, mum.”

“Oh, my darling, what happened?” His mum tucks him closer to her side, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“We met couple months back, at TF, “ he pauses to peek up at her, but his mum shows no signs of judgement for her son’s proclivity to frequent rut bars, so he continues on, “and at first it was just...I mean, itwasreallygood.” Harry flushes at admitting this to his mother, but when she only chuckles he decides to focus on the more important parts. “I, uhm, we met up the next month, and after we exchanged numbers we started to talk all the time. I’ve never met an alpha like him, mum, he’s so...soft, I guess, always takes care of me. But it’s more than that, he’s fun to talk to and I hate when I have to leave after we’ve been together.”

He pauses to put together his words, testing his tea temp and finding it still too hot for his tongue. After too long, Anne gently encourages him with a quiet, “Go on, love.”

“I asked if we could officially date, right before I had to travel.” Given the acknowledging hum his mum gives, she’s putting the pieces together on who her son was spending a heat with just last week. “And...he turned me down. Because he’s scared.”

“Scared of what, H?” his mum is back to threading her fingers through his hair, and Harry leans into the touch.

“He’s blind, and he kept using that as a reason that...I guess that he was afraid I might resent him later? But mum, I’ve never cared, honestly, sometimes I almost forget about it because he’s so much more than that! And I said so too, told him I didn’t care about that but he…” All the fire that had started to seep into Harry’s voice fizzles to smoke by the time he trails off. He bites his lip, staring into his tea as if it might hold the answers he needs. “I...I think I might be sort of in love with him, mum. At least, I want the chance to find out.”

They’re both quiet for a moment, sipping the tea that has finally cooled enough and Harry resting his head on Anne’s shoulder. When his mum does speak, it’s after they’ve finished their drinks and the sun is likely to wake the other two still upstairs.

“Fear is a tricky thing, almost as consuming and confusing as love. If this boy really is as wonderful as you think of him, then I can’t imagine that after he’s had time to think about it, he’d still want to stop seeing you.” She lets this sink in for a second, watching Harry’s face with that motherly look in her eyes, warm and without judgement. “Do you think this alpha of yours deserves a second chance?”

“Of course. I just...I think I’m more upset that he would...that he thinks of himself that way, you know? Undeserving of love or some bullshi-uhm, bullcrap,” Harry finishes a bit lamely, catching himself almost cursing in front of his mum.

It gets a chuckle out of her, and about that time they can hear a door opening upstairs. “Well then, I think you’ll just have to try once more to tell him how much he means to you, hm? And call me after! I want to hear all about it, whether it goes well or not.” They share a quiet laugh, and Harry thinks maybe all he really needed was a talk with his mum.

Later, when she’s dropping him off at the station, he’s a little less puffy eyed and has freshly showered curls to tackle the ride back to London. Just before the train pulls away, his mobile vibrates in his pocket with a text. Pulling the device out, he sees Louis’ name lit up on his screen.

Can I meet with you?

Harry finds himself smiling hopefully at his mobile as he types his reply.

I thought you’d never ask. x

They don’t meet up right away, as Harry is pulled into a whirlwind of holiday customers and families still on break at the bakery. He also has to deal with the little old ladies he works with pinching his cheeks and asking who his suitor is. Since he’d finally had to explain his frequent absences.

“He’s just an alpha I met, Barb, we haven’t even started dating,” Harry tries to dodge the interrogation, but to no avail.

“Don’t you give us that, young man, you’ve smelled of the same alpha for almost four months now. Don’t think we haven’t noticed!” Barbara tuts and wags her finger at the young omega, a twinkle in her eye. All the ladies at the little bakery love gossip, and seem hell bent on reliving youth vicariously through Harry since he’s the youngest one there. “Now be a good dear and tell us about this alpha of yours, you owe us that much as he’s kept you from work for increasing amounts of time.”

She raises her eyebrows at him and Harry sighs in defeat. The rest of his shift is filled with him telling his boss about Louis and blushing brighter and brighter every time she coos over him.

By the time his shift is over, the whole shop (including some of their regular customers) knows that Harry’s got a crush on an alpha and is “finally settling down”. He might be more upset with their pressing and prodding if it didn’t feel at least a little good to sort of...brag, in a way. As he treks home, there’s a spring in his step and a whistle on his lips. Because tomorrow is it.

Tomorrow’s when he finally sees Louis again.

“I don’t know what to wear, the restaurant he suggested we meet at is on the fancier side, what if I end up looking too casual?” Harry’s stressing out over the phone with his mum and Niall, fifth outfit choice hanging off of him as he paces around his room. “It’s never been this difficult to dress for going out before, I wanna look perfect! What if he hates it?”

“H, Louis’ blind. I doubt he’ll care what clothes you’re wearing,” Niall deadpans over the line. “If anything, he’ll probably be more focused on getting you out of them.”

“ Niall! ” Harry hisses, even as his mother cackles on her end.

“It’ll be fine, darling, I’m sure whatever you wear will be perfect,” comes Anne’s warm voice, still full of mirth from her laughter.

“I just...I’m nervous, you know? What if it’s an apology dinner? You know, take me out somewhere nice, pay for my meal, then tell me he doesn’t want to see me anymore?” Harry bites his lip, rubbing the soft silk of the latest top he’d thrown on between his thumb and forefinger. “He’s so nice, it might be his way of trying to make up for bad news.”

“Does it feel like that’s what this is?” Anne asks kindly, and Harry takes a deep breath before blowing it out, along with some of his stress.

“No. If he wanted to never see me again he wouldn’t have texted in the first place.”

“That’s right. Now, pick something out with a nice texture for him to feel and go get your man!” his mother giggles a bit, but the pep talk still helps.

“Yeah, get in, Hazza lad!” Niall cheers as well, and Harry finally knows what he’s going to wear.

And what he’s going to do. Somewhere along the way his heartache eclipsed the part of himself that enticed Louis to take him home in the first place. That changes tonight. Harry’s going to remind Louis just how much the omega wants him.

When the lift service drops him off, it’s with a low, appreciative whistle from the driver and a stomach full of butterflies for Harry. The outside of the restaurant is opulent, with the front of the building made of glass so the glimmering inside shows for all to see. It feels as if the street below, where Harry stands, is exposed to the dinners.

Thanking the driver, the omega slips out of the car and takes a second to rate his experience, even leaving a decent tip. As the driver pulls away to go seek out other riders, Harry turns back towards the restaurant and is struck once more at how impressive it is.

When Harry manages to close his mouth, he looks around to see if Louis is waiting for him outside before striding forward on blessedly stable legs wrapped in his best trousers. He’d opted to dress the same as he was the night he’d met Louis, more or less, and the white skinnies he’s poured himself into are low waisted in a way he’s tried to counteract by tucking his shirt in. A belt loops through to help keep them sliding down any further during dinner.

Pulling his warm trench tighter against the chill, he hopes his blazer hasn’t wrinkled underneath. He took a chance on the outfit he’s wearing, and had slipped on the more formal jacket to help compensate that. He worries they might try to kick him out otherwise.

Finally stepping into the breezeway, Harry looks around once more to try and spot Louis, ignoring for now the raised eyebrows of the maître d'. When the alpha is still nowhere to be seen, Harry steps up to the podium with his best smile curving his lips.

“I’m here with the Tomlinson reservation?” the omega says, tucking a curl behind his ear and shifting his weight. He’s trying to at least seem like he knows what he’s doing, even if on the inside he’s freaking out about how big the chandeliers in the main dining room are.

The alpha behind the podium looks down her nose at the screen that lists all the reservations, scrolling through with a well manicured fingertip. Something she finds there, however, has her posture straightening and eyes widening as she looks back and forth from the screen to Harry. Soon she’s raising a hand to snap those well kept fingers urgently, apologizing to Harry before telling the little host that shows up which table to see Harry to.

The entire exchange leaves Harry a bit baffled, nodding his thanks to the maître d' as he follows the host further into the restaurant. He tries not to look too gobsmacked at the shining decor and glittering dinners, feeling underdressed. It takes a moment to realize that he’s being lead past them all, instead beginning to climb stairs to another floor.

The host doesn’t even bother with entering the next level when they reach the landing, instead smiling back an instruction for Harry to continue following as they begin up another set of stairs. “We’re almost there, don’t worry. You’re a lucky one, aren’t you? Not many people get to dine on the third level.”

The omega doesn’t know what to do with this information, but doesn’t have much time to ponder it before they’ve reached the last few steps. The room that greets them has a slightly dimmer mood lighting than the first two levels, and wasn’t visible from the street. Harry suspects the heavy hanging curtains that cover the windows might be to blame for that. As the host leads him across the vast space, Harry also notices that there are less tables available, spread out in a way that insures the dinners are allowed privacy from each other.

And there, sitting at the table he’s being lead towards, is Louis. Harry feels like he did that first night he laid eyes on him, entranced by his features. But this is different, so much different, as the pulling force that makes him quicken his steps now is longing . God, he’s missed the alpha. Yet, in this opulent setting, Louis seems small.

Louis should never feel small.

The alpha perks up in his seat, head turning towards the direction Harry and the host are approaching from. His face lifts with hope, and Harry’s heart breaks to see the insecuries etching the man’s face. Louis’ still afraid that Harry might run. The omega vows to do away with the lingering doubts.

“Hi, Lou.” Harry shyly greets once he’s near enough. As the alpha stands in greeting, he takes in Louis’ outfit of a simple white tee under a deep blue blazer. It makes his eyes take on a bluer hue, and makes Harry feel better about his own less formal attire.

“Hazza...glad you came.” Louis’ words sound reverent, relieved as if that was another worry filling his head. “Please, uhm, will you join me?” the alpha nervously gestures, almost knocking his drink glass over before clumsily catching it with both hands. Even under the dim lights, Harry can see the blush spread across his cheeks.

“Not yet,” the omega answers, and when Louis deflates at this, he rushes to continue, “wanna hug you first.”

Louis gapes for a moment, before moving to round his corner of the table, stumbling slightly. Harry steps forward to help steady him, the two falling into each other now that they’re so close. The first inhale of Louis’ sandalwood and nutmeg scent has Harry’s knees buckling, and he has to hold back a moan. It’s not as strong as he knows it to be, and the omega remembers that Louis’ probably wearing his scent represser.

“I’ll leave you to your evening, gentlemen. Your server will take care of you from here.” The host’s voice is soft, trying his best to be unobtrusive as he slips away, leaving them to hold each other.

Eventually, they pull apart, and Harry’s not the only one who’s sniffling. Louis’ cheeks are wet with tears, and the omega cups his face to sweep them away with his thumbs. His voice breaks as he whispers, “You’re an idiot.”

“I’m an idiot,” Louis agrees, eyes closing as he nods. He’s starting to smile, though, and Harry wants so badly to kiss him.

“You’re hair’s shorter,” Harry blurts out instead, the itch of making a spectacle starting to tighten his skin, but he refuses to be the first to break away. “And this restaurant is really fancy.”

Louis’ brow furrows, and he begins rambling earnestly. “Is it too short? I had Lottie give me a trim over hols, but I can grow it out again if you like! Oh, and, I didn’t know how to apologize with only words, and Lottie said I should take you out somewhere really nice, and Ed said this had good food and even better privacy-”

“Lou, Lou!” Harry giggles now, leaning forward so their foreheads touch. The alpha sighs as he leans into it. “It’s lovely. Thank you. You really didn’t need to do all this just for me, but...thank you anyways.”

When they do break away from each other, it’s because the server clears her throat, smiling apologetically when Harry casts his eyes towards the sound. “Sorry to interrupt, but do you gentlemen know what you’d like to drink?”

They take their seats after asking for a few more minutes, Harry finally removing his warm coat now that he has the chance. A flash of red peeks out at him from under his blazer as he straightens himself out, and the omega bites back a grin. Wearing the the same shirt as the night he met Louis feels like good luck somehow. He hopes it’ll help them make a new beginning.

It’s quiet for a minute or so when the server leaves them, the men sat on opposite sides of the table and feeling leagues apart. Louis’ the first to speak up, voice coming out as a breath before he clears his throat and begins again. “I owe you an apology, Harry. I...you mean a lot to me, and when you had asked if we...I panicked.” He licks over thin lips, fingers restlessly feeling over his silverware on the table in front of him. “I never thought you might want me back the way I’d been - that I do - want you. It seemed impossible, like a fantasy I was fooling myself with.”

“Lou…” Harry breathes out, eyes misting once more.

“No, listen, I know. Trust me, Lottie almost kicked me arse when I told her what I’d done.” Louis smiles at this, fond with the memory. “When I think about you, without thinking of my eyes, I know I want to spend every waking day knowing you, learning your secrets and taking care of you with everything I am. I’m willing to try, I want to, even though it scares me shitless.” The alpha gives a nervous laugh, and then raises his head to face Harry better. Those captivating eyes stare out with unfocused yearning, and when he says his next words his tone is imploring and sheepish all at once. “Are you...do you still want me, Harry?”

It feels heavier than just asking to go steady. It feels like a bonding proposal, and Harry’s sure that even if that’s really what Louis was asking, his answer would still be a resounding, “Yes. Yes, of course Louis, I never stopped.”

“Oh thank god.” Louis sighs out, dramatically sitting back in his chair.

They laugh together, releasing left over nerves and finally letting go of the breath they both seemed to have been holding up until then.

“So, aside from the tears and awkward start, how am I doing as far as first dates go?” Louis asks, eyebrows raised and smile gaining confidence.

Harry pretends to think about it, making sure to hum in consideration as an auditory cue for Louis’ sake. “I’m not sure, it’s hard to focus on anything else when there’s such a handsome alpha sat in front of me.”

“Oh?” Louis smirks, carefully locating and lifting his glass up to take a sip of his water. “Tell me about this alpha. He must be quite wonderful to hold your attention.”

“Oh, he’s the best man I know,” Harry husks, propping his chin in his hand and watching Louis. “Stronger than he gives himself credit, always putting others before himself, and a great sense of humour to boot.”

Louis ducks his head with a blush.

They fall into familiar comfort with each other as the meal goes on. When Harry finally gives into his nosey side and pesters Louis about how much everything cost, the alpha grows a little shy.

“Well, I’ve told you I’m a ghostwriter? I write songs for artists and don’t take the credit?” Louis starts, and Harry murmurs a quiet affirmative. “I uhm, well, I’m kind of...popular? A lot of what I write becomes hits, so…” He trails off, shrugging and stuffing a forkful of pasta into his mouth.

“So you’re secretly loaded and live in a very humble flat?” Harry asks, keeping his voice down despite the fact there’s no one to overhear them.

“I mostly send it back home, but mum set a cutoff on how much I could send a few years back so it just sort of...accumulated. It’s not that big of a deal, I’m not the kind of guy to flaunt my money around, you know?”

Harry smiles, melting a little. “Of course you send money home.”

Their meal ends with a shared dessert of a piece of light, chocolate mousse cake that Harry feeds Louis bites of. It’s romantic and sappy and cliched, but the omega can’t be bothered to feel embarrassed. He’s right where he’s wanted to be for two months now, and he’s going to savour every moment.

It’s when the check has been taken care of and they’ve both landed back on the street outside, bundled up in their coats and breathing in the cold winter air, that they become awkward once more. Harry’s still got the alpha’s arm looped through his own from leading him carefully through the restaurant, and he shuffles his feet, black buckled boots scuffing against the sidewalk as he looks at Louis through his eyelashes.

“So...what now?” Harry asks on a whisper, pressing closer against the alpha’s side to speak. The omega has an idea of how to top off the evening, but he doesn’t want to push Louis into anything. Harry will just...place the suggestion. Let his own thickening scent catch on the breeze and tease at the alpha’s nose.

Based on the way Louis turns his face toward Harry, mouth open and eyes dilating, the alpha isn’t against the idea. “Did you have something in mind, love?”

They take a lift service, Harry laying kisses over Louis’ cheek and neck in the backseat, a hand inching up the alpha’s inner thigh. Judging by the low growls and hint of cinnamon, Louis’ holding back from laying Harry out on the seat and ravishing him due to his teasing. The journey’s too short to get up to too much trouble, but Harry still manages to fit in a cliched wink at the driver in the rearview mirror. When they finally pull up at their destination, Harry cheerily thanks the driver before pulling the alpha out behind him and giggling when Louis grips his hips and growls playfully.

“You made that poor driver embarrassed you know, being all over me like that,” he rumbles, Harry going a bit weak kneed at the way Louis’ nosing along his neck. “The whole car smelled like lemons.”

“Mmm, all I smelled was you.” Harry purrs in response, pulling back to lead them the rest of the way to their end goal. Louis follows easily, grinning wide and lit up like the sun as they carefully make their way up a staircase and down to the third door on the landing.

Harry had invited Louis back to his flat, something the omega has never done with any of the alphas he’s spent a night with. But this alpha is different. This is Louis, and Harry wants to let him into his space, have the alpha touch every corner and lay a claim.

While Harry extracts his key from an inner coat pocket, Louis’ pressed up behind him with clever hands exploring over the omega’s body, making Harry squirm and whimper. It takes a few tries to fit the key in, hands shaking the way they are, and Harry thinks back to that very first night once more. How had Louis managed to keep so collected? Harry can barely hold himself back from simply bending over and begging Louis to fuck him right there.

Finally sliding the key home, the omega quickly gets the door open and the two nearly fall inside. Louis’ panting in his ear, hands gripping at him with intent, and it takes everything in Harry to separate them.

“Down boy, I have plans, and they won’t happen if we fuck like animals in the doorway,” Harry giggles out, dodging Louis when the alpha blindly reaches out for him. Dancing behind him, the omega pulls his keys from the door and swings it closed, locking it back. Flicking on the light in the living area, he brings his lips to Louis’ ear. “Here, let’s get out of these coats, yeah?”

He helps to remove first Louis’, then his own heavy coat to hang on the coat rack by the door. Then, he reaches around Louis to unbutton and slip off the alpha’s blazer, laying kisses along Louis’ neck because he can. Once Harry’s own blazer is off and hung up as well, the omega wraps himself around the alpha from behind, ducking his head so his chin is tucked against Louis’ shoulder.

“I want to try something, Lou. Do you trust me?” Harry breathes, purring when Louis reaches up to tangle his hand in the omega’s long curls. The last time they were like this, Harry’s heart was breaking.

“I trust you.” The words are simple, but they mean so much when Louis turns his head to whisper them. Something powerful shifts between them, and Harry thinks it might be love.

“I wanna try playing chase,” Harry starts, shivering when Louis growls in approval. “I know you’ve never been here before, don’t know the layout yet, but I have an idea.” Nuzzling closer, Harry starts kissing along the alpha’s neck again, Louis groaning and tilting his head to give him better access. “I’ll lead you, just out of reach, but I won’t be far. Won’t let you trip or hurt yourself. I’ll be right there, leading you on a chase.”

Louis’ breathing heavy again, and when the omega nudges against his jaw with a questioning noise the alpha drops his head back against Harry’s shoulder on a moan. “Never thought I’d ever get to...I mean, it seemed obvious, right? The blind guy can’t go running off after someone,” he chuckles, the hand that was in Harry’s hair moving to bring their faces closer, lips brushing in a kiss. “You make everything possible, don’t you?”

“So that’s a yes?” Harry whispers, lips brushing with the alpha’s as he shapes the words.

“Please. I’d love to play chase with you,” Louis whispers right back before connecting their lips in a longer, deeper kiss that stretches on. They get caught up in relearning the way each other tastes, caught up in how this is the first time they’re kissing while on the same page. Harry whimpers, craning himself around Louis to accommodate the awkward angle.

In the end, he still loves bending over backward to please.

When they break apart, Louis’ got a dreamy smile on his face, and Harry’s pretty sure he’s wearing the same expression.

The omega circles around to stand in front of Louis, keeping contact until the last possible second before completely stepping outside of the alpha’s reach. He keeps his hands held at the ready, and then smiles when Louis seems to light up in awe. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

They start out slow, the alpha’s steps shuffling at first, hands held out cautiously and head tilted to better listen to Harry’s movements. The omega coos and praises him, walking backwards through his flat with easy familiarity. When Louis strays too close to a wall or piece of furniture, Harry guides him back on track with encouraging words and approving purrs.

By the time Harry’s leading him down the hallway, Louis’ picked up confidence, grinning around excited laughter. The omega giggles with him, giddy with the chase, unconventional though it may be.

It’s special. It’s theirs .

Opening the door to his bedroom, Harry has to dance away when the alpha swipes for him, their laughter growing louder while he flicks on the light. “Are you gonna catch me, Alpha?” he teases, starting to unbutton his shirt before tossing it to land across the crook of Louis’ arms. Watching the older man’s nostrils flare with the fresh dose of scent, Harry lets the edge of the bed knock his legs out from under him, leaning back on his hands with his legs spread wide.

Taking hold of the shirt, Louis brings it to his face to breathe in Harry’s lingering scent, eyes fluttering closed. Growling in arousal, the alpha takes the last steps he needs to close the distance between them, Harry reaching up to hold his hips so he doesn’t walk too far forward. “Do you want to be caught, Omega?”

The title sends shivers down Harry’s spine, the first time Louis has referred to him this way. Letting out a whine, Harry presses his face against Louis’ stomach, hidden under the soft cotton of his shirt. “Wanna be yours .”

He never thought himself the kind to stand on ceremony, but speaking like this feels like cementing their relationship, and Harry’s almost salivating for Louis to finish the exchange.

“ Then you have me. ” Louis rumbles low, the tone sending shock waves through them both.

Harry reaches up for him, scooting back on the bed as he urges the alpha to follow. Louis crawls above him, clumsy without sight, but grinning nonetheless. He accidentally puts his hand down on Harry’s forearm, and it makes the omega fall backwards. He grabs for Louis with a short yelp, and the alpha ends up flopped on top of him with an ‘ oof! ’ When Louis pulls himself back up onto his elbows, they both chuckle together.

“I remember us being better at this,” Louis jokes, and Harry hums another chuckle.

Cupping the alpha’s face between his hands, Harry brings their lips together, moaning softly when Louis holds him tight. It turns heated quickly, especially after Louis ruts his hips against him and they’re reminded of how hard they both are, still trapped in tight jeans. Harry moves his hands to grip at Louis’ shirt, trying to pull it off with a whine.

Louis pulls back with a wet smack, smiling as he helps Harry remove his shirt. They move on to the rest of their clothes, shoes getting kicked off into the floor and skinny jeans being shimmied down legs. When Louis’ crashing back down onto Harry, it’s with a playful growl and wandering hands.

Harry pants, wiggling under Louis and moaning when the alpha pins his hips to the bed. The alpha starts kissing down Harry’s body, stopping along the way to seek out and suck the omega’s nipples until he’s arching off the bed. “Oh, Louis!”

“Always love how responsive you are, baby.” Louis growls out at him, hands dragging up and down Harry’s sides when the alpha continues his journey south. “Already wet for me, aren’t you? Can smell my sweet boy.”

The words make him squirm, keening when he feels the sheets sticky underneath his bum. “Y-yes, always for you, only you.” The omega looks down his body, cock stiff and red where it twitches against his abdomen and Louis sucking kisses from one hip to the other. The alpha seems to be trying his best not to touch Harry’s cock, and the omega whines at the neglect. “Lou, touch me, please?”

Chuckling, Louis finally wraps a hand around him and laps at the weeping tip of Harry’s cock with a rumbling groan. “Always taste so good baby, love the way you taste.” With that, the alpha pulls the foreskin back the rest of the way and sucks the exposed head into his mouth.

Harry keens, arching off the bed again and hands scrambling to grip the sheets in white knuckled fists. He tries to keep still, trembling as pleasure crashes in waves over him, but the omega’s knees begin to bend up when Louis sinks lower around him, tongue swirling along the vein up the underside of Harry’s cock. The alpha settles onto his stomach between Harry’s legs, moaning his own pleasure and making the omega’s thighs squeeze around Louis’ ears.

The older man pops off with a delighted laugh, turning his head to bite gently at Harry’s inner thighs and causing the omega to give a full body twitch. “Never been this sensitive before, love, what’s changed?”

“Alpha…” Harry whimpers, both an answer and a plea. There’s so much separating this from when they first met, emotion filling the omega’s chest knowing that he’s met his match.

The word makes Louis growl, seeming overwhelmed by the meaning as much as Harry. “Fuck, okay love. Gunna open you up now, that alright baby?”

The omega whimpers, reaching a shaky hand to card through Louis’ hair. “Please, Alpha.”

With that, Louis hooks his hands under Harry’s knees to push them up towards his chest, fingertips digging in slightly when they drag down the backs of the omegas thighs. It makes him twitch, nerves feeling lit up under the alpha’s touch. But it’s nothing compared to the feeling of Louis spreading his cheeks open and laying sloppy kisses to the now exposed area.

It takes a few tries, but when Louis finally locates Harry’s rim the omega almost comes right then. His grip on Louis’ hair tightens, and soon Harry’s hips are working back against the alpha’s clever tongue. The older man responds in kind by pointing his tongue and letting Harry fuck himself on it with desperate little whimpers.

Soon enough there’s first one, then another finger slipping past the ring of muscle, wet with slick and spit. There’s little resistance with how turned on Harry is, and as the alpha stretches the omega further open, he rumbles praises between licks around his fingers.

“So good for me baby, taste just like honey. Almost ready for me, aren’t you?”

“Yes! Alpha, please, I’m so close, wanna come on your knot, need you to fill me up!” Harry nearly shouts from how wound up he is, hips working to take more of Louis’ fingers in. He’s tugging at Louis’ hair, whimpering every time the alpha curls his fingers, before finally the alpha lets up and slips his fingers out.

Despite himself, Harry whines at the loss. He feels empty, but from the way Louis’ crawling up to kiss clumsily at his jaw, the omega knows he won’t be for long.

The alpha takes a moment to swipe his hand through the mess between Harry’s legs, using the slick he collects to coat over his cock before positioning himself. He misses the first few times he lines up, bumping against Harry’s cheeks and making the omega giggle in anticipation.

“Here, let me?” Harry whispers, reaching a hand down to wrap around Louis’ to help guide his cock to press against the omega’s slick hole. He sighs at the contact, which transforms into a moan when Louis begins pushing in. “Oh, fuck, yes!”

The slide is just as easy as the alpha’s fingers had been, and the omega clenches around the dick splitting him open. Louis enters him in small thrusts, inch by inch as he sinks further and further into Harry until his hips are flush with the omega’s bum. Harry lets out a long moan at being filled so well, tapering off into a whimper. “Oh, fuck! Alpha, feel so full, so good!”

Louis licks up Harry’s neck as he re-adjusts himself to press flush against the omega before pulling back to thrust forward again. They both moan, pleasured noises falling more frequently between them as the alpha starts up a slow, deep rhythm. Every drag back is slow, and every thrust forward deep enough to make Harry whimper every time.

It shouldn’t be enough, should be driving Harry insane with how slow Louis’ fucking into him, but instead the omega’s head is thrown back, hair tangled on the pillow as he babbles about how deep he can feel Louis, how good it feels, how close he is already. Just like the first time they went bare, Harry can feel Louis like he just can’t with a condom, the alpha’s foreskin sliding back and forth with each rock of their hips. It should be strange, but instead it just reminds him that there’s nothing between them, that Louis will be filling him up.

He can feel Louis’ teeth teasing at the curve of his neck, and the implication, the thought of the alpha biting down, has tears spilling down Harry’s temples into his hair with how overwhelmed it makes him.

Harry’s trembling, legs lifting to wrap around Louis’ waist. The shift changes the angle, and Louis’ next thrust in hits right against the omega’s prostate. Harry gasps around a moan, arching up against Louis and clinging to the alpha tighter. His nails drag across the alpha’s back, leaving pink welts behind that make Louis growl against his throat.

The alpha’s knot is starting to form at the base of Louis’ cock, kissing against Harry’s rim and making him start to beg for it. “Lou, Louis, Alpha, knot, want your knot, gonna knot me?”

“Course baby, I’ve got you.” Louis’ tone is soothing, despite how his pace has picked up and the way he’s popping the growing knot back and forth passed Harry’s rim. “Gunna come for me, love? Be a good boy and come on my knot?”

Harry sobs, chanting out breathless ‘ yes ’s and ‘ please ’ as the alpha’s thrust become erratic. When Louis finally locks inside him, the omega’s eyes roll back with the force of his orgasm, body shaking and throat choking around a moan. As Louis shouts his own release, hips jerking and knot grinding against Harry’s prostate, it feels as though the pleasure will never end.

Finally collapsing bonelessly, they lay there, stuck together with sweat and come as they try to catch their breaths and come down from their high. Louis’ the first to manage to get back some control of his body, carefully rolling them so that Harry is laying in a whimpering puddle on his chest. The action is followed immediately by the alpha wiping a hand across his forehead and blowing a sigh into the younger man’s curls.

“Fuck, baby, you wore me out.” Louis murmurs, quiet as he wraps Harry up in his arms and kisses the side of his head.

The omega giggles, lightheaded where he’s tucked his face against Louis’ neck. “Emotions make everything so much more intense .”

Humming in agreement, the alpha nuzzles further into his hair and plants one, two, three more kisses. “Feelings: the kinkiest shit ever.”

Harry lights up with a startled laugh, giggles bubbling out of him as Louis chuckles along. They settle again with a sigh, the omega reaches over and grabs his throw blanket. It takes some finangling, but he manages to spread it over their cooling bodies before curling up against Louis. As they fade into their dreams, Harry thinks about a certain four letter word and falls asleep smiling.

When Harry met Louis four months ago, he hadn’t been looking for love. But as he wakes up to the alpha next to him, he’s glad love found him instead.

As Harry watches the sun play over sharp cheekbones and soft fringe, he wonders if he would ever have gotten the chance to meet Louis if the omega hadn’t noticed him that night. Would they have met a different month? Or perhaps they might have bumped into each other on the street, or Louis might have visited the bakery?

“Stop staring at me.” The alpha’s voice is scratchy, deeper with sleep. He doesn’t bother to open his eyes, but there’s a smirk curving his thin lips.

“How would you know?” Harry quips back, biting his lip to stifle his giggles.

At this, oceanic blue eyes finally open, ever unfocused in their steadfast forward stare. “A guess. I can’t believe you were actually staring at me. What a creep.”

Harry lets out a startled laugh, rolling on top of the alpha as he finally gives in to the giddy feeling bubbling up inside his chest. “I just like waking up to you! Is that so wrong?”

Louis becomes soft at this, wrapping his arms around Harry with a warm grin. “No. Nothing wrong with that.”

They keep waking up to each other, mornings starting with lazy kisses and gentle words. And when Harry moves in with Louis, they start everyday wrapped up in each other. And even though the omega adds his own touch to the space, hanging up art and other decorations that don’t clutter the walkways, it’s love that truly brings the flat to life.

As the years pass, they only orbit each other ever closer, learning each other with fond familiarity. Louis writes a song about stumbling in the dark, about finding home , and this time his name is actually included in the writing credits. Everytime it plays on the radio, Harry makes sure to sing it into Louis’ ear, delighted in the smile it puts on his face.

And when they finally bond, tied together and crying out each other’s name, Harry feels the way that same love consumes Louis. It washes through him from where Louis’ bitten his mark in the juncture of Harry’s neck, returns it back when he sinks his own teeth in the same spot on Louis. He feels forever in the way it means ‘I love you’.

Chapter Text

Fifteen years later

It’s too early in the morning when Louis wakes up to the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, before a squirming, giggling weight lands right on top of him. He knows it’s too early because sleep still clings with beckoning fingertips at his mind. It’s also too early because his first response to the weight on top of him is to growl and curl protectively around his heavily pregnant mate, shielding the omega from any harm.

“Danny, you know better than to jump on Daddy, we’ve talked about this,” comes Harry’s slumber warm voice, and Louis feels big hands petting over his arms in a soothing motion. The omega coos, turning slightly in Louis’ arms to kiss his forehead. “Just like you don’t sneak up on either Daddy or your brother.”

“But Paaapaaaa!” the young pup whines, bouncing slightly where he’s slipped off of his parents to sit on the mattress. “We get a puppy today!”

“Service dog,” Louis grumbles, trying to hide further against his mate. Harry no longer has his long tresses, curls cut short when he was pregnant with their first child because it helped with the hot flashes. When Harry chuckles and sits up, Louis whines in a way that would rival his son, crumpling his face into a pout.

“Let’s go make breakfast, thunder pup. Leave your Daddy to sleep off his grumpiness, hm?” Harry suggests softly, shifting around with a grunt before standing from the bed.

“Can we make pancakes?” Danny asks, followed by an excited gasp when his Papa must nod in agreement. The pup slips from the bed, and Louis tracks the sound of their footsteps as they make their way to the other end of the house.

The alpha rolls onto his other side, groaning at the ache in his hip and the fact that his mind is wide awake now. Damn. He really wanted to try and sleep just a little longer.

He’s about to give up and roll out of bed when Louis catches the sound of another set of footsteps and a soft clicking noise. It echos from down the hall, cutting off at the doorway of the master bedroom. The rotten flora scent of anxiety filters in, and Louis sits up to address his eldest son.

“What’s on your mind, Batman?” the alpha calls across the room, listening to the sigh Oliver lets out. Instead of a cane, his eldest son uses sonar to find his way. Because of this, Liam had the brilliant idea to nickname the lad after his own favourite comic hero.

(Much to Oliver’s later chagrin, as the lad had taken more to the Marvel universe. He once asked why Louis hadn’t nicknamed him after Daredevil instead, to which the alpha had smirked and asked “Why do you think your middle name is Matthew?”)

When no answer comes, Louis pats the bed, shifting so he’s sat against the headboard. “Come on, tell your old man what’s bothering you.”

Clicking his tongue in his cheek, Oliver pads over to the bed and crawls up to curl up against Louis’ side. As Louis cards his fingers through curls that are so much like Harry’s, the younger lad gathers his thoughts. He’s always been like Louis when it comes to serious talks, needing to be close or at least touching in some way. The two of them find comfort in physical assurance.

“Why did you never get a service dog, Dad?” comes his son’s cautious question, small in the quiet space between them. His eldest has always been a gentle pup, easily anxious and with metaphorical too big paws that he’s yet to grow into.

“Mostly? Couldn’t afford it.” Louis shrugs the shoulder his son’s head isn’t leaning on, cuddling him closer into his side. “But your Papa and I can handle the cost, and I’ll be learning along with you, so we can both train together.” When he feels Oliver relax and nod against his shoulder, Louis turns his face into his powder soft scent of youth, kissing the top of his head. “What’s brought this on? I thought we talked about this?”

“I know, I just…” Another sigh, and when Oliver speaks again it’s around where he must be chewing at his thumbnail. “I just don’t...I don’t want people to think I can’t do stuff by myself. You didn’t need a service dog, so what’s wrong with me?”

“Whoa, whoa, buddy.” Louis drops his hand down to his son’s shoulder, rubbing up and down. “Getting a service dog does not mean there’s something wrong with you! Who told you that? I’ll whack them with my cane. And let me tell you, that thing leaves bruises!” There’s a growl in his voice, low and agitated, and the wolf in his chest bares his teeth in preparation of defending his offspring.

“No one’s called me that, chill out Dad!” Oliver sounds embarrassed, but that’s better than the melancholy gloom of a moment ago. “I just don’t wanna depend on the dog too much, wanna take care of myself. Be strong, you know? On my own. Like you.”

The last words are muttered, but Louis still hears them easily. Leaning his head back, he thinks back on a time when he felt the same as Oliver seems to now. “You know what made me strong?” When his son hums out a quiet ‘no’, the alpha continues. “Your Papa, your uncle Liam and Niall, your grandma and aunts and uncle Ernest. You and your brother, and little Charlotte even though she’s still in your Papa’s tummy.” Sitting his head up again, Louis ruffles his son’s messy curls. “All the people who love and support me are what keeps me sane. Without them I’d still be a bitter idiot sitting in an empty flat, writing songs about being lonely.”

“You sound like one of your songs right now,” his son quips, ever ready with a joking answer to everything.

Whatever Oliver might have to follow up with gets cut off when tiny pounding footsteps tear down the hallway once more and skid to a stop at the doorway. “Breakfast’s ready we made pancakes!” Danny announces, words running together in his eagerness. Then the boy is running back to join his Papa in the kitchen.

“This room is rather busy this morning,” Louis jokes, smiling to himself at the energy five year olds possess. “Better go join them before your brother eats it all.”

“Dad?” Oliver’s voice is more confident now, and Louis hums to let him know he’s listening. “Thanks. For...talking with me.”

“Of course, love. Feel better?”

“Yeah. Much better.”