A/N - I am late. I know. Sorry about that. :(

I did not use any of the sibling's real name because I don't want to drag them in this. Thanks. x

(See the end of the chapter for MORE NOTES.)

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Arthur was adamant to not let Louis go with Harry alone.

Louis could not understand how to make the omega understand that it was fine. He did not have feelings for Harry. Not something romantic, anyway.

Arthur would not budge though.

It was the reason Louis found himself in Harry's flat, laying on his bed and looking at the ceiling he knew more keenly than his own.

Harry sat beside him, munching on a sandwich and making excessive noise.

Louis frowned and turned his head to glare at the omega.

"Why are you not as distressed as me?" he asked, seriously curious.

Harry shrugged, eyes set on the laptop in front of him, watching the same damn animal planet, "why are you distressed anyway? I have already given a solution and by the sound of his voice, Arthur had liked the idea too. Right?"

Louis let out a frustrated breath, "taking him with us is not a solution."

Harry nodded, "it is. That way, you two will have some time as a vacation and he would meet your family. It's a golden chance."

Louis thought about it and then shook his head, "no. We planned this trip for us."

Harry rolled his eyes, his tongue coming out as he took another bite of his sandwich, "plans are meant to be changed. We can reschedule some things and that is all. Why are you so adamant?"

Louis sat up, exasperated, "I... I can't..."

Harry looked at him, smirking, "you think I will be the third wheel? Don't worry, I will keep myself in the shadows. Won't come in between you two."

Louis watched the omega laugh, savouring the sandwich Louis made, with so much happiness radiating off him. Something broke inside Louis, just a little bit. The hollow in his stomach was getting deeper as the days went on. It was like an abyss where Louis was falling whenever Harry would talk about something like this.

Harry would always be the first one to back away if there was an option involved. He would step back to put Arthur beside Louis every time. He would slide away if he realized he was sitting closer to Louis than Arthur.

If they were having a movie night with their friends, Harry would go to sit with Niall and Liam, as far away from Louis and Arthur as possible.

He would make excuses to leave early so that Louis could leave Arthur home at night.

Harry would do all that smilingly, he would vacant his place beside Louis every day to make a place for Arthur.

Louis noticed it. He noticed how easily Harry would give Arthur his claims. Something in Louis would break every time Harry would leave just to keep Arthur happy.

"I did not mean it, you know, right?" Louis asked, "I don't want you to be a shadow."

Harry did not notice how serious Louis was, he was too engrossed in his eating. He just smiled and shrugged, "yeah. I know."

But, did Harry really know?

Louis dropped down on the mattress again, his eyes closing as he sighed, "Fine. Let's take Arthur with us too. Whatever you want."

=========

Louis closed his eyes and burrowed his nose in Jay's shoulder as soon as his mother had hugged him. He tried not to cry as his mum's scent filled his senses. He had missed this. In his mother's arms, Louis felt like everything would be fine, he would be fine.

"Oh! Boo," Jay sniffed, hugging the boy closer, and Louis let her. They broke the hug to hold each other close. Louis tried to calm the sobbing woman down as Jay cried through her words.

After some son-mother time, Louis turned towards his two companions and smiled at Harry.

"Mum, this is..."

Arthur stepped forward, his hand already presented for a handshake, "hi! I am Arthur, Louis' omega."

Louis choked on his spit at Arthur's words and when he looked at Jay, she was looking at the boy with her brows raised. Louis looked at Harry and saw how Harry was pressing down on his lips to stop a laugh. Louis glared at him and Harry's answer was a deep dimple. Louis wanted to poke it...

Jay shook Arthur's hand with a smile and asked him how the journey was so far. Arthur took his time, explaining how good the trip was and everything else. The masked smile on Jay's face was making Louis wince.

Louis coughed and pointed at Harry after Arthur's ramble.

"This is Harry."

Jay turned towards Harry and Louis faced Harry too.

The first thing Louis noticed was the nervousness in those eyes and then that hesitant smile on his face that was mixed with awkwardness. Harry blinked at Arthur and stepped forward.

Louis' eyes followed Harry as he just waved at Jay, looking at her with a soft yet scared smile, "good morning. How are you?"

Louis blinked at Jay and noticed the smile that was blooming on his mother's face, curiosity and tenderness radiated off her as she looked at Harry. Jay nodded in greeting and placed her index finger under Harry's chin to pull the boy's face up to face her.

"Good morning," then she sighed, "You are prettier in person."

Louis smiled, his agreement written on his face. He tried not to coo when Harry blushed, his eyes widening and he looked anywhere but at Jay directly.

"Th-thank you."

Then Jay shook her head, "please, come in. Come in."

Louis reached forward to take Harry's luggage and almost snatched it away from the boy's protesting hands before stepping into the house.

"Where are the kids?" Louis asked, walking in.

Jay shrugged, "school. They will come soon."

Louis turned towards the stairs when Jay stopped him, "I have prepared a room for Harry here. Arthur," she turned towards the omega, "you have to share a room with Louis. Is that fine?"

Arthur nodded gleefully, "sure. I am fine with it."

Louis looked at Harry, noticing how the omega was looking around with awe in those eyes. Louis watched, as those curious eyes took in everything with wonder and awe. Pride bloomed in Louis' chest, Harry looked impressed. It was so caveman-like to feel proud of his house. It was not as if Louis was trying to present himself as a suitor or something but when Harry smiled at his childhood home approvingly, Louis loved it. It was as if he wanted that approval from the omega.

Harry's eyes finally found him.

Louis smirked when Harry looked away, shy, because he was caught in his exploring.

"Harry should not climb the stairs, so his room is in there," Jay pointed at one of their guest bedrooms and Harry nodded in thanks, "Louis' bedroom is on the first floor. Boo, take Arthur with you, I will go with Harry."

Louis shook his head, "mum, why you don't take Arthur with you? Let me help Harry with his luggage. Arthur," he turned towards the omega with a smile, "take our luggage with you, yeah?"

Before anyone could answer, Louis was hiking up Harry's bags and with his left hand, he grabbed Harry's wrist, "come on."

.

.

When they entered the guestroom, Louis pulled Harry along to sit on the bed. He placed the luggage on the floor and sat down beside Harry.

Harry was again looking around, his neck craning as he measured the room. Louis let him, his eyes following Harry's expression.

Finally, those green orbs settled on him with a smile. A broad smile from Louis and Harry made a face.

"Your guestroom is bigger than my bedroom in our house."

Louis smiled, unbidden and lazy, "I will see that when you take me there."

"I am not sure I want to anymore. My house will look like a cave in front of this," the omega pouted.

Louis frowned, "shut up! I want to see where you grew up."

Harry shrugged, "you will be disappointed."

Louis rolled his eyes, "yeah. Yeah. I will decide that."

Harry nodded, "you should go. Arthur is alone with your mum."

Louis frowned, "my mum is not a monster, you know? She won't kill him."

Harry nodded, shy, as he shrugged, "she is intimidating."

Louis' lips twitched with mirth, "were you tensed to meet her?"

Harry nodded, honest, always honest, "I was. I am, actually. I am not..." there was a thoughtful expression on Harry's face, something regretful, "I am not as good as Arthur when it comes to communication. I come up with the silliest words and stutter. Not good with the first impression and I was tensed that she would laugh at me and maybe get angry at you for having a baby with me."

That...

That was a lot of troubled thoughts.

Harry was thinking all this throughout the journey? Why did not he talk to Louis about it?

"She will love you, Harry. Trust me," Louis whispered.

Harry shook his head, wringing his fingers with tension on his shoulders, "love? I would be grateful if she likes me a little."

Louis did not understand the omega's fear; he took Harry's almost freezing hands in his and started rubbing them back to warmth.

"Why are you saying this? You are so lovely, Harry."

Harry shook his head, smiling down at their joined hands, "I just... I am awkward and so clumsy with words and..."

"And so lovely to look at."

Both of them jumped when their eyes fell on the figure near the doorframe.

Jay came in with a pleasant smile on her face. She sat down on the bed, on the other side of Harry and took Harry's hands from Louis. Louis tried not to protest as Jay looked at him teasingly.

She patted his hands and smiled at him, "do you have any idea how beautiful and mannered you come off as?"

Harry's cheeks heated up, Louis smiled as Harry looked at his mum. Something like pride unfurled in his chest.

"Thank you," Harry replied shyly.

Jay nodded, taking in the omega. She addressed Louis without taking her eyes off Harry.

"Arthur is waiting for you, Louis, why don't you go to him? It's a new place for him too."

Louis hesitated, his heart so full of emotions as he looked at Jay and Harry interacting.

"Louis?" Jay said, pointedly looking at him.

Louis stood up gingerly, nodding. Jay wanted some time alone with Harry. He could give her that.

Before leaving, Louis did what was second nature to him by now. He cupped Harry's face in his palms and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"See you."

Harry looked at him, smiling and nodding.

Louis left when Jay swatted his butt.

=========

Louis exhaled as he sat down on the kitchen counter. The house was bustling with activity by now. His sisters, Leah and Fae, were home by now and the newborns were awake too, Lisa and Leo.

Jay was cooking something for dinner and Arthur was talking to Leah in the drawing room. Harry was with the twins, watching over them.

Jay smiled at Louis as he munched on a cookie and patted his knee, "I am glad that you are home, Boo."

Louis twisted his nose, "mum. Stop calling me that. You embarrass me."

Jay just rolled her eyes fondly at him and concentrated on the rice, "so?"

Louis nibbled on the cookie, "so what?"

Jay gestured towards the kitchen door with her chin and smirked at Louis, "how is he to be with?"

Louis sighed, smiling at his half-eaten cookie. He shrugged, thinking, and then he looked at his mum.

"He is just..." a sigh escaped him, along with a soft chuckle, "he is just pure, mum. That is the only word that can really describe him. I am just so at peace when he is around. So calm, composed and at the same time he is such a dork!"

Louis shook his head with a smile, "he would whine when his old jeans would not fit him and then would go on to tell me how you should accept how you are. He would stumble on his gangly legs and then smile at you so widely to apologize. He is clumsy, mum. So clumsy that he could not even carry his phone and the coffee mug together. But at the same time, he juggles, you know? He is so good at it. Then he is shy too and at the same time makes so many dirty jokes. He is insufferable... that one..."

Harry's cheeky smile came to his mind as Louis took a bite of his cookie. Harry was so many things that he could not describe him fully even if someone gave him a lifetime.

Jay smiled, seeming satisfied, "he sounds perfect."

Louis nodded, completely agreeing, "Yes, of course, he is. Sometimes I don't understand how he manages it. I feel protective over him, you know? I feel like the whole world might take advantage of him and he would let them. He is that pure and soft-hearted."

Jay looked thoughtful, "God! Of course, you feel protective of him. You love him. In your heart, he is your omega."

.

.

.

The cookie almost wobbled out of Louis' shaking hand. He clenched it tightly, too tightly to make it crumple in his grip as he stared at his mum with shock.

"Wh-what?" he stammered out.

Jay shrugged, "Arthur? I did not think it was this deep, really. But I am happy for you..."

"I was talking about Harry," Louis whispered, his eyes fixed on his mum.

Jay halted in her movement, her eyes jerking up to meet Louis' and they both just stared at each other for some time.

Louis' heart hammered in his chest, something twisting in his stomach and his skin pricking out goosebumps.

Jay was the first one to recover. She coughed, looking at him and then back at the oven.

"Oh! I mean..."

Louis shook his head, "I am not in love with him, mum."

Jay did not agree; she did not disagree with him either. She just nodded and smiled up at him.

"I am sorry, I misunderstood."

Louis nodded, his mouth sour as he looked down at the half-eaten and crumbled cookie.

"Go, set the table with your sisters. I will bring the food in," Jay nudged Louis away towards the hall. Louis went, throwing the cookie in the waste-bin.

When he walked out of the kitchen, Louis' eyes fell on Arthur. The omega was sitting closely with Leah, talking and laughing. A smile crept up on Louis' face as he went to call them.

"The dinner is ready, guys. Let's go."

Arthur and Leah looked up at him, smiling, and they nodded, standing up.

"Let's go, I will show you my favourite designer brand's account. Come on," Leah said, pulling Arthur along with her.

Arthur turned towards Louis, "where are you going?"

Louis gestured towards the nursery, "Fae and Harry. You go, I am coming."

Leah dragged Arthur away and Louis went towards the Nursery.

=========

When he reached the door of the nursery, Louis heard Fae's loud and gleeful laugh. He pushed the door open and stopped to stare at the scene in front of him.

Fae was painting Harry's nails as the omega talked to one of the twins in a baby voice. Leo was sleeping on Harry's chest and Lisa was listening to whatever Harry was talking about. Harry's hair was twisted and turned in something like an updo but it looked so messy that Louis knew that it was done by Fae as a joke.

What made Louis skip a heartbeat was the glimmer on Harry's face. The omega looked so happy and content as Lisa pulled at his strands, giggling with droopy eyes, staring up at him. The smile that bloomed over Harry's face was so radiant and jovial that Louis' heart thrummed against his ribcage. Harry looked happy and at ease as he kept blabbering on.

Louis coughed, "The dinner is ready."

Those seafoam orbs blinked up at him. Louis sucked in a deep breath as those dimples came into life when Harry grinned.

Louis had never seen Harry that happy.

"Yeah, we are coming," Fae said but Louis ignored her, his eyes stuck on the omega who was now pouting as Fae took Lisa from his hands.

"I will come right back, I promise," Harry whispered against Lisa's hair as he kissed her temple before Fae took the baby and laid her down beside her brother.

Harry stood up gingerly and looked at the cradle where the babies were almost asleep. Fae was patting Lisa's head, trying to make her fall asleep.

"You go on, I will take care of her," Harry said.

Fae looked at him and then at Louis with hesitation, "are you sure?"

Harry nodded, urging her out of the room, "Go on. I will be fine."

Louis watched as Fae left and his eyes were stuck on the omega as Harry pulled Lisa up in his arms again. The omega started humming some lullaby as he walked from one side of the room to another.

Louis walked into the room, taking in the sight in front of him. Harry was holding the baby close to his chest, his nose buried in Lisa's golden hair as he hummed along.

Louis pulled out his phone and snapped a picture, taking in the content smile on Harry's face.

"I might never get to do this with my babies," Harry said, soft and just for himself.

Louis heard him nonetheless. His phone shook in his grip. His skin crawled with something like pain and his eyelashes flapped to wipe away the moisture that suddenly wanted to roll out of his eyes.

He stepped forward, stopping in front of Harry. Harry smiled up at him, a soft and sated blush on his cheeks as if he was not sure if Louis heard it or not.

Louis took a sleeping Lisa from Harry's clutch and placed her on the cradle, shushing her when she mumbled in her sleep. Lisa sighed, finally settling down with peace and Louis turned away to face the omega.

Under the bluish lampshade's glow, Harry looked like an angel. His curls were knotted and twisted around his head, his lips were tinted, maybe lipstick, and those eyes were hooded with tiredness and at the same time so many emotions.

Louis took Harry's hands in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. He wanted to say something. Anything to ease Harry's heart or maybe his own heart but words were choked in his clogged up throat and Louis had nothing he could say.

So he did not.

He pulled Harry closer, in his embrace and held the omega. His nose went to Harry's neck and he sighed at the familiar smell of something sweet, something Harry.

Harry sighed too, resting his full body weight on Louis and he hid his face against the crook of Louis' neck.

"Why can't I live?"

The question was pulled out of Harry's heart. Louis could hear the thickness of Harry's emotions in that question.

He sucked in a breath, trying hard not to collapse as Harry let out the first strangle cry, his whole body shaking in Louis' arms.

Louis blinked, trying hard to wipe away his own tears, his breathing uneven.

"You are not..." he whispered against Harry's curls, voice muffled by them, "you are not going anywhere. I promise."

Both of them knew that it was not in their hands anymore.

Both of them knew that life was unpredictable as it was.

But both of them hoped against hope. They held onto each other for everything.

"Louis," Harry sighed, tired, exhausted.

Louis pulled him closer, "I will never let you go. I promise."

When they broke the hug, Louis held Harry in his arms and whispered, "You are stuck with me. Forever."

There was something unreadable in Harry's eyes before the omega looked away, sniffing, "shut up, you sap!"

=========

The dinner went in a frenzy for both Louis and Harry.

Arthur and Jay were talking about something in a hushed tone. Fae and Leah were passing remarks here and there. The room was echoing with happy voices.

All Louis heard was Harry's soft words when he was asked about something or when he was smiling at the others.

Louis made sure to fill up Harry's plate with veggies and he mockingly glared at Harry when the omega pouted, full and sated.

Louis' feet went under the table to tickle Harry's and the omega chocked. He looked around the table and then his eyes settled on Louis. Louis smirked and poked Harry's foot with his toe. Harry made a face, kicking his foot away. Louis pressed on, urging the omega with his cold feet. Harry looked pointedly at everyone around the table after that. Louis smirked when those wide eyes found him with embarrassment and then Harry was looking at Arthur beside Louis, shaking his head at Louis to disarm him.

Louis just shrugged, his feet reaching out to take a hold of one of Harry's ankles. Harry looked down at his plate, his cheeks warm and a small smile on his lips that he tried to hide by biting down on his lips. Louis saw it anyway, a smirk playing out on his own lips.

Harry kicked him under the table, glaring at him with a smile. Louis winced, pouting back at him.

Jay coughed, bringing their attention back on her. When Louis turned towards her, she was looking at them with a raised brow.

"Everything alright, boys?" She sounded like she was trying not to laugh at them.

Harry went scarlet, his eyes dropping on his plate as he nodded and Louis nodded too, with a smugness hidden in his smirk.

"Yes, mum. We are fine."

Jay shrugged, "So, Harry?" she turned to question him, "what are your plans after the childbirth?"

Louis watched as Harry gulped, the smile slightly dimming and then the omega shrugged.

"If everything goes alright, I want to come back here. In London. I want to be a freelance photographer."

Jay nodded, "but don't you think it's a bit hectic? I mean, you need to think about the babies too, right?"

Harry nodded, thoughtful, "I know. Yes, well, I will graduate and then might take some time off. But I think that I can handle it."

Arthur coughed, "then you need to find someone to settle down with too. No?"

Harry looked at him, startled and shook his head, "that..."

Arthur leaned forward on the table, his forearms pressed on the tabletop as he looked at Harry, "what? You need to settle down, Harry. How long can you stay single with two babies?"

Harry chewed his food slowly before answering, "Well, eventually. I want that. Yeah."

Louis noticed the small smile on Harry's lips as he looked down at his stretched belly, "I mean I would like to have someone who would care for the babies with me."

Irritation crawled up Louis' spine, prickling his skin, as Arthur and Jay cooed at Harry, Fae and Leah chuckling.

He grasped the fork tightly in his hand and chewed out his words.

"The babies have me. I don't think they need someone else for taking care and all that. Talk about yourself, Harry," Louis fixed Harry under his gaze, somewhat cold yet intense, "you need someone with you?"

Arthur pinched Louis lightly, "every omega wants a person to come home to. It's in our nature, Louis. Of course, he wants that."

Harry nodded, "and I have wanted it since I was a kid. Someone to hold me when I fall asleep or wake up, maybe."

Louis tried to think of their moments together. Harry had never said all this and they were never really in that kind of situation. Louis had never really paid any attention to aftercare. He was always eager to just leave after they were done.

Harry wanted all that.

He wanted someone to hold him when he fell asleep. How did he manage those nights when Louis would leave even without cleaning him up? How did he feel when Louis would politely push Harry away when the omega would lean on him slightly in his sleep? What about the times when they did it in those dingy bathroom stalls and then Louis left with Arthur, trailing after him?

It felt like someone was slicing a blade through his heart, rubbing some salt over the fresh cut when Louis thought about all those times when he had left Harry on that cold bed, alone or almost kicked him out in the cold of the lonely nights.

"What else do you want in your alpha, Harry?" Jay sounded suspiciously interested.

Louis turned his eyes towards Harry as the omega fidgeted under everyone's heavy gaze.

Leah cooed, "Are you really blushing?"

Fae sighed, "You are such a baby, Harry!"

Arthur just smiled at him, his eyes gentle and caring.

Harry shrugged, "someone who would make me feel like I am home. With whom I would feel safest. I don't want anything else."

Louis was home to Harry.

The omega felt the safest with him.

He loved him.

Louis felt breathless.

He was all that to Harry and he had proved the omega wrong in the cruellest way possible.

He had pushed Harry away from his embrace as soon as he could manage.

He had attacked the omega when he was defenceless.

Harry thought Louis was his safest place and Louis had pushed him in this hellhole. He was the one who was the knight in shining armour to Harry and he was the exact one who had marked that defenceless omega and then kicked him out in the cold to suffer.

The realization was like a solid punch in his guts.

Louis felt like vomiting. The bile was rising along with the water level in his eyes. Suddenly the air was too thick for his lungs. He could not breathe.

Louis pushed the chair away, "excuse me."

He wheezed out before leaving for the back garden. He needed some time. A smoke. He needed a smoke.

=========

Louis' eyes glazed out as he sat on the swing, leaning against the backrest. The moving swing was making a screeching sound in the eerie silence. Louis could hear the bugs and insects around the garden. The neighbourhood was quiet, just as Louis remembered it.

It was the perfect atmosphere to recall everything that was going round and round in his head. It was like a projector rolling in front of his eyes, showing him the follies, pointing at him the mistakes he made in the past.

Louis tried to, selfishly, forget the things he did to Harry but like this, they would pop up time to time. The guilt would stir its head, eating at his heart piece by piece. Louis would stay awake, tears rolling down of his eyes as he would think about Harry. He would call the omega in the middle of the night to apologize and then cut the call.

He would find himself in his small balcony, smoking as the night went on. The moon was his only consort as he would apologize to the omega through his silent tears.

Louis knew, he knew, that he should apologize verbally to Harry but he was not brave enough. He was not brave enough to bring up those things without tearing up in front of the omega. He was not brave enough to remind Harry of those deeds. He was not brave enough to see the omega's eyes filled with tears or maybe resentment.

All he wanted to do was fall on his knees, ask for forgiveness but a selfish part of Louis' heart was not ready to let go of his pride.

Louis felt sick.

There was the soft, rustling sound of footsteps and Louis just knew. He closed his eyes, trying to shove everything back in the pit of his stomach before he lost it.

He was praying for the footsteps to not come closer.

Not come closer and see his tear soaked face.

"Ice cream?"

Louis let out a hopeless chuckle, shaking his head, "how can you forgive me for what I did to you?"

There.

The words were out.

The question that was just in the middle of them, like a barrier. A glacier.

An audible sigh and then Harry sat down beside him, supporting his forearms on his knees, "I didn't. That's why I am leaving you with two kids."

Louis looked at the omega with an unimpressed face and Harry's nose twitched in a kittenish pout.

"That was my best try at a joke," he shrugged.

"Well, it was terrible. Expected from you though," Louis sighed.

Harry chuckled, his head coming down to take support on Louis' shoulder. Louis straightened himself, trying to regulate his breathing as they sat there.

The night was growing old and the chilly air was getting too much. Louis could feel the omega's shaky breathing. He pulled Harry closer, against his chest where Harry hid his face, at the crook of his neck.

"I am sorry," Louis choked out, his eyes welling up again, blinking fast did not help, "I am so sorry. I know..." he had to stop to wipe his nose with the back of his hand, "I know it does not even crack the corner of the whole load of shit that I put you through and I understand that but..."

Harry sat silently, his nose nudging against Louis' throat. Louis gripped the omega closer, tightly holding onto him for assurance that Harry was not leaving.
"I am not sure what I can do to show you that I regret everything. I regret my words, my action and my indifference. There was nothing good about me. I was a trash throughout our..."

What was it?

Louis could not call it a relationship, not when he was that woeful. He was abusive if he could accept it to himself.

Harry helped him to get the words.

"Our rendezvous?"

Louis chuckled, "yeah. We can call it that. I am... I am so sorry, Harry."

Harry sighed, "I don't hold any grudges against you, Louis. I never did. It's fine. All of that..." the omega sounded thoughtful, "you needed someone to drain yourself and I..."

Louis waited, anxiously, for Harry to say what the omega thought and Harry took his time, thinking and then nuzzling closer.

"I was there because I wanted to. It was not like you forced me into anything."

"I forced my mark on you," Louis whispered, too low for his own ears. He was scared that saying it aloud would make it even more revolting.

Harry shivered in his arms. Louis could feel the tremor in him and he cursed inwardly. The pain was intensifying in his chest as Harry stayed silent.

"I am not going to say that it was a pleasant experience. No," Harry whispered, making Louis feel even more scanty, "but I guess..."

Harry chuckled then, shaking his head, "the mark... in a twisted way, I feel... good about it."

Louis looked down at the omega, his eyes wide and expression surely confused because Harry blushed and looked away.

"Good?" Louis asked, voice low and hesitant.

What was good about that mark?

Harry shrugged, "when I lay in my bed, awake and so alone... the mark throbs. As if your heartbeat. I feel like you are there, with me. It helps me sleep. It helps my anxiety. When I feel insecure about my body and everyone stares as I walk down the roads with a pregnant belly, the mark burns in my skin, making the onlookers think that I am mated. That helps, you know? If I were pregnant without a mark, everyone would openly point at me or maybe come up to me to harass me. It saves me from people. They think I have an alpha to guard me. That helps."

Louis tried to understand the omega's words, his mind whirling through it all. He looked down at the scarf around Harry's throat.

The itching under Louis' skin was unbearable. It was there for a long time now. The craving was not new, Louis had held it back for a long time but as he looked down at the omega's covered throat, he could not anymore.

"Can I see it?" he whispered out. His eyes on the omega's scarf.

Harry's smile dropped, his hands gripped the ice-cream bowl tightly and those eyes closed with a shaky breath.

Louis waited... his breathing too loud for the tranquil night.

"Louis? Are you there?"

Harry jolted away from him as if burnt and Louis grasped the thin air as he reached out. Harry was out of reach in a second. He watched Harry hurrying away.

"Excuse me," Harry said as he passed Arthur.

Louis heard it.

The slight tremor in the omega's voice.

Harry was gone before Arthur could say anything.

Louis looked down to see the broken bowl under his feet; the ice cream smeared everywhere.

Louis chuckled as he looked down at the disaster. He thought that maybe that broken bowl was his heart and that scattered ice-cream was just his unsettled feelings.

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Notes:

A little preview -

Something steamy is coming. Not too much but yeah. Now...between Louis and Arthur or Louis and Harry?Only time will tell.Wait for the next chapter to find out. ;) :P

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