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Louis smiles as he enters his apartment after a long day at work and spots a familiar pair of worn down checkered blue and white Vans by the front door. The faint smell of freshly cut grass and ripe strawberries that instantly fills his lungs confirms his Omega is home. He stays quiet as he steps into their living space, in case the younger boy is sleeping. The night is still young, the hands of the clock in the kitchen indicating it’s just a hair past 6 p.m., but Harry’s barely been home except to shower and sleep this past week, the stress of finals week keeping him out of their shared apartment and on the university campus for much longer than usual. Upcoming exams and recitals had the Omega on edge and spending multiple hours a day in rehearsal rooms or at the library, and Louis feels as if he’s barely seen him all week.
“Hi, love,” he says softly as he spots Harry sitting at their small dining table, hunched over a thick textbook. “I didn’t think you’d be home so early.”
“The library was getting too busy,” Harry mumbles, turning to the next page without sparing Louis so much as a glance.
Louis sighs as he sets down his work briefcase and moves to wrap his arms around the Omega’s shoulders. “Are you hungry? I could order us some takeout.”
“Order whatever you feel like Lou, I don’t really have the time to eat anyways.” Harry replies shortly, head still ducked down toward his book.
Louis frowns, his inner Alpha slightly hurt by the lack of attention from Harry, but also begging him to take care of his overly stressed Omega. They’ve been through this before. This is the end of Harry’s third semester at uni, and the poor thing always struggles with final exams, putting way too much pressure on himself even though his grades and performances are always more than satisfactory. Louis remembers this time last year when he used to stop by Harry’s apartment with food, coffee or moral support, knowing the Omega would stay holed up in his room and go hungry if he didn’t, too preoccupied with studying and rehearsing. And while it’s easier for Louis to make sure all of Harry’s needs are taken care of now that they live together, Harry having officially moved in a few months back, it’s still hard to see the person he loves struggle this much. There isn’t much he can do until exams are finally over in a few days though, so he leans in to press a quick kiss to Harry’s temple before pulling away. He makes his way over to the fridge, plucking the menu of the younger man’s favourite Chinese restaurant from the growing pile they keep stuck there with a magnet before pulling his phone from his back pocket and moving to the bedroom. Louis keeps his voice low as he orders all of Harry’s favourite dishes, trying not to disturb his studying, and decides at the last second to add two fortune cookies to the order, hoping they’ll make Harry smile at least a little bit.
He keeps himself busy whilst waiting for the food to be delivered, carrying their thick duvet, along with a few extra cushions and pillows from their bed, into the living room and dumping them in a pile next to the couch. Harry hasn’t moved an inch when Louis steps back in the dining area, his pale fingers drumming nervously against the pages of his music theory book, and he doesn’t even notice the Alpha quietly stealing two of the dark wooden chairs from the other side of the table. Louis makes quick work of arranging the pillows on the floor, also adding the couch cushions to the pile for good measure, and drapes a spare sheet atop the whole thing, using the back of the sofa and the two chairs to create a cozy den in the living room, just big enough for the two of them to cuddle in. He rummages through his bins of Christmas decorations in the guest bedroom closet until he finds a few strings of fairy lights to add to the whole thing. He’s admiring his creation when there’s a loud knock at the door, and he quickly makes his way over to get it. Louis is holding a bag filled to the brim with food when he walks into the dining room again, and he smiles when Harry finally lifts his head up for the first time since he got home, probably enticed by the mouthwatering smell permeating the air.
“What did you order?” Harry asks distractedly, reaching over for his pen to jot something down in his open notebook.
“Chinese, I got all of your favourites, babe.” Louis replies easily, and he uses his free hand to grasp Harry’s wrist and tries to tug him up. “Come and eat with me, we can go in the living so you don’t have to move any of your stuff.”
Harry looks pensive for a second, but quickly snatches his hand away to turn to the next page in his textbook. “Lou, I really can’t. I have to study.”
“Come on baby, you can stop for a few minutes. You’ve been studying all day, I’m sure a break would do you some good.” Louis argues softly, resting the bag on the table for a minute and wrapping both of his arms around his boy. “You deserve a small break, darling. You’ve been staying up late all week for this.”
Harry leans into Louis’ touch, closing his eyes for a few seconds as he inhales his Alpha’s deep musky scent, letting himself be soothed for a bit. “Lou, I really have to finish this or -” the younger man starts speaking but gets interrupted by his own stomach letting out a loud growl, audibly contesting Harry’s protests.
“That’s it, you’re eating. I’m sure you haven’t had anything since that banana I forced you to eat this morning, haven’t you?” Louis’ suspicions are confirmed by the sheepish expression on Harry’s face. “Come on darling, I got lo mein.”
Harry bites his lip in an unsure fashion, so Louis continues taunting him using a sing-song voice. “And that beef and broccoli thing you like.”
“Fine, but just a few minutes,” Harry finally concedes, letting Louis drag him to the living room.
The Omega’s jaw drops as soon as he catches sight of their living room. “Lou, I- did you do this?”
Louis nods, gently pushing Harry forward and into the makeshift fort. “Come on babe, get in.”
Harry still looks a bit shocked as he hunches over to get under the sheet and sits down on the sea of cushions Louis has laid out on the floor. “It’s so cozy.”
Louis gives him a genuine smile as he crawls in next to him, leaning over to press a swift kiss to Harry’s pink lips. “I’m glad you like it, darling.”
“I love it, Lou,” Harry corrects him, curling up into his Alpha’s side and making himself comfortable.
Louis’ inner Alpha can’t help but preen seeing his Omega so content and happy, and he wants nothing more than to bottle up this feeling and keep it forever. “Let’s eat baby, I know you’re hungry,” he says as he starts pulling boxes of food out of the bag, handing Harry some wooden chopsticks.
The pair of them eat in comfortable silence, save for a couple of satisfied moans from the both of them and a few giggles from Harry whenever Louis struggles to eat with his chopsticks.
“Do you want me to go get you a fork, Lou?” Harry laughs when Louis lets out a frustrated groan after dropping the same piece of beef for the third time.
Louis shakes his head absentmindedly, putting all of his focus into getting the piece of meat to his mouth. “No, I like hearing you laugh,” he says once he’s successfully completed the task.
“You shouldn’t speak with your mouth full, Lou,” Harry’s reply comes automatically, but there’s no bite to it, his face still contorted in one of the biggest smiles Louis’ ever seen and his cheeks tinted a beautiful shade of red, getting deeper by the second as Louis’ stare remains on him.
Louis childishly pokes his tongue out at him after swallowing the piece of meat, putting his chopstick down and pulling Harry further into his side. “I missed you, missed us.”
Although that wasn’t his intention, Harry’s features fill with guilt at Louis’ words. “Sorry boo,” he whispers as he nuzzles his face into Louis’ neck, inhaling sharply and deepy once he finds the spot where Louis’ shoulder meets his neck, where his scent is the strongest. “Only a few more days now, you know how important grades are to me.”
“I know, darling,” Louis lets one of his hands tangle itself in the Omega’s hair, scratching gently at his scalp, making Harry purr softly. “I just don’t like when you run yourself thin like that. You still need to eat and sleep properly Haz, this isn’t healthy.”
Harry looks shameful as he cranes his neck up to look at his Alpha. “I know, I just feel like I need to push myself a little further, maybe then I can be good enough.”
Louis’ heart shatters in a million small pieces when he looks down at his Omega, looking so small and vulnerable by his side. “Harry, you absolutely are enough,” he affirms softly, scooping his boyfriend up onto his lap and stroking his back gently.
“I don’t know what made you think otherwise, but you are so amazing darling,” Louis adds, holding Harry’s chin up to make sure he’s looking at him. “I’ve never met someone as hardworking and talented as you are, baby. Whenever I hear you play, the world stops turning for a few minutes. And when I get lucky enough to hear you sing, Harry, I feel like my heart could burst with how proud of you I am.”
Harry’s blushing again under Louis’ praise, and the older man bends down again to kiss him gently.
“Don’t you doubt yourself like that ever again, Harry,” he continues, voice gone deep and serious. “You still deserve to take care of yourself, baby. And I’ll always be there to remind you of that.”
“Or to force me to do so.” Harry corrects with a smirk. “I really should get back to studying, Lou.”
Louis pulls away from the younger boy for a few seconds to reach into the takeout bag one last time, smiling as he produces two telltale cookies. “Not before dessert, my love.”
“Fortune cookies!” Harry exclaims, giddy with anticipation. “I love those.”
Louis nods knowingly, handing one of them over to Harry and chuckling when the boy cracks it open without wasting a second, popping a piece of the hard shell into his mouth as he unfolds the small piece of paper inside to read his fortune. Louis can tell the moment he’s read it, the Omega’s face cracking into a soft but somehow troubled smile.
“What does it say, love?” Louis asks, leaning over to try and take a peek at the small writing.
Harry quickly whips it away from him. “I’m not telling you, it’s my fortune.”
“Come on, H.” Louis bargains, cracking his own cookie open and taking the paper out. “What if I tell you mine? Will you show me yours, then?”
“I’ll consider it,” Harry replies, trying (and failing) to school his face into a serious expression.
“You sneaky bastard,” Louis says playfully, unfolding his own piece of paper and reading it out loud. “Have a beautiful day!”
“Well this one is shit, isn’t it?” Louis protests as he chucks the small piece of paper in the now empty takeout bag. “You have to share yours now, Harold.”
“I said I would consider it,” Harry giggles. “And I’ve decided yours isn’t nearly as good as mine, so I’m going to keep mine a secret.”
Louis shakes his head in mocked disbelief. “Can’t believe I’ve been betrayed this way, and by my very own Omega.”
“I’m sure you’ll live, Lou.” Harry laughs, somehow moving in even closer to Louis and resting his head on the older man’s chest. “Maybe I can stay a little bit longer, I’ve missed you too, you know.”
“I would love nothing more, darling,” Louis answers sincerely, all thoughts of the fortune cookie suddenly forgotten as he starts playing with Harry’s soft curls again.
It only takes a few minutes of Louis gently scratching at his scalp and sending out calming and soothing pheromones for Harry to fall asleep on the Alpha, the exhaustion that’s been accumulating over the past week with late nights spent studying all catching up to him. Louis is about to pick the Omega up and carry him to bed when he spots the small crumpled piece of paper laying next to Harry’s now open palm. He considers not looking at it for a few seconds, not wanting to upset his Omega by going against his will, but his curiosity quickly gets the best of him.
“Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.”
He smiles as he looks down at Harry again, sleeping peacefully against him, and knows that fortune really resonated with his Omega. Although Harry is one of the strongest and smartest people Louis has ever met, he’s incredibly bad at asking for help and at taking care of himself. Thankfully, Louis is more than happy to do it for him, especially during finals week.
He remembers a couple of years back when he was in Harry’s situation, in university and cramming during finals week to get his journalism degree. He knows he would have liked having someone to care for him and support him then, and he’s resolved himself to be exactly that person for Harry.
He smiles as he puts the paper back down on the cushions and lifts Harry up bridal style, holding him close and securely to his chest. He lets himself bask in Harry’s sweet scent as he carefully walks to their bedroom. It’s always strongest late at night like this, after the scent neutralizers he wears to uni have mostly worn off, and Louis’ inner Alpha feels immensely sated and content.
Harry is still dead to the world when Louis gently sets him down on their bed, and the Alpha has never been more thankful for his Omega’s deep sleeping tendencies. He quickly runs back to the living room to get their duvet from the fort, deciding the rest of it can wait until tomorrow to be taken down and put away.
It’s still pretty early, but Louis doesn’t mind having an early night once in a while if it means he gets cuddles with his boy. Smiling to himself, he settles behind Harry in bed, pulling the thick duvet over the both of them before draping an arm over his Omega and letting the rhythm of his slow breathing lull him to sleep.
***
Louis wakes up cold and alone in bed the next morning, and it takes him a moment to be awake enough to realize it’s because both his Omega and the duvet are gone. He frowns at that realisation and rolls out of bed despite his alarm clock indicating he doesn’t need to be up for work for another hour and a half.
All traces of confusion and frustration melt away as he sees Harry sitting in last night’s makeshift blanket fort, wrapped up in the missing duvet and balancing his laptop on his thighs.
“Baby,” Louis says softly, crawling under the sheet and settling next to Harry. “What are you doing up so early? It isn’t even 6 a.m. yet.”
Harry holds one arm to the side, inviting Louis to join him under the warm duvet, and the Alpha goes willingly, making Harry whine in protest when he presses his cold feet against his boyfriend's calves.
“Studying,” the Omega answers quietly, shifting to make himself comfortable against Louis.
“In the fort?” Louis asks with a smirk, peppering a few fleeting kisses along Harry’s bare shoulders.
“It’s cozy in here,” Harry pouts. “Almost feels like a nest.”
Louis smiles fondly at Harry’s statement, the Alpha in him beaming at the fact that he put together a space that made his Omega feel safe and cozy.
“Did you have to steal the duvet, though?” Louis adds with a chuckle. “I got cold in there without you.”
“It smells like you, Lou.” Harry at least has the decency to look sheepish when he says it.
And if Louis wakes up slightly cold for the remainder of the week only to find Harry studying in the fort instead of going to the library, then he isn’t going to complain about that, is he?