Louis awoke unceremoniously to the sound of Niall's loud, obnoxious voice, and he couldn't contain the soft growl that rumbled through him. The other three boys froze in the mouth of the cave, watching with matching furrowed brows as Louis made sure that Harry's still-naked body was completely covered by the blankets.
"Shut up!" he hissed, bringing a finger to his lips as he glared at the other boys. He gestured to Harry's sleeping form. "If you wake him, I'll have your balls."
"Christ, you're annoying. The both of you," Zayn replied quietly, but even he gazed fondly at Harry's curled-up figure, struggling to keep the smile from his face.
When Harry was happy, the entire world knew it. Flowers started to bloom and the air turned warm again, and birds whistled cheerfully in the trees. It was infectious in the best way possible.
The other boys busied themselves quietly in their own corners of the cave, leaving Louis to admire the peaceful beauty of his sleeping mate. He traced the delicate edge of Harry's jawline with the soft pad of his index finger. Tiny puffs of air escaped the younger boy's parted lips, and Louis couldn't resist tracing those, too, brushing his thumb lightly over Harry's full lower lip.
Harry's eyelashes fluttered suddenly, and he sighed more than spoke: "Lou?"
Louis cooed at the younger boy's crinkling eyes and scrunched nose, still unable to believe how adorable his omega was -- even after all this time. "Hi, angel. Feeling alright?"
A lazy smile tugged at Harry's lips, and he groaned as he stretched in Louis's arms. "Sore," he complained, his smile spreading out into a grin. "But good. Really good."
"How's your head? Still fuzzy?"
"A bit," Harry admitted sheepishly. His eyes opened fully for the first time, and Louis let himself drown in their familiar green.
"Want to rest more? You can take as much time as you need," he fretted, studying Harry's face carefully. He brushed a stray curl from the younger boy's forehead, twirling it delicately around his index finger. And even though Harry knew, he assured him, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Harry shook his head, yawning widely. "I'm okay," he said, his voice still softer and slower than normal. "Want to come out. I'm good." He stretched again, then buried his face back in Louis's chest, inhaling his alpha's soothing pheromones. "Thank you. I love you."
Louis snorted, tapping Harry's nose playfully. "I should be thanking you. You know, me and my knot always appreciate you and your kinky sexual needs --"
"Louis Tomlinson!" Harry exclaimed, his tone laced with disbelief and reprimand. He shoved the alpha lightly, giggling even as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Louis just grinned, kissing his cheeks and then his nose and then his lips, making Harry blush an even deeper red. Kissing Harry was something that Louis would never get enough of -- Harry's cheeks turned even more hot and rosy than when they did absolutely filthy things together, and he breathed out these adorable, soft little sighs that melted into the heat of Louis's mouth.
"We need to get up," the alpha said finally, hearing the other boys starting to mill about the cave. They had a lot to do in the last few hours of the day; they hadn't been hunting in a while, so their food supply was running low. Niall and Harry had been talking about restocking their cooking and medicinal ingredients for at least a week, but they still hadn't got around to it.
"I don't want to," Harry whined, burrowing further into Louis's side and mumbling, "Warm."
"As much as I want to lay here with you until tomorrow morning, we also really need to --" his stomach rumbled loudly, making the omega giggle into his chest "-- eat."
"I know something you could eat without getting out of bed," Harry grinned cheekily, trailing his index finger down Louis's chest. It was almost as if they hadn't just had mind-blowing kinky sex just a few hours before.
Before Louis even had a chance to consider the offer (which, for some unjustifiable reason, he really was considering), Niall coughed across the cave. Harry immediately sat up in bed. Any remaining traces of sleepiness vanished into thin air.
"Ni?" the omega called out, his voice piercing through the soft evening peace. "Are you sick?"
"I feel like shit," the beta replied, not even sitting up in his bed. "Seriously, it's like someone reached down my throat with a weed whacker and just went to fucking town."
In the blink of an eye, Harry dethroned Louis from his caretaking role. He clambered out of bed, a tangled mess of sticky sheets and lanky limbs, and quickly pulled on some clothes before hurrying across the cave to Niall's corner. He crouched down beside the Irish boy, pressing a hand to his forehead and asking him hushed questions about his symptoms.
Louis stifled a laugh. Mere seconds before, Harry had been swaddled up in blankets like a child, whining about leaving his alpha's arms, and now he was acting like Niall's mother.
He loved his omega with every beat of his heart.
"It's probably just irritation from the temperature change," Harry was saying. "I'll mix you some medicine to soothe it, at least, and then I'm sure it'll be gone in a few days."
"We're out of almost everything," Niall reminded him. He cleared his throat harshly.
"That's okay. I'll do a super quick restock. It'll only take a few minutes." He patted Niall's shoulder once more before standing and heading for the door, already mentally mapping the fastest way to reach the nearest patches of peppermint leaves and chamomile flowers.
"Harry." Louis's booming voice was serious and reprimanding when he called out from the back of the cave. He was rushing to dress himself after hearing Harry's plan. "It's almost dark. Do not go out there by yourself. Wait for me."
Harry rolled his eyes, popping out his hip as he groaned loudly. "I'm not a child, Louis. I'll be back before you even know I'm gone."
"Harry Edward Styles --"
"Louis!" the omega whined, pursing his lips outward into a pout and crossing his arms over his chest, huffing childishly. He nearly stomped his foot on the ground. "How am I supposed to get the other lads to respect my name change when even my own alpha doesn't?!"
"Sorry, darling," Louis said sincerely, although the corners of his mouth tugged upward into a small smile as he emerged from the back of the cave, making his way toward his mate. "It's just really hard to be mad at you when I'm calling you by my last name."
Harry's pout transformed into an innocent grin, his dimples making an appearance. "Exactly."
"Fucking minx. Spoiled rotten, aren't you?"
"That's your fault, alpha," Harry pointed out cheekily, stepped forward to wrap his arms around the older boy's torso, crowding his space. He leaned in, his lips just inches away from Louis's when he requested innocently, "Say it before I go? Please."
Louis rolled his eyes, but he pressed his lips to Harry's for a quick kiss, mumbling against his mate's mouth, "Harry Tomlinson."
There was a freshly-energized skip in Harry's step as he left the cave -- alone.
The forest was quiet at this time of the evening, but Harry always felt like the trees buzzed with life. They had run a small dirt path between the cave and the closest mint patch, so he headed there first. When he caught his toe on a root and stumbled, he giggled to himself.
The hours following a drop were so wonderful. Harry felt loose and spacey in the best way; it was like floating in his own bubble, where no one could touch him besides his alpha.
He crouched down beside the patch, smiling as the overwhelming scent of peppermint entered his nose. He hummed softly under his breath as he searched for the best samples, scrutinizing the unique shape of each leaf with his nose scrunched in focus. With a plant still trapped delicately between his fingers, he paused, glancing up from his task -- where had he even learned this tune? He decided it must be one of the many songs that Louis hummed for him to help him fall asleep after his nightmares. Satisfied, he continued his search.
The rustle of branches behind him made him freeze again, and he whirled around, eying the area around him suspiciously. The orange-red rays of the setting sun still shone brightly over the top of the treeline, but this section of the forest was particularly thick, only allowing the tiniest needles of light to pierce through the green canopy.
"Lou?" he called out nervously. He turned slowly to survey the clearing, his feet shuffling faintly against the soft grass. "Lads, seriously. This isn't funny."
The resounding silence did nothing to soothe his nerves. Leaving his bundle of plants forsaken on the ground, he took a few slow steps back, scanning the edge of the treeline as he went. The snap of another branch behind him had him whirling around, his eyes wide when he found himself face to face with an unfamiliar, dark-eyed alpha.
"A lone member of the Sons, this far out in the woods?" The scout smirked, raising his thick eyebrows. "Must be our lucky day, lads."
"I-I, uh," Harry stammered, wondering if it would be better or worse for him to tell them that he actually wasn't under the pack's protection. Not anymore. "Well, actually, I --"
"Don't be scared, little omega," the alpha purred, slowly encroaching on Harry's personal space. "We just want to talk. If you're a good boy and answer our questions nicely, I won't even use my voice on you."
Harry gulped.
Just a few minutes down the path, Louis was saying, "He's such a little brat." He shook his head fondly as they followed Harry's scent. They had left Niall at home sick, but they really needed to go hunting, and Louis's restless alpha needed to make sure Harry got home safe before they left.
"Well, whose fault is that?" Liam teased, nudging the older boy's shoulder with his own.
Louis hummed, amused. "That's what he said, too."
"Because it's true," Zayn agreed. "You're all big, bad alpha when it comes to everyone but Harry. He turns you into a cute little puppy --"
"Whoa, wait," Liam stopped them suddenly, nose twitching. "Do you guys smell . . ?"
"That's an alpha," Louis responded, his heart thudding in the base of his throat. "Maybe two."
Zayn shoved Louis forward suddenly, pointing just up ahead. "And that's Harry."
They caught sight of their friend's curly head just as an unfamiliar alpha shoved him back hard by the shoulders, making him stumble. All three of them took off running, weaving seamlessly down the familiar path. Harry's scent grew stronger and stronger as they got closer, and so did the strange scents of the other alphas. Through the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears, Louis could barely make out Liam and Zayn's voices behind him, but all he could think about was ripping this alpha's hands off of his omega.
Louis snarled viciously, tearing through the trees and tackling down the alpha who had been touching Harry. They rolled on the ground for a minute, tangled up in each other as they both fought for the upper hand, before finally scrambling back to opposite sides of the clearing.
One look in the other alpha's eyes told Louis how terrified he was, despite his aggressive body language. Scouts were generally more sneaky than combative -- they kept to the shadows in small groups, preying on defenseless wolves that had wandered off on their own.
Even through his rage, he could smell Harry's terror. "Get out of here," Louis growled. "Now! And don't ever fucking come back, or you'll have me to deal with!"
Luckily, the scouts didn't argue with the raging alpha. They scattered, disappearing beyond the trees. Louis released a shaky exhale, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.
"Alright?" Zayn was asking Harry, rubbing the younger boy's upper arms reassuringly.
"I'm okay," Harry assured him shakily. He reached for Louis, but quickly recoiled when the alpha whirled around to face him with flashing blue eyes.
"This is why you don't fucking leave the cave alone!" Louis seethed, his tone still deep and gravelly, rough with anger.
"Jesus," Harry muttered, pressing his fingers to his temples. He swayed slightly on his feet, and Louis was quick to lunge for him, steadying the younger boy before he lost his balance.
"What's wrong?" he demanded, his free hand roaming Harry's body, searching for injuries. "Did they hurt you? I swear to God --"
"No, no. I'm fine," Harry assured him. He leaned into Louis's touch, burying his face in the alpha's shoulder. "No, it's just . . . your growling made me really spacey," he admitted, a bit sheepishly. He could feel himself growing slick, his frightened body instinctively calling out for his alpha, and he wondered if Louis could smell it.
Fuck, he definitely could. Harry didn't know why he was embarrassed, but he was.
Realization washed over Louis instantly. Harry had only just recovered from his prolonged drop, and it wouldn't take much to tip him back over the edge. "Fuck. I'm sorry, angel," he gushed, realizing suddenly that he had unfairly directed his anger at the scouts toward his omega. "It's okay, yeah? It's okay. I'm sorry."
Harry waved him off, still leaning into the older boy's side for support. "It's fine. Can we just go home now? And maybe figure out why the fuck there are scouts in these parts of the woods?"
Louis nodded, his mind locking in on that goal and that goal only. "Need to get you home," he agreed in a low tone. His eyes were a bit wild, flashing as he kept Harry pressed tightly against him, shielded even from the other boys.
Zayn gave him an odd look, then exchanged a glance with Liam. They took off walking down the path, sparing a few worried glances back at the couple as they went. Louis kept Harry pinned to his side, scanning the woods as they went. Even with the orange glow of the sunset still lighting their path, the alpha's fingers twitched with anxiety, paranoid that someone was watching them from nonexistent shadows.
"Hey, hey," Harry spoke softly, tugging Louis away from the other boys. He framed the older boy's face, locking their eyes together -- Louis's were dark and foggy, clouded over with some primal urge to protect his mate from something as small as the wind. "It's okay. I'm okay."
"They touched you," Louis growled, his grip on Harry's hip tightening unconsciously.
Harry shook his head, wincing as he did. "Barely," he argued weakly. The lie left a bitter taste in his mouth, even if he knew it was for the best -- Louis's alpha was unstable, teetering on the edge of losing control, and knowing that Harry was hurt would push him over. "Here, come here."
He guided the alpha's head into the crook of his neck, letting Louis sniff deeply at his skin, searching for signs of any scent other than his own. The older boy exhaled, somewhat placated, then licked possessively over Harry's mating mark, making him shiver.
"It's alright. We're alright," Harry spoke softly, trying to soothe both Louis and himself.
The older boy pulled back from their embrace, holding Harry at arm's length. His brow furrowed suddenly, and he studied Harry's face intently, brushing a stray curl back from his face. "You're hurting," he said, his tone thick with worry. "I can feel it. What's wrong?"
"No, no," Harry rushed out, shaking his head. "I'm not, I'm just . . . yeah, I'm upset, but only because you're upset and I feel like it's my fault."
The alpha's face crumbled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, I . . . I'm sorry. I can't control it."
"I know, I know. It's okay," Harry started to ramble. "It's because I just dropped, and you were taking care of me so well and then I left and I wouldn't let you come with me and now . . ." he trailed off, cupping Louis's jaw as he observed the distressed look on the alpha's face. "It's all my fault. I didn't mean to make you upset."
Louis shook his head. "No, it's alright," he said, repeating the words that Harry had just told him. His brain was hyperactive, trying to control his primal possessiveness while taking care of his omega while also figuring out why there were scouts suddenly hanging out in their front yard. "We're alright," he decided, an unusual sense of uncertainty radiating from his body in waves. "We just need to get home, and everything will be okay again. We just need to get home."
The rest of the night felt like a blur, moving in fast-motion. They made their way back to the cave, with Louis still somewhat paranoid that they were being followed. Niall was surprised to see them and even more surprised when they recounted the tale -- they hadn't encountered any scouts since after the last battle an entire year before.
"Maybe it was just a once-off," Niall had suggested, clearing his sore throat after he spoke.
Liam shook his head. "No, something's changed. I could see it in their eyes."
"You're so bloody dramatic all the time," Zayn had teased, shoving the alpha's shoulder.
Which was true, of course, but along with being dramatic, Liam was often right.
Harry had crawled into bed beside Louis like he always did, cuddling into the alpha's side. He waited until the older boy's breathing levelled out before lifting his arm and slipping out from under it, padding silently toward the cave door. He managed to make it outside without a sound, and he couldn't help feeling a bit proud of himself.
He winced as he lifted his shirt, thankful that the blood hadn't seeped through and caught the other boys' notice. The wound wasn't large, but it was deep, and he could feel the pressure starting to build up against his lung. Before the other boys intervened, one of the alphas had grabbed him with extended claws, sinking a set of sharp nails deep into his lower back.
Nothing a little magic couldn't fix, though. He could only be thankful that none of the scouts had the chance to use their alpha tones.
Biting his lip, he began working the water through his throbbing skin. He tilted his head back, focusing on the glowing moon overhead, distracting himself by studying the intricate pattern of moonbeams that came through the leaves. His mouth was sticky with the bittersweet taste of blood by the time he finished, but at least he had successfully suppressed any whimpers of pain.
He was all healed -- physically, at least. He crept back into the cave, stumbling slightly as his exhaustion started to settle in. The piercing pain in his side dulled to no more than a throbbing soreness; now, he needed the emotional safety net that only his alpha could provide.
Louis roused only slightly when Harry crawled back into bed, shifting to tuck the omega safely under his arm. Even in sleep, he secured the blankets around Harry's shivering body, gathering them around his back and sticking the stray edges underneath his shoulders. He mumbled something incoherent and held Harry closer, nuzzling his nose into his mate's soft curls.
"I love you," Harry whispered. The silent night swallowed the three words whole.
Still fast asleep, Louis's fingers dug deep into the omega's hip, heavy and possessive as always. The declaration was so quiet and tender that Harry barely caught it when the older boy breathed contentedly against his hair: "Mine."
Harry smiled, cuddling into the warmth of his alpha's body, relishing in the comforting weight of Louis's arm draped heavily over his back. "Yours," he murmured softly, as he finally allowed his tiredness to overtake him. "Always."