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Louis paces back and forth in the laundry room.
Two laundry baskets sit in the corner, far beyond capacity, socks and shirts spill on the floor. Sushi, his ragdoll cat, biscuits away at his favorite oversized Prada hoodie a few feet away from him, oblivious to his stress.
Rowan’s dirty soccer cleats are tossed on the new fluffy white carpet he bought a week ago. His grocery list, which he had carefully made last night and left on the kitchen table, is now completely illegible from the orange juice Rowan accidentally spilled when he bumped into the table.
He lets out a breath and stares down at his once white winter coat, which he had designed for the winter collection. Now a pale pink after Rowan opened the washing machine to throw in his juice-stained red soccer jersey.
Speaking of his son, he walks past him to the pantry, shirtless as he waits for his shirt to get out of the wash. The young alpha slams the pantry door shut, rolling his eyes with a pout when all he finds are endless cans of tomato sauce, green peas, and his mother’s gross granola bars.
His son finally notices him on the way back to his room, banana in hand. His father’s old American head scarf wrapped around his head, keeping his curls out of his blue eyes. The six-year-old tilts his head, pointing the banana at him. “Mom, I thought you could only make white clothes this time.”
Louis calls Harry.
-
Louis smiles at his son's father, who hands him a tea when he gets out of the bath. “Thanks, Harry,” he says.
The alpha had rushed over as soon as Louis had called him. He took their son to his soccer game, giving the omega the time he needed to take a breather and relax in the bath. Harry and his pup had gotten back twenty minutes ago, and now Rowan happily ate the pizza his dad had picked up on the way back.
As soon as Louis walks over to the living room, he notes Rowan’s soccer cleats are neatly placed on the shoe rack by the door. He sits down on the couch beside his son and takes a sip of his tea. It doesn’t take long before his sweaty little pup slumps down onto his lap and hugs him tightly, face hidden in his neck.
“Mommy, I’m sorry about your sweater, the carpet, and wetting the grocery list.” Shyly, Rowan looks down and plays with the strings of his mom’s hoodie. “I will be more careful,” he mumbles.
Louis smiles and kisses his son’s cheek. “I’m not upset with you, love. I just needed to take a moment for myself. Just promise me you will come to me next time you need to wash something. And we have a shoe rack for a reason,” the omega tickles his son, who giggles. “Now go put your plate in the sink and wash up. Time for bed.”
The small alpha hurries to complete his tasks, eager to make his mom happy after he had upset him earlier. Once their son is in the bathroom, Harry grabs his keys off the coffee table, the rattling and jingling of his keys ring through the comfortable silence. The alpha runs his fingers through his hair, wild curls falling back down, something he did when he was nervous or stressed. “I should go.”
Louis bites his lip and clutches his tea tighter. Why did he feel so desperate for his ex to stay? He’s managed just fine on his own for four years. “Aren’t you going to say goodnight to Rowan?” He says, and sips his tea to avoid eye contact.
“I already did before you got out. Besides, I have to go back and go through a client’s file for a new case my father assigned to me. I was lucky he wasn’t in the office otherwise I would’ve had to send Gemma over to take Rowan to his game.”
And there it is. The reason for their breakup. Why he broke things off with the alpha. Suddenly, his tea tastes bitter and cold. His omega’s pathetic yearning and insatiable desire crawls back into hiding. He rolls his eyes. “Goodnight, Harry. Thanks for coming.”
“Louis, I mean what I told you last time, if I’m not available and you need help, just call my mother or Gems.”
Yeah, no. The omega stands up and holds the armrest when he suddenly feels dizzy as the alpha’s scent gets harder to ignore. It didn’t help when his pup came back smelling like his dad after spending time together. The alpha’s everyday signature, Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille perfume, quickly became his comfort smell, so much so that he bought one just to spray onto his pillow.
He swallows back an embarrassing whine his omega wants to let out. He needs to get a grip. “I appreciate you coming over. I was a bit overwhelmed, but as you can see, I’m fine now.”
“Right,” the alpha gives him a once-over. Louis bites the inside of his cheek as he shifts from one leg to the other under Harry’s intense stare. “I’ll see you on Friday then. Goodnight.”
Louis smiles tightly and walks over to the door, a little too eager to get the alpha out of his home. As soon as Harry is gone, he leans his forehead against the door until he can control his emotions. The warm feeling Harry gives him when the alpha tries to take care of him leaves him feeling more confused and frustrated.
He is supposed to have already moved on.
-
“Mommy, did dad leave?” Rowan asks, and the small child pouts with his toothbrush in hand.
Louis jumps, clearing his throat when his voice comes out scratchy and drained. “H-he’s got work to finish up.” He does his best to smile, hoping his son’s alpha instincts aren’t heightened at this age to tell when an omega is lying.
“But he always–”
“How about you sleep with me tonight?” Louis’ heart swells when Rowan jumps up and down, and skips off to the bathroom to rinse off. The omega giggles, following after him to do his nighttime routine. By the time he gets out, Rowan is fast asleep under the covers, safe and surrounded by his mother’s scent. Louis smiles, climbing into bed, pulling Rowan close, breathing in his sweet scent, then placing a kiss on his hair.
He hears a mrp before Sushi jumps onto his bed, making her way above his pillow to curl into a little ball. He reaches behind to pet her softly. Her purring and his son’s comforting smell, mixed with his father’s lingering scent, lure him to sleep.
-
Harry walks through the halls of his workplace, his assistant Parker jogging after him with a stack of papers that needs to be signed. He swiftly slides into the elevator and holds the doors open for Parker, who squeezes past him and Charles, one of the lawyers from the third floor.
It was a battle of testosterone as he and Charles hated each other ever since the other alpha tried to hit on a single Louis, who worked as Harry’s assistant at the time. Parker, stuck between the pair of alpha’s, suffocates with the tension as the omega clutches his folder tighter.
“Styles,” Charles’ voice cuts through the air. Harry looks up from his phone at the smirking alpha. Harry’s blatant hate for the man is more than evident in his glare. “I hope you’ll put your ego aside to give me and Louis your blessings. We have a date later tonight. Between you and me, I’ve been waiting to get a taste of what was mine before you showed up.” As he speaks, his words carry more and more envy and hate until he spits out the last words.
“Mr. Styles, don’t!” Parker yells when his boss lunges forward and shoves the other alpha against the elevator. The omega places a hesitant hand on Harry’s forearm in fear of the whole place crashing down from the strength when the lights above flicker. “Please, let him go!”
“Stay the fuck away from him,” Harry growls, twisting his suit jacket tighter, and Charles clenches his jaw in embarrassment as he slides further up the wall.
“Last time I checked,” Charles grits out, “you left him. He’s free game to me and any alpha out there. So, get the fuck over yourself.” He laughs crudely.
The elevator dings, doors sliding open to reveal Harry’s father and two other confused and scared employees.
“Harry! What is the meaning of this?!” His father yells.
Harry shoves him one last time before letting go. Charles quickly fixes his collar and suit as he lets out a weak chuckle. Harry yanks his arm away from Parker’s grip, shoving past his father, who glares at his back.
The atmosphere grows cold, almost vibrating with the low growls Harry is letting out. He’s seeing red at the thought of Charles being anywhere near Louis or their son. It’s beyond his control; he can’t think clearly and rationally.
“Sir? Would you like me to prepare a tea?”
“No, leave.” Harry watches the omega excuse himself meekly and scurry out of the room, leaving behind an envelope. He sighs, slumping down on his chair. He stares at his desktop wallpaper of his son and Louis at Christmas, the time they spent in North Carolina. He never got around to changing it. He sighs again, reaching over to pick up the folder, opening it up, and the first document, as if another stab in the heart is the finalization of their divorce. It had been pending, and now it is official.
He laughs at the mess his life is as he tosses the folder on the table. He picks up his phone.
-
“Louis, there’s someone on the line for you.”
The omega gently moves the model’s arm up so he can measure her waist. “Not now, Ash, I’m in the middle of measurements,” He mumbles around the sewing pin in his mouth.
“It’s your ex-husband.”
The designer freezes, pencil slipping from his mouth. He sighs, rolling up the measuring tape and slapping it down on a nearby table.
-
“I can’t take Rowan to his game today. Something came up.”
Louis sighs, realizing there is no way out of this. Harry had helped him last week after his breakdown; it was only fair. He will just have to cancel his meeting with Charles. The man had practically cornered him at the grocery store to arrange a date, which was shot down by the omega, who didn’t feel ready. Eventually, they had agreed to meet up to discuss Louis customizing a wedding suit for his brother.
“Okay, what do I tell Ro? You know he’ll be disappointed.” Louis asks, pinching his bottom lip between his fingers.
“I’ll make it up to him. Both of you,” Harry winces, realizing how that sounded. When the omega didn’t respond to it, he smiles. He knew Louis and his son liked receiving gifts. “I’ll see you tonight.”
-
Rowan loses his game; he still shakes the opposing team’s hands, but Louis can tell his pup is defeated.
“Are you excited to see your dad, baby?” Louis smiles at his son, brushing his hair to the side. He is wearing his How to Train Your Dragon pyjamas, his school backpack, and holding his soccer ball.
Rowan shrugs, “Whatever.”
Louis smiles sadly at his upset puppy. He can’t help but lean down to press a kiss to his cheek and hug him tightly, letting his pup melt in his arms. It lasts a few seconds before Rowan whines about being squished. “Sorry, you’re just so cute. C’mon, let’s go.”
They walk inside Harry’s workplace—the most popular law firm in London. Louis nervously tugs down his sleeves to give himself sweater paws. He silently prays they make it to the elevator without interruptions. As if speaking too soon, the elevator doors open up to Charles inside, looking pissed as he types on his phone. They lock eyes, Louis freezes until his pup looks up at him, confused, looking between the two. “Mom?”
“Sorry,” Louis ushers Rowan inside, following after in the spacious elevator that suddenly feels too small for all three of them.
“Louis! I thought you couldn’t make it today,” Charles says, pocketing his phone and walking closer. “I could probably still get a reservation for us.”
“Oh, um, actually, I came to–”
“Look, let me get my assistant to get our spot back, and I can drop off these papers, then we’ll head out,” Charles smiles, placing a hand on his lower back.
Rowan frowns at the stranger getting too close to his mother. He tugs on the hem of his sweater, stepping closer when he gets the attention he wants, and wraps his arms around his mom’s waist. Rubbing his face into his tummy, then stares right up at the unfamiliar alpha.
Charles steps back when a small body gets between them to hug his mother. The boy who can’t be older than seven stares back at him, all alpha. Eyes red and narrowed. Charles smiles tightly down at the reminder of what could have been his. “Is this your son?”
“Yes, this is Rowan. Rowan, say hi to Mr Leclerc.”
Rowan pulls away, ignoring the man to point out that the doors had opened and they were now on Harry’s floor. Louis excuses himself, leading himself and Rowan out. Rowan goes to his father’s office, letting himself in while Louis stays behind, apologizing to Charles.
“So, if you just give me five minutes to check in on that reservation, we’ll g–”
“Actually, I made a reservation for us already.” Harry’s voice came from around the corner, walking to stand next to Louis, who raised his eyebrows in confusion. His ex-husband towers over Charles, who was under 6 feet tall.
“Mom! Dad is taking us to Grill Sunset!” Rowan yelled, running around the corner, face lit up with happiness. He bounces up and down on his heels, holding his mom’s hand.
Louis ends up skipping the dinner but texts Harry once he gets back to his house.
Thanks :)
H: You’re welcome?
Nvm 😛
H: Now you have to tell me
ughh i couldn’t think of an excuse.. so you saved me
H: From Leclerc?
Yeah…
H: Block the asshole
noo that’s mean
H: Then i’ll make sure he leaves you alone
Relax alpha. Rowan still needs his dad 🙄
H: 😏
Louis laughs, tossing his phone to the side and ignoring the fuzzy feeling in his tummy. Now that he’s finished his winter collection for the upcoming London fashion week show, he can freely design until the spring collection. He sets up his station, warming his cup of tea, lights some candles, drapes his cozy blanket over his folded legs, and lets his mind come up with doodles.
About an hour later, he has three beautiful baby outfits sketched and colored. He stares down at his artwork and newest interest.
The omega smiles, tracing the bear on the pocket, excited to hold this piece in a week when he brings it to life. He can't help but want to see it on his own baby. He blushes, setting down his drawing pad to rub his flat stomach.
His son is almost seven, and he isn't getting much younger. But he hasn't lost hope of having another baby to call his own and giving his son someone to play with and protect.
------✖︎------
Louis has his phone between his ear and shoulder as he pushes the cart through the baking aisle. He lets Rowan and his nephew, Lucky, throw in what they need for the Christmas cupcakes while he talks about their holiday plans with Harry for the third time this month.
“Why can’t your mom wait until New Year's?” He huffs, shaking his head at his niece, who picks up an orange frosting. “Green, red, or white, baby. Remember Christmas colors.”
Rowan snatches the orange frosting from Lili and replaces it with a red frosting before the two-year-old can cry. Louis bends down to kiss his son’s cheek for being the best cousin and best little helper.
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you. ‘S not like I can invite her over for Christmas dinner,” They both know how that went the first year after they divorced. He rolls his eyes at his ex-mother-in-law’s theatrics. He’s way past the times when he would give in to her commands to please her.
Lili, upon hearing her uncle’s voice when Louis switched the phone to his other ear, begins reaching for it. “Uncle ‘rry!”
Despite a messy breakup and years of heartbreak, Louis would never take away his family’s loving relationship with Harry. He puts his phone on speakerphone and holds it close for Lili.
“Hello, babygirl,” the alpha says. “Are you behaving yourself?”
“Yup!” She eagerly waves the frosting in front of the phone so Louis presses the FaceTime button for her. His breath hitches in his throat when Harry’s screen pops up— his tie loose, button-up shirt almost entirely unbuttoned, and hair disheveled from raking his fingers through it. He’s smiling at the camera, with straight white teeth and dimples he passed down to their son.
The omega is thankful his own camera is facing the other way. He flips the camera before giving his phone to his niece. Rowan and Lucky take the phone from Lili when they hear the alpha’s voice.
Louis stands there, ignoring the looks from people passing by. He subconsciously adjusts his scarf, making sure it covers the lack of a bond mark, despite having a child. It was still frowned upon to be a single mother without an alpha.
He snaps out of his thoughts when Rowan hands back his phone, telling him what his dad said as they walk to check out.
------✖︎------
Louis giggles as Lottie and Bebe show him the lingerie sets they got him. He covers his eyes, wondering what kinds of things they think he gets up to. They know it’s been years since he’s even worn anything pretty for someone, let alone for himself.
“Girls, I appreciate the gift, but I don’t see myself wearing this anytime soon.”
“Oh, c’mon, Lou! Lots and I have been talking, we think it’s time you put yourself out there again! Don’t you miss taking a knot? And having an alpha pay for a meal?”
Louis scrunches his face at their vulgar language. “Says the lesbian,” he throws back.
Bebe throws her head back as she and Lottie crack up.
“Louis, she’s right. You can’t keep living like this.” His sister says, drinking the last drop of her champagne.
“I’m living just fine, thanks,” he scoffs, picking up another present, smiling when he reads the card.
To: mommy From: Rowan x
Dad paid but I picked it!
The omega spends extra time carefully unwrapping the velvet red ribbon, smiling at the soft, fuzzy Christmas robe he pulls out and the matching silky PJs set. He puts it aside when the doorbell rings.
Lottie and Bebe have long moved on from his business to the champagne bar, where they help themselves to the sushi he ordered for them.
Louis opens the door, stepping aside so Harry can walk in with Rowan fast asleep in his arms.
“I tried to keep him awake, but he stayed up late last night helping my old man unpack his things.” The alpha says, walking towards the couch.
Louis smiles. “Your mother kicked him out again?”
“Something like that,” Harry chuckles. He goes to place Rowan down on the oversized couch, but something catches his eye.
Louis follows his gaze, blushing and rushing over to stuff the lingerie back into the gift bag. “Sorry,” he laughs awkwardly. He shifts where he stands when the alpha looks him up and down before he snaps his neck away when he realizes what he just did.
“Sorry,” Harry apologizes back.
Just then, Lottie and Bebe walk back in, lowering their glasses when they see Harry.
“Oh, did we interrupt something?” Bebe asks, not even remotely apologetic. Lottie slaps her arm before walking forward to kiss Harry on the cheek.
While they greet each other, Rowan stirs awake, hugging his father’s neck tighter and rubbing his face on his shoulder. Louis smiles, taking a step forward to brush his pup’s curls out of his face and kiss a chubby cheek. He didn’t realize how close he was to Harry until pine and vanilla cloud his senses. His lips part at the strong, comforting smell the alpha carried with him.
“Louis?”
He snaps out of his thoughts, flushing as he turns to Lottie. “What?”
“I said, Bebe and I are heading out now. I have to get the kids ready. We’ll be here later, okay?” His sister leans over to hug him and wishes him a happy birthday again.
“Alright, drive safe, don’t let Bebe drive!” He yells at the pair who stumble out the door, giggling.
Louis turns to Harry, who has Rowan in his lap on the couch. “Hello, baby,” he says to his pup.
“Did you like my gift?” Rowan yawns, rubbing the sleepiness out of his eye with his small fist.
“Loved it, thank you, my love. Come give me a cuddle.”
Rowan doesn’t need to be told twice, hopping down from his dad’s knee and into his mom’s arms.
“And thank you, Harry,” Louis smiles gratefully.
“Of course. By the way, I got you a little something else.” The alpha says, reaching into his coat to pull out a small blue box.
Louis takes it with a blush. “So unnecessary,” he scolds playfully to hide how giddy he feels. He freezes when a sparkling bracelet is revealed. Rowan stares wide-eyed at it, too. Harry chuckles at their similar reactions.
“How much was this?” He almost wants to stomp his foot. They had agreed not to feel forced to buy each other anything, yet every year they end up buying each other gifts. Louis couldn’t help it; when he walked into a store, he thought of the alpha whenever he saw a nice pair of boots or a dress shirt. But this gift was different. Harry had never gotten him anything this expensive since they were together. He swallows.
“I can’t accept it,” he thrusts it out to the alpha, making Rowan flinch.
“It’s just a gift,” Harry shrugs.
“Well, return it,” he huffs, still holding it out at Harry, who looks around bored.
“Too late. I already tossed out the receipt.”
“You practically own Gucci; tell them to refund you. Your card got accidentally charged,” he weakly waves it in front of the alpha’s face.
“Doesn’t work like that,” Harry raises his eyebrows, looking at him like he’s stupid. “Anyway, I should go. I have some more Christmas shopping to do. Happy birthday, Louis.” He stands up, smoothly walking past him to kiss Rowan.
“Harry…” he should just shut up.
The man sighs, finally looking at him to say, “Then give it to Rowan, Louis.”
Rowan smiles widely, but Louis slips the bracelet on before the excited young alpha can grab it. “A puppy with a diamond bracelet? Absolutely not.”
Harry smirks and leaves.
Louis sighs, biting his lip to hide his smile as he stares down at the elegant, dainty bracelet, sparkling brightly on his wrist.
-
The twelve-foot Christmas tree lights up Louis’ whole house, emitting a cozy, warm feel as Mariah Carey’s voice softly plays in the background. The smell of pine and sugar cookies floats through the house. It’s the day after his birthday and his favorite holiday. So, when Lottie suggests she help him create a dating profile, he just about kicks her out.
“Lots, I don’t have time to deal with this today,” he says, rushing around to finish setting up the table for when the rest of his sisters and their boyfriends come over.
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m here to do it for you,” she nods, as if she’s the best sister in the world.
“I don’t have time for this, not now, not ever,” he argues, handing her the pumpkin pie she brought and spinning her around. “Stop with this nonsense and go set the table.”
Dinner goes by smoothly, almost everything is eaten, and what is left over is taken by his twin sisters, who graciously offer to take it home. He’s joking with Daisy’s boyfriend when Lottie motions him over to the kitchen.
“What?” He asks when she shushes him.
“Look!” She shoves his phone in his face. He frowns because he doesn't know when she got it, or who that man on his screen is.
“Who is that, Lots?”
“Your new man! Handsome, isn’t he? No need to thank me,” she waves him off. “But you can pay for my next hair appointment.”
Louis ignores her so he can stare down at the handsome man who matched with him.
Luke has accepted your request.
Hello beautiful. If you’re free after the holidays, I’d love to take you out.
Lottie giggles as Luke keeps typing. “Answer him! Not only is he a total catch, but he owns a restaurant! He’s a sexy chef, Lou.” She gushes, shaking his arm.
“What do I even say?” He’s not sure why he’s even entertaining this, but he can’t deny that this man looks his type. As he’s typing what she’s telling him, Rowan comes up to them.
“Mom, everyone left! Can I open my presents now?”
Louis looks away from his phone to look at his son. It’s then that he remembers he isn’t just a single omega. He’s a single omega with a six-year-old son. He takes his phone back from Lottie, who protests. “Lottie, I can’t. I- I have a son. No alpha will–”
Lottie sighs, pulling him in for a hug. Rowan shrugs and runs off to open his gifts. “Lou, you have to try. What if he’s a good alpha and loves Rowan? I just want you to be happy.”
“Okay,” Louis sighs, staring down at the man’s profile.
30, Alpha, Head Chef & Owner of Malak’s, Looking to settle down
------✖︎------
The next day, Louis runs around frantically trying to pack Rowan’s overnight bag. They woke up late, so his ex-husband should be here any minute.
“Mommy! The door!”
Louis hears Rowan call from his room, where he’s still getting dressed. He huffs as he zips up the last of Rowan’s PJs in his bag before running to open the door.
It’s Harry who holds two big presents in his arms.
“Please tell me those are for Rowan,” Louis says, crossing his arms.
“Relax, one is for Lottie’s kids and the other for Phoebe’s little girl.”
Louis sighs, taking them from the alpha. “Harry, you really shouldn’t have.”
Harry smiles, but it’s forced. After being with the alpha for almost a decade, Louis knows all his ticks and expressions. “What?”
The alpha pulls out a gift bag from under his coat, laughing when Louis tries to close the door on him. “It’s just a small one. Barely put a dent in my card, that one.”
Louis huffs, taking it from him. “I’ll accept it only because I got you something too.”
Now it’s Harry’s turn to frown. The alpha opens his mouth, but Louis holds up a hand. “Shut up. Wait here.”
He's waiting for Louis to bring his present when the omega’s phone vibrates from the couch three times. He can read the notifications because Louis doesn't have a password —never has, since Rowan always plays on his phone. Harry feels his throat go dry. He briefly sees the messages.
Hey gorgeous. Loved talking to you last night. Would love it if we saw each other sooner than we discussed
Harry averts his eyes, fists clenching by his side, when Louis walks back to the living room.
"Rowan should be out soon, by the way. He was in the bath earlier." Louis says, looking down at the neatly wrapped present he holds, with a soft blush on his cheeks. However, his smile fades into confusion when he takes in Harry's annoyed face. "Is… everything okay?"
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Harry snaps.
Louis flinches at his cold, angry tone. He hands the present to the alpha, who takes it without a word. Louis frowns, upset when Harry doesn’t open the gift or seem to care. They stand there awkwardly, Harry opening his phone to text someone back. Louis chews on his cheek, shifting back and forth at the uncomfortable shift in energy. He thinks about excusing himself to check on Rowan, but the little alpha beats him to it. The pup walks out of his room with his Crocs hanging off his hand.
“Mom, can I take these?”
“S-sure, baby. Your father has been waiting for you. Hurry and put them on.”
Rowan smiles, running up to Harry when he spots the alpha by the door. Harry smiles, picks him up, and kisses his nose and cheeks.
Louis carries Rowan’s overnight bag, handing it to Harry, who takes it silently.
“Well, bye, my love. I’ll see you in seven days, okay?”
Rowan’s eyes instantly go watery as he sniffles. This is the longest they’ll be away. But Harry’s mother wanted to spend New Year’s in America, far away from here.
Louis coos, coming closer to hug his puppy and looking away when he and Harry lock eyes. “I’ll call you every night, okay? I packed you my blanket so you can hug it when you miss me,” Louis giggles sadly, kissing his nose. “But you won’t because you’ll have so much fun over there with Daddy, Aunt Gems, your cousins, and your grandparents! And when you come back, we’ll celebrate your birthday. Okay?”
Rowan nods weakly, giving his mom one more hug and kiss before straightening up and hugging his dad.
The omega hugs himself when Harry says, “He’ll be fine.”
When the door closes and he’s alone, he lets his anxiety take over, biting his nails, trying to rack his brain for what could have upset the alpha. They were laughing just a few minutes ago. The omega jumps when his phone suddenly buzzes. He reaches for it, seeing a text from Zayn come in, but frowns at the new ones underneath.
Harry grips the steering wheel, still shaking with anger at the thought of Louis seeing someone. Thankfully, Rowan is napping in his car seat on their way to the airport.
The alpha has been dwelling, building his own anger up and up, overthinking, imagining, and making up his own reality that drove him to the brink of insanity. He had been trying his best to control his alpha near Louis, but now, as he’s driving further and further away —to a whole other country —while Louis will meet up with an alpha, his alpha howls out of control.
He has no business feeling this way. He’s ashamed of how he reacted and how much of a possessive knothead he feels when he has no right.
He and Louis had talked about dating again when they started co-parenting. They would go about it respectfully —tell the other person if they were seeing someone and the correct way to introduce them to Rowan. Harry hadn’t gotten into a serious relationship out of respect for Louis. Always wary of introducing someone to Rowan, not wanting any of his hookups to get anywhere close to his pup or have him call anyone else “mom.”
Harry slams his brakes, coming to an abrupt halt. The car across honks and swerves to avoid hitting Harry’s car. The alpha pants, trying to get a hold of himself, glances back at Rowan, who rubs his eyes but stays asleep. What the fuck is he doing?
Suddenly, it became clear why he had avoided dating for so long. Why he can’t go to bars anymore in fear of omegas trying to go home with him. Why he’s scared of ruining something that no longer exists. Why he’s scared of ruining Rowan’s safe environment, which they had tried their hardest to maintain.
“Fuck,” he runs his fingers through his curls as the realization hits him. He’s still in love with Louis.
-
Harry and Rowan end up spending most of their New Year's weekend with his sister and her kids. Not wanting to deal with his mother. He makes sure that when Louis calls at night, his mother is nowhere near. As soon as they had landed, he had called Louis, but the omega was fast asleep due to the time difference. He had stayed up until 3 am to call Louis when the omega would be awake, getting ready for the day.
He had apologized over and over for his behavior until Louis swore he would fly to America to slap him quiet. The omega made him open his gift on FaceTime when Harry explained why he couldn’t bring himself to open and enjoy it out of guilt. Harry had slid the watch on with shaky hands. He couldn’t help but think he didn’t deserve such a nice gift.
They had landed back in London an hour ago, but Rowan was hungry, so they stopped by his favorite fast food place and brought Louis his favorite burger. On their way to Louis’ house, Rowan had asked, “Dad, why were you mad at mom?”
“I wasn’t,” he says, ushering Rowan out of the car quickly. “Go on in and give the burger to your mom, okay? I love you. See you on the weekend, okay?”
Harry kisses his head and gets back in his car, pulling out of the driveway before Louis can come out to greet them. He waves goodbye when Louis steps out, staring at him, confused. He hits his head on the wheel, feeling like the biggest coward.
------✖︎------
Louis enters the room, eyes scanning around for any sign of his pup. He finds his son in a corner, his legs tucked up in his chair. When Rowan sees his mother, he perks up, but the principal holds out his hand and shakes his head.
Rowan shrinks back in his seat, staring out the window, red eyes storming with uncontrolled anger.
“Mr. Tomlinson, please take a seat.” The principal says, closing the door behind them.
Louis sits down when the principal pulls out a chair. He tenses when Mr. Richard's hand brushes his shoulder.
“Uh, Mr. Richard, shouldn’t we wait for Rowan’s father to get here?”
“He has already been informed, omega. He should be here soon, but before then, I would like to speak with you first.”
Louis swallows hard when he is addressed as ‘omega.’ “What is it my son did today?”
The alpha leans forward in his chair, smiling at Rowan, then at his worried mother. “He is a wonderful boy, but he lacks attention at home. To be more specific, he is missing someone vital in his life.”
“Pardon–”
The principal holds up his hand again, “Omega, allow me to explain. Rowan is a growing alpha boy who needs a father figure in his life to help navigate his hormones. Besides being a principal, I also have a degree in psychology. If you need help controlling and educating, I am more than willing to help you.” He places his hand over the omega’s, squeezing it in his. Louis freezes at the unwanted contact.
Before he can answer, the door opens. An assistant walks in with Harry behind her. Louis takes that moment to pull his hand back, standing up and motioning Rowan to follow him. He passes by Harry, who looks back at them worryingly.
“What the fuck happened?”
“Mr. Styles, please refrain from using that kind of language at a school. And have a seat.” The principal says, motioning for the alpha to sit. But the alpha stays standing, towering over his desk.
“Very well, your son was called in because he hit another student during recess. This isn’t the first time either. If this behavior continues, there’s only one place he will end up.”
Harry leans forward, eyes angry and voice low. “Are you suggesting my son will end up in jail?”
The principal adjusts his glasses, unbothered by the threats. He was trained to deal with alpha parents. “Mr. Styles, it’s expected from an alpha child, especially one spending most of his time alone with an omega mother who can’t physically and mentally understand his struggles.”
“His mother understands him perfectly, and I, as his father, am there to help,” Harry snaps. “If this has happened before, why wasn’t I contacted?”
“Normally, we let the first time go. But I suggest you talk with that boy, Mr. Styles. Or that omega will need to look for an alpha who can keep that young alpha in place.” Mr. Richards calmly says, growing smug with every word, knowing the alpha can’t touch him unless he wants to get arrested. “Now, Mrs. Maday, please escort Mr. Styles out.”
Louis hugs Rowan, still shaking when Harry storms out, letting the doors slam closed behind him.
“Damnit, I want that bastard arrested for harassing my o– my son’s mother and saying disgusting things about my son,” Harry growls, trying to keep his voice low so Rowan can’t hear.
Once he gets off the phone and calms down, he walks over. “Are you okay?”
This is the first time they’ve talked since Harry and Rowan went to America for New Year's.
Louis nods. “It’s fine. You know how society is with divorced parents.”
“It shouldn’t be normalized. And that fu-,” Harry stops when Rowan looks at him. “He shouldn’t keep his job.”
Rowan blinks, looking between his parents. “Mom, can we get ice cream?”
Harry looks away from his phone to stare down at their son. “Ro, did you actually hit another kid?”
Rowan grows shy under his father’s stare, kicking his foot back and forth. “Yes, he wouldn’t stop talking about parents who leave each other and I…got mad.”
Harry sucks in air, pacing back and forth again.
Rowan speaks again, “I’m sorry, I won’t do it again. But I thought we could go get ice cream together like we–”
“Rowan, I cancelled an important meeting to come here. This is not–”
“Actually, ice cream sounds good right now.” Louis cuts him off, smiling down at their son, who smiles big upon hearing that.
“What?”
Louis shares a look with his ex-husband, hoping they could still telepathically communicate without words. They used to be very good at that. Harry glances at his phone again, which is blowing up every second. “Fine.” He locks it before putting it in his pocket. “But you’re still grounded.”
Rowan looks at his mother for help, but Louis only nods. “I agree. No electronics for a week.”
“Daddy, I want cookies and cream with brownie bits on top!” Rowan eagerly points at the glass display, rocking back and forth on his heels, and pulls on his dad’s sleeve. The small alpha shies away when the employee smiles down at him. She got to work without Harry needing to repeat it.
“And two mint chocolate chip cones, please,” Harry says, pulling out his wallet, oblivious to Louis, who blushes at the order.
He pays, telling the employee to keep the change before going back to the table Louis and Rowan had chosen. He hands the ice cream to Rowan, then freezes– withdrawing the mint ice cream meant for Louis. Louis withdraws his hand too, confused by Harry’s reaction as the man stands up, avoiding eye contact. “Shit, I don’t know why I assumed you’d want this– I can go get another flavor.” He turns, taking the two cones with him.
“Wait– Harry,” Louis stands up too, grabbing the ice cone from the alpha. “It’s fine. It’s still my favorite flavor.” He smiles softly, cheeks red from Harry remembering his order.
Harry nods and lets Louis take one of the cones. “Still, I should’ve asked first.”
Louis shrugs, licking the cold dessert as he maintains eye contact with the alpha, who snaps out of the trance once his ice cream begins dripping onto the floor. Flustered, he reaches for a napkin as the omega giggles.
Meanwhile, Rowan swings his legs back and forth under the table, looking up between his parents as he happily licks away at his treat. Getting grounded for a week was worth it.
------⛅︎------
Three weeks later, Rowan walked hand in hand with his parents through the town’s fair. Smiling widely and giggling when his father couldn’t win him the dragon.
Louis laughs, his delicate hand coming up to cover his mouth. Harry can’t help but smile at the familiar mannerism. Every time Harry looks into those bottomless oceans, the colour a mesmerizing sapphire, he can’t help but feel pride knowing that those beautiful eyes are the same ones his son inherited. Rowan’s personality is all Louis: passionate, loving, kind, bratty, and the ability to make anyone and everyone wrap around their little fingers.
The small alpha, as if aware of his tempting powers, flutters his long lashes up at him and pulls on his sleeve. “Dad, I want the dragon!”
Harry starts pulling out his wallet, not at all ashamed of how fast he gave in. Louis snickers beside them. “Harry, he doesn’t need another stuffed animal. It’ll get lost under the bed by tomorrow.”
Harry turns to him, “And if I buy you one?"
Louis goes quiet, face turning a cherry red at the question. It’s no surprise that the omega’s guilty purchase is a cute, fluffy stuffed animal. However, he had just scolded Rowan for asking his father to buy him one instead of trying fairly to win. But business is business, right?
“Okay,” he whispers, eyes locked with Harry, who smiles and whips out his card to buy two dragons that definitely weren’t worth as much as Harry was paying.
They walk Rowan over to his friends, the six-year-old excitedly running up ahead with his dragon when he sees his friends. The parents walk close behind, the dragon hugged tight to the omega’s chest. Ears and cheeks are still pink and hot despite the cold.
Once Rowan reunites with his friends and his coach, they have to go their separate ways until it’s time to pick Rowan up again.
They’re walking with a crowd back to the entrance to find a place to sit when Louis gasps as a group of teenagers barges through the small crowd. One of their broad shoulders harshly bumps into the omega. He feels himself go sideways, but a strong arm pulls him back to a warm body.
Louis grabs Harry’s arm to regain his balance and adjusts his tote bag. He hugs the alpha’s arm, pressing his cheek to his bicep. His warmth gushed over him. For a minute, he forgets what a clingy and inappropriate move this is. He looks up to see the alpha looking down at him, a mixture of curiosity and cockiness.
Louis speaks without thinking, “You make for a better bodyguard than a lawyer.”
Harry’s face falls, then hardens. He leans away from him a little, Louis curses himself, and lets go of his arm, nervously wringing his hands together.
They glance away from each other and walk to a less crowded area of the festival. The sudden silence that falls between them is uncomfortable. Louis looks around desperately for something to restart their easy conversation. Then, his eyes lock onto something perfect. He perks up in delight and snatches Harry’s sleeve.
“Woah– what is it?” Harry follows after him, and some of the popcorn they bought for Rowan spills from the sudden pull.
A photobooth stands abandoned near a broken ride. Its lights dimmed, and one side is not even flashing, but the good part is that it’s not being used. Louis giggles and pushes the uncertain alpha into the booth first, following after him, not at all minding how cramped or the cobwebs above their heads.
Harry barely fits into the tiny stool, so Louis practically tucks himself into his lap and draws the curtain closed behind them. Harry grabs his waist out of instinct so they won’t fall, fingers pressing into his skin when his sweater rides up.
Louis laughs freely at the alpha’s awkward face in the screen’s reflection. He barely fit, shoulders bunched up, long legs tangled with his short ones. Without a second thought or time to prepare, he presses the button, “Smile!”
The machine clicks, their picture flashes on the screen, and it gives them the option to add filters. Louis presses the ‘X,’ shifting in Harry’s lap to look at the alpha who bit his lip. “What was that?” he laughs.
Harry shrugs, throwing his head back against the wall, “I’m bad at pictures.”
Louis shakes his head, shifting back to face the camera, “Liar, I know you can smile better than that.”
This time, it is Harry who reaches over to swipe through the filters, smirking when he finds bunny ears to place on top of Louis’ head. The omega giggles, choosing devil horns for the alpha. They take the picture when it's printed and Harry stuffs one in his wallet. Louis smiles so much his cheeks hurt.
------☀︎------
The day of Rowan’s birthday, Louis throws a big party. The alpha explained he might be late, so to make up for it, he sent Louis a check and told him to call if he needed more. Louis had rolled his eyes because twenty thousand was more than enough for a six-year-old.
But Rowan was popular; he was friends with his whole soccer team, football team, and his school classmates. There were also Louis’ book club friends’ children, and all his sisters and their kids coming. And of course, Harry’s family.
At first, they had decided to throw two separate parties, one for Harry’s family to celebrate and one for his, but Rowan only wanted one. Too embarrassed to be serenaded twice. So Louis had reluctantly agreed to it. However, he wasn’t aware Harry’s mom was attending.
Louis opens the door for Gemma and her daughter. He welcomes them in, smiling down at her daughter, who runs away to find her cousin. Gemma kisses him on the cheek. He goes to pull back, but she holds him in place. “Mum is here,” she whispers to him.
She gives him a weak smile before she walks past to greet Lottie. Louis draws a shaky breath, willing himself to be strong. For Rowan he thinks. He puts on a smile just as Mrs Aida walks up to him, giant gift bag in hand.
“Where’s my darling grandson?” She says, addressing him but not looking at him.
“With his friends,” he replies. He stumbles back when she brushes past him. Her strong, flowery perfume irritating his sensitive nose.
“Wonderful, call him over,” she says, “He’ll love his presents from his favorite nan.”
Louis mentally counts to twenty, his fists clenching – a hand on his lower back stops his evil thoughts. He looks up and behind him at the person. Harry.
“Mother, wasn’t expecting you here,” the alpha interrupts, withdrawing his hand from Louis to hand her his own equally large gift bag. “Hold this for me, please.”
“Harry!” She gasps, offended.
Harry ignores her, crouching down when a curly blur in a Spider-Man suit shoots into his arms. He wraps his arms tight around his son and kisses his cheek. “There’s my birthday boy.”
“What took you so long?” The small alpha asks, pouting. Not at all embarrassed to be carried like a baby. He has red glitter around his temples from the party booths, his cheeks flushed, and his tongue is a bright blue from the Spiderman-shaped ice pops Louis had ordered. The next moment unfolds unrehearsed, as if both parents, feeling overly emotional from their son's happiness, lean forward to press a kiss on each cheek. Louis has to stand on his tiptoes to reach. The omega blushes when Harry looks at him after pulling back.
“Here, open your gift, Ro.” Harry clears his throat and sets the small alpha down before taking his gift from his angry mother. “This is just the one I could fit in a bag.”
Rowan pulls out a soccer ball and a Messi jersey signed by the player himself. Harry had to make a lot of phone calls to make it happen, but the smile on Rowan’s face is worth it.
“Thanks, Dad!” He hugs his dad’s legs before showing his mom, who kneels to look at it. “Can I wear it now?! Please!”
Louis smiles and follows Rowan into his room to help the energetic alpha out of his costume and into some Spiderman shorts and his new signed jersey. He ties a red bandana around his head to help keep his stubborn curls out of his eyes, and his son runs back out to show his friends. Louis watches as his excited son makes it past the hallway before he gets stopped by Gemma and Lottie, who pinch his cheeks and pepper his face with kisses. Louis smiles, closing the door to pick up Rowan's clothes. A few seconds later, he hears a knock.
“Come in,” Louis calls.
“Hey, you alright?” Harry asks, concerned. He steps into the room and closes the door behind him.
“Yeah, just hanging up his costume,” he says with a shaky breath. He can only lie so much to the man who knows him best.
“I’m sorry about my mother. I had no idea she was coming.” It’s comforting to Louis for Harry to still try to protect him from the women who birthed him. For years, that woman has tried to turn the alpha away from him. He won’t forget how happy she was when Gemma’s daughter was born. This was a god sent miracle for her - her granddaughter could get married before Rowan turns twenty-one and inherit the STYLES LAW FIRM company. Louis felt frustrated and sad that his son wasn’t loved enough by his grandparents, but he also felt relieved knowing his son would be kept away from that evil family.
FLASHBACK
Harry’s mom had invited Louis to make her son’s favorite cake for his birthday. It was Louis’ first time meeting his alpha’s family in person, so the omega was excited. He always admired his boyfriend’s mom for raising such a sweet, gentle alpha who made him feel so safe and loved.
Not to mention, she was a hard-working woman who owned her own Wedding dress boutique where she designed them herself.
When he arrives, she is so lovely to him. She shows him Harry’s baby pictures, shares precious and funny stories about his alpha, and how proud she is of her only boy.
A few hours later, Harry and his father arrive for his birthday dinner. Louis smiles and heads for the front door, blushing when the alpha takes him around the waist and kisses him sweetly, not caring that his father is nearby. Aida brings out the cake and calls everyone over.
“I do have to say, Louis is a wonderful learner, but unfortunately, he poured salt in the mixture instead of sugar.” She lets out a loud sigh, shaking her head.
Louis stares at Aida, confused, and feels his heart fall to his stomach as everyone turns to look at him. He ruined Harry’s cake?
“It’s a good thing I made another one just in case, or you would’ve had no cake this year, honey,” she tells Harry, who stares at the perfectly decorated cake his mom brings out from the pantry—flawless cursive letters that could only have been done by a professional. Then he looks at the ruined and obvious home-made cake.
“Harry, I’m–” Louis opens his mouth to apologize for something he didn’t know happened when Harry grabs a fork and scoops up a big piece of the salty cake. Everyone stares in shock, watching Harry’s reaction.
“It’s good. Never was a big sweets man.” He smiles at Louis, taking another bite.
Harry’s father had laughed, taking his own fork and taking a bite despite his wife trying to take it away. “Harry’s right. Sometimes, overly sweet things can be bitter, too.”
Louis felt a smile break through despite the embarrassment he had felt a few seconds ago. From that day on, the omega knew everything would work out as long as the alpha continued to believe in him. But things don’t always follow through.
“Rowan thought you wouldn’t make it,” Louis says, changing the subject. No point in continuing to talk or think about that woman. “He wanted to FaceTime you later to open presents together. I’m glad you could make it.” Louis smiles, not facing the man. He closes the closet after hanging up the suit and turns to Harry, who was staring at a framed picture of them at Rowan’s first soccer game when he was four. Rowan on Harry’s shoulders, holding up a small trophy, Louis holding his soccer duffel full of everything they could possibly need - snacks, first aid kit, change of clothes, mosquito repellent, baby wipes - and Harry’s arm wrapped around his waist.
Louis takes in the way the corners of Harry’s lips curve up into a smile, his dimples appearing. His sharp nose and jawline, along with his new hairstyle, short curls peeking through. He was wearing a long-sleeved striped dress shirt. Louis frowns, taking in the wrinkles. If they were still together, he would’ve scolded him, ripped it off his body, and ironed it to perfection. His favorite tattoos—a pair of swallows above his pecs, the smallest one representing him—were on display, thanks to how low his shirt was buttoned. No matter how many years go by and are spent apart, it hasn’t made him any less attractive to Louis.
“Um, we should head back out there,” Louis says with a nervous laugh.
Harry finally looks at him, eyes staring deep into his.
-
Six hours later, everyone is long gone except for Zayn, who stayed behind, drinking wine with Louis. The two are giggling when Harry walks in after putting Rowan to sleep.
The alpha eyes them when they go quiet, and Louis goes pink. “Am I interrupting something?” He asks.
Zayn scoffs, raising his wine glass at him. “Styles, you always interrupt. Anyway, you should keep Lou company. You know how he gets when he’s tipsy. I need to get home, you know how pregnant wives get.” He stands, nudging Harry, who glares at him.
Harry takes the glass Zayn gives him. “Have fun!” The raven-haired alpha waves, sending Louis a kiss, who catches it with a giggle.
After he leaves, it's dead silent. Rowan is fast asleep after a whole day of happiness, friends, and presents. Harry looks at Louis, who covers a hiccup behind his hand. The alpha sits down hesitantly, giving the omega time to deny him if he wants. He doesn’t.
Louis takes another sip of his wine when Harry is fully seated in Zayn’s spot. There’s little space between them.
“That was a good party. Good work,” Harry says, wincing when it does nothing to ease the tension.
Louis giggles, cheeks flush from both the wine and how awkward the alpha gets when they’re alone. “Thanks, but you provided the money.”
Harry shakes his head. “Could never think of how to use it though.”
Louis smiles, “I guess it just comes easy to me now. He’s still not old enough to get picky about birthday themes. But sometimes I just wish he were a baby again,” he admits.
Harry smiles back, picturing Rowan when he was a baby. How lively and precious those times were. “I know what you mean,” he chuckles sadly. “After seeing how cute Rowan was as a baby, I used to want a whole football team of kids.” He took his first swing of Zayn’s drink, only now realizing the alpha had been drinking straight tequila in a wine glass.
It’s silent for longer than necessary. The alpha begins to think he shouldn’t have said that, after all, he never was much of a kid guy. In fact, when he and Louis first started dating, he wasn’t sure he wanted kids. But of course, his perspective changed when Louis told him he was pregnant. Now he can’t imagine his life without his greatest joy, his son.
Harry finally peers at his quiet ex, who stares back at him in shock. The alpha shifts, clearing his throat, “What?”
“You wanted to have more kids?” Louis chokes out, hand shaking slightly. He stands up abruptly, muttering about needing more wine as he tries to step over a balloon near their feet. Due to how tipsy he is, his foot doesn’t go in the direction he wants it to. Instead, he trips, and what was left of his drink falls onto Harry’s lap.
“Oh fuck, I am so sorry!’ Louis sets the wine glass on the coffee table and clumsily drops to his knees in front of Harry, who freezes when the omega pulls his sleeve down and begins wiping down his crotch.
“Louis,” He inhales sharply, hand catching the omega’s wrist when he keeps brushing over his dick. “It’s okay. It’s just a few drops.”
Louis stops, eyebrows furrowed into little v’s as he stares up at him, hand still resting on his lap. Harry tries to think of puppies dying and his naked grandma; he really does. But he can’t think of anything else when Louis blinks innocently up at him, baby blues framed by long eyelashes, cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and pink lips parted.
“C’mon, let me help you up,” he says, taking Louis’ arm and helping him back on the couch.
“Harry, did you want to have those kids with me?” Louis suddenly asks, giving Harry’s heart or dick no time to recover. “Did you want to have a football team with me, alpha?”
Harry’s still holding Louis’ hands from when he helped him sit next to him. He clears his throat. Louis is staring at him intently, waiting for a response. What is he supposed to do? Say the truth and bring up the past after seven long years.
“Yes, you made me want more.”
Fuck.
It’s as if his alpha has taped his mouth shut, and this was his wolf finally speaking.
“I didn’t want kids before you. Seeing how perfect Rowan was, I wanted more, but we….” he keeps blurting out, unable to stop. “You changed my life the day you told me you were pregnant.” The damage has already been done. He flinches when he feels a tear fall from his cheek. He hadn’t realized he was crying.
Louis blinks, tears spilling from his eyes. “H-harry, I-I why–”
“I’m sorry.” Harry looks away, wiping a lone tear away, feeling pathetic. “The tequila– ignore me, please.”
Louis clasps his hands together when Harry lets go of his hands. He blinks rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. This was the first time the alpha had been open with him. He knew the alpha didn't want kids; he was always too busy. Finding out he still wanted more kids with him was like a slap to the face. He frowns. Why would he keep this from him? He feels sad and hurt. But most of all, he feels a warm feeling in his tummy, his face turns hot when he realizes the alpha only wanted kids if they came from him, just like how he would only have more kids if their father were Harry.
Louis gasps.
Harry looks at him from over his glass as he takes another big swing. “What is it?”
“Harry, we should have another baby!”
Harry chokes on his drink.
-
“So, we have another baby?”
Louis nods, hands folded neatly in his lap. The omega is sitting prettily criss-cross as he and the alpha go over their plan for the third time. “We’ll arrange a day we’re both free and Rowan is with Lottie. Then we’ll,” he plays with his dainty fingers, blushing as he gets to that part. “And we’ll do it, you know?”
Harry has his head in his hands, curls wild from raking his fingers through it—his head throbs from the tequila and this conversation. He looks up at Louis for his next question. “Right, and how will we tell Rowan?”
Louis freezes his rocking. “I- we’ll worry about that when we get closer. Or when I can’t hide it anymore.”
Harry wishes he were a better man. He smooths a hand down to cover his hard-on; his dick twitches in his pants at the thought of Louis’ not being able to hide the fact that he is heavily pregnant with his baby again. The baby Harry will put inside him. He looks away, face bright red.
Louis doesn’t think anything of the alpha’s strange behavior. He has been blushing himself for the past half hour.
“So, what do you think?” Louis asks, wanting a final answer. A confirmation of their crazy proposition. He folds his hands again, chewing on his bottom lip as he waits. A few long seconds go by, and Louis thinks of canceling this whole thing and dying of embarrassment when Harry speaks.
“I’m free next Friday.”
Louis blinks, smiling goofily when the alpha looks away, blushing again. “Me too,” he giggles.
------🍼------
Friday comes sooner than Louis expected. Last night he had spent all day getting pampered, applying hydrating hair masks, using face masks, eye masks, shaved what bit of hair he had on his legs, and did a full body wax. He felt shy and sensitive, his skin breaking out in goosebumps at the thought of someone seeing him vulnerable again.
He opens the door when they knock, waiting til the third knock. His breath hitches, hand shaking on the doorknob. Harry is wearing black pined striped pants, a gray hoodie and his sunglasses on his head. The way he looks almost has Louis moaning.
“Can I come in?”
Louis blinks twice before he realizes Harry is speaking to him. He steps aside, lips parting when Harry walks past him. He scratches his nose and crosses his legs when slick threatens to slip out at the mere smell of Harry. “I’ll be right back.” He excuses himself, locking himself in the bathroom. He runs a brush through his hair, trying to fluff it up like he saw in an Instagram reel, and reapplies perfume to his pulse points, rubbing his wrists together roughly. It's then that he realizes he’s shaking.
“Oh god, what am I doing?” Louis groans, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
The alpha is probably on the other side, thinking what a waste this is and grabbing his keys to leave. At those thoughts, Louis whines. Because he doesn’t want Harry to change his mind. He wants another baby with the alpha.
He leaves the bathroom, coming face to face with Harry, who is sitting on his couch, leg bouncing up and down.
“Louis.”
“Harry.”
They say at the same time.
Harry clears his throat, patting the spot next to him. Louis obediently sits.
“I don’t want you to regret this. I want this just as much as you so–”
“So what?” Louis feels his sass coming back at the alpha’s confession.
“I want you so bad.”
Louis climbs into the alpha’s lap, pressing their lips together desperately. The alpha’s hands grip his waist, pulling him roughly down onto his crotch. The omega gasps at the thickness, grinding down as Harry takes the opportunity to lick inside his mouth, its filthy and deep. Louis yanks on his soft curls, pulling the alpha impossibly closer, melting into the kiss. Their first kiss after five years, and it tastes just like how he remembers. He wants to cry.
“Want to taste you again. I’ve been deprived for so long, omega.” Harry mumbles into his mouth.
That’s how Louis finds himself on his back, blinking up at the ceiling as the alpha kisses his way down his tummy. His clothes have long since been removed. He only has his white lace panties on, the contrast against his golden skin has Harry’s cock throbbing harder.
The alpha gets his hands on the omega’s thighs, parting his smooth, hairless legs to reveal a sight for sore eyes. He lets out a growl as he makes himself comfortable between them. “You’re so wet, baby.” His finger slides under the cute panties, pulling them as he listens to the omega sharply inhale before letting it snap back against his cunt.
Louis tries lifting his hips, but the alpha keeps him in place with a big hand on his tummy.
Harry can’t wait anymore, going crazy with the source of the sweetness so close to him. He pulls the panties to the side and dives his tongue in, enjoying the way the omega melts and twitches under his mouth. He sucks on his clit, smirking when Louis pants, overwhelmed with so many touches after so long. He bites down gently on the little button and Louis is yanking on his curls with a loud broken moan. He comes, squirting all over his face.
He looks almost horrified. Harry smiles, wiping his stubble clean with his hand before kissing the omega, coaxing his mouth open so the omega can taste himself on his tongue. “You’re so cute.”
“Please, Harry, do something,” Louis mewls, grabbing his strong shoulders.
Without a second thought, Harry slides two fingers right into him.
The wet sounds of Harry’s skilled fingers pumping in and out of him reach his ears.
“Look at how your greedy cunt clenches around me. You missed me this much, omega?” Harry growls, pleased. “You’re so tight, baby.”
Louis is releasing a chant of little uh, uh, uh's as he squirms on the bed.
“Want you in me, please!” He screams, feeling his second orgasm close. He feels so empty, it’s been too long of using his own fingers, far to small to reach the place he wants them. A cold lifeless rubber dildo would only leave him in unsatisfied tears. And now that he has the real thing, Harry won’t give it to him.
“Patient baby,” Harry says, voice raspy and full of seduction. He pulls his fingers out, chuckling when Louis tries to clench up to keep them in him. He grabs his cock, sliding it back and forth through the mess at Louis' entrance, the head popping inside before pulling it back out with a filthy sound.
“No! Put it back in, alpha!” Louis cries, grabbing Harry’s cock and sliding it inside himself. “Want babies.” He babbles, completely overwhelmed. He moans when Harry grunts at his tight heat.
Harry stops punishing the pretty omega because it would be punishing himself as well. You’d have to kill him to get him out of the omega now that he’s nestled inside to the brim. He rubs the omega’s belly, allowing him to adjust to his size before pulling back until just the head is inside. He shoves back in, Louis screaming, biting his arm.
The alpha grunts as he digs his fingers into Louis’ hips and fucks forward at a quicker, rougher pace.
Alpha arousal and copious amounts of omega slick fill the room.
A smack to his bottom and he almost passes out from the delicious sting. Harry keeps his grip on Louis’ hips tight, making sure there are bruises left behind. His knot begins to appear at the base, and Louis whines at the stretch, feeling so full and happy.
When Harry cums, dick nestled deep inside, Louis hums blissfully, rubbing his inflated tummy as they lock together. The alpha cums for what feels like hours. They lay there, breathing softly when Harry says he smells like he’s caught. Louis falls asleep with a smile on his face, wrapped up in the alpha’s arms.
-
Louis finds out he’s pregnant on a random Sunday. He is in the middle of folding laundry when he gets hit with a horrible wave of nausea that has him jumping over a sleeping Sushi to get to the bathroom. He’s on his knees, emptying last night’s dinner when it hits him. He stands back up on wobbly legs and brushes his teeth before he’s out the door.
Thirty minutes later, he’s sitting on his toilet lid, nervously biting his nails as the pregnancy test sits on his counter.
With a lump in his throat, he stands and reads the stick.
He’s pregnant.
He calls Harry at record speed. The line goes dead once the alpha hears the words. Louis frowns, calling back, but it goes to voicemail. Twenty minutes later, the alpha is at his door, holding a large bouquet. Louis laughs in his face for five minutes.
They sit in the backyard for a bit, talking about their plans of keeping this a secret. Louis asks Harry to give him his sweater off his back so his smell can throw Rowan off. He might still be a puppy, but Louis doesn’t want to risk this info getting out yet.
------🥛------
Four months later
Louis sits on the couch with a green smoothie Harry had made him and a bowl of chips resting on his four-month-old tummy. Speaking of the alpha, he comes around the corner, scratching his hard, chiseled abs and brushing a hand through his curly hair. “Morning.”
Louis scrunches up his face at how unfairly attractive his baby daddy is. His raspy morning voice is a turn on for his incredibly horny and pregnant body and mind. “How is it possible to have abs at your age?” Louis groans, sipping on his smoothie obnoxiously.
They had been getting closer as Louis grew more pregnant. They quickly learned how clingy Louis was and how much easier it was for Harry to spend the weekends here to help. Rowan had since found out when he caught Louis crying on the phone to Harry about nothing fitting anymore. Poor baby had bounced up and down, excited for his first sibling and happy his father was spending more time with them.
“Genetics,” Harry’s face breaks out into a cocky smirk. “And I have to keep my physique in top shape.”
“Oh yeah, for who?” He spits out, sucking on the straw harder out of jealousy.
“Just in case someone finds me attractive enough to have my babies despite my age still.”
Louis blushes hard. So, he does the best thing he can think of - kick his leg out at Harry and flutter his eyelashes up at him.
The alpha sighs, taking a seat beside the omega and taking hold of his leg. He wraps a big, warm hand around his swollen ankle, squeezing and gently rolling it. They stayed like that for a while. Harry concentrated on rubbing away the pain, and Louis was munching on his chips.
“Mm, there,” Louis lets out a little moan, closing his eyes in bliss as Harry massages his toes.
Harry stares at Louis’ face, jaw clenching and hand tightening around his ankle when he feels his cock twitch in his pants. He can’t believe that was enough to get him hard. Not that you can blame him, the omega was releasing little moans and whimpers, sounding straight out of a porno, and his leg resting on his lap was bouncing up and down– up and down on his–
“Are you hard?” Louis asks, his voice cutting through the tension building. His eyebrows furrowed, eyes staring down at Harry’s bulge.
“Uh, n-no?” Harry lamely argues. A bead of sweat rolls down his temple. It’s then that he takes in Louis’ outfit. A matching pajama set, cream mini shorts, and a cream cami tank top that does nothing to cover his growing chest. Hard little mounts. Harry nostrils flare, pupils dilating, and mouth watering—
A kick to his side. The alpha hisses. “What the fuck?”
“You’re staring again.” Louis huffs, turning to look at the TV again, but he couldn’t hide the blush creeping up his neck. He was flattered.
During this sensitive time, pregnant bodies are easily aroused. In fact, this is the period when more couples have reported having regular sex than when they’re not expecting. Tired of the crankiness and sudden mood swings? The mother of your children lashing out at you for no reason? Make them feel good. Regular sex is the cheapest and “100% guaranteed to work” option. And don’t worry, the baby will not feel a thing!
Harry kisses his calf.
Louis freezes, his foot going tense, and whips his head to look at the alpha. The omega grips his smootie harder when the alpha maintains eye contact with him.
“I have a client waiting for me, you know, and here I am giving you princess treatment,” Harry says, raspy and seductive.
He smirks into the crease of his thigh, his words coming out slurred and muffled. He continues to massage the muscles of his ankle, then raises Louis’ leg bit by bit until Harry presses a kiss to his outer thigh. Louis is slouched down on the couch from the stretch, lips parted. Harry is between his legs now, holding his ankle high above his head. His pupils dilate, smirking and pleased with how flexible Louis still is, and then he bites down.
Louis kicks his foot out of instinct, bowl of chips sliding off his belly and crashing onto the floor, scaring Sushi and alerting their son, who runs into the room. Louis kicks Harry in the side, and the alpha hisses and scoots away while Louis tries to sit up. The bastard at least tries to help him, but the omega slaps his hands away. Rowan stares at his parents, head tilted, confused as they whisper-yell at each other.
Harry groans, his head falling back against the couch. He thought he had the omega figured out. The magazines, books, and podcasts he went through during his lunch breaks left him with more questions than ever.
The omega uses his crotch to push himself up, waddling over to his son to escort him back to his room, Sushi following after them. Harry groans again at the brief second of relief Louis’ hand offered him; he places a cushion on his lap. The alpha is left to ponder over his thoughts and insecurities. Louis was clearly just as affected as he was; the blush on his cheeks and his scent gave him away. So, why did it feel like he had just been brutally rejected? His alpha took it the hardest. The mother of his children rejected him again.
Harry chews on his bottom lip, right leg bouncing up and down; his guilt is eating away at him. He doesn’t know what to do with himself. He glances at the door, debating whether he should just leave, but Louis steps back into the living room. Harry stands, pillow falling off his lap and onto the ground. He bends down to pick it up but slams his knee on the coffee table in the process.
“Fuck, I’m sorry,” he says. His face scrunches up as Louis stares at him blankly. The alpha plays with his rings. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I guess I thought– well, no,” he shakes his head. “It doesn't matter what I think. I shouldn’t have crossed a line.”
“Rowan is in the bath.”
Harry blinks. “What?”
The alpha stumbles back onto the couch when Louis is suddenly on him. He blames his brain, slowly trying to catch up, for why he went down so easily. Louis uses his knee to balance himself as he goes down on his knees in front of him. Harry groans when small hands make quick work of untying his sweatpants. Louis tugs his thick, aching cock free, the hard flesh slapping against the omega’s cheek. The omega drags his cock across his cheek until it rests against his pink lips.
“Fuck my mouth, quickly,” Louis says before taking it into his mouth.
Harry breathes in the omega’s slick, filling the space, his rosy cheeks, and the slight shake of his hands on his cock. “Fuck, we shouldn’t,” he groans.
His head still falls back against the couch, hands finding their way into Louis’ perfectly neat hair. He's confused, but he can’t think straight with this delicious warm wet pressure around him.
Louis frowns around the cock in his mouth, he pulls it out, spit trail and all. “Why not? You were so eager earlier.” He goes down again, kitten licking the head.
Harry’s breath hitches, “Because you’re confusing. I can't tell what you want.”
“I want to make you feel good,” He tries to take in as much of the alpha’s big cock as he can without choking. His innocent blues fluttering up at the alpha has him going mad.
“Fuck, you're so good at this,” He praises as he guides the omega’s head back and forth until Louis understands the rhythm he wants.
The pregnant omega eagerly bobs his head on his own, sucking and drooling around the alpha's throbbing cock. He looks like he’s in heaven, down on his knees with the alpha's cock stretching his mouth.
Harry regretfully pulls his cock out from between his saliva-coated lips. Swallowing hard at the flushed and dazed look on the omega's face as Louis blinks slowly up at him, lips twisting into a pout. That has him shoving his cock all the way back in without a warning, grinding it against the back of Louis’ throat. Louis was gagging before Harry pulled back, thumb caressing his cheek tenderly despite the force of the face fucking.
“Missed this, haven't you, omega?“ Harry purrs, pulling out, leaving his cockhead just barely on Louis’ lower lip so he could answer. “Missed the feeling of my cock filling your mouth. Tell me.”
“Missed your cock so much, alpha,” His voice is hoarse, sounding entirely wrecked, and it makes Harry’s cock dribble out precome that Louis eagerly laps up. Harry pushes his cock in more gently, letting Louis suck on the head for a minute before the pregnant omega starts whimpering around him, small hands suddenly coming up to cover his chest from the alpha’s view.
That’s when Harry smells it. The honey vanilla scent is more prominent than ever. His eyes flash red when Louis shifts back, cock slipping free from his mouth, cum in the corner of his mouth, hiding himself from him.
Harry is having none of it. He moves forward, grabs his elbows, and lifts him up. Gently, always gently. Louis whines brokenly, on high alert as Harry pulls his arms away, uncovering his chest until he has a perfect view of the wetness around his nipples.
The omega’s body is flushed with equal parts pleasure and shame at how desperate he is.
“Poor omega, you feel full, don’t you?” It’s not his voice anymore. He can’t recognize himself as he rips the omega’s shirt off, hatefully like it personally offended him.
“N-no, it’s for the baby,” Louis whines, trying to cover his cold nipples that pebble up when the air hits them. He’s overly sensitive these days, unable to find relief. He barely had enough milk when Rowan was born, but now he feels like he has an endless supply.
Slick is running down his thighs, his cute pyjama shorts are soaked, and he is so uncomfortably horny. He hugs Harry’s head when the alpha gently leads him to the couch, where he climbs on top of Louis, lowering his face until the omega can’t take it anymore and yanks him towards his nipple.
The first lick has Louis shaking.
Harry flicks his tongue, squeezing the other breast with his hand. The sounds Louis makes under him only make him suck harder, trying to get a good mouthful of the tasty milk. The taste is delicious.
Louis cries, overstimulated and so sensitive. He hugs Harry’s head harder to his chest, mewling high in his throat as the long, harsh tugs on his breasts continue. The alpha doesn’t give him a break before he switches to the other nipple. Louis looks down, making eye contact with Harry, whose eyes are entirely black, lips wrapped around his nipple as he sucks harder.
“That’s enough, alpha. Hurts now,” he whines brokenly, still his thighs wrap around the alpha’s waist.
Harry gives the nipple he’s nursing a small, punishing bite before pressing small kisses to his breasts and sucking marks around them. When he’s satisfied, he pulls back to admire his artwork.
“Y-you’re awful,” Louis says breathless. The omega sits up with the alpha’s help, sliding his arms through the holes when Harry comes back with his shirt from last night, slipping it over his head.
Louis blushes, smelling entirely like Harry now. They both know it’s time to stop as Rowan calls from the bathroom. Louis stands on wobbly legs, going to change his bottoms first, while the alpha takes a cold shower. No one needs to know if he tugs one out in the shower.
They have a quiet dinner that night. Rowan goes off to bed early so Louis and Harry have time to talk.
“So, we broke one of the rules,” Louis starts, stirring his spoon in his cereal.
Harry groans, trying not to think of what happened earlier. “I don’t see why it’s such a bad thing. We both wanted it and it can help make the process easier for both of us. I don’t know about you, but my alpha’s been feeling more feral than usual, being so close to the omega I got pregnant but can’t touch.”
“It has?”
“It drives me crazy to be around you.”
Louis swallows when Harry moves closer to wipe some of the milk away from the corner of his mouth, then licks his thumb. Louis blushes deeply, remembering what happened this morning. His nipple twitches.
“Just kiss me already,” he says.
Harry doesn’t need to be told twice. He grabs the bowl from Louis and places it down on the coffee table before grabbing Louis’ jaw, finally kissing him. As the kiss deepens, he pulls the soft omega to his lap. The movement gives Harry the opening he needs to lick into his mouth until they pull back for air.
Louis’ breaths come fast and short before the omega acts like he always has: impulsively. His mouth is hot on his again, and though the Alpha stiffens, he doesn’t hesitate to take what Louis is offering in this moment, returning the kiss to tongue at his sugary lips.
He wraps his arms around Harry’s neck, pulling on his curls when the alpha stands, leading them to the omega’s room. Shutting the door closed with his foot. They don’t sleep very much that night.
***** ❤︎ *****
Louis runs around the foyer, packing the juice Harry had prepared for him two days ago, and stuffs his wallet in his tote bag. It’s half past nine, which means he has fifteen minutes to get to his appointment. He blames Harry for making his once cold, lonely bed warm and smelling like ‘home’ enough that he doesn’t want to leave.
It doesn’t help that they spent last night relearning each other’s bodies. Louis blushes as hot memories pop into his head.
He carefully slides his way out from under the alpha’s iron hold and replaces his body with Rowan, who giggles when his father pulls the small alpha closer and kisses the top of his head. Rowan had snuggled up to his father, enjoying this Saturday morning with cuddles and long naps.
The omega lifts his shirt, allowing the Doctor to place the cold gel on his tummy. He’s nervous, even though this is his second pregnancy. It didn’t help that he is older now. More at risk for complications and something going wrong.
“Baby is healthy, and mama looks healthy too.” Dr. Glandia says, smiling down at the stressed omega who lets out a sigh of relief upon hearing that. She finishes wiping his stomach down.
“Don’t stress too much now, although you look much better than you did last time I saw you. Your color has returned, and you’re glowing. What’s the secret?”
Louis blushes, rubbing his clean stomach. “I’m just happy. I feel like this baby is my second chance at happiness. She’s our little miracle.”
When Louis steps out of the office, he sees how early it was. Perhaps he will stop by Rowan’s favorite little yogurt place and get some fruit bowls for the hungry alphas when they wake up.
Louis inserts his key and freezes. He feels a shiver go through his whole body. He can sense a dark, gloomy energy coming from the other side. He slowly opens the door, the creaking suddenly loud and obnoxious. He looks up, meeting dark, stormy green eyes staring back at him.
“Omega, care to explain why you left?”
Louis gulps but hides it well. “Short-term memory loss already, sleeping beauty?” the omega huffs, moving around the alpha’s solid body to place the fruit bowls down on the dining table. “Will you stop stinking up the whole house and front yard with your pheromones and come sit. Where’s Rowan? I brought his favorite.”
“Louis, I had to wake up with you missing. You wouldn’t answer your phone, and you went god knows where.”
“Jesus, I went to an ultrasound to see how your daughter is,” Louis yells, walking around the angry alpha, grabbing a spoon.
“And you decided I didn’t deserve to be there, too?”
“I didn’t want to wake you,” Louis shrugs.
“Louis, you can’t just–”
“Look, quit it with the controlling mindset, it's ugly.” Louis scoops up a spoonful of yogurt, taking a bite before refilling it and walking over to the angry alpha. “Here, have a bite and stop being controlling, it’s ugly.”
Harry gently moves the spoon away. “It’s not about me being controlling. We sleep together again for the second time in years, and then you leave the next morning without a word, without a note, and with your phone off. I have every right to be worried.”
“I know, I know! I’m sorry, okay? I just– you were so tired all week. You finally didn’t work today, so I wanted you to sleep in,” Louis admits, avoiding eye contact as he hugs the alpha’s waist, burying his face in his bare chest. “And… I forgot to charge my phone.”
Louis feels Harry sigh, breath tickling the top of his head. Arms wrap around him, bringing him closer to his warm body. “I don’t mind missing sleep for you or our baby girl. Next time, I want to be there with you.”
“Okay…,” The pregnant omega whispers, finally showing his face to look up at Harry, who stares intently down at him. He rises on his tippy toes, asking for a kiss, only for the taller man to squish his cheeks. He pouts when Harry didn’t kiss him but called him ‘cute’.
“Dad? Is Mom here yet?” A sleepy voice calls from down the hallway. Louis pushes Harry’s arm away, stepping away from the alpha to go see his pup.
“Hey, my love. How did you sleep with daddy?” Louis crouches, kissing his cheek.
Rowan pouts, and Louis’ heart tugs at how much his son resembled him and had the same mannerisms. “I only slept for five minutes because dad woke up and started walking around the room, all angry and loud.”
Louis sighs, “Your father is so dramatic, isn’t he?” He looks back at Harry, who crosses his arms, biceps bulging. It was unfair how sexy he looked when mad. Rowan yawning snaps him out of his unholy thoughts. He should feed his son before engaging in baby-making exercises.
------♡------
Months go by with a pretty good routine. Harry comes on the weekends and sometimes stays the whole week. They take turns taking Rowan to school, and the small alpha wakes up happy every morning, pressing kisses to his parents’ faces. Louis smiles as his precious baby glows.
Harry still goes to work, and Louis has taken to working at home. The models will come to him if needed, which gives him time to finish the baby pieces he’s started for his little girl.
Today is a special day because it’s the day Harry gets promoted by his father. Louis smiles at his phone when he sees his baby daddy’s name pop up a seventh time. He ignores it, humming as he gets back to knitting.
Harry comes home to Louis, knitting a tiny pink baby sweater on the bed, Grease playing softly in the background. The omega is in the middle of adding a white flower to the pocket. He looks up at the alpha, then back at the TV, completely unbothered.
“Louis, is there a reason you never answered your phone?” Harry growls.
He looks insane, feral, curls wild from all the harsh tugging he’s done, nostrils flared, fists clenched at his sides. He looks out of place standing in the omega’s soft and cozy room. He tries to relax, he really does. “You know I had a meeting today, my father almost removed my position on the proj– why are you smiling?” He marches over to the bed, yanking the ball of yarn away.
“I was making your daughter something to keep her warm, asshole!” Louis finally yells, pissed because his ankles and fingers are swollen now from hours of knitting. He tries to take back his yarn, but the bastard lifts it high.
Harry grabs his wrist then and pulls him up. Louis lets himself be manhandled. He rests his weight against Harry’s chest while the man sniffs around him for any unfamiliar smell or danger. He uses a finger to lift Louis’s chin, sniffing his neck one last time properly. The omega smells sweet and sleepy. The omega’s anger slowly fades as Harry scents the air more. The warm vanilla and pink pepper cloud his mind. He closes his eyes, feeling relief wash over him when a subtle but unmistakable hint of omega-slick reaches his nose, masked under his vanilla perfume. His omega is safe and horny.
“You’re okay,” Harry says, still holding him by his hips. “So why didn’t you pick up?” As he talks into Louis’ neck, his tongue grazes his warm skin. He feels the omega shiver in his arms but covers it up with a yawn.
Louis rolls his eyes, but his hands shyly make their way up to play with Harry’s tie. “Didn’t feel like it,” the omega shrugs, trying to sit back down on the bed, but the alpha keeps him up.
“You wanted me to tell my father to ‘fuck off,’ get yelled at in front of everyone,” Harry states matter-of-factly. He smirks when Louis starts squirming in his hold, his cheeks a deep red. “You wanted me to go mad and come straight home to you. This was a test, wasn’t it?”
It all clicks. This was the omega’s way of testing whether they would work again– if a second try was worth it. If Harry were to drop everything, including his family business and his mom, to come here.
Harry smiles.
Louis frowns upon seeing his stupidly big smile and stupidly adorable dimples, which made him squirm even harder. “You alpha knotheads are so dramatic.”
Harry smiles harder; his psychotic look shouldn’t be this sexy to the omega. “You want my knot, baby?”
“No! I want you to go shower, you stink like omegas!”
Harry chuckles, bending down to scoop the omega up bridal style; the omega’s fingers gripping his curls and yanking hard. “Put me down!”
“I’ll put you down in the shower.”
Harry ignores Louis’ fists, weakly hitting his chest as he strips them naked. He turns on the water, then calmly scoops up the pregnant omega again before he can walk off. He walks them into the shower where he presses the omega to the wall, silencing him by kissing him hungrily. Louis lets out a soft mphff before he melts into Harry’s strong arms, trusting the alpha to hold him up.
“I love how stubborn you are,” Harry mumbles against his lips, pulling back to admire his omega’s flushed, pretty face. One of his hands makes its way to Louis’ lips, thumb lightly pulling his bottom lip down, coaxing his mouth open.
“You can’t get rid of me, omega, not when you’re carrying my baby.” The alpha purs, kissing Louis deeply again, tongue sliding in.
Louis digs his nails into the alpha’s broad shoulders when the full length of his cock pushes inside him. He clings to his strong body like a lifeline. They break apart to get air. The omega pants as his cunt gets abused with each thrust. Harry grinds his hips inside of him, teeth scraping gently over Louis’ neck where their mark used to be.
Louis blinks quickly, unsure if it’s tears or water drops clinging to his wet eyelashes. “You still left once Rowan was born,” he tries to snap, but it comes out shaky and vulnerable. “What’s different now?”
Harry stops, and Louis digs the heel of his foot deeper into the bottom of Harry’s spine in fear of the alpha pulling out. He covers his mouth when he lets out a hopeless sob.
He can’t see, water and salty tears stinging as he sobs harder through the sound of the shower. A hand wraps around his ankle, not to pull it away but as a reassurance. “Louis, baby, let me see you. Please,”
The omega shakes his head in the alpha’s neck, whimpering when he could feel how hurt Harry felt. Their bond mark scar had disappeared after five long years, excruciating pain, embarrassment as he hid his scar with makeup, and ached for the first time in years.
Harry shuts off the water, carrying them out of the shower and helps them into their robes.
“Stop trying to hide your pain. I feel it too, you know.” Harry says as he helps Louis dry his hair.
Louis’ breath hitches when Harry places his hand on his heart.
“I might not have a bond, but my chest hurts like crazy when you’re feeling sad. It has been for months now. I thought I was having a heart attack the first time it happened, but Doc told me it was your feelings.”
Louis looks down, playing with his fingers peeking out from under his robe, feeling ashamed for causing this. He broke up with Harry.
“Hey, c’mere,” Harry says, opening his arms for the omega who slides next to him on the couch in his room. He doesn’t bother to restrain the sadness in his voice when he says. “Baby– Louis, tell me what this is. I,” he swallows thickly, trying to gather all the right words. He was never the best at communicating—part of the reason for their divorce.
For the past five years, he’s buried his feelings, which have only grown stronger as the days have gone by. So many wasted years. All those nights going to sleep yearning for each other. His son crying himself to sleep because he couldn’t understand why his parents didn’t live with each other anymore. Why they didn’t love each other anymore– He grips Louis’ wrists tighter, the omega looking at him, eyes widening. But Harry be damned if Louis closes up and whatever this was went buried for more years to come.
“I don’t want to do this and pretend nothing happened the next morning. My alpha– I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
Louis cries more as he clutches Harry’s hand. “I love you so much, alpha. I want you to live with us again. To be a family and raise Dorthy together. To grow old together!”
Harry scrunches his nose up in fondness when Louis spoils the name he had chosen for his baby girl. He pulls his omega in for a kiss, moaning when Louis crawls back in his lap for more. It’s a wet, cold, salty kiss full of tears, but Harry is so in love. He places his hands on Louis' tummy, feeling his daughter's kicks against his palm as he deepens the kiss. He goes to carry Louis to bed but the omega squawks and orders him back in the shower to wash up. Harry laughs, sneaking in a quick pinch to his bum then kissing him quiet.
------♡------
They welcome Rowan home together a few hours later, who frowns at their weird behavior and the way they smile so hard their cheeks hurt. Louis breaks the news by pulling Harry’s things out of the storage box he kept in the basement, Rowan quickly helping to dust off his dad’s old pillow, blue bathrobe, and placing his H mug back next to their L & R mugs.
Rowan cries all night, refusing to sleep back in his bed for weeks. The boy turns clingy like Louis, holding onto him like he’s scared he’ll leave again. But Harry wouldn’t have it any other way.
Three months later, they welcomed their baby girl home.
A year later, Harry gets down on a knee, proposing to the love of his life again. Louis says yes, and they get married as soon as Dorthy is old enough to be a flower girl. Their wedding is featured in a famous magazine, with a whole spread dedicated to Louis’ beautiful, unique wedding outfits he created for the whole family. It gets plastered on billboards, and soon after, Harry quits his family’s company, starting his own company that quickly takes off. His mother cut all ties with him, but it didn’t matter. What really mattered was that they were ready to get it right this time.