To that one guy who showed interest in me, honey I'm gay:) Obviously not going to tell him that. Imagine that being circulated. Sheesh. I need to get out of here first, then people can say whatever they want.
•••
Niall, and Shawn dropped Harry off at his new apartment a week ago. He had not contacted Louis out of fear. He was very paranoid, and scared.
Their apartment was not big. It was what he was able to afford with what little he had saved. He was smart. Harry was smart. He excelled in school even through the social prejudice. He was an expert in technology so that was why when the opportunity to work under one of the most prestigious companies arose, he took it without hesitation.
It was only upon receiving the job that he moved back to England to begin with. Harlow would be able to spend time at the daycare the company offered which was an added benefit. The office wear was casual so he went for a floral button down and skinny jeans. He let his hair flow down, hiding the shameful mark left behind by Arnold.
Harlow, being the little angel she was, packed her own bag and sat on the couch. She had always been that way. Harry supposed it was a trait Harlow received from Harry. Not much about Harlow was like Arnold. In all honesty, Harlow looked nothing like Arnold.
Harry put Harlow's food in her bag before they left. They took the train since Harry and Harlow were scared of cars. Harlow wore her ear muffs the whole way. "Be good for me, Harly," Harry said as he bent down to level himself with his daughter.
"Always, mama. Be safe," she hugged his neck tightly. Harry smiled fondly, tenderly pulling away, and watched her being led in by another adult omega. She watched Harry over her shoulder until a child tripped over their feet, and Harlow wriggled out of the older omega's grasp before rushing over to help the fallen child.
"Is there anything we need to be aware of?" The lady in charge of the daycare asked him with a polite smile.
"She's scared of loud noises, and she may be a bit scared of people or shy. Just be patient with her. She gets scared easily," Harry muttered with a sad smile.
The female omega eyed him warily before nodding. "Yes, okay." With that Harry turned around and headed to the IT department. He did not need to explain himself to anyone. He did not need pity or more reasons for people to hate him. He did not need more people to blame him.
He walked into the office he was given and sat down. A lady, a beta walked in, her blond hair swaying behind her. "Hi, I'm Sylvie. I just came to give you your first assignment. You will be reporting to Mr. Morris. His office is just down the hall. If you have anything to ask, don't be afraid to do so," she said with a friendly smile, handing the folder over.
Harry took it from her with a small upturn of his lips. "Thank you, Sylvie. I'm Harry," he introduced himself.
"It was nice meeting you Harry, and the cafeteria is on this same floor. Just down the right hallway," she informed before giving Harry a small smile, and leaving.
Harry opened the file, looking into it, he had to correct some minor bugs in the server so he got to work right away. Around lunchtime, he was done with all the work he was assigned so he decided to head to the cafeteria to get himself some food. He really hated wearing the prosthesis for this long because it started hurting, and he felt a great amount of discomfort. Maybe he would remove the prosthesis after a few days of working here.
He walked towards the cafeteria with a slight wince. As he turned a corner the voices got louder, and he knew he reached his destination. He winced again, when he heard his name being called. "Harry? Is that you, love?" He could never forget that voice. It was ingrained into his memory and was one of his favourite voices. His heart beat vigorously against his chest cavity.
He registered how all the noise and chatter seized. If someone were to drop a pin, it would be extremely loud with the amount of silence spread through the room. He turned around to face the alpha. "Louis?" he questioned in his typically soft voice.
Louis walked forward with a grin plastered on his face, much to the surprise of the other employees. Louis looked so very soft in this moment and it was honestly scarier seeing their boss this way.
Louis opened his arms for Harry and the omega walked right into it, his tense muscles relaxing. "You work here?" Harry whispered.
Louis chuckled as he rubbed Harry's back. "I own this company," he whispered back. Harry pulled back with widened eyes. Louis shook his head. "No, it's fine. You can hug me whenever you want to, and besides, I initiated it," Louis said, knowing exactly what ran through Harry's mind. "What are you doing here?" he asked, gently.
"I work here?" Harry felt so out of place with so many eyes on him. Louis sensed the omega's nervousness and looked around at the rest of the cafeteria with his usually cold, and hard gaze.
All eyes left the two of them, fear bubbling through each and every employee as they ducked their heads down, and resumed their meals. Harry shuddered when he saw Louis's eyes, cold, and unforgiving, but then the alpha turned to face him, and his eyes softened.
Harry wanted to melt because Louis made him feel special, even with all his defects and broken pieces, stolen parts, he felt special. All of a sudden Louis's eyebrows furrow. "Did you take your prosthesis off while you were working?" he asked, seriousness dripping from his voice.
Harry startled and laughed nervously, hand going up to rub at the failed bond mark on his neck. Louis watched the movement with his eyes, and for a second, Harry swore he saw the alpha's eyes flash red, but it was gone too soon. "Uh, no?" His voice came out small.
Louis sighed. It was disapproving, and Harry did not like that. His omega felt inadequate, and he felt inadequate. He did not want to disappoint Louis.
Louis saw the way Harry's shoulders hunched like he would when he wanted to make himself feel smaller and immediately rushed forward and hugged the omega. Harry was still attempting to make himself appear smaller so Louis rubbed the back of his neck, where the failed bond mark resided, and where Harry's future alpha would bite down to bond him.
Harry relaxed when instead, he would usually tense. He leaned against Louis, and the alpha held him tightly. "I know how much it hurts when you wear it for too long. It's not necessary for you to hurt yourself, yeah?" He said once he pulled back from the hug.
Harry nodded. "Okay," he said, voice soft. Louis's features form a crinkly eyed smile.
"How is Harlow?"
Harry smiled because of how much Louis cared. He never expected for an alpha to care about him or Harlow, and it was sort of unfair because his traitorous heart was developing inklings of feelings towards Louis who also happened to be his boss. "I'm a bit scared if I'm going to be honest. She's in the office daycare, and I'm worried because there are so many new people." He blinked back tears of frustration.
Louis pulled Harry away from prying eyes, and to the empty hallways. He brought Harry down until his nose was pressed against the alpha's scent gland. "Breathe," he said, and Harry did. He inhaled deeply, calming himself down. "I will check on her."
Harry immediately pulled back, shaking his head. "I can't ask you to do that. She is my responsibility. I-" Louis cut him off before he could continue any further.
"I must interrogate her. I watched 'Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper', and I believe I don't understand some of it. She seems to be an expert." He effectively lifted any form of guilt building inside Harry because Louis offered to check on her for him. "You may eat, and then resume work. I will check up on her. If you need anything or simply just want to talk, my office is at the top floor. You and Harlow are always welcome to talk to me whenever you like. I will also text you in the morning, and night to make sure you two are okay." It was selfish on Louis's part because all of this was to appease himself. The past week, not knowing how Harry, and Harlow were, but being a bit afraid to call or text the omega was eating at him so with the sudden confidence boost, he let his alpha take over.
Harry nodded, his heart swelling at how much Louis cared for a defective person like himself. With one more squeeze to the back of his neck, Louis was gone which left Harry to go back into the cafeteria to eat. Upon his entry all eyes were plastered onto his person, making him squirm uncomfortably. He opted to grab something to eat, and dine in his office, away from prying eyes.
»»----- ★ -----««
Louis walked towards the daycare, positively happy that Harry was working in such close proximity to him. He was not stupid. He had heard of true mates, and he also knew how the omega immediately felt comfortable in the presence of their true mate.
Louis felt the connection, and he knew Harry felt it too. He would not push it knowing that the omega had been through a lot. He sped up when he heard crying. His heart picked up when he saw Harlow curled up in a corner, crying. "What's going on here?" he asked the lady who took care of the children.
Everyone fell silent. Even the children knew who Louis was, and how scary he was. "She is crying for no reason, sir. She will settle down soon." They pay no mind to the crying child, but Louis knew better. He knew what Harlow was like. He knew she would not cry without a reason; especially where she could be seen and heard.
He stepped into the room, and the other lady spoke up. "She is an omega, sir. She has a tendency to be dramatic." Harlow whimpered at that, hands around her knees, tightening.
Louis shot her a warning glare. "Harly?" he spoke softly. The two ladies' eyes widened due to the recognition, while Harlow's head snapped up. Louis's heart broke when he saw the puffy cheeks, and red rimmed eyes he never wanted to see again. "Come here sweetie," he held his hands open as he bent down onto his knees.
Harlow scrambled to her feet before running to the alpha. She hid her face in Louis's neck and sobbed. Louis's hands wrapped around her tightly, rubbing her back. "I will take Harlow with me," he informed the two ladies who were watching with wide eyes, in a clipped tone. "Would you like to come with me, Harly?" he asked the girl softly.
"What a-about m-mama?" she asked.
"I will tell mama where you are."
"O-Okay," she hiccuped.
Louis stood up with Harlow clinging to him. "Next time, when a child is crying, comfort them instead of looking for their status or I will have you replaced," he cut them with a sharp glare before leaving towards his office.
He could feel the eyes on him as he comforted Harlow while walking to his office, but he ignored it, and closed the door once he was in his office. He moved to the comfort of his chair and sat himself and Harlow down on it. "Will you tell me what happened, Harly?" he asked softly, thumbing away the drying tears.
Louis gave her time to formulate words. When she finally did, the words that left her mouth broke his heart. "I'm ugly," her voice was nothing above a whisper.
"No Harly, you are the most beautiful girl in the whole world." He tucked a curl behind her ear.
She shook her head in negation. "No, they say I have scar-" she moved her hair away to trace the scar running from the corner of her eyebrow to just behind her ear, and then the one on her hand. "-and that scars are ugly," she whimpered, clearly pained by the hurtful words used against her.
Louis traced the scars as he did with Harry's bond mark and marvelled at the way Harlow too, relaxed. "These scars tell me how strong you are. Something bad happened, and that's how you got these, but Harly, you are so strong that no one could take you away from your mama. You are a brave girl," he tickled her sides, and watched as she giggled, dimples on display.
Her emotions switched when her tummy grumbled. "I'm hungry," Louis laughed heartily when she pouted.
"And where is your food? Do you want me to get you some?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Mama made cheesy pasta!" she exclaimed happily.
"I will go and get that. Do you want to come with me or stay here?"
"Come with you," she replied shyly, ducking her head. Louis smiled, tilting the little girl's chin up.
"There is no need for you to be shy with me. Don't be afraid to speak. I love listening to you speak," he watched her dim eyes light up, and could not suppress the smile that overtook his features. He straightened up, fixing his suit before holding his hand out for Harlow.
She latched onto Louis's hand and swung it back and forth happily as they walked back to the daycare. "I missed you," Harlow admitted as they walked down the hallways, eyes following their movements.
Louis smiled as he looked down to be met with bouncing curls. "I missed you too."
They were stopped by an alpha. Harlow immediately cowered behind Louis, and he frowned because no one should react that way. "Oh, who's this?" the said alpha asked with a saccharine smile.
Louis fixed him with a hard glare. "Someone who is clearly afraid of you, Justin. I pay you to work, not have Dylan do it for you so unless you start working, you can expect to be fired. Dismissed." Louis said harshly.
Justin rushed away hastily, and Harlow was at his side again. "You're scary.... but not to me and mama. Why?" That was indeed a good question, excellent even, in Louis's opinion.
"It is because I care about you two," he supplied, truthfully. They stopped in front of the daycare and Louis quickly retrieved Harlow's bag and they walked back to his office.
Louis took her lunchbox out and handed it to her. She eagerly opened it and ate at away hungrily, but stopped suddenly and held her little plastic fork out to Louis. "Try some?" she asked hopefully. How could Louis ever say no? So, with a smile he took the offered food.
Louis almost moaned at the taste. It was otherworldly. How could Harry make something as simpme as cheese pasta taste this good? He looked at Harlow who was staring at him expectantly. "It's really yummy, love," he complimented.
One thing he had come to learn about Harlow is that she was extremely protective of Harry, and his feelings, and that she loved him very dearly. He admired that about her, and although he did not understand fully what Harry and Harlow went through, he did to some extent understand why they were so scared of everything.
Harlow was very sweet. She was always attentive to everything around her, hyper aware of the smallest noise which Louis believed was something she learned in order to figure out when her father was nearby.
That angered him, and if the man was alive, Louis would torture him slowly. He would draw the process out because he touched Harry with the wrong intentions in mind. He would have made him beg for mercy only to be denied it for hurting Harlow, his own daughter.
He hated those kinds of alphas. The kind that would raise an unkind hand to their omega or child. He wished they would all be swallowed whole, never to be seen again, but alas he could not do that.
"I like flowers. Mama says I'm like a flower. He says I'm pr-pre-precious." She beamed upon getting the pronunciation right.
"You are. You are very precious," the alpha said. "I have some work to do. You are welcome to sit here and wait with me or do anything you please as long as you don't hurt yourself or take things without my permission," Louis instructed her softly.
She nodded enthusiastically before leaping off of Louis's lap with her bag. She climbed onto the sofa in Louis's office and set her bag on the floor. Louis watched to make sure she was uninjured before going back to work.
His mind was reeling at the thought of something happening to Harry or Harlow. His inner alpha and himself included, felt this deep urge to protect them both, and he could not deny the sense of familiarity he felt with Harry.
It was the little things that made him smile when he thought about Harry. Those dimples, those beautiful eyes, his kind heart, and it was also those little thing people tend to brush off that made him sad. The way the omega flinched or tensed, the way he was afraid to speak, the way he cowered when a hand was raised or when an alpha was in close proximity.
He pressed his pen down onto the paper harder as he suppressed his anger, keeping his angered pheromones from mixing in the air.