Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Darkness descends upon the room as the television screen goes black. After a moment the credits start to roll, making light flicker around the room. All around Zayn boys are stretching, groaning, yawning and climbing to their feet.

“‘M going t’ bed…”

“Bloody knackered…”

“Night.”

“Night!”

Someone flicks the light on as they leave the common room. From the sofa right in front of the telly a sixth former yells, “Turn the fucking light off!”

Next to Zayn, Louis – who’s curled up around the armrest, sleeping – sighs. They’re sat in one of the furthest couches from the telly. In the all-boys boarding school that Zayn and Louis attend there’s an implacable hierarchy. In the common room, the sixth formers sit in the sofas closest to the TV and all the younger boys sit behind them and generally try not to get in their way. The sixth formers are like celebrities to the younger boys, tall and lanky, strutting around the school during their study periods, talking about fucking, universities and clubbing.

A friend from their dorm room asks Zayn if he’s coming.

Zayn nods his head at the sleeping Louis. “Yeah, in a bit.”

“Okay, night bro.”

“Night.”

By the time the credits have ended only Louis, Zayn and a handful of older boys remain in the common room.

Crash!

Louis is startled awake and both he and Zayn look quickly over their shoulders as the window beside them is thrown open. A figure leaps onto the windowsill, pauses a moment and swings into the room. He’s followed immediately by another boy, who turns to slam the window shut behind them. As he does so his gaze falls on Louis, staring up at him from the sofa. His face splits into a grin.

The window bangs, Louis jumpsand the boy turns to saunter after his friend.

“Oi,” he yells, swaggering in his tightly fitted school trousers. “Toss us a beer!”

“Where’ve you fags been?” asks another of the sixth formers from where he’s sat on top of the fridge. He kicks it open, reaches between his legs and pulls two beers out. 

“Fucking your dad!” says the first boy. He humps the air and laughs uproariously.

“But he’s not a tight as he used to be-” says the second, throwing an arm around his friend’s neck.

“So we both fucked him.” Their lips meet in a biting kiss. They pull away and laugh with the other sixth formers, falling into the couch right in front of the telly.

Harry Styles and Liam Payne are the two biggest alphas in school. They’re both in upper sixth form, in the same house as Zayn and Louis, which means they share the same common room, dining hall, study lounge and dorm block. [inspo] 

Zayn’s attention is suddenly drawn away from them, however, when Louis drops his head into his hand and groans quietly.

“Hey,” Zayn whispers, straightening up. “Are you alright?”

Louis’ head swings from side to side. “S’really hot,” he mumbles thickly. He shivers and pushes his fringe back with both hands. His cheeks are flushed and sweaty, glowing pink in the darkness. “S’really, really hot, bro…”

Zayn furrows his brow, forgetting about the sixth formers, and presses his palm to Louis’ forehead. He pulls back sharply. “Jesus, Lou,” he whispers. “You’re fucking burning.”

“Yeah…” Louis moans, shivering again, “yeah… Fucking burning.”

Zayn’s gaze drops to Louis’ other hand, clenched tightly around his leg. His thumb is kneading the crease of his thigh, pushing against the bulge in his crotch. Zayn’s stomach lurches. Anxiously he whispers, “Louis, look at me.”

Louis doesn’t seem to hear him at first. Then he blinks and turns his gaze to Zayn. His eyes are bright and feverish, his pupils swallowing up the blue of his irises.

Zayn swallows. “Louis, I think – I think you’re in heat.” He glances over at the boys by the TV, now fighting over the remote control. The blonde one, Niall Horan, sitting on the fridge is cackling like a madman. He can see only the tops of Harry and Liam’s heads as they wrestle on the couch.

If they smell Louis Zayn’s worried what will happen. The oldest alphas – alphas like Liam and Harry – act like they’re entitled to the young omegas’ virginities. Later heats an omega can plan for, but their first one can happen anywhere.

Louis shakes his head but his hand is still pressed urgently over his hardening cock. “No,” he whispers.

“Bro, look at you,” Zayn insists. He pulls Louis’ hand away, gripping his fingers tightly. “Come on. I’m taking you to the nurse-”

“No!” Louis hisses, pulling Zayn back into his seat. “‘M fine, just hot.”

Zayn doesn’t know what to do. Louis’ too young to have his first heat. There’s terror in his eyes but there’s something else too – hunger and desperation, the most fervent kind of lust. Seeing his vibrant, confident friend reduced to a trembling, sweating mess is terrifying for Zayn, whose an omega also and even younger. He takes a deep breath. “Check,” he says meaningfully.

Louis appears to be having trouble focusing on words. “…What?”

Zayn lowers his voice. “Just check, Lou. If I’m right – I’m taking you to the nurse.”

“Check what,” Louis begs, frustrated.

Zayn throws another nervous look at the sixth formers. “Just check if you’re, you know, wet…”

Louis glances behind him also. His eyes are huge when he looks back at Zayn. Zayn squeezes his hand before releasing it and nods encouragingly. Hesitantly, Louis pushes a hand into his school trousers. His eyes fill with tears and he throws Zayn a fleeting glance before pulling it back. Two fingers glisten with his thick, pearly slick.

Zayn’s about to take him by the arm and pull him to his feet but before either of them can do anything a hand closes around Louis’ wrist and wrenches him forward. Louis gasps, eyes widening as the alpha brings his fingers to his nose. His nostrils flare and his eyelashes flutter in pleasure. “Shotgun,” he breathes.

Harry Styles’ eyes spring open again, dark with desire.

Someone drops into the seat next to Zayn, who jumps and presses closer to Louis’ side.

“You bastard,” Liam Payne says. He feels huge next to Zayn, one arm thrown across the back of the couch behind him. Zayn pretends to ignore him, watching instead the quick rise and fall of Louis’ chest and his apparent inability to look away from Harry’s gaze.

Harry gently releases Louis’ wrist, tilts his head and asks, “Are you alright?” The way he kneels, almost submissively, at Louis’ feet, black tattoos displayed on his bare chest, is disarmingly sexy. Whilst Louis has delicate features and golden skin, Harry is a blur of dimples, expressive eyes and a windswept quiff. 

Beside Zayn, Liam scoffs, scratching at the stubble on his jaw. “Are you alright? Does he look alright, bro?” He rolls his eyes at Zayn, as though this is some inside joke between the two of them. His chest is big and broad – though he wears a tee shirt Zayn’s sure that it’s covered in hair. His slick quiff is golden-brown and his eyes are handsome.

Harry’s smile broadens but he doesn’t take his eyes from Louis’. “It’s Louis, yeah?” he whispers, brushing Louis’ sweaty fringe from his forehead.

When Louis doesn’t answer Harry switches his gaze to Zayn.

“Yeah,” Zayn says. “Yeah, his names Louis.”

“S’hot,” Louis says again.      

Harry nods sympathetically. “I know, love, I know.”

Louis sucks in a deep, shaky breath. His fingers trace hesitantly over Harry’s wrist. “I need,” he gasps, “need…” He squeezes his eyes shut, unable to finish his sentence.

Even Zayn can smell him now.

“Jesus,” Liam groans, knuckles going white where his hand grips the back of the couch.

Harry brushes a tear from the corner of Louis’ eye and whispers, “What do you need love?”

Louis shakes his head and looks around at Zayn.

Harry’s other hand comes up to cup Louis’ cheek, pulling Louis’ gaze back to him.

“Oi!” Zayn protests, pushing Harry back. “Leave him alone!” But Liam grabs his arms and pulls them back against Zayn’s chest.  

“Relax, babe,” he says.

Breathing furiously, Zayn watches as Harry’s fingers trail over Louis’ cheeks. “You need me, yeah?” Louis nods desperately. “Yeah,” Harry says smilingly. Leaning close he breathes, “Inside you?”

Louis is gulping for breath. “I don’t – I don’t know.”

“That’s okay. That’s okay.”

“Zayn?” Louis sobs. Beads of sweat are trickling past his hairline, his chest heaves frantically and the air around him seems to throb with his heat. 

“He needs the nurse,” Zayn says, shoving Liam off and taking Louis’ hand.

Liam snorts. “No he really doesn’t.” Zayn scowls at him but Liam just smiles and continues: “He needs-” But then he breaks off, grins widely and gestures that Zayn should return his attention to Louis.

Zayn turns back and his eyes widen.

Louis’ arms have reached out, winding around Harry’s neck. Over Louis’ shoulder, Harry smiles triumphantly at his friend.

“Louis!” Zayn whispers, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him back. But Louis wriggles into Harry’s lap, pushing his face into his neck.

“Hurts…” he whines.

“Oh,” Harry coos, stroking his back. “I know, love.” He wraps one arm around Louis’ waist, tucks the other under his bum and pushes to his feet. “Bring the other one up,” he says over his shoulder, heading towards the sixth form dorms.

Liam takes Zayn’s hand and pulls him to his feet. “Wait-” Zayn tells him. “Wait, Louis – he’s not – he’s sick. I need to take him to the-”

But Liam just shushes him, pulling Zayn after Harry and Louis, up a flight of stairs to where the sixth formers have their rooms. 

Harry’s already backing into one of the first doors and Zayn twists his arm from Liam’s grip and runs after them.

Liam and Harry have their own room, with two double beds to the left and right. Harry, still cradling Louis, stands in the centre, murmuring in Louis’ ear. Zayn thinks he’s trying to encourage him to let go.

Liam ambles in after Zayn, grabs a beer from the mini-fridge and throws himself on his own bed.

The moment Louis is set right on his feet his knees buckle under him. Zayn leaps forward to steady him.

Harry and Liam look to one another and croon: “Awww.”

Zayn flushes, wrapping his arms around Louis’ waist and pulling him against his chest. His skin blazes beneath his clothes, so hot it’s almost hard to touch him.

Harry steps forward and Zayn tightens his grip, hugging Louis to him like a child clinging to their favourite toy.

“It’s okay,” Harry tells him. He slowly unfastens Louis’ tie and lets it unfurl onto the floor. As he slips loose the buttons on Louis’ shirt Louis arches under his broad palms. Zayn doesn’t know what to do other than let Harry have his way. Zayn realises that he’s intimidated, not only by Harry and Liam, but by Louis – who clearly craves the touch of this huge, older alpha.

Harry kneels down to pull off Louis’ socks. Then he unbuttons Louis’ school trousers and tugs them down his thighs.

Louis’ fingernails dig into the back of Zayn’s hands as Harry sucks a huge breath in through his nose, breathing deeply of Louis’ scent. For a moment Zayn can see only the whites of his eyes as they roll back in his head.

“God, that’s sweet,” he murmurs. When his eyes snap open he looks ready to devour Louis. Between his legs, his cock is pressing against his too-tight trousers. He helps Louis out of his own trousers and boxers and, still kneeling by his feet, murmurs, “you’re so sweet, Louis love.” He slides Louis’ boxers away to join the rest of his clothes and straightens up. He towers over the two omegas.

Zayn stumbles backward, pulling Louis with him. “Don’t hurt him,” he pleads, before he can help himself.

“Zayn, babe, it’s okay,” Liam says from the bed.

Maybe it’s because it’s the first time either of them has called him by name, but Zayn lets Liam pull him away. He’s so intent on watching Louis that he doesn’t pay attention to Liam pulling him into his lap until Liam’s breath tickles his ear. “Hey,” he whispers coyly. Zayn’s eyes flicker to him and he blushes.

Harry’s hand is unbelievably broad on the small of Louis’ back. Louis sways on his feet, gripping the swelling muscles of Harry’s arms. Harry’s other hand slips between Louis’ thighs. “Christ,” he murmurs. “Look how wet you are.”

Zayn realises he’s panting. He looks down and sees two of Harry’s fingers squeeze inside Louis to the knuckle. Thick beads of Louis’ slick roll down the back of Harry’s hand.

Zayn gasps and Liam’s fingers tighten around his arms.

Louis’ scrabbling to stay on his tiptoes, clinging to Harry’s shoulders and gasping as Harry shoves his fingers inside him. The faded black ink covering Harry’s arms ripples over his bulging biceps. He’s tall and lean, with broad shoulders, angular collarbones and ridged muscles over his chest and stomach. Standing a full head shorter than Harry, Louis’ body looks supple and slim. He’s delicate around his shoulders, narrow in the waist and firm around his thighs and arse. Zayn can only imagine the way Louis’ body clenches around Harry’s fingers, the way his tight, wet heat is going to cling to his cock. With each push of Harry’s fingers, Louis gives a cry of shocked pleasure.

“Do the thing where you-” Liam starts to say, then breaks off. “Yes, bro.”

Because Harry has just picked Louis up using the two fingers that are inside of him. Louis’ legs wrap quickly around Harry’s waist. Harry’s fingers claw along his thighs, leaving trails of glistening slick on Louis’ skin. He plants his feet wide and hikes Louis’ up by his thighs. He’s panting as he peers up into Louis’ face, smiling in barely contained anticipation. He reaches down and Zayn’s gaze follows his fingers as they disappear between his and Louis’ body and curl around the base of his cock.

Zayn’s eyes widen.

Pulled out from his black school trousers, he’s nothing at all like the pretty, pink things that Louis and Zayn have. Thick and purple, impossibly stiff and tall, he’s got the cock of a full-grown alpha, ready to burst. Harry keeps adjusting his grip, lining it up with the wet, pink mess of Louis’ hole.

Zayn breathing so hard that for several long moments all he can hear is the sound of his own sharp panting. Then, Louis’ body begins to give, stretching around the huge purple head of Harry’s cock.

Zayn’s mouth gapes and he’s only half-aware of Liam’s fingers pressing bruises into his arm, of Liam’s cock digging into his back and of his own hole moistening.

Louis whimpers, trembling thighs locked tightly around Harry’s hips. Harry suddenly releases his other thigh and shoves a hand into Louis’ hair, pulling him in to kiss him deeply. Zayn gets a glimpse of Louis’ face, of eyelashes fluttering against his glowing pink cheeks. He gaze drops again in time to see the head of Harry’s cock sink inside him.

Zayn’s toes curl and he shudders in Liam’s arms.

Louis whimpers into Harry’s mouth. Zayn sees Harry’s knuckles whiten where they grip the hair at the base of Louis’ neck. Mouth swollen, he says, “s’okay, Lou,” and somehow makes it sound like the filthiest thing in the world. His large hands return to Louis’ thighs, stretching around the tight brown muscles as he hikes him up once more. Harry throws his head back in pleasure as he sinks further inside Louis. Gritting his teeth, his knees suddenly buckle, he stumbles-

Liam shouts, “careful, bro!”

-and Harry sits down hard on his bed.

Louis releases a sudden cry of pain, voice breaking as he catches himself against Harry’s chest. Behind Zayn, Liam winces.

Eyes huge, Zayn’s gaze travels slowly down Louis’ body. He draws in a sharp breath, shrinking back against Liam’s chest. From where Louis sits astride Harry’s hips Zayn can see nothing but the very base of Harry’s cock. Zayn tries to think about nine inches – Jesus – but he feels dizzy. Worse, thinking about Louis with nine inches of – fuck – cock – fuck, fuck, fuck – up him makes his own hole twitch and leak.

“Shhh…” Harry is whispering. “Sh-sh-shhhh…” His fingers run through Louis’ hair, skimming down his heaving sides.

Zayn can see Louis’ nails where they dig into the taut flesh of Harry’s bicep and shoulder. There’s a tremor in his hands and his breathing is short and sharp.  

Harry tries to adjust Louis in his lap, but Louis gives another startled cry of pain.

Zayn’s heartbeat thuds in his ears. Dimly, he’s aware of Louis sobbing and his own eyes fill with tears. He turns to Liam and whispers, “is he okay?”

Liam’s handsome brown eyes fill with warmth as they meet Zayn’s. “Yeah, Zayn. He’s okay.” Then, louder, he says: “Take it slow, Haz, man. You’re upsetting Zayn.”

It’s the wrong thing to say – because Harry actually is trying to take it slow and he didn’t mean to fall back like that. “I’m upsetting Zayn?” he says incredulously. “Mate, your omegais fine.”

“Yeah, dude, that’s what I’m fucking saying. I haven’t made my omega sit on my gigantic fucking cock, have I?”

Harry’s eyes are fierce as they switch from Louis to Liam and he snarls, “Get back to me when yours isin heat, bro.” Liam opens his mouth to retort but Harry cuts him off, “Just shut up, Payno – I’m taking care of it.”

Liam turns back to Zayn and assures him, “he’s okay, babe. Promise.”

Zayn can hear the soft, slow rhythm of Harry’s voice. Louis is hiccupping on his sobs. He looks dainty in Harry’s lap, whose still wears his black school trousers, whose quiff has wilted slightly and whose chest now shines with sweat. Louis, in contrast, is completely naked, with soft limbs and flushed skin.

Zayn watches Louis intently, seeing him recapture his breath and wipe his tears. For several long minutes only Harry’s gentle words break the silence. Behind Zayn, Liam leans back on his hands, watching Harry encourage the omega to roll his hips. It starts so slowly Zayn doesn’t notice, at first, the way Louis is undulating in Harry’s lap. Then he hears a soft squelching, looks down and sees Louis sinking up and down on the very base of Harry’s cock. Smiling, Harry holds him by one hip, letting Louis get used to his size, inch by inch. Zayn can see Louis’ slick seeping into the thick, brown curls around the base of Harry’s cock.

“Jesus,” Zayn groans.

Liam’s breath tickles his neck again. “You getting wet, babe?” he murmurs.

Zayn can’t take his eyes off Louis and Harry and it’s a moment before he answers, shaking his head stubbornly.

Harry’s fingers wrap around Louis’ waist. He lifts Louis up and slides him back down, pushing more and more in and out of him. Clinging to Harry, Louis’ gasps are half-pain, half-pleasure and Zayn is wet, he can feel it – and Liam can smell it.

Liam’s hard cock is digging painfully into Zayn’s back. His stubble is rough against the soft skin at the nape of Zayn’s beck. “Please,” he whispers, tugging almost playfully at the zip on Zayn’s trousers.

Zayn pulls his gaze from Louis and looks down at the hands in his lap. He wants it so desperately he can’t even speak. He nods shakily and Liam quickly unfastens his trousers and shoves a hand inside. His fingers slide in the slippery mess around Zayn’s hole. Zayn’s might not be in heat but he’s so aroused he’s dripping wet. He feels the first finger slide inside him and clenches around it with a gasp. Like Louis, it’s the first time he’s been touched there. If one finger feels huge he doesn’t know how Louis’ handling it. Inside him Liam crooks his finger and smiles against his cheek when Zayn catches his breath.

“Harry,” Liam pants, grinding his hard cock into Zayn’s back. “Fucking pick it up, mate.”

Harry’s gaze flickers briefly to them and Zayn drops his own eyes quickly. He doesn’t see Liam and Harry wink at one another. Then Harry stands up, slides onto the bed and lowers Louis down. Almost instantly he quickens his thrusts, and Louis looks all the more vulnerable and lovely under him.   

Liam matches each of Harry’s thrusts by pumping his fingers into Zayn. Each drive of his finger is electric, making Zayn’s cock twitch. His wraps his fingers around it, pulling it free from his trousers. His sharp pants meet Louis’ mounting cries.

“Oh!” Louis tosses his head against the pillows, clinging to them to brace himself against Harry’s thrusts. “Ha… ha… ha… Zayn!”

Zayn whimpers, throwing his head back against Liam’s shoulder, curled toes skimming the carpet. Liam pushes a second finger in beside the first and Zayn groans.  

He hears Harry telling Louis his name and forces himself to open his eyes once more.

“H-Harry,” Zayn hears Louis stammer.

Harry’s hand slams into the headboard, fingers curling over the top of it. His other arm is wrapped around Louis’ thigh, holding it close to his side. Though Zayn can no longer see where their bodies meet he can hear the slap of skin on skin as Harry slams his cock inside Louis.

“Can you take three?” Liam whispers in his ear.

Zayn shakes his head desperately.

“That’s okay…” Liam whispers. “S’okay.”

Louis’ cries sound like pain, but pain that he’s enjoying, pain that he needs. At best he sounds frightened of his pleasure. “Unngh, ahh! AH! Oh… God. GOD. Fu-uck – Harry-Harry, please… Ha-Ha-”

Harry releases the headboard and rams his fist into the mattress beside Louis’ head. The muscles of his back spasm and Zayn can see that sweat is practically pouring down his back. Containing his orgasm for Louis seems to cause him more pain than pleasure.

“Please,” Louis begs, raking his nails down Harry’s arms. “PLEA-EASE!” One of his palms slams against the bed side table, knocking lamps and books and clocks onto the floor. His other hand tangles in the curtains on the wall beside him, ripping them from their rail.

Zayn gasps and slumps forward, curling his feet behind Liam’s calves. He tightens impossibly around Liam’s fingers as he comes, panting hard. Liam pulls his fingers free, quickly adjusts Zayn in his lap and shoves a hand down his own trousers. His forehead digs between Zayn’s shoulder blades and he comes with three short grunts.

Blinking blearily, Zayn looks back at the pair on the bed across from him.

Harry’s arms are bracketed by Louis’ head and Louis’ nails tear into the flesh of his back. Louis’ final cry is pure ecstasy as he arches off the bed, clinging to Harry as explodes over their stomachs. He wilts, gasping for air, one arm drooping over the side of the bed.

Harry doesn’t slow down, even as Louis continues to come weakly, breaking down into overwhelmed sobs. Instead he grits out from between his teeth. “Liam – take the other one and get out.”  One hand closes like a vice around Louis’ upper arm, holding him down. “Gonna – fucking – knot – him.”

Zayn sees Louis’ eyes flicker open, suddenly clear and blue. They widen before rolling into the back of his head, as he arches off the bed and his mouth fall open in gasp.  

Liam gapes. “Bro are you kidding?”

Harry shakes his head. He’s grunting between his grit teeth and his thrusts become erratic. Louis’ chest heaves wildly, his cock still leaking sporadically on his belly.

“Harry – come on, what the fuck?”                                      

Harry’s head whips towards Liam, his lips pull back over his teeth and he releases an animal snarl.

Although it’s only meant as a warning to Liam, it makes Zayn’s blood run cold. He whimpers, scrambling back into Liam’s lap, turning his face into his shoulder.

Liam’s own growl reverberates in his chest as he scoops Zayn up and takes quickly out of the room. In the corridor Zayn’s set right on his feet. He feels dizzy.

“Is he gonna be okay?” he asks Liam, titling his head back to look up into his face.

Liam takes his hand and pulls him down the corridor. “Yeah,” he says but he doesn’t sound so sure this time.

At the stairs he asks: “Can we sleep in your bed?”

Zayn stares at him. “You want me to bring an alpha back to my dorm?”

Liam curses. “I forgot you’re still in the group dorms.” He thinks for a bit. “…Want to go back to the common room? I’ve got a copy of Avengers down there?”

Zayn glances back at the room they’ve just left. He’s so worried about Louis but his submissive instincts tell him to trust the two alphas. “Yeah… okay.”

Liam grins and pulls him close. As they reach the common room he whispers, “wanna sit in my lap again?”

/ \

Louis can’t take his eyes off Harry, wincing as he peers up into his face. Harry’s muscles must be burning. His quiff is damp with sweat where it droops between them.

Louis is still clenching weakly around the thick length of Harry inside him. He barely has the strength to touch Harry’s chest and bury a hand in his hair.

Harry’s eyes don’t leave his as he shoves himself one final time into Louis and whispers, “take my knot, yeah?”

Louis nods shakily though he can already feel Harry begin to swell inside him. He tries to breathe deeply. He tries to relax. But he’s so scared that he tenses up again as he feels Harry get bigger. Harry strokes his cheek and murmurs, “s’okay, love. You’re alright.”

But Louis screws his eyes shut, tosses his head against the pillows and gives a loud shout.

“Louis, come on, come on. You can take it, I know you can. Lovie, please – God.” Harry grits his teeth and buries his face in Louis’ neck. “Please.”

Louis’ fingers tighten in his hair. He’s forced to arch off the bed as Harry’s knot plumps up. His legs tremble violently with the effort of supporting his body when he’s already so exhausted. The fingers of his other hand squeeze the pillow under his head and he sobs, “I c-can’t.” He throws his head back and cries.

Harry wraps an arm under his waist, holding Louis to him and groaning into the nape of his neck. He heaves himself upright, pulling Louis into his lap, now cradling him where he’s knelt in the centre of his bed.

Louis clings to his shoulders and just when he thinks he couldn’t possible take anymore, Harry suddenly pants, “think… that’s… it.”

Louis looks down. There are tears rolling down his cheeks as he touches his stomach, tracing his fingers over the length of cock inside him. He imagines that he can see the outline of it pressed against his stomach, forcing him to curve his back to accommodate for its size. Moments later he feels Harry’s cock begins to pulse as his come starts to fill him. Hot and slippery, Harry pumps his seed inside him and Louis doesn’t know why he likes it but he does. It makes him feel claimed. By the time Harry’s pulls his face back from where it’s been buried in his neck Louis feels full to the brim. Both of them tremble as they wait for Harry’s knot to subside.

When it does Louis actually feel empty, even though Harry’s still soft and huge inside him. He stumbles to the floor. His knees buckle and he collapses.

Harry scrambles off the bed and catches him. Louis’ thighs are drenched with his slick and Harry’s come.

Harry hooks an arm under Louis’ knees, swings around and carefully lays him back down on the bed. Louis’ only dimly aware of the hot cloth between his legs, of Harry changing the sheets and opening the window so the cold night air bathes his skin. Then Harry’s sliding in the bed beside him, wrapping him up in his arms and whispering, “Night, Lou love.”

/ \

“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh. My. God. They’re so cute.”

“Shhh,” Harry hisses, pulling Niall away from the bed where Zayn and Louis sleep.

Niall claps his face in his hands and looks from one to the other and back again. Then he turns to Liam and Harry and mouths, “I love them.”

Liam and Harry smile fondly at the two omegas, curled up together on the bed. Their heads are bowed towards one another, their fingers curled around the collar of each other’s shirts.

As they watch Louis blinks awake. Sleepily he reaches up and Harry bends down and scoops him into his arms.

“How’re you?” he says softly, brushing Louis’ fringe to the side.

“Better,” Louis says.

Harry smiles. “Yeah?”

Louis nods.

Zayn sits up blearily, missing Louis’ warmth, and Liam pushes away from the wall that he was leant against. Sitting beside Zayn on the bed, he glides a thumb over his cheekbone and his eyes fill with warmth when Zayn blushes.

Niall decides to excuse himself. He’s rarely approved of the alphas’ behaviour, even if they are his best friends. He’s an omega himself so he was shocked when he saw, in the common room last night, how young these two were. But Liam and Harry are relentless once they’ve caught the scent of an omega in heat.

Yet, for the first time Harry has knotted and Liam has managed to restrain himself. They left Zayn and Louis this morning only so they could tell Niall about them, speaking over one another as they tried to tell the story. So Niall kind of thinks – if it’s not the best thing to happen to Louis and Zayn (and he really hopes it will be) – it’s certainly the best thing to happen to Harry and Liam. 

Chapter Text

Fresh dawn light falls across their bed. Golden dust motes float in the shafts of sunlight and only their gentle breathing penetrates the silence. The smell of sex hangs in the air, covering the sleeping pair like a blanket, clinging to their sweat-dappled skin. One scent is sweet, young and sugary on the tip of the tongue. The other is thick and rich; sticky and musky in the mouth.

At the sound of a key in the door the Alpha’s tightens his arms reflexively around the Omega. The door creaks open and Liam peers into the room. The Omega from last night is nestled in Harry’s embrace. His head is tucked under Harry’s chin, his fingers curled against the birds on his chest. Under the sheets one of Harry’s long legs is slung over both of Louis’.

As Liam lingers in the doorway Harry’s noses twitches and his eyes suddenly snap open.

Adrenalin shoots through Liam, an animalistic response to Harry’s ferocious gaze. Rigid with tension, the two Alphas stare at one another. Then, slowly, the aggression bleeds out of them and Liam steps fully into the room and closes the door.

Harry reaches over Louis to his bedside table and tilts his phone towards him. It’s barely six a.m. Carefully, he pulls his arms free and sits up. Louis clutches the pillow instead, stretching out on his belly. “Did you sleep alright?” Harry asks quietly, watching the sleeping Omega intensely.

Liam glances up, bent over his boots as he unlaces them. “No.” He looks down again and tugs off one boot. “But Zayn did.”

Harry is still not looking at him. “Shouldn’t have kicked you out, bro,” he says. “Sorry, yeah?”

Liam shrugs it off. “Don’t worry about it.” He yanks off his other boot and drops it beside the other. “So…” He can feel his heart hammering in his chest. “Did you knot him?” His gaze flickers towards the sleeping Omega and back to Harry.

A smile stretches across Harry’s face. Liam’s always thought it dances the line between enamoured and slightly creepy. Within the week both he and Niall will be calling it his Louis Smile. https://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8pts9C3eG1qzgro7o4_250.gif

All the same, Liam’s own smile isn’t exactly innocent. “Sick.”

Harry nods, absently sweeping Louis’ fringe from his forehead.

Liam watches him carefully, scuffing his socks on the carpet. Harry seems completely absorbed by the sleeping Omega. Liam clears his throat. “It’s supposed to be as big as your fist, right?” he says. “The knot…”

There’s a loaded pause before Harry shrugs. “Yeah, I heard that.”

Liam watches him for another long moment before lifting his hand up, balling it in a fist and inspecting it... He glances at Harry.

Harry’s expression lets him know how dangerously close he is to crossing the line. But what does he expect? Young Alphas are fascinated by the idea of knotting.

Luckily, Harry seems just as intrigued as Liam. He pulls at the sheet gently, revealing shoulders and lean arms, a slender back and dimples in his soft, golden skin. Omegas are tiny but they’re by no means thin and certainly not childish – especially as they mature in the months after their first heat. Instead they’re dainty, delicate versions of Alphas. One final tug reveals the plump curves of Louis’ arse. Harry hesitates before sliding his hand to cup one lovely cheek. Undeniably, there is one way in which Louis is not petite. Even so, he’s so small that the dip from his arse to his narrow waist can only be described as steep. The sunlight glints off hairs as fine as gold dust near the bottom of his spine. It’s here that Harry’s hand finally stills.

Liam’s bed springs creak loudly as he comes sinuously to his feet. He steps closer and together the two Alphas watch Harry curl his fingers into a fist.  

For the space of several heartbeats Harry stares at the size of his fist on the small of Louis’ back. He can feel, no, he can hear his blood rushing through his veins to his cock.

Then the Omega shivers and both Harry and Liam draw back sharply, holding their breath. When Louis doesn’t move again they both release shaky laughs and Liam says in a voice barely above a whisper, “Not scared he’s gonna wake up, are you?”

Harry cringes. “No?” he says unconvincingly. He slides back down, pulling the sheet over them once more.

Liam sniggers and returns to his own bed. He wants to talk about his Omega now. To be honest he is annoyed with Harry for kicking him out, for making tears well in Zayn’s lovely golden eyes.

They woke in the common room this morning, Zayn curled against his side, sleep-soft and dazed. Their film had finished a long time ago and it was cold. So Liam walked Zayn back to his room on one of the upper floors of their boarding house. Zayn had smothered a yawn into the chest of his jumper as he hugged him good bye.

“Do you think Louis will be back?” he asked before he left.

Liam had hesitated and settled simply for promising that Louis was okay – even if that wasn’t a promise he was sure he could make.

But now Liam’s doubly annoyed because before he can tell Harry any of this he’s fallen back to sleep.

 

LOUIS

Its hours later when Louis does wake up, rubbing his face into what he thinks is a pillow with a sleepy groan. He freezes as he realise it’s somebody’s skin, a smooth expanse of it. His palm flattens over the butterfly on the boy’s ribcage. Then, slowly, he lifts his head and finds himself peering into an Alpha’s dozy, smiling face. “Hi…” he says and Louis thinks, even his dimples are huge. He sees one hand stretching towards him and sits back abruptly, out of reach. The bed sheet falls from his shoulders and a sudden chill makes him shiver. He looks down and sees that he’s sitting on top of one long thigh. And he’s naked. They both are. The Alpha’s skin is brown against the crisp white sheets; his tattoos black against his brown skin. His cock lies against one thigh and it’s so big that it alone makes Louis feel small. He notices the muscles tightening under the skin of the Alpha’s belly before he notices him sitting up, looming over him as Louis shrinks back, clambers over his leg and falls back on his arse. The Alpha’s shoulders completely eclipse his.

He speaks again and his deep, throaty voice reverberates through Louis’ whole body. “Hey…” The hand that cups his cheek covers the entire side of his face.

Louis is struggling to cope with the realisation of what happened last night. Feeling hot, sweaty, empty. Zayn. The Alphas… Harry... Being kissed for the first time. Being touched for the first time. He realises he can feel it – an ache or a stretch. And though he remembers it it’s like it didn’t happen to him. Even though he can still smell Harry like the smells got inside him. A wave of emotion completely overwhelms him, punching the breath out of him. Practically blind with tears, he pushes Harry’s hand away.

“Lou?” The Alpha tilts his curly head to one side. “Hey,” he says gently. “Are you okay?” He reaches out for him again but Louis shies away.

“Wh-where’s Zayn?” he whispers.

“Zayn?” Harry asks. There’s a long pause before he speaks flatly, “Why do you want Zayn?”

Louis can’t even look at Harry, pulling the sheet into his lap as tears slide silently down his cheeks.

Harry reaches out instinctively, hesitates and pulls back. “Please don’t be scared, Louis,” he whispers.

“I want Zayn,” Louis croaks.

A second Alpha groans and he starts violently, whipping towards the sound.

“I’ll bloody get him,” Liam Payne sighs irritably.

Louis watches, wide-eyed, as he tosses his navy duvet off and climbs out of bed. He’s shorter and meatier than Harry and his own huge cock hangs between his thighs. Louis chokes on his sob and he hides his face in his knees.

Liam shrugs when Harry glares at him. But as he pulls on sweatpants and a t-shirt Harry looks more helpless. “Ask him to bring Lou a change of clothes, yeah?” he calls as Liam opens the door.

Liam raises a hand to show that he’s heard and slouches into the corridor.

The memories are still flooding back to Louis, who’s barely aware of Harry’s gentle attempts to break him out of his reverie. One memory stands out as emotions build inside him like a storm. Harry’s cock jerking inside of him, his knot stretching him wide and plugging him up and then pulse after pulse of his come filling him up. And suddenly a calm sweeps over him and he blinks, remembering how safe and loved that had made him feel.

When he hears a key in the door he jumps and wipes hastily at his cheeks. He can hear the other Alpha saying: “You know… I should – um – I should probably get your number. In case something like this happens again. That would probably be best…”

He doesn’t hear a reply but it was probably just very quiet, because a moment later the door bangs open and Liam leads Zayn in with a big grin.

Louis can’t look at his best friend, knowing what he saw last night. So Zayn approaches him carefully and glares at Harry in reproach.

“Hey, bro…” he says tentatively as he stops before him and offers him a pile of clothes.

Louis sniffs and accepts them from him. He wiggles into his boxers and a pair of jeans. It’s completely silent as he slides off the bed onto shaky legs. Then Liam throws himself into Harry’s lap, who releases a loud, “Oof!” (Because in the same way that Louis and Zayn can be very tender and loving with one another, Harry and Liam can be brash and sexual.) Grinning, Liam throws an arm around Harry’s neck and watches Zayn help Louis back into his shirt, pretending not to notice as he tugs it over a purpling thumb print on his hip bone.

This time the silence is dense, heavy, painful.

“Louis,” Harry begins but he breaks off when Louis tenses.

Zayn takes his hand pulls him towards the door. “Come on,” he whispers.

“Wait, let me walk you out,” Liam says, leaping up to open the door for them. He ushers them out into the corridor. It’s only Alphas down here and you’d be stupid to let an Omega smelling like Louis does right now walk through alone. One of his mates spots them as he comes out of his own room. He raises his eyebrows and surreptitiously high fives Liam as he passes. Liam lets them out into the stairwell and Louis doesn’t look back before he starts up the stairs.

Zayn’s eyes are dark and lovely as he glances back at Liam. Liam looks unnerved by Louis’ reaction – he had seemed so willing yesterday and no Alpha likes to see an Omega in pain.

But a warm smile spreads across his face when he sees Zayn. “Bye, babe,” he says and his eyes crinkle when Zayn pinks and dashes after Louis.

 

ZAYN

Up in their room Zayn anxiously watches Louis crawl onto his bed and collapse on his back. He winces and curls his arms around his stomach.

Zayn sits down beside him and pretends not to notice Louis’ red eyes.

“You probably…” Louis mumbles, tugging at the sleeve of his jumper, “think I’m a slut or something…?” His eyes flicker to Zayn’s, shiny and blue.

Zayn shakes his head quickly. But he saw Louis last night, dripping all over Harry’s cock. Except Zayn feels slutty too – he was the one who got fingered watching his best friend lose his virginity to a huge, older Alpha.   

Louis swallows and drops his gaze again. Zayn can see tears clinging to his eyelashes.

“Bro… bro. You’re not gonna cry are you?”

Louis shakes his head and wipes impatiently at a tear before it can roll into his hairline.

“I tried to take you to the nurse,” Zayn says nervously. “But they sniffed you out.”

Louis nods. “I know,” he says in a tiny voice.

“Bro…” Zayn feels helpless, scared and guilty. “Are you okay? Did-did he hurt you?” His voice breaks. “I didn’t know what to do, Louis. Please don’t cry.”

Louis draws in a shuddering breath but then his face crumples and he sits up and throws his arms around Zayn as he begins to sob.

 

LIAM

When he comes out of the bathroom Harry’s still sitting half-on, half-off his bed and frowning intensely at the space where Louis sat fifteen minutes ago.

“You alright, man?” Liam asks as tightens a towel tied around his hips. It fucking stinks of sex. He crosses to the window between their two beds and throws it open. He still thinks the scent of Louis’ heat will stick to him. Or, worse, the stench of Harry’s knot.

Harry sighs heavily and shrugs one shoulder. “I dunno, mate. Feel kinda bad…”

Liam snickers. “Well… poor thing was waddling.” He snickers again before making an impression of him, toddling up and down between their beds.

Harry doesn’t laugh. “Looked like he was genuinely scared of me. And I’ve never seen one cry like that in the morning.”

Liam’s smile fades. The transition from playfulness to concern is effortless. “Don’t beat yourself up about it, Harry. You know how they can be.” A grin pulls at the corner of his mouth. “Anyway, maybe he’s still in heat. You probably just didn’t fuck it out of him.”

Harry looks offended. “Excuse me, Liam.”

https://31.media.tumblr.com/7e53a6f029e8c6f1ce169b0e7fc986e3/tumblr_inline_n4ls3vssvr1s2mrxv.gif.

“Were you watching last night or not?”

Liam smirks, shrugging concedingly. He crosses to the mini-fridge and spots the open bottle of beer from last night. He turns back to his bed. “That other one was sweet as well though, right?” he asks casually.

Harry frowns. “Huh? What… Zayn?”

“Yeah,” Liam says, a little defensively.

Harry scoffs. “Bro, he’s underage.”

“I said he was sweet, Haz. Did I say I was gonna fuck him?”

Harry raises his hands in a pantomime of defence.

Louis and Zayn might be the same age but now that Louis’ had his first heat he’s sexually mature. That’s the legal distinction. But knotting? That’s the most intense thing a couple can do. Never mind an Omega who can barely handle his own first heat. So this is all a bit rich coming from Harry. “And you can get off your high horse,” Liam adds. “I’m not the one who knotted a thirteen year old. So…”

“Oh come off it, Payno. You saw him.”

“You didn’t have to pop one inside him, is all I’m saying.” Liam shrugs. “You know, have fun with that one. You’ll be getting a mortgage on a house and he’ll still be doing his homework.” (And he won’t pretend that the thought of being that with Zayn doesn’t melt his tummy.)

Harry shakes his head stubbornly and Liam is unnerved by his sudden intensity. “No. No. You think some fucking puppy in his first rut could give him what he needs? No, only I can take care of him.”

Liam gives him a weird look, scratching his jaw so that short nails rasp over his stubble. He had no idea Harry could actually talk that fast. It’ll be good to know the next time he makes the mistake of asking Harry how to cook something. “So that’s it then?” he asks. “You’re claiming an Omega you’ve spoken to once…?”

Harry looks away. “You don’t understand. I just wanna be there for him.”

Liam shrugs. “Yeah well, Niall’s still gonna fucking kill you.”

Chapter Text

MONDAY MORNING, HARRY

“Urgh dude…” Liam groans, pulling his face out of his pillow and squinting at Harry – lying sprawled over the barbell he just tripped over, “How are you up this early? Thought you had study first thing too.”

Clutching his throbbing pinky toe, Harry lies, “Thought I’d head to the library; maybe finish that essay for this afternoon.”

Liam grunts and slumps back into his pillow. “Grand… Now shut the fuck up.”

Harry rolls his eyes – though, to be fair to Liam, he’s also tripped over a pair of sweatpants and a book bag this morning. From his spot on the floor, however, he spots his favourite pair of boots under the bed, lying between his gym bag and a geography text book. Grinning, he stretches an arm under his bed, drags them out and then brilliantly manages to hit his head. He bites down a shout of pain but Liam still says miserably, “Harry, man – I’m trying to sleep.”

Harry grimaces as he wiggles his feet into his boots. “Sorry, bro,” he says. He heaves himself up, swings his book bag over his shoulder and creeps out of the door. At the end of the corridor he lets himself into the stairwell. Instead of heading down towards the breakfast hall or the common room, however, he begins to head up. There are six floors in Prince George’s – the boarding house where both Harry and Louis have their rooms. The youngest boys live on the top floor, where at least four bunk beds are packed into each room. The oldest boys have their rooms on the first and second floors, where they’re decked out with double beds, mini-fridges and en-suites and where they only have to share with one roommate.

As Harry reaches the third floor he slows, raising his eyebrows as a young Alpha edges past him, naked but for a pillow shielding his groin. Red in the face, he stops outside a glass door and punches four numbers into a keypad. There’s a click and Harry watches him duck quickly inside. Each floor in the boarding house is split in two - one corridor for the Omegas and one for the Alphas. You need a code to get through a door into each of the corridors. The third and fourth floors room the boys at rutting and first heat age and so you’re likely to catch at least one boy sneaking back into his own corridor at this time in the morning.

When Harry finally reaches the top floor he joins a small crowd of the youngest Alphas in his boarding house. None of them are taller than his shoulder and their clean, young smell reminds him of talcum powder. They’re all peering through the glass into the Omega corridor, where a second crowd of smaller, prettier boys can be seen outside one of the rooms.

Before Harry can ask them what’s going on, however, he hears a pair of female voices – which only ever means one thing: teachers.

The young Alphas scatter like leaves in the wind, rushing through the door to their own corridor. Harry just has time to dive into a broom cupboard when he hears the voice of his housemistress.

“No, no – he’s a year eight. I smelt him this morning.”

“A year eight?” A second woman says sharply.

Harry feels the hairs rise on the back of his neck. This voice undoubtedly belongs to the school nurse. He pictures her angular features; her dark eyes; her strong bony hands and clenches his fists.

When she speaks again, his housemistress sounds like she’s standing right outside the door. “Yes, I suppose that’s why you missed him. I’ll be honest with you, Priyanka, it smells like at least one Alpha’s got to him already.”

The nurse’s weary, irritated sigh is followed by the faint beeping of the keypad.

Squashed awkwardly between brooms and buckets, Harry curses his stupidity. The nurse monitors the Omegas from their fifteenth birthday for the signs of their first heat. Louis, who’s only thirteen, obviously fell under her radar. Harry should have warned him, should have protected him. Crippling failure makes his chest hurt. He waits until he’s sure they’ve gone before creeping out of his hiding place. Two of the young Alphas join him on the landing again.

“What was that about?” one of them mutters.

“Louis Tomlinson,” the other one whispers excitedly. “He went into heat on Saturday and got raped by two Alphas.”

Rage boils over inside Harry. His lips pull back over his teeth, every muscle tightens with tension and he whips towards them with a ferocious snarl.

They yelp like frightened puppies and one of them trips over his feet and lands on his arse.

“Harry Styles!” The headmistress has reached the top of the stairs. She looks from him to the Omega corridor. “Is there a reason you’re up here, lurking outside the dorms of young Omegas?” she asks testily.

Harry straightens up slowly, pulling his fierce gaze from the Alpha boys. They sag like puppets cut from their strings. Harry realises, with a sickening lurch, the two Alphas they were talking about were him and Liam. “No, Miss,” he says stiffly.

Eyes narrowed distrustfully, his headmistress jerks her head towards the staircase.

Seething, Harry begins to head back down the stairs. When he hears her pass through the door into Louis’ corridor he stops, whirls and slams his fist into the wall. “God. Fucking. Damn. It!” he bellows. The plaster cracks beneath his knuckles and his curls tumble in front of his eyes as he stands there, panting. When he pulls back there’s a bloody splotch on the wall. He draws a deep breath, bats his hair away and turns back downstairs. The school treats all the boys like they’re animals but the Omegas get it the worst. It infuriates the Alphas, watching the way impressionable, heat-muddled Omegas are told their desires are perverse; that giving into them is shameful; that a dozen Alphas would rape them given the chance. Then watching the nurse monitor them with invasive tests so she can determine when their heat is coming and lock them up until they’re so mad with desire they end up abusing themselves. Harry won’t let that happen to Louis. Louis needs a strong Alpha more than anyone and he meant what he said to Liam – he’s going to be there for him.

 

LOUIS

“It wasn’t two Alphas at all…” nurse murmurs and her assistant bends her head over the clipboard, scrawling vigorously.

The chair creaks beside Louis as Mrs Hodgehouse – his stout, white-haired housemistress - leans forward. “It wasn’t?” she says, relief colouring her tone.  

“No…” the nurse murmurs, her dark brow furrowed. She’s a small, bony Indian woman. Louis’ never met her before. There’s another nurse who looks after the boys when they’re sick. “Not two Alphas, no...” she says, leaning back.

Louis snaps his legs close. He’s still wearing his school shirt but otherwise he’s naked – lying on his back on the hospital bed in the nurse’s office, firmly cupping his dick and balls. He watches nervously as the nurse pulls on a pair of gloves. Then she leans forward again, prying Louis’ legs open – pushing his knees down in a position she described as ‘the frog’. Louis can feel himself shaking. He starts violently when he feels the tip of her latexed finger graze his exposed hole. The nurse grips his knee, forcing him to still, and pushes.

Louis feels like the breath has been punched out of his lungs. “Oi!” he protests, jerking away from her. He hears the clipboard clatter onto one of the counters and then the nurse’s assistant is pressing his wrists into his chest, pinning him to the hospital bed. Eyes wild, Louis struggles. “Piss off,” he grits out.

“Louis!” Mrs Hodgehouse exclaims, appalled.

“Mr Tomlinson, I know this is uncomfortable,” the nurse says briskly, “but it is a standard procedure.” She forces her finger into him and he seizes up with a staggering gasp. “I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to it,” she tells him, her voice strained.

The lights blur above Louis’ head as he blinks back tears. He can hear the sound of his own ragged breathing.

The nurse hums thoughtfully. He’s clamped tightly around the base of her finger but inside, past the first ring of muscle, she can practically swirl her finger around. Louis can feel it. The nurse makes another small noise through her nose. “It wasn’t two Alphas,” she confirms. “He’s been knotted.”

“By-by a student!?” Mrs Hodgehouse splutters.

Louis’ frightened gaze darts from one woman to the other.

“The Alpha could well have been full-grown, by the look and feel of things,” the nurse concedes. “But for a boy like this? You’re looking at the top Alpha.” Raising her eyes, she makes it a question.

“In Prince George’s?” Mrs Hodgehouse asks faintly.

“In the school,” the nurse replies frankly.

Mrs Hodgehouse looks down at him. “Either way,” she says, “that’s Harry Styles.”

Crying, exposed and in the middle of being violated, Louis must make a pitiful sight. He’s not even able to wipe his tears because his hands are still held against his chest.

“Are you sure you don’t remember who it was, Louis?” she asks gently.

Louis shakes his head stubbornly. Her gentle prompting and the nurse’s clinical questioning were equally unsuccessful in coaxing Harry’s name from him. But whilst Mrs Hodgehouse seems genuinely distressed by what’s happened; Nurse Patel just seems irritated.

“But you’re positive he was knotted?” Mrs Hodgehouse asks, turning back to the nurse. “It would be unusual, at his age…”

The nurse tugs her finger out. A moment later her assistant releases Louis’ wrists. He’s so numb with shock he just lies there, trembling. When he does sit up the nurse is inspecting the gooey, glistening tips of her gloves. She sniffs them and Louis forces himself not to gag.

“Alpha seed,” she says. “He’s full of it.” She pulls off her gloves off with a sharp snap, standing up as she does so and moving back to her desk. “And the muscle is still tight but he’s loose and stretched inside. He was definitely knotted.”

Louis’ never been more humiliated or felt more vulnerable in his whole life.

“You can put your clothes back on, Louis, and join me over here,” the nurse says as she accepts the clip board from her assistant and scans it.

Once he’s fully-clothed Louis slumps resentfully into a chair.

The nurse smiles into his scowling face. “I know you’re young – and this must have come as quite a shock. And, whilst it’s an awful shame what happened, if you follow the school rules you will be completely safe from now on. Just bear in mind Alphas are only after one thing.”

Louis nods at the floor, though he doesn’t have a clue what she means by that.

“However,” the nurse continues, “as you are now classified as ‘mature’ it’s up to you whether or not we contact your mother?”

“Are you mental?” Louis mutters, scuffing his shoe.

“Louis,” Mrs Hodgehouse says admonishingly.

Louis looks across at her indignantly as if to say, did you not see what she just did?

“Alright then, Louis.” The tone of the nurse’s voice suggests that the meeting is over. “I just need you to check-in with me every day after school.”

Louis slouches further into his seat. “Why?”

“Why, what?”

Louis shrugs. “Why do I need to come see you when-” His voice cracks. “-When it’s not gonna happen again for months?”

A frown appears above the nurse’s smile like a crack in a window pane. “Months? No. No, no. Louis, if I was able to procure a sample of your slick I’d be able to produce a good estimate. But it’s likely to be two weeks before your next heat. Not two months.”

“Two weeks!?” Louis repeats, his voice rising in panic. He begins to shake his head. “No, it’s supposed to be months in between.”

“Eventually,” the nurse corrects. “First they need to even out.”

“No,” Louis protests, fresh tears brimming in his eyes. “I d-don’t want it t-to happen again.”

“There’s no need to worry, Louis,” Mrs Hodgehouse intercedes, laying her liver-spotted hand over his, “this time you’ll be safe, locked in a room-”

“I d-don’t want to be locked in a room either,” Louis cries. The thought of being with Harry again is terrifying. But the idea of not having Harry is unbearable. Not that it matters – why would the coolest sixth former, the top Alpha in school want with an Omega like Louis? He can’t stop crying, he’s all loose from being knotted, he not even sure he knows what a blow job is. Louis sobs even harder as he realises eighteen-year-old Harry probably won’t even think he’s funny. He so mixed up: why is he so desperate for Harry to want him when that same thought petrifies him? All is knows is he can’t do it on his own. He can’t do it all.

“Oh Mr Tomlinson, please stop your crying,” the nurse says irritably.

Feeling completely pathetic, Louis drops his face into his hands. But when he tries to catch his breath he can’t. No, that’s not right. He’s gasping so frantically that his lungs are full.He’s choking on his own breath. He lifts a hand to his neck and tries again, but it’s like his throat is closed off. Panic sets in. A wave of dizziness washes over him and reaches out blindly for something to hold on to.

“Louis!” Mrs Hodgehouse shrieks. “Oh my goodness. Somebody do something!”

He hears a chair scrape loudly and then the nurse grabs him by the back of the neck, holding him still like a dog. Her other hand covers his mouth and forces two small pills past his lips.

He blinks, eyes wild as her serious face lurches back into focus. The hand over his mouth is replaced by the brim of a bottle. He splutters as she forces water into his mouth. “Swallow,” she says and it takes a moment but he manages it. As the two pills slide down his throat he looks at her reproachfully. She doesn’t bother to return his gaze as she sits back down and busies herself once more with her clipboard.

Louis looks down at his lap and sniffs. Mrs Hodgehouse rubs his back. A calm is descending over him, drying up his tears and slowing down his racing heart. In just two minutes he feels completely relaxed. It reminds him of the way Harry made him feel when he knotted him – warm and safe. Except it’s hollow. False. Empty.

It’s a moment before he realises the nurse has been saying his name. She’s holding out a foil packet of pills. When he doesn’t take them she simply places them in his lap. “These are suppressants,” she says. “If you feel your emotions getting the better of you, you need to take them.”

Louis’ brow creases. “What do you mean?”

Nurse Patel sighs. “Feeling like you want to cry, feeling angry, overwhelmed or confused - these are all results of your heat. These pills will stop you feeling all of that.”

Louis does feel confused. When he doesn’t say anything she asks him, “You’ve had ABO Education haven’t you?”

Out of habit, Louis lifts a hand to dry his tears only to find that there are none. “We’re supposed to start classes next year,” he mumbles.

The nurse sighs again, like it’s his fault or something. Opening a draw, she picks a leaflet from a stack and holds it out to him. Turning to Mrs Hodgehouse, she says, “Make sure attends ABO classes – as soon as possible.”

“Yes, yes. Of course,” Mrs Hodgehouse murmurs.

Louis turns the leaflet over in his hand. Pink lettering displays the title: Your Heat: Explained.

“An Omega’s first heat, or an Alpha’s first rut,” the nurse tells him, “marks the transition from puberty to maturity. It’s the start of a cycle which only exists among boys and will continue on for most of your life. During your heat you will feel increasingly attracted to Alphas, to the point that you will feel an unquenchable desire to mate.”

Louis nods along – he knows that already.

“ABO Education will teach you how to suppress these urges. However, the hormonal inbalance caused by your heat has several side-effects. At the beginning I asked you if you felt feverish, dizzy, drowsy or nauseas – these are all typical – as well as the more obvious, physical ones like uncontrollable self-lubrication. The hormonal in-balance will also have an effect on your emotions and during heat Omegas often feel things far more intensely. Suppressants are designed to balance your hormones and so reduce these effects. Do you understand?”

Louis thinks he does but that’s not really why he was confused. He wants to know why he’s never heard of suppressants before; why she’s handed him the foil packet but not the box they came in and why she’s telling him now, “The other thing is, Louis, you need to be discreet. Alright? Don’t mention it to your parents or to any Alphas.”

Louis raises his eyebrows slightly. He can’t make up his mind about whether or not suppressants sound like a good thing. He puts them in his pocket anyway.

Mrs Hodgehouse clears her throat. “If that’s all…” she ventures.

Nurse Patel leans back. “It is.”

Louis’ housemistress nods. “Good.” She wraps an arm around Louis’ shoulders. “Don’t you worry, Louis,” she tells him. “I’ll ask all the teachers to keep an eye on you.”

Louis nods stiffly, pretending like the idea of all of his teachers knowing what happened isn’t mortifying.

Mrs Hodgehouse encourages him to stand up. “Come on, now. You should be getting to your first lesson.” She leads him towards the door.

“Thank you, Dorothy,” the nurse calls.

Mrs Hodgehouse looks back as she opens the door for Louis. “No thank you, Priyanka,” she says, trying to nudge Louis over the threshold.

But he’s frozen. The Alpha from Saturday night is swinging on a chair in the waiting room.

Mrs Hodgehouse’s fingers dig suddenly into Louis’ shoulder.

Harry raises his eyes to their housemistress. They’re filled with cold fury. His long legs are sprawled in front of him. He’s got his curls pulled into a knot on top of his head and somehow he’s making chewing gum look intimidating. But when Harry’s gaze drops to Louis his anger melts into an expression of intense fondness. Louis suddenly feels as though the hollowness inside him is filled with its warmth.

Mrs Hodgehouse begins to drag Louis towards the door.

Louis turns over his shoulder, unable to take his eyes off of Harry. Tilting his head and smiling, Harry mouths, “are you okay?”

A fluttery feeling explodes in Louis’ stomach. He nods dumbly just as he is ushered through the door.

 

WEDNESDAY EVENING, HARRY

It takes just three days for the Alphas from the other boarding houses to turn up looking for Louis. There are four on the school grounds – Prince George’s, the Duke of Somerset’s, Cardinal Godfrey’s and Saint Thomas’. Each houses an equal number of Alphas and Omegas from every year and it’s a system that helps to cultivate the pack mentality valuable in later life. The rumour that a year eight boy went into heat, however, has excited the whole school. He smells like honey; he’s small even for his age; he has eyes the colour of bluebells and hair the colour of caramel. But he was brutally raped, poor thing, and desperately needs an Alpha to protect him. Harry particularly dislikes that one. Naturally, the rumours have sent the Alphas into a frenzy. For the first couple of days Harry’s scent lingered around – well, in – Louis and so he was relatively safe. By Wednesday evening, however, the first Alphas have managed to track the scent of honey back to Prince George’s.

Harry is lounging in front of the telly when there is the familiar sound of a window crashing open. Five Alphas from Duke’s climb or leap through the window – the only way to get into their boarding house after hours. A sixth former called Harrison Blair – captain of the rugby team – leads the group over.

“Alright, lads?” Liam calls as they approach.

“Alright,” Blair answers with a grin, stopping beside the TV and slinging an arm around one of his mate’s shoulders. “Forgot we have school in the morning?” he says, nodding at the beer bottles around the sofa.

The boys laugh. “Nah, most of these are days old, mate,” Liam replies, kicking one with his foot. “Fridge is there, though,” he adds – nodding to where Niall is sat in his customary place atop it, “if you want one.”

Blair turns, spots Niall and winks. Niall wrinkles his nose.

Turning back, Blair waves Liam off, “Don’t worry about it, mate. We just came to see the Omega.”

Liam’s smile fades. He has to visibly restrain himself from glancing at Harry.

Blair and his Alphas continue to smile easily, except this time Harry thinks he senses the challenge behind it. When nobody says anything the friendly atmosphere splinters.

“He’s here,” Blair says, finally doing away with his smile, “I can smell him.” He raises his gaze over their heads to look beyond them, into the rest of the room. Behind the sixth formers are the boys from the five younger years, crowded onto their own sofas, their faces as pale as moons in the gloom. “That scents got round the whole school,” Blair murmurs, his eyes gleaming as they search the room.

“Come on, lads,” another of the Duke’s boys says, “we just want a look.”

The Prince’s boys don’t say anything, because it’s Harry’s place to do so. And because Harry doesn’t say anything the silence continues and the tension thickens until the whole common room is quiet.

“Alright,” Blair says, shrugging. “We’ll find him ourselves.” He starts forward into the room and Harry growls low in his throat.

Sensing danger, Niall says quickly, “he’s up in the dorms.”

“Alright then, Whore-an,” Blair says with sudden savagery, snapping towards him, “Then why don’t you take us up there? Maybe you could show us your room while you’re at it.” Several of the Duke’s boys snigger.

“Piss off,” Niall mutters nervously.

Blair steps closer to him and Niall shrinks back, eyes widening. The sofa creaks as Harry leans forward. “When I tell you to do something, Omega, you do it,” Blair says, his quiet voice filled with authority, “Take me upstairs.”

Harry and Liam explode out of their seats. They’re joined by at least two dozen Alphas throughout the room.

Blair starts back in alarm, bracing himself for an attack.

“We don’t talk to Omegas like that here,” Harry growls as Blair retreats back to his friends, who’re eying the Alphas crowding them uneasily.

“Get out,” Liam seethes, “and stay away from our Omegas.”

Blair’s jaw clenches and his knuckles whiten as his hands curl into fists.

“All of them,” Harry snarls.

After a pause Blair nods stiffly, jerks his chin and leads his friends back out the way they came. Harry watches them leave.

Niall is numb with shock when Liam steps over to him. He squeezes his shoulder gently and ducks his head to catch Niall’s eye.

Niall takes a few deep breaths and laughs shakily. “Man,” he mutters weakly, “I really don’t like that.”

“I know,” Liam murmurs softly, his brow furrowed. They both turn as Harry collapses into the sofa. “Haz, mate,” Liam says, “that wasn’t good.”

Harry swallows thickly and nods to show that he’s heard, to show that he agrees.

Many traditions have developed in the all-boys boarding schools in England. When it comes to an Omega’s first heat there’s a lot of fuss. Of course, Omegas and Alphas are going into heat or rut all the time. Once they’ve evened out they can expect to go through it three or four times a year. If this nurse has got it right they’re locked up in one of one her rooms when it hits them, and they’ll stay there until it’s over. If they’re lucky they’ll go home for it. A lot of Alphas, especially the older ones, monitor their ruts by themselves. If they have a boyfriend, they’ll monitor their Omega’s heats too (because Omegas aren’t as good at recognising when they’re going into heat.)

Even so, one or two boys are triggered early each month. Alphas in rut, whether or not it’s their first, are a subject of hilarity or ridicule. Omegas will flirt with him and tease him, trying to get him to come early. If he’s desirable, however, whole groups of Omegas will take him. Liam was a burly fifteen year old when his first rut hit and he went through six Omegas in one go.

During an Omega’s first heat, however – because they were locked up and haven’t made themselves known like an Alpha would – Alphas expect newly heated Omegas to be presented to them. In this way Alphas can decide if they want to compete for his affections – if, that is, they’re worthy of them. The Prince’s boys’ refusal to show Louis off means he’s already been claimed. Only the top Alpha is in a position to refuse such a tradition. And he has his pick of the prettiest, most desirable Omegas. Other Alphas would be right in assuming, therefore, that most of the rumours about Louis are true.

 

THURSDAY, LOUIS                                                                                         

Zayn tells him in hushed tones what happened in the common room during maths the next morning.

Louis almost feels sick with fear.

“And Ashton said he’s seen him on our floor at least three times this week,” Zayn whispers anxiously.

Louis’ not even surprised. Harry’s been popping up everywhere: chewing gum outside Louis’ classroom and showing off his big white smile; strutting past the football pitch with half his chest on display; smelling like melted butter and come as he leans over the table at a school bake sale; thumbing his lip and winking at Louis as he speaks at a school assembly. [Inspo] He’s almost twice as tall as Louis and the way that he leans slightly to one side can only be described as looming. The problem is Louis gets wet at the mere scent of him. He never noticed it before but it lingers around the whole school. It’s like the very definition of sugar and spice. But if Harry keeps turning up he’s going to send Louis into heat again. He’s terrified of how Harry makes him feel, terrified of how attracted to him he is. Which means that, despite his original doubts, he’s been taking his suppressants several times a day.

“Did you go and see the nurse yesterday?” Zayn presses.

Louis looks away again and shakes his head minutely.

Zayn sighs, watching Louis fiddle with the nub of his pencil. “You’ve got to check-in with her, Louis. Look at yourself,” he says imploringly.

Louis flushes. He knows what he looks like – he can’t get the pink stain out of his cheeks, the feverish gleam out his eyes. A sheen of sweat dishevels his hair, rumples his clothes, thickens his scent. And if he wasn’t aware Alphas keep telling him anyway. Yesterday a year ten pushed him against a wall and shoved a nose into his crotch.

“Bro, please,” Zayn begs. His voice breaks. “You haven’t been yourself in days. I don’t understand-”

“Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.”

The two Omegas jump and look up at the sound of their maths teacher’s voice. She’s walking between the rows of desks, stopping when she reaches theirs, right at the back of the classroom.

Zayn sniffs and rubs his nose quickly.

“This is the third time I’ve had to speak to you during this lesson,” she says.

“Sorry, Miss,” they mutter.

She sighs, shaking her head and Louis knows what comes next.

“I’m afraid three warning in my class means a detention.”

To be honest Zayn and Louis find themselves in detention more often than not. Unfortunately, that evening Liam Payne is sat with them, watching Zayn graffiti on a school book.

“Wow,” Liam keeps saying. “That’s so sick, babe. That’s wicked.”

Louis rolls his eyes and pushes a pair of earphones in his ears.

Thankfully, the librarian notices Liam and asks him, “Mr Payne, are you even in this detention?”

“Huh?” Liam says stupidly, looking up. “What? Oh. No. Just – er – Zayn needed help with his homework…”

The librarian puts her hands on her hips. “Zayn is supposed to be writing lines and you are supposed to be at dinner.”

Liam leaves reluctantly and shortly after that Zayn takes off his glasses and puts his head in his arms. Louis is thinking about doodling on his forehead when one earphone is suddenly plucked from his ear. He jumps and looks around.

“Hi…”

Kneeling beside Louis’ chair, all quiff and curls, is Harry. He’s wearing his school tie as a bandana.

Louis’ fingers dart to his own hair, tugging his feathery fringe into place. He hopes Harry thinks he looks pretty.

With a stupidly handsome, stupidly big, stupidly dimply smile, Harry asks him, “What are you in here for?”

Louis glances at the librarian, sat behind the desk across the room. He looks back at Harry and whispers, “talking in class.”

Harry pulls a face like he’s shocked and timid smile curls Louis’ lips. “You allowed this in detention?” Harry asks, dangling Louis’ headphones.

Louis shakes his head and Harry’s smile widens. He slides the iPod back onto Louis’ lap and leaves his hand there. A deep frown furrows his brow. “How’re you feeling?”

Louis squirms under his gaze and decides to shrug. It’s not fair of Harry to ask, anyway, considering he’s responsible for most of what Louis’ feeling.

When it becomes obvious Louis’ not going to answer Harry continues, “So the nurse has been to see you?”

Louis nods hesitantly. The Alphas get really worked up around Nurse Patel – they practically foam at the mouth. He doesn’t know why, she never does anything to them.

“About what we did?” A smile splits across Harry’s face again and dimples bloom in his sun-brown cheeks as he cocks his head. He’s blindingly disarming but he speaks about is as though it was nothing, no big deal. And it wasn’t – it was Louis’ virginity.

Speechless and a little bit hurt, Louis drops his gaze.

Even the way he frowns is small and delicate, Harry thinks, his smile fading. Feeling thoughtless, he returns to the most pressing matter. “Did she tell you to go see her?”

Louis nods once more, his mouth a small, hard line.

When Harry speaks again his voice demands Louis’ attention, and the boy looks at him with such bewitchingly pretty eyes he could catch his breath. “I want you to come to me, Lou.”

Louis’ eyes widen, shimmering suddenly with frightened tears. He opens his mouth but the words get stuck in his throat.

Harry leans closer, his fingers squeezing Louis’ thigh. His voice is so low Louis can feel it in his chest. “I’ll take care of you. Okay?”

The tears that spill down Louis’ cheeks are tears of relief and he wipes them away quickly, nodding.

Harry’s watching him closely, his eyes narrowed intensely. Slowly, like it’s really important, he says, “Because you’re close, love.”

And Louis’ heart leaps. His vision spins momentarily as the intensity of his emotions overwhelm him. He must reach out because Harry snatches his fingers in a tight grip. The older boy’s face swims back into focus.

“Lou,” he’s saying, “Are you alright?”

Louis shakes his head frantically. He can feel a fierce heat blazing under his skin. He realises he’s so wet his thighs are slick with it. Fresh tears brim and spill from his eyes as desire threatens to engulf him. His vision spins again.

Holding him tightly, Harry’s gaze rakes down his heaving body.Despite the fact that Zayn’s asleep right next to Louis; that the librarian is less than ten metres away and that a dozen other students are sitting around the study desks in detention; Harry shoves Louis’ legs open. His nostrils flare and his eyelashes flutter against his cheeks as the scent of Louis’ arousal rolls over him. When he opens his eyes they’re dark with lust.

Louis’ eyes squeeze shut and his fingers press against his bulging crotch. His voice catches, a tight gasp of his pain. Then Harry’s fingers are closing around his upper arm. Louis is dragged from his seat, stumbling as Harry pulls him towards the furthest end of the library; hauling him between book shelves until they reach an aisle hidden from the rest of the room.

Harry sets him right on his feet and bends down to his eyelevel – he practically has to double at the waist. Louis feels like his tummy has melted, which is very different to how his dick feels – stiff and sore in his school trousers. “Lou?” Harry says huskily and he’s probably not trying to be sexy but he is. The warmth and concern in his gaze is more attractive to Louis than the animal lust.

Louis sways dizzily on his feet, wishing Harry would do something, worried Harry will do something. But when Harry’s huge hands take him by the waist to steady him Louis arches into his touch.

Harry was planning on saying something like, Look at me, love, take a deep breath. You can’t go into heat here. But instead he breathes out, “Jesus,” and he can feel his cock filling up in strong, head-spinning pulses. He closes his eyes and draws in a deep breath through his nose. If it was meant to steady him it doesn’t work. The sight of Louis gazing up at him is emblazoned on his eyelids and now the scent of him is clouding his brain. He feels the precise moment that his Alpha instincts take over, telling him to claim, mark, fuck, own, knot.

Harry’s eyes spring open.

One arm coils around Louis’ slender waist, tugging him closer. Louis’ fingers look terribly tiny against the sleeve of his maroon school jumper. With his other hand he cups the boy’s chin, tilting his head up and running his thumb along Louis’ bottom lip until his sweet, soft mouth parts for him.

“Is this alright?” Harry murmurs throatily.

Louis nods quickly, watching Harry as though mesmerised.

Smiling, Harry leans closer till he can feel the tremulous puffs of Louis’ breath against his own lips.

“Are you sure this is alright?” he breathes. “Louis, love?”

Louis catches his breath, twisting up the sleeves of Harry’s jumper as he rises onto his tiptoes. It’s almost more than Harry can bear when he goes cross-eyed trying to hold Harry’s gaze. When he whispers their lips brush, “Yes…”

Harry surges forward and catches their lips together. His fingers slide into the hair at the back of Louis’ neck.

Louis threatens to topple over his toes curl so hard. Harry steadies him again but this time it’s a tight grip on his arse.

Louis gasps into his mouth and feels Harry’s tongue slide past his lips, claiming him so thoroughly he just has to take it. His long fingers press between the curves of his arse, shucking up the soaking material of both his school trousers and his briefs until he can rub Louis’ hole. He chuckles low in his throat as he swallows a whimpery moan.

“So wet for me, love,” Harry breathes. “Aren’t you?” He pulls him closer until Louis can feel the hard, thick length of him along his stomach. His lips trail from Louis’ lips to his jaw to his neck. Louis mewls, wanton and panting.

Then, without warning, Harry is torn away from him.

“Harry! You fucking horny git,” Niall hisses, gripping the Alpha by the elbow.

Harry looks like his brain is working furiously to catch up with him.

“What the bloody hell are you doing?” Niall demands, throwing a glance at the poor, stunned Omega. His scent is so strong Niall feels physically repulsed. He’s flushed and sweaty but prettily so and he’s making desperate look alluring in the way only an Omega can. His tears make his eyes look bluer; flush his cheeks with colour and make his lips look soft and pouty. Its no wonder Harry finds him so irresistible. Alphas love being needed, being made to feel strong and powerful. And the only thing bigger than Harry’s cock is his heart. All the same, he needs to appreciate that Louis’ not going to ready for – well – Harry’s intensity.

“I was – nothing, Niall. I was just…” Harry’s fingers curl into a fist and he says in a low voice, “I need to knot him again, Niall. Claim him before-”

“But look at him for Christ’s sake,” Niall begs.

Harry blinks and looks back at Louis, whose glazed expression is dissolving into one of confusion. He’s just been hit by the first wave of another heat. How did he not see it? Harry wonders, ashamed. “Lou,” he says, stepping forward with worry crumpling up his expression.

Louis watches him with huge eyes, as immobile as a frightened fawn.

Then a voice sounds over the speaker in the library, “Alright, kids. Hours up, your detention is over,” and before Harry can speak another word Louis’ bolted like a startled rabbit.

Louis skids back to the table where he was supposedto be writing lines and drops to his knees. Zayn wakes up with a start, blinking down at Louis trying to unzip his bag with violently trembling fingers.

“S’over?” he mumbles. He rubs his first into his eyes and straightens up. “Are you alright?”

Louis glances up and sees the librarian approaching their table with the sign out sheet. “Yeah, yeah.” He yanks his bag open and shoves a hand inside, rummaging through balls of crumbled paper and chewed pencils until his fingers close around a foil packet.

Zayn looks deeply unconvinced by Louis’ answer but the librarian has reached them and asks for his attention.

Furtively, Louis pulls out the small packed of suppressants. His stomach plummets as he realises he finished the last ones this morning.

“Louis, would you like to sign out so that you can go get some dinner?” the librarian asks him.

“I’m not feeling well,” Louis says immediately. He stands up quickly, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Zayn frowns at him, gathering his things more slowly.

“You can sign me out, Miss – I think I’ll pass on dinner.”

“Oh dear, Louis. I’m sorry to hear that.” The librarian has to raise her voice as Louis backs towards the door. “Would you like me to take you to the nurse?”

Louis shakes his head frantically. “No. I’m just gonna go lie down,” he says. “See you later, Zayn.” He turns and pushes past the other students, not realising Harry’s presence has sent him into heat a week earlier that he expected.

Chapter Text

HARRY

“Look, I wasn’t thinking right,” Harry says.

“Er – that’s obvious,” Niall retorts.

Harry stops abruptly and because Niall’s been gripping his arm, marching him into the dining hall, he’s pulled to a halt. The Omega huffs and folds his arms. They’ve just left the library, where he found Harry and Louis in a rather compromising position. He’s not that happy about it – clearly.

“I was just gonna talk to him,” Harry explains, “honestly.” He pauses. “But he’s so-”

“I don’t want to hear it, Harry!” Niall exclaims, cutting him off. “You’re talking about knotting him – you’re eighteen for Christ’s sake!”

Harry takes a deep breath. “Because,” he says – and he has to try very hard not to growl it, “he’s mine.”

Niall looks like he doubts Harry’s sanity. Turning his back he leads them towards the table where Liam is eating his dinner. “What I saw, Harry…” he says, “…you’re coming on too strong.”

“You have no idea what his scent does to me-” Harry says defensively.

“And I don’t bloody care,” Niall snaps and Harry lets himself be pushed into a seat next to Liam. “You can’t finger him in the library.”

Liam chokes on a forkful of lasagne and Harry slides him a sheepish smile.

“Harry,” Niall groans.

“Oh come on, Nialler,” Harry sighs. “He was in detention…” A fond smile spreads across his face. “Little menace. I was just trying to spice it up.”

Liam laughs; Niall doesn’t. The other Alpha nudges him. “What was he supposed to do?” he asks, raising his eyebrows. “Take Louis to the nurse?”

Niall shakes his head minutely.

Harry thumbs his lip, watching his friend play with his food half-heartedly. He starts to feel a little bad. Until, that is, Niall says, “Sometimes you loom.”

Harry blinks. “I loom?” 

Liam sniggers. “I dunno, bro. You do kinda loom.”

“I loom.” Harry repeats. “I loom. What does that fucking mean?”

Niall rolls his eyes. “You just loom, man. You loom over him.”

“Yeah, like, kind of like this…” Liam leans toward Harry with a strangely intense, comical look on his face. He holds the pose for about a second; then he and Niall dissolve into laughter.

Harry scowls at his dinner and mutters to himself, “He fucking needed me… He still needs me.”

Niall’s smile fades. “Just…” he says resignedly, “…let him come to you.”

Harry makes a face. “That’s not how it works,” he says.

Niall stares at him. “Let him come to you,” he reiterates.

Harry shakes his head. “Yeah but-”

“Let. Him. Come. To. You,” Niall seethes and Harry stabs moodily at his food.

After the mess of he just made of things in the library that seems unlikely.

He’s wrong.

 

LOUIS

Up in the Omega dorms Louis is standing under the blast of a cold shower. Only when he’s shivering and his teeth are chattering does he turn it off. Hugging himself tightly, he looks down his body, heart sinking when he sees his prick still curves upwards from a nest of tiny, soft brown curls. He swallows and blinks back tears, wishing it would just go away. He’s heard that older boys have to wank every day. But he doesn’t want to touch himself. He only wants Harry to touch him, he thinks miserably. And just like that, twenty minutes in a freezing shower, and the fleetest thought of Harry makes him hot all over, steam rising from his burning skin. Climbing out, he gingerly pulls on a pair of pyjama bottoms and a tee-shirt. Then he spends ten minutes hiding in a wardrobe when Mrs Hodgehouse comes looking for him. He’s missed another appointment with the nurse but she’s mad if she thinks he’s gonna go back there after what happened last time. Even if he would kill for some suppressants right now.

Not long after he creeps out of the cupboard and into his bed he hears his friends returning from dinner. Not wanting them to see him cry, he pulls the duvet over his head and tells them to fuck off. A few moments later a small weight crawls onto his bed.

“Lou’eh?” Zayn whispers, tugging at the duvet. “Promise you’re just sick, yeah?”

Louis holds his quilt firmly. “Yeah,” he insists, but voice is thick with tears.

Someone snickers.

“Piss off,” Zayn snaps, “he just said he’s sick and you lot are making a racket.” The weight leaves Louis’ side. “Come on: let’s go down to the common room.” He reaches for Louis’ hand under the covers and squeezes it. “Hope you feel better, Lou.”

Louis sniffles quietly. Zayn’s so sweet with him he almost cheers up a bit. But as he listens to the Omegas leaving he hears another one of them shriek, “Maybe he’s pregnant!”

And the door slams shut as Louis bursts into tears.

Eventually he falls into a deep, fitful sleep. By the time he wakes up its pitch black and the dormitory is filled with the sound of sleeping boys.

Slick is dribbling out of his hole, oozing down the backs of his thighs. His heart starts to hammer. Sweat trickles down his neck, tears prickle in his eyes. He pushes his covers off and sits up dizzily. Feeling the cool air bathe his skin, Louis looks down to see that his dick is sticking out of his pants, leaking all over his tee-shirt. Panicked, he tugs his pyjamas up, only to feel them cling to his slick arse cheeks. He draws his hands back sharply, horrified. Harry’s doing this to him. He was dreaming about Harry. But thinking about Harry hits him with such a powerful wave of arousal he cries out with it. He doubles up, collapsing against the mattress as he feels slick literally gush out of his convulsing hole. He lies there, gasping, until it’s no longer twitching.

Louis wipes his tears on his pillow and pushes himself back up. He has to get out of here. He stumbles out of bed and starts staggering towards the door, out into the corridor, into the stairwell. His cock is throbbing and his head is spinning; the more he thinks of Harry – how he has to find Harry – the more his body responds. He falls down the last few stairs and struggles to his feet, trying not to sob. Even his nipples hurt by now. He pushes open the door to the common room, leaving a small, sweaty handprint on the door. He takes a few steps forward.

“Harry?”

 

HARRY

Harry’s head lolls on Niall’s shoulder as he drifts in and out of sleep. He’s only dimly aware of the TV blaring, the lights flickering behind his eyelids and the sound of Niall and Liam’s low laughter. He stirs restlessly, absently bringing a hand to rub his nose.

“Harry?”

Harry shakes himself awake abruptly, bolting upright and brushing his curls out of his eyes with both hands. Spinning on the couch he sees Louis standing a few feet behind him. His honey-brown hair is sticking up in all directions and his blue eyes are feverishly bright.

“Lou?” Harry says, his voice hoarse from sleep. “Lou, love, what is it? What’s wrong?” He stretches his arm over the back of the sofa, taking Louis’ hand and gently guiding him around it. He kicks the coffee table back and stands Louis in front of him. The tee-shirt he wears gapes over his collarbones and clings to the outline of his nipples and, Harry realises, mouth going dry, the head of his cock where it pokes out of his pyjama bottoms.

“It hurts,” Louis croaks, his small body racked by shivers; though Harry can see sweat glistening in the dip of his throat. “It hurts s-so mu-uch, H-Harry.” And behind Harry, Niall gags, covering his mouth and nose with both hands. A quick glance confirms that Liam is pinching nose. But Harry is breathing in the scent of Louis hungrily. “You in heat?” he murmurs as one hand slides over the curve of Louis’ arse. He pinches his pyjama bottoms between two long fingers and they stick to Louis’ skin with all his sweet-smelling slick.

The Omega jerks back, startled, and almost trips over the coffee table. When Harry tries to steady him he bursts into tears.

“Jesus,” Liam breathes, “Harry… Shit, I dunno. Maybe you should take him to the nurse, bro.” 

Harry shakes his head, not taking his gaze off Louis. “He doesn’t need the nurse. He needs me.”

“Harry!” Liam exclaims, gaping. He sees Niall nod at him encouragingly and continues. “Come on, mate – look at him.”

Harry sighs defeatedly. His hands find Louis’ waist again and Louis lets himself be tugged forward to stand between Harry’s knees. A deep frown furrows Harry’s brow. “Do you wanna go to the nurse, Louis?” he asks hesitantly.

Louis shakes his head frantically. “I-I-” He throws Liam and Niall an embarrassed look, acknowledging them for the first time.

“You want me, yeah?” Harry murmurs, his voice so deep and raspy Louis can feel it in his bones.

Louis starts to nod. “Yeah, yeah-”

“Leave us,” Harry growls. “Now.”

Niall draws back, frightened by Harry’s sudden intensity, but Liam’s already leaping over the back of the couch and pulling Niall with him.

Harry threads his fingers through the hair at the back of Louis’ head, holding him still until he hears the door snap close behind the other boys. Then his eyes darken and he yanks Louis forward, taking his lips in a possessive kiss. Louis moans into his mouth, sagging in Harry’s grip like a kitten held by the scruff of his neck.

His hands tangle in Harry’s curls and he climbs into the Alpha’s lap, pushing his hard cock into Harry’s stomach.

Harry tugs his pyjama bottoms down over the plump cheeks of his arse. “Thought for a minute you weren’t gonna come to me,” he breathes, right into Louis’ mouth. His fingers slide through Louis’ slick, over his hot, little hole.

Louis catches his breath with a sharp shudder. He pulls away and shoves his tear-damp cheeks into Harry’s neck.

“So glad you did, love,” Harry murmurs into his ear. The tip of one finger nudges Louis’ rim. “I’m gonna make you feel better, yeah?”

Louis’ fist clenches in the back of Harry’s shirt. “Yeah,” he breathes. Then he moans and arches his body into Harry’s as one finger sinks into his heat. He relaxes slowly, panting against Harry’s throat as he adjusts to the intrusion. Then he whispers, “more…”

It’s so quiet Harry would think he’d imagined it if he hadn’t felt the words against his skin. Harry slides one finger out and pushes two back in.

Louis groans into the nape of Harry’s neck. His dick is digging into Harry’s abdomen and his grip on Harry’s curls is fierce. “More.”

Harry holds him tight and squeezes a third finger inside him. Louis clenches greedily around his fingers, trying to take them deeper. He releases a small frustrated sound when he can’t and pushes back onto Harry’s hand. “More!”

Harry blinks, taken-aback and Louis just starts to sob bitterly. His nails scrape down Harry’s neck. 

Harry hisses. “Slow down, Lou,” he starts to say, all the while trying to pry him open as quickly as he can without hurting him.

But Louis is crying into his shoulder, his breath hitching frantically. “I need- need more…” he gasps.

“Lovie – I will. I’m – I’m gonna,” Harry stammers. God – he feels so out of his depth, like a pup mating his first Omega.

Louis pushes one fist into his chest. “Please,” he chokes out. “Harry, please…” He trails off as he feels a growl building up in Harry’s chest. He catches his breath and shudders, more slick seeping over Harry’s fingers.

And suddenly Louis’ flat on his stomach on the sofa, Harry’s weight bearing down on him, his hot cock throbbing against Louis’ arse.

“Want this, yeah?” Harry croons into his ear. “My thick cock inside you, yeah?” His Alpha instincts have gone into overdrive. He’s Louis’ Alpha, he’s gonna show him how well he can take care of him. The only one who can.

Louis’ cheeks grow hot at his words and he hides his face in the crook of his elbow. Harry marvels at the way he can be so shy whilst pushing his arse up so needily. Harry’s practically kneading his arse cheeks, rubbing his cock in Louis’ slick. “Such a pretty hole,” he pants, “On such a pretty boy.”

Louis preens deliciously at that, spreading his thighs wide on the sofa. One of Harry’s hands brushes Louis’ sweaty hair from his cheek, the other grips his dick and pushes it against Louis’ tightness. He watches in wonder as Louis’ body stretches to take him, swallowing inch after inch into his glistening hole.

Louis’ cry sounds like relief more than anything. His eyes are squeezed shut but his lashes are wet with tears; his fists are balled so tight his nails are digging into his palms. Holding himself still, Harry sees sweat drips from his torso onto Louis’ back. He can feel his curls sticking to his forehead. When he looks down he sees that his pubes are drenched with Louis’ slick – God – he’s so deep inside him. Even if Omegas are designed to accommodate for the size of an Alpha, Harry can’t believe Louis can take it. The thought that it’ll always be this way - because an Omega never grows after his first heat – makes him heart thump in his chest. Watching what little he can see of Louis’ face, he waits till the boy unscrews his eyes, flattens his palms on the sofa and wiggles impatiently. Only then does Harry start to draw out of him. A string of slimy, glistening slick hangs from the tip of his dick to the pretty mess of Louis’ arsehole.

Louis’ eyes snap open. “No,” he protests in the smallest voice, shoving his hips back. Harry just pulls him up, onto his hands and knees, and simultaneously slides his cock back into him.  

This time Louis’ moan is wanton, pleasurable. His back curves obscenely, showing Harry just how tightly he’s stretched around Harry’s cock. His spine is sleek with sweat, his hips are soft under Harry’s palms but his waist is taut. Harry can’t stop touching him, his body’s so beautiful. He grips his hips to pull out of him again. It’s not slow this time. Harry shoves back inside him and Louis’ body seizes up, another cry ripped from his throat, his breath forced from his lungs. One of Harry’s hands slides down his arm and he slots their fingers together.

And alright – Harry admits it, he does loom. He starts to thrust into him properly, slow at first and then faster. His other hand grips Louis’ shoulder and he adds his grunts to the sound of his hips slapping against Louis’ arse, the splash of Louis’ slick and Louis’ breathy, tremulous moans.

Braced against the armrest, Louis feels like his arms are going to break under Harry’s thrusts. They don’t hold out much longer anyway and he ends up face down in the sofa, his cheek pressed to the sticky leather, his arse in the air. His and Harry’s clasped hands are right in front of him. He digs his forehead into the cushions and looks down. Through a blur of tears he can see his dick slapping against his belly, flinging drops of pre-come onto the couch. Harry’s got one foot braced on the floor, his school trousers around the tops of his thighs. He’s slamming himself into Louis, punching small noise from him with each thrust. And now that Louis looks he can see his stomach jolt with each thrust, he can see where Harry is inside him. His mouth opens in a silent scream. He-he-he’s going to explode!

A wave of panic threatens to overwhelm him before Louis realises he’s coming. He shoves his face into the cushions, smothering a blissed out scream. 

“Oh fuck!” he hears Harry exclaim and he collapses on top of Louis, forcing them both to fall flat.  

Harry’s hips judder as he buries himself in Louis’ arse, one thigh slung over Louis’ leg. Harry’s so deep inside him Louis feels like his hot come is filling up his belly. Sated and spent, all Louis can do is moan and grip Harry’s hand weakly.

Gripping him back, Harry grunts in time with the spurts of his come and the jerks of his hips: “Mine. Mine. Mine.”

 

THE NEXT MORNING, HARRY AND LIAM

“Haz? Mate, wake up – time for school… Come on, you need this grade man.”

Harry shrugs Liam’s hand off his shoulder, groans sleepily and pulls Louis closer into his embrace.

Liam sighs. “He’ll be there when you get back, man,” he says imploringly.

“Ten m’r min’t’s...”

Liam rolls his eyes and gets to his feet, deciding to leave them be. He’s surprised when Harry actually does turn up for Geography, albeit twenty minutes late. In his moon-pale face the shadows under his eyes are purple as a bruise.

“S’rry, Miss Johnson,” he says, yawning. “I was…” He waves a hand lamely.

The teacher purses her lips but gestures that he can take his seat.

“Urgh!” A boy sneers, covering his nose as Harry passes him. “What the fuck is that smell?”

Beside Liam, Niall scoffs. “Like he didn’t stink up the school during his first heat,” he says, loud enough for half the class to hear. 

Harry collapses into the chair on Liam’s other side as Miss Johnson resumes her lesson.

The boy sitting in front of them turns over his shoulder and takes a deep breath. 

“Jesus, Styles, have you been showering in slick?” he jokes. “You know, you’re supposed to mark them not the other way around?”

Harry raises his head slowly, murder in his eyes.

The boy’s smile fades – he’s an Alpha from Saint Thomas’ house but not a dominant one. “I was just joking, mate,” he says quickly. “Honestly – it smells great, I swear.”

Harry’s chair crashes to the floor. “Pardon, pal,” he starts to say, watching the other boy leap out of his own seat in panic. Liam jumps up, preparing to intervene but Miss Johnson beats him to it.

“Get a hold of yourselves – both of you,” she snaps. “Boys.” She claps her hands and breaks the spell.

Harry’s pupils shrink back; his irises opening up like a blooming flower. He blinks and flushes, but he continues to stare at their classmate long after Miss Johnson resumes her lesson.

Towards the end Liam nudges him and whispers, “You look knackered, mate.”

Harry rakes a hand through his greasy fringe. “Yeah, well… It’s worth it,” he says, barely suppressing a broad grin. He glances at the teacher and leans closer, lowering his voice. “I reckon he could want to be mine, man.”

When they return to their room later, however, Louis isn’t there. Harry double checks the pile of bedclothes before tossing them back onto the bed and folding his arms. All his confidence vanishes. Niall was right, Harry came on too strong. Louis probably wants an Alpha who can – fucking - control himself. Harry knows all this; he knows he can be the Alpha for Louis – so why does he keep fucking it up?

Liam’s giving him a weird look. “He’s probably just getting lunch, mate.”

Harry just shrugs. 

They find Louis with Zayn near the front of the lunch queue. Both he and Liam are a full head taller than all of Louis’ friends – even the Alphas, who won’t experience the sudden growth spurt that gives them their impressive stature until their first rut.

“Hi…” Harry says as an awed silence falls among the younger boys. To them, he’s this cool and charming, sexy, older boy. The teachers adore him; all the prettiest Omegas fawn over him; he’s got dozens of fit, popular friends. And to top it off he’s one of the most dominant Alphas in school. And he’s looking right at Louis.

Colour blooms in Louis’ already glowing cheeks. He pretends not to feel the weight of Harry’s gaze on him, shuffling his feet and toying with the sleeve of Zayn’s jumper. The dark-eyed just Omega glares at Harry reproachfully.

“Did you get my note…?” Harry asks Louis and oh, now Liam sees. Harry left Louis a note and now he’s been stood up. He has to hide a smirk.

Louis’ gaze flickers nervously up to Harry, then to his group of friends. Liam sees them nudge each other, whisper, sees their eyes widen as they realise Harry Styles was the one who knotted their friend. Actually, Harry is taking a bit of a risk here – speaking to the Omega all the rumours have been about: the teachers are probably on the lookout for the Alpha who took the virginity of a thirteen-year-old boy.

Clearly, Harry no longer cares, sighing as he runs his fingers through his curls. “I left it on the pillow?” he says, managing to sound both despondent and hopeful at once. “I was gonna order pizza for lunch?”

At the word pillow the group of boys smother sniggers.

Keeping his eyes down, Louis mutters, “That’s okay.”

Harry’s brow furrows. He’s not used Omegas laughing at him. But, then, none of these boys have had their first heat. Only Louis responds to him. A boy with a man’s desire. So Harry takes a step closer to him and tilts his head, smiling in a way that shows off his dimples.

Louis peers up at him shyly. [Visual] His hand falls away from Zayn’s sleeve and he takes a step closer too.

Zayn tries to tug him back, hissing: “Louis!” But Louis is completely enamoured.

“Maybe tonight then?” Harry says huskily, “Hey, love? Why don’t we watch a movie in bed-”

But he’s interrupted by shrieks of laughter as Louis’ friends dissolve into hysterics. Louis starts back, his whole face reddening. For once he almost looks fierce as he glares around. “Piss off!” he protests as two of the young Alphas poke him in the ribs.

Liam’s one step behind Harry when the huge, older Alpha swipes the smaller ones away from Louis.

“Woah, woah, woah!” Liam yells, catching Harry’s arm as the Alphas are knocked back into their group of friends. “Harry,” he hisses, “their kids – they’ve not even had their first rut-”

But Harry is already turning his back on Liam and crouching down to Louis’ eye level. “Louis?” he says, touching his arm.

Louis jerks away like he’s been burned. His eyes widen in panic and dart downwards.

The smell of honey fills Liam’s nostrils. “Jesus,” he mutters, taking a step back. Even when Louis isn’t in heat he’s so bloody responsive.

The young boys don’t realise what’s happened. But a pair of Alphas in the queue ahead raise their noses and sniff and at one of the tables closest an Omega drops his fork and loudly complains, “Oh for fucks sake. Who is that? I’m trying to eat here.”

Louis looks around in alarm. When he blinks Harry can see tears clinging to his eyelashes.

“Lou, love…” Harry begins but he’s interrupted by one of the year eights.

“Louis… are you crying?”

Louis shakes his head stubbornly. They’ve attracted the attention of half the dining hall.

Harry reaches out again and Louis breaks, shoving him away and tearing out of the room.

“Louis!” Harry yells, starting after him. But Liam hauls him back.

Zayn and a couple of the other young Omegas are already racing after him anyway.

The two young Alphas are trying to look as submissive as possible, but Liam hears one of them whisper. “Did you smell that?”

“Was that Louis?”

“Come on, bro,” Liam mutters and Harry allows himself to be pulled away.

They jump the queue, grab their food and join Niall at a table, who says, “lemme guess – Harry was being too intense again?”

“Oh just give it a rest, Niall,” Harry snaps.

Niall shuts up but angry tears well in his eyes. Liam sighs and wraps an arm around his narrow shoulders. He glares at Harry over the top of Niall’s blonde head.

“Shit,” Harry groans, “Niall – I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice.”

Niall sniffles but nods.

Harry covers his face with his hands. “This is just so exhausting,” he groans. “One moment he’s so into it – the next day he doesn’t even want me to touch him…” He lowers his voice. “People are saying I… I-” He glances around and mouths, “raped him. And now he’s over his heat again he’s making me feel like I did.”

“No, Harry,” Niall protests. “He’s just – when he’s in heat – and when he’s not-”

Harry shakes his head. “And I thought he was beginning to like me-” He shakes his head even more violently and stands abruptly, pushing his plate back. “Never mind.”

Liam watches him go. “What a fucking nightmare,” he says, mouth full of his lunch. “I tell you, I hope Zayn never grows up.” His eyes widen as soon as the words leave his mouth.

Niall looks profoundly disturbed. “I don’t know if you wanna date him or adopt him sometimes.”

“No I didn’t,” Liam says quickly, “I meant. No.”

“Just chill with the Daddy stuff, Payno, you’re freaking me out.”

 

LOUIS

Louis finally slows down in the maths corridor. He hears feet pounding behind him and quickly wipes the tears from his cheeks. Then Zayn’s panting and saying breathlessly, “Why did you go to him, Louis? You should have gone to the nurse. We would have taken you.”

“I don’t know, Zayn,” Louis yells, spinning around. He thought all he wanted was for Harry to stroke his hair and cuddle him. But last night he wanted him to do things he doesn’t even know the words for. He’s so embarrassed by how – how slutty he was he can’t even look at Harry today. And what would Zayn and everybody say if they knew he let Harry do that to him on his hands and knees?

Before he can say anything else, however, Luke – one of his other Omega friends – blurts out, “Was it Harry Styles that raped you?”

Zayn glares at him and Jamie claps a hand to his mouth.

“What?” Louis gapes. “No! He didn’t-”

“Is he gonna protect you from the Alphas that did?” Luke continues hopefully.

Louis looks like he’s about to cry again and Zayn realises he hasn’t heard any of the rumours about himself.

“I wasn’t raped,” he protests, but now he sounds unsure. “Harry wou-wouldn’t do that. He just wants to take care of me…”

He might be heat-muddled but Louis’ got to be stupid if he thinks Harry Styles actually wants to be with him. “He’s an arsehole, Lou,” Zayn says quietly.

Louis’ hands curls into fists. “No he’s not!”

“He shotgunned you!” Zayn yells.

Louis blushes so deeply he flushes to the tips of his ears. “You don’t understand-!”

But before Louis can continue the door at the end of the corridor crashes open. The four young Omegas start and come together like frightened animals.

Two Alphas are stalking towards them. Louis recognises one of them as Harrison Blair – a big, burly Alpha who plays rugby – and the other one as Prabhat Rangarajan, Blair’s best mate. Their noses twitch and feral grins split across their faces. Then they’re upon them, circling the four boys, prowling around them and separating them off.

Louis feels one of them nose at his hair and spins around. He starts back abruptly when he comes face to face with Blair. His grin widens when Louis’ back hits a wall. Behind him Louis can see Zayn, Luke and Jamie being sniffed at by Prabhat.

“Hey, kitten,” Blair murmurs, tilting Louis’ head by his chin so his throat is bared. His nose grazes down Louis’ neck.

Louis shivers, completely petrified. “G-get off me,” he stammers.

Blair’s panting when he pulls back, his eyes dark. “Prab, it’s this one. God, that smell.”

Prabhat turns away from the other Omegas. His gaze rakes down Louis’ body and a delighted grin spreads across his lips.

Louis tries to edge along the wall, away from them, but Blair snatches both his wrists up easily.

“Get lost, kids,” Prabhat says.

Luke and Jamie don’t need telling twice. They turn their backs and flee down the corridor.

Zayn swallows, his eyes darting between Louis and the Alphas. “Let Louis go too.”

Prabhat turns back, surprised to see him still standing there. He scoffs. “Get out of here.”

“Not without Louis,” Zayn says.

“Seriously, kid-”

Zayn steps forward, that’s all he does, and Prabhat shoves him carelessly to the ground.

“Oi, don’t-!” Louis starts to shout before Blair’s hand covers his mouth, pushing his head back against the wall. He watches Zayn struggle to his feet with wide eyes. He really doesn’t want Zayn to leave him but he doesn’t want him to get hurt either.

“I’m – I’m gonna get Liam,” Zayn stammers.

“You’ll get Liam?” Prabhat mocks. “Liam Payne? Oh, we’re so scared. Please don’t get Liam Payne. That would make it – oh wait… two against one.” He throws his head back and laughs.

Blair snickers. His stance is casual, his grip deceivingly relaxed, but the hands over Louis’ mouth and wrapped around his wrists are bruising.

Zayn glowers at both the Alphas but with tears shining in his dark eyes it’s not exactly intimidating. He takes a step back. His threat must have meant something, however, because the moment he thinks Zayn’s going to run Prabhat lunges forward and grabs him by the hair. Zayn screams and Louis starts to struggles again, watching helplessly as Zayn’s dragged and thrown into the nearest classroom.

“Little bitch,” Blair hisses at him, crushing Louis into the wall. Louis grits his teeth and pushes back with all his might. Nothing happens. Breathless and frustrated and angry and scared, he glares up at Blair.

“Now, now,” Blair says. He’s possibly trying to sound soothing but to Louis it’s just taunting. “We just want to know who it is that smells so lovely,” Blair says.

Prabhat comes over. He doesn’t bother to bend down but towers over Louis, lifting a hand to brush Louis’ fringe from his eyes.

At the same time Blair cautiously releases his wrists and removes his hand from Louis’ mouth.

Louis immediately bats Prabhat’s hand away. The smell of them makes him want to choke.

“We tried to introduce ourselves the other day,” Prabhat says. “But Harry Styles wouldn’t let anyone see you.”

They wait to see if Louis’ going to say anything. He doesn’t. All they can hear is Zayn hammering at the classroom door. Without taking his eyes off Louis, Blair snarls, “why don’t you go tell that dry little bitch to shut up.”

Prabhat turns back to the classroom and Louis’ heart beats so hard he feels like he’s going to throw it up.

Blair smiles at him. “An Omega as pretty as you,” he says quietly, “should go to the strongest Alpha in school.” Louis’ skin crawls under Blair’s wandering gaze. “Bit unfair of Styles to keep you to himself and not give any of us the chance to… win your affections… Isn’t it?”

Louis starts to shake his head.

Blair’s expression hardens. “Well it is.”

“No,” Louis begins to say.

Blair’s palm smacks into the wall beside Louis’ head – who gives a startled yelp, flinching.

“If I tell you it’s unfair,” Blair growls at him, right in his ear so that his hot breath bathes Louis’ neck, “it means it’s unfair. Okay?”

Hateful tears fill Louis’ eyes. He tries to sound brave as he says, “piss off.”

For a moment, he actually thinks Blair is going to hit him. But then he laughs and leans back. Louis cracks his eyes open again, seeing that Prabhat’s returned to the corridor. There’s no sound coming from the classroom anymore.

“You know I heard something else,” Blair says, pulling Louis’ attention back to him. “I heard Styles popped his knot in you.” He pushes his fist into Louis’ belly, who gasps. He’s seen Alphas do this to Omegas before and never really known what it meant. But looking down at it now, and remembering the feel of Harry’s knot locked inside him, he thinks he has an idea. He glowers up at Blair but Blair just leers, admiring the size of his fist against Louis’ body. He might as well just say: I’m imagining myself inside you. It’s so horrid, so aggressive, tears fall from Louis’ eyes. “I hear Styles pumped you full of it,” Blair sneers at him. “Fucking smells like it… So… did he?”

Louis doesn’t even know how to begin to answer or even if he could. After a moment Prabhat says, “Let’s just check if he has, man. I’m not touching an Omega who’s been knotted by another Alpha – that’s just not cool.”

Louis’ eyes shoot between them.

“Yeah,” Blair says, “let’s see shall we?”

“No, no – don’t!” Louis says as Blair’s hand closes around his arm, tugging him away from the wall. “NO! GET OFF ME.”

But his scream is drowned out by a much louder bellow from the end of the corridor.

“GET OFF HIM! NOW!”

He’s dropped so quickly he almost falls over. He hears footsteps behind him and then Harry’s hands are smoothing back his hair, cupping his cheeks, wiping away his tears. He searches Louis’ face and seems satisfied for the meantime. He releases him again, stepping past him. Overwhelmed, Louis can hear Harry’s voice only under the sound of his own shallow, rapid breathing.

“He’s mine, Blair. Do you understand? He’s mine. If either of you touch him again I’ll rip your fucking throats out.”

A long silence follows, punctuated only by the sound of Louis’ gasping.

He sees Prabhat pull at Blair’s arm. “Mate, come on… Harrison, leave it, mate. Come on.” He drags Blair away.

Harry waits until the door closes behind them before turning to Louis, so tall the Omega has to crane his head back to peer into his face. He’s starts striding back to him and Louis stumbles back despite himself. Harry’s hand darts out, catching his arm easily. He’s pulled into Harry’s chest, his head cradled into the crook of Harry’s neck.

“Are you okay?” Harry murmurs, his voice rumbling through Louis like a storm.

All Louis can do is stand there, nodding absently as an onset of shock starts to overwhelm him.

“Louis?” Harry whispers, his hand rubbing circles over Louis’ back, “Lou, are you with me, love?”

When Louis continues to nod Harry pulls him back. Louis’ chest heaves wildly. He stares through Harry: his expression frightened but his eyes blank.  

With sudden determination, Harry takes the hem of Louis’ jumper and yanks it over his head. That at least gets a reaction out of him. Louis’ heart leaps when he thinks Harry’s going to have sex with him right here. But then Harry’s pulling his own jumper off and forcing it over Louis’ head, muttering apologies as he tugs Louis’ hair. He straightens it roughly, smoothing it over Louis’ hips, and takes Louis’ cheeks in his palms.

“Louis,” he says seriously. “I want you to wear this. Always.”

Louis nods. Harry’s presence is solid and comforting. He feels the numbness fade away, replaced by a feeling of comfort, safety. Tears well up in his eyes and he shoves his face into Harry’s chest.

Harry breathes a sigh of relief. He wraps his arms around Louis, tucks an arm under his bum and straightens up, lifting Louis off his feet easily. Louis locks his ankles behind Harry’s back and holds on tight to his neck. Harry listens to the sound of his breathing evening out. Eventually the afternoon bell rings and students start to file into the corridor.

Harry reluctantly lowers Louis back down. His jumper is endearingly big on the Omega: the sleeves droop past Louis’ fingertips and the hem falls over his bum. But Louis’ eyes are clear and blue, unglazed by tears or desire and a shy, happy little smile lights up his pretty face. Harry brushes away the tear tracks on his cheeks. “What’s your next lesson?” he asks softly.

“History,” Louis mumbles.

Harry straightens up, linking their fingers. “Alright, love, let me walk you there.”

After that afternoon everyone knows that Harry was the one who knotted the Omega. It’s enough to dispel the rumours that Louis was raped, thankfully. It does, though, inspire a flurry of new ones, including Harry’s personal favourite: If you even look at Harry Styles’ Omega he’ll rip your throat out.

It does mean, on the other hand, that Harry can’t even smile at Louis across the assembly hall without a teacher intervening. They might not be able to punish an Alpha for mating with an Omega but they can try their hardest to keep it from happening again.

Forgotten about, locked in a classroom cupboard for almost fifteen minutes, however, Zayn hates Harry even more.

 

A FEW DAYS LATER, ZAYN                    

“Louis, man, I’m not stupid – I can see you copyin’, you know…” Turning his head, Zayn catches Louis quickly avert his eyes from Zayn’s English homework.

“Well, actually I find that quite offensive, Zayn,” the other Omega says.

Zayn raises his eyebrows and looks pointedly at the blank pages of Louis’ homework book.

Louis pretends to ignore him but he’s got a sheepish smile tugging at his mouth.

“Which one is he?”

“The one on the left.”

Zayn glances up. Two Alphas from Cardinal Godfrey’s – another of the boarding houses – are pointing at Louis from where they’re stood near the door to the common room. Louis and Zayn are sat in their usual sofa in the back corner of the room. Every evening since Harry publically laid claim to Louis Alphas have been coming into their boarding house to get a look at him. Harry stands at the other end of the room, growling at any one who even tries to talk to “his Omega”. So Zayn was wrong about him. It doesn’t mean he’s any happier watching Harry rub his scent all over Louis in between classes. When Zayn looks over now he can see Harry leaning against the fridge, his eyes fixed on them. Beside him Niall Horan is loading beers into Liam’s arms.

“Come on, before Styles kills us,” one of the Alphas from Cardinal’s says and they leave.

Louis relaxes noticeably. He feels like Harry’s property – something pretty that other Alphas can admire. It’s not that Louis doesn’t like it –he’s embarrassed by how much he does like it. Harry treats him like he’s delicate but that’s how Louis feels most of the time. Harry’s so big Louis can’t actually help that he’s scared of him. Plus, Harry gets him so flustered he’s been on the verge of tears for a week. He doesn’t know what you’re supposed to say to a boy that you’ve done it with. If he opens his mouth his usual shit will pour out and Harry will probably just think he’s childish. He doesn’t even know why Harry likes him. When he says this to Zayn, however, his friend just gives him a look, making it pretty obvious what he thinks.

A few minutes later Zayn notices Louis trying to peek at his homework again. “C’mon, Louis! Stop it will, ya!” he exclaims.

“Can’t I have a look?” Louis whines, leaning over Zayn’s shoulder.

Zayn shrugs him off. “I spent all weekend writin’ mine-”

“But please, Zayn,” Louis begs and when Zayn glances at him he sees his chin is starting to wobble.

“It’s a poem Lou’eh, you can’t copy a poem,” Zayn explains, wrapping an arm around Louis’ shoulders.

“Yeah but I’m useless at this stuff,” Louis mumbles. He wipes his eyes with the sleeve of his jumper. “Besides – I think I’m getting sick-”

Zayn has to stop himself from snorting. Yeah, he thinks, ‘sick’. At this point Zayn’s not really sure Louis ever left his last heat. 

“-This is just so unfair!” Louis huffs.

Across the room, two Omegas smother giggles, pointing at him. Whilst all the Alphas think Louis’ adorable; Omegas have started making fun of him. Slouching further in his seat, Louis throws away his homework book and folds his arms petulantly. Moments later Harry is dropping to his knees beside the sofa and husking at him, “Hiiiii, Loubear, just checking that you’re alright…?”

Louis keeps his arms tightly folded. “Yeah…?”

“You sure?” Harry presses.                                     

“Yes,” Louis insists, balling up the too-long sleeves of his (Harry’s) jumper. He’s worn it for the last four days straight and now he has an eye on the lavender one Harry’s wearing at the moment. http://picture-cdn.wheretoget.it/f3axp6-l-610x610-sweater-harry-styles-purple-sweater-purple-menswear-one-direction-pastel-blouse-harry-styles-sweater-pastel-purple-cardigan-pullover.jpg

Liam drops onto the armrest beside Zayn. He nudges him, jerks his thumb at Harry and mouths, “Loubear?” Then pulls a face.

Zayn starts to smile and Liam’s brown eyes crinkle up.

Harry’s running his hand up and down Louis’ thigh. “I saved you one of the cupcakes I made for the bake sale tomorrow,” he’s saying. He offers Louis what look like a mound of icing.

Zayn can practically feel Louis blushing as he takes it in both his hands.

“You’re making me look bad, Haz,” Liam jokes. He nudges Zayn’s shoulder again. “Wanna try my beer, babe?” He holds it out.

Zayn stares up at him. “… I’m thirteen?”

Liam shrugs. “Yeah, but you’re with me, swee’heart – I’ll look after you.” Zayn blushes. (He can see scrapes on Liam’s knuckles from a rugby brawl that got out of control and conveniently ended up with Liam punching Prabhat Rangarajan.)

Before Zayn can reply, however, Harry speaks again and his attention is drawn back to the pair. “Lou, do you promise me you don’t need me right now?”

Louis nods his head stubbornly but they’re all thinking the same thing: he’s in denial.

Harry hesitates. In the gentlest way possible he says: “It’s just that I can smell you, love…”

Louis flushes. “I just told you I’m fine,” he snaps.

Harry blinks; both he and Liam look a little stunned.

“Okay…” Harry says patiently. He leans forward and squeezes Louis’ thigh. “Well, we don’t have to wait until you’re in heat…” He trails off as Louis’ expression transforms into something nothing short of horrified. Clearly the idea of having sex with Harry when he doesn’t explicitly need it is in equal parts terrifying and repulsive. He pushes Harry’s hand off his knee, grabs his book bag and storms towards the door.

Harry lets him go, watching his cupcake roll onto the floor. His expression could fairly be described as tortured. He rises to his feet, making Zayn feel terribly small in the sofa below him.

“You worry too much, mate,” Liam says easily, leaning forward to clap Harry’s side. “Come on, let’s go outside.”

Harry shakes his head. “I’m done, mate. I’m heading upstairs.”

Liam watches him go, nudges Zayn again and lets out a low whistle. “Mental – both of them, eh?” He pushes to his feet and holds out his hand, “You’ll come with me, won’t you babe?”

 

Chapter Text

ZAYN

Zayn is buried in Liam’s jacket, scuffing his shoes in the dirt as he sits on Liam’s knee. “He just won’t stop crying, man. He’s doing my head in.”

Liam snickers, his big hand holding Zayn by his waist. He’s ‘warming’ it under Zayn’s jacket and he’s been absently rubbing his thumb over Zayn’s hip for the last ten minutes. It’s late and cold and Liam’s friends are drinking on some benches not far away, on the grounds of their boarding school. When they saw Zayn one of them asked Liam if he was getting paid to babysit.

“One of my mates can’t stop eating when he’s in heat,” Liam tells him. “And, you know, at least he doesn’t get angry or, like, aggressive.”

Zayn huffs and folds his hands under his armpits. “Just clingy.”

Liam shrugs, “yeah but Alphas like that.”

“Well it’s not always about you,” Zayn says, raising his eyebrows pointedly, a smirk tugging at his mouth.

Liam bursts into laughter.

Zayn looks down and mutters, “Harry’s an arsehole anyway.”

Liam’s laughter fades abruptly. “What…?”

Zayn shrugs. “He’s always making Louis upset and stuff…” he says, kicking up a tuft of grass with the toe of shoe.

Liam suppresses a snort.

Zayn looks up at him, suspicion in his dark eyes, unsure whether or not he’s being laughed at.

Liam clears his throat. “Yeah, well, Harry can get a bit intense about these things.”

Zayn looks at him blankly. “Louis not a thing.”

Liam gives him a look that says: you know what I meant. He sighs and holds Zayn a little closer. “Hey, I miss my best mate too. But Harry really likes Louis. He’s on about wanting to mate him for life. If Louis wants that too then that could be great for them, couldn’t it?”

Yeah, Zayn thinks, it could be. Except he’s just realised he’s not angry with Harry and Louis after all. He’s jealous. Feeling slightly like he’s been reprimanded, he burrows further into Liam’s coat and mumbles, “Can I have a fag?”

Liam’s eyebrows shoot up. “Do you smoke, babe?”  

Zayn shrugs. He’s had one and a half beers (Liam won’t let him have anymore) and he feels a little bit funny. But maybe that’s because of Liam. 

Liam straightens up, holding Zayn steady by winding his whole arm around his waist. “Hey,” he calls, “can my boy get a ciggy?”

Zayn hears someone approaching them and then the smell of beer washes over his cheek.

“Here you go, beautiful,” a boy says as Zayn draws back. It’s an Alpha from another of the boarding houses and he’s got a cigarette stuck between his teeth.

Liam shoves him back, him arm tightening around Zayn. “Piss off, you fucking chav,” he says and the other boy laughs and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. He hands one to Liam, who hands it to Zayn. He chucks Liam the lighter too.

“You know, I reckon you’d look wicked with tattoos, babe,” Liam tells him once the boy has gone away and Zayn’s had his first drag.

Zayn’s glad it’s dark because he’s blushing so much. “I’ve already got some ones drawn, ready for, like, when I’m old enough,” he says.

“Seriously?” Liam can’t be faking the excitement in his voice

Zayn nods hesitantly. Truth is, like Louis does with Harry, Zayn finds it hard to understand why Liam wants to spend time with him. Liam’s so fit – not quite as tall as Harry but meatier and thicker. He grows stubble on his jaw and he has gleaming strands of gold in his brown quiff. The enticement of being with an older boy isn’t lost on Zayn either. He also likes the way Liam can go from joking to serious in a moment. 

“That’s sick,” Liam is saying. “Do you think you could draw one for me? I want along my forearm, right here…” He pulls his arm from around Zayn’s waist to point out where.

But Zayn didn’t realise how much he was leaning on him till the support was gone. He yelps as he starts to slide backwards off Liam’s leg.

“Shit.” Liam catches him quickly, pulling him upright before he can slip from his lap entirely. “You alright, sweetheart? Sorry, Zay, that was my fault, yeah?”

Zayn’s so embarrassed he can’t speak. He just nods. It can’t be dark enough to hide the deep red in his cheeks anymore.

“So you might have had enough,” Liam teases. “But I might get another beer.” Zayn laughs weakly and lets Liam lead him over to his group of friends.

Niall watches them approach. “Oi, Payno,” he calls as Liam grabs a fresh beer, “we’re heading to the pub, you in?”

Liam opens his mouth but before he can reply Zayn pulls on his arm.

As one of the few Omegas among their group of friends Niall likes to compete – and bask in – the Alphas’ attention. But Zayn, quiet and shy and tiny, can draw Liam’s attention with the smallest touch of his fingers on Liam’s sleeve. Even now, as Niall watches, Liam turns and slips his hand into Zayn’s, bending his ear to listen to him. After a moment he nods, smiles and kisses his temple. Then he turns to the group, “hey, lads – think we’re just going to go to bed.” He holds out his beer and Niall leaps forward to snatch it, shouting: “Ha!” at the other omegas. By the time he’s taken his first few swigs Liam and Zayn are gone.

 

 

Zayn’s palm is sweaty in Liam’s hand; his heart is beating so fast Liam can probably hear it. As they approach Liam’s floor butterflies erupt in Zayn’s stomach.

But they walk straight past the door to Liam’s corridor.  Has Liam forgotten that Zayn can’t bring him back to his room? As they continue upwards Zayn stops and Liam turns, frowning.

“Um… you – you can’t come back to my room,” Zayn says, flushing.

Liam just looks confused. Then his eyes widen. “No, no, swee’heart – that’s okay. Don’t worry, I’m not going to.” He pulls gently on Zayn’s hand and Zayn lets himself be lead up the stairs.

He realises Liam’s not planning on going to bed with him at all and suddenly he feels like he wants to cry too.

“I should probably leave you here,” Liam says when they reach the last staircase. He turns Zayn towards him, holding him by his waist. There’s a smirk playing around his plump lips. “Now I’m gonna watch you and make sure you get back safe but it’s got nothing to do with your cute arse, okay?” he says. 

Zayn gives a startled giggle, scrunching up his nose. “Okay, Liam – whatever.” He backs up the stairs and doesn’t turn till he reaches the landing. Actually, Zayn’s glad Liam did walk him back – their whole boarding house is unusually rowdy. Laughs and whistles and shouts echo up the stairwell.

Zayn punches four numbers into the coded door leading into his corridor, turns and waves at Liam one last time.

He hasn’t even stepped over the threshold when Mrs Hodgehouse – his dorm monitor – bursts out of one of the rooms and spots him. His stomach drops but all she says is: “close that door!”

Alarmed, Zayn does as he’s told quickly. As he turns back he suddenly becomes aware of the panic in the air. Halfway down the corridor boys are crowded around the doorway to his dorm room. Heart pounding, Zayn pushes his way through the throng of students.

The nurse is bent over Louis’ bed.

Zayn swallows. Cautiously, he steps away from the group of boys – who are as terrified as they are excited – and approaches the bed.

Louis has his back to both Zayn and the nurse and is curled up in a ball, one hand pressed to his groin, the other clutching his pillow. His body is racked by sobs.

“Have you managed to get hold of his mother, yet?” the nurse asks sharply.

Zayn starts and realises Mrs Hodgehouse has followed him back into the room.

“No, not yet.”

The nurse lays a wet cloth over Louis’ forehead. “We can’t move him, not now that his scent has got out.”

“Can you bring the equipment up here?” Mrs Hodgehouse asks.

Louis squeezes his eyes shut. “No, no, no,” he begs. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Zayn whispers, looking up at his dorm monitor. He’s only been gone for a couple of hours – how did Louis get like this so quickly? It frightens him – if this is what it’s like he never wants to go into heat.

But at the sound of his voice Louis turns his head on the pillow. His eyes are bright with fever, luminous in the dim room. “Zayn,” he croaks, relief colouring his voice. “Zayn… please.”

Zayn can feel the weight of the adults’ eyes on him.

“Get Harry,” Louis pleads weakly.

Zayn starts to nod.

“Oh no. No, no,” Mrs Hodgehouse begins. She sees Zayn backing towards the door. “Zayn! Don’t you dare fetch him. Zayn!”

Zayn turns on his heel and pushes back through the small crowd of students. He sprints down the corridor. Behind the glass door at the end a group of curious Alphas has begun to form. Zayn wrenches open the door and barrels past them. He races down the stairs – he can hear Mrs Hodgehouse shouting his name – until he reaches the first floor. It seems like half the boys in the boarding house are awake. Louis’ scent has got everywhere and it’s making all the Alphas wild. A couple of them sniff curiously at him as Zayn stops outside the door to the sixth form corridor. He bangs on the glass window until a boy opens it for him. He runs straight past him and skids to a halt outside Liam and Harry’s dorm room. He hammers his fists and the door swings open.

Liam blanches when he sees Zayn standing there. He takes his arm and pulls him into the room, his brow furrowed with concern and confusion. “Zayn, what is it? What’s wrong? You shouldn’t come down here alone.”

Zayn tries to catch him breath. “It’s Louis,” he pants.

To the right, Harry’s bed groans as he stands up. He blocks out the moonlight through the window so that his body is edged in silver. Zayn swallows and reaches out instinctively for Liam, curling his fingers into his t-shirt.

“He-he asked for Harry,” Zayn stammers.

“He asked for me?” Harry repeats, stepping closer.

Zayn nods.

Harry turns towards the door but Zayn says, “But the nurse is with him. And Mrs Hodgehouse. And they called his mum.”

Harry’s eyes flash dangerously. “The nurse,” he seethes.

Zayn’s stomach pitches.

“Why,” Harry says, voice low, “didn’t you FUCKING CALL ME EARLIER!?”

Before Zayn can react he’s being swept behind Liam and all he can see is his broad back as Liam growls, “What the fuck is wrong with you, Harry? Yelling at an Omega like that! Zayn was with me until ten minutes ago.”

There’s a long silence. Harry turns away. He throws a glance at Zayn, still shielded by Liam. “Sorry,” he says shortly. Then he crosses to the door.

Liam sighs impatiently. “Harry, where are you going?”

“I’m going to Louis.”

Liam steps forward and grabs his arm. “Harry you can’t go up there.”

Harry shakes him off. “He needs me, Liam.”

Zayn watches the exchange anxiously. “Is Louis gonna be okay?”

They don’t hear him. “Harry,” Liam says, “Hodgehouse is up there. You can’t go barging in-”

“I can’t leave him with them.”

“Liam…?” Zayn says, “Liam?”

“One minute, sweetheart.” Liam lunges forward, slamming the door shut before Harry can open it. “They’ll never let you take him, Haz, man, come on.”

“Let me go,” Harry snarls.

 “Lee-yum!” Zayn begs, “Is Louis gonna be okay?”

Liam turns back to him quickly, bending down and squeezing his shoulders. “Yes sweetheart.” Behind him, he hears Harry yank the door open. “Harry’s gonna take care of him, okay? He won’t let anyone hurt him.” He looks over his shoulder as the door slams shut. He takes a deep breath and turns back to Zayn. “But I need you to stay here okay?”

Zayn nods tearfully.

Liam straightens up. “Lock the door and stay here.” He turns and follows Harry, leaving Zayn alone in their room.

He makes sure he locks the door behind them, then backs towards Liam’s bed and sinks onto it, gripping the mattress tightly.

He watches the clock turn from 12:16 to 12:24.

Someone pounds on the door. “ZAYN! ZAYN? OPEN THE DOOR!”

Zayn bolts off the bed and scrambles with the lock. Harry pushes it open so fast he almost bowls Zayn over. He turns and kicks it shut behind him.

Louis is clinging his neck, sobbing into his shoulder.

Harry carries him over to his bed and lowers him down gently. Louis sucks in a sharp breath, his face contorting into a grimace of pain. Harry has to pry his hands from the tangle of his curls and press them down to stop Louis from latching onto him again.

Harry glances at Zayn. “Liam’ll be back in a minute, alright, lovely?” There’s pain and desperation in his green eyes. With his glossy quiff wilted and his cheeks flushed, he looks young.

Zayn nods numbly; but it’s only a moment later that the door is thrown open and Liam is pulling Zayn towards into a tight hug. The Alpha is panting hard. “I reckon… the distraction… worked, mate.” He swallows, looking over Zayn’s head. “Is… Is he okay, Haz?”

There’s a pause. “God,” Harry chokes out. “I should have…” He draws in a shaky breath. “I should have been there for him.”

Liam lowers himself onto his own bed, pulling Zayn into his lap.

Behind him, Harry is carefully shimmying Louis’ trousers over his hips. He gives a sudden, sharp gasp and rakes his fingers through his hair. He blinks rapidly.

“Okay, just – just keep it together, man, alright?” Liam says.

His face buried in Liam’s shoulder, Zayn has got no idea what’s going on. But he can still hear Louis’ pained whimpers.

Harry nods. He takes a deep breath and leans over the Omega. “Louis, love,” he whispers, brushing his sweaty fringe from his forehead. “I’m gonna take this out, okay?”

Zayn’s own tears are soaking into the chest of Liam’s jumper. Liam rubs his back and murmurs, “Are you okay, Zaynie?”

Zayn doesn’t bother to pretend that he is and just grips Liam tighter.

“Okay, baby, I need you to relax,” he hears Harry say.

Louis’ own voice is thin and croaky. “I c-c-c-can’t…”

“Yeah, you can, Lou. Come on.”

Zayn hears Louis cry out again and squeezes his eyes shut. The very last thing he expects is to hear Harry saying his name.

“Zayn? Zayn, come here and try and calm him down for me? Stroke his hair, something like that.”

Zayn pulls his face from Liam’s chest. He glances up at him but his Alpha is staring at Louis’ furiously. 

“Harry,” Liam begins in a low tone.

“Liam,” Harry begs, “please? I don’t – I don’t know what to do.” It’s a huge thing for an Alpha to admit – that he doesn’t know how to care for his Omega.

So Liam reluctantly lets Zayn climb from his lap and cross to the other bed. He crawls onto the mattress by Louis’ head, framing him with his knees. Tears are streaming down Louis’ face. Zayn’s disentangles Louis’ fingers from the twisted sheets and links them with his. “You’re okay, bro,” he whispers.

Louis’ eyes flutter open. Zayn’s surprised to see that they’re clear and blue, not the lust-dilated black they were earlier. He’s lucid, all things considering, and his face is a mask of pain. When Harry presses his legs wide Louis turns his face into Zayn’s knee, sobbing softly.

“It’s okay, Lou. You’re gonna be okay,” Zayn murmurs. Continuing to whisper sweet nothings to him, Zayn’s gaze travels down Louis’ heaving body to where Harry is holding his legs open.

He almost screams.

Louis’ body is stretched around a huge dildo.

“Harry, you’re upsetting Zayn,” Liam says angrily, rising quickly from his seat. “Shit.”

“No,” Zayn says quickly, though his voice admittedly breaks, “no, I’m okay. It’s okay.” But it’s not. It’s really, really not.

Liam hesitates. Zayn sees his gaze flicker downwards, to where Harry is slowly working the dildo out of Louis. He turns his head away sharply. “Fuck.”

Louis gives another small cry of pain and Zayn quickly returns his attention to him.

“Relax, angel,” Harry is murmuring, smoothing one hand over Louis’ abdomen as the other gently removes the toy.

Zayn cups Louis’ cheeks in his small hands, wiping away his tears. “You’re being so brave, bro,” he whispers.

Louis can’t look at him. His cheeks are blazing beneath Zayn’s palms. The pain has brought him back to himself and he’s humiliated.

“That fucking nurse,” Liam is saying. “How can she do this to them? How can she leave them in a room with those things?”

“Liam, mate,” Harry says, “please – just – just shhh.” His spare hand moves to Louis’ hip and holds him still.

Louis’ body suddenly twists in agony. He grips Zayn’s hands so tight he almost pulls him on top of him and he smothers a scream into the inside of Zayn’s thigh.

There is a loud, squelching pop and then Harry is turning and throwing the toy onto the floor. He immediately pulls off his shirt and throws it over it. Zayn had forgotten how many tattoos he had.

As each of them sit and lie and stand there, panting, the tension slowly starts to leak out of the room.

Firstly, it’s replaced by a feeling of relief. But as they regain the breath they didn’t realise they had lost the tension bleeds back in. Except it’s a different sort.

Louis’ thighs are draped over Harry’s hips. His fingers are curled around Zayn’s, held up by his head so that he’s spread out, naked and inviting, on the bed. With every inhale his cock smears come over his taut belly.

Kneeling between Louis’ legs, Harry’s chest and torso are smooth and muscled; on the bed below him, Louis’ lean body looks soft in comparison, his skin golden where Harry’s is brown. Harry’s chest shines with sweat but Louis is merely dappled with it, the hairs covering his body as fine as a peach’s.

It’s Louis who moves first, shifting his hips on the bed. He pulls his hands from Zayn’s and turns his head on the mattress, looking up beguilingly at Harry.

A smile pulls at the corner of Harry’s mouth. His fingers dig into the meat of Louis’ thigh; he bats his hair out of his eyes and swoops down over him. Their mouths meet in a hungry, desperate kiss.

Zayn falls back, eyes wide. Louis moves his body sensually: pliant but eager, shy but desperate. As Harry kisses down his throat Louis’ head falls back and Zayn gets a glimpse of his pupils when his eyelashes flutter, blown-wide and hazy. Underneath Louis’ pretty, little moans, Zayn can hear Harry’s fingers fucking into his slick hole.

Louis’ desire radiates throughout the room, his fever like a fire, his smell saturating the air.

“Wanted something nice and thick inside you, lovie, didn’t you?” Harry murmurs. “Don’t worry, I’m going to give it to you.”

“Jesus, Harry,” Liam snaps, and he’s suddenly tugging Zayn off the bed. “Watch your fucking language.”

Harry glances up at him through a curtain of sweat-dampened curls. “You’re welcome to watch, Daddy,” he says provocatively.

Zayn’s not sure whether he’s more shocked by that or by the sight of Louis pressing bruises into Harry’s wrist as he shoves Harry’s fingers inside him.

Liam is already pulling Zayn back to his bed. He pushes him down onto it and sits beside him, cupping his cheek. “Hey, babe. Look at me, yeah?”

Zayn stares at him with huge eyes. The sound of his breathing seems unnaturally loud. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Harry slide off the bed.

“Harry,” Louis is gasping. “I’m so… I’m so wet.”

Zayn’s eyes widen impossibly, straying back to the pair.

“I know, love, I know,” Harry murmurs, yanking his belt off.

Clearly, Harry’s response isn’t good enough for Louis; because he runs a hand between his legs and shows Harry his sticky fingers. Even from a few feet away Zayn can see beads of glistening slick dripping from the dainty digits.

Zayn feels his whole body grow hot.

As he watches, Harry takes Louis’ wrist and sucks his fingers into his mouth. With his spare hand Harry fumbles with his jeans, tugging them over his hips.

“Zayn,” Liam murmurs, as Harry releases Louis’ hand, throws his jeans across the room and towers over the bed. “Babe, don’t look.”

But Harry – his naked body like a wild animal’s as he proudly bares his frighteningly huge cock – is imprinted on Zayn’s eyelids. Though he’s no longer looking, Zayn can hear Harry climbing back onto the bed. He starts suddenly when Liam’s fingertips brush his nipples through his shirt. He blinks and Liam’s face returns to focus. More specifically, his enticingly plump, glistening lips return to focus.

His own mouth parts just as Liam cups his hard cock through his school trousers. Zayn’s head falls back as a moan tumbles from his lips.

A moment later there’s a blissful cry as Louis is penetrated.

Zayn whimpers.

Harry is leaning over Louis, smiling fondly. One hand hikes Louis’ thigh over his hip, the other sweeps his fringe to the side. “That’s what you needed, isn’t it, love?” he says softly. “Me, yeah?”

Liam’s nose grazes over Zayn’s throat, breathing in the scent of his arousal. He lifts his mouth to Zayn’s ear. “Want my fingers?” he whispers hotly.

Zayn nods quickly. “Yeah,” he says breathily.

He lets Liam pull his school trousers down his legs and toss them onto the floor.

“You want one or two?” Liam asks.

It’s stupid to try and compete with Louis but watching Harry’s thick cock start to slide in and out of him makes Zayn almost as jealous as he is terrified. He swallows. “Two.”

Liam pulls back and searches his face thoroughly. “Okay,” he says. “But tell me if it hurts.”

Zayn nods and quickly catches his breath when Liam’s fingertips graze his abdomen. Zayn gets a glimpse of just how thick two of Liam’s fingers are together before they slip beneath his boxers.

Across the room, Harry has begun a litany of: “come on, Lou. Come on, lovie. That’s it. Come on.” Louis is gasping, clutching the pillow under his head as Harry fills him again and again with his cock.

Liam is taking things a bit slower. His fingertips nudge Zayn’s rim, dabbling in his slick till two of them are wet with it. Gently, he eases them inside.

Zayn’s eyes widen. It’s the most intimate thing that’s ever happened to him – keeping Liam’s gaze as he slowly slides two fingers in until they’re knuckle-deep.

Then Liam’s suddenly breathing out, “Jesus Christ, you’re tight,” and lunging forward to kiss Zayn deeply.

They topple back onto the bed, Zayn’s head hitting the pillow. He moans as Liam’s fingers jar inside him. Lying half-on top of him, Liam’s mouth trails over Zayn’s jaw and throat. He covers him with hot kisses; rubs his soft skin raw with his stubble.

Across from them, Harry is pressing Louis’ knees against his chest, his buttocks clenching as he rams into Louis. Every thrust jolts Louis’ body further up the bed. Louis’ hole looks like nothing more than a glittering pool in the moonlight and Harry’s cock glides into it. Watching them over Liam’s head, Zayn doesn’t know how Louis’ taking it so deep, so hard.

And he doesn’t know why he likes it so much either.

“Come on, Zay, let me hear you,” Liam whispers, lifting his head and seeing his Omega staring, transfixed, at the couple across the room. Slipping his fingers in and out of Zayn’s virgin insides, he coaxes tentative moans out of him. They join the uncontrollable cries of Harry’s Omega and the, honest-to-God, splash of Harry’s cock slamming into his wet hole. He leans down, presses his lips to Zayn’s ear and croons, “that’s gonna be us one day, sweetheart.”

And Zayn tosses his head on the pillow and comes with a sudden cry, wrapping his fingers around Liam’s wrist to keep his fingers inside him, curled against his prostate. He suddenly knows why he likes watching Louis: he’s imaging it’s him; him on his back with Liam pounding into him like an animal.

But as his orgasm fades, Zayn gradually becomes aware that Louis’ cries no longer sound like pleasure, but panic.

 

 

HARRY

“Lou, love,” Harry pants, blinking sweat from his eyelashes, snapping his hips furiously. “You need to let go, yeah?”

Beneath him, Louis shakes his head, gripping his cock with both his hands.

“Lovie, come on,” Harry pleads, releasing his grip on one of Louis thighs to tug his hand away.

“No, Harry!” Louis cries and tightens his other fist to the point that it looks sore. “I’m gonna – I’m gonna explode!” He yanks his hand free from Harry’s grip and flattens it against Harry’s sweat-sleek stomach like he’s trying to push him off.

“Louis!” Harry exclaims. He finally slows down, before stilling entirely.

Louis catches his breath, trembling hard. “I can’t - I can’t,” he stammers.

Holding Louis’ waist, Harry pants like a hard-ridden horse. His curls are plastered to his forehead; his cock is throbbing. He takes a deep breath and sets his jaw determinedly. “Yes, you can, Louis,” he growls and begins fucking him again, with unrestrained energy, his cock a slick-streaked blur as he shoves it into him.

Louis wails, tightening his grip as his orgasm threatens to break him. He won’t be able to handle it. It feels like he’s gonna burst. But then Harry’s hands find his wrists and he wrenches them above Louis’ head, pinning them to the pillow. “You’re – gonna – come – for – me,” he grits out, punctuating each word with a thrust so deep Louis feels it in his whole body.

And Louis does. He flings his head back and releases a scream that’s half-pleasure, half-relief. His hips jerk off the bed, his thighs gripping Harry tight. He spasms around Harry’s cock and his come lands across his cheek and in his hair. “OH, oh, oh, ohhhhh.”

Harry’s mouth falls open. Louis is clamping down on him so tight his – his vision goes black. He blindly grabs handfuls of Louis’ arse to steady them both. A moment later his eyes spring back open; the stormy green now black as night. A snarl tears out his throat as his knot explodes for the second time in his life.

Sounding like he’s in goddamn ecstasy, Louis comes again, arching off the bed to the point that his entire weight is supported on his head. It’s the most gorgeous thing Harry’s seen in his life. He shakes with the force of his own orgasm. Sweat trickles down his brow; his limbs tremble and he grits his teeth as his knot swells inside the tiny Omega. Moments later he starts to unload streams of thick, hot come inside Louis.

As his second orgasm subsides, Louis wilts back onto the pillow, his legs falling away from Harry’s waist so that his toes skim the mattress. Drained, he looks up his own body to where Harry is holding him his hips up, buried inside him and – and pulsing. Harry jerks with the force of it but his gaze remains as fierce as it is beautiful, locked, un-blinking on Louis.

Louis moans wearily and dribbles more come over his stomach.

Harry grits his teeth as he spills the last of his seed. Dizzy and breathless, he eases back onto his haunches, carefully lowering Louis down.

Stuck on Harry’s knot, Louis breaks down into overwhelmed sobs.

Harry’s not even surprised. God, that was so intense he wants to cry too. So, wincing, he leans down and fits an under Louis’ waist, scooping his limp body into his arms.

Louis immediately hides his face in Harry’s chest, spreading his fingers over of the swallows and sniffling.

“It’s okay, Lou,” Harry murmurs. “You’re alright. You’re alright.” He carefully arranges Louis in his lap, crossing his legs and sitting him on his knot. Stroking his hair from crown to nape, he continues to whisper the same soft words until Louis slips into exhausted sleep.

Marvelling at the way Louis can sleep so sweetly when he’s still full of cock, Harry feels a powerful elation building in chest. Louis makes him feel so… so needed, so important. He’s proud of Louis; he’s proud of himself; he’s proud of them.

And then Liam breaks the silence. “Dude, that was so hot. Warn us next time you pull a move like that because, Jesus, I-” Liam breaks off as Harry’s head snaps towards him.

His expression is livid; pure, animal-ferocity contorting his mouth into a snarl. He pulls Louis off his sated cock, climbs off the bed and strides across the room in three moves. Liam is already bolting upright, pushing Zayn behind him with one arm. Kneeling in the middle of the bed, Liam holds his ground as Harry looms over him.

“Get out.”

It’s about as Alpha a display as possible: both boys with their cocks out and Harry’s dripping with an Omega’s slick.

“I was kidding-” Liam starts.

“Get out Liam, I swear to God-”

“This is my room too, where are we supposed to sleep?”

“I don’t care,” Harry rages, “I’m going to knot him all night, fill him with my come and everyone will know he’s mine-”

Liam shakes his head in disbelief, pushing past Harry and pulling Zayn with him. The other Omega stumbles after him, terror in his gaze as the door shuts between him and Louis.

Unwilling to leave Louis’ side, even to go to the bathroom, Harry takes a tee-shirt from the floor and sits on the bed beside him. Louis’ is sprawled across the mattress, sleeping deeply. He barely stirs as Harry cleans him up, pulls him into his arms and throws the duvet over them.

 

                 

"Harry...? Harry...?" Louis shakes the sleeping Alpha’s arm. "Harry, I need it again," he whispers.

Harry shakes himself awake, blinking stupidly in the dark. He can make out Louis’ small figure kneeling beside him. He’s twisting up the hem of a long, lavender jumper in his fingers. http://picture-cdn.wheretoget.it/f3axp6-l-610x610-sweater-harry-styles-purple-sweater-one-direction-purple-pastel.jpg Harry sits up fluidly, fumbling with the lamp on his bedside table.

Louis sits back on his heels; even when he’s kneeling Harry still dwarfs him. In the half-light Harry’s suddenly very aware that the jumper is the only thing Louis is wearing. He slides one hand up Louis’ thigh. “You need it again?”

Louis nods, grimacing in pain. “Yeah – I…I – Please, Harry,” he begs.

“Okay, okay,” Harry whispers, hushing him gently. Two fingers find their way to his hole. "Oh lovie, you're so wet,” he says sympathetically.

Louis nods pitifully, tears leaking down his cheeks.

Harry is quickly arranging himself, pushing the covers off and shuffling back against the headboard. He leans forward, pulling Louis into lap. “C’mere, love.”

Louis winds his arms around Harry’s neck. It’s up to Harry to pull Louis’ knees to either side of his hips, because the Omega is busy nuzzling his throat. Harry cups Louis’ plump arse in his broad hands, squeezing the firm flesh of his cheeks and pulling them apart. He peers over Louis’ shoulder and sees slick dribbling out of his tiny, pink hole. He quickly wraps a hand around his suddenly hard cock.

When Louis feels him nudging at his hole he arches, moaning eagerly into Harry’s ear. Harry even sees his toes curl. Spreading Louis’ cheeks with the fingers of one hand, he starts to push into him. He watches Louis’ body swallow the head up and releases a shaky breath. Then he slides his hands to Louis’ hips. Louis grips his hair hard but otherwise he’s pliant under Harry’s hands, letting himself be impaled on Harry’s cock.

Harry releases another breath, one he hadn’t realised he’d been holding, as Louis sinks flush into his lap. He reaches up to pry Louis’ fingers from his hair and pulls him back. Pouting, Louis strokes the nape of Harry’s neck admiringly with one finger. Harry wonders if he’s left a mark there.

His jumper falls down to his thighs, brushing Harry’s stomach. Harry pulls at some of the material. “Can I take this?” he whispers. “Wanna see you, Lou…”

Louis looks down and seems surprised to find himself wearing it. He takes the hem and pulls it up to his chest, showing Harry how full he is, how stretched he is.

Harry’s next words rush from him in one breath. “Angel, you're so, so beautiful.”

Louis blushes prettily at his words and starts to rock steadily in Harry’s lap.

Harry tugs at the jumper again. “I wanna see you, Lou. Let me take the jumper…?”

Louis thinks about it. Just the way he likes it, he’s keeping most of Harry inside him and pushing forcefully on and off the base of his cock, where he’s thickest. If he had his way, Harry thinks Louis would just sit on Harry’s cock for hours. After a moment, Louis shakes his head.

“Please Lou,” Harry says, not ashamed to be begging, “please let me take it. I-”

“No,” Louis protests and it’s so unusual for him to speak during sex that Harry knows he should leave it. Louis starts to move faster, working up a subtle sheen of sweat on his thighs.

Harry holds him steady, sliding one arm around his waist. His hand disappears beneath the jumper so that the material drapes over his arm. His other hand grips Louis’ bare shoulder where the jumper slips off it. In the hazy midst of his pleasure he suddenly notices just how big it is on Louis. Then he hears himself gasping, “It’s mine, isn’t it, Lou. My jumper?”

Louis’ back arches at the sound of his voice, and he clamps down on the cock inside him with a high-pitched gasp. He’s close.

“Did you take my jumper, Lou?” Harry pants. He’s crunched up like there’s a magnet in his belly pulling him towards Louis, his muscles rigid and shiny with sweat.

Louis doesn’t answer, doesn’t even open his eyes.

Worked up, Harry shakes him. “Louis!”

Louis gasps again and one hand flies to cock, gripping it tightly. His pupils are blown wide. In the moment that he loses his pace, nodding hurriedly, Harry picks him up and slams him back down.

Louis cries out loudly, his eyes rolling back into his skull. 

“Like you in my clothes,” Harry grunts, setting a faster, harder pace. “Look so pretty, Lou. Want everyone to know you’re mine. You want that to don't you, baby?”

Louis can’t answer this time. He’s moaning so helplessly, squeezing his cock with both his fists, letting Harry slide him up and down on his cock; letting him leave bruises on his narrow hips; letting him fuck him.

“You want to know you're mine and I'm yours,” Harry continues. “That’s why you marked me. You marked me, didn't you, love? Marked my neck up?”

Louis flushes but doesn't deny it. Tears are streaming down his face and his whole body jerks with the strain of holding off his orgasm. 

“Can I mark you?” Harry asks.

In reply, Louis drops his head back immediately, baring his throat. Harry lunges forward, presses his open mouth to Louis’ neck and sucks a mark into his soft skin.

Louis cries out sharply, letting go of his cock to grip Harry’s biceps. Immediately his come spatters Harry’s chest. Moments later Harry explodes inside him.

Louis buries his hands in Harry’s curls, keeping his mouth fastened to his neck till saliva pools in his collarbones. He twitches weakly around Harry’s cock and sags. Spent. At least, that what Harry thinks.

A couple of minutes later, he weaves into the en-suite on shaky legs. He soaks a cloth under the hot tap before leaning heavily against the sink, trying to catch his breath. 

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Harry opens his eyes slowly, meeting his own gaze in the mirror. He spins around.

Standing a few feet behind him, Louis is looking anxiously up at him. “I – I still need it Harry,” he says. “I'm sorry." Thick, pearly drops of his slick are falling from his loosened hole to the floor between his feet.

Harry’s mouth waters. He steps forward, picks Louis off his feet and turns back to the sink, not-so-carefully arranging him on the counter. He makes Louis face himself in the mirror, kneeling over the sink with Harry stood behind him.

"Hold your jumper up, Angel,” he purrs into his ear, “I want you to see this time."

Louis shudders, removing one hand from the mirror. A print of his small, sweaty hand is left behind in the glass.

Harry steps up closer and guides his cock to Louis’ hole.

Louis gasps as Harry’s huge cock appears between his legs. With the first nudge he snaps his eyes shut.

"No, no, watch carefully love," Harry pants. "This is the last time I'm fucking you tonight."

 

 

THREE HOURS LATER

“Harry…? Harry? You didn’t mean it did you?”

Harry opens his eyes weakly. “Mean what, love?” he mumbles.

“That wasn't the last time either, was it, Harry?” Louis’ voice breaks. “Because I – I still need it.”

“Lou,” Harry slurs through swollen lips, looking at him with glassy eyes with his damp curls fanned out across the pillow. “Aren’t you tired? God,” he croaks. “Aren’t you sore?”

Louis nods miserably.

“Angel, I can’t…” Harry moans, his voice wrecked.

“Please, Harry,” Louis begs. “Please.” He doesn’t understand. Harry’s always been hard for him. Heat-muddled, Louis feels betrayed that Harry isn’t now.

Harry’s thumb rubs his hip. “Lou, you need to sleep, yeah? Maybe in a bit…”

But he breaks off as Louis suddenly bends down and slides Harry’s soft cock into his mouth. Harry releases a strangled gasp, clenching his fists in the sheets.

Louis moans delightedly as he feels Harry start to harden in his mouth. He slides down onto his belly, between Harry’s legs, and braces his hands on Harry’s thighs. He’s slurping and choking – and to be honest he’s not very good at it – but the fucking sight of him gets Harry hard within moments. Even if it’s so sensitive that he ends up biting down on his knuckles and he feels his eyes prickle with tears that will never fall.

When Louis can no longer wrap his whole hand around it, he pulls back. Lying on his stomach, Louis has to – God – he has to look up at it. Harry can’t take this boy.

But Louis is already clambering up his body, grabbing his cock and sinking on to it, looking dazed but triumphant.

Harry throws his head back against the pillows, digging his nails into Louis’ soft sides.

“Are you okay?” Louis whispers anxiously.

Relaxing back, Harry swallows thickly and nods. “Yeah, angel.” He smiles, smoothing a hand over Louis’ stomach. “You’re just so tight.”

To his alarm, tears fill Louis’ eyes. “But you’re really big,” he protests.

“No, no, don’t cry,” Harry says quickly. He struggles into something resembling an upright position and threads his fingers into Louis’ hair. “That was a compliment, lovie,” he murmurs. “Okay?”

Louis’ tears cease immediately. “Okay.”

Harry smiles, endeared, and eases back onto the bed again. “Okay, c’mere.” He tugs Louis down and cranes his neck to meet his lips. Kissing him deeply, he slides his hands to Louis’ waist. He braces his feet against the mattress and starts snapping his hips up, thrusting his cock up Louis with hard strokes.

Louis splays his hands over Harry’s chest, moaning little moans into his mouth.

“Still tight,” Harry tells him. “Still perfect. And all mine.”

 

 

THE NEXT MORNING

Returning to his room to pick up his books the following morning, Liam gets told off six times for being too loud. Harry sleeps until ten and then spends the next three hours awkwardly typing an essay with one hand because Louis is using his lap as a pillow.

Hours later, belly rumbling and arm aching, he feels Louis’ head stir under the weight of his hand. He looks down as Louis grumbles and stretches awake.

“Hey, love,” he says, his voice throaty with disuse.

Louis wiggles a hand out of the covers and rubs his face. Then his warmth suddenly disappears as he sits up. For a boy that’s been asleep for fourteen hours he looks… sleepy.

There’s a heavy silence. Much like their first morning, Louis is remembering everything they did last night: all the ways in which Harry fucked him, making him watch. But now he also remembers all the ways that he fucked Harry: holding him down and using him, bruising him up and claiming him.

Paranoid that he’s going to upset Louis again, Harry grasps desperately for the right thing to say. Spotting his water bottle he says quickly, “You thirsty?”

Louis starts and glances at him. He nods.

Harry reaches behind him to take the bottle from his bedside table. He uncaps it and hands it to Louis and the Omega starts to drain it, his throat working frantically.

Harry rubs his heaving back and raises his eyebrows when Louis pulls back, panting. He’s hot under Harry’s hand. “You’ve been sleeping ages,” Harry muses.

Louis mumbles something into his lap.

Harry leans forward. Louis has the most adorable bed-hair but as he’s sat a little further down the bed Harry can only see the side of his face: one delicate cheekbone and a sweeping of eyelashes. “What was that, love?” he asks gently.

“Time is it?” Louis whispers.

“Almost four.” 

Louis nods slowly. “It’s Monday?”

Harry smiles and squeezes his waist. “Yeah.”

Louis nods again, looking down at the plastic bottle in his hands. One of Harry’s big hands pushes his sweaty fringe off his forehead. “You feeling better?”

Louis shrugs.

“Wait; let me get you a damp cloth.”

Harry shuffles out from under the duvet and carefully climbs over Louis. Louis hears him running the tap in the en-suite and he comes back a moment later, clutching a white flannel and dressed in a tee-shirt and sweatpants. He climbs back onto the bed sits down beside Louis, stretching one leg out behind him. He presses the cloth to the back of Louis’ neck.

Louis shivers, instinctively reaching back to keep Harry’s hand in place. He sighs deeply.

“What lessons did you miss?” Harry asks him.

“Um…” Louis’ brain is working extra slow. “Maths… History… Biology and P.E.”

Harry smiles, making sure to pat the nape of Louis’ neck as well. “Lucky,” he jokes.

He’s pressing the cool cloth to Louis’ temples when they hear Liam’s voice outside the door.

“Haz is less likely to bite my head off if you’re here…”

The door inches open and Niall pokes his head in. A sunny smile splits across his face. “Hey! Look who’s up!” He swings the door wide and strides into the room, followed by a huffy-looking Liam. Niall is only a few inches taller than Louis and he’s bright and smiley where Liam can be brash and Harry, intense.

“How’re you feeling, pet?” Niall asks him.

Louis glances at Harry. “Better?”

Harry nods, smiling so wide he grows an extra dimple.

“We bought you lunch back,” Liam says. “It’s been in my bag for a bit, though.” He pulls out two sandwiches and holds them out.

Harry lets Louis choose one first and takes the other for himself.

“Can I borrow your laptop, mate?” Niall asks.

“Yeah, go for it,” Harry says, jerking his thumb at where it’s sat on his bedside table. Opening it up, Niall sits down on the end of Harry’s bed. “Shit,” he mutters, “is this Geography? Jesus, you’ve done so much…”

“It’s mostly bollocks,” Harry says, shrugging.

Niall suddenly snorts, “Oh my God, Liam, listen to this...”

As Niall rattles off one of Harry’s more incoherent sentences, Liam and Harry slowly become aware of a tiny grizzling sound. Harry stops chewing, looking around comically for the source of the noise.

“Harry,” Liam hisses and looks pointedly at Louis. “He’s growling, mate. That’s so adorable.”

As Niall laughs to himself and returns to Harry’s essay, Harry sees that Louis is watching the other Omega reproachfully, his sandwich forgotten in his hands.

Harry suppresses a smile. “Niall…”

“…Yeah?”

“Niall.”

Niall looks up. Louis is glaring at him openly, all but baring his teeth as his fierce gaze flickers between Niall and where he’s sitting on the bed.

Harry jerks his head. “My boy doesn’t want you near me,” he says, placing a hand on Louis’ waist and scooting him closer.

The growling stops abruptly.

Niall snickers. “Alright, alright. Just wanted to check the football scores.” He stands up again and takes the laptop over to Harry’s desk.

Harry ruffles Louis’ hair, not realising that Louis has flushed a sudden, embarrassed red.

He hadn’t realised what he was doing at all. The sight of another Omega sitting on the bed where he and Harry had sex, bantering with Harry in a way that Louis can’t, infuriated him. But he feels humiliated by Harry’s gentle joke; mortified that they noticed at all; ridiculed by the older boys because he’s stupid and he’s fallen in love with Harry. That alone is enough to make tears prickle in his eyes. But then he gets frustrated that he’s getting emotional again and that Harry’s presence fries his brain to the point that he can’t even speak….

Harry’s low, husky voice breaks his train of thought. “Lou? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.”

“Louis,” Harry murmurs, reaching forward to brush a tear from the corner of his eye. “Oh love, don’t get upset.”

Niall swivels in his desk chair. “Oh, Harry, man. What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Harry snaps.

“Should I get Zayn?” Liam asks.

“No, Liam,” Niall says.

Louis pushes Harry’s hand away from him and wipes his own eyes.

“Don’t be upset, love,” Harry says desperately. “Come on, why don’t you – how about you eat your sandwich?”

Liam keeps suggesting he fetches Zayn.

“Would you just shut up about Zayn, Payno!?” Harry snaps. “You’re going to upset Louis.”

Louis bursts into tears. Harry’s face is a picture.

Niall snorts, disgusted. “Nice goin’, idiot,” he says, swinging on his chair.

“Is it because I yelled? Louis…? Lou… What is it?” Harry says.

“I’m gonna get Zayn!” Liam says, bolting up.

“No,” Niall interrupts. “Liam, sit down. For fuck’s sake.” He pushes to his feet and holds out his hand. “Want me to take you back?” he asks.

Louis hesitates but nods.

“Alright, c’mon.” He helps Louis out of bed and ignores Harry’s resentful glare.

Louis is still wearing the lavender jumper from last night… That’s all he’s wearing. If he wasn’t so short it would be revealing a lot more than his lovely thighs.

Liam raises his eyebrows appreciatively and Harry pitifully shields his eyes from the mouth-watering sight.

Tugging self-consciously at his jumper, Louis finds his school trousers among the piles of clothes on the floor. As he picks them up a small, silver packet falls from one of the pockets to land on the floor behind him.

“You dropped something, little one,” Liam says, sitting forward on his bed and pointing.

Louis turns around, still holding his trousers. His eyes widen. The first thing the nurse had done last night was give him more suppressants.

Liam tilts his head. “Are those pills?”

Louis’ eyes dart to Harry as the other Alpha lowers his hand. He frowns and makes to stand.

But then Niall lunges forward, swiping them off the floor and saying, “they’re just painkillers, right, pet?”

“Um…”

“Yeah – ibuprofen or summat,” Niall continues, turning back to Louis and pressing the packet into his hand. “Put them away,” he whispers.

Behind him, Harry’s bed springs creak as he gets to his feet.

Niall swallows and turns. Harry towers over the two Omegas, his gaze penetrating. Niall grips Louis’ arm tightly.

But Harry is gentle as he takes Louis’ fist and uncurls his fingers, revealing the small, silver packet. He takes them from Louis’ palm, frowning deeply. Then he straightens up sharply, forcing Louis to crane his head back just to look up at him.

“Are these… Louis, love – these aren’t suppressants are they?” he says quietly.

Louis nods hesitantly, clutching the drooping sleeves of his new jumper.

Harry bends to his height again, so quickly that he jumps. “Who gave these to you – was it the nurse?”

Louis nods again, watching him warily. His throat aches with the urge to cry.

Harry’s hand curls into his fist. Louis wouldn’t be surprised if he’s crushed the pills to powder. “That fucking bitch,” he seethes.

“Harry, man,” Niall begins. “It’s nothing. Sometimes… sometimes the nurse gives us them. She said it’s supposed to help.”

Liam stands up too. “You’ve taken suppressants as well, Niall?”

Niall’s gaze flicks from Harry to Liam. “I – Sometimes… When-When I’m close or whatever…”

Harry squeezes Louis’ arms to get his attention. “Louis, you don’t need to take this.”

Louis shakes his head frantically. “I need them.”

“Louis, suppressants are these-these artificial… fucking addictive-” Harry’s so mad he can’t put words together.

“But everyone makes fun of me,” Louis gasps, his tears finally spilling over.

Harry pauses in his tirade, his brow creasing.  “What?”

“Every-everyone calls me a s-s-slut,” Louis sobs. 

Harry’s expression turns into pure shock. “What...? Who!?”

“The other d-day I was… in detention… and-and I started…”

Harry’s strokes his arms. “Take a deep breath, love…” he murmurs softly. “There we go.”

Louis gulps and nods. Harry patiently waits and wonders – not for the first time – how Louis always ends up in detention. Louis draws a deep breath and tries again. “I was in detention and- and I started thinking about you…And I…” His cheeks flush pink.

Got wet, Harry guesses, hating that Louis is embarrassed by his desires. He squeezes Louis’ shoulder encouragingly and Louis continues.

“And these Omegas from your year said I was begging for – for an Alpha to…” He draws a shaky breath. “… To fuck me.” Humiliated, he covers his face, trying to choke back his sobs.

Harry coils an arm around his waist, pulling him close and tugging his hand down. “They’re just jealous of you, love,” he says.

Louis sniffs. “Because I have you?” Except he doesn’t say it like it’s a question, but an unavoidable truth.

Harry’s really not that arrogant but…. Yes. Before he can reply, however, Louis suddenly shoves his face into Harry’s chest, gripping him possessively by the back of the shirt. Harry can hear how fiercely he’s breathing.

Harry looks so pleased with himself that Niall rolls his eyes. He sticks the hand holding the suppressants out. “Chuck these for me, Payno, would you?”

Louis pulls back abruptly. “Wait, no,” he protests. He sees Liam step forward and quickly catches Harry’s fist in both his hands. “No, Harry, I need them!”

“Louis – I just told you, they’re not good for you,” Harry says, easily pulling his hand free and holding the packet out of Louis’ reach.

Furious, Louis pushes him in the stomach. “Give them back!”

“Louis!”

But Louis isn’t listening to him. He sees Liam take the pills and disappear into the en-suite.

“No! Don’t!” Louis yells, starting after him.

Harry catches him around the waist. “Louis, I’m doing what’s best for you,” Harry insists. “I promise.”

Louis shakes his head. “I – I – I n-n-need th-them,” he gasps. “I – I – I c-can’t b-breathe!”  It soon becomes apparent that that statement is true. Louis' eyes are wild and distant. Harry has seen him like this before – after the incident with Harrison Blair – but it’s much, much worse. Louis can’t seem to catch his breath, he sounds like he’s choking on it, making small strangled noises: half-sob, half-gasp.

“Jesus, Harry,” Niall whispers, horrified, “he’s having a panic attack.”

At the same time Louis staggers backwards, barely managing to stay on his feet.

Harry tightens his grip on Louis' waist. “Louis!” he says, his own voice filled with panic.

“Harry, do something!” Niall pleads as Liam bursts back into the room. They both lurch forward but Harry begs, “Lads, can you give us some space, please.”

Niall covers his mouth, close to tears himself, but allows Liam to pull him away.

Harry quickly gathers Louis against his chest, wrapping one arm around his waist, flattening the other against the back of Louis’ head and guiding his face into the crook of his neck. “It’s okay, Lou. You’re alright. I’m here,” he murmurs, keeping his voice level, reassuring and firm. It takes an enormous amount of effort. He hopes Louis can’t feel how fast his heart is beating.

“You’re okay, lovie. I promise. I’m here. You’re okay.”

Louis’ body heaves in Harry’s arms, so delicate and fragile. His breath rattles as he draws it in. 

“Just take deep breathes…” Harry continues, “There we go. You're doing so well.”

Slowly, he feels Louis begin to relax. The same elated feeling swells inside him. He feels empowered and all the doubts about whether he’s good enough for Louis fly away. “You’re safe with me, Lou,” he says. “You’re safe with me.”

When Louis pulls back Harry cups his dry cheeks and looks into his clear blue eyes. “You see, angel,” he whispers. “You don’t need suppressants, okay?” He slips one hand down to Louis’ chest, feeling his steady heartbeat, his level breathing.

Louis blinks, suddenly seeing what Harry sees: that the suppressants have only been a substitute for the way his Alpha makes him feel.

Harry smiles. “‘Cause I’m always gonna be here for you.” 

 

 

NIALL

Louis sleeps away the rest of the afternoon in Harry’s bed whilst Niall and Liam return to lessons. But Harry completely disappears.

When Niall and Liam enter the dining hall that evening they find it alive with whispers. The Omegas are beside themselves and the sound of laughter and cheers rings throughout the room.

Zayn is suddenly pulling at Liam’s arm. “Liam!” he says breathlessly. “Is it true?”

Liam frowns. “Is what true?”

Zayn his smiling so wide his eyes are crinkled up. “Harry punched the nurse?”

Liam and Niall stare at him.

“Everyone’s saying-” Zayn starts to say. But he’s interrupted by a simultaneous outburst from Liam and Niall.

“Bloody hell!”

“Fucking idiot!”

Zayn gives them both a weird look. Someone calls his name. He glances over his shoulder. “I got to go – see you later, Liam.”

He turns and runs back to his group of friends, oblivious to Liam’s attempt to kiss him goodbye.

As Niall and Liam join the queue for dinner a voice from behind them says, “I didn’t punch the nurse, by the way.”

“Oh, thank God,” Liam says, relieved as he turn to see Harry. “Not that I’d blame ya, mate. But, you know, that’s a sure way to get expelled.”

Harry laughs, shrugging. “Rumours just run wild in this school,” he explains. He pauses. “I didn’t punch the nurse – just threatened to punch her if she ever spoke to or touched or anything-ed Louis again.”

“Oh, that’s alright then,” Liam says, rolling his eyes.

Harry grins. His smiles quickly fades, however, as his gaze slides to Niall. “I’m just getting dinner and then taking it to Louis, – so save the lecture, will you?”

If Niall is offended, he hides it well. “S’not a lecture mate,” he says slowly. Then he shrugs and mumbles, “I just wanted to say I thought it was decent what you did. Wish I’d had an Alpha to do that for me.”

Harry’s expression softens. He steps forward and pulls Niall into a hug. “Well -  thanks.”

“So what do you get then?” Niall asks as they approach the front of the queue.

Harry sighs laboriously. “Afterschool detention – every night this week.”

Niall nudges him. “Hey cheer up,” he says, grabbing a plate of fish and chips. “I hear Louis’ always in detention.”

 

Chapter Text

To be honest, Harry isn’t the sort of boy who finds himself in detention very often, which is blatantly obvious when he’s the only boy who turns up on time.

Afterschool detention takes place in the library. The librarian signs Harry in, makes a couple of remarks about the anomaly of his attendance and gestures to a cluster of desks in view of her counter.

A handful of boys arrive over the next ten minutes, whilst Harry begins dutifully copying out the bullshitty line that he has been given. They’re fifteen minutes into detention when the librarian suddenly leaps out of her seat.

“Oh! Louis, Louis, Louis!” she scolds, hurrying towards the doors.

Harry looks up abruptly.

Louis has just traipsed into the room in his football gear: a white shirt tucked into black shorts and matching, striped socks bunched around his calves. If Louis pulled those socks up all the way Harry bets they would be thigh length. When he sees the librarian rushing towards him Louis clutches a football to his chest possessively.

“You’re treading mud into the carpet, Louis,” the librarian says exasperatedly. “How many times!”

Louis looks down at his football boots, then at the path of muddy footprints he’s trailed into the room. “Oh – sorry, Miss,” he says – sounding very much like he isn’t sorry at all.

The librarian sighs and begins ushering him towards the rest of the students. “Where’s your partner in crime?”

“Zayn’ll be back, Miss – don’t worry.”

The librarian rolls her eyes. “I won’t, Louis. Take your seat. And you can stay later if you’re going to turn up when you feel like it.”

But Louis misses this bit because Harry, lounging in a desk at the back, is smiling and waving at him.

Louis feels his feet start to move of their own accord.

He’s pulled to an abrupt halt when the librarian takes hold of his elbow and says, “Where do you think you’re going?” She turns him round and sits him firmly in a desk in the front row.

Harry hears Louis’ little, “oof,” from five rows back.

“In the seat I assigned you, Louis. Where I can keep an eye on you.”

Louis watches her leave with a resentful look. As she returns to her desk he leans down, places his football on the floor and begins to roll it under his toe.

Harry waits until the librarian becomes engrossed with something on her desk, then he collects his various things into one hand and weaves to the front.

Louis starts when Harry’s stuff clatters onto the desk beside him. He smiles tentatively as Harry sinks into a chair.

“Hiiiii…” the Alpha whispers and Louis barely has time to register that he’s leaning in before he’s being smothered against Harry’s chest. Harry’s nose buries itself in his neck. Shit, Louis thinks, even his hugs are intense.

When Harry pulls back he’s got a beautifully dopey smile on his face. “Fuck. You even make mud smell sweet,” he whispers.

Louis suppresses a startled giggle. Who even says things like that? he wants to say. But he keeps his mouth shut. Harry’s flirting with him; he doesn’t want to spoil it. Then it occurs to him that maybe that’s the sort of things older boys say when they flirt with each other. What does he know?

If Harry has sensed that he's being laughed at, however, he clearly doesn’t mind. (Truth be told, he just likes to see Louis laugh.)

“I’d give you my rugby shirt to play in,” he says, “but-”

“I’d trip over it?” Louis puts in. Football is traditionally an Omega’s game and rugby, an Alpha’s. There are several reasons that they’re separated when they play sports. Omegas are much faster runners and, so long as they can avoid being tackled, they make an unstoppable force… But if they are tackled, which is likely in a sport like rugby, they’d be flattened. Moreover,if their Alpha was present things could get nasty very quickly.  

Harry laughs. “Yeah.” He tucks his long legs under his chair. “So how come you’re in detention?”

“‘Cause of yesterday,” Louis explains, flushing at the memory. “Missing all my lessons…”

“Bullshit, love – you were…” Harry clears his throat. “…Exhausted.” A cheeky smile pulls at his mouth, like they’re sharing an inside joke. But its joke about how much sex they had. Louis’ stomach flips at the thought. He’s used to the thrill you get from misbehaving, but he’s never felt naughty like this before.

Emboldened, Louis leans his elbows on the desk, kicks his feet playfully. “And I may also have started a water fight.”

Harry releases a loud bark of laughter and promptly claps a hand to his mouth.

Louis hopes he doesn’t look as smitten as he feels.

Shrinking under the gaze of the librarian – and sharing another smile with Louis – Harry slides his paper towards himself. He’s already written half a page of I must respect that the teachers and staff know what is best for their students, in loopy handwriting. As he continues copying out his lines Louis lets his gaze wander over Harry’s body. Many Alphas look gawky or gangly sitting in the school desks, which, in an awkward compromise, are all either too big for an Omega or too small for an Alpha. But Harry, his ankles crossed under his chair, his elbows braced on the desk, hunches over in a way that makes his shoulders look broad, his back look lean and his biceps look huge.

After watching him for a little while Louis says, “You know, you don’t have to write the lines right…?”

“Huh?”

Louis shrugs. “Well, they’re gonna let us go at the end whether we’ve written them or not.”

Harry looks embarrassed. “Oh,” he says, grimacing comically. [Inspo]  He drops his pen and stretches languorously, arching his back over the chair. Then, turning in his seat to face Louis, he stretches one long leg out, behind Louis. Now he can see that none of the other boys are even bothering to pretend to write their lines. But, as Louis is smiling again, that’s okay. “So,” he asks quietly, “what do you and Zayn usually do in detention?”

“Um…” As he thinks, Louis wiggles in his seat so that he’s facing Harry too. He’s got a stripe of dried mud along one thigh. “Sometimes we nap. A couple of times I’ve watched the footie on my phone... Zayn draws tats too.”

“Really?” Harry runs a hand though his hair, smiling when Louis’ eyes follow the movement. “Do you wanna get tattoos?”

Louis shakes his head. “No, I don’t like them.” [Inspo]

Harry leans forward so that his shirt gapes, revealing the inky swallows on his chest. “Well, what about my tattoos?” [Inspo]

Louis blushes but holds his gaze. It’s difficult. He thinks he can see one dark nipple. He wants to run his fingers over it, pinch it, lick it. These desires linger long after his heat. He’s starting to get used to the sudden impulses: they shock him less and less as he begins to come to terms with his sudden maturity. “They’re nice,” he says breathily, of the tattoos – though it’s a moment before he remembers the question. “I guess.”

Harry’s hand glides down Louis’ back and fits into the dip of his waist. Louis catches his breath enchantingly, melting into his touch. [Visual] Harry imagines Louis’ golden skin littered with tattoos, tattoos to match his. “Which are your favourite?” he asks.

Louis opens his mouth to reply but he’s interrupted by the librarian. “Harry Styles,” she says, appearing in front of their desk. “Are you under the impression that this detention is a date?”

“Um… No?”

The librarian raises her eyebrows. “Then can you take your hand off Mr Tomlinson, gather your things and move to a separate desk.”

 

 

The following day Louis convinces Zayn to change all the clocks in the school. They’re even later to their resulting detention than usual because Louis can’t stop checking his hair in the mirror.

“How do I look? Zee, come on? Do I look okay?”

“Yeah, bro – you look cute,” Zayn drawls, lounging on the windowsill of the bathroom. He leans up to lazily blow smoke out of the window.

“I don’t want to look cute!” Louis snaps.

Zayn gives him a flat look, returning his cigarette to his lips. “You’re not in heat again are you?”

Louis blushes furiously. “Bro, shut up!” he says, aiming a balled fist at Zayn’s stomach. Zayn catches his wrist easily, and then catches the slap aimed at his cheek. He yanks Louis forward and blows a second gust of smoke into his face. [Visual]

They dissolve into giggles, Louis’ face scrunched up against the assault.

When they eventually arrive in the library for their detention, however, Louis has surpassed jittery and become downright panicked.

“Are you sure my fringe isn’t, like, too fluffy?” he whispers as they take the seats they’ve been assigned.

Zayn opens his mouth, actually preparing to tell him that he looks very pretty, when he’s suddenly pushed out of his chair and into the next one. 

“Wait, bro, move over – no, move,” Louis insists.

“Louis!” Zayn protests. “What the fuck?”

But then, a moment later, Harry is climbing into the seat he was just pushed from. “Hiii… love,” he’s husks, leaning in and pulling Louis into an embrace that involves far too much sniffing to be considered a hug.

Louis blushes stupidly as Zayn glares at the Alpha’s back.

 

 

On Thursday Louis puts glue in the maths teacher’s hat. Zayn, however, can’t bear the thought of another detention with Louis and Harry and manages to stay out of trouble.

In detention that evening Louis decides to use Harry’s arm as a pillow and Harry decides that now is as good a time as any to learn to write with his left hand. He’s just begun planning a piece of English coursework when his nostrils are assaulted by the stench of a rival Alpha.

He raises his head, stiffening when he sees Harrison Blair enter the library.

Sensing his sudden wariness, Louis pulls his head up, his fringe all fluffy where it’s rubbed against Harry’s jumper. He draws in a small, sharp breath when he sees Blair strolling towards the librarian.

Harry’s arm suddenly wraps around his waist. He almost topples Louis from his chair in his attempt to tuck him as close to his side as possible.

When Blair turns and walks over to the desks Harry begins to growl.

Blair snickers, revelling in the effect he has on them. His gaze makes Louis’ skin prickle. Blair’s not alone either: there’s another tall, burly Alpha with him. He rakes his eyes over Louis, not bothering to hide the way they linger over his throat, and then his thighs.

They both take seats directly behind Harry and Louis.

Louis looks up at Harry and the growling subsides as Harry pulls his focus from the boys behind him, to the trembling Omega under his arm. He’s furious at Blair for terrifying Louis like this. Just as Louis was beginning to open him up, the fucking prick has reduced him to a frightened mouse.

He gets to his feet abruptly, sending his chair crashing to the floor. “Miss, Louis’ not well,” he says. He doesn’t wait for her reply. “I’m taking him back to our house.” He shoves his stuff into his book bag and slings it over his shoulder. Then he gathers Louis’ things up too and pulls his Omega to his feet.

It doesn’t take much to convince the librarian that Harry is right. She comes over and presses her palm to Louis’ forehead. “Oh goodness, Louis, pet – you’ve taken a bit of turn.”

Louis is clutching at Harry’s hand. He nods distractedly.

Harry starts pulling him towards the door. He can hear Blair snickering.

But as the door closes behind them, Jonathon Grey turns to Blair and hisses, “I thought you said he’d been alone?”

Blair’s face falls into a scowl. “Styles is never in detention – I thought he would be.”

“Waste of my fucking time,” Grey grumbles.

Blair glances at the librarian before lowering his voice, “So, we’ll keep trying.”

 

 

When they return to their common room they find Zayn sitting on the floor, resting his back against the sofa and his homework on the coffee table. Liam sits on the settee behind him, framing Zayn’s shoulders with his knees. Zayn is trying to complete his maths homework but, as Liam is absently playing with his hair, he’s finding it rather hard to concentrate.

Harry sits down beside Liam and pulls Louis into his lap. On an armchair across for them, Niall and one of his Omega friends are sharing the space an Alpha could fit into.

“What are you giggling about?” he asks them as Louis gets comfortable, slouching down until his head is tucked under Harry's chin and wrapping Harry's arm around his middle like his very own Alpha blanket.

“The new boy in our year," Niall explains, pink-cheeked, "the fit one from Australia – he’s in the Duke of Buckingham house.”

Harry's expression goes flat. “Blair’s the top Alpha there. Do not even fucking think about going over there.”

Niall gives him a weird look. “Alright, mate. Don’t go all Alpha on me.”

“No, no,” Liamsays,oblivious to their conversation. He's sitting forward, reading Zayn's last few lines.

“But I thought you had to do the bit in the brackets first?” Zayn is saying, frowning so that his eyelashes cast shadows over his cheeks.

“No, you definitely don’t," Liam says confidently.

“But, Mrs-”

“Sweetheart-" Liam kisses Zayn's temple. "Trust me, I’ve got my GCSE in maths.”

Zayn frowns and looks back at his homework. He doesn't know how to tell Liam that he's wrong, not when the Alpha is so pleased to be helping him. He's spared from having to reply by Niall, who says dryly, “Liam, your daddy kink is showing.”

Harry snorts loudly and Liam shoots Niall a glare. Zayn’s frown deepens – he has no clue what the older Omega means. “...I think I'm just gonna do it Louis' way,” he says with quiet finality, closing his book.

There's a short, offended pause. “What's Louis way?” Liam asks.

Zayn hesitates, then mimes pulling up his sleeve and cheating.

Everyone looks at Louis.

Harry sighs heavily. “Louis,” he says reprovingly. He feels his Omega stiffen at his tone but continues, “You need to stay out of trouble.”

On the floor beside them, Zayn turns. Resting one hand on Liam’s knee, he looks up into Louis’ face. “Bro, are you okay?”

Harry waits to see if Louis’ going to reply. He’s met with sulky silence. Running a hand up and down Louis’ arm, he says, “He’s okay, Zayn.” His gaze shifts from the small, dark-haired Omega to Liam and Niall. “Apparently Blair’s been following him around,” he explains. “It’s like it was with you, Niall.” Anger and frustration bleeds into his voice. “He waits for Louis outside of classrooms. He follows him between lessons. Lurks around his locker. He turned up in detention today…”

“Fucking bully,” Liam says, disgusted.

Louis’ gaze flickers to the other Alpha. What happened in the corridor that time didn’t feel like schoolboy antics.

Harry tightens the circle of his arms around Louis’ waist. “I can’t be with him the whole time,” he says, trying to keep the anxiety from his voice.

“I don’t understand,” Zayn says. “The whole school knows that Louis’ with Harry.”

Liam leans down, squeezing Zayn’s shoulder, and begins to tell him quietly that that probably doesn’t matter to Blair, that being claimed by an Alpha isn’t always enough to keep an Omega safe.

Across the coffee table, Niall is studying Louis. He remembers when the nurse informed him that he was due to go into heat within the week. Blair had followed him around for days. They’d been fifteen at the time. Of course, the nurse ensured that Niall spent his first heat locked in one her ‘rooms’, fumbling with an array of dildos that were either too small to satisfy him, or too big for his untouched body. When Niall was released, two days later, nine Alphas (practically a school record) had turned up in his common room, vying for the honour of dating him. Only Blair seemed unaware that it was the Omega who chose the Alpha, not the Alpha who ‘won’ the Omega. He was under the impression that he already owned Niall, because he had been following him around for so long (and had not-so-subtly been trying to leave his scent on him.) When Niall picked a handsome Alpha from the year above, one who had made him laugh uncontrollably, Blair had been furious.

However, what had once been laughable attempts to seduce Omegas by telling them he was the top Alpha and, therefore, they should be honoured to present him with their arses, had become more threatening over the years. At eighteen Blair was feared within his boarding house. He prowled around his common room, sniffing out the Omegas who were approaching their heat so that he could corner them before they could make it to the nurse. In one rumour, he didn’t always wait until their first heat. In another, unwilling to knot an Omega and bind himself to them, but curious all the same, he had forced his fist inside them.

Yet, it was still difficult to believe that somebody you knew could also be one of those people that you heard about; capable of doing the things you heard about... to somebody else you knew. All Omegas dealt with the threat of rape but they rarely had to deal with the reality of it.

Watching Louis now, though, Niall can see that the boy is hurt and angered by Harry’s words. Which isn’t surprising, really, considering that the idiot has just pointed out Louis’ vulnerability. 

But Harry can’t see Louis’ scowling face, so he continues, “Louis – you’re going to have to stay out of detention.”

“But you’re in detention,” Louis retorts.

“Only until tomorrow.”

Louis folds his arms irritably. When Harry leans forward he turns his head away. “I can’t help it,” he mumbles. [Visual]

"I'm sure, love," Harry says teasingly.

Unbeknowst to Harry, Louis' expression darkens all the more. Harry leans forward again, trying to catch Louis’ eye from the other side. Louis turns his head abruptly.

"Louis, all I'm saying is-" Harry tries to say, holding him still with a small, exasperated sigh. "Louis. I'm just saying-" But Louis continues to twist his head, refusing to meet his gaze. “Louis!” Harryexclaims finally. “Stop acting like such a child!”

Watching them from the floor, Zayn’s eyes go wide.

Niall winces and Liam says, “Alright, Harry, come on.”

But Louis isn’t standing for Harry raising his voice. He turns in Harry’s lap and shouts, “If I’m so childish then maybe you shouldn’t fuck me, should you!?”

Harry’s eyebrows shoot up. As Louis pushes off his lap Harry tries to pull him back. But Louis smacks his hands away.

“If – If I’m so childish,” he continues, but this time his voice cracks, “then why do you even like me?”

At this Harry surges to his feet. “Louis,” he says, aghast, trying to take him back into his arms.

But Louis darts away, slipping from Harry’s grasp. By the time Harry is prepared to chase him Louis has already crossed the common room and disappeared through the door.

Defeated, Harry drops heavily back into the couch.

Zayn is glaring at Harry again. Niall and his friend are giggling at him.

Harry’s not sure how many more knocks to his pride he can take. He always considered himself a caring, charming Alpha. Louis makes him feel like both... And neither.

When it’s time for bed Harry trudges up to the top floor and lowers himself onto the top step. At this point he doesn’t even care if Mrs Hodgehouse finds him outside Louis’ dormitory. He’s Louis’ Alpha, of course he’ll be there, looking out for him. Although, he does eventually nod  off in the chilly stairwell, his head lolling against the bannister. He’s been drifting in and out of sleep for forty-five minutes when the door behind him creaks open.

His eyes flutter open to the sound of socks padding across the floor and the sudden honey-sweet scent of his Omega. He straightens up just as Louis winds his arms around Harry's neck and he buries his face in Harry’s nape.

Harry reaches up to run his hand over Louis’ arms. “Hey, baby boy,” he murmurs.

Louis sniffles and snuggles closer to him, pressing his upper body against Harry’s back.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Harry whispers.

Louis shakes his head.

Harry sighs. “Louis - I just want you to be safe.”

“I know,” Louis croaks. He’s been crying again but his cheeks are dry now. “But if you’re in detention too then it’s okay, right?”

“… I guess.”

Louis clings to him tighter and mumbles the next bit into his neck. “So maybe I won’t do that maths homework and then I can have detention with you tomorrow?”

A smile tugs at the corner of Harry’s mouth. “It’s one a.m., love. Were you ever planning on doing your maths homework?”

 

 

As it turns out Louis really can’t stay out of trouble, so Harry has to make an effort to get into trouble.

“Don’t be mad,” Louis will say. “Don’t be mad, but…” And then he’ll giggle hysterically but, somehow, still adorably, teetering on tiptoes as he smothers a laugh into the chest of Harry’s jumper. [Inspo] 

“You’re lucky you’re so cute,” Harry will tell the top of his head, turning Louis’ grabby-handed clinging into an embrace. You’re lucky I love you so much, he will think.

He’s come to realise that what he felt for Louis before -  apart from being desire - was some sort of responsibility. It hadn't been love, because if that was the case he doesn’t know how he would describe what he feels now: being constantly delighted and endeared by Louis.

In the following week Harry discovers pretty quickly that Louis can make himself cry on demand. Louis and Zayn are enjoying some weak spring sunshine during their lunch break when Harry leaps onto the bench that they’re sitting on. 

Zayn rolls his eyes as Louis starts to preen, tugging at the jumper of Harry’s that he wears, smoothing his fringe into place and arching into Harry’s touch when the Alpha gropes his waist and kisses his neck.

Liam ambles over and slings an arm around Zayn’s shoulders. He tries not to scowl. He would rather like it if his Alpha groped his waist or kissed his neck. But Liam is much too careful with him for any of that.

“Sick,” Harry says quietly to himself, peering into his lunch bag. “I got a mars bar.”

Louis watches him pull the chocolate bar from his lunch bag. As Harry begins to unwrap it he lets out a quiet whine. Then he looks down and sniffs. Harry pauses and looks at him.

Louis lifts a hand and drags the sleeve of his jumper under his eyes.

“Loubear, what’s wrong?” Harry asks.          

Louis sniffs again. “I don’t know.”

“Louis,” Harry breathes, heartbroken to see his Omega upset.

Louis toys with the brown, paper handles of his own lunch bag. “I just… I only got a snickers. And I d-don’t like snickers.”

“Oh, lovie. Don’t be upset about that,” Harry says. He takes Louis’ hand and places his mars bar in the boy’s palm.

Liam watches the exchange with an expression of faint disgust. “Harry…” he says.

“Yeah?” Harry replies distractedly, watching Louis until he is confident that his Omega is happy again. Only when Louis graces him with a smile does he look up. “Yeah, mate?”

Liam shakes his head as if to say, honestly. “Harry, he wasn’t even crying… Honestly.Hone”

Harry blinks. The smile on Louis’ bubblegum-pink lips, which he had thought sweet, suddenly seems wicked. The fans of his dark eyelashes are clearly dry. He watches as Louis breaks his chocolate bar in two and a string of golden-brown caramel droops between the two halves.

“You little monster,” he says, digging his fingers into Louis’ tiny waist. Louis giggle-shrieks and squirms away from him, out of his lap and into the spot beside Zayn.

“Course he was crying, Lee-yum,” Zayn says and then happily accepts one half of the mars bar as Louis graciously hands it to him. [Inspo]

By Tuesday detention the librarian relents and allows Louis to sit on Harry’s lap throughout the session, tired of trying to force him out of it.

When Blair turns up again, Louis – enclosed in the strong, reassuring circle of Harry’s arms – simply gives him a nasty look and continues twining his fingers with Harry’s.

But on Wednesday afternoon Louis becomes clingy and soft and dazed. In the evening he falls asleep in Harry’s lap, his arms looped loosely around Harry’s neck, his cheek resting against his shoulder. He wakes up with a full cock throbbing against Harry’s stomach and confusion in his glassy, blue eyes.

They’re alone in the common room.

Louis looks down and watches Harry’s hands map the slender lines of his body, scope his heaving chest, smooth over his trembling thighs.

“Hey, Louis, love,” he whispers. “You feeling alright?”

Louis shakes his head. “‘M hot,” he slurs. His face crumples. “Harry…?” he whines.

“Shh, shh, shhh...” Harry slides a hand into Louis’ feathery, caramel-coloured hair and lets Louis loll a tear-damp cheek into his palm. “Come here, baby boy,” he croons and Louis slumps, boneless, against Harry’s chest.

 

 

The last flush of Louis' first heat is weak. He needs a little reassuring and a lot of cuddling when he wakes up on Thursday morning, but by lunch time he's telling Harry that he released ten goldfish into the swimming pool and that he’ll see him in detention that evening.

Harry’s heart throbs whenever he’s with Louis, or he’s near Louis, or he’s thinking about Louis. It’s with an ear splitting smile that he drives to his mother’s for lunch on Friday.

But his mother's smile, when she answers the door, is fixedly polite. "Harry, come in. Niall, Liam - how're you?"

In the hallway behind her a small, brunette woman is pulling on a fur-lined coat.

Anne keeps smiling her strange, forced smile. "Sunshine, you remember Jay Tomlinson, don't you? From my book club."

Behind Harry, Niall turns a startled laugh into a coughing fit.

“Er… yes. Of course,” Harry stammers. He steps forward and kisses Louis’ mother on the cheek. “How’re you, Mrs Tomlinson?” he asks, though he had forgotten that he knew a Mrs Tomlinson at all.

“I’m well,” she replies, stepping back to fasten the buttons on her coat. She’s taller than her son and not nearly as pretty. “How’re you, lovie? Seeing anybody at the moment? Your mother says that she can’t keep up!”

Harry’s mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. He knows that Louis' mum was called during the second to last wave of Louis’ heat. She must know what’s been happening to her son, but does she know by whom?

“I’m teasing, sweetpea,” Jay says, sensing his discomfort.

“Have you been baking, Anne?” Niall asks, out of the blue. “Does anyone else smell honey?”

Jay Tomlinson laughs gaily and says, “Oh I’m sorry, that’s just my son-” at the same time as Harry begins to say, with a fond smile, “Oh, yeah, that’s probably from-”

He catches himself before he says Louis’ name and, thankfully, Jay doesn’t notice that he’s plucking at the school jumper Louis’ just returned to him, now smelling of his sweet scent. Jay is busy telling his mother that she was doing her son’s laundry this morning and that his scents been so potent, since, well…

Harry takes the opportunity to excuse himself and Liam and Niall follow him into the kitchen, looking absurdly pleased with themselves. Harry curses himself for being so easily baited by the prospect of talking about Louis.

They listen to the two women say goodbye and a few moments later Anne returns to the kitchen to begin preparing lunch.

“So, Jay was telling me that her son, Louis - who goes to your school – went into heat three weeks ago,” she says, conversationally. She lays a plate of scones in the middle of the table before crossing over to the fridge. “Poor thing,” she continues, “is only thirteen.” She turns around, holding a jar of jam, and fixes Harry with a look of thinly veiled disappointment.

Harry wets his lips. “I’ve got great news, mum,” he says, a tentative smile stretching across his face. “I’ve met a boy. He’s a little bit younger than me but-”

“Oh, Harry!” Anne exclaims exasperatedly.

Harry grimaces. “I was coming here to tell you, mum! ...How did you know?"

As if to answer his question, Harry’s mother takes a plastic container, filled with the remaining scones, off the kitchen counter and places it in front of Niall.

Harry gives the blonde a look which he hopes appears sufficiently betrayed. 

“Well, my mam’s in Mullingar, isn’t she?” Niall argues, moving the tupperware, guiltily, to his lap.

“You’re welcome round anytime, Niall, lovie,” Anne assures him. She begins to lay jam, knives and butter on the table with loud thuds.

Harry frowns. Despite the enticing spread of steaming currant scones, he’s no longer hungry. “I still dunno why you’re mad,” he says.  

“Because he’s five years younger than you!” his mother cries. “It must be so hard for him and… and you-!” She sounds frustrated. “Every other week it’s a different Omega with you. Jay’s beside herself – her only son-”

“Mum! It’s not like that,” Harry objects. “There’s no one else. And – God - you should have seen him. You've never smelt anything like it." He hesitates and steers the conversation towards less lewd waters. "He needed me, I couldn’t let him go through it alone.”

“What a hero!” his mother says, throwing her hands in the air.

Harry’s speechless for a moment. But when he finds his words they begin to pour from him in an unstoppable torrent. “You don’t understand. You say it’s been hard for him but you’ve never known the aching, the longing, the need to be loved and to love. I know Louis’ young but I’ve never done anything he didn’t want me too; and I’ve never touched him when he hasn’t been in heat. And, by the way, this is despite the fact that Louis is sexually, not to mention legally, mature.” There’s a breathless pause when he finishes his outburst. Then, when he sees his mother open her mouth he suddenly launches back into it. “Anyway, wouldn’t it be crueller, because of Louis’ age, to force him to endure everything on his own? To – to have him fight off Alphas like – bloody - Blair without the protection of an Alpha who loved him?” He swallows. “Or, worse, to let him mate with someone his own age: someone who couldn’t give him what he needed. Who couldn’t protect him either. A…a pup who wasn’t ready for a mate.”

“A mate!” his mother shrieks. “A mate!” This, clearly, wasn’t what she wanted to hear either. “Harry… You’ve never shown any indication that you’re ready to settle down. What about university? Manchester? You’re just…” She shakes her head. “…You’re clearly infatuated.”

“Exactly,” Niall says, nodding.

“Do you wanna just sit in her lap?” Harry snaps at him.

Anne sighs. On her plate sits a scone, worried into a thousand small crumbs. “And it’s a lot of responsibility, pet,” she says. “He’ll be entirely dependent on you.”

That wipes the look of Niall’s face. It’s common for women to think of Omegas as emotionally volatile and helpless, when – as they get older and the months between their heats lengthen – they almost become entirely emotionally stable.

“Yeah, but,” Liam says blithely, already helping himself to another scone, "Louis needs a strong Alpha, like Haz.”

Harry nods earnestly, glad that someone understands.

“Without,” Liam continues, “he’d have to be sent to a separate school for his protection.”

"And, considering what he’s been through, is that a bad thing?" Harry's mother asks.

Harry gapes at her. He feels like he’s just been slapped.“Of course it would be a bad thing,” he says and, to his shame, Harry can hear his voice becoming ragged with suppressed emotion. “We need each other, mum. I love him.” He shakes his head and pushes away from the table. His stomach is turning over and over. “God,” he mutters. “I feel sick.” He staggers out of the kitchen, into the bathroom in the hallway. He clutches the china sink and looks at his own reflection and his stomach stops rolling. Instead it drops. He's mistook the feeling in his stomach for sickness. It's isn't sickness at all. But his rut. His rut come early.

 

 

He waits for Liam and Niall in his car, rapping his long fingers against the steering wheel. He watches his rings shining dully in the feeble sunlight. They must sense his agitation because Liam and Niall say nothing as they climb into the car.

Niall has his box of scones on his lap. He immediately regrets taking the front seat when Harry gives it a dark look.

In silence, Harry starts the car and pulls out of the drive.

He needs to get back to school, find Louis and knot him till he’s so full with it he’ll be more Harry than himself. A vision of Louis, wearing nothing but thigh-high football socks, swims in front of his eyes. But the more he tries to picture, the more Harry can’t. The fantasy, he realises, isn’t a fantasy at all, but a nightmare. All Harry sees now is Louis’ wide eyes, sparkling with tears and filled with fear. And Harry’s shadow looms over him: the aggressive, dominant Alpha. And everywhere he touches Louis, bruises blossom like ugly, purple flowers on his soft skin.

He slams his foot on the brake.

Niall yelps as he’s thrown forward against his seatbelt.

Harry is breathing heavily. Beneath his school shirt, his back is slick with sweat. One limp curl hangs in front of his eyes.

“Get out of the car.”

“Harry,” Niall’s voice is filled with concern. He can see the Omega in his peripheral: milky white skin, sunlight in his blonde hair. He tightens his grip on the steering wheel until the leather creaks under his fingers. “Are you alright, mate?”

“Both of you GET OUT!” Harry roars.

Liam throws open the back door, slams it shut, wrenches Niall’s open and pulls him out. In shock, Niall is doing the breathing exercises that they teach Omegas in ABO Ed. Liam sees him stagger and grip the roof of the car. But Liam wants to deal with Harry first. He climbs onto the front seat and grips the other Alpha's shoulder.

“Harry,” he says. “Harry – look at me.”

Harry turns a ferocious gaze on him.

Liam feels the hairs rise all along his arms. He takes a deep breath. “Okay, mate – listen to me. You’re in rut.”

“I knowI’m in fucking rut, Liam. I don’t need to be told like some fucking Omega.”

Behind him Niall whimpers, but Liam's not sure if it's out of fear or lust.

The stench coming off Harry fills Liam's nostrils. It makes him want to choke and spit and snarl. But to Niall it's the smell of sweet, black chocolate, if chocolate made you weak at the knees and wet between your arse cheeks.

Liam watches Harry reach forward with trembling fingers and pull the keys from the ignition. As the engine gutters out the aggression seems to flicker out in Harry too. When he slides the keys into his pocket they clink loudly.

They climb out of the car.

Harry rakes a hand through his hair. "Keep -  keep me away from him,” he whispers.

Niall throws Liam an anxious glance and steps closer to him. He says the next bit from behind Liam's back. “From… from Louis?”

Harry's shaking violently now. "I need him," he growls. His face contorts into an expression of pain. “But what if I hurt him?” His brain is leaping from one irrational thought to the next. By the time he’s managed to grasp the absurdity of one thing he’s already thinking something more terrible, more vivid. He’ll kill anyone who touches Louis; he doesn’t care if it’s Liam.

He flinches when Liam steps forward, imagining somehow that Liam knows what he's thinking, but the other Alpha simply grasps his shoulder. “That’s brave of you, mate,” he says.

When Harry stumbles through the front door of his house, five minutes later, he hears his mother scream. “Harry! What's happened to you? What’s wrong?”

“Mum,” he rasps, gripping the banister tightly.

It takes her half an hour to guide him up to his room.

Before he knew Louis he could have endured it. But, without him, Harry knows this is going to be his most torturous rut yet.

 

 

Liam and Niall return to school and, predictably, the conversation turns from Louis to Zayn. Liam is  comparing the colour of Zayn's eyes to a whiskey his dad once drank in Spain when they enter their English classroom.

As if Niall isn't being  punished enough, their teacher immediately informs them that they'll be sitting a mock test in fifteen minutes.

Groaning, Liam and Niall take their places at the back of the classroom, which are, to their dismay, directly  behind Blair and Jonathan Grey.

"Things with Zayn are great," Liam continues, as though their conversation was never interrupted - though Niall wouldn't mind using this opportunity to reread (well, read to begin with) one of their set texts. "Just sometimes – he gets a little distracted. Like, yesterday he was playing on mine and Haz's playstation and I'm trying to... you know and he accidently ignored me..."

Niall hides a smirk. Liam flirting is like having a particularly large, enthusiastic puppy begging you to play with it.

Ten minutes into Liam’s monologue, Niall suddenly grips Liam's arm. "That was Louis, wasn't it?" he whispers.

Through the window in the door they can see Louis wandering down the corridor in one of Harry's oversized jumpers.

"Go and tell him about Harry. Quickly!"

Liam let's Niall push him out of his seat and hurries to the front to excuse himself.

In the bathroom across the hall Louis is buttoning his clean, white school shirt up to the top. He smiles at himself in the mirror. He might look sweet but he feels mischievous, just the way he likes it. [Visual] In the half-hour between end of lessons and detention time he'll run and get the lavender jumper and a pair of braces from his dormitory, ready for his detention with Harry – which he has begun to think of as dates.  

He’s so excited he doesn't know how he's going to sit through his last lesson of the day. Louis checks his appearance one last time and crosses to the bathroom door. Getting detentions is piss easy, he thinks. All you have to do is  turn up late, or not do your homework, nap in class or cause a disruption: all of which are things Louis and Zayn like doing anyway. Except Zayn's already gone to Religious Education because he can't bear being near any of Harry and Louis' ‘lame ass boyfriend’ stuff.

As Louis pulls open the bathroom door he walks straight into something beefy and solid.

"Louis, there you are!" Liam says, easily catching the Omega before he can fall on his arse.  

Louis has still had the wind knocked out of him. "Hi, Liam," he gasps.

“Hi, little one.” Louis doesn’t understand why Liam can speak to Zayn like he’s an adult, but Louis gets spoken to like he’s a fragile and unpredictable baby animal. “Look, I just came to tell you – Harry’s not gonna be coming back tonight. He’s staying at his mum’s this weekend.”

Louis’ face falls. If he was a baby animal, his ears would have drooped sadly. He watches Liam pull his phone from his pocket and bring up Harry's latest messages. His face blanches comically.

"What?" Louis asks hesitantly.

Harry's been sending Liam a barrage of filth. But near the top, directly above, and tell him I'm gonna come in his arse until he can taste my seed in his mouth, Liam finds the original message. "He says to tell you he's sorry, but he feels sick and he'll see you on Monday." He pauses before adding, "and he's gonna think about you all weekend," which is a nice way of phrasing some of Harry's later texts. 

"Can I see?" Louis asks.

Liam draws his phone close. "That's it. He was a right mess, chundering everywhere. Trust me, it's a miracle he even managed to type this." If he's doing half the stuff to himself that he says he is, Liam adds in his head.

"Yeah…" Louis says, “okay.” He feels as though something inside him is deflating.

Watching him, Liam thinks how much worse Louis’ crestfallen expression is than his easy tears when he's in heat.

"Hey," Liam says, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly. But the motion causes Harry’s jumper to slide from Louis’ shoulder. The boy tugs it back up miserably. God, Liam feels awful – he didn’t expect Louis to take it this hard. "He's still looking out for you though. I promised him that if you were in detention I’d make sure I was there too."

Louis flushes. He feels so fucking stupid: dawdling in the corridors until he’s late enough to his lesson that he can receive a detention and so spend an hour alone with Harry.

“Are you in detention tonight?” Liam asks him.

"No," Louis mumbles, truthfully.

"Good lad," Liam says, barely concealing his relief. He grins and straightens up. "Better get back to your lesson, then, and try and keep it that way." He ruffles Louis' hair good-naturedly.  

Louis scowls as he begins down the corridor. It's a good thing Harry isn't turning up, he thinks, considering Liam has just ruined his hair.

He ends up running all the way to R.E. By the time he bursts into the classroom he’s panting hard. “Sorry… I’m late… miss,” he puffs.

“Ah, Louis – how good of you to join us,” his teacher says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I was – I was-”

She speaks over him. “I’m sure you have a fabulous and inventive excuse – but I’m afraid we don’t have time for it today.” She slides a pink detention slip across her desk towards him.

Louis doesn’t take it. "Miss, I really am sorry," he insists. “I wasn’t,” he swallows, concentrates and makes tears flood his eyes, “I wasn’t feeling well…”

Swinging on a chair in the back row, Zayn rolls his eyes. At the same time a small titter ripples through the class.

But, after a moments hesitation, their teacher relents.

Relief floods Louis' chest.

"Alright," she allows. "Leave your homework here-" She points to a pile of R.E. workbooks on her desk. "-and you can take your place."

Louis looks down at the books. He opens his mouth uselessly, then closes it again when he can’t think of anything to say.

The teacher sighs. "Louis... You have done your homework haven't you?" she asks wearily.

The class is giggling, expecting that he's up to his usual tricks.

"No," he says defeatedly.

The teacher gives him a frank, unimpressed look. “I’m sorry, Louis – but you really do leave me no choice.” She presses the detention slip into his hand. And then, adding salt to the wounds, she doesn't even let him sit next to Zayn.

 

 

The whole class has been waiting for him, ready to begin their mock, when Liam returns.

He cringes under his maths teacher's sharp look.

"This class doesn't run on your bathroom schedule," she says. "And is Harry ever planning on turning up?"

“Oh, no, he had to go home, Miss," Niall puts in.  

The teacher looks like she's not sure whether she should believe him, considering Harry’s recent and unprecedented bout of troublemaking.

Liam and Niall begin their test feeling woefully unprepared. They’re not the only ones. Not one minute in, Liam sees Blair slide Grey a scrap of paper. He knows that Niall has seen it too when he hears the Irish boy scoff.

A few minutes later Blair screws the piece of paper into a ball and drops it into his book bag. Then he turns his head and sweeps his eyes, unashamedly, over Niall’s body.

Niall looks up and returns his look with one of disgust.

Over the next several minutes Blair continues to do this, wrinkling his nose and muttering things to Grey. Eventually he whispers: “God, Horan, do you need suppressants or something?”

“What?” Niall hisses.

“Hey," comes the suspicious voice of their teacher from the front, "...no talking the back there.”

“Miss," Blair says, raising his hand, "how can I concentrate if Whore-an keeps leaking all over his knickers?"

Niall’s mouth drops open in outrage.

Liam is similarly speechless. In fact, the whole class has swivelled around in their seats to stare.

"Alright, Harrison! That's enough!" Their teacher gets loudly to her feet. "We've had this problem before." She opens the top drawer of her desk with a bang and draws out a book of detention slips. "Your behaviour is reprehensible."

Blair looks surprisingly unruffled, even for Blair. To Liam’s disgust, he gives Grey a sneaky wink.

Their teacher tears a sheet from the top of the book and holds it out for Blair.

"You can return to your common room and show this to your house mistress." She checks the clock on the wall. "And then you can head straight to detention."

 

 

"Hey," Niall says, a little while later, as the teacher is collecting their mock papers. "Seeing as Blair is in detention, can you come with me to Duke's and we can see that new Alpha before dinner?"

Liam agrees to accompany him, right after he’s texted Zayn. The common room of the Duke of Somerset boarding house is very similar to their own, except that the carpet is maroon instead of navy.

The new boy is a wiry, sandy haired Alpha. It becomes clear very quickly that he's not Niall’s type. After forty-five minutes both Niall and Liam are bored out of their minds and counting down the time until dinner. As Liam pulls out his phone, Niall looks aimlessly around the common room. By his feet a leather book bag, imprinted with the name Harrison Blair, has a load of dicks and dripping arseholes drawn on it. This is probably where Blair would sit, Niall realises – like Liam and Harry do – in the prime seats in front of the telly. Perched on top of Blair’s English Literature folder is a small ball of paper: it looks like the note he saw Blair and Grey passing between them during their mock. Smirking to himself, Niall sits forward and surreptitiously takes it from Blair's bag.

He nudges Liam. “Hey, remember seeing Blair and Grey cheating?” he says in a low voice, mainly because they’re the top Alphas here and he doesn’t want to upset anyone. “Reckon this is it.”

But Liam’s been engrossed with his phone since he looked at it. As Niall unfolds the piece of paper he hears Liam groan: "Oh bloody hell. Zayn's just said Louis got a detention anyway.”

There’s a moment of silence. Then, “Liam…?” Niall whispers, in a small, terrified voice.

Liam’s head snaps towards him. "What?"

He sees the scrap of paper in Niall’s hand and takes it from him. But he doesn’t see Shakespeare quotes. He sees words that make him feel numb with horror.

Did you hear that?

Styles has gone home?

Let’s do it tonight.

What’s the plan?

I’m gonna get put in detention.

…Why?

Cos that’s where I’ll find that Omega and this time Styles won’t be there to protect him.

Heart pounding, Liam looks at the clock. Detention finished ten minutes ago.

Chapter Text

“Hey, kitten.”

Louis feels his schoolbag slip from his shoulder. Frozen in place beside his desk, he does nothing to stop it. 

It hits the floor with a dull thud.

Blair smirks, rocking on the back legs of his chair and waiting for Louis to take his usual seat – which he is sat directly behind.

Louis casts a nervous glance around the room.

Blair lets his gaze drop to Louis’ throat, linger over the flushed bite mark on the nape of his neck; then, lets his eyes wander lower, raking over Louis’ slender hips and his plump arse.

They’re in detention on a Friday afternoon and only three other students join them. It’s Louis, Blair, a Beta from the year below, a couple from year eleven – who are sleeping – and the librarian.

Helpless, Louis looks back and catches Blair staring at his thighs. He tugs protectively at the hem of his school jumper and drops into his seat.

Blair’s chair creaks under his weight as he leans forward. “That your Alpha’s jumper?” he whispers.

Louis’ heart begins to thump loudly.

“You look so pretty in his jumpers, you know,” Blair continues.

Louis’ senses the closeness of his hand before he feels it. Then it appears like a giant spider on his shoulder, his long fingers crawling over his neck. Louis starts and scoots his chair forward as much as possible, ending up with his ribcage pressed against his desk.

Blair laughs at him.

Louis fumbles for his phone, pulling it from his pocket and swiping sweaty fingers across the screen. He brings up Harry’s number.

“You texting your Alpha?” Blair asks. “He’s not coming. It’s just you and me…” He laughs again.

Louis’ fingers are shaking so badly he can barely type out a message.

Then: “Miss, are we allowed to use our phones?” Blair calls.

Louis looks up quickly.

The librarian is peering over the top of her counter. “Louis…” she chides, “You know you’re not allowed to have your phone out.”

Louis can hear the sound of his own shallow breathing. “I wasn’t – I mean I just – I have to send-” he starts to say.

He’s interrupted by the scraping of a chair behind him. Then Blair is suddenly snatching the phone from his hand. There’s an air of panic in it – he knows that Louis was going to text Harry and he was worried. However, as Blair struts towards the librarian’s counter, hands Louis’ phone to her and returns to his desk he looks satisfied and in control.

But as he takes his seat once more the librarian continues to watch them. So Blair does nothing for the next five minutes or so. Only when Blair thinks that she’s finally lost interest does Louis suddenly feel the Alpha’s breath on the back of his neck. It’s immediately followed by a deliberately sensual inhale.

Louis nearly falls off his seat.

There’s a low chuckle. “Smell so sweet, Omega,” Blair breathes.

“Harrison. Get away from that boy.” The librarian is striding towards them. Across the room the sleeping couple awakes with a start. “Other side of the room,” she snaps. “Now.”

She’s met with a menacing silence.

Louis can see her finger trembling where she points it across the room.

Do as she says, Louis thinks desperately, do as she says. He jumps again when Blair stands, carelessly knocking his chair over. He grabs his bag and takes it to a desk at the back, overturning more chairs on the way.

Louis slumps in his seat like a puppet cut from his strings.  For the first time ever he slides his paper towards himself and begin to write out his lines, in a vain effort to distract himself from Blair’s presence.

As detention draws to a close Louis makes sure he has his bag ready so that he can race all the way back to his boarding house. He glances over his shoulder and sees that Blair’s gaze is fixed on him intently. The way he’s braced – though still attempting to appear casual – suggests to Louis that he’s going to be chased the whole way there.

But, just before she lets them go, the librarian says, “Harrison Blair, you can wait a minute. You’re in here for bothering Omegas and you clearly haven’t learned your lesson.”

 

 

The courtyard echoes with the sound of his school shoes as they smack against the tarmac. The cool evening air batters his cheeks. Across the school grounds he can see the shadowy shape of his boarding house. Louis is running faster than he’s ever run in his life…

…When he feels as though his arm has suddenly been wrenched out of its socket. He’s pulled to a halt with a loud cry. Disorientated, the image of someone’s whole hand wrapped around his upper arm swims into focus. His gaze travels along a beefy arm, up a bullish chest and into the grinning face of Jonathon Grey.

“Where are you running to, kitten?” the Alpha asks. He must have been lurking around the corner of the building as Louis rounded it.

Louis grits his teeth and tries to pull his arm free. “Let go, arsehole!”

Grey starts to laugh.

“Fuck off!” Louis grinds out.

Grey releases him and Louis almost loses his footing as he’s suddenly pulling against nothing. Panting, he starts to turn, starts to run again. But Grey snatches him back easily and laughs at Louis’ yelp of surprise and angry frustration.

“I said fuck off!” Louis yells. Spinning, he rams his foot into Grey’s knee.

Grey’s face darkens. The hand around his wrist flies to his hair instead.He yanks Louis close and breathes into his face. “Don’t piss me off.”

Louis’ stomach turns into a puddle. He hears the doors across the courtyard swing open behind him. The two year elevens have caught up. Grey glances over Louis’ head, feels behind himself for a door and drags Louis through it.

Hot, humid air, heavy with the smell of chlorine, bathes Louis’ face. He’s been pulled into the swimming pool.

Grey releases him and Louis backs away, towards the far wall. The only exit is in front of him and Grey is blocking it.

Grey, who says nothing… who looks as though he’s waiting for something.

They don’t wait long. A few moments later the door is pulled open from the outside and Blair steps into the room. He smiles when he sees Louis.

“I texted Harry – he’s on his way,” Louis says immediately.

“No you didn’t,” Blair replies confidently. “I saw your phone. That text was never sent.” He cocks his head. “Anyway, you left it in the library, didn’t you?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Grey grunts.

Blair nods, his grin widening. He never takes his eyes off Louis. “Doesn’t matter – because even if he does come he won’t be able to smell you.” He raises a finger and rotates it in a circle. “Not in here.”

Their laughter rings off the stone walls of the swimming pool.

Louis turns on his heel and runs. He hears one of them tear after him, can hear them panting hard as he races around the pool. But as Louis rounds the far corner he realises that Blair hasn’t moved from his place in front of the door. And Louis ends up with Blair in front of him and Grey behind him, stuck between the water and the wall.

Then they begin to move towards him, knowing he has nowhere to go. Louis’ head snaps between the two of them. His hands shake as he balls them into fists. The sound of his own panicked breathing is deafening. There’s three metres between them. Two metres. One.

He raises his fists. You can do this, he thinks, you can fight them off. Then, fast as lightening, Blair’s fist collides with his face. He’s slammed into the ground... The world spins. His ears are ringing. His cheek throbs with pain…

He cries out again as Grey’s foot lands between his legs. A second kick gets him the stomach.

Louis’ been in fights before. But this isn’t a fight. This is a beating.

He’s gripping the ledge of the swimming pool.Under his cheek the ground is wet. As he tries to get up Blair’s hand fists in his hair, dragging him the rest of the way. Another hand closes like a vice around his jaw and yanks him close. Next thing he knows Blair’s mouth is crashing down on his.

Louis’ eyes go wide. He pummels Blair’s shoulders but barely succeeds in parting their lips for a moment. He’s never felt more pathetic in his whole life. And, as he’s trying to push Blair away, he realises that Grey’s hands have disappeared under his shirt. He pinches Louis’ nipple until he yelps. But the moment that Louis starts to struggle with Grey’s arms Blair starts pulling at his school trousers.

They strip him naked and laugh at his attempts to stop them.

Too preoccupied to continue mashing their mouths together, Blair pulls Louis’ bottom lip between his teeth and gnaws on it.

That’s when Louis feels it: a hand snaking its way between his thighs. He tries to jerk back and ends up tearing his lip. His hand closes around Blair’s wrist in utter panic, attempting to force it away from him

Above him Blair is chuckling.

Louis feels a hot bead of blood run down his chin. Blair’s spare hand tangles in his hair, forcing him to tilt his head back and look up into his face.

He’s got Louis’ blood on his teeth.

Louis can do nothing but twist in their grip – and Grey’s hold on his arms is ensuring that that achieves very little – and shudder at the feel of Blair’s fingertips over his hole.

“D-don’t,” he stammers at the same moment that Blair shoves two inside him. “Ahhh!” Through the shock and pain, he makes a fist in Blair’s shirt and heaves with all his might.

All the while they rain filth on him, their hot breath on his neck and cheeks.

“God, he’s so tight,” Blair’s telling Grey. He keeps his hand in Louis’ hair, forcing his head back.

Harry always makes an effort to appear closer to Louis’ height, ducking down so that Louis’ less intimidated. Blair and Grey seem to love exerting their strength and size over him.

“But you won’t be tight when we’re done with you," Blair sneers into his tear-streaked face. He curls his fingers and forces a pained cry out of Louis. "Styles’ dick with slip right out.”

Beginning to despair, Louis bends his head and tries to choke back his sobs. Through a blur of tears he can that Blair is about to work a third finger in beside the first two.

"No, no, no, no-”

But he’s too soft and Blair’s easily able to force Louis to take it. This time the pain is so intense that he’s no longer using his grip on Blair’s shirt too push him back, but to hold himself up.

Grey is nuzzling his neck. “Tear you open if you we have too,” he croons into Louis’ ear. He slips his hand around Louis’ throat and pulls his head back. His mouth comes down on Louis’.

He’s being assaulted from every direction. He can’t bear it. In a fit of fury he reaches up, knots his hand in Grey’s hair to hold him still and bites down viciously on his lip.

Grey growls into his mouth and pulls free. He hand collides again with Louis’ cheek.

“You little bitch,” he snarls, gripping Louis tightly by the arms. “If that’s the way you want to play.”

Horrified, Louis feels his feet leave the floor. In front of him, Blair tugs his fingers out and moves them to his belt.

Louis is trying to catch his breath but he’s trying to scream at the same time. His back is pressed to Grey’s chest, who wraps one arm around his middle and, with his spare hand, locks both of Louis’ wrists against his chest. His feet dangle off the floor.

Blair’s gaze his fixed intently on him. He pushes his school trousers down to the tops of his thighs and pulls his cock out.

“Get away from me,” Louis snarls. He kicks out at him. “Don’t you fucking – don’t touch me!”

Blair easily grabs hold of him under the knees. Stepping up close, he presses them to Louis’ chest, exposing him completely.

“Harry’s g-gonna kill you,” Louis stammers. But his courage is failing him. Tears stream down his cheeks. “Please don’t… Don’t hu-hurt me…”

Blair is no longer interested in taunting him. Louis follows his gaze downwards.

“NO!” he screams. “NO! NO! PLEASE! I’M HARRY’S. I’M HARRY’S!”

Grey’s hand covers his mouth. They’ve finally managed to get the grip on him, holding him completely immobile. There’s silence, punctuated by the sound of their heavy, excited breathes in his ear.

Louis squeezes his eyes shut and holds his breath.

 

 

CRASH

 

 

Water strikes the side of his face; rushes between their bodies; fills his mouth. Engulfs him.

Louis feels his elbow scrape against the tiles at the bottom of the pool. There are limbs bobbing above him. He opens his eyes but all he sees are bodies twisting madly in the water, their jumpers ballooning around them. He flails. Someone’s foot lands in his stomach.

There’s a second crash and an explosion of bubbles.

An arm loops around his waist. Then Louis is being dragged upwards, up until his head breaks above the water. Gasping for air, he stares at the scene in front of him... and quickly realises he's being dragged through the water away from it.

He starts to struggle. He can tell by the size of the person holding him that they're another fucking Alpha. He's screams in anger, frustration and fear.

At his cry one of the figures disentangles himself, clawing his way to the surface. His brown hair is plastered to his forehead, his shirt is stuck to his body. His eyes are wild.

"Louis!" Harry roars.

Before Louis can reply he's picked up and thrown onto the edge of the pool like he weighs nothing more than a doll. He gasps frantically. As he drags his hair from his eyes Liam suddenly bursts out of the water after him.

His clothes are sopping wet. Without stopping to catch his breath, he gathers Louis’ naked body into his arms and climbs to his feet.

Louis clings to him limply. Over Liam’s shoulder he can see that Grey and Blair have managed to find their footing and they’re now wrestling with Harry, the water lapping around their middles.But Louis is being carried away from them. Liam stumbles into the swimming teacher’s office.

Louis is lowered to the floor, though Liam keeps a hand around his upperarm like he’s afraid of what will happen if he lets him go. Louis’ glad he does, his legs feel like jelly.

Liam is looking around frantically – and this whole thing has happened in less than a minute – when there’s a bellow of pain from outside. Liam’s head snaps towards the sound.

“Harry,” Louis breathes. Fuck his jellylegs, he starts to move towards the sound.

But Liam drags him back. “No, Louis – stay here.”

Louis twists in his grip. “No – I have to – get off me - HARRY!”

His shout is cut off, however, when Liam suddenly hooks an arm under his knees and swipes him off his feet.

“No!” Louis shouts. “NO! Liam, don't even think-" He lands in a trunk atop a pile of rubbery flippers. He struggles. "No, Liam - Liam, please-"

“I’ll be back,” Liam says. Then he slams the lid down and locks it.

 

 

Louis stops screaming, eventually, so that he can listen instead. After at least ten minutes of this he hears the door being thrown open. He raises his fists to hammer on the roof of the trunk when a horrible thought stops him. What if Harry and Liam were overpowered? What if it's Blair and Grey looking for him? So when the lid of the trunk flies open Louis let's out a pitiful squeak and flinches.

“Someone get me a towel."

Louis cracks an eye open. “Liam,” he says, his hoarse voice filled with relief. He struggles to sit up. “Where’s Harry? Is he okay? Are – are you okay? Wh-what happened?”

"Here," a woman says before Liam can respond. The headmistress appears over the Alpha’s shoulder and hands Louis a dressing gown.

Louis wriggles into it and clambers, with their help, from the trunk. He feels the weight of half a dozen pairs of eyes on him. 

Drawing his hands towards his chest, he swallows and asks, "Where's Harry?" He's afraid of the answer. But when nobody replies that's worse.

He scowls and pushes past Liam. To his surprise the older boy grunts in pain and staggers. Louis' eyes widen. He suddenly sees what he missed before: a bruise on Liam's temple, blood on the corner of his mouth, a torn shirt sleeve. And yet Liam is here, standing. And Harry isn’t. As the paramedics rush towards Liam, Louis stumbles back, over the threshold and into the stifling heat of the swimming pool.

He scrambles to take in the scene in front of him: Blair’s unconscious body being fished out ofa poolawash with blood; two sets of paramedics crouched around a pair of bodies. Louis moves towards the boy that’s sitting up, blood pouring past the fingers clutching his nose. A paramedic moves away and Louis' stomachs pitchesas he meets the gaze of Jonathan Grey. He turns towards the other boy, the one splayed across the ground: one foot still dangling in the pool and a paramedic bent over his mouth. He moves closer. He sees dark, wet curls; bird tattoos; a pallid, unconscious face.

All at once he realises that he's not breathing.

“Oi! I saidget off me. No, he needs to stay with Harry-”

Liam’s voice sounds like it’s coming from far, far away. And when Louis turns everything seems to move in slow motion.

Liam has limped back into the room.

“Mr Payne,” the headmistress is saying. “Please sit back down so that the paramedics-”

“No, Louis needs to be with Harry; he needs his Alpha,” Liam continues desperately, his voice ragged with pain.

And Louis realises that he's not talking to the headmistress at all but to someone behind Louis. He feels their hand on his shoulder and, though they're gentle, he jumps violently. Then the nurse’s hand is closing around his wrist. She turns it upwards. He sees the needle. Then he sees nothing.

 

 

He wakes up in a hospital bed.

Nurse Roe has her back to him but she turns and smiles as he sits up. They’re alone in one of her rooms, which are part of his boarding house. She’s one of the nurses that treats sick students rather than boys in heat or rut.

“How’re you feeling?” she asks.

“Where’s Harry?” Louis demands, ignoring her question.

“Harry is absolutely fine, dear,” she assures him. “The paramedics left shortly after Nurse Patel administered a… sleeping drug to you. He’s a little bruised but, of the four, Harrison Blair is the only one who’s been submitted to hospital.”

Louis stares, unsmiling, up at her. “I asked you where he is.”

Nurse Roe just chuckles, as though his rudeness is amusing.

Louis is very quickly losing his temper. “I want my Alpha!”

That startles her. “How about you have a drink-” she’s beginning to say when she’s interrupted by a loud banging on the door.

“Oi! You said I could see him when he’s awake!” someone yells from the other side. “Well I can hear him!”

Nurse Roe sighs but turns to the door.

Despite his bravado, Liam enters the room looking like a lost puppy. His eyes immediately zero in on the bruise on Louis’ cheek and he continues to stare at it as he circles the bed and sinks into a chair. “Hey, little one,” he says when he finally pulls his gaze away.

“Are you okay?” Louis mumbles, absently toying with the blanket covering him.

“Course I am,” Liam says, giving him a crinkly-eyed smile, “and Harry is too.”

Relief floods Louis’ chest. He mirrors Liam’s smile and his fingers still in his lap.

“Are you okay?” Liam asks, his gaze serious.

Louis nods and shrugs at the same time. His fingers return to their fidgeting. “Yeah,” he says. His voice is still croaky from screaming. “I wanna see Harry though.”

“You will,” Liam assures him. “Your mum on the way?”

Louis looks to Nurse Roe, who says:

“Well, actually, just at the moment-”

Liam swivels in his seat to look at her, his expression incredulous. “You haven’t called his mum yet?”

“Considering the nature of the situation-”

“Go call his mum!” Liam yells. “What the hell is wrong with the adults in this school?”

Nurse Roe bristles at his words but, ultimately, appears to agree with them. She turns and disappears into her office.

Shaking his head, Liam returns his attention to Louis, only to find tears streaming down his cheeks. His stomach plummets. “Louis! Oh fuck,” he curses.

The boy is staring at his trembling hands where they rest in his lap.

Liam flounders. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to raise my voice.” He reaches out.

But Louis jerks back, hitting the bedframe behind him so that it collides loudly with the wall.

Their eyes meet, both blue and brown wide with shock.

“… I’m not – I’m not gonna hurt you,” Liam whispers. “Okay?”

Louis eyes’ remain glued to him.

“Okay?” Liam asks again.

After a long moment Louis nods.

“Okay,” Liam says, though this time it’s to himself.

Louis watches him return to his chair. “You gonna tell me what happened?” he asks.

Liam nods. He explains about the note and about Zayn’s text. A hint of reproach enters his chocolate brown eyes. “You told me you didn’t have detention,” he says.

Louis’ raises his eyebrows.

Liam clears his throat. “Never mind… I told Niall to go to the teachers, to call the police – and I ran back up to the school. I tried calling Harry but he didn’t pick up. But by the time I got to the library you were gone. I didn’t know where else to look. I was in the courtyard when I saw Harry. He was – fucking – beside himself. He didn’t stop to talk to me and I had to run after him.” Liam looks faintly ill. "Then we heard you screaming..."

Louis nods, dropping his gaze to his lap once more.

"What were you saying...?" Liam asks hesitantly.

Louis feels his cheeks heat up. He swallows and mumbles, "I was saying: I'm Harry's, I'm Harry's..."

Liam’s eyes soften.

"I know it's stupid,” Louis mutters.

“S’not stupid-”

"Yeah, it is. They clearly didn’t give two shits-”

“Louis, listen. Most Alphas aren’t like Blair and Grey.” Liam scoots his chair forward. “They’ll never touch you as long as you’re Harry’s."

Louis looks him in the eye. "So it's not enough for me to say: no?" Louis asks.

Liam's earnest smile fades.

Louis scoffs half-heartedly and looks away.

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"Then what happened?"

Liam swallows. "We realised the screams were coming from the swimming pool. Harry threw open the door and we saw – we saw that they- And Harry ran straight at you, took the three of you out. Well, you know this bit. I jumped into the water after him and dragged you out, put you in that trunk. Then I went back. Jesus. They had Harry's head under the water. I dived back in and lunged at Grey. Pretty sure I broke his nose– there was blood everywhere – and after that he turned and ran. And this whole time Blair had had Harry’s head under the water. By the time I turned to them Harry had managed to drag Blair under too and he – well – he smacked his head against the bottom of the pool until Blair let go of his throat. But he’d been under for so long that he passed out before he could even swim back to the top. I dragged him back to the side. Then the teachers arrived with the police and the paramedics and while they were dealing with Harry I went back to get you. I tried to stop her but Nurse Patel gave you some drug and knocked you out… took you back here-”

Louis interrupts him. “Wait, wait, wait - I don't understand. How did Harry know what was happening in the first place? He was at home…”

Liam scratches at the stubble on his jaw. “I…I dunno. He just kept saying: I can feel him. I can feel his… his fear.”

Louis frowns as he considers this. "So where is he now?" Louis asks.

Liam hesitates. "The nurse took him..."

For the first time that evening Louis perks up. “Next door or something?"

Liam opens his mouth to reply, grimaces and shuts it again.

Louis lifts his eyebrows. "What are you being weird for? Where is he?"

"He's not here,” Liam mutters, refusing to meet Louis' eye. “He's with Nurse Patel."

Rage clouds Louis’ vision. When he speaks his voice shakes with it. "Why?"

"'Cause he's in rut, Louis. You can't see him."

When Liam leaves, five minutes later, Louis is practically seething. Nurse Roe’s smile fades when she sees him. He might be small and weak and bruised… but he can be fierce. During these last few weeks he feels like his spirit has been crushed by the weight of his desire. His emotional as well as his physical vulnerability has made him seem timid when he’s not. But Harry’s always been there, whether Louis’ been bitchy or sweet, dismissive or desperate. Now Louis’ gonna be there for him.

“It’s gone to voicemail,” Nurse Roe tells him, holding up a phone. “Is there a mobile number I can ring?”

Louis shakes his head. “I’ve changed my mind,” he says. “Don’t call her.”

 

Chapter Text

Louis places the items on the bathmat in front of him: a pot of moisturiser, a half-empty container of conditioner and a bottle of water, still dripping condensation from Liam and Harry’s fridge.

It’s been nine hours since Blair and Grey’s attempt to rape him; five hours since he woke up in one of Nurse Roe’s rooms; three hours since he was released from her care and taken upstairs to his dorm; one hour and fifty minutes since he snuck down to Harry’s room and five minutes since Liam and Zayn fell asleep and he crept into the bathroom.

The expanse of Harry's bed felt cold and empty without Harry in it. There’s an itch under Louis’ skin, an aching that he can’t place.

Toying with his fringe, he surveys his three options. Honestly, he finds it difficult to believe that neither Harry nor Liam have a bottle of lube concealed somewhere in their room. If they do, however, they’ve hidden it well.

Defeated, Louis picks up the moisturiser and begins unscrewing the lid. He’s about to dip two fingers in when he spots a tube lying at the bottom of the shower. He drops the moisturiser, wipes his fingers on his naked thigh, and quickly retrieves it. Sitting back on his heels, he turns the label up. Waterproof lube. He knew the Alphas would have it somewhere.

Swiping the backup items to the side, Louis sits back on his heels. He takes a deep breath, uncaps the lube and holds it towards two fingertips.

But something draws him to a halt. For a long moment Louis stares at the sight of his fingers. Then, slowly, he unfolds a third digit beside the first two.

The Omega blinks, shock written across his features. He lines up his pinky beside his first three fingers, cocks his head and inspects them critically.

“Shit,” he mumbles. He’s had his hand around Harry’s cock just once but vividly recalls being unable to wrap his whole hand around it. Experimentally, he makes a fist around those four fingers. The tip of his thumb and his index finger just meet. He can’t believe it. But, then, that’s got to be how big Harry is. Which means that, if Louis wants to prepare himself for his Alpha, he’s gonna have to fit four fingers inside himself. At least.

This time, when he reaches for the lube, he trembles.

 

 

Twenty minutes later Louis creeps out of the bathroom, tugging his sweatpants over his hips. He’s pulled on a coat and is stuffing his feet into his vans when, suddenly:

"Louis."

Louis jumps violently and swears. The voice comes from Liam’s bed.  

"Where are you going?"

Louis blinks a couple of times and, as his eyes slowly adjust to the dim light, he’s able to make out where Zayn is burrowed in Liam’s arms.

"Back to our room," Louis lies.

The glimmer of Zayn's dark eyes narrows. He begins to wriggle out from under the weight of Liam’s arm.

Louis’ eyes widen in panic. Spinning, he uses the opportunity to dart out of the room.

Zayn catches up to him when Louis slows down to open the door to the stairwell.

“Are you mental!?” Zayn hisses, skidding into the space between Louis and the door and pushing the other Omega back.

Louis clasps his fingers behind his back, paranoid that Zayn will be able to smell the slick on them. By the time he slid the third finger into his silky insides he was soaking wet and ended up throwing the lube aside. The thought of Harry, agonising alone, has been plaguing him… But it’s tempting him too. “Don’t know what you’re on about, bro,” he says. “I just wanna go back to my own bed.”

“You’re gonna try and find Harry, aren’t you?”

Louis scoffs. “Course I’m not-”

"Oh my God,” Zayn groans, running one hand through his wilted quiff. “Louis, it's a stupid idea."

Louis’ delicate features contort into an expression of outrage. “Why is it stupid?!” he demands.

Zayn raises his eyebrows and Louis scowls as he realises his mistake.

Crossing his arms, he continues, “why is so stupid to wanna be there for Harry, my Alpha. He’s always been there for me-”

"Because it’s so risky for starters,” Zayn argues.

"Well, it’s worth it," Louis retorts. “Now move.” He takes Zayn’s arm and starts to pull him from his position in front of the door.

Zayn lets himself be dragged out of the way. “Why don’t I ask Liam to go with you?" he asks hopefully.

"Because your boyfriend thinks I'm three years old," Louis replies, with a hint of accusation. “He’s already told me I can’t see him.” He swings open the door.

"So by sneaking off you're going to prove that you're really mature," Zayn says sarcastically, trailing after him.

Louis glares at him. “Are you following me now?”

“Yes.”

“Fine,” Louis snaps, but he’s biting back a smile.

They sneak out of their boarding house and make their way across the shadowy grounds towards the school, walking along the right-hand side of the building once they reach it.

"Everything looks the same in the dark," Zayn whispers, peering up at the windows.

"He's close," Louis says, not breaking his stride.

Zayn has to run to catch up with him. "How do you know, bro?"

"I just - I dunno - I do." He stops abruptly and points towards a window on the first floor. "He’s in there."

Craning his head back, Zayn whispers, "…Wouldn't it be easier to go through the school?"

Louis thinks about it. "Yeah but then we'd have to break into the school, then into the nurses office, then into his room." He looks around. "Let's try this way first. Come on, help me with that bench."

The picnic bench, however, is much heavier than it looks and the two Omegas have barely succeeded in moving it two metres when a tall, hulking figure rounds the corner of the building.

Louis gasps and drops the bench with a heavy thud. He looks like a frightened rabbit, ready to bolt.

"It's Liam," Zayn breathes. "Lou, it's okay, it's just Liam."

Louis lets out a nervous laugh. Zayn doesn't think it's funny, the sheer terror in Louis’ eyes dashes his hope that Louis hasn’t been affected by what happened.

"Louis, is this a fucking joke!?" Liam hisses as he steps into the light. "After everything that just happened?"

Louis juts his chin. "Like I was gonna leave him on his own.”

"You are being so irresponsible!” Liam rages. “Harry almost died saving you and now you're – fucking – out here alone – putting Zayn at risk as well.”

Louis feels short of breath. "I never wanted Harry to get hurt," he protests.

Sighing, Liam pinches the bridge of his nose. “No, I know, I know.” He drops his hand. “Now will you please come back with me?”

Louis takes a step away from him. "What happened to ‘he needs to be with Harry’?Yousaid that, like, five hours ago!"

“Yes but that was before I realised Harry was still in rut,” Liam argues.

“Okay…” Louis says. “So – it’s him thatneeds me then.”

Liam can’t believe they’re arguing about this. “Look, little one, he’s not gonna… he’s not gonna be able to hold back.”

"I don't want him to," Louis replies stubbornly.

"If you go in there..." Liam doesn't know how to say it. He throws an embarrassed look at Zayn. "He’ll probably just… grabyouandbendyouover.”

Louis swallows. "I d-don't care.”

"Louis," Liam says firmly. "He might hurt you. And you might be okay with that but he won't be."

"But he's fucked other Omegas when he's been in rut before," Louis says angrily.

Liam looks taken aback. Blinking, he says, "But those Omegas were a lot bigger and a lot older than you." He pauses as he considers how to phrase the next bit. "And there was always more than one…”

Now Louis growls. “He’s mine.”

Liam’s eyes harden at his tone.

“And I’m the only Omega he needs.”

Liam holds his gaze for a long moment. Then: "Fine," he says shortly. He looks down, his voice suddenly warm as he says to Zayn, "Go join Louis, sweetheart."

Together, Liam and the two Omegas heave the bench over to the wall. Then Liam climbs on top of it, albeit reluctantly, picks Louis up and lifts him towards the window.

Standing on Liam’s shoulders, Louis peers into the room. He was right. Although it’s dark he can see that a bed is occupied by Harry’s figure. Through the cracked window he can smell something delicious. Breathing it in hungrily, he yanks the window open the rest of the way. “It’s him, Liam,” he says, looking down. “Can you give me a boost?”

A few moments later Louis is dropping down into the room.

It’s not like an examination room, neither is the bed like a doctor’s bed. The room is almost entirely bare; the bed: sturdy. And Harry is sprawled on his back in the middle of it, sleeping deeply, his face turned into his arm. Black leather straps tie each wrist to the bed posts above his head. He has purple, finger-shaped bruises wrapped around his throat from where Blair tried to strangle him. He's fully clothed but his sweat-drenched shirt and skin-tight jeans leave little to the imagination.

Louis moves quietly over to him. He ghosts his palm over the substantial bulge in Harry’s jeans and gasps at the size and heat of it.  A moment later, his honeyed scent is filling the room.

“Louis?”

Louis’ eyes spring back open, immediately finding Harry’s.

Harry’s nostrils are flared, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on him.

"Harry,” Louis breathes.  He withdraws his hand quickly and lifts it to Harry’s forehead instead, smoothing back his damp curls. “Shit, are you okay, Hazza?" he whispers.

Harry has already begun to pant heavily. “Are… you… okay?” he returns, searching Louis’ face with his eyes. Louis nods and Harry’s eyes flutter close in an expression of utter relief. The leather straps creak. "I need to touch you,” he mumbles. He grits his teeth and yanks at his bonds. “I – need – to – touch – you!”

Louis smiles through his nerves. “You’re gonna, Haz, as soon as I get you out of these.” But he quickly realises that that’s a promise he can’t keep. “Fuck,” he mutters, examining the cuffs. “I need to find a key. I’m gonna be right back, okay?”

Harry tosses his head back and forth on the pillow. “No, no, no. I need you now.”

“But-but how-”

“Please,” Harry croaks, “I’m so-o hard.” He throws his head back, the sinews in his throat straining. “Lou-ou-ou-is. I need you.” His eyes flutter open again. "I need you, I need you, I need you," he babbles. Bracing his feet on the bed he begins to buck and roll his hips.

"O-okay," Louis stammers. “Okay.” He jumps onto the bed and straddles Harry’s waist. His fingers fumble over the buttons of Harry's shirt. He pulls it open, baring Harry's smooth, hard chest. Unable to resist, he bends down and takes one dark nipple into his mouth.

Harry makes a wanton, almost pitiful sound.

His poor Alpha, Louis thinks as he draws back, leaving Harry's nipple shiny with spit. He shimmies further down the bed and swiftly unbuttons Harry’s jeans, then tugs both them and his boxers over his hips…

He sees the nest of dark brown curls first. Then he’s engulfed by the scent of him. God, he can practically taste it. A moment later, to the sound of Harry’s groan, his cock springs free.

Louis gapes. It’s bigger than he remembered: a tower of dark flesh with veins as thick as ropes, the sculpted head of it bubbling with pre-come. Louis’ mouth waters and he flushes at his own shamelessness.

Harry startles him out of his mesmerisation. “For you,” the Alpha whispers. “‘S’all hard for you...”

He’sintimidatingly huge… yet slick is oozing down the crease of Louis’ arse, dripping from his balls and trickling down his thighs. “Yeah, I can see that,” he replies breathlessly.

The metal bedframe clangs as Harry yanks wildly at his bonds.

Louis jumps, his heart racing. It’s dizzying, seeing the effect he has on the powerful Alpha underneath him. There’s a feral gleam in Harry’s eyes now.

Louis quickly gets rid of the rest of their clothes, slipping off the bed so that he can pull Harry’s boots, socks and jeans over his feet. Once he’s naked too, Louis crawls back into Harry’s lap, splaying his knees either side of his hips. He bends down and presses his lips to Harry’s.  

Harry absolutely dominates him, drawing him in deep, licking and biting his way into Louis’ mouth. All the while he’s writhing underneath Louis, threatening to unseat him.

Louis flattens his palms over Harry’s ribs to try and still him. When he pulls back Harry chases his lips until he's physically restrained by his bonds. He’s a sight to behold like that: every muscle bulging, his curls falling into his eyes and brushing his collarbones; his eyes blazing as they travel from Louis’ face and down the slender lines of his body.

Gooseflesh flourishes all over Louis’ skin. He’s aware of his nipples stiffening, his prick throbbing… his hole quivering. Heart pounding, he wraps a hand around Harry's cock, looks down… and, to his complete humiliation, realises that he's not tall enough to position himself over it. Last time they did it like this, he suddenly remembers, Harry had to lift him onto it.

Harry, meanwhile, looks like he’s holding his breath. Underneath his sweat-streaked skin his muscles flex expectantly.

Louis’ brief sense of empowerment vanishes.  Keep it together, he thinks. Then: fuck. He's crying. Liam was right. He’s not big enough and, since he'll never grow again, he's never gonna be big enough to ride his Alpha’s cock.

But as he tries to hold back a sob there’s a horrified gasp from underneath him. Blinking rapidly, he sees that Harry’s eyes are wrung with pain. A moment later, to Louis’ alarm, they fill with tears.

“Don’t cry,” Harry begs, his own voice cracking. He pulls hopelessly at his bonds again. “Lovie, please. Please. I c-can’t bear it.” And he definitely means it, watching Louis with a tortured expression. “I can’t bear it.” His gaze darts downwards. “It’s okay, Loubear,” he says, as he quickly realises the problem, “just – you’re g-gonna have to crouch, yeah?”

Louis hesitates.

“Come on, lovie. I know you can do it,” Harry says desperately. “…Please.”

Self-conscious, Louis puts his weight on the balls of his feet. He places his hands on Harry’s chest and the Alpha encourages him: “There you go.”

With the extra height Louis’ able to hold himself above Harry’s cock and he feels the hot, smooth head of it slide through his slick. He quickly reaches back and presses it to his hole.

A droplet rolls off his cheek and splashes onto Harry’s chest; but Louis doesn’t know if it’s sweat or tears. Forcing himself to breath, Louis pushes back and feels his hole begin to stretch.

“Yes,” Harry is muttering, “yes, yes, yes.”

Louis’ eyes dart up to his face at the same moment that Harry breeches him. He watches Harry's mouth fall open in response. He doesn’t even realise he’s mirroring him until the breath leaves his lungs in a tremulous whoosh. Fitting the head in makes his eyes roll back. It burns. But he’s so wet that he’s eagerly swallowing Harry up.

Pausing to catch his breath, Louis lets a genuine smile split across his face. “I did it, Haz-” he pants.

But before he’s finished speaking Harry bucks underneath him, shoving all of it up inside him.

They both cry out, flinging their heads back simultaneously.

Louis has one moment to try and comprehend the sudden transition from being torturously empty to unimaginably full…

Then he's being fucked.

Hard. Fast.

He’s being stretched out ruthlessly. Falling back to his knees, Louis’ hand slide over the sweaty skin of Harry’s torso, searching for something to hold onto as he bounces precariously in Harry’s lap.

Harry’s frantic. Tears bloom in the corners of his eyes but never fall.

Louis’ never been more aroused and frightened than he is right now, split open on his Alpha’s cock. Because, despite the fact that it hurts, that Louis can hear his own whimpers beneath Harry’s grunts, Louis adores the feeling of Harry claiming him.

As more and more of Louis’ slick seeps out of him the glide of Harry’s cock becomes easier.

Louis arches, desperate to see, only to have Harry hit that place inside him. The next cry that escapes him is pleasurable.

Harry, who hasn’t faltered in his punishing pace, speeds up, hammering that part inside him.

Louis’ cries sound like wails. His dick flings pre-come over Harry’s chest.

He’s vaguely aware that Harry is grunting, "Gonna knot you.”

Louis nods frantically, only now realising that tears are rolling his cheeks.

Harry is relentless. His hips leave the bed with each thrust, the muscles of his buttocks clenching. "Gonna knot you.”

Louis keeps nodding, sobbing out a broken, “yes.”

"Yeah?” Harry groans. Where his cock comes out of Louis it’s purple, ready to burst. “Yeah? You gonna take it?" His face is startlingly intense and as his thrusts grow erratic they get harder, punching gasps out of Louis. "Yeah?" Harry grits out.

"Yes," Louis gasps because he wants it so much. He wants Harry to start coming and never stop, he wants him to bury himself deep and pump him full of seed. He wants – he wants – “want you to fill my little hole!”

Harry throws his head back with an inhumanly blissful shout.

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His beautiful curls fan out across the pillow. His long fingers twist around the leather straps that bind him. And his hips jerk off the bed, taking Louis’ with them.

Louis’ mouth falls open as he feels his body adjust for the intrusion of Harry’s cock, further up inside him than he’s taken it before.

For the space of one breath they’re poised like that: Harry’s hips arched off the bed and Louis… impaled on him… Then Harry’s legs give out, they fall back to the mattress and Harry’s body twists as his orgasm rips through him.

The leather snaps. Harry’s hands fly upwards. His eyes spring open. One hand grips Louis by the back of the neck, the other grabs his hip.

Then Louis is being thrown onto his back; his hips are being dragged upwards and Harry is throwing his head back and releasing another animalistic roar.

At the sound of Harry laying claim to him, Louis’ orgasm suddenly crashes over him. He cries out, his toes curling hard and his heels digging into the small of Harry’s back. He begins to spasm around the knot that explodes inside him, milking the seed from it with uncontrollable clenching.

Harry releases a final bellow. His fingers bruise Louis’ waist as he jerks with the force that he’s emptying himself inside Louis…

…As the pleasure of Louis’ orgasm fades, his eyes flutter open. Tears are streaming past his temples into his hairline. Above him, Harry’s teeth are gritted together. He’s breathing heavily, his brow furrowed deeply, his eyes jammed shut.

His knots still swelling, Louis realises, and Louis – tight as a vice around it – is hurting him. Blinking back tears, Louis presses his head back against the pillow and forces himself to relax around it.

In response, Harry breathes out, “Yes, Louis. Fuck.”                       

His back arches. The breath gets stuck in his throat. “Harry!”

“Just a little bit more, lovie,” Harry chokes out.

Louis doesn’t hear him. His lashes flutter as his eyes roll back. He claws blindly at Harry’s forearms, dragging him down until he’s able to wrap his arms around Harry’s neck. He bites into his collarbone to hide his scream. He is absolutely and completely claimed.

 

 

As usual, Harry takes Louis into his lap whilst they wait for his knot to recede. Louis rests his hands on Harry’s chest, trying to catch his breath. When he looks down his heart suddenly stutters. He can see Harry in his stomach, his knot pushing out his abdomen. It’s not obviousbut when he runs his hand over it he knows that the protrusion is the shape of Harry’s huge knot. And, fuck Liam, he does get a little overwhelmed. Unwilling to let Harry see him cry, Louis shoves his face into the sweaty nape of his neck.

"Heyyyyy,” Harry soothes, ever the attentive Alpha. He lifts a hand to cradle the back of Louis’ head. “You did so well," he croaks, his voice raw. The gorgeously wrecked, throaty sound of it combined with the thick, musky scent of his sweat is overwhelming.

Well, that’s not entirely true. What’s overwhelming is sitting on his Alpha’s cock, stretched wide on his knot.

Harry, evidently, thinks so to. His hands roam over Louis’ body, unbelievably large on the sleek skin of his back and his thighs. He whispers filthilty sweet nothings into his ear, his voice a sensual purr. “Take me so well.”

Louis’ eyes flutter open, his tear-damp lashes brushing the skin of Harry's throat.

"You’re stretched so tight, lovie," Harry marvels. Louis feels him trace a finger around his rim. He catches his breath as he realises that Harry is peering over his shoulder and staring at his stuffed hole.

"Fill you up so well, don’t I?" Harry continues in a wondrous whisper. Drawing back, he admires the view from the front.

Louis pulls his face from Harry's neck, watching the Alpha with curiosity and mounting lust.

Harry flattens his palm over Louis' stomach and lets out a loud groan. “So well." Then be lunges forward and beings to press open-mouthed kisses along Louis' jaw and throat. The hand cupping Louis' cheek covers the whole side of his head. Harry drags his tongue along the mark he left on Louis’ neck last week, lapping at it with his hot tongue.

Louis shudders, squeezing Harry's knot involuntarily and realises, as he does, that it’s shrunk inside him.

Harry moans low in his throat at the sensation. His hands return to Louis' hips.

Louis feels the drag of his cock, leaving him empty, as he’s lifted off it.

Louis' eyes go wide as he's forced back onto it. A small oof is pushed from his lungs. 

Harry starts sliding him off it again... then-

Splash.

Louis gasps. God, he’s so wet.

Harry licks his lips. His biceps flex as he pulls Louis off it again.

Splash.

Louis cries out with each thrust. He so loose, at least the inside of him is: stretched out by Harry’s knot and brimming with seed and slick. It’s seeping out him, pooling in Harry’s lap.

Splash. Splash. Splash.

Harry is staring, intently, at his cock as it glides into Louis and comes out slathered in their come.

And then, suddenly, he stills.

Louis’ whole body twitches. He sways in Harry’s lap.

Then Harry erupts off the bed. Wrapping Louis' legs around his waist, he surges over to the door and slams him up against it.

Louis shouts out, clutching at his shoulders.

He feels someone trying to open the door behind him. But Harry is pushing back. Alpha instincts in overdrive, he must have heard someone approaching.

To Louis’ shock, Harry resumes fucking him up against the door, folding his knees up against his chest and plunging inside him.

"He’s mine," Harry chants. Slick and seed dribble to the door between his feet. “Mine! Mine! Mine!”

Louis realises that he wants them to hear. Like he’s a wild Omega from thousands of years ago, getting fucked by his Alpha in front of the whole pack - so that they knew there was only one Alpha for him.

Harry leans forward. Louis parts his lips, thinking he’s gonna be kissed, but Harry growls into his mouth. "Say it.”

"I'm-I'm yours,” Louis gasps.

He's barely finished speaking when Harry smashes their mouths together. His feet slip on the slicked up floor as he frantically buries himself inside Louis. A moment later his knot locks them together again. His shoulders sag with relief.

Louis tries to catch his breath as Harry pulls back. One knee is pressed up against his chest, the other is hooked over Harry’s elbow.

He’s blinking sweat from his eyes when Harry’s long fingers splay across his jaw. Louis’ head is roughly snapped to the side, his throat bared.

His whole body seizes up in anticipation.

He expects to feel an explosion of pain. Instead, as Harry's teeth sink into the tender, week-old mark on his neck, pleasure courses through him.

With a weak moan, his cock dribbles onto his stomach.

Harry is groaning around a mouthful of Louis' neck, thick pulses of his seed filling Louis up once more.

They stay like that for a long time.

Harry is trembling by the time he removes his teeth from Louis’ throat. He places his hands on Louis’ hips, holds him still and pulls his sopping dick out.

Louis smothers a little whimper, gripping Harry’s curls tightly. He’s lowered to the floor like he’s made of glass. Louis shivers as his toes land in the gooey pool of their come.

Above him, Harry is listening intently for a sign of movement from outside the door, his forehead pressed to the wood.

Louis leans his cheek against the butterfly on Harry’s ribcage. His whole body thrums.

Only after several minutes of silence does Harry pull back. One hand cups Louis’ cheek, tilting his head up. “Love you,” he murmurs.

Head craned back, Louis’ eyes widen.

Harry smiles softly at him, gliding his thumb over Louis’ cheek.

Louis swallows. Butterflies erupt in his chest. “I love you, too,” he whispers.

Dimples appear in Harry’s cheeks. He pulls Louis’ head back into his chest. He’s clearly exhausted, having exerted all of his pent-up energy in only twenty minutes of frantic fucking. His cock hangs, heavy and spent, between his thighs.

Louis has never been told how to tend to an Alpha in rut. Aside from the obvious, in ABO Ed. they completely ignore the topic. Stifling his nerves, he slips his hand into Harry’s. “Let’s lie down, yeah?” he whispers, sliding out from between Harry and the wall. He tugs at the Alpha’s hand. “Haz? Come lie down…” Slowly, Louis guides his boyfriend over to the bed.

Harry collapses onto it: a gentle giant with his curls plastered to his cheek, his eyelids flapping languidly. His muscular thighs are streaked with Louis’ slick; his pubes are soaked with it. There are tiny teeth marks around his nipple.

The same instinct that tells Harry to care for Louis, tells Louis that it’s up to him now. He goes over to the sink and runs the hot water. He can’t find a cloth in the ill-equipped room and settles for folding up toilet paper and carefully wetting it. He returns to Harry and starts pressing the hot tissue to his flushed cheeks, to his sweaty chest and to the sticky skin between his thighs and around his groin.

Before long Harry is pulling him onto the bed, forcing Louis to drop the tissues on the floor. Harry lays him down carefully, then curls protectively around him, tucking Louis’ head under his chin and slinging a leg between Louis’. One hand smooths over Louis’ stomach and slips between his thighs. He sinks two fingers into Louis’ hole… sighs deeply… and relaxes into sleep.

Louis’ brow creases into a small frown. He turns his head on the pillow. Harry’s face is right above his own, his lips parted against the pillow. Louis’ own, much littler, hand trails over his stomach.

Harry groans and presses closer to him and Louis feels a third finger squeeze inside.

Thoughtfully, Louis continues to stroke his own belly, kneading it with his fingertips. Is he imagining it or is it squishier? Fuller? He spreads his fingers out. He’s not imagining it. He’s swollen with Harry’s seed and plugged up with Harry’s fingers so it stays that way. A smile stretches across his face.  He turns, flings a thigh over Harry’s wrist to keep it there and buries his face in his chest.

 

 

Louis wakes up to the sight of golden sunbeams slanting across Harry’s skin. With each deep breath the velvety head of Harry’s cock smears pre-come into Louis’ bellybutton.

It’s a moment before Louis realises he can hear multiple sets of heels in the corridor. He bolts upright. Harry’s weak and vulnerable at the moment.

The heels pause outside the door. Like Louis, they’re listening for the sound of movement. His heart is beating so loudly that Louis thinks, for one insane moment, they’ll be able to hear it.

Then the door-handle clicks. Louis waits with baited breath as the door creaks open and reveals four figures: Nurse Patel, Mrs Hodgehouse, the headmistress and an unfamiliar man. He’s dressed smartly and has a tall, slim build. A Beta.  

Louis begins to growl. He’s got an arm thrown over Harry’s waist and they’re both naked but for the sheet draped over their hips.

“Alright,” his headmistress says, “let’s get him out of here.”

Louis draws back. Harry’s arm tightens, reflexively, around his waist, though he continues to sleep deeply.

“Louis, come here,” Mrs Hodgehouse hisses.

“No."

“Louis."

“No.”

The Beta steps forward, placing his hand on the doorframe as though he would bar the teachers from entering the room. "This is my patient," he says. “They both need to be somewhere where they have access to food and water; to a bathroom. He has his own room here – so long as he stays with his Omega he is a danger to no one.”

“I can’t allow two of my pupils-”

“The laws of mating – really – they go beyond your school rules. I’m sorry. But I have insisted before that my patients are dealt with in a humane manner.”

The conversation rapidly deteriorates from there. Louis breathes a sigh of relief when the adults return to the corridor and close the door. They’re probably worried about waking Harry up, he thinks. So Louis turns and shakes the sleeping Alpha. Let’s see Mrs Hodgehouse try and separate them now, he thinks.  

Harry sits up, brushing his curls from his eyes with both his hands. There’s a hungry, determined look in his eye that tells Louis he’s oblivious to the sound of raised voices from behind the door. One hand glides all the way down Louis’ side to his hook under his knee.

“Harry – wait,” Louis says as he’s easily pulled into the older boy’s lap. He feels his hard cock nudging his hole. “Harry, the teachers are outside!”

Harry’s eyes snap back open. When he’s this close he’s just a blur of jade-green eyes and chocolate-brown curls. Louis watches him tilt his head. Listening. Then he's tossed onto the mattress as Harry leaps off the bed and crosses to the door. Completely naked. He wrenches the door open and Louis get a glimpse of the alarmed expressions of the four adults.

“Fuck,” he mutters, scrambling after the Alpha. He swipes a school shirt off the floor, skids to a stop behind Harry and reaches around his waist to hold it over Harry’s groin.

“Louis' mine, I need him, you can't take him away,” Louis hears him saying and, as he does, Harry’s long fingers reach back, finding Louis’ arm. He tugs Louis from behind his back so that he can hold him close. But Louis’ naked too and as he squirms away despite everything – despite Blair and the teachers’ intention to separate them - he lets out a sudden giggle.

“Harry!” Breathless, Louis hides himself behind Harry’s back once more. Harry, he realises, is blocking the entrance to the room like a wolf at the mouth of his den.

Unmoved and unimpressed, the headmistress says: “Harry may go with the doctor and return home – but Louis will not be going with him-"

“The boy needs to be with Harry,” the doctor says with an air of exasperation.

Beneath the shirt in Louis’ hand Harry’s cock is hot and thick. When his head clears he's going to be so embarrassed about all this, Louis thinks. He can't wait to tease him about it.

“Yes, Louis needs to be with me,” Harry is saying eagerly. “Doctor-”

“Oh this has gone on long enough!” the headmistress snaps. “This school is not a place for Alphas to indulge their desires – we teach restraint and-”

“Literally,” Louis interrupts. 

The headmistress breaks off. “Beg your pardon?”

“You had him tied to the bed,” Louis says angrily, glaring at her from behind Harry’s back. He takes the Alpha’s wrist and shows it to the adults. The skin there has been rubbed raw by the leather cuffs.

The doctor turns to the three women, his expression livid. Louis lets his triumph show on his face.  

“He’s an Alpha,” the nurse says unapologetically. “We could hardly let him loose in the school.”

“He only returned to the school to protect an Omega,” the doctor says.

“And managed to injure three other pupils in the process!” the headmistress hisses.

“To prevent a boy from being raped,” the doctor whispers furiously.

“If Mr Tomlinson learned to control his Omega urges there would have been no attack in the first place. Instead he’s been pitting Alphas against each other-”

“We’re not animals,” Louis shouts. “You can’t solve everything by tying us to beds and locking us away or drugging me to control my Omega urges!”

Harry, who began to growl the moment he heard the distress in Louis’ voice, turns to the adults at the end of this and lets out a ferocious snarl.

Mrs Hodgehouse shrieks. Nurse Patel and the headmistress stagger backwards.

Harry, however, has already gathered Louis into his arms and begun nuzzling his cheek. The t-shirt lies forgotten by their feet. “You’re okay, Loubear,” he whispers. “I won’t let anyone take you away from me.”

Louis struggles to maintain his fierce glare. At some point in the last five minutes Harry seems to have completely lost track of the conversation, though he’s remained attuned to Louis’ emotional state.

“You’ve distressed my patient enough,” the doctor says to Louis’ headmistress. “If the boy wants to spend Harry’s rut with him then it is his choice. His choice, Harry,” he adds, raising his eyebrows at the Alpha.

“I do,” Louis tells them earnestly.

The doctor nods. “Then go get dressed. I’m going to take you back to his room.”

Louis is eager to comply. He drags Harry back into the room and slams the door behind them. Releasing the Alpha’s hand, he begins to search through their clothes.

He’s tugging on his sweatpants when Harry comes over - still naked - and begins to force his jumper over his head.

“Harry!” he exclaims.

The Alpha kisses the top of his head when it emerges and Louis’ face splits into a smile. Harry tries to help him with the sleeves.

“Go put some clothes on, Harold, honestly,” Louis tells him.

But Harry startles him by growling.

Shaken, Louis lets the Alpha pull his hands out of the sleeves like he’s dressing an especially fragile china doll. Only then does it occur to him that telling an Alpha in rut what to do can hurt their fragile pride. A good Alpha should know what his Omega wants and needs. He lets Harry plant a possessive kiss on his lips before the Alpha lopes off in search of his trousers.

The door opens slowly. Cautiously, the Doctor approaches Louis. “As your Alpha’s Doctor,” he begins quietly, “I’m obliged to tell you that spending Harry’s rut with him is…” But the Doctor trails off, his eyes moving upwards.

Two arms coil around Louis’ waist. Dropping his chin onto Louis’ shoulder, Harry watches the Doctor balefully.

The Doctor swallows, returning his gaze to Louis. “I don’t monitor my patients so you go with Harry at your own risk… Unless you say something now,” he finishes meaningfully. His gaze flickers between Louis and Harry throughout this, knowing the slightest suggestion that Louis will be taken from him could enrage the Alpha.

Fortunately, Harry is plainly not listening. Instead he is being all kinds of embarrassing: pulling Louis’ jumper over his shoulder to bare his neck; nosing at the soft skin there; holding Louis still by a hand on his throat.

Louis catches his breath as Harry snaps at the bite mark on his neck, then laps at it insistently. So much for not being animals, he thinks.

But as Harry finally draws back, straightening up so that he looms behind Louis, it becomes apparent that he was listening after all. He is displaying the bite mark to the Doctor and fixing the man with a defiant look.

The Doctor’s eyes have widened.

All three of them are aware that nothing else needs to be said.

 

 

The Doctor escorts them back to their boarding house. As they enter Harry’s corridor the pungent smell of an Alpha in rut draws the other boys from their rooms. At the sight of Harry they release a cheer, though it quickly turns into a chorus of laughter as Harry snarls at them.

“Go on, Styles!”

“You’re bloody hero, Harry!”

“Off to claim his prize, now, hey!?”

“What a champ!”

“Nah, that’s the fucking champ right there,” says a boy on the right.

Louis blinks as he realises the Alpha is speaking about him. The older boy grins and surreptitiously holds out his fist.

Bursting with pride, Louis gives him a sneaky fist bump.

Halfway down the corridor, Liam pokes his head out of a door. His eyes widen at the sight of them and he turns to call back into the room. “Zayn, come here!”

There’s a muffled, “’m sleeping.”

“Sweetheart, for God’s sake.”

Liam disappears again and emerges a moment later, carrying Zayn bridal style and setting him on his feet in the corridor. The Doctor does a double-take at the sight of them, scrutinising the dark-haired, and clearly underage, Omega. He gives Liam a flat look.

“I never touched him,” Liam says immediately, nudging Zayn behind his back.

Fortunately, Harry shoulders past them at that moment, dragging Louis by the hand.

“Louis!” Zayn cries, darting out from behind Liam’s back and attempting to chase after his friend.

Liam quickly hauls him back.

“Harry, one moment-” the Doctor begins to say.

But the door is slammed in his face.

“Don’t forget – you’ll need to look after yourself as well as Louis!”

That’s how, once again, Liam and Zayn find themselves standing in the stairwell of Prince George’s boarding house.

“Batman trilogy?” Liam asks, holding the very sleepy Omega’s hands.

Zayn drops his head against Liam’s chest. “No. Bed.”

Liam bends down, speaking softly into his ear. “Thought I couldn’t stay in your room?”

Zayn locks his arms around Liam’s waist, inhaling his musky scent. “Well, I’ve changed my mind, yeah?”

 

 

Harry’s rut lasts three days – they’re less frequent than Louis’ heats and therefore longer. The contents of the mini-fridge are by no means exhaustive. With better planning he would have made den for the duration and stocked it with plenty of food, fresh clothes and clean towels. The Alpha in him seethes at his failure to provide for his Omega… and makes up for it by showing Louis how much he loves him again and again and again.

But sometimes, in the brief moments when he’s able to form coherent thought, it feels like he’s racing against time. He’s desperate to finish his rut and deal with the likelihood that Louis is extremely traumatised by what happened. In those lucid moments he studies Louis’ sleeping face... until the shape of the bruise on his delicate cheekbone condenses all his thoughts into mine.

 

 

On Monday evening Harry is woken by a gentle but consistent tugging on his hair. He cracks one eye open and feels the fingers still, then quickly withdraw.

https://41.media.tumblr.com/9c080c0ef36b868bda51b49874179af5/tumblr_nmyrenSB1x1sr8ofxo10_250.png

Sighing sleepily, Harry rolls onto his back and blinks up at Louis’ smiling face.

“Morning, sunshine,” the Omega says. A delighted smile curves his lips as Harry double-takes as he checks the time on the phone. It’s 7pm.

Harry lifts his spare hand to his hair and feels that the (admittedly greasy) locks have been pulled into tight braids. “Little menace,” he murmurs, though he’s unable to keep the fondness from his tone. His hand finds the dip of Louis’ waist.

“How’re you feeling?” they ask together.

There’s a pause, a stalemate as they each wait for each other to answer first. Eventually Louis says, “I’m good.”

Harry smiles. “Me too, lovie… Think it’s over.” He pushes himself into a seated position. It takes an enormous amount of effort. He feels physically, no, literally drained.

https://33.media.tumblr.com/8a60d37cac4d07022e5c2af038e6ff75/tumblr_nmyrenSB1x1sr8ofxo4_250.gif

Once he’s upright, he takes Louis by the waist again and gently guides him onto his back.

Louis goes pliantly, then rests his hands on his stomach and watches Harry patiently. Waiting, Harry knows, to be used in whatever way Harry wants.

“Such a perfect Omega,” Harry praises, spreading his hands over the knitted jumper that Louis has stolen from him. He shucks it up his stomach and chuckles as Louis pretends to preen.

When Harry looks back down he isn’t the least bit surprised to discover that Louis is naked beneath the jumper. His hipbones look fragile and breakable under Harry’s large palms; his gorgeous thighs look tender and pinchable. Harry kisses each one beforeraising them in the air.

"Wait-" Louis begins to protest but he breaks off, flushing in embarrassment as Harry's eyes widen dramatically.

Louis squirms uncomfortably. “Harold, for fuck’s sake. Why’re you looking?” He tries to kick the Alpha in the head but Harry easily circles one hand around his dainty ankles. Both of them, Louis realises with a huff.

Harry reaches out and gently traces the pad of his thumb around Louis’ puffy, scarlet rim.

Louis catches his breath, his hole fluttering as it tries to close around the ghost of Harry’s cock. No longer blushing pink or the size of pinprick, Harry could easily fit a finger into the gape of Louis’ hole at the moment.

With guilt furrowing his brow, Harry lowers Louis’ legs back down. “Does it hurt?”

Louis fidgets with the hem of his jumper. It's pulled up to his chest, revealing a bite mark on his stomach. “I like it,” he eventually confesses. His cheek burn. “Can feel you inside me still…”

Harry’s shoulders sag with relief. Dimples appear in his cheeks as he asks, “yeah?”

Louis rolls onto his stomach, pulling the neck of his jumper over his face. “Don’t make me say it again,” he mumbles.

Beaming, Harry runs a hand up Louis’ delectable, golden thigh. He bends down, kisses one plump cheek (ignoring a further myriad bite marks) and says: “Gonna run a bath for you, love. How’s that sound?”

 

 

Louis has fallen back to sleep when Harry returns, his jumper bunched up around his narrow waist. Which is more enticing, Harry wonders, the dimples at the bottom of his spine or the welcoming spread of his thighs? The honey-hues of his skin or the feathery sweep of his eyelashes? The plumpness of his arse or the leanness of his limbs? Or the size of him? A miniature, daintier version of an Omega with the same unquenchable desire to filled by cock.

And God can he take it.

Scooping the sleeping boy up, Harry resolves to tell him all of this. Ruts can be difficult for Omegas psychologically as well as physically: they can be left feeling used and vulnerable. Harry knows he needs to make up for all the times he shoved his cock inside Louis without a word.

This resolve strengthens when they climb into the bath. The Omega’s skin is littered with the evidence of Harry’s lust. His hips are a patchwork of black and blue and he wears a necklace of teeth marks around his throat. Though none of these marks are as obvious as the bloody love bite on the nape of his neck. Louis can’t have seen it yet or surely he’d be furious.  

"You did so well," Harry whispers into his ear, massaging shampoo into Louis’ scalp. "God, I feel like the luckiest Alpha in the whole world."

“Shut up,” Louis says, rolling his eyes… though his head is tilted, his ears perked attentively.

“You’re so tiny-”

“I don’t think I’m that tiny-”

“But you take my cock so beautifully,” Harry purrs, kissing the shell of his ear.

Louis catches his breath, the colour rushing to his cheeks. He doesn’t interrupt again; not once throughout the next fifteen minutes as Harry’s tells him how good he was, how sweet he was, thanks him for looking after him, apologises for scaring or hurting him.

Louis’ melts under the praise. He turns and rubs his face into Harry’s neck, nuzzling his throat and sliding his fingers into his wet curls.

Back in Harry’s room Louis sits on his bed, wrapped in a towel, and watches Harry rifle through his cupboard.

“Which jumper do you want to wear?” Harry asks him, pulling heaps of muted greens, faded purples and dusky greys from the shelves of his cupboard. He fishes a turtleneck from the floor, hoping it will hide the bite mark on Louis’ neck, turns and shows it to him.

"Not that one," Louis says. Then, at Harry’s pout, he elaborates, "It's practically a dress. It's already too big on you, Harold."

"But you look so pretty in it," Harry implores, flashing him a brilliant smile.

At his words, however, a shadow passes over Louis' face.

The smile fades. "What?" Harry lets the jumper tumble to the floor and steps forward.

But Louis draws away from him.

Harry stops dead. He can hear the sound of his own heartbeat. "Lou? What is it?"

The Omega's eyes are round with fear... but they’re distant, as though he's recalling a memory. Harry’s terrified to think of what memory it could be.

"Louis, love?" he whispers, pulling the boy from his reverie.

Louis blinks and tears glisten in his eyes. He wipes them away with the back of his hand.

He's so precious, so unbearably precious. How can he not wake in every Alpha their primal need to protect…? How instead, could someone want to hurt him? Harry wonders bitterly.

"He said I looked pretty in your jumpers," Louis mumbles.

“No,” Harry breathes, shaking his head. “No, love, don’t let him take that away from you.”

Louis nods in agreement, his gaze on where his fingers are fidgeting in his lap. Then his face crumples.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Harry mutters. He can’t help it. He lunges forward and swoops Louis into his embrace.

Louis clings to the front of his shirt, hiding his face in the crook of Harry's neck as his body heaves with the force of sobs.

This moment has arisen far sooner than Harry hoped… but he’s prepared for it. When Louis’ ragged sobs have quietened and he’s no longer gulping for breath, Harry says: “I know what happened was terrifying-”

However, the moment that he starts to speak he feels Louis stiffen in his arms.

Cursing his ineloquence, he continues, “‘Cause he’s an arsehole, yeah? And he’s gonna go to jail-”

Louis starts to pull back. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Harry wets his lips. It goes against every instinct to keep speaking when he knows that, in the short-term, he’s just upsetting Louis.

“Okay, lovie, I just want to make sure you know-”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it!” Louis shouts.

Harry’s mouth snaps shut. You're a bad Alpha, a voice in his head screams.

"…Anyway,” Louis says nonchalantly, “it’ll cover up your love bite.”

Harry blinks. "Er… what love bite?"

Louis raises his eyebrows, his tears drying up as a smirk pulling at his lips. "The one you've been sucking on for the last three days, Harold."

“Oh,” Harry says. “That one…”

They agree on the next jumper that Harry pulls from his cupboard (a bulky, grey Calvin Klein one.) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BjojPl8CUAEmrfs.jpg

Louis arranges it across his shoulders with careful precision. “Can you see it?” he asks, trying (and failing) to look at the nape of his neck.

Harry opens his mouth.  

Louis’ looking up at him with innocence in his blue eyes.

“Yeah…? Is that… good?” he asks.

Louis frowns. “I thought that was the point…?”

Harry hurries to assure him, “yeah, of course it is.” Is Louis actually unaware of the significance of the mark on his throat? And, if he is, how can Harry tell him what it represents? How can he possibly tell him he’s accidently, and perhaps irrevocably, bonded them for life? He swallows. “It’s gorgeous, love…”

After they’re dressed Harry suggests that they go downstairs.

“Yeah, sounds good!” Louis replies, sliding off the bed. But he winces as he moves his weight to his feet. Harry lunges forward instantly, grabbing him like he’s about to faint. Louis snorts.

On any other day Harry might be abashed. Today, however, he demands: “Are you okay?”

“‘M fine,” Louis assures him, though the truth is he’s well and truly wrecked.

“Promise?”

There’s a slight pause. “…Yes?”

Harry steps back reluctantly, letting his hands fall from Louis’ waist. He watches Louis hobble another step. “You know what, I’m just gonna carry you,” Harry decides.

“No, Haz, come on,” Louis protests. “What’s Zayn gonna think?” But Harry is easily able to lift him off his feet, leaving Louis with no choice but to wrap his legs around Harry’s waist, his arms around his neck. Grumpily, he drops his cheek onto Harry’s shoulder (and tries to suppress his smile because, admittedly, he’s quite comfortable.)

It’s early evening and the Common Room is packed. As Harry pulls the door open he can hear arguing over the sound of the football match on the telly. To his relief, however, most of his friends are absent; leaving just Liam and Niall sprawled in the sofas in front of the telly.

Liam turns over his shoulder as they approach the front of the room. “Here they are!” he says.

Zayn’s head appears over his broad shoulders. His eyes crinkle happily. "Bro!"

“Bro!” Matching Zayn’s grin, Louis wiggles out of Harry’s arms and slides to the floor.

As Zayn scrambles from Liam’s lap, Louis begins to limp towards him.

By their expressions, the Alphas think Louis waddling and Zayn flinging himself at his friend is the most adorable thing in the world.

Niall, clearly, does not. His lips curl and he throws Harry a look of barely concealed revulsion.

Why does today have to be the day Niall looks away from a football match? Harry wonders, sharing a grimace with Liam as he collapses onto the sofa.

“How is the little one?” Liam asks him.

“Not a child, Liam,” Louis says immediately.

“Not anymore you’re not!” Liam sniggers, reaching out to ruffle Harry’s curls.

The younger Alpha struggles to contain his smile.

Slouched in the arm-chair beside them, Niall makes a small noise of disgust.

Zayn, meanwhile, has discovered Louis’ love bites. Pulling at the neck of Louis’ jumper, he turns and shows them to Liam, his face a parody of incredulity. “Caw, Lee-yum. Look at this!”

“Jesus Christ, Harry,” Liam says, leaning forward for a better look. “Feeling a bit possessive, were you?”

“No,” Harry lies. He reaches out, balls a fist in Louis’ jumper and drags his Omega into his lap.

Louis turns a squeak of pain into a cough, elbowing Harry when he begins to make a fuss so that Zayn won’t notice.

Niall tuts audibly, his arm crossed over his chest.

Harry frowns, loosening his arms around Louis’ waist. “Hey, Nialler.” Stretching out a leg, he nudges the boy’s elbow with the toe of hit boot. “You okay, mate?”

“I can’t believe you, Harry,” Niall says, shaking his head and refusing to look at him. “Can’t believe you’d put him through that.”

There’s a pregnant pause.

“Louis chose to be with me,” Harry replies, chest puffed with pride.

“Liam should never have let Louis go,” Niall retorts stubbornly. Shooting both Alphas a nasty look, he adds, “And you shouldn’t have let him stay,”

Louis bristles at Niall’s words, like a cat with his hair on end.

Petting Louis’ thigh to soothe him, Harry says, “Because it’s that easy,” and gives a large roll of his eyes.

“Look at his fucking neck, Harry!” Niall snaps. “The hell is wrong with you, you fucking animal.”

Harry sits forward. “Do I really need to explain why I felt the need to mark him as mine?”

“That thinking is exactly why Omegas shouldn’t let an Alpha rut them, on their own, until they’re mated!”

Harry opens his mouth. Louis is his fucking mate!  

But Louis, quicker than him, has tired of Niall yelling at Harry. “I knew what I was doing.”

“Pet, if things had gone wrong-”

“-You know, I have done ABO Ed.,” Louis interrupts.

"You see, mate?” Niall says to Harry, gesturing at Louis. “Thisis what I mean. He goes to those bullshit classes and thinks he’s learned something."

Louis’ expression turns ugly. “Seeing as I can’t make my own decisions I’ll just run everything by you or Harry, or Liam or Zayn or the nurse or the teachers or my mum in the future, shall I?”

Niall’s momentarily speechless. The Louis that he’s known, up until now, is timid and sweet. Now that the first waves of heats have passed, however, Louis’ feistiness is surfacing.

“I’m just – I’m just try’n’a give you my advice,” Niall says. “Alphas are completely unpredictable during rut. I’ve never been alone with one, not without at least two other Omegas. Even if they care about you a lot they can be uncontrollable.”

“That’s not entirely fair…” Liam says.

“Like. No offence, lads,” Niall says, raking a hand through his hair. “But that’s why we wait to spend a rut with an Alpha who loves us. So they still care about whether we’re okay.”

“Well, luckily, I do love him,” Harry says irritably.

Louis pretends not to notice Zayn’s gaze snapping to him.

“And,” Niall continues, acting as though Harry hasn’t spoken, though his voice his sharp, “even then young Alphas – evidently - can still be too rough.”

“Oh my God! You’re acting like we’re brutes!” Harry shouts. “You think we like hurting the boys we love?”

Niall balls his fists to stop them from shaking, his blue eyes electric. “HE CAN’T WALK!”   

Harry's nostrils flare. It's all too much: the implication that he's failed Louis and, on top of that, being screamed at by a distressed Omega. He cups a hand over Louis’ ear and pulls him into his chest. Niall is right. It could have gone wrong. He feels sick just thinking about it.

“AND YOU!” Niall yells, rounding on Liam. “I can smell your rut from a day away. You shouldn’t even be near Zayn.”

At the insinuation that Zayn’s going to be taken away from him, Liam coils his arms around the boy’s waist.

“Liam,” Niall warns.

Liam pulls Zayn even closer.

“LIAM!”

Thankfully, after a tense moment, Liam lets Zayn climb from his lap.

He leaves without a further word.

Harry blinks, shocked that he hadn’t picked up on the signs of Liam’s approaching rut. Guilt floods his chest.Niall’s been concerned about the young Omegas from the beginning. Since when was that a bad thing?

When the blonde boy slides onto the armrest next to him, Harry smiles gratefully at him.  

“Did you run him a bath?” Niall whispers.

Harry's smile drops. "Of course I did.” 

"And you told him he was good yeah?” Niall prods.

"For, like, fifteen minutes, Niall!" Harry hisses.

“You’re a champ, Louis,” Niall tells the younger Omega.

“I’ve told him all that,” Harry huffs. He nuzzles Louis’ neck. “You did amazing, love. But you know that, don’t you?”

Louis is preening under their care and compliments. So it’s a moment before any of them realise that Zayn is asking them a question.

“Is he gonna have his rut alone?” the youngest Omega asks.

“Huh?" Harry says. “Oh, yeah. Yeah, he is.”

Zayn’s brow furrows. “Is that… Isn’t that… Is he gonna be alright?”

Harry glances at Niall. “Yeah, sure.” He clears his throat. “I mean, of course.”

Several hours later – Harry’s ordered pizza and promptly fallen asleep; Louis’ in the middle of devouring it – Niall looks up from his phone and says: “hey, where’d Zayn go?”

Louis stops chewing. http://ohslashy.tumblr.com/post/124007292937/headbandlouisaf-louis-chewing-like-a-lil-baby He sits up, sliding the pizza box off his lap.

“Nah, stay there. I’ll find him,” Niall says, getting to his feet.

Louis watches him anxiously, like Zayn’s disappearance can only mean something terrible. God, the poor thing.

“He’s probably having a piss, pet, don’t worry about it,” Niall assures him.

He finds Zayn in the corridor, sitting on the bottom step of the stairwell with his knees to his chest. His brow is furrowed, his mobile pressed to his ear and he barely registers Niall slowly pushing open the door.

“You want to… what?” he’s whispers.

Niall can hear Liam’s voice on the other end of the phone.

“I don’t – I don’t know what that means,” Zayn confesses. A moment later his eyes widen and fill with tears. “Liam,” he protests.

Niall quickly snatches the phone from him. “Liam, that’s not funny,” he snaps into the receiver.

There’s a break. “Where’s Zayn gone?”

“Don’t call him again, Liam,” Niall warns and he hangs up.

Zayn is wiping his eyes, his olive skin flushed.

“Don’t answer if he calls again, yeah?” Niall tells him.

Taking his phone back, Zayn looks up at him with glimmering, golden eyes. http://data1.whicdn.com/images/59837304/large.png

“It’s not like him. You know he’s just – he’s out of it-” Niall says.

As Zayn nods miserably the phone in his hand starts to ring again.

Niall sighs irritably. “Jesus. Give it to me.”

 

 

Liam returns to school four days later and finds Zayn waiting for him outside their boarding house, bundled up in Liam’s coat like a field mouse in a nest. He approaches him hesitantly. “Hey, sweetheart…”

Zayn fiddles with his sleeves and mumbles, “…hey.”

Liam is physically repulsed by the things he’s imagined doing to this doe-eyed, waifish teen these last few days. Even though the Zayn in his fantasies was much older: a sexually, physically, mentally mature Omega.

“I’m sorry about the other night, Zaynie,” Liam says, dropping to his knees in front of him.

Zayn shrugs. “Didn’t understand half the stuff you were talking about.”

“Maybe we should keep it that way-”

“-‘Till I went on urban dictionary.”

Liam’s face falls comically.

Zayn snickers, his nose scrunching up and his eyes crinkling. He kicks Liam’s shoe playfully. “Don’t worry about it, babe,” he says. “Just… just please don’t do it again, yeah?”

Liam nods quickly. “Yeah. Never. I promise.” He breathes a sigh of relief. “C’mere.”

Zayn crawls over to him, curling his arms around Liam’s neck. Liam tucks one arm under his bum to keep him close as he gets to his feet. Zayn doesn’t need all of the coddling and cherishing yet that Louis does, but it’s nice to be pampered and adored by an Alpha all the same.

Liam carries him up to bed, easing the door to his room open with his foot.

In the darkness Harry’s eyes glow like orbs. It’s a few moments before Liam sees Louis, folded up and dwarfed in his arms. The Omega sleeps deeply, flushed and sweaty and spent, and doesn’t stir when Harry slides off the end of the bed. Or when he trips over literally nothing.

Liam rolls his eyes, carefully removing Zayn’s coat so that he doesn’t have to put him down. Crossing the room, he lowers Zayn into the bed where Louis’ sleeping. Harry joins him by their bedside and they watch Zayn crawl over to Louis; brush his fringe from his forehead and snuggle into him.

Louis’ tiny fingers curl around the fabric of Zayn’s t-shirt.

Harry throws an arm around Liam’s shoulders.

And all four of them smile.

 

Chapter Text

 

The Doctor, in his pale blue shirt and white coat, with his thinning brown hair, his long face and his patronising smile, sits in the chair in front of Louis. “It’s been a very hard month for you,” he says. “But Ithink the worst is over.” He tilts his head and smiles.

Louis doesn’t look up at him, toying instead with the rings adorning Harry’s long fingers. He’s slouched in Harry’s lap, sad and sulky because – even though he knows Harry’s doctor isn’t like Nurse Patel – he’ll have a thing about medical professionals for the rest of his life.

Harry, pressing a kiss to Louis’ temple, nods on his behalf.

“You’re probably looking at about six weeks before his next heat,” the Doctor concludes. “Harry, your rut will come a bit earlier as a result. Three-and-a-half months – something like that. Closer to the time we’ll be able to pinpoint the exact day – well, you know how it works. Now, where Louis is concerned officially I’m his doctor but it’s part of an Alpha’s role to recognise when their Omega is going into heat. We don’t do any invasive tests here.”

“I know the signs,” Harry replies confidently.

The Doctor nods. “Good. Then that’s all. Anything you’d like to ask?”

Harry looks at Louis. “You got any questions, love?”

Louis twists the ring on Harry’s index finger. “There’s something I’ve been wondering…” he says quietly.

The Doctor’s chair creaks as he leans forward, straining his ears. “Yes?”

Colour rushes to Louis’ cheeks. Continuing to stare into his lap, he says, “Harry said that he could feel me when he was looking for me that night… And when he was in rut, like, when he needed me I think I could feel him too. Sometimes when he’s happy I know he’s happy because I feel happy and I know when he’s sad or worried about something even when he doesn’t know.” He glances anxiously up the doctor as though he expects to see him laughing.

The Doctor is nodding thoughtfully, however, and when Louis has finished he asks: “Can I see you neck?”*

Harry’s stomach rolls over. When Louis glances at him he reluctantly nods his ascent.

The Omega pulls aside the neck of his jumper, revealing the bond mark on the nape of his neck.

The Doctor hums broodingly and pushes to his feet.

“We were in the heat of the moment,” Harry says guiltily, drawing Louis closer like a child who is afraid he's about to have his favourite toy confiscated. He has the vague yet mortifying recollection of showing the mark off to the doctor in the possessive haze of his rut.

Crouching down in front of Louis, the Doctor is very careful not to touch the bite mark. But he inspects it for a long time. “By that…” he says carefully, “do you mean you made this mark whilst knotted together?”

Harry’s arms tighten around Louis’ middle. He’s wearing a shirt he’s seems to have chosen purely because it reveals as many of his tattoos as possible. This close to him, Harry’s scent is like an aura that envelopes the Omega in his lap. The Doctor remembers Harry before his first rut: a skinny, porcelain-skinned boy with a cheesy grin. Within weeks he had grown by a staggering nine inches, until he stood six-foot five-inches tall. Days in the sun playing rugby – which he suddenly excelled at – turned his milky skin brown. And his smile became dazzling… magnetic (though as broad and dimpled as ever.) 

[Inspo] 

The Doctor swallows. However, model Alpha that Harry is, he also has rippling muscles to match his towering stature. “I’m sorry,” the Doctor says, “but it’s important.”

Harry nods stiffly.

The Doctor returns to his desk. “This may come as a shock but that is no ordinary ‘hickey’. It’s unusual considering how young you both are. All the same… a bite made during knotting can result in-”

“-We’ve bonded,” Louis interrupts breathlessly. His smile shines like the sun. He stops playing with Harry’s fingers, locking them together instead. “Haven’t we?”

The Doctor gives Harry cursory look. “It would appear so.”

“I knew it,” Louis says. “I asked my best mate about it – even though he said I was being stupid – and he said it happened if an Alpha and an Omega were soul mates, mates for life.” Bursting with happiness he turns and throws his arms around Harry’s neck.

Harry’s expression is both relief and disbelief. For the past two weeks he has anxiously observed how rapidly his bite-mark healed and, yet, did not fade. Embarrassed to tell Louis that when he bit him in a fit of possessiveness he accidently bonded them for life, he ignored the increasingly obvious signs that a connection had formed between them. Although a part of him was aware that the bond wouldn’t take effect unless Louis wanted it to…

As Louis pulls back, grinning, Harry leans in to kiss him-

“-Harry!”

-and realises, belatedly, that the Doctor has been trying gain his attention. With identical pouts, Harry and Louis draw apart. 

“I need to have a private word,” the Doctor says.

His sulkiness returning, Louis flounces out of the room. Harry almost falls off his chair in his endeavour to scan the waiting room for potential threats.

As the door snaps shut and Harry turns back he realises that the Doctor is now leaning against the desk in front of him. He’s holding out a leaflet.

“This explains everything an Alpha needs to know about bonding – how to properly preserve the mark for example – though if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.”

Rifling through its pages, Harry is astonished to see a table calculating how often knotting is required to maintain a ‘scent-mark’ using things like the Omega’s weight and ‘Alpha seed in ml’.  

Blushing to the tips of his ears, Harry stuffs the leaflet into his jeans.

The Doctor hesitates. “What it won’t say – and what I don’t think I have to point out – is that Louis is too small to withstand frequent or vigorous sessions of love-making…”

Harry’s heart sinks. “Of course,” he mumbles. “Yeah, of course. I know I’ve been getting carried away. But, I mean, he’s just so…” He breaks off, blushing again and reminding the Doctor of the awkward Alpha pup he knew.

"On that note, some of the bruises Louis’ sustained could easily be avoided if you were just a little more gentle with him. I understand,” he adds placatingly as Harry tries to object, “that it’s difficult to control your – er – passion when in rut. But, otherwise, Omegas are delicately boned... and Louis is especially so considering your significant size difference.”

Louis won’t grow from the four-foot eleven-inches that he reached before his first heat. What little response the Doctor was receiving from Louis during the examination swiftly ceased after he was measured and realised this.

"Physically he was ready, though, wasn't he?" Harry asks anxiously.

“Yes, physically he was ready," the Doctor assures him. "An Omega’s first heat is triggered by the body’s development into adulthood. Louis must have gone through puberty at 10. Whether he was ready psychologically or emotionally, however... I'll leave that up to you."

“Right,” Harry says, nodding intensely.

“And finally,” the Doctor adds, retreating behind his desk once more. “I’ve given some thought to what we spoke about on the phone and I’ve managed to get hold of a therapist’s number.”

Harry’s chest deflates. “Thank fuck,” he says in relief.

The Doctor continues: “She deals exclusively with Omegas who would benefit from their Alpha’s intervention rather than her own. You would attend weekly sessions with her; she would teach you how to approach the matter and you would then have sessions with Louis, after which you would relay honest feedback to her about his progress. In this way she is able to treat Louis through you.”

After scribbling down the therapist’s number Harry, thanking the Doctor profusely, says goodbye.

Louis, it quickly become evident, was listening at the door – but in an odd stroke of luck he heard nothing after the words-

“Delicately boned!” Louis rages. “Delicately boned! I’ll shove me delicately boned foot up his arse.”

Harry laughs uproariously as he watches Louis clamber into the front seat of his car.

Breathing heavily, Louis says: “If anyone asks, Harry, I’m five-foot three, okay?”

Harry leans his elbow on the roof of the car, appraising him lovingly. Louis, he think with giddy wonder, is such an amazing person to just watch and… admire what he’s like.

“Harry!” Louis demands. His eyebrows knit together and, a moment later, tears well in his eyes.

Immediately, Harry swoops down and pinches his waist. Suddenly, Louis is screaming with laughter.

“I think,” Harry teases, “I know my mate well enough to know when he’s fake crying!”

 

LATER THAT WEEK

The Friday following the Doctor’s appointment is also the last day of school.

Lowering a barbell to the floor in the early morning, Harry tiptoes over to the bed where his Omega sleeps. “Lou,” he coos, crouching down and showering his face with little kisses, smiling when Louis scrunches up his nose. “Little lovie, will you do my hair?”

Louis opens his eyes slowly. Harry watches his irises open like budding bluebells. Louis wiggles a hand out from under his pillow and Harry places his hair tie in the centre of his palm. He swings his legs off the bed and waits for Louis to crawl out from under the covers and kneel up behind him.

Louis uses the hair product that he’s nicked from one of his sisters and begins twirling Harry’s thick, chocolaty locks around his fingers.

Harry lets his eyes fall close, tipping his head back so that his curls tumble over Louis’ hands. Zayn’s asleep in the bed across from them. He can hear Liam crooning in the shower.

Harry’s been dreading this day for a week.

In three hours Prince George’s boarding house will be in utter pandemonium: suitcases will be careening down the staircases; homework is going to be burned in bins; mattresses will be ridden down the corridors. And from twelve o’clock onwards parents – including Louis’ mother – will be arriving to collect their sons for the summer holidays.

After ‘what happened’ - as Louis refers to it – Louis told his mother everything. Harry, who was on hand throughout this phone call to dry Louis’ tears, knows that Louis referred to him simply as ‘my Alpha’. In other words, Louis’ mother is unaware that she’s actually met him. He imagines that the initial deceit won’t sit too well with her; neither, he supposes, will their significant age gap… nor the swollen bond-mark Louis is currently sporting.

It smarts, just a little bit, that Liam and Zayn’s mother get along so tremendously. As if to prove this point, Liam ambles out of the bathroom at that moment: towel around his waist, shaving cream coating his jaw. He’s swinging a razor in one hand, holding his mobile in the other and saying: “We were right, Trisha. Still sleeping!” He laughs. “Alright, see you later. Here he is.” He flops onto the bed beside Zayn. “Babe… your mum’s on the phone.” He holds it to Zayn’s ear.

Zayn blinks sleepily. “‘Cause me phones on silent, mum,” he mumbles after a moment. There’s a small pause. “So it doesn’t wake me up?”

On the bedside table, Louis’ phone lights up. Louis loops a hair tie around Harry’s bun and reaches for it. “Mum says she’s probably gonna be late,” he says. “But she’s looking forward to meeting my Alpha.”

Harry turns over his shoulder quickly. “Did you tell her anything else about me?” he demands. “What did she think? What did she say?

Smiling mischievously, Louis reaches out, touches his forefinger to Harry’s and begins counting, moving his fingertip to each of Harry’s. [inspo] “I said your jokes were really bad; your hair was really curly; your tattoos were really shitty.” He pretends to think. “Oh yeah! And your dick was really big.”

Harry makes to swipe at him.

Louis darts away, leaping off the bed and landing on his tiptoes. He spins to face Harry with a loud bout of laughter. “Hey, Zayn?” he says. “Remember when we used to think these guys were scary?” [visual]

“Huh?” Zayn slurs sleepily - he’s hung up on his mum and is about to pull his duvet over his head, “these two?

“Yeah,” Louis says, grinning.

“Nah…” Zayn giggles. [audio]

Louis cackles.

“Remember when we used to find these two cute,” Harry asks Liam, continuing before the other Alpha can answer. “No? Neither do I.”

Louis raises his eyebrows sceptically. [inspo]

That’s when Harry lunges at him. Louis giggle-shrieks as he’s swept off his feet and tossed onto the bed. Harry dives on after him. But when Harry tries to kiss him Louis sticks his tongue out. [inspo]

Harry spanks him.

Louis releases a breathless shriek. Wide-eyed, he stares up at Harry.

Harry arches his eyebrows; smirking in such a self-assured manner that Louis’ smile fades. The moment that it does Harry surges forward, catching Louis’ lips with his own and invading his mouth with his tongue. Louis moans into his mouth and his fingers unfurl and flatten over Harry’s chest.

Harry pulls back, smirking once again when Louis tries to chase his lips. He sits back on his heels and his long fingers skim down Louis’ torso, his green eyes never leaving Louis’ lusty blues.

Before they can slip beneath Louis' tee-shirt, however, Louis is pushing his hands away, sitting up and sucking a bruise into Harry’s throat. His tiny fingers trace the grooves of Harry’s abdominal muscles

Pleasantly surprised, Harry watches Louis pull back and admire Harry’s body with wonder in his blue eyes. He pushes at his hips until Harry sits back against the pillows. Louis crawls between his legs, bending his head to nuzzle the hair that snakes from his shorts towards his belly-button. The splay of his fingers on Harry’ naked thigh makes Harry’s heart hammer in his chest.

Louis throws a quick glance at Zayn and – confident that he’s preoccupied - tugs Harry’s shorts down. He laughs breathlessly as he struggles to wrestle them down Harry’s long legs; then gasps when Harry knocks him into his lap with the heel of foot.

Red in the face, Louis’ gaze falls on Harry’s half-hard dick. He puts his thumb against his forefinger like he intends to flick one of the heavy balls.

Harry quickly seizes him around wrist. He’s about to pull Louis into his lap when Louis leans down and slides Harry’s cock into his mouth.

“Oh, fuck,” Harry gasps. 

He sees – no: he feels Louis smile. His eyelashes flutter against his cheekbones in an imitation of demureness. Innocent Louis might be, demure he is not.

Blood is pumping through Harry’s veins, rushing past his ears, filling up his cock. Which starts to swell in Louis’ mouth.

Louis’ eyes widen dramatically as he’s able to fit less and less of it inside. Tears flood his eyes as he starts to choke.

“Careful, careful, careful,” Harry murmurs, lifting him up.

Liam, meanwhile, has managed to coax Zayn out of bed and into the en-suite. Carrying a tray to collect their breakfast, he gives Harry a sneaky thumbs-up before disappearing into the hallway.

As the door snaps shut Louis bends down and licks a long stripe from the base to the head, which he kisses. He repeats this until pre-come wells up at the slit. Eyeing it hungrily, Louis slides his mouth over the head and… that’s all he can fit inside. Lips stretched obscenely, Louis frowns. Saliva trickles from the corner of his mouth and runs down his chin. Harry sweeps it up with his thumb, smearing it over his lips. Then, drunk on the sensuality of it all, his thumb glides over the juncture of Louis’ jaw and, yes, that is the shape of his cock in Louis’ cheek.

Undeterred, Louis begins to suck eagerly.

Harry lets his eyes fall close, his head drop back against the wall. The warmth around his cock is spreading throughout him, pooling hot and urgent in his belly-

“Ack-kk-ughkk!”

Harry’s eyes snap back open. He grabs a handful of Louis' feathery hair and pulls him up.

Over Louis’ head, Zayn is staring at them, his toothbrush hanging from his mouth. He gives Harry a disgusted look, grabs the towel that he forgot and disappears back into the bathroom. Harry sighs.

Louis is gulping for breath, his chest heaving. His mouth and chin are glistening; his lips are swollen. Tears leak from his red-rimmed eyes and run down his flushed cheeks. His caramel-coloured hair is in disarray. "It's so big," he gasps.

“You’re doing so well, lovie,” Harry promises him immediately, cupping Louis’ cheeks and feeling them warm up beneath his palms. The sweat that’s been beading on Harry’s forehead is now trickling past his temples. His sweaty curls stick to his cheeks. Panting, he traces the shape of Louis’ lips, feeling them part beneath the pad of his thumb. He leans forward and kisses him.

Louis is shaking. But when Harry tries to draw him into his lap Louis pulls back. “I can do it, Harry,” he says, with a small frown.

Harry nods.

To tell the absolute truth… Louis is pretty horrible at it. But, to be fair, this is due entirely to the fact that he can’t fit more than the head into his mouth. Harry also suspects that Louis isn’t aware that most people try and get as much cock into their mouths as possible. He seems perfectly happy to suck on the head. It’s this enthusiasm, coupled with the reminder that Louis’ innocence is his alone to cherish, that brings Harry closer and closer to orgasm.

Able to stack both his fists on top of each other, Louis starts to tighten his grip around Harry’s dick. Drool is seeping between his fingers.

Harry peels one of Louis’ hands away and encourages him to slide his fist over his length.

By the noise he makes, Louis seems to like this. He moans encouragingly, urging Harry to release into his mouth.

"F-F-Fuck," Harry stutters. His hips judder out of control. He sees Louis’ eyes widen, then water as finds that his mouth is suddenly being fucked. “Oh God. Louis!” Harry groans his orgasm crashing over him.

Louis immediately lets out a delighted mmmm as he starts to swallow thick spurts of Harry’s seed.

Harry’s hands twist in the sheets. “Oh fuck,” he gasps. “Fuck, yes. Fuck.”

Louis’ throat is working furiously, his wet eyelashes pressed to his glowing cheeks. He sucks and squeezes until he has drained every last drop out of him.

Slowly, Louis lifts his head. He manages to smile impishly through lips that are tightly sealed. He clambers clumsily astride Harry’s hips and collapses against Harry’s sweat-streaked chest. But, rather than leaning in and kissing Harry’s awaiting lips, he opens his mouth and shows Harry his tongue. A puddle of seed is pooled in the centre of it.

Unnoticed, Zayn slips back into the room to search for his clothes.

Harry shakes his head in disbelief, watching Louis swallow, then smack his lips wickedly. “You naughty, little thing,” he breathes, smiling when Louis practically purrs in delight. Part of being Louis’ Alpha is knowing when to call him naughty and when to call him good. 

He grips Louis by the back of the neck, holding him still – knowing that Louis’ in the mood to squirm and tease – before kissing him deeply.

Louis moans but Harry suspects he’s making the wanton, little sound on purpose. His fingers dance down Harry’s chest to toy with his stiff nipples.

Harry does the same; though he’s able to abuse both of Louis’ nipples at once by stretching one hand across Louis’ chest.

Louis shivers. His nipples are a gorgeous, rosy pink – the opposite of Harry’s large brown ones, which Louis pinches and tugs until Harry, landing another light smack on his arse, growls into his mouth: “Naughty boy.”

Determined to show Harry just how naughty he can be, Louis reaches for Harry’s wrist, tugs his sweatpants down and pulls Harry’s hand inside.

Harry catches his breath. “So wet for me,” he murmurs. He runs a fingertip around Louis’ soaked hole. “Ah, ah, ah,” he says when Louis tries to push back. “Made my Louis all loose last night, didn’t I?” He presses his lips to their bond mark and feels slick spill over his fingers in response. “Today I wanna taste you. Wanna feel this,”- he traces Louis’ fluttering hole again - “around my tongue.”

Louis whimpers, his grasping fingers pulling Harry’s curls loose from their bun.

Harry smiles, loving the way he can make his bold boy tremble with a few well-chosen words. He pulls his hand free and slides a finger into his mouth. “Mmm,” he moans, drawing it out again. “Tastes so sweet.” He holds another one, dripping with sweet slick, out to Louis. “Wanna try, baby?”

Louis opens his mouth obediently, keeping his innocent blue eyes on Harry.

Harry slides his fingertip along the velvety path of Louis’ tongue and-

“Louis!” Zayn shrieks, scandalised.

Louis jerks Harry’s fingers back. A string of saliva hangs from his glistening lips to the tip of Harry’s finger.“Shut up, Zayn,” he says, wiping his mouth angrily. “Stop listening.”

“Stop acting like we’re not in the same room.”

“S’not like you bothered you hide your moans last night-”

“Urgh!” Zayn groans and, grabbing his bag, he storms out of the room.

Louis is panting heavily, ice in his blue eyes. He is absently digging his nails into Harry’s bare chest. “Now he’s gone and ruined it-OOF!” He suddenly finds himself flat on his stomach, the bed tilting like a ship in storm as Harry moves over him. “Don’t manhandle me, Harold! Remember what the Doctor said!”

But Harry shushes him by tracing kisses from the back of his neck to the bottom of his spine.

Louis kicks his feet. “What are you doing?” he demands.

Harry easily catches one little foot and kisses that too, paying special attention to the dainty anklebone.

Louis huffs indignantly, looking over his shoulder. He watches Harry lower his leg back down as carefully as though it belonged to a china doll. Then he slides down onto his stomach, both his feet and his calves dangling over the edge of the bed.

“Wh-What are you doing?” Louis says again.

Harry glances up to meet him. “What I said I was gonna do, baby,” he purrs, flattening his hands over Louis’ arse and pulling his cheeks apart. He licks his lips and Louis blushes deeply.

He feels a bead of slick sliding over his balls and, both mortified and intrigued, watches Harry’s eyes follow the movement. Next moment, Harry’s leaning it and tracing it back with the tip of his tongue.

The intoxicating taste and smell of it overrides Harry’s brief notion of taking is slow. As he reaches Louis’ hole his tongue thrusts into his irresistibly sweet heat.

Louis’ fists the sheets. “Fook,” he mutters under his breath.

Harry pushes forward, burying his nose in Louis’ tailbone as he wriggles his tongue further inside him.

Louis cries out sharply. His hips jerk up in an effort to keep the friction from his cock.  

“Mmm,” Harry moans, his voice muffled. “Yeah…”

Louis’ eyes are wild. Harry’s tongue is inside him! He can feel it moving, delving, searching- “OH!” Louis cries out once again. Tingles shoot up and down his spine, racking his body.

Harry moans louder as Louis blurts slick over his tongue and then he starts to – to lick it out of him.

Tears prickle in Louis’ eyes. Waves of heat crash over him. The loudest, most embarrassing sounds fall from his lips. He batters the mattress with his fists as Harry’s tongue massages the sweet spot inside him. The trickle of slick soon becomes a river and Harry is lapping it up like he’s dying of thirst. As he licks stripes over Louis’ hole, then waits for more of his honeyed slick to well up Louis squirms and keens.

“So wet,” Harry murmurs between tastes, “always so wet for me.” He bends his head as more gleaming slick seeps from Louis’ rose-coloured hole. “Wettest little thing,” he whispers. “Ready for me to plunge my thick cock inside, hmm?” The temptation is fierce. But Louis is his mate and Harry needs to treasure him. So, instead, he spreads Louis’ cheeks apart with his thumbs, closes his mouth around Louis’ hole and sucks.

Louis throws his head up, his body arching deliciously. “Oh fook,” he gasps. “Fook, Ha-Harry.”

Harry pulls back, smacking his lips. He pries Louis’ fingers from the sheets and scoops his sweaty little body up.

Louis clings to his neck. He’s trembling violently and looks more wrecked now than he did ten minutes ago when he was having his mouth fucked. Pre-come dribbles from the tip of his pert, pink prick.

Holding Louis steady, Harry swipes his pillows onto the floor and collapses onto his back.

Louis looks completely bewildered and Harry is easily able to drag one of his legs over his shoulder. Louis gasps as he finds himself straddling Harry’s head, palms on his impressive chest and eyes on his hardening cock.

“H-Harry?” he stammers.

“You’re okay,” Harry breathes. “I’ve got you…” His hot breath bathes Louis’ sensitised skin and Harry sees him quiver with anticipation.

Though Harry tries to encourage him, Louis is extremely hesitant to sit back. Harry stretches his tongue out, attempting to lower Louis onto it.

At the first touch Louis bolts upright and quickly grips his cock. A droplet of slick lands on Harry’s cheek. Harry sweeps it up with his tongue. “You’re alright, Lou, love,” he murmurs. “You’re alright. Let me taste you…”

This time, Louis lets himself he pulled down, onto Harry’s tongue.

Harry groans loudly, letting Louis know just how much he loves this.

Harry hears him exhale shakily. Some of the tension leaves his body.

Triumphant, Harry shoves his tongue back inside him and listens to Louis’ cry of pleasure. “AH! Harry!”

Harry runs his hands over Louis’ heated skin. One of them teases Louis’ nipples, the other dances over Louis’ fingers. Louis’ gripping his prick tightly but Harry is able to circle a fingertip around the silky head and dabble in the beads of pre-come oozing out of the slit.

Louis moans pitifully.

When Harry returns his hands to Louis’ waist, he leaves sticky fingerprints on his golden skin. He holds Louis still so that he can explore him properly. Louis strains in his grip, panting heavily. He starts to rock back and forth.

Harry’s eyes spring open. He watches Louis’ body moving sensually and realises… Louis is riding his tongue. He reaches down and wraps a hand around his own cock, finds it hard and begins stroking it quickly.

Louis releases more slick at the sight. It’s flowing down Harry’s neck by now.

“Harry,” he keens, pushing back desperately. Harry’s nose ends up squashed against his tailbone. As he struggles to breathe an insane thought occurs to him: what a perfect way to die.

And then, as his mouth fills with Louis’ slick, as his tongue writhes inside Louis’ heat, Louis suddenly flings Harry’s hands away from him.

His weight disappears. 

“Lou?” Harry says stupidly, scrambling upright.  

Dazed, he watches Louis crawl down the bed, place one hand on Harry’s bent knee, wrap his other around Harry’s cock and, with one shove, impale himself on it.

Harry releases a strangled yell. His vision swims in and out of focus. He’s faintly aware of Louis’ small body jerking, his tiny toes curling and digging into his sides, of his scarlet rim clamping down on the base of Harry’s thick cock.

“Harry! HARRY! OH! OHHH!”

Then Harry is bolting upright: one hand closes around Louis’ wrists and pulls them back against the boy’s chest, his other hand curls around Louis’ cock.

Louis wails, his back arcing with the force of his orgasm. He tosses his head against Harry’s shoulder, unable to handle the added pleasure. But Harry taught him about safe words the day they got back from the doctor and though Louis cries: “I can’t! P-Please, Harry. Please, I c-can’t!” he continues to stroke Louis’ dick, drawing out his orgasm to such an extent that Harry wonders if he’s just had two.  

At the same time, Louis begins to spasm so violently around the length of cock inside him that he brings Harry to orgasm with dizzying speed.

“Fuck,” Harry hears himself growl, “Fuck. That’s it.”

Louis’ blissful cries dissolve into ragged whimpers. “Hazza…” he babbles deliriously, “Hazza… please…”

Harry’s second orgasm descends on him with staggering force. His cock starts to pump seed into Louis’ hole but only when Harry’s teeth sink into the soft flesh of his throat does Louis finally go limp…

…As his vision clears Harry becomes aware that he is grinding the fragile bones of Louis’ wrists together. Louis’ fingers have started to turn purple. Harry releases them with a muttered: “shit.” Cupping them in his palms, Harry brings Louis’ fingers to his lips.

Louis winces. Tears sparkle on his pink cheeks.

“Lovie? Are you okay?” Harry asks worriedly.

Louis nods. But when he tries to move he lets out an involuntary whimper.

“Okay, stay still,” Harry says quickly. He manoeuvres them onto their sides, covers Louis’ hip with one broad palm and whispers: “relax for me, love.”

Louis buries his face in the crook of Harry’s elbow.

Harry holds him still and pulls out of him in one thick, slippery go.

Louis stifles a cry of pain.

Harry gropes under the bed for the soothing cream the Doctor gave him. He turns Louis onto his back. “You shouldn’t have done that,” he says reproachfully, massaging the cream into Louis’ puffy rim. “You know that I’m too big to take without-”

Louis scowls and mutters: “You mean: I’m too small.”

“No,” Harry says firmly, though the hand on Louis’ stomach spans practically the entire width of his waist. “But taking my cock like that, without waiting for me to stretch you out first, was unsafe. You could have – you did – hurt yourself.”

“Maybe I had other things on my mind,” Louis says sarcastically, blowing his fringe out of his eyes in a show of boredom.

Harry gives him a frank look. “And after that. Did you forget your safe word?”

“No.”

“So why didn’t you ask me to stop, then?” Harry says exasperatedly. “Louis, I was hurting you and I didn’t even realise! Do you think I want that?”

Louis stares up at him, his brow furrowed. “But… you…” he says, utterly confused.  His gaze flickers to where Harry’s sated cock is now hanging between his thighs. “You still had to…”

Harry sighs. Leaning over the Omega, he braces his palms on either side of Louis’ head. “It doesn’t matter about me. If you want me to stop, yell: ‘homework’ and I will.”

“I didn’t want you to stop,” Louis points out.

Harry is quickly growing frustrated, though not with Louis. He’s frustrated with the system that teaches Omegas their bodies are forfeit to an Alpha’s pleasure. But mostly he feels ashamed that he, too, blindly believed it – until now.

“If you think for a moment that my pleasure is more important than your pain-” Harry begins.

“-well sorry for being delicately boned!” Louis snaps, batting Harry off and trying to roll away. “Bring it up with me mum – I got it from her.”

Harry keeps him on his back with one firm hand. “You are perfect,” he states. “And you don’t need to prove anything. You don’t need to – to take it to prove anything. You have to know that what I want most,” he says, with a meaningful glance downward, “is for you to be safe and happy.”

Louis is breathing heavily.

Harry tilts his chin up. “Okay?”

The defiant look in Louis’ eyes melts away. He nods.

Harry pulls Louis into a sitting position and kisses his pouting lips. His next words make Louis smile.

“Good boy.”

 

 

Down in the common-room Harry watches Louis throw himself onto the couch where his friends sit, wriggling in-between the group of Omegas and settling down with a self-satisfied smile on his face. He smells owned and loved and fucked. Harry smirks to himself when, glancing over later, he sees Louis pull aside the collar of his shirt and relish in the gawking of his classmates.

Over the next hour the common room slowly empties as Mrs Hodgehouse announces the arrivals of parents. After they’ve said goodbye to Niall and their classmates, Liam and Harry join Louis and Zayn are their now empty sofa.

Liam is infuriatingly laid-back. Reclined on the sofa, the older Alpha exudes confidence. Harry, in contrast, can’t stop ringing his hands together. [inspo] That he’s just received an earful from Liam, who spent quarter of an hour consoling a tearful Zayn, who’s convinced that he saw Harry holding Louis’ head down by his hair doesn’t help.

 (“Zayn, I promise you – Harry would never do something like that. Are you sure that’s what you saw?”

“Louis w-w-was ch-choking. I h-h-hea-h-heard him.”

“Baby, will you just breathe and let me give you a hug?”

Zayn threw himself at Liam’s chest, wiping his tear-streaked cheeks into his school shirt.

Kissing the top of his head and rolling his eyes fondly, Liam said: “I’ll talk to Harry later, okay?”)

“Louis,” Harry says agitatedly. “Your tie.” He reaches over and fixes it, though not before burying his nose in the warm skin of Louis’ neck.

“Me tie?” Louis says. “What’re you on about? S’the last day of school.” He twists out of Harry’s grip.

Harry’s fingers skim under Louis’ collar, grazing the fresh teeth-marks on the nape of his neck. He bends his mouth to Louis’ ear. “You know how much I love to see you wearing this.” His voice is so deep it vibrates through Louis, who falls still as though under a spell. “Especially when you’re wearing only this. But your mother might not feel the same way, hmm?”

Louis’ breath quickens momentarily at Harry’s words. The mention of his mother, however, makes him smile his mischievous smile. “You scared of me mum?” he teases.

“Louis Tomlinson!?”

Louis pushes Harry's nose away from him, sitting forward so that Mrs Hodgehouse, who has just appeared in the doorway, can see him from behind Harry.

“Your mother is here.”

"Get in!" Louis cheers. "She's never on time." He jumps up and throws his backpack on. “Zayn – can you get a picture of me and Harry?” he asks, thrusting his phone out.

Zayn does; but when he shows Louis the photo Louis claps a hand to his mouth, a burst of laughter escaping him. He looks up at Harry, his eyes sparkling. 

[visual]

Puzzled, Harry takes a look.

Zayn has cropped Harry out.

A quick glance, however, reveals that Zayn isn’t smiling. In fact, he’s glaring at Harry whilst Louis isn’t looking. On the sofa below them Liam turns a laugh into a cough. 

“Alright, take another one, bro,” Louis says. “And don’t take the piss. Harry,” he adds, tugging on the cross dangling from his necklace, “bend down.”

Harry obliges, practically folding himself in half to wind his arms around Louis’ waist.

Scowling, Zayn lifts the phone once more.

Harry turns his head and presses a kiss to Louis’ cheek.

Louis is absolutely thrilled when Zayn shows the photo to him.

Zayn is silently fuming. Liam tells Harry later that Zayn’s just mad that Harry has turned out to be a good guy. The dark-haired Omega tries to crawl back into Liam’s lap so that he can be cuddled into a good mood. But Louis throws his arms around him and, blushing madly, whispers: “Thanks for being my bro.”

Zayn’s face softens instantly. He coils his arms around Louis’ waist, hugging him tight.

Liam, too, climbs to his feet and reaches out to ruffle Louis' hair, who ducks with a muttered: "fook's sake..."

"Ready?" Harry's asks Louis as he starts furiously fixing his fringe.

Louis nods, picks up his football and leads the way outside. Harry dutifully gathers Louis’ bags, picks up Louis’ suitcase and follows him. Harry can tell by the way Louis exuberantly shouts goodbyes to other classmates, and yet clings to Harry’s arm, that he is nervous too. As they step into the sunlight Louis moves closer to Harry before throwing his hand up to shield his eyes.

The small carpark is packed with people and vehicles, including the minibus bound for Ireland. Harry can see Niall necking a beer in the backseat. Spotting Harry, he gives him a thumbs-up.

Louis jabs his elbow into Harry’s hip. “That’s me mum’s car!” he says, pointing at a minivan on the far side of the carpark. “But I dunno where she-”

“Louis!”

Joanna Tomlinson appears from behind an Alpha’s back, waving at him enthusiastically.

Louis’ face splits into a grin. “Mum!” he shouts joyfully, bounding into her arms.

Joanna is not a tall woman but she is taller than her son. Last night Louis confided in Harry that two of his younger sisters are taller than him too. But, Harry pointed out, when you’re six inches shorter than the average Omega that’s hardly surprising. To which Louis replied that if Harry wanted to say things like that he wouldn’t get to touch him for a whole day.

“Look at you,” Joanna says, pulling back and holding her son at arm’s length. “You look so grown up,” she says tearfully.

Over her head Harry mouths: “that’s where you get it from, is it?”

Louis rolls his eyes and Joanna turns and notices him. “Hi Harry!” she says, beaming. “Oh sweetheart – are you helping him with his bags?”

“Hi…!” Harry gives her a big grin. “Er… yeah.”

“Bless you, darling,” she says. And she turns back to Louis. “Your sisters are in the car,” she tells him. “I told them it was a two hour drive but they wanted to see you.”

“Two hours in the car with all of them?” Louis says melodramatically.

“I know you missed them too.”

Louis spins his football around. “Whatever…”

“Come on, shall we go?” Joanna says. “Harry, are you alright with all those bags? Louis – he’s not a packhorse. Honestly!”

“I’ve got it,” Harry says quickly, attempting to draw the bags away from Louis.

Louis smiles to himself, drops his football and begins to dribble it.

As Joanna follows him, telling him she’s making his favourite for dinner, Harry thinks about how silly he was to have dreaded today. Joanna seems to have accepted their relationship without a second thought.

When they are a few feet away from the minivan, it’s middle door wide open and the sound of girlish laughter from within, Louis stops.

“Lou…” Harry begins. 

"He shoots," Louis booms. With one swing of his foot he sends the football hurtling into the backseat. There's a chorus of screams. "He scores!"

“Oh for goodness sake, Louis!” Joanna scolds.

“Was that Louis!?” a girl shrieks from inside the car. "You almost hit me, you twat!"

Louis roars with laughter, ducking as one of his sisters chucks the football back at him.

“Louis – you haven’t even said ‘hello’ and you’re already winding your sisters up-” Joanna begins.

Tossing his football through the window and onto the front seat, Louis interrupts: “Mum, will you just open the boot for Harry!”

Joanna sighs and points her car keys at the boot. There’s a small click and it swings open. As Harry piles Louis’ luggage in he hears Joanna say, in a falsely breezy voice: “So… is this Alpha of yours going to make an appearance?”

Harry freezes. 

Louis’ eyes dart, comically, over to him. “Er…”

Quickly cramming the last of Louis’ things – a Doncaster Rovers pillow – into the boot, Harry swings the door shut and steps forward.

Louis smiles adoringly up at him.

Harry opens his mouth but is suddenly, overwhelmingly aware of the taste of honey on his tongue.

All the while Joanna is looking between him and Louis. She laughs. “You’re kidding.”

Harry clears his throat. His hand finds the comforting curve of Louis’ waist. “No, not at all.”

Joanna’s smile fades. Her eyes dart to Harry’s hand and flash angrily. “Louis – get in the car.”

Louis frowns. “What – why?”

"Get in the car," Jay snaps.

“What’s your problem?”

“Just get in the car, Louis!”

“Oh my God, fine,” Louis retorts. He turns to Harry so that he can hug him.

But, to Harry’s alarm, Joanna seizes Louis’ wrist. There are furious red patches on her cheeks. “I said get in the car!”

"Harry! My mum's here.” Liam is jogging over to them. “I'm goin' in a minute so I've gotta say goodbye now!" He draws up short at the scene in front of him.  "Nevermind." He turns and jogs away again.

Meanwhile, Harry has managed to convey to Louis through expressive eye movements that he should ‘get in the car’ and ‘everything will be alright’.

Eyeing his mother suspiciously, Louis climbs into the backseat.

“I’ll call you tonig-” Harry calls.

But Joanna slams the door shut, cutting off his words with a loud bang.

Dumbfounded, Harry watches her climb into the front seat. She reaches out to shut the door.

“Wait!” he exclaims, leaping forward to grab it before she can. He’s shocked by his own rudeness. “Er – is something wrong?”

Joanna leans towards him and in a quiet voice that is, nevertheless, filled with fury says: “You can stop pretending.”

“Pr-pretending?” Harry says blankly. 

Joanna’s lips are white with rage. She slides out of the car and shuts the door behind her.

Harry becomes aware that four girls are pressing their faces to the back windows. He distinctly sees one of them say: “He’s so handsome.”

“My son fell for it,” Joanna says through gritted teeth. “And you got what you wanted, no doubt. But he’s coming home now so you can stop pretending. I won’t let you see him ever again.”

“W-What?” Harry says, horrified. For one wild moment he’s torn between the desire to tearthethroatoutofanyonewhowouldkeepthemapart and the urge to howluncontrollablyattheideaofneverseeingLouisagain.  

“Oh just drop the act!” she shrieks and now frustration is bleeding into her tone. “How dare you – How dare you!”

Harry stares at her, stunned.

“You took advantage of him – of his naivety, of h-his innocence, his youth-”

Harry starts to shake his head vehemently. “No, no – it’s not like that-”

Joanna laughs scathingly. “Oh please! What else could an Alpha like you want from him?” She turns and opens her door again.

“Sorry,” Harry blurts out, “I don’t mean to be rude – but you’ve got it all wrong-” He’s interrupted by a squeal from inside the car.

"Oh my God! Louis, what happened to your neck!?"

For a moment it seems like Joanna is going to ignore this. Then her eyes narrow as she replays the words in her head. Pushing past Harry, she throws open the sliding door, revealing where her five children sit bickering. “Louis – get out of the car! Now!”

Louis reappears almost immediately, jumping down onto the tarmac. When his mother tries to reach for his collar he darts into Harry’s arms.

"You are in big trouble!" Joanna says crossly, putting her hands on her hips. “Show me what’s on your neck!”

Louis presses back against Harry’s chest, who loops possessive arms around him. “No!”

“Louis!”

“It’s just our bond-mark, mum.”

“What!” Jay splutters. Her gaze shoots from Louis to Harry. “Got it wrong, have I? Got it wrong? Oh, I can see that now!” There are tears in her eyes. “T-Taking his innocence wasn’t enough, w-was it? You want to keep it too-”

“You’re acting mental, mum!” Louis exclaims.

“You are not old enough to have a bond-mark!” Joanna says shrilly, rounding on him. “You're not old enough to have a mate!”

Louis looks like he’s just been slapped.

“Oh Louis! What were you thinking? Actually – actually I’m appalled that the school has allowed this,” Joanna continues. “I’m disgusted that this is the first time I’m hearing that my son has been – has been – with-” She gestures wildly at Harry, emphasising, he thinks, his general size. Shame rolls over him. Harry likes his height (all the better to protect Louis) but he’s uncomfortably aware of how brutish he must look to Louis’ mother.

“Well, I’m not a child anymore-” Louis starts to say.

This, however, is too much for Joanna. “You’re thirteen-years-old!” she shrieks, with a hint of hysteria.

Half the carpark falls quiet. Harry can see Liam: his smile fading as he kisses his mum on the top of the head; Niall, staring at them from the minibus with a hand clamped over his mouth and Zayn, smirking triumphantly, as Joanna voices what – Harry imagines – he’s been thinking all along.

“I know b-but-”

“Sweet pea – I know it’s been a big change…” Joanna takes Louis’ shoulders, “…but if your body is the only thing that’s developed can’t you see that that’s all he’s interested in.”

To Harry’s disgust, she’s voicing Louis’ biggest insecurity and, unsurprisingly, Louis falls silent. Harry tugs Louis out of her grip. “That’s not fair to me or Louis,” he says hotly. “Is it honestly that difficult to believe that I could fall in love with him…?”

Joanna holds up a hand. “You may have mauled my son's neck but I’m still his mother,” she says acidly. She draws herself up. “You have no claim over him.”

“My mark means otherwise,” Harry says defensively. “We’ve mated. For life.”

“He’s not a prize to be fought over and won,” Joanna spits. “And I’ve heard all about what makes Harry Styles the top Alpha in school.”

Harry feels his face heat up. Now she is touching upon his biggest insecurity – his guilt that, initially, Louis was a prize to be won; his virginity a thing (Harry recalls with shame) to be shotgunned.

“Harry’s the top Alpha because he’s protective,” Louis says fiercely, “and caring-”

“Because he’s a whorehound!” 

“-Because he’s patient and gentle-” Louis yells, outraged.

“-For Goodness sake, Louis! If you knew how silly you sound-”

“-Me!? I’m saying there’s more to being a good Alpha than having a big dick, mum!” Louis shouts. Joanna looks scandalised but Louis continues: “Harry is… he… he makes me feel safe.”

To this, apparently, Joanna has no argument.

“He looks after me, mum. And I know… I know I’m only little-”

Harry, staring down at him, feels a lump rise in his throat.

 “-But I can’t help what I – what my body – what…” Louis’ voice becomes a mumble and he looks down at his feet. “And Harry never cared that I was always sick with-with my heat. He just made sure I was okay.”

“Of course he did,” Joanna sneers, eyeing Harry with disgust.

Louis frowns but, upon realising that she’s misinterpreted him, continues angrily: “I mean I had panic attacks, mum. And a fever. And the nurse injected me with suppressants. But Harry was always looking out for me. Even wh-when other Alphas tried to- when they tried to hurt me, even though it almost k-k-k-killed him.” His hand jumps to their bond-mark. “But if we hadn’t bonded they would have-they were gonna-”

“Okay – that’s enough,” Harry says firmly. He bends down, drawing Louis’ gaze to him. “Louis, look at me. You believe in us, right?” He runs his thumb over their bond mark and Louis catches his breath.

“Yeah,” he says, nodding fervently.

“Then no one will ever hurt you,” Harry whispers. “It means I’ll love you forever. I’ll look after you forever. I’ll protect you forever.” He pulls Louis into his embrace and, over Louis’ head of caramel-coloured hair, sees Joanna looking ashamed.

As Louis pulls back she says, in a much more gentle voice, “Louis, please get in the car.”

Louis shakes his head. “Mum, why are you being like this-”

“Louis, please. We are going to be so late to your grandmother’s-”

Louis is still shaking his head when he hides his face in Harry’s chest. “No…” he sobs, clinging to the back of Harry’s jumper. “I can’t say good bye to him.”

“You’ll see him again soon,” Joanna says, throwing her hands in the air.

Louis pulls back abruptly. “But-But you said…”

“Well,” Joanna says, fixing Harry with a challenging look, “I look forward to him proving me wrong.”

Louis beams up at Harry.

Harry brushes his tears away, kisses their bond-mark and, with the utmost reluctance, hugs him goodbye.

“We’re gonna be late to Grandma’s did you say?” Louis asks his mother, pausing as he climbs into the car.

“Yes,” Joanna says exasperatedly.

“Typical,” Louis says, rolling his eyes at Harry before he disappears.

 

 

Chapter Text

Harry proves Joanna wrong is a thousand different ways; though the first four weeks of the summer holidays are filled with helping Louis overcome the terrors inflicted upon him by Blair. (Their ‘sessions’ are initially disastrous but after week four there is a momentous break-through.*)

Despite this Harry gets six weeks of vibrant Louis, bold Louis, bright Louis. He soon finds that he can't spend more than a day without him and, luckily but not unsurprisingly, his mum adores Louis too. 

"How're you getting on with the batter?" he hears Anne ask one morning and, entering the kitchen, he sees Louis peering into a mixing bowl on the counter in front of him.

"Umm..." the Omega is saying, tilting his head cutely. But as bluebell-blue eyes fall on Harry’s bare chest he seems to forget the question.  

Smiling, Harry circles Louis’ chair. “Morning, love," he whispers huskily, kissing their bond mark.

Louis simultaneously almost falls of his stool and nearly drops his bowl. Harry steadies both him and the pancake mix with a sleepy smile.

Flustered, Louis resumes stirring overzealously. Batter splatters the counter. Glancing furtively at Anne, Louis whispers: "Haz, how'd you whisk...?"

Without preamble, with no hint of mockery, Harry covers Louis' much smaller hand with his huge one and gently guides the whisk around the bowl.

His chest pressed to Louis’ back, his chin resting on his shoulder, his spare arm looped around Louis’ waist – Louis wonders whether Harry can feel how hard his heart is beating.

Snap.

They both look up.

Anne cringes apologetically as she lowers a camera. “Don’t mind me!”

Louis’ mother, however, continues to struggle with her son’s sudden sexuality. But she now also has to accept that Louis has matured and mated in the weeks since she last saw him. This being many years earlier than she expected, she was not prepared for it at all. Realising that the only thing stopping her thirteen-year-old from moving in with his boyfriend-

(How many times do I have to tell you – he’s not my boyfriend, mum, he’s my mate!)

-is the fact that he has to return to boarding school in September is alarming. What’s more unsettling, however, is observing how utterly dependant Louis is on Harry, how desperately he craves Harry’s attention and – most of all – how completely besotted he is with him.

Harry, however, is perfectly attuned to Louis’ emotional state – often bringing him back from the brink of tears with a few words. “It’ll just for a few months,” he assures Jay one afternoon, “while his hormones settle, you know. But if it would make you happy I’ll take him to see our doctor again.”

Protective. Caring. Patient. Gentle.

That was how Louis described Harry to her.

So if Jay bristles at Harry’s words – after all she is perfectly capable of taking Louis to the doctor – she nods her agreement and lets Harry prepare Louis’ tea.

Meanwhile, Louis adds to the list of Harry’s attributes every day. “He’s so funny. Okay – most of the time he is. He’s so smart, though. And really thoughtful. And, like, attentive. He's so strong too.  He can bench press my weight, you know. Isn't that mad? Oi, Mum! Are you listening?”

It is evident that Harry, in turn, believes he’s been entrusted with something extremely precious. When he’s around Louis his green eyes blaze with alertness; his muscles ripple beneath his paper-thin shirts; and yet when he touches Louis it’s always with astonishing gentleness. Harry is completely devoted to Louis, doting on him at every moment. So when Louis returns from a night at Harry’s and Jay is greeted, not by the sweet scent of her son, but by wafts of spiced honey – the combination of their scents - she has to grit her teeth and bear it.

However, whenever Harry and Louis are alone in her house Jay finds innumerable excuses to burst, unexpectedly, into whatever room they’re in.

"What film should we not watch?" Louis asks Harry one evening as they browse his family’s collection of DVDs.

"What was that?" Harry says. Thinking he's misheard Louis, he bends down.  

"What film should we not watch!?" Louis bellows.

"Hey!" Harry yelps, clapping a hand to his ear.

Louis looks delighted with himself. "That's for bending down," he tells Harry.

Harry gives his arse a smack; (which Louis just seems to enjoy). "I keep forgetting you're 5'3"," he says drolly.

Louis folds his arms. "If you keep that up you won’t get to touch me for a whole day."

It’s Louis’ favourite threat but it's an effective one.

"What were you saying about picking a film to ‘not’ watch...?” Harry asks, quickly changing the topic back.  

"You always say I can pick the film but we never end up watching it because you…” Louis suddenly becomes absorbed by the display of films and, therefore, doesn’t see the smile stretching across Harry’s lips. “…You know.”   

“And why's that, hmm?" Harry teases, watching Louis run one slim finger over his extensive collection of superhero films.

“I guess I’m just so pretty you can’t your hands off me-”

Harry pinches his tiny waist. "Yes but that’s not the reason, is it?”

“S’not my fault, if that’s what you’re saying,” Louis gasps, squirming under Harry’s fingers. It’s a blatant lie. Just five minutes in Harry’s embrace thickens his scent to the point that the Alpha feels like he’s drowning in it. It might be Harry that makes the first move but it's Louis who has no control.

Unlike when they watch a film in Harry’s bedroom, however, when they take the DVD upstairs Jay finds three reasons to interrupt them within the first ten minutes.

So when Jay takes all of Louis’ sisters to the swimming pool one day – leaving Louis alone for the first time that summer - Harry is already speeding across the English countryside. When he arrives Louis is in the middle of trying on his new football kit. They return to his bedroom so that Harry can unpack.

“Why does this always bloody happen?” Harry hears him grumble. 

Harry, who’s adding a couple of his shirts to Louis’ wardrobe, turns saying: “What always happen-” And breaks off abruptly.

Louis is standing in front of the mirror, scowling at his reflection. The shorts – which were too loose – lie by his feet; the top – which was too big – lie with them. He’s naked but for a boy’s thong and a pair of white football socks. The cobalt blue stripe at the top is pulled up to mid-thigh. 

Harry gapes.  

“Looks stupid,” Louis huffs. He bends over and begins to roll one down. 

Harry closes the distance between them in one long-legged step, turns Louis’ face up and kisses him deeply.

Louis squeaks. When Harry pulls back he’s red in the face and out of breath. “What was that about?”

Harry runs a hand over the rough fabric of Louis’ sock until he reaches the soft skin of his thigh and grins. “It doesn’t look stupid.”

 

 

ONE HOUR LATER

“Louiiiis! I’m back!”

Jay’s voice drifts upstairs, cutting through the silence. In the bedroom above, Louis, moaning into Harry’s mouth as the Alpha strokes his cock, pulls back sharply.

There’s the sound of footsteps on the stairs. “Guess who forgot their swimming costumes?” Joanna is saying.

Involuntary whimpers continue to slip past Louis’ lips. But, to be fair, Harry’s knot is pulsing inside him.

“Both of the twins!” Jay sounds like she’s just outside the door. “So I came back to see if you wanted to come for pizza instead?”

Louis panics, grabs a Doncaster Rovers teddy bear and stuffs it into his mouth. Tears are streaming down his rosy cheeks. His golden and sock-clad thighs are stretched over Harry’s hips. Each frantic inhale reveals the shape of Harry’s knot inside him – which, on days where Louis’ mother is not hovering outside the door, is Harry’s favourite thing in the world.

The door knob rattles. “Louis? Why is this door locked?”

Harry tugs the saliva soaked teddy bear out of Louis’ mouth. Louis’ little biceps flex as he tries to clutch on to it.

“Say something,” Harry whispers urgently.

Louis opens his mouth but, instead of words, he lets out a long moan.

The door knob rattles. “What was that…?”

“Nothing, Jay!” Harry calls as Louis shoves the teddy bear back into his mouth.

“Oh. Harry.” Jay doesn’t sound pleased. “I didn’t realise you were here.”

“Yeah, I-I just popped over.”

“It’s a two hour drive!” Jay calls with false cheeriness but her voice comes from further away this time, by the twins' room down the hall. 

And, suddenly, Louis is using the teddy bear to stifle a laugh.

 

 

SIX WEEKS LATER

It doesn’t last of course.

Towards the end of August Louis begins to display the signs that Harry will come to recognise as indications of his approaching heat. He starts to sleep under the duvet, engulfed by Harry’s scent. In the mornings he's shy and doesn't become his enchanting, lively self until he's had a cup of tea and a snuggle. But, of course, the most obvious signs are the ones that he’s always exhibited. He becomes easily-distracted, feverish, sleepy and, above all else, emotional.

Returning from a lunch date one afternoon, Harry and Louis find themselves in Liam’s living room with Zayn and Niall.

Harry has just finished telling the other lads about their date when Louis drawls: “What a boring description of a day.”

There’s a round of laughter at Harry’s expense.

[Visual] “Do you hear this?” Harry says to Liam. “You know,” he tells Louis, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth, “I preferred it when you didn’t talk.”

Everyone laughs but Louis, who blinks at him for a moment, then drops his face into his hands and bursts into tears.

The laughing stops abruptly.

“Lou?” Harry yelps. He lunges towards the sofa where Louis is sat. “Hey! You know I didn’t mean it, right?”

But it’s Zayn, not Harry, who ends up with a lapful of Louis; who ends up with Louis’ fingers tangled in his hair; Louis’ face buried in his neck.

And, all of sudden, Zayn is glowering at Harry once again: a golden-eyed personification of judgement as he locks his arms around Louis’ heaving back.

Niall is rolling his eyes.

Liam is puffed with pride as he watches Zayn hush Louis. “Such a good boy,” Liam murmurs, planting a kiss on Zayn’s temple and demonstrating how well he can take care of his Omega.

“Like it’s so hard to look after an Omega that’s never been in heat,” Harry snaps at him.

Zayn glares at Harry over Louis’ head of caramel-coloured hair. 

Ignoring him, Harry hovers beside them on the sofa and attempts to coax Louis into his lap. “Little lovie… Please listen to me,” he begs, reaching out a hand.

Zayn snarls at him.

Harry draws back hastily. Both Niall and Liam snigger at him.

Zayn buries his face in Louis’ shoulder and coos at him.

“He-he-he-he-he s-s-said-” Louis hiccups.

Harry looks at Liam helplessly. Finally, the older Alpha takes pity. "Babe," he murmurs, leaning down so that he can speak into Zayn's ear, "let Louis go, yeah?” 

At Liam's request, Zayn reluctantly removes his arms from around Louis. 

Harry scoots closer. “Loubear. I was just joking. You know that, don’t you? Know I didn’t mean it?”

The sniffling quietens ever so slightly and Louis turns his head, peeking at Harry from the corner of one eye – though he keeps most of his face hidden in Zayn’s jumper.

“Louis, please,” Harry says. “Please don’t cry…”

Louis seems to consider this. The sound of his frantic breathing starts to fade away.

"Lou… please?" Harry whispers and he holds out a hand.

Louis looks at it and then, very slowly, reaches out and slips his hand into Harry's.

Harry feels a familiar sense of wonder as Louis crawls into his lap. He swallows thickly, sinking back into the sofa as Louis curls up. “You know I think you’re the funniest, smartest…” – he kisses the bond mark on Louis’ throat – “prettiest boy in the whole world,” he whispers.

Louis whines softly, pushing his face into Harry's throat. His warm breath bathes Harry's collarbones, quickening periodically as Harry continues to shower him with compliments: "I love you when you’re loud; I love you when you’re cheeky; I love you when you’re sweet, like this..."

The others lose interest. Niall even turns the volume on the telly up.

Only Zayn, despite Liam's attempt to distract him, continues to watch Louis worriedly. He - like Harry - knows that within hours his vibrant friend will once again become a slave to his desire.  

 

 

“I don’t know why I got so upset,” Louis says to Harry, later – as they wheel a trolley into the local supermarket. “S’weird, innit?”

Harry shoots him a puzzled look.

Louis grins at him with eyes that are fever-bright.

Clearing his throat, Harry says: “C’mon – let’s hurry.” He leads Louis straight to the aisle containing-

“Ready meals?” Louis says."Why ready meals, Harold?"

Harry shrugs off-handedly. “Just feel like something easy. Here – look. They’ve got tikka masala, bangers and mash, lasagne-”

Louis wrinkles his nose as Harry hands him two boxes. “They look rank, Harold.” He tries to give them back. “Can’t you just make that paella-thing again, that was so goo-”

“If I have time of course I will,” Harry promises, clasping his hands behind his back and refusing to take the boxes from Louis. “But I want these just in case.”

“In case you don’t have time to boil some rice?” Louis says sceptically.

“Stop being a princess and pick one!” Harry exclaims.

Louis’ eyebrows shoot up. “Do I look like a princess, huh?” He pushes the ready meals into Harry’s stomach. “Here,” he snaps, although he’s struggling to suppress a smile, “we’ll have the fake paella and the pretend lasagne.”

“Great!” Harry says. “Then we’ll get four of each.”

His smile fading, Louis watches Harry dump six more packets in the trolley. “Harry…” he says uncertainly, “why do we need eight…?”

Harry steers the trolley with one hand and his boyfriend with the other, leading them from the aisle. “Don’t worry about it, lovie. Look – they’re freezer friendly. Actually, that reminds me: we need ice cream too.”

But somewhere between choosing a tub of ice cream and picking out a multipack of crisps, Louis vanishes.

“I’m gonna get the salt and vinegar and the cheese and onion, love – sound good?”

There’s no answer.

Harry whirls around. The aisle is deserted. “Louis…?"

Harry flings the crisps into his trolley and begins striding, then jogging down the aisle. “Louis!?” His heart is pounding. He berates himself for being so irresponsible! He can’t pick up Louis’ scent in a place like this, neither can he sense him – though at least that means Louis isn’t experiencing an extreme emotion like fear or pain. He races past the aisles and doesn’t see a sign on him, eventually returning to their trolley with the hope that Louis will have wondered back to it.

A worker is stocking shelves a few feet away and he grabs her shoulder and says: “Have you seen my Omega? He's got brown hair, blue eyes. He's- he’s only little-”

She's already shaking her head.

Harry steps away. Raking a hand through his hair, Harry realises he’s actually shaking when, suddenly, there’s an: “Oops!” from behind him. Whirling around, he sees Louis: his arms laden with packets of biscuits and a box of Yorkshire tea by his feet.

Relief floods Harry’s chest and he watches, numbly, as Louis dumps his armload into the trolley and picks the Yorkshire tea up from the floor. But Harry’s relief is overwhelmed by a wave of anger. He steps forward as Louis straightens up and takes the Omega by the shoulders.

Louis gasps, startled, and drops his tea again.

“Why did you disappear like that!?” Harry demands.

Louis’ mouth moves wordlessly for a moment. “I-I-”

“Louis – I was fucking terrified!”

Louis flinches from his anger. “I d-d-didn't m-mean-"

Harry relaxes his grip immediately. “Okay… okay, I know."

Louis takes a deep breath. "I d-didn't mean to scare you," he insists, watching Harry anxiously.

“I know you didn't, it's okay,” Harry assures him. He ducks down and picks Louis’ tea up, tossing it into the trolley.

Louis still looks upset. 

“Hey...” Harry says gently, rubbing his back. “I didn’t mean to get so mad, Lou. But I don’t like you off on your own when you smell like this.”

Louis stiffens under his hand. “Like what?”

Harry hesitates. “Lovie. Come on,” he says. “You know.”

Louis stares up at him. There's a flicker of panic in his eyes. “No. I don’t.” He steps away. “I’m gonna see you back at the car.”

Harry sighs inwardly. “Louis, just- let me finish.” He reaches out and catches hold of the boy’s wrist.

Louis kicks out in frustration. “Let go, you stupid fooking giant!”

Despite himself, Harry smiles. “Louis, love-” he begins in an attempt to mollify him. He’s easily able to drag Louis back, regardless of Louis’ best efforts.

Seething, Louis grits out: “Homework!”

Harry’s face falls into a heavy frown. “Louis, what have I said about misusing your safe word?”

“HOMEWORK!” Louis yells and now Harry knows Louis is trying to distract him.

Harry is furious. “Louis – that safe word is for use in bed only. You need to take it seriously-”

“-Homework.”

“LOUIS!” Harry yells, beside himself now. He’s told Louis how terrified he is of hurting him, how important it is to have a safe word in place.

But when Louis trips over in fright, bouncing on his arse as he hits the floor, Harry immediately feels terrible.

“Shit!” he curses, diving down.  

“OI!”

A hand fists in the back of Harry’s shirt and hauls him backwards. Harry is thrown into the shelf behind him and narrowly avoids toppling it over. When he turns back an Alpha is setting Louis on his feet.

“Are you alright, babydoll?” he asks.

Louis raises his eyebrows as he shrugs him off. “That’s my Alpha you just pushed,” he says, his voice laced with condescension. He puts his hand on his waist, flicks his fringe and cocks one hip.

The Alpha bridles at Louis’ tone.

Straightening to his full height, Harry steps between them: in one seamless movement blocking Louis entirely from view. He says nothing. He doesn’t need to. He simply fixes the Alpha with a threatening look until he turns and skulks away. He’s barely turned the corner when someone from behind Louis is saying: “Hey, I heard shouting,” and continuing in a softer tone: “Are you alright, buttercup?”

Harry turns. A second Alpha is bending down to speak to Louis.

Louis bristles. “Yes. Do you wanna mind you own business, maybe-”

“Who’s bothering this Omega?” a third Alpha roars, striding towards them from the opposite direction. He drops his shopping basket to the floor and curls his hands into fists, looking from Harry to Louis and back again with fury in his eyes – oblivious to the fact that he’s just made Louis jump and press himself to Harry’s side.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” the second Alpha prods, inching closer.

Bloody Alphas, Harry thinks, incensed. “You’re both bothering him, pal!” he growls.

The third Alpha closes the distance between them. “I want to hear it from him,” he says.

“Alright,” Louis says fiercely. “You’re bothering me, arsehole.”

Harry holds him tighter, knowing his presence is the only reason Louis is staying calm. “Got it now?” Harry asks and, at the same time, he lifts a hand to the neck of Louis’ jumper and tugs it aside to reveal their bond mark.

At once the Alphas take a step back, their pupils shrinking. The second one wheels his trolley away without another word. But the third one, the one whose height and stature rivals Harry’s, drops his gaze to Louis. “This one,” he leers, “could do with a muffle until he learns how to speak to Alphas.”

Suppressing the urge to punch him takes an extraordinary amount of effort. But Harry won’t start a brawl, not when he has an Omega to protect. Louis, however, is not thinking along those lines. As the Alpha picks up his basket and stalks away Louis storms after him.

“And you could do with a leash if you can’t control yourself near your rut,” he bellows but Harry, reeling him back and pretending to give him a hug, manages to muffle most of this into his chest. When they’re alone once again Harry pulls back and tilts Louis’ chin up.

“I’m proud of you, lovie,” he murmurs, “for being so brave just now.”

Louis stops smoothing down his hair and beams at him.

“But I still haven’t forgotten that you wandered off.”

“Alright,” Louis says. He rubs his face into Harry’s chest, submitting to him with such sweetness Harry feels warm all over. Over Louis’ head Harry can see that Alphas keep drifting past the aisle, then slouching away looking disappointed when they see Harry. “Sorry, okay?” Louis draws back, beams again and goes to fetch their trolley.

Harry frowns. “Oi.” He grips Louis tightly by the back of his neck, burying his fingertips in the soft hairs he finds there, and stoops down. “I wasn’t finished, you know. I want you to listen to me. Okay?”

Louis nods, suddenly transfixed.

“I don’t want you to leave my side again; and not just because it’s where you belong. But because I told you to and you should know by now that I do everything with you foremost in my mind."

When Harry releases him Louis sways like a ship without anchor. Harry smiles at the sight. But as he reaches out to take Louis' hand his nostrils are suddenly filled with the scent of honey, his brain clouded by the smell of arousal. 

Still gazing up at him, Louis locks their fingers together. His small, sweaty palm burns again Harry's skin. His blue eyes are as hot as a desert sky. 

Harry has just triggered the first wave of Louis' heat. 

Harry's heart starts to thud. "L-Lets go," he says. "Now."

Louis stays by Harry’s side, saying very little, until Harry reaches the checkout – where Harry has to do everything with one hand because Louis is clinging to the other one.

The Omega serving them wrinkles his nose. “I’d get him home soon if I were you,” he sneers.

Harry sends a glance over his shoulder. At the next till a group of teenaged Alphas suddenly become absorbed with a display of chewing gum. 

“You know what, I don’t need all that – most of it’s for my mum anyway,” Harry says quickly, jerking his thumb at the remaining items on the conveyer belt. “S’long as I have the ready-meals and the cereal, I’m good. Can I just pay?”

Louis, gripping his hand and feeding off his anxiety, lets out a whine.

Harry thrusts a twenty pound note at the irritable cashier, scoops up the shopping bags in one hand and starts dragging Louis towards the exit.

He is well aware that he’s being irrational – that not a single Alpha acted threateningly (towards Louis at least) – but the incident with Blair has affected him too. For Louis’ sake, he manages to dispel his nervous jitters. By the time they arrive home Harry leads a suddenly shy, sweet boy through the door.

His mum is in the kitchen, brewing herself a cup of tea and wearing a dressing gown over her work clothes. When she sees them she brightens up. “Hiya! Louis, honey – how’re you?”

Louis is staring at Harry, admiring how flat his stomach is beneath his shirt, how smooth the planes of his firm chest are, when he becomes aware that Harry is looking at him with a quizzical but endeared smile on his lips. Harry’s mother is looking at him too but he’s not sure why. He smiles hesitatingly at them both.

[Visual]

Harry’s not sure Louis even knows he's doing it anymore: releasing slick and filling the room with the scent of honey; even though his toes curl and his grip tightens on Harry’s hand. Omegas’ capacity to ignore the signs of their approaching heat has always astounded him. But Louis’ ability to pretend that he isn’t leaking over his briefs is practically inspiring.

Harry’s mum’s smile becomes slightly forced and Harry grimaces apologetically at her.

At a tug on his hand, Louis lets his Alpha lead him into the kitchen. He’s guided into a chair and Harry says: “I’m gonna take your stuff up to my room, okay, lovie? Mum says dinner will be ready in five minutes.”

“Okay,” Louis replies. He watches Harry straighten up and leave the room. So, naturally, he follows him.

Glancing back on the stairs, Harry finds his Omega at his heels. His mouth pulls into a smile. “Are you following me, love?”

Louis doesn’t reply. He’s almost at a height with Harry’s crotch and it’s drawing all of his attention.

Harry shakes his head in fond exasperation. When he reaches the landing he stops, takes Louis by the shoulders and says: “Stay here for me, yeah? Please, Lou? I’m just gonna put your stuff away.”

“Okay,” Louis says again.

Harry hesitates but decides to trust him. He straightens up and opens the door to his room.

Louis almost trips over his feet in his rush to follow him inside. “It smells so good,” he says breathlessly.

Harry’s burst of laughter is cut off when he suddenly feels hands on his belt. “Woah, Louis! What are you doing?”

“Want your cock,” Louis replies, trying to tug his belt off.

Harry pries his hands away. “No – lovie, dinner is ready in a minute.”

Louis shakes his head, yanking his hands free from Harry’s and returning them to Harry’s belt. “I don’t want dinner. I want your cock.”

“Oh Louis…” As much as it pains him to do so, Harry peels Louis’ fingers away from him. He wants Louis to eat a full meal before his heat hits. He knows his boy can handle it… but he wants him to be strong all the same.

It takes a great deal of persuasion and several promises to get Louis out of his room and back downstairs. They narrowly avoid tears.

“P-P-Promise?” Louis hiccups, not allowing Harry to pull him from his place on the bottom stair.

“I promise you can keep my cock inside you while you sleep.”

During dinner Louis is barely aware of what he’s eating. He’s trying to get a glimpse of the bulge in Harry’s skinny-jeans when he becomes aware that Harry has just asked him something.

“Yes, Alpha?” he says.

Harry blinks. Louis’ never addressed him like that before. He’s not convinced Louis realises what he’s just said.

“Mum asked if you were looking forward to school?”

Louis looks like he’s been asked something incredibly rude. “No. You’re not going to be there.”

Harry laughs. He has to admit that – although seeing Louis like this is strange and little scary – it’s quite flattering.

Louis goes back to staring at his dick and Harry tries to distract his mother from the horny boy sitting next to him.

After watching Louis put an empty fork in his mouth for the third time in a row, Harry decides getting a meal in him might not be such a realistic pursuit. Resolving that a sugary dessert will have to be the next best thing, Harry disappears into the freezer.

 

 

In the bathroom Louis is staring at his reflection in the mirror, terror written across his features. He feels like he's just woken up from a dream and it terrifies him. The last two hours have passed in blur: he has hazy recollections of a car ride home; the vaguest memory of dinner; can hear the echo of whispered promises...

And now Louis' body is betraying him again. His cheeks burn with shame (or is that lust...?) But desire continues to course through him all the same, threatening to overwhelm him and draw him back into the heat haze. It's too much: even the fabric of his jumper is too rough against his nipples and the throbbing of his greedy hole is painful. If he can't handle this, how is he gonna be able to handle getting filled by Harry's cock- 

Louis gasps as his knees buckle involuntarily. He grips the sink and feels slick trickle from his fluttering hole. Panicking, he turns and yanks at the toilet roll, stuffing handfuls of it down his trousers with violently shaking hands. 

It takes several minutes for Louis to compose himself. Harry yelling, midway through this, “hope you’re hungry, baby boy!” does not to help.

But, eventually, Louis takes a deep breath, splashes water onto his flushed cheeks and creeps out of the loo. He peers into the doorway of the kitchen, wondering where his Alpha could be.

He feels Harry’s presence behind and, a moment later, two huge hands encircle his waist.

“Ready to go upstairs, baby boy?” Harry croons, his voice husky and sensual in Louis’ ear.

Louis twists out of his grip. In his haste he accidently collides with the wall behind him and Harry’s face transforms into a mask of concern. He steps forward but Louis draws back, pulling his hands into his chest. (An anxious tendency, Harry realises with dismay, which he recognises from when they first met.)

“Hey…? You alright?”

“I wanna watch a movie,” Louis blurts out.

“You wanna ‘not watch’ it, you mean?” Harry says. He steps closer, like Louis is small, frightened animal that he’s trying to pet. (Which isn’t entirely inaccurate.)

Louis hurts with how badly he wants those fingers on him – in him. But he steps sideways, sliding along the wall, away from Harry’s hand.

“No, I wanna watch it downstairs. In here.” Louis gestures to the living room where Harry’s mum is watching a baking show.

Harry nods slowly. “Okay… You wanna pick the movie then?”

Louis shakes his head. “Nah, I’m gonna go get comfortable.”

“Alright, baby. I’ll get the movie.”

When he returns to the sitting room Louis is sat in the armchair, a blanket pulled up to his chest. Harry perches on the armrest and offers him a bowl of half-melted ice cream.

Louis takes it in his hands and Harry, counting this as a small victory, goes to set the film up. After a few moments Bambi begins to play.

Harry returns to the armrest.

“Hey,” he says, nudging Louis’ gently, “wanna cuddle?”

Louis shrugs, toying with the frayed hem of the blanket. No one’s ever looked more like they needed a cuddle, Harry decides. He slides down into the seat and pulls the Omega onto his lap.

Louis sniffles, relaxing, despite himself, into Harry’s warmth.

He hasn’t, Harry realises disappointedly, touched his ice cream. But by now it’s a soup of soggy biscuits and lumpy caramel sauce. He takes the bowl from Louis’ hands and slides it onto the coffee table.

“You feeling alright?” he murmurs, kissing the shell of Louis’ ear.

Louis starts violently, his fists clenching and unclenching in the blanket. “Uh-huh,” he stammers, nodding.

Harry is so confused. By now he’s deduced that the first wave of Louis' heat has passed and that Louis has realised the real thing is quickly approaching. But why is he so scared? He winds an arm around Louis’ stomach.“Sure you’re not too hot?” Harry ventures. “Want me to check your temperature?”

“No!”

Harry blinks.

Louis looks as surprised at the outburst as Harry. Flushing, he throws a glance at Harry’s mum and sinks back against Harry’s shoulder.

Harry sighs. As the movie continues – and it becomes unbearably hot and heady with Louis in his lap - he pulls out his phone.

Liam: How’s the little one?

Harry drops his hand over the armrest, out of Louis’ sight. Not good, he replies.

A moment later his phone flashes.

Liam: ??

Harry: He’s basically like regressed

Liam: dunno what that means mate??

Harry: remember what he was like after his first time?

Liam: Yeah… scared shitless.

Harry swallows thickly. The idea that Louis is scared of him is unbearable. His arm tightens reflexively around Louis’ middle and, without realising it, he draws the attention of the Omega.

Mate, he types out, he’s sitting on my lap and I can feel him shaking.

Liam: poor little thing :( :(

It’s as Harry opens this latest text that a tiny, ferocious snarl erupts from the boy in his arms.

The hairs rise all along Harry’s arms. To his complete bewilderment Louis is glowering at his phone.“Love, it's only Liam,” Harry explains.

The growling ceases abruptly. Louis blinks. After a moment he returns his attention to the film.

When Harry picks up his phone again, however, the grizzling resumes. Harry sees his mother shudder on the sofa adjacent to them. “Louis!” Harry exclaims. “Please stop that!”

Louis does as he’s told but he does it with a scowl. Almost as though he can’t help himself; which, Harry realises with a sudden dizziness, is completely possible. In heat Omegas become much more susceptible to the phenomenon called an Alpha Voice and the sudden uncontrollable desire to obey their every command.

Harry sighs. He wants to take Louis upstairs and kiss it all better. Absently, he lifts a hand to Louis’ forehead, smoothing back his sweaty fringe.

Louis’ eyes follow the movement, then narrow.

Harry doesn’t see Louis’ tiny fist until it hits him in the groin.

“Ow!”

“Why’re you checking my temperature!?” Louis yells.

Harry’s mouth gapes uselessly. “I w-wasn’t-”

“Yes you were!” Louis shouts. “Why!?” He hits Harry in the chest. “WHY!?” Angry tears swim in his eyes. But he can’t hold Harry’s gaze for long. His hands tremble as he pulls the blanket back up to his chest.

Harry meets his mother’s gaze.

The longer Louis denies what his body is going through, the more it stirs up a whirlwind of emotions inside him.

Fortunately, a few moments later, a gunshot on the television startles Louis and he grips Harry’s hand.

Harry leans down, brushing his lips over Louis’ ear.

Louis' breath quickens… but this time he doesn’t pull away, seeking Harry’s comfort instead.

“It’s a sad movie, isn’t it?” Harry murmurs.

Louis gives him a weird look.

Harry squeezes his waist. “Bambi’s mum…She just died, Loubear…” he explains.

Louis’ eyebrows draw together. He starts to nod. “‘S sad,” he says quietly.

“I know, love. I know… It’s so sad isn’t?”

“Yeah,” Louis agrees in a small voice.

“She just wanted to protect him. She’d doing anything for him, Loubear,” he croons.

Louis sucks his bottom lip into his mouth.

“Just like I’d do anything for you,” Harry whispers.

Tears spill down Louis’ cheeks. “Harry,” he wails and he throws his arms around Harry’s neck.

Harry holds him close. “Yeah, he’s in heat,” he mouths at his mother. “I’m gonna take him upstairs.”

Louis is crying into his shoulder but Harry strokes his back and says, “It’s okay, Lou. I know, I know,” as he carries him up the stairs. 

“I’m just so… so…” Louis says distressfully when Harry lowers him onto the bed. Harry patiently waits for him to finish his sentence. He doesn’t.

“Do you want to cuddle?” Harry asks. “And we can watch the footie?”

“I’m not in – in heat,” Louis tells him in a whisper, watching Harry pull of his trousers.

Harry smiles. “‘Course not, Lou.”

Louis nods and wipes his sleeve under his eyes. Harry lays him down on his side, places his laptop on the bedside table and climbs into the bed behind him. He scoots up till Louis’ burning body is cocooned in his embrace.

A little while later Louis whispers, into the crook of Harry’s arm where he rests his head, “I’m so hot and-and sad…”

Harry slides his hand up and down Louis’ side. His skin is scorching beneath his thin tee-shirt. “I know, lovie,” he whispers. He coils an arm around his waist. “Maybe you’re in heat, yeah?”

He lifts his head from the pillow to measure Louis’ reaction.

Tears are leaking down Louis’ cheeks. He doesn’t meet Harry’s eyes as he whispers, “no.”

Harry’s heart breaks. Louis cheek is cushioned against his bicep, his tears dripping onto Harry’s skin. “But maybe-” he says.

“No, Harry,” Louis repeats, his voice breaking.

“Remember what the doctor said?” Harry begs. He encourages Louis to roll onto his back and peer up into his face.

“No…” Louis whispers but he sounds less sure now, more open to the possibility that he’s in heat. And, with every moment that passes, more inclined to the idea as he recalls the pleasures and – most importantly – that Harry will be there for him the whole time.

Harry smiles. Their breath embraces in the space between their lips. He can count every eyelash; see the tears as they dry up, the pink as is blooms in Louis’ cheeks. “Don’t be scared, Louis, love,” he breathes. He slips a hand between his thighs and watches his eyelashes flutter, his back arch, a moan tumble from his lips. Two small hands fist into the back of Harry’s shirt.

“I’m gonna look after you. Okay?”