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Harry prided himself on being an unconventional alpha. He wore what he liked, loved music from classical to punk to dance hall, and always tried to keep an open mind about new people, places, and experiences. He was also a gay man who was mostly attracted to other alphas-- a pretty rare minority --so he was used to being single and had gotten good at going his own way. He had always said that any partner he stayed with would need to somehow make his life better than he could on his own, and had accepted that maybe that meant he wouldn’t ever find someone to love. Then Louis came along.
Confident, self-assured Louis, who managed to be kind at the same time. His laugh could make Harry smile even when he was having a terrible day, and the feel of his body pressed against Harry’s in a tight embrace was enough to comfort him when it seemed his anxiety didn’t want to stop. They dated for a year before they talked about moving in together, but once Harry brought it up they both began making plans that night.
“When you know, you know,” Louis had said, running a hand through Harry’s hair before leaning in to kiss him. It turned out Louis had known for at least six months, as had Harry, and they agreed to just let themselves talk about their hopes and desires instead of keeping them locked away for fear of being too much.
That was why when he found himself stealing Louis’ hoodies and worn t-shirts, tucking them away in a high corner of the closet and pulling them out to scent them a few times a day, he really let himself stop and consider what it might mean.
As the show they were watching on the couch that night ended, Harry turned to Louis with a sigh. “I think--” Harry bit his lower lip. “I think I might be nesting? Or trying to nest, at least.”
Louis just smiled and squeezed Harry’s thigh, telling him that was great and asking if Harry felt like showing him or talking more about it. He knew he wasn’t ready for that quite yet, so he held off for a while. Maybe his nesting urges would be entirely satisfied with scenting Louis’ clothes, after all.
They weren’t, though. When he realized he was returning to his little Louis corner more and more frequently, he decided it was time to actually start building a nest.
He tried a little of everything: he arranged the things he’d gathered around himself on the bed (too lumpy and chaotic) and when that didn’t work he layered them up on the closet floor to create a quiet space for himself (too claustrophobic). He then tried putting everything into their spare room, but it left him feeling dissatisfied and even more unsettled than anything else had. Also maybe he kind of hated being on the floor.
He was almost ready to give up when Louis appeared one weekend afternoon with a long cardboard box that bulged at the sides and was held together with far too much packing tape. He hauled it inside, leaning it against the wall and beckoning Harry closer.
“I think I might’ve come up with something that could work for your nest.” Louis patted the side of the box. “I got it from the neighborhood buy nothing group, so if you hate it or it just doesn’t suit our needs we can pass it along to someone else.”
“What is it?” Harry asked, eager for Louis to either tell him or to just open the box and show him what was inside. Louis pulled out his pocket knife, slicing through the layers of tape to open the box.
“It’s a hammock!” Louis said once he’d gotten the box open enough to give Harry a glimpse of what was inside. There were a few pretty heavy looking hollow metal poles alongside fabric and rope that was messily rolled into a bundle.
Immediately Harry knew it was what he needed. The fabric of the hammock had a simple blue and white stripe pattern, and when he reached out to touch it he was pleased to find that it was as soft as it looked while still managing to feel relatively sturdy. Louis continued talking.
“The people who gave it away took it out and started to set it up when they got it as a gift a few years back, but it didn’t fit in their space and the hammock fabric is meant for indoor use only, so they couldn’t move it outside.” He brushed his knuckles over Harry’s arm, making him shiver. “What do you think?”
“I think we should set it up,” Harry said, rocking into Louis’ side. His answering grin made Harry’s heart soar. Together, they dragged the box into the spare room, pulling all the parts out and staring at them for a moment before Harry chuckled, shaking his head. “Alright, this is less obvious than I thought it would be.”
Louis laughed, nudging Harry with his shoulder. “I’ll google instructions, you grab us a couple of beers. We’ll figure it out together.”
A couple hours later, Harry was pleasantly buzzed, holding the base of the hammock steady as Louis tightened the last bolt. When Louis finished, he stood, offering Harry a hand up before turning to him with eyebrows raised. “Wanna try it?”
Harry hesitated for a moment, just worried enough that it wouldn’t hold that he couldn’t quite make himself say yes. Louis gave him a playful shove, shaking his head as he gingerly sat down in the hammock, feet hanging out. When it held him, he tucked his legs in, wiggling around in the swaying hammock until he was fully lying down.
“Oh-- this is nice, actually.” Harry looked down at Louis’ smiling face, unable to hold back a giggle. “Get in, baby,” Louis said, patting the side of the hammock.
It was a bit of a struggle at first, but Harry managed to get in next to Louis, the hammock rocking slowly back and forth as he settled. Any slight doubts he might’ve had disappeared immediately, and Harry knew that it was the absolute perfect nesting spot. He burrowed his nose into Louis’ neck, inhaling his scent and thinking about all the things he was planning to bring in and how to arrange them.
They stayed in the hammock for an hour or so, its gentle movements and the almost cocoon-like feel of it soothing Harry’s anxieties. His thoughts of outside threats drifted away, the soft safety of holding Louis close the only thing he cared to think about. The only reason they got up was the reminder that pinged on Harry’s phone, alerting them that they’d made dinner plans with friends for that night.
Harry came back the next day with some of Louis’ things, mostly weaving them into the top part of the hammock where it stretched to meet its stand . He added a throw pillow at the last minute because it felt like the nest needed something, but when that didn’t feel quite right, he crossed his arms and stared at the hammock for a full minute before walking away in a huff. It had felt so good the day prior, and he hated that now it felt as though something was missing.
A few days later the answer of what the hammock needed came to him when he walked in to find Louis napping in the nest, the throw pillow under his head and one of Harry’s hoodies draped over himself like a blanket. He stirred when Harry came in, stretching an arm out to welcome Harry into the hammock too.
“So it’s our nest, then?” Harry whispered once he’d gotten settled next to Louis.
“Mmhmm, ours,” Louis answered. “Everyone knows alphas nest in pairs. Only way it’s done.” He wrapped an arm around Harry, pulling him closer and starting the hammock swaying again. Harry sighed, contented, and nodded once before letting himself burrow into his and Louis’ mixing scents.
It was an unconventional nest, but Harry was an unconventional person, and-- even if it wasn’t official yet --Louis was his wonderfully unconventional mate. “Only way,” Harry said, closing his eyes. “And you’re the only one I’d want to share a nest with.”
The two of them drifted off just like that, lulled to sleep by the slow, gentle movement of the nest they’d built together and would share for a long time to come.