Chapter Text
The sun is rising slowly, already up from the horizon and casting a soft light over the landscape, it looks breathtaking, and Harry Styles is one hundred percent grateful he got to choose the room with the balcony on the top floor of the building. The haze of colour in his view getting brighter and brighter.
Harry does this every morning, he wakes up, showers, goes and helps his mother with everyones breakfast, makes sure everyone has something to eat (breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all) and then comes and sits on his balcony to watch the world for a while. Sometimes he has music on, sometimes he reads, sometimes, he just sits and thinks, but he never, ever lets anybody else out here with him. It's his place with his plants and his special lounger. Simple as.
A gentle buzz washes over the calm air, his phone trying to grab his attention.
"Hello?"
"Hey Haz, you okay?" His father's voice, Desmond Styles, spills out of the speaker.
"Hiiii dad. I'm good, what about you?"
"Yeah, good thanks bud. There's a new boy coming today, I already told your mum about it, she said she'd tell Gems but that you were on the balcony so I thought I'd ring you,"
"Cool, what's he like?"
"His name is Louis Tomlinson, he's seventeen and his blood test results show omega. He's not given me permission to disclose any information about why he's coming though, sorry bud, gotta respect the kids wishes. He's not yet had his first heat, avoid talking about his family and make sure he eats. He's shy so it will take him some time to warm up to anybody. He'll be taking the bedroom next to yours, please go and make sure it's ready and welcoming for him, fresh towels, bed sheets, the lot. Make sure it's clean too please. Also maybe don't speak to him on the first day, he's terrified of alphas, poor boy. Sorry,"
Harry smiled softly, even knowing his dad couldn't see him.
"Will do and that's fine, dad, when are you coming home?"
"Not sure yet, could be a few months, onto something huge at the moment. I gotta go anyway Harry, love you loads,"
"Love you too, dad, see you soon,"
"Bye,"
Harry doesn't start with his dads wishes with Louis' room until a while later, simply because his mind has been stuck on 'omega'. Harry knows he shouldn't get attached to someone he hasn't met, but male omegas are rare, and Harry, being gay, is looking forward to meet this omega boy.
Harry is an alpha, proven through blood tests and he's also experienced his first rut, which shocked many people because he was so sweet and gentle. Most people blame it on his upbringing, the fact that his father's job has exposed him to all sorts of troubled people through the safe house he owns. Harry, his mother and his sister, Gemma, run the house, they clean, cook and everything, however everybody in the house helps once they've been there so long.
The house is called Skylar House, meaning protection, shelter. His father funds and refers people to it, in a sense that if he feels they need somewhere to live or are too vulnerable to live in the 'real' world, they will come and live here. It's very pleasant, three floors, decent sized rooms, some with en suites and some without. It is very safe here and Harry loves it. He's met some of his best friends through it and helped many people.
A few hours after the call, his mum, Anne, has sent him out to get some food for the dinner. He's with Niall Horan; a Beta, and probably his best friend in Skylar. Niall's been in the house for around 8 years now, coming in when he was nine. The house only takes in people 18 and under, but won't be forced out on their 18th birthday, they are welcome to stay as long as they like.
Niall's mother and father were Beta drug lords, who neglected Niall. Harry's father and his team had found his parents out, and after a trial, they were sent to prison for life, Niall was sent to Skylar and immediately made friends with Harry, who was ten at the time.
"There's a new lad coming today," Harry says, shoving loads of every vegetable in the shopping trolley.
"Really? What's he in for?"
"I don’t know, dad wouldn't say. Well, he couldn't say. He's in the room next to mine."
"Oh... Shit, has that room ever been occupied?"
"Nope. Means I gotta share my en suite now. Plus, I don't even know if I can talk to him yet. He's scared of alphas apparently. We're not all bad."
"I guess it only takes one bad one then it's that bloomin' facebook status 'all alphas are the same,'" Niall whines, making Harry laugh, "speaking of status, what is he?"
"Omega," Harry answers, avoiding Nialls knowing gaze. Niall knows how bad Harry wants a mate to love and to care for, it's just too bad for Harry that male omegas are the rarest.
"How many pizza's do we have at home?" Harry asks, trying to get off the subject before Niall starts, he doesn't really want to get stuck on the idea that Louis might want him back, and that's if Harrys alpha even approves him as a mate.
"Wow, rare. And I don't know probably two. Can we get some pringles this time? Pleaaaaase?"
Niall kisses Harry's cheek to sugarcoat the pleading.
"Sure, grab some other crisps for everyone else too,"
"Okay, thank you!"
While Niall is gone, Harry's mind wanders to Louis, does he like pizza? Why hasn't he had his first heat yet? Why doesn't he want to talk about his family? Or what happened to him? What does he look like? What does he act like?
His mind continues on while he blankly picks up the groceries, picking up everyone's favourite foods as he goes along.
Niall returns a few minutes later, with three tubes of pringles and at least four multipack bags of crisps, times like these Harry is glad his dad is rich.
"Do you know about the new boys food preferences? We should get him something to make him feel welcome," Niall asks.
"Nope, dad just said to make sure he eats,"
"All the more reason to get as much as we can and say we didn't know what to get," Niall laughs.
--
During dinner is when Louis arrives. Harry stands up to go and get the door but his mum makes him sit, which is understandable, but Harry desperately wants to go and welcome the new omega boy and see what he looks (and maybe smells) like. Five minutes later, his mum reappears, dishing another plate up with some food and then leaves again, only to return empty handed and alone. He can smell something (someone) different on his mum, he can barely smell it, but it's there and it's alluring.
"Where is he?" Harry asks, even though he knows Louis is going to be settling in to his room.
"In his room, he doesn't want to meet anybody today, it's been a long day for him,"
"Oh, okay," He mumbles, then, after a moment, says, "I think... I think I'm going to head to bed early. If that's okay?"
"Come outside into the hall with me please Harry,"
Niall shoots him a worried glance as he stands up from the dinner table and follows his mum out of the room. The smell is stronger out here, the source passed through not 5 minutes ago.
"Listen, Harry, I know it's in your nature to make sure he's not a threat and-"
"Mum, no-" Harry interjects,
"No, Harry, you'll let me finish. I know it's in your nature to make sure he's not a threat and I also know it's in your nature to want to meet a potential mate but you can't meet him tonight, he's exhausted and just needs some alone time, whether your alpha side likes that or not."
Harry's cheeks are bright red, his hand is awkwardly placed at the back of his neck, he can't meet his mum's eyes, staring intently at a dirty mark on the wall next to her.
"Mum honestly, I wasn't going up there to meet him,"
(Well, I was, now I just want to be closer to the smell that is making my brain cloudy with want, he almost says.)
"You better not be, come here, give me a hug. Me and Gems will wash up tonight."
He hugs his mum and she makes her way back to eat her dinner and Harry starts his ascent up the stairs. The smell is getting stronger with every single step and it's making his eyes droopy and he wants to hold and protect the source of it.
He makes it up to the top floor and the smell is everywhere, he traces it to Louis door, he has to go past it to get to his own. (He may or may not stand there for a few seconds, breathing the heavenly scent in, before realising he's being a total creep and storms into his own room, locking the door.)
He gets ready for bed, stripping out of his clothes and putting a clean pair of boxers on, making sure his phone is on charge before he goes to the bathroom - the en suite for his room and the room which Louis now occupies. He's so used to it being only his that he doesn't even think about knocking, just walks right in.
And there before him, is the source of the smell. And my god, at a glance he is beautiful. Everything about him catches Harry's eyes. His messy, mousy brown hair, his piercing blue eyes, wide and filled with fear, his thin lips and angled cheekbones.
And oh my, Harry can't help but notice his body, he's short, curvy and everything Harry would prefer in a mate regarding physical appearances.
Harry finally realises he's staring at the younger boy, probably (definitely) scaring him, if the way he's shaking is anything to go by.
"Oops," He says,
"Hi," The small boy blinks quickly, before practically running back into his room and locking it from that side.