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Louis was very, very late.
You see, today was the ‘big day’ or, the day the matron in town inspected him and other omega children his age to determine if they were “marriage worthy”. The woman herself, Madam Ming, is an old grumpy beta who gives Louis the chills every time he looks at her.
Given that he’s the only child in his family and an omega, he needs to excel today because if not, that would bring dishonour to his family and his ancestors. With that hanging over his head, and knowing he’s not the most obedient son, he stayed awake late, revising the rules and things he needs to say and do to pass as a good bride.
That’s the sad thing, though. He knows that, for society, omegas are only worthy and can bring great honor to their families by marrying important alphas, giving birth, and caring for their alphas and pups; meanwhile, the alphas have far more liberties. They are raised to be smart, strong, and can do anything, from working in a shop or being soldiers to having high-ranking positions in the palace. Omegas only needed to be pretty and know how to serve tea.
Louis knows this is really unfair, and his father James always encouraged him to be as smart and lively as he liked, but always at home. He taught him to read, write, play chess, and horse riding. He always liked to say that Louis was his pride and joy. His mother and grandmother taught him how to be a proper ‘omega’, how to cook, how to sew, and how to tend to other people. He wasn’t the best at those chores and never liked to do all of those things anyway, but he always tried to please his parents.
That’s how he found himself on his bed, sitting cross-legged and copying some notes on his forearm in case he forgot something important and screwed up, his long fringe obscuring his eyesight for a moment.
When he looked up, he realised the sun was up and cursed because he was late to meet with his mother in the city. He quickly scrambled out of bed, looking for his sleepers and “Little Brother'', the family dog. He got to the kitchen and whistled, watching how the puppy came barreling into the place and slipped on the floor. Chucking a bit at the dog’s antics, he softly told him “Hey boy, how are you doing, huh? You think you can help me with my chores today?” and tied a long stick to the dog’s collar, with a bone hanging from a long rope. On the other side, he hooked a bag with food for the chickens on the patio and gave him a little pat, so the dog started running into the open space, chasing his treat while dragging the open food bag around after him. Then he went to the little stove, and put some boiling water into a pot, took some cups, and went to the shrine, where he knew his father was at this hour.
When he got there, his father was slowly reaching the entrance, so he made him a reverence before offering him a cup of tea. His father reached for it but was interrupted when Little Brother raced by, the chickens following the trail of food, and the little cup ended on the floor broken. His father opened his mouth up to protest, but Louis quickly produced another one from his pocket and served him more tea.
"Louis, what are you doing here?" Asked his father tiredly.
"You know how the doctor said you need to drink your cuppa in the morning," said Louis, grabbing the dog and gently lowering the treat the dog was chasing, so that he could eat it.
"You know that's not what I meant." Said his father sternly. "You needed to be with your mother in the city a while ago, I don't know why you're still here."
"I got distracted, that's all. I was doing some revision and forgot about the time." Said Louis wincing a bit and touching his fringe.
"Well, you better hurry then, you know your mother doesn't like to be kept waiting, and Madam Ming is not a patient woman." Said his father. "You're going to do fine, don't worry child," said his father more gently, caressing his face.
"Yes Father, thank you. I'll see you later!" Said Louis and turned around, bolting for his bedroom to change his clothes. He threw some trousers, a big blouse, and his shoes on the bed and dressed quickly, cursing and trying to remember what he had to say at the appointment. When he was done, he arranged his hair so it didn't bother his eyesight and got quickly to the barn, where his horse, Khan was waiting. There he climbed on swiftly, jumping a bit, and urged the horse to run towards his destination.
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Louis arrived at the address his mother had told him in 15 minutes, a new record speed for his horse, and quickly got down and opened his arms, going to greet her at the door of a local store, but stopping when he sees the look on her face, making him freeze on the spot.
"I'm here…?" Says Louis a bit uncertain.
"You're late Louis. 30 minutes late." Said the omega sternly, her arms posing at her sides and a frown on her face. Louis got his blue eyes and stature from her, and she always told him how beautiful he was. Not today, though; she almost looked disappointed and he ducked his head in shame.
"I'm sorry Mother, I was studying and lost track of the time," Louis said his apologies for a second time in less than an hour.
She sighed and said, "Well, come on then pup. We need to clean and groom you for the matchmaker and we cannot be late for her." She took his hands in hers and took him inside.
The thing with his mother Linda is that she really can't hold a grudge, especially against Louis. She's too kind and good-hearted to stay mad at someone for long periods of time, so she looks stern and disappointed for about 5 minutes before clearing the mood and keeps going as if nothing happened. That's what made her such a good omega in the eyes of the neighbours, and such a good mother and wife. Louis loved his mother very much.
He only took five steps inside when three pairs of hands shot out of nowhere and took him to the side. They started undressing him and guided him to a big basin with water that had him trembling from head to foot.
"Oh God, this is freezing!" Shouted Louis, hugging himself.
"30 minutes ago it was warm, stay still child." Said one of the women, and as he shut his mouth, she began massaging his hair while the other two were washing his arms and legs. They did a quick job of cleaning him, removing some stray pieces of hen from his hair and dirt from under his nails. Then they poured more water on his head and got him out to dry him with many fluffy towels. Then they took him to a room where they put him in some pants, a long silk skirt, a flowy shirt with long sleeves that covered his small hands, a thick beautiful belt that adjusted on his tiny waist, and a big robe that trailed a bit on the floor, along with some comfortable slippers. Next, they made him sit on a stool and began working with his face, hair, and nails, plucking some hairs here and there, shaping his eyebrows, and combing his unruly hair, while one of them cut his nails and made them shine. The woman on top began shaping his hair in a complicated bun while the middle one painted his face, applying white foundation, bringing a blush to his cheeks, and painting his lips a delicate red.
When they were done, he could hardly recognize himself in the reflection, and the only proof he had that he was looking at himself was his confused blue eyes staring back. He looked beautiful and delicate, like a china doll, and a little spark of hope ignited in his chest. Maybe he could pull this off after all. He snapped out of his reverie when his mother turned him around and beamed, while she put a sakura pin on the robe, and his grandmother gave him an apple to bite, a necklace made of beads of jade, and hung a little cage with a cricket on his belt, "for good luck", according to her.
Before he could say his thanks, they were giving him an umbrella and ushered him to the door, telling him he needed to follow the rest of the omegas on the street, and he rushed to follow a line of boys and girls, all dolled up just like him, walking with ease to the big house at the end of the road. His hands started sweating and he tried to calm himself down, breathing deeply in and out and watching the flow of people going around minding their own business, mothers with little children, grasping their hands and shopping for groceries, two old men sitting at the park playing chess, more people wandering around… it made him feel smaller, like nothing he may do could really mess up the rest of the place.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost ran into a small girl that gave him a weird look. He uttered a small apology before quickly taking a spot beside another boy. He looked left and right, wanting to make sure he was posing as the rest of them, and placed the small umbrella in front of him, both hands grabbing the handle delicately, relaxing his features, and dropping his face a little.
He lasted that way for about five seconds before the front door was opened roughly, making him jump a little, and a voice boomed "Tomlinson, Louis", eyes zeroing in on him.
"Yeah? That's me." He answered and cringed at his tone, watching the matron’s face get more serious.
"Hmm, speaking without permission… come in, boy." She said and turned inside quickly without waiting for him. Louis moved stiffly and almost tripped at the last step of the little stairs leading to the front door, bowing his head while he stepped inside. The matron then shut the door and walked to the middle of the room, beckoning Louis closer. When she was satisfied with his location, she began walking around him, inspecting him like some kind of dog; it was awful. "Too skinny, not good for bearing pups," says the woman sternly and Louis is gulping, because this doesn't look too good.
"Recite the last admonition." Says the matchmaker out of nowhere, and Louis takes a deep breath, and draws out his fan, pulling the sleeve of his gown up his arm trying to recite the line correctly.
"Fulfil your duties calmly and… respectfully." He starts slowly. "Reflect before you snack– act! This shall bring you honour and glory." He gets nervous and finishes the last words in a rush, exhaling a big breath shakily and fanning himself. The matron eyes him suspiciously and grabs his arm, taking the fan out of his hand, and inspecting him for any cheating marks on it. After that, she just drags him to a table farther into the room and makes him sit, rounding the table and sitting next to a kettle and a brazer with hot logs.
"Now, pour the tea." She says, pointing to him and then the teapot… "To please your future in-laws, you must show a sense of dignity and refinement." She tells Louis while she touches her face with her hands stained with ink. Louis must be in a trance, ‘cause this couldn't possibly be real. The woman had a moustache painted on her face and he had to focus on serving damn tea.
Right, the tea, respectable bride, shit.
He looked down just in time to see that he was about to make a mess on the table, and quickly adjusted the kettle, pouring the liquid into the cup. He looked at Madam Ming again, noting that she hadn't noticed what she had done to her face. When he looked at the table again, the cricket that was supposed to be safe on his belt was inside the cup. Fuck, his luck was the worst.
Louis went into panic, because if the beta swallowed that cricket she would probably blame him, so the only thing he could do was take it back.
"Uhm, 'scuse me…?" Asked Louis slowly.
"And silent." Said the woman, glaring at him.
And fuck, this was going to be hard, so he tried to grab the cup to retrieve the bug, but the woman wasn't letting go, so they struggled in the middle until the beta won and spilled all of the tea on herself, leaving Louis sprawled on the table.
"You foolish boy!" Screeched the beta, jumping at the feeling of burning tea on her bosom. When she sat down, she knocked into the stove, spilling coals and burning herself with them. Soon the lady was screaming her lungs out, moving around the cramped space and Louis was just too stunned to do something, lying on the table with a little stain on his front and a wild cricket on his closed fist.
The woman ran outside in her haste to cool her arse, and that's when Louis came back into function, grabbed the teapot, and followed the beta outside, trying to pour the contents at her rear, but she suddenly turned around, and he ended up throwing it in her face.
Shocked, Louis dropped the pot and looked at the woman with big eyes and both his hands on his mouth. Fuck, he fucked up pretty badly. He retreated silently into the crowd and went to stand next to his mother, who was looking at him with sadness.
"You're a disgrace!" Said the matchmaker to the whole crowd, advancing on him quickly and pointing at him with an accusing finger. "You're no bride material. You may look like a bride, but you will never bring honor to your family!" She said in a final tone, and then she turned around, walking back to her house, and all Louis could feel was cold and dread, and the eyes of all the people on him.
He was so fucked.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
The trip back home was even faster than he expected, and it was very blurry because his tears kept obscuring his vision.
He remembered his mother's arms around his torso, and her voice whispering that everything was going to be okay, but deep down, he knew he fucked up really bad, and the only things he could feel were shame and guilt. His mother and grandmother stood by his side and they walked back to the place where they dressed him up, and as soon as his relatives turned their backs to him, he ran to his horse and wildly took off.
He urged his horse to run as fast as he could, and in a desperate moment he thought of running into the forest, but that would only make his parents sadder, so with a pang, he slowed down a bit and went home instead.
When he reached the door, he got down from the saddle and took the reins, walking really slow beside the horse. He heard his father approaching him, but Louis didn't dare to talk to him yet, so instead, he went to the stables and got his horse some water, then left the poor animal to rest.
He was wandering around in the backyard defeated until he reached a big cherry tree with a bench at the foot of it. There, he sat down and curled his shoulders inward, stuck his chin to his chest, and tried to make himself as small as possible, a sob threatening to rip out of his mouth. He still pouted and curled his hands in fists, trying to contain the disappointment and shame, but guessed he wasn’t as successful as he wanted because he could hear shuffling nearing his side, and then he could smell the warm notes of his father’s scent as he slowly sat down next to him. Tea and wood swirled with his sour notes, clearly trying to calm him, and then a warm hand settled on his knee, giving him a bit of peace in his misery.
“Oh my, so many beautiful flowers we have this year… But Look! That one is a late bloomer. I bet that’s going to be the most beautiful of them all…” his father said, and then, he felt his fingers combing slowly through his hair. When he looked up, he saw in the distance the little flower that hasn't bloomed yet, but most importantly, his father’s face smiling up at him encouragingly, and for a moment he let himself think that no matter what, everything would be solved.
That state of peace lasted for about ten amazing seconds before the sound of drums and horses started echoing through the place, loud, dreadful, and ominous.
His father stood up, grabbed his walking cane, and slowly made his way to the main gates. His mother found him still seated under the tree and took his arm to lead him inside, but his curiosity was bigger than the fear, and let go of her grip to try and approach the gate, opting to climb a tree next to the outer wall and grabbed the tiles to support himself.
The sight wasn’t pretty at all: half a dozen horses with men on top dressed up with what could only describe as war gear; helmets, vests and armour plates, boots, gloves and capes, and even a man in the front with a large robe and a regal smug look on his face. They looked big and scary, and he was almost sure all of them were alphas.
He stood there, silent and nervous watching from the roof, knowing the presence of these people here wasn't good news at all. There was a moment when all of the neighbours were outside, and the drums fell silent, and it felt eerie and surreal, like out of a dream; but then the man in the robe cleared his throat and the spell was broken. He had a long and thin moustache, big eyes, and his voice was high and funny, but his words weren’t funny at all.
“... Citizens, I come with a proclamation from the royal palace: The Huns have trespassed the great wall and are here! The Emperor asks that one alpha per family to step up and fight for your Emperor and your city! When I call your names, please step up and receive a scroll with your information.”
‘Oh, no no no no…’ was all Louis could think. The Huns are here? A war? All the information started to swim and swirl through his head, and the alpha part was all very nice, but his family didn’t have any alphas to give into service, unless…
“The Tomlinson family!” said the man, and then his father was making his way slowly and proudly to the front, having left his walking stick in the hands of his wife... Panic struck in his chest and he quickly tried to get off of the roof without killing himself on the way.
When he got to the door, his father reached the horses and stood tall, his back straight and his shoulders rolled back. “I’m honoured to fight for the Emperor,” he said, and reached out to take the scroll the man in the long robe was handling him.
“No! Please, my father has already fought in the war, you can’t do this!” pleaded Louis, scurrying in front of his father and raising his hands pleading and begging.
“You silly omega! This is an outrage, talking to a superior like this and disrespecting your alpha! You could be hanged for this!” said the man, raising his voice and pointing his finger at his face.
“Louis, you’re dishonouring me. Go inside, right now.” said his father, not raising his voice, but it carried a finality tone that gave no room for arguments, and Louis could only hang his head in defeat and submission before turning on his heel and disappearing inside the house, the last thing he heard was the man saying: “I will see you at the encampment tomorrow.”
Louis could feel the rage and frustration run through his veins, it just wasn’t fair that, after all his father did all those years ago in the war, he still needed to go back. It’s not like there aren't enough alphas in this village, or even in the region! But the worst of it all was, you can’t refuse an order like that, or you’ll be dead. As far as he’s concerned, his father might already be dead, he hasn’t done as much as kill a chicken in all these years, and he can’t move as fast as he would like. They were all doomed and all of them knew it.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
He fell asleep with these dark thoughts and when he woke up, he had a massive headache and was really hungry. He was also disoriented, given that there wasn’t much light and he couldn’t know what time it was. He ended up getting up in a very bad mood and dragging his feet into the dining room, where his parents and grandma were already sitting at the table.
You could see from their faces and fragrances that the mood wasn’t the best. His father has a determined face, his grandma was serious and his mother was sad, almost grieving. It broke his heart seeing his family like this, so he cleared his throat and went to sit beside his father, took the teapot, and began serving liquid to everyone. He poured some food on his plate and began to eat, a tense atmosphere surrounding everything. Finally, the silence was too much, and he exploded, hitting the table with the cup, and looking at his father straight in the eye.
“You shouldn’t have to go!” he said in a rather high tone, standing up and getting himself worked up.
“Louis…” murmured his mother as a warning.
“There’s a lot of young alphas in this town willing to fight, why do you have to go too?” he keep asking, exasperated. “You’ve done fighting Father, you don’t have to do this anymore!”
“Enough! It is an honour to protect my country and my family.” said his father.
“So you’ll die for your honour?” asked Louis sceptically.
“I will die doing what’s right.”
“But-”
“I know what my place is! It’s time for you to learn yours, Louis.”
His father hadn't raised his voice, but still, that sentence alone felt like a slap to his face. He could feel the colour leaving his face, his eyebrows disappearing under his fringe and his mouth going slightly open, only to close it and set it in a stubborn line. He was used for other people to shut him up or give him condescending looks and sassy comebacks, but this just makes him sad and anguished.
After the discussion at the dinner table, they kept the staring contest and Louis finally got upset and left the room, and went to the patio where it was raining copiously. He sat at an old statue and watches sadly how his parents interacted back inside. It’s quite despairing knowing that him being an alpha could save his father from his almost certain death, and yet not only his sweet scent, but also his small frame gives away his weak status in society.
However, he still wants to help his family, so he steels himself and makes a decision: he’s going to war in his father’s place, no matter what anybody says.
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Louis has been awake for hours now, pretending to be asleep when really he's just been waiting for the house to become calm and silent, not wanting to come across any family member for what he’s about to do. It’s wrong, it’s what it is, and he knows it, but he’ll be damned if he’s letting his father go like that and die the heroic stupid death he thinks he deserves.
Once he’s sure he won’t be caught, he peels the covers of the bed and crosses the room barefoot, grabs a bag right next to the doorframe, and leaves his bedroom. He keeps his head down and makes quick work of moving through the halls until he reaches the right room. All the lights are off and the house feels eerie in the night, almost foreboding, but he still goes through, opens the door, and quickly jumps inside, closing it behind him. He closes his eyes a bit and takes a big breath. Right, he’s doing this.
When he opens his eyes again, he sees the room clearly for the first time in years. When he was a pup, his father would let him inside the room to play with his armour and some wooden swords. When it was clear he was going to present as an omega though, he wouldn’t let him in anymore and sent him to follow his mother and grandmother instead, so that he could learn from them how to be a proper omega.
The room isn’t very big, but hasn’t got much furniture and that makes it look more spacious, and his father, in addition, has always been a very tidy person, so his belongings are all properly stacked or kept away in their rightful places, so there’s a big space in the middle cleared for when they practised. He goes to a big cabinet and opens its doors, finding the armour there, complete and carefully arranged against the wall.
The sight of it gives him the chills, and he can remember some faraway memory from when his father crossed the property door, the suit bloodied and a big stick under his arm, but otherwise unharmed. He makes a quick silent prayer to whoever is listening that his luck may be similar and grabs the items, puts them on the floor, and then he goes to the corner of the room, grabs a big bag, and drags it to the other side, throwing the gear unceremoniously inside. Lastly, he goes to the far wall at the end of the room and grabs a long sword attached to the wall, and places it on a near table. He thinks for a total of two seconds before grabbing the sword again and his hair, cutting it off almost the entire length. It shocks him a little but he refuses to meet his reflection, so without taking a look at himself, he grabs an additional knife, stuffs it in the gear bag, takes the parchment roll and leaves the room. He goes slower this time, two bags and a sword being an additional weight he’s not used to, but eventually makes it to the barn, where he prepares his horse for the journey. Fortunately, they also owned an old map, so luckily he won’t get too lost when trying to find the camp.
When he finishes strapping the bags to the horse, he stops for a second to check everything and takes a deep breath before jumping on the horse and taking off into the night. He still needs to make one more stop in the city before the camp though. The rain is still pouring outside, but he’s determined and stubborn, so he spurs the horse and leaves his house in a run, his heart rabbiting inside his chest.
A good few minutes later, he’s dismounting at the skirts of the city, tying the horse behind some trees and bushes so that he keeps hidden in the dark. Then he approaches an old door slowly and knocks twice. He knows this could go terribly wrong, but he tries to calm himself. This is an apothecary and the owner knows him, they’re even friends, he won’t tell anyone of his plans, he thinks. Probably. A minute passes, and the door opens a bit, the sliver of a face is visible through it. And then it opens wider, an arm shoots through the gap and yanks him inside.
“What the bloody hell are you doing here this late, are you crazy, mate?!” asks a second later the owner of the arm, a slender man with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes, almost closed for the lack of sleep. You gotta love Steve.
“I need your help mate, please. It’s a life or death situation.” Says Louis, going straight to the point. He’s known Steve for a long time and knows he hates excuses and long speeches, or else he’s kicking your arse.
“And what is so urgent that you need to wake me at this ungodly hour of the night, eh? Wait, your parents are okay, right?” he asks, a little worried.
“They are and will be fine. It’s me who needs help. I need some pills to disguise myself as an alpha.” says Louis.
Steve’s face morphs from worried to dead serious in like half a second.
“Louis, you can’t be serious. What do you even want those pills for?” asks Steve with an edge of exasperation in his voice.
“You heard the news: we’re at war, and they’re recruiting alphas, or more specifically, one alpha per family, and my father volunteered to go. He’s gonna die if he goes there, so I need to replace him.” explains Louis.
“Oh wow, you’re crazier than I thought.” laughed Steve. “ Do you really think that your stature, or your body for that matter, will help you? ‘Cause let me tell you, people could guess you’re an omega even from afar. You could pass for a beta tops, but I don’t think you can trick anybody into thinking you’re an alpha.” concludes Steve, serious again.
“That’s why I need your help. I know you’ve got those pills that change scents into a kind of alpha one, and that could help me not to get killed on the spot. So can you help me, please?” asks Louis, making his eyes go big and placing both his hands in front of him pleading.
“And you don’t even know what suppressants really do, dear lord,” says Steve, passing a hand through his face, even more exasperated. “Ugh, fine, I’ll help you. But let it be known, if you die out there, I won’t be held responsible for it;” concedes Steve at last, huffing. Louis is so happy he could kiss his friend, but knows he’ll probably be punched for it, so instead jumps a little in his place, while he sees Steve disappear behind a curtain.
Louis waits a couple of minutes looking around the store while he listens to his friend going around and grumbling under his breath on the other side of the store. The place was full of jars and trinkets, but it still gave a weird sense of peace. Soon Steve is back with him and he’s got a couple of bags on his hands.
“All right Louis, I need you to listen to me very carefully, yeah? These pills are no joke, and it could make you really sick if you take them roughly.” said cautiously Steve and Louis put all his attention on his friend, knowing he could fuck up pretty badly if he didn’t pay enough attention.
“Okay. So, the blue pills are suppressants. These pills make sure that your omega scent is masked, and that you can’t go into heat.” Louis raises his eyebrows at that. “I know, good huh? It has some herbs that make your omega go asleep or something like that, so it would technically be under control and won’t go crazy around so many alphas. Go easy with this, because if you take too many it could damage your inner omega, and we don’t want that, we just need it to be more cooperative and learn to fight properly,” says Steve, and winks at him to relieve some tension.
“The orange ones are artificial hormones. These ones are specifically for alphas, and provide a strong scent; it's used commonly for self-defence, or to help pregnant omegas when their alphas are away. I believe I don’t have to tell you that these ones are worse than the blue ones, right?” He says looking at Louis directly, and he nods his head repeatedly, this is getting complicated.
“You need to take only one of each pill a day, and you need to have some food on you before you take those, or you’ll end up throwing up. These are really strong, so please be careful, yeah?”
“Yeah, sure,” says Louis, reaching out to take the pills. Steve gives him two bags full of them, and he just pockets them away.
“So, what are you going to do now?” asks Steve, looking at him worriedly again.
“Well, I reckon I need to get going, the encampment seems to be a bit far away, you know? And I honestly have no idea what I’m gonna find there. I’m a bit scared if I’m honest.”
“I can go with you if you want? I mean, I won’t be able to get into the camp, ‘cause I wasn’t called there, but I can borrow a horse and join you on the road? Besides, we can use the time for practice.” reasons Steve.
“Practise what?”
“How to be an alpha, duh. I know the only alpha you’ve been around all your life is your father, and those people on camp won’t be as nice as your pops, that’s for sure. I may not be an alpha myself, but I’ve seen my fair share of them, especially the young ones, so I guess I can help you there.” says nonchalantly.
“What exactly do alphas come to look at here?” asks Louis curiously.
“That’s none of your business, darling,” says Steve, shaking his head but with a small smile on his lips.
“Okay, okay, I give up. Now move your arse, ‘cause we need to be there at the crack of dawn and the road is pretty long, so get moving lad,” says Louis sounding bossy, mostly to piss off his friend, but also thinking that yes, they need to get moving if they want to be there at a reasonable hour and avoid getting into trouble at the beginning of this problem.
Steve goes behind the curtains once again, and this time he’s there a while, presumably to get some stuff for the trip. When he makes it to the store again, he’s wearing a long coat, some pants, and a pair of boots that looks worn out but comfy and he’s got a bag on his shoulder.
“Well, are you ready to go then?” asks Steve, raising an eyebrow and pushing his shoulder playfully. Louis only turns around and heads outside. It’s still raining, but it’s a gentle drizzle, so they just put up the hoods of their coats, mount their horses, and, after gazing at the map, head west into the woods, and even if it's dangerous, Louis can't help the feeling of anticipation and excitement running through his veins, maybe thinking that tomorrow at this same hour he'll be tired to the bone, but hopefully, nobody will know he's an omega in disguise.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
When the rain finally stops, they’ve been riding for hours and it’s really dark and cold, so they stop and make camp nearby, tying the horses, putting some protective leather material that Steve brought with him, bless him, and some blankets on the floor, so they could lie down for a few hours. Louis arranges some blankets and Steve looks at him intrigued, and when he looks down, he realises it looks like a nest, so he quickly tears it down. Steve just shrugs and lays down on some blankets, covering himself with one more.
“I’m not going to judge you, if that’s what you think, mate, but you should check what you do, ‘cause nobody can see you making a nest, alright? That’s usually an omega trait and it could easily give you away.” says Steve, curling himself a bit.
“Yeah, I know. Thanks for the warning.” says Louis, sighing and sinking on the floor, burying himself under multiple blankets. They’re in silence, trying to sleep, but Louis’ mind is packed with questions, so he turns around and faces Steve instead. “Hey Steve? Are you still awake?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know for how long though… why?” asks groggily.
“What do you reckon I should do to act like an alpha?”
That seems to shake him out of the dream state he was in, because he frowns and then huffs, sitting on the floor and covering his legs with the blankets. “Hmm, let me think… Well, for one, you need to stand with your spine straight, your shoulders rolling back, and basically making yourself look bigger” at the inquiring look Louis is giving him, he continues “You need to broaden your shoulders and stand with your legs open, so you give a bigger projection of yourself, maybe we can practise it tomorrow, yeah?”
“Mhm, sounds good.” says Louis, a glint in his eyes at knowing he had something to do tomorrow.
“Alphas are usually loud, like, they like to attract attention to the fact they’re there.” Louis rolled his eyes. “I know, man, they’re that obnoxious. You’re loud too though, just in your own way. When you’re comfortable with someone you like to do pranks and such to draw attention to you. You just need to be a bit more rough, talk loud but try to use a deeper voice. What else? I saw a couple of them using their hands to gesticulate, like a lot. Don’t know why, I couldn’t understand what they were trying to say anyway.”
That rips a cackle out of Louis, who’s sprawled on the blankets with tears in his eyes. Steve just smiles and looks around them, checking that nobody is listening to the noise they’re making.
“That enough for you?” asks Steve, pleased to see the anxiety has left his friend for a bit.
“Yeah, I reckon it’s enough for now,” says Louis, sighing and relaxing into the mound of blankets again.
“Okay then, better get some sleep. Got a big day tomorrow; we’re getting up early to practise, have some breakfast and then you’re taking those pills, yeah?”
“Yeah, sounds like a plan. Thanks for the help man, really.” says Louis, sighing exhausted.
“That’s what friends are for, right? Now try and sleep, see ya tomorrow”
“Right, night Steve.” Louis yawns. He turns on his side again and this time, when he closes his eyes, he falls asleep almost at once.
The next time Louis wakes up, it’s to find himself tangled in blankets, with his back and neck stiff from his position and sleeping on the floor and alone. There’s a glow in the distance and he can vaguely smell breakfast, so he slowly untangles himself from his restraints and tries to stand up to go and investigate. He’s not a morning person, and the forest is a weird place to sleep, so while he did get a few hours to rest, he’s feeling a bit cranky and hungry.
When he finally makes it to the origin of the glow, which is a fire, he can see Steve crouched beside it, with a pan on his hand cooking some eggs and bacon. There’s a kettle as well, steaming away and two mugs. It makes his heart swell, to see how much his friend worries for him. Louis just sits beside him and asks if he needs some help, to which the answer he gets is a negative, and so he gets comfortable and then drinks some tea.
When they’re done, Louis takes the medicines and then they pick up everything.
“Allright, I promised you some Alpha lessons, and I reckon we should practise now, before you go to the encampment, yeah?” asks Steve.
“Yeah, sounds good. Let’s do it.” says Louis standing up and following Steve into a clearing nearby. There’s trees surrounding the area, but there is space in between them, and they’re tall and slim, so there’s a lot of light pouring from everywhere.
They spend the next hour practising how to stand, walk and talk like an alpha, and by the end of it they’re laughing so much, there’s tears in their eyes.
“Oh my god Louis, you need to set your spine straight, please stand still!” says Steve, still laughing. He's pressing a hand on Louis' spine, trying to make him stand taller.
"I can't, I don't have a single straight bone in me!" Said Louis gasping, and then both of them were kneeling on the floor, breathless and crying in laughter.
"Please stop, I'm gonna pee myself." Wheezes Steve, he can't breathe and he's a bit annoyed, but mostly he's enjoying himself too much.
"Okay, okay… 'm sorry." Says Louis. He giggles some more and then he wipes some stray tears on his cheeks. At last, he takes a deep breath and spreads himself on the floor, caressing the grass beneath him. It’s peaceful and he tries to enjoy it as much as he can.
“Okay then, let’s try this again.”
—---------------------------------------------------------------
They finished practising with a lot of laughter and were convinced Louis would do extremely well or he'll fail awfully, they aren't sure which one. Eventually they get all their stuff packed around mid-day and then they set on their way to the encampment.
This time, they’re more subdued and quiet, and the trip to the camp is only a bit longer than usual. They weren’t far away, just a few miles, but Louis is really nervous about it, and if it wasn’t for the pills he started taking, they would be drowning in his scent. Steve looks serious and that doesn’t make him feel that good or reassured. He just wants to go back home and hide under his blankets, but deep down he knows he’s doing this for his family, and the urge to go back and hide is just his inner omega instincts, so he shakes that feeling and just keeps going.
At last, there’s a big space littered with tents, flags, horses, and people, and it’s bustling with activity, so he guesses they made it safely. Now it’s time for the real challenge to begin...
“All right Louis, this is it. I only hope you make it out alive from this situation, and I pray for you to be safe and don’t get caught. This is serious, take the pills and do whatever you gotta do to make them believe you’re an alpha; copy them, walk like them, talk like them, don’t get in fights, and don’t let them see you naked,” said Steve.
“Aaww Steve, you almost sound worried about me!” says Louis, trying to joke the tension away.
“Fuck off, I’m serious. You’re my best mate, and it would be a pain in my arse to start looking for another one just because you died here.” says Steve, and he’s trying not to smile.
“Okay, got it. Take the pills, train and copy the smelly alphas, and don’t let them find out who I really am.”
“Change your name as well. You can’t be Louis here, if someone recognizes you, you’re screwed.”
“Shit, I suppose you’re right. What the fuck should my name be then?”
“Hmm… Tom, maybe?”
“Tom Tomlinson? You’ve got to be joking.”
“Shit, you’re right. Okay then, Jack, Mike, Pete, John, hmm… Miles?”
“Hhm… We’ll see. Okay, thanks for your help, mate, I really appreciate it. If this goes well, I’ll have to make it up to you.” says Louis seriously.
“You better, man,” says Steve, and then he’s engulfing Louis in a big hug, crushing him. “All right, take care. See ya around,” he says, and then he’s turning around on his horse, and in a few heartbeats, he’s out of sight.
Right, he can fucking do this.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
Setting foot on the encampment makes Louis realise that maybe him passing as an alpha, may be harder than he originally thought. Not only are these people BIG, but they look mean and their scents are completely overwhelming. He silently sends a thank you to his friend for the pills he’s taking, because at this rate, he’d probably be curled up on the floor. As it is, he’s only shaking a bit, and that could pass as nervousness or excitement.
He dismounts his horse, counts to three mentally, and slowly makes his way to the biggest tent, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Of course, that’s when a tall, slim man, with dark hair, dark eyes, lots of tattoos, and smelling like cigarettes and steel looks directly at him. Fuck, he can’t rely on his luck.
“What you looking at, boy? You like what you see?” sneers the guy and well… he’s not entirely wrong. Yes, he’s got an awful personality, but his looks are something else. He looks like someone got him out of one of those paintings that you can see in a rich house, or a gallery; what was it? Oh yeah, a Greek painting.
Anyway, he knows damn well he can't say what's on his mind, so he tries to come up with a witty remark, while nervously walking backwards and shit, he trips with yet another man, this one a bit shorter, but broader. He's also a brunette but has bright blue eyes and smells strangely of sunshine and ocean .
"Oi man, look where you're going, would ya?" Says the blue-eyed man, and pushes Louis forward, sending him crashing against yet another alpha. This one is even scarier than the other two; he’s as tall as the first one, but broad and his eyes are dark brown, and smells strongly of coffee. He turns around, and looks at both Louis and the light-blue eyed man, who takes a couple of steps back.
“Why are you throwing your toys at me, huh?” says the man, and then he throws a punch forward. Louis’ eyes go big, and he quickly ducks, avoiding the man’s big fist. Unfortunately, the alpha behind him isn’t as fast and receives the full blast, tripping backwards and ending on top of a bunch of people that were just passing.
In just a few seconds there’s pure chaos around him, screams, grunts, arms and legs, and lots of pain. Louis’ just in the fucking middle of it and he’s desperately trying to avoid getting hurt, darting between this man and that one, crouching behind a massive guy and making a run for his horse when he finally spotted him.
He stood there, grasping the reins of his horse tightly and trying to control his breathing for god knows how long, until there was this strong voice, calling for order to all of them; “STOP THIS NOW”.
The effect is immediate and is also beautiful: the chaos and screaming stops at once, the people are all bending their heads and then they’re all standing tall and straight, any sign of fight or fury gone from their faces. Louis in particular feels a zip of something course through him, but mostly, he just stands as still as he can, trying to blend in or make himself invisible.
Of course, luck is not on his side, because when the voice asks who started this ruckus there’s a rush and many fingers pointing at his location. So much for being nice and staying out of trouble, he thinks cursing internally.
He can hear heavy footsteps coming his way, and he’s trying really hard not to hide behind his horse, too much like a pup caught misbehaving. He takes a deep breath, smelling rich wine and damp earth and decides to look at the looming presence that has been standing before him for a few moments. The moment he looks at the man’s eyes he’s thanking his friend again for the pills, because he’s sure if his omega was free, he would do something incredibly stupid, like throwing himself at the alpha’s neck. That beautiful and pale neck. Fuck, this man is truly handsome, and like ridiculously tall. So tall he’s got to crane his neck. He’s got a sharp jaw, defined cheekbones, beautiful nose, green, green eyes, and oh my god, he’s got fucking curls. Please God, don’t let me drool, he thought desperately.
He must’ve been staring for long though, because the alpha is arching a brow and asking him “Well, do you have anything to say on your behalf?”
“Oh! Uhm… I’m s-sorry, I guess?”
“You guess? There are people injured and food scattered on the floor, and you guess you’re sorry? You need to try harder than that, or your punishment will be worse, trust me.” says the alpha, and he looks unimpressed.
“I mean, I only tripped with a couple of them, and I haven’t punched anyone, so is it my fault really?” says Louis, trying to sound casual and bored. He probably sounds childish though.
“Hmm, I see… What’s your name, soldier?”
“Lo- uhm… I-I mean… uh… m-my name is uh, J-Jack, sir. Jack Tomlinson.” stutters Louis, wincing at how poorly that sounded.
“Jack, huh? Tomlinson you said?” muses the alpha and turns around to face the rest of the people still standing there. “Very well. Seeing as Mr. Tomlinson here says he's not guilty of the chaos that happened a few moments ago, I saw a huge disorder happening here and none of you wants to to take responsibility either, then you're all guilty, and therefore, all of you will clean up this mess, straighten up the tents and pick up all of the food. This is not a suggestion, it is an order. I'll come back in an hour, and you better have this mess sorted up, or you'll stay up all night. Understood?" Says the man, tall and imposing and nobody dares to refuse him, sensing this man is powerful and could make their lives a hell.
As soon as the alpha disappears into the big tent again, Louis can feel hundreds of eyes upon him, and he's fighting the urge to go and hide. Instead of that, he guides his horse to the side and crouches on the floor to start recollecting the food scattered. There's rice everywhere and even some tea spilled, and he really doesn't want to make any more eye contact with any of them again, so he focuses on the task at hand to avoid getting killed. He's probably been dramatic, but he doesn't care at this point.
There's some silence and heavy tension for some minutes, but then he can clearly hear rustling and people grumbling, meaning they all got to work on fixing the mess they did. Louis takes a deep breath and relaxes a bit, his head hanging in relief, and then he keeps going, keeping his arse away from trouble for today.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. They fixed the mess on the field, people shoved him and made him trip, but he kept quiet. They were assigned to their own tents and, after having some watered soup, he went to sleep. He turned and squirmed in the blankets, trying to find a good position to rest, but the blankets were too thin, the dinner was poor and he felt restless. He didn't think he slept at all, but he guessed he had to get used to it.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
Next morning, everything was fuzzy, and there were noises constantly. That, added to the fact that he hadn’t slept very much, well; let’s just say that Louis wasn’t in the best of moods.
Just when he was about to complain to his father about it, he remembered where he was, and he jolted out of the blankets. He panicked for a few seconds, his inner omega frantic because of the many unknown scents surrounding him, and before he fell into a crisis that got him killed, he searched for some cereal before taking the pills, hoping it would get better with the passing days.
Louis waits a few minutes until he feels calmer, and gets out of the tent, where he finds lots of men going about their business, eating breakfast on tables at the back, or wandering around the grounds sleepily, or even some people clutching some stuff to wash their faces. He makes a mental note to try and follow those so that he can clean himself later, and instead wanders to the breakfast table.
He grabs some toast and a cup of tea and goes to sit at the end of one of the tables. It’s a lonely meal, and several people look at him like they want to punch him, and okay maybe they’re still mad about the fight yesterday, but again, it wasn’t his fault! Jesus, these people are really bitter and vengeful. Whatever.
When he finishes, he leaves his stuff by the table and wanders off to where the rest of the people are gathered. Most of them are talking amongst themselves, joking and pushing each other around with no real heat behind it. He went to stand beside an alpha he had seen before, the brunette with blue eyes.
“You still here, are ya?” says the man, and he doesn’t really seem angry, just curious.
“Yeap, planning on it, by the way” says Louis, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Alright then" says, shrugging. "Me name's Niall, what's yours?" Asks the brunette, tilting his head like a puppy.
"L- Jack, Jack Tomlinson." Says Louis, cursing for almost slipping and saying his real name, again.
"Well, L-Jack, Nice to meet ya, lad." Says Niall, stretching out his arm in a handshake, a smile on his lips. He had a firm grip, he supposes.
They turned around facing the front, and the tall alpha from yesterday was in front of them. Good God, why does he find him so attractive? He realises he may be staring again and he quickly shakes his head and tries to stare at some tent in the back. He’s distracted when the man starts talking to all of them.
“Good morning everyone. I’m Captain Harry Styles, and I’m gonna be training you for the next few weeks. I’m also in charge of everything that happens here, so if there are any problems, like yesterday, I won’t hesitate to discipline you all. I expect you to pay attention, train hard and keep up, because if I see that you’re no material for this, I’ll send you back home. Understood?” said the man, to which it could be heard a general greeting of “Yes, sir!”
The man’s voice, Harry, was something slow and almost calculating, like he’s trying to get the message to all of the people on the field. It’s honestly hot, the mix between his deep voice and his aura, something calm but really imposing, not leaving room for doubt or challenge.
Soon, the captain is instructing them to group into pairs to start training, and when he attempts to call Niall’s attention to pair with him, he is stopped by a big hand gripping his bicep. He looks up to find green eyes staring back at him, and he can feel goosebumps raising on both arms. Damn it.
“You’ll be training with me Tomlinson, so you can be an example to your mates. Come on, walk,” says the alpha, and he’s pulling Louis after him. He almost trips with the sudden movement, so he tries to shake the other man’s hand from him, unsuccessfully, and starts almost jogging to catch up with the long strides of the captain.
They stop at a place a bit far, but clearly visible for the rest of the group. He’s trying not to blush at the attention and the manhandling, and he’s praying to all the gods that it’s working, because that would be really embarrassing.
They start with the basics of swords, learning how to grab it properly, and then how to do a bit of sparring. He’s good at holding the sword, alright, and he remembers a bit of what his father used to teach him, but the memory is really foggy and he keeps forgetting stuff, so in the end he’s not good. He’s sure the alpha picked him to make a fool of him, and it’s fairly working; because he can hear some sniggering from the crowd, and that only makes him angrier, making him sloppier and an easier target. He’s failing big time.
They spent the morning practising with the sword, stopping for a while to get some lunch, and then they were back to practise. They worked all day and, by the end of it, Louis feels tired to the bone. The swords were heavy, he kept moving around trying to dodge the blade and he got hit several times. Yeap, first day of training was a bitch. He didn’t see any people going to the pond, more likely they all went to bed dirty and sweaty, and he did the same, to avoid raising suspicions. His skin prickled and his hair was sticking in odd directions, but he guessed he had to suck it up. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
The next days were something similar, having breakfast and taking the pills, training constantly with few breaks in between, and an odd bath between them. He also noticed that the captain was starting to pick him every time they needed a demonstration for an exercise or learning to use a new weapon. It always left him flustered and clumsy, and embarrassed as well, because he looked really stupid next to the man.
One of those days, they were about to practise fighting one on one, and he saw the captain approaching him from the corner of his eye, so he quickly stepped beside Niall, his new friend, and tugged on his sleeve. “Can I practise with you man?” he asked low and frantic.
“Tired of being the teacher’s pet?” snickered Niall, but linked their arms together easily, almost tucking Louis under his arm. When the captain reached their side, he stared at them with a glare for a few seconds, before continuing walking and grabbing another man, a big and broad one.
“Shit, that was fucking close.” said Louis, messing with fringe as a habit.
“Aaw, is he giving you a bad time, sunshine?” says Niall, pouting.
“Shut up Neil, is fucking embarrasing getting my arse kicked every single day, is what it is.” mutters Louis.
“Make silence in the back and pay attention, gentlemen” says the captain, glaring at both of them again.
“It’s gonna be a hard day, innit?”
“Tell me about it…”
—---------------------------------------------------------------
A few days later, he made friends not only with Niall, who often made jokes and talked the ear off of everybody but also with Liam, another one of the alphas he had a bad start on the first day. He’s still big, broad, and gives off a scary aura, but he is actually as soft as a teddy bear.
One day when they had to practise sparring and fighting in pairs, he tried to look for Niall in the crowd, finding him very far away. Panicking, he started looking for someone who would maybe want to pair with him, and tripped with the man again. He realised who it was and started to apologise, only to find a pair of big brown eyes staring back at him. “Do you need any help?” said the man, tilting his head, and he thanked his stars for tripping with him this time. Louis ends up practising with both of them in the next days, trading stories about growing up, and bonding over jokes.
They started to practise not only in pairs but separately as well. Louis learned archery, fishing, hunting, and trekking with a heavy charge on his shoulders (that one was the most difficult, and Zayn, the raven haired boy, always made fun of him.) He was struggling a lot, but he was also having lots of fun. Sure, the captain’s presence around him made him irrationally nervous and calm at the same time, but aside from that, he was having the time of his life.
It's been a couple of weeks since they started training, and Louis' relieved to know that Captain Styles' fixation with him is not in his imagination.
Sure, he has successfully escaped him sometimes, hiding in the back, or managing to pair up with his friends when he can. But mostly, he's been caught running away from the attention, only to be brought back to the front, right under his thumb.
At first, there were people like Niall that liked to make fun of the situation, branding him with the nickname of "teacher's pet", but as the days passed, some noticed that it wasn’t just sometimes, but a regular occurrence, and that Louis always seemed the most tired of them all, so they thought that he was becoming the punching bag, more like, and it didn’t sit well with them. Even Zayn, who was constantly boasting about his skills in practice, and making him look bad, seemed to think that this was too much.
And apparently, they had a chat about it, because the next thing Louis knows, Niall, Liam, and Zayn became his personal bodyguards. They sat with him at meal times, volunteered themselves to pair with him at kitchen duty, took turns pairing with him, and surrounded him when it turned into a singles time practice. Niall would lay an arm on his shoulders, giving the Captain an unimpressed look; Liam would stand in front of him and put on his rude face, and Zayn would put his arms around his chest and downright smirk at their superior. The outcome would often be a very pissed alpha in front of them, glaring and sometimes even growling, demanding even more repetitions of the workout they were doing. It was really funny to see, even if sometimes his omega got sad about it.
—---------------------------------------------------------------
The other alphas weren’t so hostile towards him anymore, despite the jokes about his height and some of his mannerisms. Once he made friends with Niall and Liam, two of the scariest and loudest people in the group, they thought him cool enough to be befriended. It was a great experience, and without his inner omega freaking out about everything, he felt freer than ever. Even Zayn who was still an obnoxious dickhead, had his weak moments with him. He was finally settling, and it felt amazing.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
It's been two rough months, and the heavy training was finally paying off. They were slim, strong, fast, and deadly soldiers ready to kill, and right now, they were chilling in the dining area. They tried earlier to make Louis take a bath with them at the lake since he has never joined them before and only escaped because someone mentioned the food was ready. Nobody ran faster than Niall when food was involved.
They were playing cards at a table and laughing at some jokes Niall was telling when everyone fell silent around them. Louis felt a sharp elbow digging on his side, and when he turned around, Captain Styles was walking right to them.
“Attention and stand up soldiers!” said the alpha, and soon there were several footsteps heard on the floor, while everyone assembled around the Captain, curious and serious.
“I’ve received news from the front: General Styles has sent word that he requires our assistance on the battlefield ASAP.” Said the man, and a gentle rumour started spreading around. “That’s right gentlemen, we’re going to battle. Start packing, we’ll leave camp in an hour.”
The Captain left for his own tent and soon the air was filled with scents, reeking of excitement and fear at the same time. There were people jumping and shouting, apparently exhilarated to be able to kill some Huns in battle with their swords. Louis was stunned, still sitting on the bench, while Niall and Zayn were discussing animatedly which weapons they would use, and Liam was just picking the cards that now were laying forgotten on the table.
“Oi Jack, you joining us soon mate? Or d'ya wanted us to pick up your stuff for ya?” hollered Niall a few feet from him, and that made him sit up and join them, jogging a little to catch up.
Soon Louis was on autopilot, picking up stuff laying around on the tent, and trying with all his might not to freak out. He tells himself that this is what he came to do, that he promised to fight for his father, his family, and he couldn't back down. He was two steps away from having a little anxiety episode and wanted to curl in a ball, but instead, he strapped the bags on his shoulders and pushed past the entrance of his tent. Niall and Liam came to help him take down the tent, and in the flash of an eye, they were taking off to the mountains.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
They've been walking for what it feels like ages. Louis' feet are sore, his back is killing him and the clothes he's wearing are a bit suffocating for this trip. He's thinking about complaining about all of it but doesn't really want to be the whiny pup of the lot, so he keeps quiet and suffers internally.
The only things that can be heard around are their footsteps muffled against the road, some panting, and lots of grunting. The landscape is something extremely beautiful, with rolling green hills on both sides with some cows munching grass, an earthy path where you can see faded footsteps or even some wheels, endlessly blue skies with some clouds passing by, and far in the horizon, the tall majestic mountains. Tall and imposing, with their snowed peaks, they called to you, daring you to step on them.
They remained silent for a couple of minutes before Niall broke the silence.
"Are we there yet? 'm hungry and me feet are sore… mate, would ya carry me? Can't feel me legs!" He cried dramatically, flailing his arms and dropping his weight on Louis' back.
"Mate, get off, you're too fucking heavy!" Said Louis, struggling to keep going. "Liam help, this leprechaun is trying to kill me!"
"Oi Niall, behave man. You'll turn Jack into a dwarf at this rate, he's already small." Said Zayn snickering.
Louis glared at him while Liam dragged Niall away from him and helped him walk.
They were silent again, but it only lasted like five minutes before Niall spoke again.
"What ya lads gonna do when you get back home?"
"Probably sleep for ages, I reckon. Why?" Asks Zayn lazily.
"Me mum's been torturing me for ages to get a mate." Complains Niall again, and this time Louis' spine goes stiff on its own. Please, don't fucking go there, he prays internally.
"Oh yeah, a mate…" muses Zayn and fuck, there goes his luck. "Well, me parents aren't pressuring me into anything yet, but I can see their faces, waiting for me to choose. I've got a handful of options waiting for me at home, if you know what I mean?" Said Zayn, wiggling his eyebrows, and Louis may or may have not vomited in his mouth. Yikes.
"Yeah nah, don't have so much luck, meself. I was hoping to find a cute omega that appreciates me jokes, but honestly, they're all boring, the lot of them, ya know?" Says Niall, shrugging.
"Aaww, poor little Niall…" says Zayn cooing. "I'm sure you'll find some omega deserving of your looks and your jokes, mate, don't worry" he says patronisingly and patting his arm. "I've got a flock of omegas following me around at home… All of them, trying to give me food, presents, scarfs with their scent… They’re really lovely, making my decision really hard…”
“Your hometown must be really lacking alphas, for them to follow you around like bees… or maybe there’s just not that many omegas and you’re making it all up” says Louis laughing, and Niall cackles loudly, clutching Liam’s body with both hands to support himself.
“Hmm… Then what about you, Jack? You must have lots of admirers back home, yeah? Making long queues at your door, desperate to have you as their mate… What’s your type of omega, hmm?” asks Zayn, taking him by the shoulders and tucking him against his side.
Louis tries hard not to squirm while green eyes and brown curls flash through his mind. He sputters and tries to come up with a witty response.
“Oh, well, uhm… I mean, I don’t really have a type… They should be smart, and funny maybe?” says Louis, and he knows that came out very weak; damn it.
“That’s it? Smart and funny? That’s nothing! What about looks? What do you like?” presses Zayn, and as he’s trying to think of something else, he feels eyes boring onto him. He's sure it's not his friend's eyes he's feeling, and his suspicions are confirmed when Niall says "Huh, why is the Captain looking at us? Do you reckon he's angry?"
"It's because we're being too loud, that's why." Says Louis, and pushes Zayn away. He's blushing and he knows it; what he doesn't know is why is the Captain looking at them right now, they weren't being that loud, he reckons. Weird. Anyway, he deflects before they can keep asking questions. "What about you Liam? Are you looking for an omega?"
His eyes go all round and glassy, like a puppy. "I've already got an omega" he says quietly. That leaves both Zayn and Niall speechless, while Louis gives him a small smile.
"Really, what are they like?" Asks Louis softly.
"He's lovely. And shy, but has the greatest heart. He's got siblings and treats them with such tenderness… I'm really lucky he chose me. When I get back, I'm going to court him."
“That’s really cute Liam, congrats” says Louis, and he’s sincere. He’s the calmest of the group, and always knows how to handle and calm the three of them. His smell of coffee and something flowery is very relaxing, and he always finds himself comfortable around him.
“Yeah man, that’s really good. You deserve it, congratulations.” says Zayn, clasping a hand on his shoulder and giving him a slight shake. Niall just hugs him as tight as he can and asks him if he can be his best man at the bonding ceremony. Louis says that he’ll be better as the ring carrier and laughs with Zayn.
Other men behind them overheard the conversation, and soon they’re all telling stories about their mates, or who they would fancy. It’s sexist, is what it is, but the sharing stories and parts of themselves makes the atmosphere almost cosy; like they’re all brothers. Louis exhales and keeps walking, this time in silence and listening to the rest of them talk, trying to unknowingly enjoy the last moments of peace among his mates.
—---------------------------------------------------------------
They were still laughing and trading stories; Niall, a brave or obnoxious man, they aren’t sure which yet, walked ahead of them to ask the Captain about his own mate, when they all came to a sudden stop. Confusion runs among them, until they see an archway a few yards away. They made it to their allies’ village, but something feels wrong.
It’s all smoke and ruins, and just the sight of it sends chills to Louis' spine. Something’s definitely not right. Where’s the people? Where are the soldiers? And why is there so much smoke? Dread runs through his veins, and the Captain orders them to split up and search for any sign of life.
This time there’s no time to protest, the alpha takes his arm and steers him away from his friends. For a moment, Louis thinks he’s in trouble, but then he realises that they’re walking slowly and the man is scanning the place with his eyes, alert. He’s walking with his back straight, long and measured strides carefully stepping to avoid making noises, his hand still gripping his wrist. The touch is grounding and electrifying at the same time; it makes him feel safe. He's also scenting the air, damp earth and wine invading his senses, and even taking the pills, it makes him feel dizzy, but protected.
Louis then starts to look for signs too. There’s mostly burnt wood, some stones and the occasional wall here and there; all black and covered in ashes. You could also see some fabric on the floor, but that one was very rare, clothes burned fast. Just when he spotted a doll laying on the floor, they heard a voice calling for the Captain.
They hurried to the place where he was called, and everyone made way for him. When they reached the spot, there were more ashes, but also bones. There was the smell of rotten and burnt meat, and some helmets. One of them stood out though, and it was a big silver helmet decorated with a blue feather. He felt like the air was punched out of his lungs, and he faintly heard a sudden gasp and a thud. Any hope he could have about finding the soldiers alive ended right there, with the dozens of pieces of armour scattered on the ground. The possibility of going home safe and sound was very far and thin; if these experienced men couldn’t win against the Huns, what chance did they have?
Sad and defeated, he turned to face the Captain, only to find him kneeled on the floor, clutching the blue feathered helmet in his arms, tears running down his face. Then it hit him: General Styles was the alpha’s father. Only the sobs coming from the Captain could be heard; the rest of the group was in silence, heads bowed respectfully towards the dead and the mourning alpha.
Silently, the men started trickling out of the place, preparing a place to dig and put the remains of their fellow soldiers. Louis just stayed there; he felt rooted to the spot, sadness and sorrow rolling through him, though it didn’t exactly feel like they were his own emotions. It was confusing, but still, he reached with his hand and clasped the alpha’s shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. The man stilled for a moment, and then he melted a bit against his left side. They stayed like that for a little while, the Captain quietly sniffling and Louis just standing with his hand on the other man.
Finally the spell was broken, and they both got moving, walking side by side. They found the others working on the graves and helped them out. When they were done, the Captain put the General’s helmet on top of the mound, made a reverence, and walked out of there. The rest just followed the example and trickled out of the place, in search of some water or a distraction.
Louis found his friends, who offered him pats on his back, either for consolation or congratulations, he’ll never know.
The Captain ordered them to move further into the mountains to try and find the Huns, so they packed all up and started walking again, subdued and tired.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
They’ve been walking for hours now, and the landscape turned gradually from green hills to white snowed land; it feels beautiful and desolate at the same time. There’s trees scattered through the place, but it just feels bare. It makes Louis nervous, like they’re been watched, he feels too exposed.
He’s about to ask Zayn about it, when they hear an explosion. They all turn in confusion to see where the sound came from, finding out that one of the canons they carried at the back went off.
Soon the Captain approaches the supplies wagon, fuming and exasperated.
“What the fuck happened here?” asks furious to two alphas driving the horses.
“I-I don’t-” one of them sputters.
“Do you realise that you just gave our position away?” interrupts the alpha. “You’ve just put us all in danger, damn it!” he screams frustrated.
Louis’ about to get closer to the alpha when he hears a whistling sound, a scream and a loud thud. They all turn to see one of their own on the floor, taken down by an arrow. There’s a strong voice saying “SCATTER” and then they’re all running, looking for cover under rocks, trees or their own wagons.
“GET THE CANNONS, FORM A LINE AND FIRE AT THE MOUNTAIN.” Ordered the Captain, and soon they were all running towards the storages and taking all of the cannons, and running to the top of a small hill. The alpha stopped Zayn in his place, who was also carrying one of the devices.
“Don’t take that one. Leave it here, just in case.” says the man and Zayn only nods softly, leaving the device on the floor and running to join his comrades.
“TAKE AIM AND PREPARE TO FIRE. THE REST OF YOU, DRAW YOUR SWORDS AND BE READY TO CHARGE. WE’LL FIGHT WITH HONOUR AND WIN. THIS ENDS TODAY." Said the Captain, and everybody nodded grimly. Louis took his father's sword and prayed for luck to be for once on his side. They all desperately needed it.
They all took their positions and waited for the final order, while they saw a great mass coming towards them from the mountains, the sound of running, shouts and swords clashing getting clearer and more terrifying by the second.
“FIRE!” Shouted the Captain, and all the cannons went off at once, taking down several of the enemies. They were still coming at them though, so they fired another round and then there was an order of “CHARGE”, in which the alpha in charge led first. All of the soldiers followed him, screaming and running with all their might.
Both forces clashed several yards away from the hill, swords and knives running through bodies and fists meeting faces. The place was soon full of screams and grunts, angry and scared scents invading the atmosphere mixed with the metallic smell of blood. Louis was fighting with everything he had, avoiding most of the punches and deflecting all the blows the enemies’ swords aimed at him. He looked up to see men fighting relentlessly on both sides, ferociously, and the leader of the Huns at the back, mounting a horse to finish them all.
He felt panic rising on his chest, and looked around frantically for a miracle. There was a glint that left him blind for a second, and when he blinked, he saw the mountains. Peaks. Snow. Perfect. He ran back to the wagons and took the last cannon, running to the battle again. He fell on his knees and pointed the cannon in the direction of the incoming Huns, and then higher. He looked around for the lighters, and found two stones. With trembling hands, he tried to start a fire, but he was shaking too much and the man was closing on him. Fuck.
“How can I help ya mate?!” yelled Niall, appearing right next to him. Louis released a breath and shouted back “Help me light this motherfucker, now!”
Niall took the pieces of rock and pressed them together twice, making sparks in the process. The leader Huns cackled and raised his sword, and Louis hugged the cannon and fired. The shot missed the enemy and they both threw themselves to the ground.
“What the fuck Jack, he was right in front of ya! How could ya miss the shot!” hollered Niall, while the cannon made contact with the peak of the mountain in an explosion, and tons of snow started falling down. “I didn’t aim for the man.” said Louis with a mischievous smile on his face. He stood up and pulled Niall with him, running for cover.
He looked around to see that most of his mates were running for cover, except for the Captain, who was fighting with an enemy while the leader charged at him. He let go of Niall and went to help the alpha, while he faintly heard people screaming his name. He couldn’t tell if he really was closer to the man than he originally thought, or if he just ran the hardest, and fastest his body had let him in all his life; but he got to the Captain first and pushed him aside with all his might, knocking him to the ground, while he felt something gracing his side, and saw from the corner of his eye the leader enemy pass in a flash beside him, carried away by the avalanche he caused.
With no time to lose, he grabbed the Captain’s arm and pulled him up, looking around again and whistling to his horse when he saw it. Then he pulled at the alpha’s arm and started running again, trying to take cover before it was too late. Khan was really fast, because the horse reached them in no time, and Louis took the reins and climbed up in a second, followed by the alpha sitting up behind him. Large palms settled on his waist as he spurred the horse to run for cover.
It was hard, and eventually, they weren’t fast enough. The snowslide caught everything on its path, horses, gear, and people, and pushed them forward. They were engulfed in a wave of snow and they tried to fight against the tide. There were a few seconds of silence and a feeling of drowning, and then they were up in the open, gasping for breath. Louis looked frantically around, trying to find a way out, and his eyes went wide when he realised where they were heading. There was an opening to an abyss a few yards away, and they were getting closer very fast. He turned the horse around and spurred him on, screaming for help, desperate not to fall.
Fighting the tide, Louis saw an arrow with a rope fly and land near him, so he grabbed it and tied the rope to the reins of the horse, urging the animal to go in the direction of a big rock sticking out of the landscape. They slipped and fell through the gap for a few moments, Louis hugging the horse’s neck, and the Captain glued to his back when the rope tensed. Then, they felt movement and saw that they were being pulled up. They heaved a sigh and collapsed on the horse. They were safe.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
When they were safely on the ground, the Captain jumped back from the horse’s back and helped Louis down. They were greeted by several bodies crashing against them, patting them on the back and shoulder, hugging them tightly and screaming bloody murder because they were alive and they'd won. Louis felt blissed out and tired; the fight had been rough and it hurt everywhere. He tried to take a step forward and felt a sharp pain on his side. He screamed and fell to the ground, clutching his left side, curling in on himself. Four people materialised at his side, his friends and his alpha. No , not his alpha, he argued with himself. He felt a pair of hands prying his own away, only to find blood. A lot of it, everywhere. He felt dizzy and tired, he just wanted to sleep, so he ignored the voices surrounding him, asking him to stay awake, while he heard more screams in the distance asking for a doctor, before closing his eyes and drifting off. He could use some rest.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
The next time he woke up he felt rested and warm, a feeling he hadn’t felt in a while. He was in a white tent, and some voices could be heard arguing outside. The blissed out feeling lasted two seconds, before he remembered what happened. Memories from the battle rushed to his mind and he quickly sat up, trying to get to his friends, only to take a sharp breath at the throbbing pain on his side. He could smell his own panicked scent from his omega, and before he could understand what was happening, two people appeared inside the tent, the Captain and the alpha he saw handling the presenting orders back home.
His inner omega felt relieved of seeing the Captain alive, but his mind was short-circuiting at the looks both men were giving him, and then it hit him. The pills, his omega, he’d been discovered. He visibly gulped and tried to talk, but no words seemed to come through.
“I knew something was not right with you…" said the man with the thin moustache, pointing at him with an accusing finger, only to grab his arm and drag him outside. He felt overwhelmed and tried to get out of the grip the mean alpha had on his arm. The other man only pushed him aside onto the snow as if he was garbage, while there was a deep growling coming from the tent. "You, are an omega !”
"My name is Louis, " said the omega stubbornly.
“This diabolic creature has broken the law, impersonating an alpha, stealing armour, lying to his superiors. It is an outrage!” he yelled again for all of them to hear the story.
“No, wait! Let me explain!” begged Louis.
“You’re a disgrace of omega, and you will pay for your crimes!” he said, pointing his finger at him again.
“I just wanted to save my father, I’ve never wanted it to get this far! Please, you have to believe me!” cried Louis, fat tears rolling down his cheeks.
The nasty alpha turned around and handed the Captain a sword. “You know the law, Captain Styles, this one has to die,” said disdainfully.
“I can’t- can’t do it.” said the alpha, shaking his head and gritting his teeth. He was fighting his own alpha to avoid going feral. They were not going to kill his omega.
“But it’s the law, you must do it!” said the other man indignantly.
“He saved our lives, damn it, I’M NOT KILLING HIM!” roared Styles, and everybody shook from the effects of the alpha voice. He took a few breaths and kept talking. “He saved my life. Now, I’m going to spare his. We’re even.” He threw the sword at Louis’ feet. “Pack everything and let's go,” he ordered to the rest of the soldiers, who nodded silently and went to work.
“But, but you have to-”
“I said LET’S GO,” the alpha growled low, and turned around, marching far away. The councilman turned his nose up at Louis and followed the Captain, leaving him alone.
He could see in his friend’s faces, the worry and their disappointment. They clearly wanted some sort of explanation, but they were given an order in alpha voice. Because Louis is clearly a traitor they had to follow through and stay quiet, so he only saw blurs of them, moving fast, and then, nothing. Louis was left cold and all alone at the foot of the mountain, his horse was laying beside him and his inner omega was howling because his alpha had left him. He felt depressed and defeated, having failed at the promise he made to help his father. He was a disgrace, and nobody would want him, so what was the point of keeping on fighting? He curled on himself and cried freely, mourning everything he lost.
—---------------------------------------------------------------
He's still curled up against his horse, though he's not crying anymore. The soldiers left the place a few hours ago, and he's numb with cold. Maybe he's going to die here, from hypothermia, or maybe he will freeze, but he's still sad and wants to apologise to his family, and tell them he's sorry for all the problems he's caused.
He's thinking of his family when he hears noises coming from near the mountain. His eyes go big and he's beyond scared, and when he turns around to check, it's to see the Huns still very much alive and very angry. Fuck his damned luck.
He tries to think of what to do, when he hears a piercing scream that makes his blood curl, and somehow he knows that's their leader. Shit. They're alive and he's the only one who knows it. He's gonna have to tell them, warn the soldiers that the Huns are still at large. Shit.
His heart is beating wildly in his ribcage, and that makes his blood pump faster, making it possible for him to get up. It takes him a while because he was literally freezing, but he manages to stand and coerce his horse to do the same. They left him his things, and luckily he had an apple stored that he offers to the animal, praying that the fruit is enough to give him the energy and strength to take him to the Imperial City. It is enough.
The horse nuzzles his palm and lets him arrange his bags and jump on his back, and soon they're both charging through the fields, hoping against hope not to be late.
—---------------------------------------------------------------
Louis has been riding for hours, too scared to stop and fall from exhaustion. He knows his omega is still hurting from the rejection, and can slightly feel his core chilled and dark, making him shiver and twitch, but he stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the feeling, telling himself that he only needs to reach the soldiers and warn them about the danger of the Huns, before turning around and collapsing on his own bed. He just needs to resist for a few more hours. He can do this.
That’s the phrase he’s repeating nonstop, like a mantra that will help keep him upright and fighting. He can do this. He has to believe he can do this, or he’ll drop to the floor, exhausted, dead, or whatever, and he refuses to make his efforts go to waste like that. He’s a warrior, he has what it takes to help defeat the enemy. He just needs to make it to the City, and he’ll be fine.
There’s light in the distance, walls, loud music and even louder cheers, and his heart beats wildly when he realises he made it to the city. He’s so relieved he could cry, but instead, he just spurs his horse to go faster, a ray of hope lighting up on his chest and refusing to go down.
Just as he’s reaching the doors of the city, he notices large crowds on the streets, drinking, laughing, and hugging each other. Most of them notice him on his horse, parts of his armour strapped to his saddle and make way for him, receiving him like a hero; though some of them look at him weirdly. It’s almost impossible for anyone to notice he’s an omega from his position on the horse, and because there are so many people mingling together, their scents are all mixed up, but of course, maybe his height is giving him away, so he looks away from them and starts looking for the soldiers.
It takes Louis longer than he expected to find them, with so many people crowding the streets and so many more streets and alleys that he thought were possible, and he gets lost at least a dozen times. He’s annoyed to no end, and panic starts to settle with thoughts of not making it in time, when his nose catches a faint scent of coffee, cigarettes, sunshine and wine. They’re close, he thinks, and he surges again, running with all he has left.
He finally spots them a few blocks away, and he quickly runs until he’s at Styles’ side, gasping and nervous. He can hear his friends murmurings, and clearly trying to call him to explain himself for what happened at the mountains, and then the Captain makes a double take when he realises who’s beside him, his eyes going wild with panic and, is that relief? But then the bubble is broken, because the alpha is growling. Shit.
“What are you doing here, Tomlinson?” he asks slowly and in a low tone, to avoid attracting the attention of the people up front.
“I came to warn you, the Huns are still alive and are on their way here, they’ll try and kill the Emperor!” whispers Louis, his hands curling into fists, his nails digging into his palms.
“What?! No, that’s impossible, we killed them in the mountains,” says the alpha, shaking his head.
“But it’s the truth! I saw them with my own eyes, they’re alive!”
“Yeah? And how do I know that I can trust you, huh? You lied to me once, you’ll do it again,” says the Captain, hurt and angry.
“And what would I gain by lying about this? Death! I’m not suicidal, Captain Styles; I just wanted to save my father from his imminent death by going to war in his place. I’ve never wanted to lie or hurt any of you, I was just protecting my Father, and that’s the truth. The Huns are coming, and you need to be prepared to protect the Emperor,” said Louis, determined to make himself heard.
“Go home, Louis. You shouldn’t be here,” says the alpha softly and tiredly, then he’s gone.
Louis is left standing there, frozen on the spot. The alpha just called him by his name, his real name , and told him to go home. He’s got mixed feelings, and his head is a mess. He feels disappointed and hurt that the alpha hadn’t believed him and cast him aside like he was nothing, but his omega is hopeful and trying desperately to go back to find his alpha; and honestly, what the fuck? He feels pathetic that his omega wants to keep looking for more rejections, hasn’t it had enough already?
Shaking his head, he turns towards the main building, where there seems to be a major celebration, and tries to find someone that will hear him.
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Luck has definitely abandoned the building and it’s not answering calls, because no one in this goddamn place would look at him, much less listen to him. He’s tired and desperate, and he’s emitting distressed pheromones that make people turn their noses and bodies away. It’s a fucking disgrace, it’s what this is, and he’s running out of time.
He makes a last effort and pushes through people, trying to get to the front, when there’s the sound of trumpets ringing through the place.
“Citizens, the Huns have been defeated!” proclaimed the man with the thin moustache from the top of the stairs. “Our warriors fought bravely and faced imminent death, until the last consequences, and now, we celebrate them!”
The last proclamation was met with thunderous applause and shouting , drowning any possible cry or protest. Louis saw the soldiers climb the stairs and bow to the Emperor, who offered words of congratulations and condolences to the Captain.
Suddenly, there was some commotion in the crowd, and a huge festive dragon climbed the stairs, dancing around the crowd at the top. They were all confused, and then it all came crashing down. Dozens of men came out from underneath the costume and grabbed at the Emperor, pulling him and dragging him inside the castle. The soldiers tried to fight them, but they were outnumbered and pushed back.
There was panic and confusion among the people, so Louis grabbed his horse and climbed the stairs to try and help.
As soon as he got down, he was met with the small group of soldiers trying to take down the giant doors. Apparently, the doors were locked from the inside, and they were heavy enough that not even ten people could bring them down.
Louis looked at the entire building, trying to find an alternative, when he saw it, tall windows open at the far right side of the palace. Perfect. There were people fleeing the palace, a group of girls among them, their scarves flying behind them. He ran at them and asked for their scarves, with a tired smile on his face. They were all scared but could see and smell that he was distressed, so one of them stepped forward and gave him her scarf, smiling and trying to be reassuring. The rest of them followed through, and two minutes later he was back at the entrance.
“Oi! You wanna get in? I’ve got a plan!” called Louis, and four pairs of eyes landed on him. Niall screamed and lifted him from the floor, jumping. He laughed and asked to be brought down so they could save the Emperor. That sobered him and the other three up, standing straight and attentive.
“So, what’s the plan, Tomlinson?” asked Zayn, arching a brow, and Louis quickly filled them in on his idea, which was met with several nods, and a few pats to his shoulder. It was pretty simple: remove their armour, wrap the scarves around their necks, and climb the wall, making them smell like mated omegas, their own scent mixing with the ones on the scarves.
The first part was pretty easy because without the armour weighing them down they could climb the wall faster. The second part was trickier; all of them were alphas and never cared to act otherwise, so Louis told them to follow his lead, act like him, and keep quiet. The Captain opted to remain on his gear and not to wear any article of cloth that wasn’t his, or that wasn’t scented by Louis, supplied his inner omega, and just remained at the back to help if it was needed.
They started walking through corridors, keeping quiet to hear any sign of the Emperor or his captors. Eventually, they got to a hall where there were two big alphas standing at both sides of a door. Taking a deep breath, Louis came out from behind a pillar and began walking to them slowly and enticingly, moving his hips and blinking slowly. Liam, Zayn, and Niall follow his lead, walking slowly and trying not to scowl at the men in front of them.
“Are you lost, doll?” asked one of the guards, leering at him.
“O-oh yes sir, we were just looking for the exit…I guess we got lost, silly us” said Louis, giggling a little and covering his mouth delicately.
They bought the act, and even one of them approached them to offer assistance to find the way out, but then Niall sneezed and cleaned his nose with the scarf, revealing more of his scent. Both guards growled at them, and then Zayn and Liam quickly attacked them, leaving them unconscious on the floor.
Then, they opened the doors and scurried inside quietly, looking for any threats. When they got to the corner of the short hall, Louis peeked around and found the Emperor standing and being threatened with a sword to his neck by the enemy’s leader, who was growling and throwing curses at the air.
With a signal, they moved fast and tackled the enemy to the floor, while Niall and Liam took the Emperor and fled the place with him, using the scarves to slide through a rope that connected the palace with the outer wall of the patio. Enraged, the man pushed everyone to the floor, while he tried to follow the Emperor, but Louis got a hold of his ankle and made him trip. Zayn ran to the rope and practically threw himself through the window. Captain Styles pinned the other alpha to the ground and Louis ran to the window and almost followed the rest, but then he turned around and saw that the enemy had overpowered the Captain and he had a sword on his neck.
In a split-second decision, Louis took his own sword and cut the rope, facing both men again. The leader saw his action and charged at him, but Louis rolled through the ground and crawled until he was at the Captain’s side.
"You're gonna die, you're gonna pay for getting in my way…" Said the man, threateningly. "You think you can defeat me? I'm the Great Shan-Yu, leader of the Huns, Death himself… You're gonna join your dear father, Captain Styles, for your little ruse at the mountains, and you, little omega, are gonna die for standing next to him," he said with a terrifying smile.
"You think Captain Styles buried you in the mountains? I think you need to wear glasses, you Great Douche, because the culprit was me," said Louis, challenging and standing upright. It took a few seconds, but the man finally recognized him and lunged at him, but he was running and out of the room, looking frantically for a way out.
He could hear thundering steps behind him and he tried to think of what to do; time was running out again. Finally, he sees ahead of him an open door, revealing a flight of stairs, and he runs at it without thinking twice.
The stairs are long, circular, and dizzying, but he can see a light at the top so he keeps going until finally he sees a door ajar at the top, so he pushes it with his body and emerges into a big circular room with tall windows and lots of columns. He goes and hides behind the column farthest from the door and waits for the man to appear. Thirty seconds later, the door crashes open again and Shan-Yu appears gasping and tired. He holds to the door frame for a few seconds, and then he's frantically looking for him. He's an alpha, so his nose is far better than his own, but he left his shirt beside a window, hoping that his sweat makes the man go in that direction. It works because he's walking quietly towards the window and opens the curtain viciously. That's when Louis comes out and runs at the alpha, knocking him off and throwing him out of the window.
"Nice landing, knothead" screams Louis, and then he leaves the place.
—---------------------------------------------------------------
By the time he makes it out of the castle, he's tired to the bone and just wants to lie down and sleep forever. However, he needed to say goodbye before leaving, so he made his way to his old mates and tried to hug them, only to be stopped by the man with the thin moustache. Fuck, he's gonna die before he gets home.
"This is a disaster! People injured, property destroyed, and you are guilty of all of this!" Said the man, pointing at him again. He's mostly tired and annoyed, so he wasn't expecting his friends and Captain to step up in front of him.
"He's a hero, leave him alone." Spits the Captain, looking at the other alpha with disgust written on his face.
"Louis Tomlinson, come forward." Sounds the voice of the Emperor, and everyone parts way grudgingly. Louis shuffles forward and drops his head.
"I've heard a lot from you, young omega. You stole from your father, ran away from your home, you impersonated an alpha, and lied to your superiors. You destroyed my house! And… you've saved us all," said the man, and then made a reverence to Louis. Wait, what?
He raised his head, only to find people kneeling for him, including the nasty alpha beside the Emperor. What the fuck is going on?
"As a reward for your help, you will get a place in the palace, as my advisor," continues the Emperor, and the alpha next to him almost faints.
"B-but my lord, we don't have any more available positions as your advisors," says the alpha, recovering his damn smile.
"Well then, he'll take your place," said simply the Emperor. At this, the alpha effectively passed out.
"With all due respect, your Majesty, but I think I've been far away from home for a long time," says Louis, trying not to make the Emperor angry.
"Well then, take this sword, as proof of what you've done for me. And this medallion, as proof of what you've done for this country." Finished the Emperor. Louis could only nod before the man was turning around and heading to his castle.
"We're gonna miss you, little bean," said Zayn, hugging him tightly. Liam and Niall soon joined the hug, crushing him.
"'M not little" argued weakly Louis.
"Sure ya aren't, big man," said Niall cackling.
"Shut up, Neil. I'm big and manly" said Louis stubbornly.
"You're gonna take care, right mate?" Asks Liam.
"Sure I am Lima, don't ya worry about me. Now go home and court the shit out of your omega, shoo" said Louis, sending him away.
Then he turned around and Captain Styles was in front of him, looking sheepish and cute. He shouldn't be able to do that, damn it.
"Well, I hope you have a safe trip, Louis," said the Captain, and his heart sinks again. Okay shit, this can't be his alpha. He refuses to have someone who doesn't fight for him as his alpha, he thinks bitterly. "Take care."
"Yeah, sure," says Louis, and before the alpha can reach him, he's walking away, grabbing his horse, and heading back home, finally.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
Getting back home takes even longer than expected because both him and the horse are fucking exhausted. It takes him two days to travel from the capital to his hometown, and when he gets there, there are hundreds of people judging him and fuck everybody, he doesn't owe anything to them.
He spots his house and makes a last effort to get through the door fast, if only to escape the rest of the world. He gets down from his horse and takes him back to the stables, where he unsaddles him and unstraps him from the bags he took with them, and prepares him water and food as a way to thank him for his company through all this trip.
Next, he drags the bags to the door of the house and wanders to the garden with the sword and the medallion, looking for his father. He finds him seated at the foot of the tree, looking at a flower, and so he walks up to him and drops to his knees.
"Father, I've come with presents. This is the sword of Great Shan-Yu and the Emperor’s emblem. They're gifts, to honour the Tomlinson family," says Louis, presenting the gifts and placing them in front of his father's lap and looking at the grass.
"The only gift I need is to know that you're alive," says his father, hugging him, and there's a lump in his throat and tears rolling down his cheeks. This, the cuddle, is something he didn't know he was missing, craving, until his father's arms were surrounding him, and his scent of tea, calming him. Soon, he feels a black cloud take away his senses, and he's floating away.
—---------------------------------------------------------------
There are loud noises coming from far away; growls, shouts, and discussions. He can't make out what they're saying, but he doesn't feel like it's that important. He's comfortable in the black cloud, almost happy. He can't see or touch anything, but he smells familiar scents and feels his family close by, so he's not really scared until he makes out a single phrase.
"He's my omega, please, let me help him with the drop." And someone's dropped? Huh, that's terrible news. I hope they're okay, he thinks. His mother could be dropping, he thinks suddenly, and that makes him panic, but that didn't seem like his father's voice, so he's still not sure who they're talking about. Unless… he's dropped? Nope, no way. He's never done that before.
But then, there's wine and damp earth surrounding him, and a mild pain from somewhere on his body, and a voice whispering "Please Louis, come back to me" and his omega is guiding him through the dark cloud, and when he opens his eyes, green eyes are staring back at him.
"Are you okay Lou?" Asks the Captain and Lou ? Where did that come from?
"What? Oh y-yeah, I think so." Says Louis, confused and flustered about having this alpha on his bed. How did they even get there? "What are you doing here?" Asks then, tilting his head and wait, the alpha is blushing? No way, what the fuck is happening here? Is he dead?
"O-oh yeah, that. Uhm, it's just. You forgot your helmet, or your father's helmet and I wanted to give it back to you" he says, and he's not convinced one bit. He raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. "Okay yeah, that's not all of it. I've been having this feeling, deep in my chest, and it made me crazy. When you first came to the camp, I could smell you, but I didn’t know that it was you. It was maddening. And my alpha kept trying to touch you, keep you close to me, but it was creepy and your friends kept you away from me, and that made it worse. You are beautiful, smart, and I was jealous and possessive without a good reason. But when you comforted me, back on the field, your hand made me feel like everything was going to be alright. I didn't exactly know it then, but my alpha wanted you as my mate, and I've been denying myself, saying that you were a small and smart alpha who didn't deserve someone like me, but I still want to try. Would you want to be my omega, Louis?"
Louis is stunned. This alpha wants to court him? After everything that happened, after everything he saw? He still finds him worthy of mating material?
"Are you sure, Alpha?" Fuck, did he just call him by his title? What's wrong with him? But the Captain only smiles at him and takes his hands between his bigger ones.
"Call me Harry, and yes, I'm really sure" reassures Harry, and then he kisses him softly on the lips, so slowly and lightly it's barely there, but he knows he's been kissed. He whimpers in response and buries his head on the alpha’s shoulder, drowning in his scent.
"Omega, are you going into heat?" Asks Harry, his eyes going a bit black, and his hands are squeezing his own a little too tight.
"I don't know? I was on suppressants, so I wasn't having them, but I stopped taking the pills a few days ago… oh fuck." Says Louis, and he can feel the telling signs of his heat running through him.
"I'm going to go. I can't be here." Says Harry.
"But– you're not gonna help me?" He hears himself asking, and no, that's not what he meant to say. Yes, he needs to go away.
"No, omega, I can't stay. You're vulnerable and I can't take you. We haven't even discussed courting, so I'm gonna go home, but I'll be back in a few days, okay? Don't worry." Says the alpha softly, and leaves a feather kiss on his forehead. It's not fair, he thinks, but maybe it's for the best. He silently agrees and tries not to rise from the bed and follow his alpha through the corridor, he'll be fine.
🌸💙🐉💚🌸
Apparently, it's been five days since the last time he was conscious and his heat started, and he's amazed and worried that his cycle has lasted that long. He feels dirty, sticky, sore, tired, and hungry, among other things, but before he can worry about anything else, he goes to the bathroom and gets a nice and deserving shower, because he feels like he hasn't showered in two weeks, which might be true, all things considered.
When he's clean and human enough, he puts on the comfiest clothes he can find and makes his way to the kitchen, his stomach growling all the way. The place it's warm and his family is already there, having breakfast apparently. He shuffles to the table and waves weakly, before sitting down and gulping down a cuppa. His mother serves him the rest of the food and he eats more calmly, having had something on his stomach.
When he's done, he looks up to find his parents and his grandmother looking at him, and he squirms in his seat.
"Where did you meet that alpha, love?" Asks his father, and Louis takes a deep breath and tells them the whole story, picking at a hole in his shirt. When he finishes, they're still looking at him, but they're not mad, and that makes it easier to breathe.
"He seems like a good alpha, darling." Says his mother, and pats his hand affectionately. "He also seems like he's your soulmate." She says then and he furrows his eyebrows.
"But mom, soulmates aren't real. They're fairytales for pups." Argues Louis, but his omega is agreeing with his mother and its craving for Harry.
"They're not fairytales Louis. Soulmates are very rare, but they're real, and you and that alpha seem like the type."
"What do you even mean by that? How can you be so sure?"
"Well, first of all, he could smell your omega, even when you were on those pills. He told you that, right? And then, your omega reacting to him even drugged, your impulses to keep close to him and even comfort him? Not everyone does that, and you know that. You even saw it with your own eyes, you were the only one who stayed by his side. You recognized each other as mates, and he triggered your heat." Says his mother, and well, when you put it like that…
Louis was going to say something, but a knock on the door interrupted him. All four of them came out, only to find Harry at the archway, with a bouquet of flowers and sweets in his hands.
"Oh, uhm good morning,” says Harry. He looks stunning wearing long dark pants, a long white shirt, and a long light green coat. His curls are tied in a bun over his head, and a few baby hairs hang loose on his hair and neck. “I’ve brought gifts, and I was also expecting to talk with you, Mr. Tomlinson?” asks the alpha, looking at his father, James and oh , he thinks. “Well, actually I would like to talk with both of you, but I’ll do whatever you want me to do,” said the alpha, bowing his head and clutching both gifts to his chest.
“Hmm… very well, come with me then, both of you,” said James, and turned around, heading to the garden. Louis and Harry looked at each other with small smiles on their faces and followed the eldest alpha.
They headed to the cherry tree and Louis’ father sat on the bench, signalling his son to sit next to him. The Captain was left standing before the father and son, shuffling a bit and playing with his fingers. Was he nervous? This is a whole new revelation. All the times he saw the alpha at the encampment and during the war, the man was strong and determined, not leaving room for arguments at all. Now? It’s almost like he doesn’t know what to do with himself. Wow.
When the alpha looked up, he realised they were both looking at him and he straightened up, clearing his throat.
“Oh, I’m very sorry. I’ve never done this before” apologised the young alpha, scratching his head. He looked so adorable, that if his father ever said no to whatever he came to ask, he’s gonna be sad and a bit depressed.
“I was hoping you haven’t, boy” answered his father. “Now, please continue. What is it that you want with my Louis?”
“Well, I want to court him,”he said simply. “If he’ll have me, of course. I don’t want to pressure him to do anything he’s not comfortable with,” he said next, sending Louis a smile with the hint of a dimple, and he’s sure he’s melting on the spot.
“To be completely honest with you, your son captivated me from the moment I set my eyes on him. He didn’t look like an alpha, even if he smelled like one, but for whatever reason my inner alpha felt connected to him. He was everywhere, being his beautiful self, and all I ever wanted was to take care of him and keep him close and safe. Now, I know I failed in keeping him safe because he was injured under my watch, but I want to make sure he’s happy and loved for the rest of his life. I want to make him the happiest, most loved person that’s ever existed.”
“And how would you make him the happiest person? What do you have to offer?”
“I’m an officer in the army, made Captain a few months ago, but I already went to war, so I’m going to ask for a transfer near the city, that way I can work close to home and come home to him every day. My salary is enough to provide for me and my mate, and also our future children. This is only the material side though, I want to provide love and stability, a future."
"Are you okay with this, Louis?"
"Yes Father, I want to try" agrees Louis so fast, he should be ashamed of himself. It seems like he's got a soulmate though, he can't make himself care. "I want Harry to court me."
"I'll bring gifts for you every day; food, clothes, flowers. I'll take you to the city, the sea, anywhere you want. I'm gonna pamper you so much, you and your omega will be ecstatic" Said the alpha. To be honest, his omega is already ecstatic because his alpha is paying him a visit.
"Very well, as you've been a good alpha to my son, and respected him even when he was indisposed, you have my blessing to court him. You're still on trial though. I'll see that you fulfil your word every day, understood?"
"Yes of course!" Said Harry, nodding very fast. "Could I steal your son for a while? I want to take him for a stroll."
James only nodded, and then he stood up, kissed his son's head, and made his way back to the house.
"Hello, beautiful Omega" Said Harry, closing the distance and slowly caressing his face. Louis closed his eyes and almost purred like a cat. Good thing his father is already gone, or that would've been embarrassing.
"Hello Alpha… uhm, thank you for the other day," says Louis shyly.
"It's no problem, darling. I really couldn't stay, your parents would've murdered me if I did, and I wanted to leave you some clothes, but I didn't have any more to spare. Here, these are for you." Says the alpha, giving him the presents, and offers his arm to guide him outside.
"Oh, thank you… where are we going then?" Asks Louis curiously and linking his arm with Harry’s. He's nervous and excited at the same time.
"You wait and see, I've got loads to show you, love," says Harry, and plants a sweet kiss on his nose that Louis can feel from head to toe.
He can already feel the butterflies on his tummy, and his omega preening under the attention of this weird, lovely alpha, but he tells himself he's gonna be fine. They're gonna find themselves going through a lot, and they will have to learn to navigate through them together, but if what he's feeling and his mother told him it's true, then it's all gonna be worth it.
After all, Love is Only for the Brave.