·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚LOUIS˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙
It’s a particularly gloomy morning as Louis rushes out of the Council Manor, almost tripping over himself and dropping his mug of tea in his haste to make it to the car in the driveway. He’s been severely lacking in carrying out his plan and he’s determined to make up for it starting now.
“Wait!” He calls out, watching as the alpha in the driver’s seat rolls down the window.
“Can I help you?” Harry asks pointedly.
Louis couldn’t deny that they’d shared a sweet moment in his art studio, but he knew he had a long way to go to win over Harry’s trust, especially with the way he’d lashed out after.
“May I please ride to class with you?” He asks sweetly.
“Why can’t you take your own car?” Harry squints suspiciously at him.
“It hasn’t been working properly,” Louis lies. “And I hate driving anyway.” That part isn’t a lie. “Besides, don’t you think it’s rather silly that we’ve ridden separately to university this whole time when we literally live together?”
“We ride separately because you’re a brat and we can’t stand to be in each other’s presence for more than five minutes at a time,” Harry rolls his eyes, but he’s already unlocking the car doors so Louis counts it as a win.
Harry’s car is warm and cozy, sheltering them from the crisp morning air and Louis hates that the vehicle smells exactly like the alpha. He rubs his already red hands together in a desperate attempt to warm them up.
“You’re being so weird lately,” Harry observes as he reaches over to blast the car heat on the highest setting. “Don’t you have a venomous gift to plan?”
“It’s your week actually,” Louis points out as they speed down the road. “I’m excited to see what you come up with.”
Harry only lets out a grumpy grumble, eyes focused on the misty fog ahead of them.
Louis stays silent, thinking about the past weeks. His plan hasn’t exactly gone as he’d wished. Harry had proven to be far more resistant to his advances than he’d anticipated and Louis couldn’t help but slip up, arguing with the alpha far more than he should.
He doesn’t really think it’s his fault. He’s not a professional actor and it’s awfully hard to act genuinely in love with the brutish alpha next to him.
“I can hear your mind from here, knock it off,” Harry mutters from beside him.
“Don’t you think, if I had the power to shut off my mind, I would’ve done it ages ago?” Louis questions. “Contrary to whatever silly notion has planted itself in your head, I don’t particularly like having racing thoughts all the time.”
“Actually, I think you’d keep them on extra loud, just to mess with me,” Harry says bitterly. “Besides, what do you have to think about?”
“I’m going to be nice and ignore those unsavory insinuations,” Louis decides as they stop at a red light. Then he holds out his cup of orange blossom tea to Harry’s lips. “Do you want some?”
“You know, if you poison me and I pass out at the wheel, then we both die,” Harry points out, but he takes an appreciative sip of the steaming liquid.
“What is this obsession with me poisoning you?” Louis laughs at the broody alpha. He really hadn’t realized how much Harry wasn’t a morning person. “If you wanted me to take you out, all you had to do was just ask. I have several different methods that I’d love to try.”
The alpha pouts. “It wouldn’t be so far-fetched. You have tried to drown me in the lake more times than I can count.”
“You are hardly any better,” Louis says. “I know it was you who started multiple rumors that I had a contagious infection so that no one would partner up with me in my classes last year.”
“Whatever, you totally deserved it,” Harry says, but Louis can already tell that he’s not feeling as sullen as before. He doesn’t know whether it was the tea or the conversation but either way, he’ll take full credit for it.
“Okay, so now that you’re not as grumpy, what are the odds that I can convince you to stop off at the food trucks so we can get burritos?” Louis asks with his most winning smile. Since he’d barely caught Harry before he left, he hadn’t had time to eat breakfast and he could feel his tummy start to protest.
“Did you come along to usurp my whole morning or something?” Harry asks him.
“Great vocabulary word,” Louis ignores the alpha’s glare. “And no, I’m just a simple boy trying to get a ride to school and maybe a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast burrito with extra salsa. You wouldn’t deprive me of that, would you?”
Harry grumbles something that sounds an awful lot like a jumbled mess of curse words, but he flicks the blinker on, to make the turn toward the direction of the food trucks, so Louis counts it as a win.
Louis counts the whole morning as a win when they’re finally sat at a picnic table that overlooks the entire campus, munching on their breakfast burritos and iced lattes. Harry is on his third vegan bacon and egg burrito like the absolute uncivilized beast that he is, but Louis can’t deny the company is still nice.
Spring is shyly making its way onto the small campus and he can see hints of cherry blossom and lavender peak their way onto the trees around the prestigious building. He also thinks he can see Liam and Zayn making out next to the student center, but he’ll save that tidbit of knowledge for a time when he really needs it.
“So, what do you think the chefs will make for dinner tonight?” He asks. Food seems to be the only topic that doesn’t start a mini-war between them out and he has decided to use that to his advantage.
“Why are you thinking about food when we’ve just had breakfast?” Harry says between giant mouthfuls of his breakfast burrito. There’s a chunk of egg and spinach that’s clinging to the corner of his mouth but Louis will also be saving that morsel for a later time. He’s just a wealth of knowledge this morning.
“I like food,” he defends himself. “Don’t you?”
“Yes,” Harry says slowly. “I just don’t think I’ve ever seen you so passionate about this. Are you trying to distract me from something?”
“Stop being so cynical this morning,” Louis pokes him in his hard bicep. “I’m just trying to create a somewhat pleasant conversation with my future mate.”
“Well, don't,” Harry pulls away. “Not after what you pulled last time.”
They sit in awkward silence while Louis tries to wrack his brain for whatever it could be that’s got Harry’s feathers in a ruffle. When he finally gets it he lets out a disbelieving laugh.
“You’re seriously still upset about that?” He asks the alpha. “If anything, I’m the one who should be upset about that.”
“Why?” Harry demands, finally looking at him. “I know you think I’m out to make your life miserable, and I don’t deny that sometimes I am, but I thought we had a nice afternoon for once. And I did want to keep hanging out with you. And it pisses me off to see your mum giving you shit for something that she shouldn’t have been. That has nothing to do with me being this possessive, controlling alpha that you’ve made me up to be in your head.”
“Okay,” this time it’s Louis who is slow to answer. “I didn’t know it bothered you that much.”
Harry groans, running a hand through his curls. “It didn’t bother me, that’s not the point. I get that you’re not a helpless omega. Don’t you think I know that? I didn’t want to help you because I thought you were weak. I just saw someone who could potentially be a friend who could benefit from me saying something. It’s not as sinister as whatever you’d concocted. You didn’t have to rip me a new one afterward.”
It’s probably the most vulnerable that Louis has heard the alpha and all of the words feel like little pebbles being thrown at his brain.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, trying to understand that he might have been a little too harsh towards the alpha on that day. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that.”
Harry drops his head into his hands. “It’s fine,” he says, quieter this time. “I know things with your family are sensitive, and I’m sorry that I’ve never noticed. I never want to overstep.” He swallows harshly, looking conflicted and suddenly Louis wants to do anything he can to make the other boy feel better. He’s never seen Harry so honest.
“What is it?” He encourages. “You can tell me.”
Harry mutters something into his hands that Louis can’t catch so he scooches closer to the alpha. “I can’t hear you, Harry,” he coaxes.
“Do you not like when we have sex?” Harry’s words are rushed and Louis isn’t sure if it’s because of the brisk morning air, but the alpha almost looks like he’s blushing scarlet red.
“Wha– why would you say that?” He asks. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“It has to do with everything,” the alpha emphasizes. “Louis, every time we fight, no matter what it’s about, you always throw it back in my face. You–you act as if I coerce you into having sex with me and I’ve never done that and I never would do that. I know sometimes we cross boundaries with each other and I know that we don’t get along, but it seriously hurts my feelings to see that you think I’m capable of something like that.”
Louis feels his mouth form a little o at the confession. As he mulls Harry’s words over, he feels a vat of shame and guilt bubble in his stomach, almost making him want to throw up his breakfast. The alpha is right. He has used that as a piece of go-to ammunition every time. When he puts aside all of their fights and arguments, Harry has always made sure he was taken care of during sex and Louis would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it every single time they hooked up.
“Oh, Harry,” he says helplessly, unsure how he can actually make the situation better. He doubts the alpha will fall in love with him now, fake or not. “I’m so sorry, Harry. I really am. Please believe me when I say I didn’t realize.”
“It’s fine,” Harry says again, turning to him, but his face looks stricken and it only makes Louis’ nausea grow tenfold. “I know I’ve been horrible to you, you have every right to be just as horrible back to me.”
“No, I don’t,” Louis insists. “At least, not about that. You’re absolutely right, Harry. You’ve never pushed me into doing something I don’t want to do and it’s so shitty of me to say otherwise. No matter what we’re fighting about.”
“Okay,” Harry says, albeit shakily, and Louis has never seen the alpha look so unsure. “Um, thank you for saying that.”
“I mean it,” Louis says. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”
Harry slowly turns to him and nods. “I think so.”
Louis braces himself, ready to comply with whatever the alpha suggests. “Okay, whatever you want.”
“You can walk down this giant hill all the way to the Dean’s office,” Harry starts and Louis feels his heart sink to his chest. “And then you can withdraw yourself from being Co-Valedictorian.”
He stares at Harry in dread, looking at the alpha for any sign of amusement, but the alpha stares right back, unflinching. He almost wants to cry at the suggestion, having worked so hard for the achievement all four years. Being told he had to share it with Harry was painful enough, but now having it basically ripped away again from the same person is too much.
Just as he’s about to take a deep breath and admit defeat, Harry bursts into laughter, cupping his face as he shakes and falls back on the picnic table.
“Oh my god, your face,” he gasps out between big belly laughs. “That was priceless. You were really gonna do it huh? Oh man, that made up for it, for sure.”
Louis scowls when he realizes the alpha was joking. Then he promptly shoves Harry off the bench.
“You absolute dickhead,” he hisses. “I thought you were being 100% serious.”
Harry doesn’t even react to being pushed on the ground, instead just rolls around as he howls in laughter. “Yeah, that was the point,” he wheezes out. “Oh my god, Louis, you looked like I had just killed your kitten or something.”
“Don’t talk about Violet like that,” Louis snaps, thinking of his sweet kitten. “You are so immature, I cannot believe I felt sorry for you for one second.”
When Harry finally collects himself, he drops back onto the bench next to Louis. There are a few beats of silence before he’s laughing again.
“I really wish I’d filmed that,” he says amusedly.
“Yeah, well I really wish you’d been neutered,” Louis retorts. “I was trying to be serious.”
“I know, baby,” Harry says sweetly. “And it was really kind of you, and I forgive you. But I’m never going to forget this moment.”
“Ugh,” Louis shoves him again, but this time Harry refuses to budge. “You’re the worst.”
“Yeah,” Harry says nonchalantly, picking up his burrito again and taking a huge bite out of it.
“So frustrating,” Louis can feel his blood boiling at the alpha’s antics and the only thing that makes him feel better is swinging himself over Harry’s lap and kissing the laughter out of him.
To his credit, Harry takes the transition well, immediately cupping Louis’ ass and leaning into the kiss.
“You’re really giving me mixed signals here, pup,” he says between heated kisses.
“Just shut up and appreciate it,” Louis snaps before slipping his tongue into Harry’s mouth. He tangles his hands deep into Harry’s curls and tugs, relishing the appreciative moan that slips from the alpha.
He lets their tongues chase each other until he grows bored and presses hot kisses down alongside Harry’s jaw. He knows it’s terribly vain, but he can’t help but be thankful his future mate is the hottest person alive.
Harry’s face looks like it was crafted by the gods themselves and he’ll never tire of the sharp jawline the alpha has or the silky softness of his skin. Harry always smells like sharp pine and peppermint and the scent of it always invigorates Louis, no matter how upset he is with the alpha.
Slowly he drags his knuckles alongside the bulge that sticks out from Harry’s sweatpants. The alpha hisses, gripping Louis’ ass tighter.
“What are you doing?” Harry asks him in between stuttered breaths.
“I’m showing you,” Louis gives him a chaste kiss on his mouth. “I always enjoy what we do. Always .”
“Oh-kay,” Harry stutters out again.
Louis cups him firmly through his sweatpants, once more before he’s returning his hands to frame Harry’s face and trap him in a heated kiss again.
Harry eagerly complies, licking hotly into Louis’ mouth, his hands teasing at the waistband of Louis’ own pants. The alpha has always taken what he’s wanted and this morning is no different. He dips his fingers into Louis’ panties, pressing a curious digit to Louis’ hole.
“Stop that,” Louis breathes out as his eyes flutter closed. “Anyone could see.”
Harry obliges, hands coming back to squeeze at Louis’ hips. “I think you’d like that, pup.”
“Maybe,” Louis mutters and he chooses that very moment to shift down on Harry’s lap, making sure to brush over his clothed cock. Harry immediately jolts, pushing his hips right into Louis and they rock back and forth hopelessly against the other.
Louis whines at the friction, seeking more as he wraps his arms around Harry’s neck and kisses him harder.
“That’s it, baby,” Harry murmurs. “Rub yourself off against my thighs. I’m here for you, pup.”
Mewling at the pet names, Louis buries his face into Harry’s neck and rocks harder, rutting deep against Harry. The alpha grinds back and it isn’t long before they’re both coming in their pants like schoolboys.
Harry holds him in his lap after, rubbing soothing circles against his back with his large hand. Louis hates to admit it, but he almost likes this part a little more than the actual sex. Harry’s arms have always felt safe, no matter the fact that it was Harry who was holding him.
“Did you do this so I’d be late for my Calculus class?” Harry whispers in his ear.
Louis knows his grin answers Harry’s question tenfold when the alpha growls playfully and nips at his jawline. They both end up being late for their morning classes.
******
“Hurry up, we’re gonna be late,” Louis calls from downstairs in the grand foyer. The sun is nearly setting and he knows it’s going to get cold if Harry doesn’t get his ass to the door.
“Hold your horses,” the alpha bellows from somewhere upstairs.
Nightly walks were another part of Louis’ plan that he felt he had implemented successfully for his plan. They’d both felt they needed a reprieve after the family dinners lately and it was a good excuse to get out of the house while tricking their parents into thinking they were bonding. Although Louis supposes, he’s tricking both his parents and Harry.
Truthfully the walks were relaxing, even if they were just a way to spend more time with the alpha and convince him to let his guard down. Things had been a lot more comfortable between the two of them since that morning discussion and Louis was glad that Harry was able to move on so easily. He knows if the roles were reversed, he might not act so graciously.
Tonight they’d chosen the lake to walk around and Louis was content to let the two of them stroll in comfortable silence. With spring officially being in full force, the sun was setting later and later. The fresh air felt good on his skin and was a welcome distraction from the mountains of schoolwork he had to do.
“Have you started your Latin assignment yet?” Harry’s voice breaks through the evening air.
“Why? Trying to copy off mine?” Louis asks, dodging Harry’s poorly aimed shove.
“So difficult,” the alpha sighs.
“I haven’t started it,” Louis gives in. “It’s always multiple choice so sometimes I do it the morning of class while the professor takes attendance.”
“So do I,” Harry exclaims. “He can barely get two words out of his mouth per minute.”
“That’s rich coming from you,” Louis teases. “Didn’t you nearly take the entire lecture to read your introduction to your business proposal the other day?”
“There were a lot of big words,” Harry protests and Louis has to bite back a grin. Ridiculous. The alpha has a 4.0-grade point average and can barely manage to pronounce mischievous . He doesn’t know how Harry manages it.
“We should go boating sometime,” Louis quickly changes the subject before they can get into a full-blown argument about it. Things might have improved on a micro-level, but he still doesn't trust them not to push each other’s buttons.
“Boating?” Harry asks, staring out at the wide expanse of the crystal-blue lake. “In here?”
“Sure,” Louis shrugs. “Or there’s that bigger lake farther into the forest. I feel like I heard the Elders talk about doing it before and it sounds kind of fun, doesn’t it?”
“By fun, do you mean you sitting back and eating snacks while I do all the rowing?” Harry asks knowingly.
“Obviously,” Louis says. “I don’t know how it could go any other way.”
“Obviously,” Harry echoes, amused. “Well, I wouldn’t mind going boating. I’ll talk to my father and see if we can arrange something later on. Maybe when it’s a bit warmer.”
“I’ll talk to my father,” Louis mimics him. “God, could you be any more pretentious?”
“We literally live at the same house and your father is second in command,” Harry deadpans. “I think we have the same level of pretentiousness.”
“No, see that’s where you’re wrong,” Louis explains. “I’m a man of the people, I’m down to earth. You’re all bossy and authoritarian.”
“I’m a man of the people too,” Harry protests. “Remember during the Summer Solstice fest last year? I convinced the Council to let us have that water balloon fight. After they said no the first few times. I didn’t back down.”
“Wow, a regular Karl Marx, aren’t you?” Louis says sarcastically, but he recalls the memory fondly.
“You’re a little brat,” Harry scowls at him.
Louis simply sticks his tongue out at him and they continue in silence before he finds a patch of wildflowers. He stoops down to gather them all, not even realizing that Harry does too, helping him catch all the ones he’s missed.
“Those would look pretty in the main hall,” the alpha remarks.
“As if our mums would ever let those be seen in the main hall,” Louis scoffs. “I’ll put them in my room or something.”
“I want some too,” Harry whines. “Can we share them?”
Louis squints at the alpha, trying to see if he’s being serious. When he finds no trace of insincerity in the other boy’s eyes, he nods.
“Fine,” he says. “But I get all the pretty pink ones.”
“And yellow,” Harry says automatically, causing Louis to squint at him again. “Isn’t yellow your favorite color?”
“Yes,” Louis says slowly. “Just didn’t know that you knew that.”
“I know lots of things,” Harry says cryptically as they start to make their way back to the manor. “More than you probably.”
Louis ignores the bait. “I think we should make hot chocolate when we get back.”
“I think so too,” Harry agrees as he waves at a flock of birds that fly overhead. “Peppermint.”
“It’s springtime now,” Louis argues, not trying to coo at the action. “Peppermint is for the holiday season.”
“Yes, but peppermint is a type of mint,” Harry says matter-of-factly. “And mint is definitely a springtime thing.”
Louis blinks slowly. “You kind of got me there.”
Harry doesn’t say anything but his smile radiates smugness. They walk the rest of the way back to the manor, quietly shedding their shoes and jackets at the door.
As they start to make their way back to the chef’s kitchen, they can hear the heated voices of their parents from the dining room. Louis stops in his tracks before he can see them, tugging at Harry’s sleeve.
They stand hidden in the hallway listening as their parents debate different color schemes for both the Lunar Festival and their Mating Ceremony. Louis knows if their parents see them they’ll be dragged into yet another painful conversation about event preparation.
“We can go to my room,” Harry says quietly in his ear. “I have a hot water kettle and hot chocolate packets.”
Louis can’t remember the last time he’s been in Harry’s room. He’s certainly never been invited, but he has made it a priority to snoop around there a few times. He tries to look nonchalantly agreeable as they turn around and quietly creep up the winding staircase. One of their cleaning staff, Mel, gives them a knowing smile that makes Louis blush pink.
Harry’s room is almost bigger than Louis’, more of a suite than an actual bedroom. There’s a cozy fireplace and a king-size four-poster bed that sits in the middle of the room. Lamps around the room provide a warm glow and the bed and couch are swathed in tones of cream, pine, and dark burgundy. Louis instantly loves it.
Harry leads him over to where he has a mini-fridge, a tea kettle, and a wide variety of snacks. Louis eyes them eagerly.
“You sure took dorm living to heart, didn’t you?” He asks as he selects a packet of hot chocolate.
“Of course not,” Harry snorts. “I’ve had this way before we got into university. I just decided I didn’t like going downstairs more than necessary. I don’t know if you noticed but our parents are quite high-maintenance.”
“I might have noticed, yeah,” Louis giggles. He watches with great interest as Harry pours water from the Brita into the tea kettle and plugs it in. “You were really just living in luxury this whole time.”
“Not like we live in a twenty-thousand-foot manor or anything,” Harry tosses back at him. “Besides, you could’ve come in here anytime you wanted. I know you have.”
Louis blushes again, feeling embarrassed at having been caught.
“Well, you’ve never asked me to come in here,” he defends himself. “I was curious. It’s not like we hook up here or anything.”
“That’s true,” Harry concludes. “We like to have sex anywhere but in a bedroom.”
The brazenness of the topic both embarrasses and arouses Louis so he concentrates on pouring the hot water into the mug that Harry offers him. He takes great care in stirring the powder in. There’s nothing more he hates than lumpy cocoa.
“Wanna go to the library?” Harry asks. “I kind of want to read a book.”
Louis definitely doesn’t have any problems and he’s never seen Harry so eager to spend more time with it so he eagerly jumps at the opportunity. “I do too,” he agrees. It’s not even a lie, he spends most nights in the library reading from their extensive collection.
After changing into comfier clothes, they make their way into the library. It’s arguably one of Louis’ favorite rooms in the manor. There are floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stocked with every single book he could ever want. The largest fireplace in the manor sits in the room, almost always crackling with cozy flame.
“I wish we had a professional reader,” he muses thoughtfully as he thumbs through their vast selection of literature. “Sometimes I just wanna lie down and read a book, but holding it up gets too tiring. And audiobooks feel too artificial.”
“I’ll read to you,” Harry offers. “What were you thinking?”
“Really?” Louis asks. “What’s in it for you?”
“Nothing, you numpty,” Harry rolls his eyes. “I just can’t really read unless I’m sitting up so I might as well read aloud. It’ll be better than having you complain the whole time.”
The offer warms Louis’ heart and he tries, for what seems like the hundredth time that night, not to blush. “Well, I guess if you’re offering. “I’ve kind of been in the mood to read the classics. I was thinking "Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Seas?”
“I love Jules Verne,” Harry says appreciatively. He uses the ladder to pick the book from the top shelf and Louis watches from his spot on the couch, trying not to ogle Harry’s legs as they flex and stretch to reach the novel.
When Harry is finally sat in a comfy armchair, and Louis has successfully readjusted himself so no one is any the wiser, they settle into a comfortable scene. Louis finds that Harry’s slow voice makes the story that much more enjoyable to hear, the alpha putting as much expression and thoughtfulness into the characters as he can.
He almost falls asleep to the soothing environment, the fire roaring at their hearth, Harry’s slow voice, and the sweet smell of peppermint hot chocolate.
It soon becomes a nighttime routine he can't live without.
******
Louis is marching towards the door with the gusto of a general ready to storm the battlefield when he hears Zayn behind him.
Whirling around, he puts his hands on his hips. “What, Zayn?”
“Your shoe is untied, babe,” the other omega stoops down immediately to untangle the laces. “Thought I’d let you know so you didn’t trip and fall flat on your face during this power walk of yours.”
“It’s not a power walk,” Louis sniffs, but nonetheless stands patiently and lets Zayn take his time as he methodically ties his shoe. He loves his best friend.
“You look like you’re ready to besiege the halls,” Zayn observes as he stands up. “What’s got you in such a mood?”
“Just having a bad day,” Louis admits as they walk into the building together.
This morning he’d burned his toast, not once but twice, before his parents had seen and scolded him for being so careless. After his meager meal of blackened dust and butter, Harry had been nowhere to be found so he was forced to drive himself to school. When Louis had finally laid eyes on the alpha it had been in their History course where Harry had proceeded to absolutely annihilate him during their Socratic seminar.
All of that was on top of the fact that it was a Wednesday. Louis had woken up to a luxurious jade and gold perfume bottle on his nightside table. A quick spray had him almost throwing up. The scent was wretched, somewhere between a flaming dumpster fire and lukewarm rotten eggs. He instantly knew who the gifter had been.
“Well, I missed you at lunch,” Zayn snuggles into his side. “Liam was TA’ing during his office hours and who knows where Niall goes. I was all alone.”
“You love being alone,” Louis points out.
“That’s true,” Zayn agrees. “But I wanted to show you this discussion post answer in my clinical psychology class.
“Was it Cedric?” Louis asks knowingly. Cedric was a rather obtuse classmate of theirs who always felt the need to play devil’s advocate, no matter the subject matter. He and Zayn had taken great amusement in theatrically reading every response he wrote to each other.
“Yes,” Zayn laughs. “He wrote something absolutely loathful about how there might be a benefit for omegas to be excluded from universities again. Liam nearly tore him to shreds over it.”
Louis laughs at the image of it all, but it doesn’t seem as funny as it usually is, and he immediately sinks back into his puddle of woes.
“Okay, what’s really wrong?” Zayn asks. “Is this about Harry?”
“No,” Louis denies. “Well, not really. I mean he’s been absolutely a menace today. He managed to show me up during our discussion in class and he was so smug about it and it just made me feel worse than I normally do. And my parents are more suffocating than normal. I would like to run away to a deserted island.”
“Can I come?” Zayn asks automatically.
“Course, Zaynie,” Louis pulls the other omega into a side hug. “I need someone to eat when I run out of food.”
Zayn squawks indignantly as he pinches at Louis’ side. “Tosser,” he grumbles. Then he sniffs the air. “Lou, did you shower this morning? You kind of smell…”
“That would be my future mate,” Louis says angrily. “He gifted me this awful gag perfume and I barely had enough time to wash it off. Although, I suppose I didn’t do a halfway decent job. No wonder no one wanted to sit next to me during the lecture this morning. I knew I still smelled putrid.”
“Ah, wonderful Wednesdays,” Zayn said knowingly. “I’m so glad Liam and I don’t partake in foreplay like this. I don’t think I have what it takes.”
“It’s not foreplay, it is a cutthroat competition to assert dominance,” Louis corrected the omega, although he knew where the two of them were going to end up later this evening. “And one I intend to win. Trust me, I have a very special package that is being shipped internationally to me. The rush shipping costs an arm and a leg but it will be entirely worth it. I’ll just tell my parents it was a new outfit or something”
“Do I even want to know?” Zayn asks.
“For the sake of plausible deniability, I’d say no,” Louis answers very seriously. “It’s best that Harry and I continue to embark on this battle of wits alone.”
“Okay Julius Caesar,” Zayn placates him. “What say we get through the rest of this day and then tomorrow we meet at the cafe as a reward? I think it’s closed today.”
“That does sound nice,” Louis says wistfully. “I keep forgetting that we’re nearly graduating and then we’ll never get to come back.”
“It’s almost kind of sad, so I try not to think about it,” Zayn offers. “Or we could skip class and go get high in the woods?”
“I’d love nothing more,” Louis says. “But I have to go put Harry in his place after what he did to me this morning. I just know he’s riding some kind of winner’s high and I can’t let him get any more insufferable than he already is.”
“Ugh, can I borrow your discussion notes?” Zayn whines. “I didn’t go to class yesterday. Or the day before.”
“You haven’t gone in exactly six days,” Louis reminds him. “But, because I love you, yes.”
“I think I’ll tell the professor I’m suffering an asthma attack and that I can’t possibly be expected to speak,” Zayn surmises. “ Or I’ll remind her about the Science wing that my parents donated last year. Which one do you think is less douchey?”
“Gee, I don’t know,” Louis says sarcastically. “They both sound pretty awful, Z.”
“Okay, perfect,” Zayn beams at him as they enter the classroom and he immediately saunters up to the professor.
Louis shakes his head fondly, laughing to himself as he takes a seat at his favorite desk in the second row, one seat off from the center so that he’s closest to the door.
He sees Harry the second he walks in the door, and sure enough, the alpha is wearing the biggest shit-eating grin Louis’ has seen on him in a while. He can’t believe this is the boy he’s trying to seduce.
“Oh, hey, Lou,” Harry greets him with a smirk. “Back for more?”
“You shut up,” Louis says cooly. “This morning was a total fluke, but I am going to positively destroy you. I have notes on everything from the last three centuries in here,” he manically waves his five-subject notebook. “You are going to wish you had ditched class.”
“I look forward to it.” Harry smiles at him before winking and turning toward the entire class. “Ugh, what is that awful smell in here?”
******
Louis does not win. In fact, Louis loses sorely. To multiple people. He blames it on the overall ugliness of the day that he can’t collect his thoughts, that he misremembers dates and names. By the end of the class, the only thing he can do is glower at Harry while Zayn rubs a soothing hand on his back.
After their somewhat unspoken truce, Louis would’ve thought that the alpha would’ve gone at least slightly easier on him and given him a break, but this has proven not to be the case.
If anything it reminds him of how badly he’s failing at his plan. Harry is obviously not falling in love with him and now he has some kind of twisted notion that Louis is being nice to him just because and he’s under the impression that Louis is off his academic game.
Not to mention, Louis still smells like a dumpster.
His anger is at an all-time high by the end of the day and he avoids Harry as best as he can, forcing Zayn to drive out of his way to drop him off at the Council Manor.
He vows to ignore Harry the second he steps inside his home, but all that flies out the window when he sees the alpha in the kitchen, obnoxiously chugging milk straight from the carton.
God, what a walking stereotype.
“You know, you can drink all the milk in the world, and that still won’t make you smarter than me,” Louis snaps, and admittedly it’s one of his weaker blows but after the day he’s had, he’s hard-pressed to think of anything wittier.
Harry ignores him right back until all the milk has left the carton, which only serves to infuriate Louis more.
When he’s finally done swiping his Alpha card and making it everyone’s business, Harry sets the milk down with a thud and levels Louis with another smirk.
“I knew you’d still be upset about that,” he finally says. “I knew it.”
“I’m not upset about that,” Lous vehemently denies. “I’m upset that you’ve been a total nuisance all day and making it everyone’s problem.”
“What are you on about?” Harry laughs. “I’m not the one who's been stomping around all day with a chip on their shoulder. You’re seriously ruining the mood.”
Louis resists the urge to growl as he whirls around and makes his way out of the kitchen. He thought he wanted to have it out with the alpha, but seeing Harry only made him realize that he wanted to be as far away from him as possible.
Harry has never respected wishes regarding anything so of course, he can hear the alpha following right behind him.
“Leave me alone,” Louis snaps, lengthening his pace as much as his short legs will allow him to get away from the nearing alpha.
“You’re the one who came up to me,” Harry’s incredulous voice rings out from behind him.
“Excuse me for actually wanting to have a civil conversation with you,” Louis says, feeling borderline hysterical, but he refuses to let Harry see him unravel. He stalks down the hall, hoping that Harry will get the point and go retreat to his bedroom or something.
His prayers are wasted as the alpha stubbornly follows him into the Council library and Louis whirls around, almost yelping in surprise when he nearly bumps into him. He hadn’t realized how close Harry was.
“I’m getting sick of this hot and cold with you,” Harry says. “You’re doing my head in.”
“Back ‘atcha,” Louis mutters sarcastically. “Okay, you had your fun during class today, now get out of my sight.”
Harry smiles at him, the same shit-eating one he’d worn when they were kids and he’d held the toy that Louis wanted out of his reach. “I don’t think I will. You’re not the only one who needs to use the library. I have homework to do too.”
“Harry,” Louis whines. “I’m asking nicely. Please leave me alone. I’ve had a dreadful time today and you are the reason for 50% of it.”
“That’s an awfully big chunk,” Harry crosses his arms, looking smugger than ever.
“Please, don’t flatter yourself. We spend most of the day in close proximity, it’s just statistics at this point,” Louis glares at him. “And honestly, I misspoke before. You are the reason for maybe 35% of it. I have other things going on too.”
“Don’t backtrack now,” Harry drawls. “I know you’re just butt-hurt that my group won the debate this morning. Twice .”
“Shut up,” Louis growls, feeling his patience begin to wean. He really had just wanted to escape to the library to forget about the dreadful day he’d experienced and of course, Harry was the only thing standing in his way.
“Watch your mouth,” the alpha says softly, stepping closer to him.
“Stop it,” Louis whines. “You’re being so unfair. I just want to be left alone, Harry!”
“I don’t think you do, baby,” the alpha says faux-sympathetically as he presses Louis up against the bookshelf. “You’ve been terrorizing everyone at school all day and being a brat. And now you think you get to sulk in here by yourself?”
“Yes,” Louis snaps. “That’s exactly what I think, so why don’t you fuck off? Or can you not follow simple instructions?”
“What did I just say?” Harry warns as he cages Louis in.
“I think we’ve established I could give a flying rat’s ass about what you say,” Louis says, but he can’t stop the shiver that runs through his body as Harry gazes at him, all authority and quiet rage.
“That’s a shame,” Harry says. “Because I think we both know who’s in charge here.”
Louis wants to scream at the alpha before him, wants to tell him that Harry certainly has no authority between the two of them, but the way that Harry continues to keep eye contact has him swallowing nervously. He can smell Harry’s familiar pine scent, and can almost taste the underlying hints of orange that come with it because of how close they are.
“I think,” Harry says. “You need someone to help you relax. Need someone to put you in your place to remind you that you can’t go around acting like you’re the boss of everything.”
Louis hates that the only one confident enough to subdue has been this arrogant alpha. But he doesn’t hate the way that Harry’s lips are suddenly on his own, biting and licking and demanding entrance like he owns every part of Louis.
They kiss bruisingly, both of them exhaling all the tense aftermath of their words out onto the other. Louis gets lost in it, and can barely hear his own thoughts when Harry is sucking bites along his jawline and down his throat.
Harry manhandles him over to the sofa, pulling his pants down in one go and groping at his arse that he knows is clad in his favorite purple panties.
“Wearing these again?” the alpha grunts. “You look so fucking delectable in these, pup.”
Louis mewls at the compliment, arching his back up to kiss Harry harder. The alpha moans and pulls Louis onto his lap, gripping and pulling harshly at his ass.
“Gonna behave?” He asks as he lands two slaps on Louis’ cheeks.
“Don’t,” Louis gasps at the sharp pain, but he immediately pushes his ass back into Harry’s waiting hands.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Harry bites punishingly at his ear. The alpha’s hand strokes teasingly at the reddening flesh before he’s winding back and slapping him three more times.
“Answer me, pup,” he demands and Louis has to concentrate to remember what they were talking about.
“Yes, yes, I will,” he gasps out. “I’ll behave.”
Harry’s hand fondles his ass cheeks, kneading and squeezing the plump flesh before a finger dips into his panties and presses against his fluttering hole.
Louis instantly tries to grind back against the pressure, but Harry’s other hand is planted firmly on his hip, preventing him from squirming anywhere.
“Hush,” he coos. “Let me do this, baby.”
The lace of his panties brushes gently against Louis’ aching hole and he whines at the pressure, already feeling the slick start to gush. The sensation is teasing and paired with Harry’s feather light touches, Louis feels like he’s about to lose his mind.
Dragging the pad of his pointer finger along Louis’ puckered hole, Harry continues to press open-mouthed kisses to his throat.
“You’re mine, aren’t you?” The alpha growls lowly. “Always gonna be mine forever.”
“Yours,” Louis gasps the claim out like some sick conditioned response. His omega is always going to want to belong to Harry no matter what his mind tries to tell it.
Louis sinks his face into Harry’s neck just as the alpha sinks two fingers into his hole. He can feel the intrusion, can feel Harry’s fingers twisting and turning trying to hit all his pleasure points and the wetness that comes along with it.
Harry is ruthless with it, revving up to a passionate rhythm that has Louis letting out little whines with every movement. He feels himself start to slowly unravel, bit by bit as Harry tugs his fingers in and out of the sensitive opening.
Before he can even attempt to adjust to what Harry is doing, the alpha is abruptly pulling his fingers out of the messy entrance and pinning Louis on his back, holding his thighs wide open. Louis starts to shake when he realizes what’s coming. He can barely see the top of Harry’s messy curls through his teary eyes but he positively sobs at the first swipe against his hole.
With an intensity that rivals the fire burning next to them, Harry begins to viciously eat him out, each swipe of his tongue seeking purchase against Louis’ sensitive skin. Harry works like how he does in real life, dominating Louis with his tongue as he wiggles it in and out of the puckered hole.
Finally, when Louis doesn’t think he can bear the intensity, Harry settles between his legs and reattaches his mouth to his.
“Did you like that, pup?” He murmurs between heated kisses.
“Yes, alpha,” Louis sobs. “Want your knot.”
Harry immediately fists his hair, pulling it back. “How do you ask for something, little pup?”
“Please,” Louis pleads, unable to care about any sense of self-preservation. He can feel himself leaking and he wants nothing more but to sit on Harry’s knot. “Please fuck me.”
Like a switch has flipped, Harry sits straight up and undresses, leaving Louis to gape at the sight before him. Harry has always been all bulging muscle with slender lines, and the contrast of it all has always driven him crazy.
The gaze Harry levels back at him can only be described as wild, his eyes black, even in the dimly lit room. Louis sits up as best he can, tugging Harry so that the alpha comes crashing down onto him. They stay like that, Louis delicately tracing Harry’s puffy lip.
Harry growls at the motion, dipping down to reattach their mouths. Louis downright screams as the alpha lines himself up, forcing his way into Louis’ tight entrance. He immediately clenches around Harry’s cock, letting both of them adjust to the intensity.
“Take me, please,” he gasps out, wishing out loud that Harry would start to move.
Harry obliges, driving his cock deep into Louis and setting a punishing pace. “This is what you need all day, isn’t it?” He grunts out. “Just need to be full of knot. You’re never mouthing off when you’re on my knot.”
“I’ll mouth off whenever the fuck I want,” Louis snaps, but it’s getting harder to keep his resolve with the way that Harry’s fucking him.
“Shush, you,” Harry coos as he rocks deep into him, hitting every pleasure point.
“Don’t shush me during sex,” Louis grumbles, although he’s a little bit too distracted to fully rip into the alpha.
“You know, for someone with such an ugly personality, you have the sweetest scent,” Harry continues on fucking him like he hasn’t heard a word Louis said.
Louis can’t help but preen at the half-compliment. He’s always been told he has a scent worth being jealous of, but he’s never quite cared until the sentiment was voiced by the brute of an alpha that’s currently inside of him.
With a couple more thrusts, Louis is coming all over both of them, Harry not far behind as he knots him. Louis moans at the feeling, not sure how he’ll ever tire of the sensation.
Harry massages his tender skin with his firm hands and Louis sighs in contentment at the pampering. He is mature enough to admit that he may have been a monster brat today, but if it ended up like this, then who is he to complain?
Until Harry has to go and open up his stupid mouth.
“See? Feed your addiction and suddenly you’re all pliant,” the alpha murmurs into his sweaty skin.
“Excuse me?” Louis says, still a little out of it due to his post-orgasm haze. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“I’m not,” Harry says. “But you can’t deny that you love my knot. It’s okay to admit it.”
“You’re literally obsessed with me,” Louis can’t help but snap. He quickly detaches their bodies, standing up. “You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if you had secretly chosen me as your mate.”
Harry laughs at that but stands as well. “I’m obsessed? Sweetheart, you’re practically gagging for my knot every time we end up in the same room together. If I’m obsessed, then you need mental help.”
“Please,” Louis gasps out, still overwhelmed by their close proximity. “I just don’t want to be branded as a cheater, that doesn’t make me obsessed with you.”
“You think out of the two of us, I’d be the one falling first?” Louis does laugh this time at the absurdity of it all. “That’s rich. I’d have you eating out of my palm in the first week if I really tried.”
“Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?” Harry whispers hotly into his ear.
“You literally have a bigger trust fund than me, Harry,” Louis deadpans. “There’s no sane reason for you to bankrupt me other than being the greedy corrupt baby that you are.”
“I wasn’t saying literally,” Harry rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t back away. “I just meant a friendly little wager. The prize can be whatever the winner wants.”
“On what?” Louis feels like he’s losing his mind again. This was not how he expected things to go. “To see who can fall in love with the other more?”
“Who can make the other fall in love with them faster,” Harry corrects. “Although there can definitely be bonus points for intensity.”
“You’re crazy,” Louis whispers. “That’s absurd. There’s no way I’m doing that.”
“Why?” Harry asks innocently. “It’s because you’re scared of losing right?”
“How dare you?” Louis growls, stepping closer to Harry’s face. “I’d be surprised if you weren’t already in love with me.”
“So then what are you worried about?” Harry asks, teasingly. “If you’re so sure?”
Louis runs a hand through his hair. “I hate you,” he whispers.
Harry only smiles. “Then, this should be a piece of cake for you.”
“Fine,” Louis snaps, unable to have this infuriating alpha smirk at him any longer. “You’re on. Whoever falls in love with the other person loses. The winner gets to choose anything they want. Anything .”
As he voices the terms, he realizes what he’s saying. If he wins, he can have Harry call off the engagement. It would be far less work. All he has to do is continue to trap this alpha until he falls in love with him and then commands him to break it off.
“Anything,” Harry drawls. “Are you sure about that, pup? You don’t even know what I want.”
“And you don’t know what I want,” Louis says defiantly. “Bring it on, Styles.”
“Kiss to shake on it?” Harry blinks slowly at him, that smile spreading its way right back onto his stupidly attractive face.
Louis leans in and smacks an angry kiss on the alpha’s lips, but Harry traps him there until he gives in and lets the alpha explore his mouth. They make out for what seems like hours, Louis getting all his frustration out on Harry.
Finally, they pull apart with a smack, a thin trail of spit attaching both of their lips together that Louis quickly wipes away.
“Don’t come crying to me when you lose,” he points menacingly at Harry. “We shook on it.”
Harry only waggles his fingers as Louis exits the room. “Bye, baby.”
******
“We need a new plan,” Louis announces as he sits down at the cafe table, slamming his cup of vanilla chai tea down a little too hard. Then he notices who is in attendance and groans. “Ugh, Zayn, why did you bring him?”
“Hello Louis,” Liam says politely. “How are you?”
Louis ignores him in favor of glaring at Zayn. Louis has never hated the alpha, they’d practically all grown up together, but his close friendship with Harry was always enough to deter him from getting to know Liam better.
“Zayn,” he hisses quietly. “This is a strategy meeting. He’s on the other team.”
“He was hungry too,” Zayn pouted at him. “And he said he’d buy us as many butterscotch scones as we could eat. I did this for us , Louis.”
Louis considers the offer. On one hand, he’s not entirely sure that Liam is to be trusted. On the other, he was planning on eating no less than four scones and they were pretty pricey.
“I promise I’m not on anyone’s side,” Liam interrupts his deliberations. “Harry might be my best friend, but I know he has his flaws and that the both of you are equally stuck in this situation. I would never betray your trust, Louis.”
“The correct course of action would’ve been that you immediately pledged your undying loyalty to me, but your answer was still adequate,” Louis announces. “I suppose it’s enough to earn you a B+ and a seat at the table. Just for this afternoon though.”
“Thank you?” Liam looks confused.
“Don’t mind him,” Zayn kisses Liam’s cheek. “He can’t help that he’s President of the Student Government. The vernacular runs in his bones.”
“You shut up,” Louis points a menacing finger at his best friend. Then he turns to Liam. “Liam, would you mind getting us a platter of the butterscotch scones, please?”
The alpha almost trips in his haste to get up from the table and away from the brewing tension. The second he’s gone, Louis lowers his voice and leans in. “Okay, we have to scrap Operation Heartbreak.”
“Is that what we were calling it?” Zayn asks thoughtfully.
“Never mind that,” Louis waves his hand dismissively. “Harry and I had a little discussion last night.”
“Was it a real discussion or one where you discussed how many times you were gonna let him put it in you in one go?” Zayn snickers to himself but sobers up when Louis levels him with his scariest glare. Someone has to keep his best friend in line, and he doubts Liam is up to the challenge.
“It was a mixture of both, thank you very much,” Louis hisses. “Anyway, we got to talking and that arrogant ass said that he could make me fall in love with him. Obviously, I couldn’t let that slide, so I said I could do it faster.”
A “that’s what she said ” joke tugs at his lips but he swallows it down, knowing that there are bigger things at stake.
“The proverbial hair-pulling is riveting,” Zayn says, and Louis knows he’s being 100% serious by the way the other omega leans forward and puts his hands under his chin. “Did you guys hook up again to consummate the bet?”
“That’s unrelated,” Louis can’t help but blush when he thinks of what transpired the previous night. “The point is, it doesn’t matter if I make him fall in love with me and then break his heart. This is an entirely different game.”
“It kind of sounds the same,” Zayn says, looking confused. “You’re still going to try to make him fall in love with you.”
“Yes, but this is less sneaking around,” Louis tries not to admit how relieved that fact makes him. “And when I inevitably win, I won’t have to break his heart. The winner gets whatever they want and what I want is to end the engagement. I just have to compete to do that.”
“You two and your competitions,” Zayn rolls his eyes. “Why do we need a whole new plan, then?”
“Our previous plan was a little malicious,” Louis explains. “This doesn’t have to involve me being horribly artificial. He knows I’m going to be pulling out all the stops to win his heart, and he’s going to be doing the exact same thing. If anything, it’ll be much more of a pleasant affair. No secrecy involved, just pure effort.”
“I guess,” Zayn says, still looking a little puzzled. “So what can we do to ensure you win his– oh hey, babe!” He splutters and sends Louis a panicked look when Liam appears with a heaping plate of pastries.
Louis is in the middle of trying to come up with an acceptable lie when Liam sends them both a reassuring glance. “It’s okay, you two. I already know about the bet. Trust me, I have a feeling it won’t take much for Harry to fall in love with you, Louis.”
“Of course,” Louis scoffs, disgusted. “Because he just needs to collect as many willing omegas as he can, under his belt. I’m probably just another trophy for him to win.”
“What? No?” Now Liam looks confused.
“He’s probably going to try and pretend like he’s actually falling in love with me so that I’ll let my guard down, isn’t that right Liam?” Louis is properly riled now.
“Um? I don’t think so?” Liam says faintly, nibbling on a scone.
“Your loyalty is admirable,” Louis admits. “But Harry has no clue what I’m capable of.”
“I think he does,” Zayn and Liam speak in unison and it’s almost enough to distract Louis and his ambitions, but not quite.
“I don’t really see how I need to change the plan,” he goes back to scheming. “The beginning is still the same, but I know I don't have to cruelly break his heart.”
“But, if you win, aren’t you going to ask him to break off the engagement?” Zayn asks, leveling him with a pointed look.
“Yes?” Louis shoves a whole butterscotch scone into his mouth.
“Technically you’ll still be breaking his heart then?” Liam chimes in. “Because if you win, it will have meant that he’s fallen in love with you. And when you ask him to cancel the engagement, he’ll no doubt be devastated.”
Louis regrets putting the entire scone into his mouth as he works double-time to chew the dry pastry so he can answer. After what feels like a lifetime of silence where Zayn and Liam’s worry only seems to grow, he finally chokes down the pastry.
“It’ll be different,” he insists. “Harry knows that it was a game from the start. And maybe I don’t have to be so callous about the end of our relationship. I can simply ask to postpone the engagement or something. Or see if we can officially court while I figure out a plan to run away.”
A part of him knows that he’s not going to do that, but he can’t really help making empty promises with the way that Liam is staring at him with puppy dog eyes. He wonders if Harry really had sent his best friend to seek out intel.
“It doesn’t seem that much better than what you had–,” Zayn trails off as Louis glares at him. “Than how things were earlier,” he amends his statement.
“Well, I’m going through with it no matter what,” Louis says firmly. “Who knows what Harry is planning on asking me if he wins? He’ll probably have me sign some legally-binding contract that prevents me from having free will.”
“Harry would never do that,” Liam sounds scandalized. “I know the two of you don’t quite see eye to eye, but he really wouldn’t.”
“I don’t think he would either,” Zayn says, cowering away from Louis’ betrayed gaze. “I’m not saying he’s a saint, Lou, but he’d be crossing too many lines to go through with something like that.”
“I’m not taking any chances,” Louis says firmly. “So either you’re in or you’re out. What will it be?”
Another beat of silence ticks by before Zayn sighs loudly. “Of course, I’m on your side, babe. Whatever you want.”
Louis nods, satisfied. He knows Zayn always has his best interests at heart, and that the other omega just wants to stop him from making rash decisions, but he knows what he has to do. Next, he looks expectantly at Liam.
The alpha shakes his head, something akin to sorrow flashing in his eyes. “I won’t tell Harry any of this,” he says resignedly. “You have my word. But please, don’t ask me to contribute. I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
“That’s fine,” Louis says dismissively. He only needs Zayn in this, and if having Liam by their side makes Zayn happy, that’s a sacrifice he’s willing to make.
He tucks back into his seat and tries to ignore the concerned glances that the couple in front of them keep shooting each other.
*******
The next morning has Harry all but waiting on him hand and foot. An offer to carry his books, a ride to school, and free breakfast at Louis’ favorite cafe. He knows exactly what the alpha is doing, and he can’t find it in himself to hate it. He likes to be pampered, sue him.
He starts to play the alpha right back, offering to give him a massage after his tennis lessons, vowing to learn how to cook his favorite dishes, and giving him extra cuddles during their nightly storytimes.
All in all, it’s pretty anti-climatic and more akin to them actually courting each other. They still grace each other with their Wednesday gifts but the pain is quickly eased by a tender kiss or a few hushed sweet nothings into the other’s ear.
Louis hates how much he likes this new dynamic.
Days seem to fly by and the omega is shocked at how seamless they are as a unit. He hadn’t realized that his day-to-day life had taken such a draining on his mind until it had suddenly improved tenfold. Suddenly he always has a friendly place at the dinner table or a Council meeting. Harry is always there in the morning to drive him to school and feed him food, telling him a silly joke.
They still argue like cats and dogs and there are days when Louis immediately retreats to his bedroom just to get away from the frustrating alpha, but they make up quickly more often than not.
He also didn’t think the sex could get better, but even without all the antagonistic growling and biting at each other, he still has the same cravings for the alpha. Only now he can openly do something about it. He can stroll right into Harry’s room and demand his knot, no longer bound under the pretenses of pure animosity.
Suddenly his life has taken a 180. After spending his entire childhood and adolescence ignoring the alpha, now Harry is in his space almost every second of the day.
They take their nightly walks and end up in the library every evening making their way through the classics one by one. Sometimes they even help each other with their schoolwork. Louis can’t remember a time he’s slept better.
He knows that Harry is playing him right back like a fiddle, but he can’t help but bask in the glow of the alpha’s attention. He’s no stranger to love and camaraderie, he’d never trade Zayn’s friendship for the world, but with Harry, there's an added level of physical and emotional intimacy that he hadn’t been counting on.
It almost alarms him how comfortable he feels in the alpha’s presence. Whatever Harry’s doing, it’s working.