Archive of Our Own

Harry’s been away to uni for a month the very first time he ever builds a nest. 

He remembers watching his Mum build and add to her own nest growing up, but he never really had a proper reason to build one for himself. 

Until now. 

Harry’s always been a very tactile person, often finding comfort in hugs from his friends at school and never one to deny a cuddle from his Mum or sister. It wasn’t really a surprise to anyone when his sixteenth birthday came around and he presented as an Omega. That's what everyone was expecting, after all.

He didn’t think the transition from living at home with his family to staying on campus for his studies to be so hard. He’s only been gone for a month, and he already feels so homesick that he’s kind of worried about how he’ll make it through the full three years required to finish his degree. 

He’s almost going off autopilot as he steps into his room after his last class of the day—a single room, which is a small blessing, at least—and leaves his bookbag by the door.

The next few minutes pass by in a bit of a blur as he gathers the extra blankets he keeps in his wardrobe and dumps them on his bed, along with a few of his warmest and softest hoodies. He arranges the items along the edge of the mattress, making sure every texture is just right and that every single piece is exactly in the spot where it should be.

It’s only when he takes a step back a few minutes in that Harry realises what he’s doing.

He’s nesting. For the very first time. Somehow though, that realisation doesn't faze him that much; he knew it would happen eventually, and his Omega must feel like it’s the right time to start if he’s doing it.

He looks down at his nest again, moving a few things one last time until he’s satisfied with the way it looks. 

He doesn’t waste any more time before crawling into it, eager to find a bit of comfort in his nest, just like he did with his Mum’s as a young pup.

Something feels wrong though, and the comfort he was expecting to wash over him doesn't really come. He looks around his nest once more, frowning when he can’t find which item may be causing this outcome, and then it suddenly dawns on him.

The scent. That’s what’s wrong, or more specifically the lack of them.

Harry climbs out of his bed, careful not to disturb any of the meticulously placed items, and goes back to his wardrobe in search of the bag his Mum had insisted he take with him to uni.

Being an Omega means his Mum was a little reticent to let him leave by himself, knowing first-hand about how bad touch deprivation symptoms could get for Omegas that didn’t have anyone to turn to in times of need, but she also knows how important it is for Harry to get a proper education and make a career for himself. 

He has big dreams of one day becoming a successful journalist, and he is not about to let gender stereotypes deter him from doing so.

His Mum sent him on his way with a few items of clothing from herself and Gemma, sealed in a plastic bag so they would keep their scents until Harry needed them.

To be honest, he’s a little surprised he was able to go this long without having to take them out, but that’s beside the point.

Harry smiles as his hand lands on the bag in the wardrobe after a minute of rummaging, and he pulls it out and promptly opens it.

The familiar scents of the two women he cherishes most instantly fill the air around him, and Harry can already feel his inner Omega settle slightly from that small whiff alone.

He pulls out the items, clutching them close to his chest and inhaling deeply, revelling in the feeling of contentment that fills his being for the first time in weeks.

After allowing himself a moment to indulge, he gets back to the task at hand. The dark red scarf his Mum had packed for him goes right next to his pillow, along with Gemma’s worn green hoodie. He adds the other items throughout the nest, purring to himself as it slowly but surely starts coming together.

Once every last thing has found its proper home, Harry crawls back into his nest. He’s instantly soothed by his Mum’s sweet and floral Omega scent, and his sister’s smokier vanilla Alpha notes. 

Given that it’s Harry’s first, the nest is a little messy, and could probably do with a little more structural integrity, but it still provides him with the little bit of home comfort he was craving. 

He spends the rest of the evening in his little cocoon of warmth, ignoring his responsibilities and the pile of schoolwork he should probably get done sooner rather than later. 

He’ll do it all in time, but for now, all he can focus on is the warmth and the sense of familiarity his newly built nest provides.

Harry smiles a bit as he grabs his phone from his back pocket and snaps a selfie to send to his Mum, making sure part of the nest is visible in it. He looks tired and his hair is the messiest he thinks he’s ever seen it, but he doesn’t care. His inner Omega is so happy and settled right now in a way he’s never experienced before.

He sends the picture off, smiling fondly when his Mum replies almost instantly, saying she sends her love and she’s happy to see her son nesting finally.

That’s the last thing Harry remembers before he lets himself fall asleep, soothed by the familiar scents he’s surrounded by and the soft and regular sound of his own purring.

***

It’s the middle of winter term when Harry notices Louis for the first time.

They’re in the same mandatory philosophy class, the one Harry absolutely despises and makes him question why it’s even part of the curriculum every time he steps foot in the classroom. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the professor didn’t have the world’s dullest personality. Nevertheless, he has no choice but to take this dreadful class if he wants to graduate, so he does.

Normally, Harry prides himself on his organisational skills, and he likes to arrive at his classes a few minutes in advance so that he can pick a good seat for the lecture—not too close to the front so he doesn’t look too eager, but not at the back either as to not get disturbed by people talking around him, and perfectly in the centre of the room so he has a perfect view of the material shown. 

But he had to hang back after his last class to ask the professor a question about an assignment, and she’s one of those chatty people Harry doesn’t usually mind talking with, but he has places to be and classes to attend. 

When she finally answers his question and lets him go, he only has about five minutes left to run to his next class all the way across campus, and he makes it in just seconds before the lesson starts.

This means the row he usually likes to sit in is completely full, along with all of the rows around it that Harry would still consider decent enough choices.

In fact, this course being mandatory for all students regardless of the degree they’re pursuing means they’re always pretty much at capacity, and there are only a handful of seats left in the very last row.

Dammit.

He mentally curses at his previous professor for holding him for so long as he makes his way to the back of the room and sinks into the closest available seat. He’ll just send her an email next time.

Harry’s about to pull his laptop out of his bag when he gets distracted by something—or rather someone—that smells absolutely divine. 

It isn’t mandatory for students to be on suppressants or wear scent-neutralising sprays, and although Harry himself chooses to mask his own scent while out and about, this particular Alpha clearly doesn’t.

While Harry is sometimes a little bothered by that behaviour, the smell is so enticing he can’t bring himself to care as strong notes of pine and sea salt flood his senses. He doesn’t remember ever feeling this drawn to a scent before.

He looks around, trying to find the source of the scent, but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly who it belongs to with so many people around.

“Alright everyone,” the professor speaks up, startling Harry into paying attention. “Today’s class is reserved for getting to know your assigned partner and starting work on your final project for the semester.”

Right, Harry remembers seeing this project on the syllabus at the start of the term and being less than pleased about having to partner up with some random peer he doesn’t know. He hadn't realised he would be meeting said partner today. Great.

“I’ve put all of you into pairs based on where your last names land you on the student list, and your partners are up on the board here,” the professor announces. “Get to work, everyone!”

Harry groans as he lets his eyes scan the list of names on the board until he finds his own, then that of his partner: Louis Tomlinson.

At this point, Harry is just hoping this guy isn’t some knothead Alpha that will get him to do all of the work for nothing.

There’s chaos in the classroom for a few minutes as everyone tries to find their partner, and Harry sort of just stands there pigeon-toed and looking around until he feels someone tap him on the shoulder. 

“Excuse me. Are you Harry?”

“Oh, hi yes,” Harry says, turning around to see who just spoke to him. “You must be—”

The scent from before—pine and sea salt—hits him straight in the face as soon as he turns and he suddenly forgets how to speak. It’s so much stronger than before, and Harry’s having a bit of a hard time holding himself back from just obnoxiously smelling the air around him.

He takes a moment to look at the guy now standing in front of him and somehow manages to be even more stunned by his beauty. He’s a bit short for an Alpha—shorter than Harry in fact—but Harry’s never been one to care about what Alphas should look or act like. He’s not really a textbook Omega either, with his long limbs and broad shoulders. He’s got a soft brown fringe that Harry is dying to ruffle just a bit, a sharp chiselled jaw, and the most gorgeous blue eyes Harry has ever seen. 

Fuck. Harry is so screwed.

“Are you alright?” the Alpha asks. “I’m Louis, your partner.”

Harry gulps and tries to shake himself out of it as best he can. “Sorry, yeah. I’m Harry,” he says as he extends his hand in greeting.

He realises a bit belatedly that the Alpha—Louis—already knows his name, and that a handshake is probably a bit too formal of an introduction for this setting. 

But it’s too late to back down now, and Louis has a little smirk on his handsome face as he shakes Harry’s hand, and he swears he feels tiny sparks of electricity running up and down his arm at the contact.

They find a spot to sit side by side and spend the rest of the allotted time getting to know each other and talking about what they want to do for the project.

To Harry’s surprise, Louis is actually the total opposite of a knothead Alpha. In fact, he’s probably one of the loveliest Harry has ever met. He’s attentive and kind, actually seems as invested in his grades and school work as Harry is, and has proven to be quite easy to talk to.

He’s studying to get a law degree, which means this mandatory philosophy class is the only reason they would have ever crossed paths on campus. Harry thinks that may be a good reason for him to hate this dreadful course a little bit less.

The end of class comes soon enough, and Harry and Louis agree to meet up at the library every Thursday afternoon until they hand in the project at the end of term. 

Harry hates to admit it, but he can tell his inner Omega is jumping with joy at the news that he will see this Alpha again regularly.

In the meantime, he may have to look into finding a sea salt and pine-scented candle for his dorm room.

***

Louis’ already waiting for him at the library when Harry arrives for their first philosophy project meet-up. 

He takes in the Alpha’s side profile as he approaches, attempting not to salivate all over himself at the contrast between Louis’ sharp cheekbones and the delicate shape of his nose.

Before the other man can catch him staring, Harry walks to the table Louis has chosen for them and sits across from him, immediately getting engulfed by a strong wave of Louis. 

“Hey,” Louis greets him with a dashing smile. Harry’s glad he’s sitting already or he’s sure his knees would have buckled. 

“Hi,” he replies, busying himself with taking his coat off. 

He suppresses a shiver as soon as the cool air of the library hits his bare arms. Had he known they kept it this chilly, he would have worn one of his thicker jumpers rather than the old graphic tee he opted for. He ponders putting his coat back on for a bit, but decides against it; he doesn’t want to look like an idiot wearing a coat indoors. 

Harry feels Louis’ gaze on him as he pulls his laptop out, and he can’t help the way his cheeks flush under the slightest bit of attention.

He’s at least glad he’s wearing scent neutralizers and Louis can’t actually smell the effect he has on him.

“Cool shirt,” Louis says. He’s probably just trying to cut the mild awkwardness between them with small talk.

“Thanks,” Harry mutters. At least someone appreciates it, he thinks to himself as he shivers again. “So I was looking at—”

“Are you cold?” Louis cuts him off.

When Harry looks up to meet his eyes, he finds they’re filled with actual concern. 

“Oh, I’m fine,” Harry lies, cursing his biology for always making him cold.

“You’re shivering,” Louis observes. “I have a spare hoodie in my bag if you want it?”

“Are you sure?” Harry asks warily. 

A small smile appears on Louis’ face as he bends down to retrieve the item of clothing from his bag. “Don’t be ridiculous, of course, I’m sure,” he says as he hands over the hoodie. “You’re too pretty to freeze to death, don’t you think?”

Harry barely has time to react to what Louis just said before a strong wave of pine and sea salt attacks his senses, coming from the hoodie. It’s clear Louis hasn't washed it since the last time he’s worn it, but Harry somehow isn't grossed out by it.

He has to stop himself from purring as he slips the hoodie over his head and revels in the instant warmth it provides. 

Louis has a fond smile on his face when Harry’s head emerges from the head hole, and the Omega offers him a dopey smile in return.

“You’ve got a—” Louis starts, then reaches across the table to tuck a piece of Harry’s hair that has fallen out of place behind his ear. “That’s better.”

Harry truly doesn’t know how he doesn’t just combust into flames on the spot.

Luck must be on his side today, because he doesn’t, and they start working on their project for philosophy class.

They work very well together, maybe even a bit too well considering they had never talked to each other a mere week ago, but Harry certainly isn’t going to complain about that; he’s been paired up with one too many bad partners in his life as a student to know to appreciate a decent one when the rare phenomenon occurs.

Before Harry knows it, the hour they’d planned to spend working together is over, and Louis apologises before grabbing his things and hurrying to get to his next class.

Thankfully, Harry’s schedule is free for the rest of the day, so he takes his time gathering his things before getting back to his dorm and contemplates whether he should spend the afternoon taking a nap or tidying his room. He’ll probably nap, if he’s being honest with himself

It’s only when he goes to put his coat back on that he realises he never gave Louis his hoodie back. Shit.

He’ll just give it back the next time he sees him in class, that’s all.

For now though, he welcomes the extra layer of warmth as he slips out into the cold winter air, buries his face into the soft fabric to shield himself from the wind, and lets Louis’ pleasant scent wash over him again as he takes the short walk to get back to his dorm. 

Once in his room, he sheds his coat and kicks off his boots before letting himself sink into his bed, still wearing Louis’ hoodie. 

He has half a mind to take it off so his scent doesn’t get onto it too much, but he’s so comfortable and it smells so good, and his Omega is so content and relaxed right now that he just can’t bring himself to.

He’ll just wash it before giving it back next week and Louis will be none the wiser about it.

***

Harry does not wash Louis’ hoodie. And he does not give it back either.

He thinks about it every time he’s about to leave for philosophy class (where he’s now taken to sitting at the back of the room so he can be next to Louis) or to meet the Alpha to work on their project, but he just can’t bring himself to.

His Omega is just too attached to Louis’ scent, which should scare Harry given how little he actually knows about the Alpha, but he can’t help it.

It’s been two weeks now, and Louis still hasn’t said anything about it. Maybe he forgot he lent it to Harry in the first place.

His scent is already starting to fade from the material, and Harry is dreading the day he’ll put it on only to find it devoid of any trace of it. He can’t really ask Louis to re-scent it for him, can he? That would be really weird and inappropriate. 

Today has been a really stressful day, and Harry has been itching to go to his room and nest all day. 

Midterms are in full swing right now, and Harry is stressed out and exhausted. He can’t wait for this week to be over, but for now, maybe he can relax in his nest and pretend everything is fine for a few hours. 

Which is exactly what he does when he gets back. He’s taken down the first nest he built a few weeks ago, so he quickly gets to work putting together a new one. 

His Mum and sister had kindly sent over some new items since the last time, so their scents are still strong and present as he pulls out everything he wants to put in his nest and starts arranging the blankets, pillows and clothing together on his bed.

He lets his instincts guide him as he carefully places each item until he’s satisfied with the way the nest looks. It’s a lot neater than the first one he built, and Harry’s inner Omega is very pleased with the improvements.

Though there’s still a little niggling at the back of his mind telling him there’s something missing. Harry doesn’t really understand why: he’s got all of his softest blankets in there, along with his favourite hoodies and t-shirts, and of course the items from his family. 

His nest looks as plush as a cloud right now, and Harry is having trouble understanding why his Omega doesn’t just want to dive in nose first and stay in there for the rest of eternity.

Then it dawns on him. Once again, the problem with his nest isn’t the way it looks or feels; it’s the way it smells. Or more precisely the scent that is missing from it. 

Before he can talk himself out of it, Harry grabs Louis’ hoodie which is lying on top of his bag and brings it to his nest. 

He would be mortified if Louis ever found out about this, but he just knows the Alpha’s pine and sea salt scent is the one thing that’s missing to make his nest absolutely perfect. 

He tucks the hoodie right by his pillow so the fading scent can be close to his face before crawling into his nest and purring.

He feels a slight wave of embarrassment at the thought that he just put Louis’ hoodie in his nest without his knowledge, but he’s so content right now he can’t bring himself to care the way he probably should.

He drifts off to sleep thinking of blue eyes and sea salt, in a nest he pretends he built for himself and his Alpha.

Harry vaguely recognises he’s in too deep already, but that’s a problem future Harry will have to deal with.

***

The end of term sneaks up on Harry, and before he knows it, he and Louis are handing out the philosophy project they’ve each poured countless hours of work into.

He’s a little sad at the idea, as that means he doesn’t have a reason to see Louis every week anymore, but he guesses all good things must come to an end.

At least he still has the Alpha’s hoodie.

Harry had all the best intentions of washing and returning the item to its rightful owner, but every time he tried to, it made his Omega panic until he put it down again, preferably in his nest. 

It doesn’t even smell like Louis anymore—it hasn’t for a few weeks now—and the fact that it hasn’t been washed even once in the last several weeks should be gross, but Harry still feels attached to it in a way he doesn't quite understand.

He’s staying on campus over spring break, deciding to save himself the drive up and down to Holmes Chapel and pick up more hours at the little café he got hired at during the winter. He does miss his family terribly, but he’s certain he’ll get another opportunity to see them soon enough.

Harry’s laying in bed, binge-watching some Netflix show his friend Niall has been begging him to watch for ages now, when his phone chimes with a text notification beside him.

He hits pause on the show and picks it up immediately, surprised to see a message from Louis lighting up the screen. They’d exchanged numbers when they’d first been paired up in order to make communication easier, but they haven’t texted much outside of that topic.

To be fairly honest, Harry wasn’t expecting to hear from Louis again after the project, no matter how much thinking about it made his chest ache.

Are you staying on campus over break by any chance?

Oh shit, what if he noticed his hoodie was missing while packing to go home and is now texting Harry to get it back? Maybe Harry could just pretend he has no idea what he’s talking about and hope for the best.

Still, he probably shouldn’t jump to conclusions so fast.

Yeah, was just easier to stay this term. Are you?

He sends his reply after changing his mind about a dozen times only to send exactly what he had first typed out.

He chews on his bottom lip as he awaits Louis’ answer. Thankfully for him (and his lip), he doesn’t have to wait very long before another text notification lights up his screen.

Same. 

Harry frowns at the one-word reply. Was that really all he had to say to Harry? 

He’s about to forget all about it and resume his Netflix show when three suspension dots appear at the bottom of the screen, indicating Louis is typing again.

It takes longer for the text to come through this time, and Harry doesn't waste a single second before reading it once it finally does, not even caring if it makes him look overeager.

I was wondering if you’d maybe like to get coffee sometime? As a date? 

A date? That was not what Harry was expecting in the slightest.

He feels his cheeks heat up at the thought of going on a date with Louis, whose scent alone is enough to make him swoon like a giggly schoolgirl. 

He was really hoping the attraction he had felt growing in his chest with each of their weekly meetings wasn’t strictly one-sided. Despite his best efforts, he could feel himself falling a bit more for the Alpha every time he gently teased Harry or made a little joke while they were working, not to forget the way his inner Omega preened every time it caught a whiff of his scent. 

But now, he has actual proof that his feelings are reciprocated, and he feels so happy he almost forgets to answer the text message.

I’d love to :)

He decides to keep his answer short and sweet, despite the fact that he kind of wants to add a dozen exclamation points and heart emojis. The last thing he’d want to do is scare Louis away right now.

They exchange a few more messages after that, agreeing to meet Friday afternoon at a cute little café near campus that Harry’s never actually been to, but has only heard fantastic things about.

Now, he has two days to decide what to wear. He better start thinking about it now. A quick FaceTime call with Niall may be necessary…

***

The universe hates Harry.

It has to, because he wakes up on Friday morning feeling the worse he remembers feeling in years even though he was doing perfectly fine when he went to bed the day before. 

His head feels like it weighs a hundred pounds, and there’s a throbbing pain at the back of his skull that’s so sharp it makes him want to cry. His stomach rolls with unpleasant waves of nausea, and he sways with dizziness when he tries to get up for a wee.

He does eventually make it to the bathroom with slow and careful steps, and the sight of himself in the mirror makes him wince. His skin is pale and greyish, and there’s a sheen of sweat covering his forehead even though Harry’s so cold he’s shivering.

It’s not his heat coming; he knows that. However unpleasant being in heat is, he’s never had such severe symptoms as a result of it. Besides, he’s just had his last one less than a month ago, so he’s not due for his next one for at least a few months. 

He must have caught some sort of bug somewhere. 

Great, now he’ll spend the rest of his already too-short break feeling like shit all by himself. 

And he’s going to have to tell Louis he can’t go on their date, which is probably the part that sucks the most out of all of this. He was so excited about it, and he even managed to settle on a bomb outfit yesterday.

He hopes Louis won’t think he’s flaking out on him and that he’ll be willing to push it back to another day.

The bright screen of his phone hurts his eyes when he grabs it, and he quickly types out a text to Louis, hoping it’ll be coherent despite how unhelpful his brain feels. 

He doesn’t wait for a response before flopping down in his bed again to hopefully sleep off whatever nasty virus he’s caught, thankful he hasn’t yet put away the nest he had built as a haven for exam week as it at least provides him with a bit of comfort and a cushy place to rest.

The sound of his ringtone disturbs him just as he’s about to doze off, and he wants to ignore it, but it’s so loud and it hurts his already sensitive ears, so he groans as he reaches for it and taps the answer button without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?” Harry winces at the sound of his own voice.

“Harry?”

And that’s a voice Harry would recognise anywhere, regardless of how fuzzy his brain may be at the moment.

He must have been silent for a bit too long because Louis adds “Harry? Are you okay, love?” 

The term of endearment makes Harry’s chest feel tight, and he tries to clear his throat before answering. It doesn’t really help.

“I–” he stalls, unsure how many details he wants to provide Louis about his sudden bout of illness.

Harry must zone out again because Louis speaks once more before he has the chance to continue.

“Harry, you’re worrying me a bit,” Louis says. If he weren’t feeling so out of it, Harry would have noticed the softness and care pouring from Louis’ words. “Where’s your dorm, love? I’m coming over.”

It’s a testament to how awful Harry’s feeling that he doesn’t protest at all and willingly gives Louis the location of his dorm.

He doesn’t fully realise the implications of doing that until there’s a knock at the door several minutes later. Harry’s so disoriented he hadn’t even fully registered the fact that Louis had ended the call, and now he’s here , at his door . 

Harry scrambles out of bed, instantly mourning the loss of his warm nest, and stumbles to the door. He spares a thought to his horrible appearance, but there isn’t much he can do about that now, so he can only hope Louis won’t be too put off by his pale sweaty face and his ragged joggers.

Any ounce of apprehension he may have had about letting Louis into his dorm fades the second he opens the door.

He can feel his muscles relax of their own accord as the Alpha’s strong sea salt and pine scent fills his nose and soothes him without even being aware of it. 

In fact, maybe they relax a little too much because he starts to feel himself sort of crumble to the ground until gentle hands grip his waist to break his fall. 

“Okay,” Louis says as he tries to steady Harry. “I’m glad I came over, you really look terrible.”

Harry produces a small noise of offence at Louis’ comment, but still melts into his side for support. 

Louis laughs lightly at his indignation. “I didn’t mean it like that! Now c’mon, let’s get you to bed, shall we?”

Harry blushes as Louis slowly leads him to his bed across the room. There’s no way Louis isn’t going to notice the giant mess of a nest that’s taking up almost the entirety of his mattress. Had he known he’d be having someone over, Harry would have tidied up, or at the very least hidden the hoodie he never did return to Louis from plain view, instead of having it on clear display by his pillow. 

Louis can apparently smell his embarrassment in his scent as he gives Harry a reassuring smile. “It’s alright, love. You have a lovely nest.”

Harry’s inner Omega preens at the words of praise, a soft purr falling from his lips at the thought that he pleased his Alpha.

No. Not his Alpha. 

Just an Alpha. An Alpha Harry finds insanely attractive and whose scent Harry has been a little obsessed with for the past few months? Sure. But certainly not his Alpha.

And also definitely not an Alpha Harry should be purring in front of this early! 

Harry’s always been a little embarrassed of his purring. Although it used to be something all Omegas did to attract mates a long time ago, it’s definitely not as common nowadays and is usually seen as quite an intimate act. Definitely not something you’d whip out in front of an Alpha you’ve only known for a few short months, and with whom your only interactions up until now had been in the context of a mandatory school project.

Fuck. Harry should not have given in so easily when Louis said he would be coming over. All he’s done so far in the two minutes Louis has been here is embarrass himself to a great extent.

But when he looks up at Louis to apologise, he finds the other man looking at him with an expression Harry could only describe as awe.

Still, Harry feels he needs to justify himself. “Sorry, I–”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about, love,” Louis cuts him off softly. “That’s sweet. I’ve never met an Omega that purred before.”

Harry just blinks up at him, a bit stunned at the Alpha’s tame reaction.

“Do you want to get in your nest, darling?”

Harry’s slightly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of pet names Louis is using to address him, but he also really loves it. 

“Yeah,” Harry says quietly before crawling into the inviting mound of blankets and other items.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” Louis smiles fondly as Harry gets comfortable in his nest. “I’m just going to go see if you have any medicine that could help.”

Harry gives him a small nod before nuzzling his face into the closest piece of fabric, watching as Louis disappears into his little bathroom.

It’s only when Louis walks back into the room after a minute that Harry realises the thing he’s nuzzling into is Louis’ hoodie.

He makes a move to hide it under other items, but Louis notices it before he can do anything.

“I was wondering where that hoodie had gone,” Louis says. Oddly enough, he doesn’t seem to be mad about it. “Forgot I lent it to you that one time.”

Then, because apparently whatever illness he’s come down with has completely gotten rid of his brain-to-mouth filter, Harry pouts and says “It doesn’t smell like you anymore.”

Louis chuckles while Harry wishes the ground would swallow him whole.

“I could scent it for you,” Louis suggests. “If you’d like.”

He doesn’t know how that’s really possible anymore, but the blush on Harry’s face intensifies further at the proposition, and he carefully untangles the hoodie from his nest to hand it to Louis with an expectant smile.

Louis doesn’t waste any time before scenting the piece of clothing, and Harry can’t resist taking a deep breath to inhale more of Louis’ delicious, soothing scent.

Once the hoodie has been sufficiently scented, Louis hands it back to Harry, who promptly puts it back in its previous spot right next to his head and purrs again.

Now that he’s comfortable in his nest and surrounded by Louis’ thick scent, Harry can feel his eyes start to droop with exhaustion. Maybe sleep is just what he needs to shake this weird bug.

“You should take a nap, love,” Louis says, reaching over to play with Harry’s hair. “You don’t really have anything that’ll help here, so I’m just going to head out to get a few things and I’ll be right back, okay?”

Harry barely registers the words coming from Louis’ mouth, but he nods his agreement and purrs some more, trusting Louis to take care of him.

He’s awoken nearly two hours later by the sound of his door opening and closing. He blinks a few times to clear his vision after having just awoken and smiles when he realises Louis has just come back, a duffel bag hanging from his shoulder and a plastic shopping bag dangling from his wrist. 

Harry wonders what may be inside them, and he doesn’t have to wait long as Louis approaches the bed to show him.

He starts by pulling out a few things from the plastic bag: a packet of medicine (from which he promptly hands Harry two tablets), a few bottles of Gatorade (for electrolytes), and a container of soup (which he tells Harry he can heat up for him to eat whenever he feels like it).

Harry’s endlessly endeared by the lengths Louis went to just for him, and he’s not even seen everything yet.

“I swung by my dorm quickly to get a few things,” Louis says as he unzips his duffel. “For your nest, if you’d like them?”

He sounds a bit hesitant, like he doesn’t want to overstep a boundary. Little does he know that Harry’s inner Omega is so happy about this development it can barely contain itself.

“Can I see?” Harry asks shyly, trying to tamp down his excitement.

Louis’ uncertain frown turns into a wide grin at the soft-spoken question, and he brings the bag closer to Harry’s face so he can have a look inside.

Louis scented all the items before bringing them over, Harry can tell, and he’s delighted by it. There are a few hoodies and soft t-shirts, as well as a fluffy throw blanket neatly folded at the bottom. He can’t wait to add them all to his nest.

“I could kiss you right now,” Harry says, hoping to convey how happy Louis just made him with that simple gesture. “But I don’t want to get you sick.”

“Alphas don’t get sick,” Louis says with a smirk.

“That’s not true–”

His protest is cut short by Louis’ lips crashing onto his, and he mewls as he leans into the touch. 

Louis’ lips are soft, moving with confidence against his own, and he vaguely tastes like coffee.

Harry’s stomach is doing flips, though he isn’t sure if it’s caused by his illness or by Louis kissing him so boldly. Maybe it’s a mixture of both.

Eventually, Harry reluctantly has to pull away for air, and Louis is donning a dopey, satisfied smile when he does so. Harry has a feeling he may just be wearing a matching one.

In the end, Harry’s right. Alphas do indeed get sick.

When Harry finally starts feeling better after two full days of Louis doting on him hand and foot and giving him as many kisses as he desires (which, for the record, is a lot), it’s Louis’ turn to wake up feeling poorly.

At least it gives Harry an excuse to spend even more time with the Alpha, and he spends the next few days nursing him back to health just as Louis had done for him.

They basically spend the entirety of their break in or around Harry’s nest, taking turns taking care of each other and getting well acquainted with each other’s lips.

That’s not a bad way to spend spring break, as far as Harry’s concerned.

***

Louis and Harry have officially been together for about three months when Harry’s heat comes around.

It’s inconveniently due at the middle of the term, so he’s made sure to email all of his teachers well in advance to advise them of his absence and ask for make-up work.

He also made a trip to the shops a few days ago to pick up any essentials and make sure he would have everything he’d need for the week.

There’s only one more thing left for Harry to do before his heat is set to start tomorrow, and he’s a little embarrassed he’s waited this long to cross it off his to-do list.

He still hasn’t told Louis about it.

He knows it’s stupid, and that he really should have told him days, if not weeks, ago so that they could discuss and plan for it together, but he chickened out every time he tried to.

Spending a heat with someone for the first time is a big deal, and Harry’s ready to take that step with Louis, but what if Louis isn’t?

Harry’s not entirely sure what he’d do if that were the case. His Omega has gotten very quickly attached to Louis despite his best efforts for a smooth transition, and he has a feeling his heat would be a lot more unpleasant than usual if he spent it alone.

He’s already feeling the effects of being in pre-heat at this point, and all he wants is to be close to Louis and nest.

Thankfully, Louis will be coming over shortly. Now all Harry has to worry about is figuring out how to tell him about his heat.

He decides to make tea in the meantime, hoping it’ll help soothe his nerves a little and knowing Louis will most likely want a cuppa once he gets here after his classes. 

He comes over most days to spend the evenings with Harry, sometimes even sleeping over, and Harry loves it.

Harry has just pulled the milk out of his dorm mini fridge to add a splash to both of their cups when Louis lets himself into the room.

“Are you okay?” the Alpha asks immediately, frowning as he drops his bag by the door and kicks his shoes off. 

“Yeah?” Harry replies, unsure of what Louis is referring to. “I made you a cuppa.”

Louis gives Harry a grateful smile as he grabs the mug from Harry, then goes back to frowning as he appraises Harry. “Are you in pre-heat?”

Harry’s eyes widen at the question, and he just stands in the middle of the small room, silent and pigeon-toed as his face grows redder and redder by the second.

“Sorry I–” Louis starts explaining when Harry doesn’t reply after a while. “It’s just that you smell different, is all.”

“Oh.” Why hadn’t Harry thought about that? “Yeah, I kinda am?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Louis asks, and he sounds sad. “Do you want me to go?”

“NO!” Harry is quick to say, because the sheer thought of Louis leaving him right now makes him want to curl into a ball and cry. “I mean, no! Please stay?”

He can feel his inner Omega start to feel uneasy, thinking it has done something to upset Louis. The Alpha must be able to sense his distress because he quickly steps forward to engulf Harry in a tight hug. The Omega sighs in relief, letting Louis’ scent soothe him a little bit. 

“I’ll stay,” Louis affirms before pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, darling.”

Harry looks up at Louis, which is a little bit difficult given how tight their embrace is, but Harry doesn’t mind. He’s not ready to let go just yet. 

“Will you stay the whole time?” Harry says, voice small and shy. “For my heat, I mean?”

Louis smiles fondly at him, taking a second to peck him on the lips before answering. “Of course, if that’s what you want.”

“Please,” Harry whines. “Want you to help.”

“I’d be honoured to,” Louis assures him, kissing him once more before releasing his grip on the Omega. “When is it supposed to start?”

“Tomorrow,” Harry says sheepishly.

Louis’ eyes widen a bit at that answer, and Harry can tell his mind is running a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out how to make this work on such short notice.

“I already have supplies,” Harry says to reassure him a bit. “Bottled water, snacks, and stuff.”

The Alpha visibly relaxes at that, which makes Harry smile. He has no doubt he will be in very good hands spending his heat with Louis.

He watches in awe as Louis starts mumbling to himself, pacing the floor of Harry’s small room as he lists things he needs to do under his breath.

“Louis,” Harry says quietly, interrupting the Alpha’s spiralling thoughts. 

Louis immediately stops his pacing to look at him. “What’s wrong, darling?” he asks, biting his own bottom lip. “Are you okay?”

Harry nods. “I’m fine. I just–” Harry takes a deep breath. “Could you help me build a nest, please? And could you maybe scent me?”

A small smile creeps up on Louis’ face at Harry’s request. The Alpha has scented him a few times before, mostly when Harry was stressed out and needed help calming down, but it’s the first time Harry has actually asked for it himself. 

“Of course,” Louis says, all previous thoughts forgotten in favour of taking care of his Omega. “Come here, love.” 

Harry goes willingly, and he melts in Louis’ arms, craning his neck to one side so Louis has easy access to scent him. 

He’s gentle, as he always is, and Harry starts purring quietly as Louis’ sea salt and pine scent invades his senses in the best way possible, ridding him of an ache he didn’t know was buried deep inside his chest.

“Let’s go build you a nest,” Louis suggests after a while, guiding Harry towards the bed in the centre of the room. “Are you still with me, darling?”

“‘m here,” Harry says, though he feels a little bit like he’s floating on a cloud. “I love you.”

Louis chuckles a bit as he helps him sit on the bed. “I love you too, honey.”

Harry sits there contentedly, unsure how much time goes by, as Louis passes him various items to add to the nest, letting Harry carefully appraise each one and determine whether it is worthy or not before scenting it and helping Harry place it around him.

It’s nice, building a nest with Louis, Harry thinks. He feels so loved and cared for he doesn’t know how he’s not bursting at the seams with happiness right now.

Before long, they’ve got a full nest built on the bed, and Harry thinks it may just be the most beautiful nest he’s ever seen. 

“Let’s cuddle.” Louis encourages Harry to lay in the middle before joining him and acting as the big spoon behind him. “You need to rest while you can.”

Harry doesn’t have it in him to argue. Between his pre-heat symptoms already making his mind a little foggy, being in a cosy nest, and his Alpha’s pheromones coating the air around him, it isn’t long before he feels his eyes drooping.

From experience, he knows he probably won’t remember much of what will happen during his heat, but he’s not worried about it at all. He wholeheartedly trusts Louis to take care of him, and he can’t help but think about how lucky he is as he lets himself drift off to sleep in his Alpha’s arms. 

***

Harry and Louis have been done with uni for a month when they decide to mate. They’re both still pretty young by most people’s standards, but Harry has never been more certain of anything in his whole life. Louis is his Alpha—has been from that very first kiss they shared a few years ago now, really—but it’ll be official now, and Harry will finally have a bond mark to proudly show off to the rest of the world, letting everyone know that he’s Louis’ and that Louis is his too. 

They moved into a little flat together a few months ago. It’s nothing much, but it’s theirs and Harry loves it regardless of whether or not the sink in the bathroom leaks a little bit, or the fact that the tile in the kitchen is so atrociously bright it hurts his eyes every time he looks at it. 

Both of them have settled into their new careers nicely—Harry as an apprentice journalist, and Louis as a junior lawyer for a local law firm that specialises in Omega rights cases (Harry may or may not have burst into tears when Louis told him about wanting to work in this field)—and they agreed they would mate on a Friday evening after work. That way, they’d get to spend the whole weekend in their little bubble of love and happiness. They debated waiting for it to happen on a more special occasion, such as their anniversary, but neither of them really wanted to wait any longer.

Louis is due to get home from work in under an hour, and Harry is scrambling around the house, trying to make sure everything is absolutely perfect for tonight. This is a night they’ll both remember for the rest of their lives, after all, and he want to make it feel important. 

He’s got dinner in the oven already so that they can eat together first, and is now crafting the perfect little nest for them to mate and spend the weekend snuggling together in.

He’s already put down all of their softest and plushest blankets and cushions as a base and is now carefully adding some of their personal items so that it looks and smells like a perfect combination of the both of them.

Harry makes sure all of their most special and significant items are front and centre, such as the hoodie Harry borrowed/stole from Louis when they’d only just met, the squishy frog plushie Louis bought for Harry when he was feeling anxious about schoolwork that one time, or the matching Omega & Alpha blankets Harry got them for Christmas last year. 

As a last-minute touch, he digs out some fairy lights and strings them around the bed frame. Louis loves fairy lights, and it’s one of Harry’s favourite little quirks of his, so he has a feeling he’ll appreciate the addition. They look so nice too, bathing the space in a soft romantic glow.

He’s pretty much done with the nest, just fretting with a few of the items and making sure everything is exactly as it should be, when he hears the door to their flat open and shut softly.

“Honey,” Louis’ melodic voice calls out into their small flat. “I’m home!”

Harry quickly spares one last glance at the nest before going to greet Louis at the door. “Alpha,” he says with a smile before kissing him. 

Kissing Louis after he gets home for the day is always one of Harry’s favourite parts of the day. It’s soft and tender, sweet and chaste, yet conveys just how much they’ve missed each other in these hours spent apart. Harry has a feeling he may love it even more once they’re bonded, as he’s often been told every sensation is heightened once you’re mated.

“How was your day, Omega?” Louis asks as he neatly puts his things away in the coat closet by the front door. He knows that mess annoys his Omega, and Harry appreciates him making an effort for him.

“It was good,” Harry says, then crowds Louis’ space for another kiss. Louis is still wearing the suit he had put on this morning, and Harry thinks it’s unfair just how handsome he looks in it. “Better now that you’re here.”

Louis chuckles before granting him another quick kiss. “Good, me too. Did you cook dinner already?” Harry nods. “Smells nice, thank you.”

Harry’s inner Omega is pleased by his Alpha’s praise, and he smiles to himself as he turns to head into the kitchen. “It should be ready in just a few minutes if you want to go wash up,” he suggests.

Louis nods, grabbing his wrist to give him one last parting kiss before disappearing into the hallway. Harry has to take a few seconds to calm himself down before he can check on the food, his heart beating fast in his chest after the ineraction. Louis just has that effect on him, and Harry hopes it will never, ever stop.  

Harry’s plating dinner up when Louis walks back in, now dressed down in a soft jumper and some run-down joggers Harry thinks used to belong to him. Sharing clothes is such a common occurrence for them that Harry doesn’t bother to remember which items belong to who anymore. 

They eat the simple meal of chicken breasts and veggies Harry has prepared while sitting close together on the sofa and telling each other about their days. It’s routine and mundane, but Harry still wouldn’t trade these fleeting moments for anything in the world.

Before long, both of their plates are empty and Louis drops the dishes off in the sink, promising to wash them himself later since Harry made dinner, and pulls Harry along towards the bedroom. 

He gasps when he crosses the threshold and sees the nest Harry just put together for the occasion. No matter how many nests Louis has seen Harry build over the years, he always still acts as if every single one is a precious treasure. It never fails to make Harry’s heart feel so full.

“Omega.” Louis turns to look at him, voice low and sultry. “You built us a nest? It’s so beautiful, darling.”

Harry blushes at his Alpha’s words. “I wanted this to be special.”

Louis smiles fondly as he looks at the nest again, then grabs Harry’s hand. “C’mon. I can’t wait to be yours any longer.”

“Me neither,” Harry says, letting himself be guided into the nest by his Alpha.

He’s heard plenty of stories about Omegas feeling apprehensive or nervous in the moments leading up to bonding with their future mates, but Harry feels quite the opposite. A sense of peacefulness and calm washes over him as he crawls into the nest with Louis, and he knows this is exactly what he’s meant to do. 

He cannot wait to officially be Louis’ Omega, to bear his mark proudly, and to also be able to call him his in return. 

***

The thing Harry hates most about being mated to a lawyer is that sometimes, Louis has to travel for cases.

He’s immensely proud of the work Louis does defending Omega rights, and he wouldn’t want to prevent him from doing what he loves in any capacity, but his inner Omega hates when Louis is away.

Up until now, he thankfully hadn’t had to be out of town for more than two or three days at a time, and although Harry missed him tremendously, he could definitely cope with that.

But this is now the twelfth consecutive day his Alpha has been gone to work on a very important, pivotal case on the other side of the country, and he’s not due to be back for another week. 

Harry is a little worried he won’t make it until then without a case of depri; he’s already been feeling some mild symptoms, like disorientation, shivering, and frequent headaches. All things he hasn’t experienced since his first term at uni when he was still acclimating to being away from home and hadn’t yet met Louis. 

Louis made sure to leave behind lots of scented items for Harry, but pretty much all of them have lost their scents by now, and his Omega is wailing because of it.

He’s been trying to build a nest for the past hour in attempts to appease it, but all it’s done so far is make him more frustrated and anxious about the situation. He even moved it from the bed to the closet, hoping the enclosed space would help him feel safer and that the large empty bed reminding him of his Alpha’s absence being out of his sight would help too, but none of it feels right without Louis here. It’s all wrong and Harry needs him to come back now.

He ignores the way his head pounds as he leaves his nest on the floor—or his pile of disorganised clothes, really at this point—and retrieves his phone from the kitchen, immediately dialling Louis number. 

There’s a small voice at the back of his mind telling him not to bother him, that Louis’ got bigger fish to fry right now than trying to appease his anxious Omega back home, but chooses to ignore it. 

“Hello, darling! How are you?” Thankfully, he answers after just a few rings, and the sound of his voice makes Harry feel both slightly comforted and also even more panicked, as it reminds him that Louis’ still not here where he wants him to be, but rather hundreds of miles away. 

Harry can’t stop himself from whining in response, leaning against the counter next to him for support. “Lou.”

“Harry? What’s wrong, love? Are you hurt?” Louis asks in quick succession, voice filled with concern. 

“I miss you,” Harry sobs out, just now realising the tears that are streaming from his face. “Please.” He’s not sure exactly what he’s pleading for, but he hopes Louis will understand and fix it.

He can hear Louis sigh on the other end before he speaks again. “Oh love, I miss you too,” he coos. “Only one more week left and I’ll be back home, alright?”

Harry sobs again, shaking his head despite the fact that Louis can’t see him. 

“H, are you still with me?” Louis asks after a few seconds of silence. “Where are you?”

“In the kitchen,” Harry mumbles through his tears. “Lou, none of your things smell like you anymore.”

He knows just how pitiful he must sound right now, but he truly doesn't care. Louis is his Alpha and he trusts him to find a solution to fix it despite everything.

“I know, honey. I’m so sorry,” Louis says gently. “Harry, I need you to listen to me, okay? Can you do that for me, darling?”

Harry hums his agreement, his hand shaking around the phone that’s pressed to his ear. 

“I want you to get a glass of water okay? Drink all of it please.” Louis instructs him. “You sound a bit distressed, so take a few deep breaths too please, darling.”

So Harry does so, breathing deeply as he fills a glass with water from the tap and brings it to his lips. He hadn’t realised just how thirsty he was, but he downs it like he hasn’t drunk anything all day. Now that he comes to think of it, maybe he hasn’t.

“Done,” he whispers into the phone once the glass has been drained and placed in the sink for later. 

“Good Omega,” Louis says gently, which makes Harry smile the slightest little bit. “Now I want you to go down the hall to the spare linen closet, okay? Be careful, I don’t want you to trip on those long legs of yours, Bambi.”

Harry lets out a tiny giggle at the nickname as he cautiously makes his way to the closet in the hallway.

When he opens it, his giggles quickly die in his throat, replaced by a surprised gasp. 

There, in the closet they usually only keep things they barely ever use in, are three vacuum-sealed bags of what Harry instantly recognises as Louis’ clothes. 

“Did you find them, sweetheart?” Louis’ voice breaks him out of his stupor after a few seconds. 

“Lou,” Harry sobs again as he reaches for one of the bags, but this time from relief. “How did you know?”

Louis scoffs. “We’ve been together for over five years, H. Of course I know.” 

Harry smiles as clutches the bag close to his chest and grabs a second one, deciding to leave the third there until later in the week, in case he needs it.

Louis stays on the line with him as Harry takes the bag to their bedroom, crawling into the closet before ripping them open.

His Omega is immediately soothed by his Alpha’s familiar scent, and he feels so much lighter just thinking about how thoughtful Louis was to leave these for him.

He asks Louis to tell him about his work, wanting to hear more of his Alpha’s soft voice as he builds a proper nest on the floor of their closet. 

It comes together quite quickly, and Harry purrs as he settles into the finished nest. If he can’t actually have his Alpha here, he guesses this is a very close second.

“Feeling better, darling?” Louis asks when he hears Harry purring.

Harry blushes and nods. “Yeah, thank you.”

“Of course.” Harry can imagine the fond smile that must be on his Alpha’s face, the one that only Harry ever gets to witness. “Glad I could help.”

Harry only purrs again in response, burrowing further into his nest and taking a deep breath to fill his lungs with Louis’ pine and sea salt scent, feeling safe and settled and warm and the happiest he’s been all week.

Before long, Louis has to go to meet with a client, but not before promising Harry a FaceTime call later that evening.

In the meantime, Harry is perfectly content to stay in his little nest, surrounded by his Alpha’s scent and daydreaming about getting to see him again in a week’s time.

Hopefully, these long trips away for work won’t become too frequent.

***

Harry stares down at the nearly empty pack of birth control pills in his hands. There’s only one left for today, which means he should have made an appointment with his doctor to get the prescription renewed several days ago, but he quite literally didn’t realise they were running out until just now.

“Shit,” he says as he takes the last pill and swallows it down quickly before taking the empty packet and going to find Louis.

Harry’s been on birth control for years now, ever since he presented as an Omega at sixteen, and he can’t believe how irresponsible he was to not think of it running out this time. He usually never forgets.

He finds his Alpha in the living room, watching football reruns on the TV and lazily scrolling on his phone.

Harry clears his throat to catch his attention, blushing at the way Louis’ face lights up when he notices him. 

“We have a problem,” he says, holding up the empty birth control packet. “I forgot to renew it.”

“Oh.” Surprisingly, Louis doesn’t seem too concerned by his words. “Is that such a bad thing?” 

Harry frowns and moves to sit on the sofa next to Louis. “Well, my heat is coming up in about a week and a half, and so is your rut.”

“What if,” Louis trails off, linking their fingers together on top of Harry’s thigh. “What if you don’t renew it at all?”

Harry gasps, looking at Louis with wide eyes. “You think we’re ready for that?”

“We’ve both said before that we want kids, and I think you would make an amazing Mum,” Louis says as he gently squeezes Harry’s hand. “We’ve both got stable salaries, we’re moving out of this garbage flat next month, and your birth control running out feels like a sign, babe. I think now’s the right time, if you’re ready, that is. It’s still your body, of course.”

Harry smiles fondly, loving how understanding and respectful Louis always is to him. He just knows Louis will be the best dad to their future pups too. “No, no, I just wasn’t expecting to have this discussion today. I’m ready too, we’re ready”

“Good.” Louis beams as he looks at him. “Maybe we should get a little head start then?”

Harry smirks and nods. They both know there’s logistically no way Harry will get pregnant today, or during their next heat and rut cycle for that matter. The birth control he’s been on for years will most likely take weeks, if not months, to completely flush out of his system. Still, there’s no hurt in pretending. 

They run to the bedroom like two eager teenagers, and Louis starts to guide Harry toward the bed, but the Omega shakes his head and pulls Louis toward the closet instead. That’s where he’s been keeping his nest for the past few months, rather than on the bed like he used to.

“Let’s go in the nest,” Harry whispers, plastering himself to Louis’ side. “For good luck.”

“For good luck,” Louis repeats, looking at his Omega with the fondest of smiles.

They’re ready. 

***

Harry can’t help but feel hopeful as he sits on the edge of the bathtub and waits for the three-minute timer on his phone to be up.

Eight whole months have passed since their first talk about trying to have a baby now, and while their doctor has assured them that there’s nothing wrong with either of them and that it’s normal for it to take time sometimes, Harry is still feeling a little discouraged.

He was so excited when they decided to start a little family of their own a few months ago, and although he still definitely is, he also grows more and more apprehensive with each pregnancy test he takes. And he’s taken dozens at this point.

He really thinks it might be positive this time, though. His last heat a few weeks ago was a very busy one, and Harry’s been feeling all out of sorts lately. He’s more tired than usual, he’s hungry all the time, and he looks bloated too. That has to mean something, right?

He tries not to get his hopes up, but he does so every time, which only serves to make himself feel even worse about the situation when the results turn out negative.

He’s a bit startled when his phone rings, announcing the end of the three-minute wait, and he takes a deep breath as he stands and reaches for the test.

His heart sinks into his stomach as he turns it over and only sees one small pink line. Negative.

He throws the test in the bin, willing himself not to cry as he exits the bathroom to go sulk in bed. It doesn’t work, and the waterworks start as soon as his head hits his pillow.

Why won’t the universe give him the one thing he and Louis really want? What if Louis gets tired of waiting and thinks he’s a bad Omega? What if he leaves? 

Harry knows he shouldn’t let these thoughts get the better of him, but he can’t stop them once they’ve started filling his head. He curls up into himself under the covers, hoping sleep will take over soon.

That’s how Louis finds him an hour later when he gets home from work, looking small and sad on their bed, with tears still streaming down his fair cheeks. Sleep never did come to relieve Harry of his torment after all.

“Harry?” Louis says quietly as he approaches the bed to sit by Harry’s head. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Although Harry knows Louis didn’t mean anything by using that pet name, it still makes him sob. “Baby,” he whimpers brokenly.

“Oh, Haz,” Louis coos, manoeuvring himself on the mattress so that he can cradle Harry’s head in his lap. “Did you take another test?”

Harry only nods, sniffling as he looks up at Louis. The Alpha looks just as sad as he feels, making Harry’s heart break just a little bit more. He wishes things weren’t like this. 

“I’m sorry, honey.” Louis gently cards his fingers through Harry’s curls. “It’ll happen soon Harry, I can feel it.”

Harry whines in response, baring his neck until Louis gets the hint and scents him. It works to calm him down a little, though the hollow feeling in his chest remains.

He can only hope his Alpha is right. Harry’s not sure how many more negative tests he can take before reaching his breaking point.

***

Despite the fact that he's not pregnant, Harry’s symptoms don’t go away. In fact, they intensify over the course of the next week. 

He’s exhausted all the time, he’s barely been able to keep any food down for three days now because he’s so nauseous all the time, and even his nipples are tender. The universe must be playing a really cruel trick on him, and Harry is not amused.

“Here you go, my love,” Louis says as he enters the bedroom where Harry has been hiding all day and places a glass of water and a piece of dry toast on the nightstand. 

He looks concerned, and Harry gives him a shaky smile to try to ease his frown as he sits up slowly and reaches for the glass.

He’s about to bring it to his lips when his stomach rolls painfully once again, and he quickly puts it back down before hurrying to the bathroom.

His knees ache as he drops down onto them in front of the toilet, and all that comes up his throat is bile at this point, but it still burns painfully on the way up.

Louis is behind him within seconds, holding his hair for him with one hand and rubbing large circles onto his back with the other.

Thankfully, this bout of nausea doesn't last for too long, and Harry whines as he collapses back onto Louis, absolutely exhausted and spent.

“Darling,” Louis says softly, still frowning deeply as he holds his Omega on the bathroom floor. “Maybe you should take another pregnancy test.”

Harry shakes his head. This isn’t the first time the Alpha has suggested this over the past few days, but Harry refuses to face yet another rejection. 

“No, I’m not pregnant,” Harry mumbles pitifully. “I took a test less than a week ago. I know I’m not.”

“What if it was too early to tell?” Louis tries to reason with him. “Please take one, for me? I’ll be right here the whole time, I promise.”

Harry sighs and relents, not having the energy to fight with his Alpha at the moment. He leans on Louis as he helps him stand before grabbing a pregnancy test from the drawer. 

Louis meets his gaze across the room and gives him a small smile, providing Harry with the little bit of reassurance he needed to take the test. 

Before long, he’s placing the stick face down on the counter and he goes to sit at the edge of the bed with Louis to await the three longest minutes of his life.

“I have a good feeling about this one, H,” Louis says softly, playing with Harry’s hair as they wait.

Harry squeezes his eyes shut and lets himself be soothed by his mate, really hoping he’s right this time. 

When the timer goes off, it’s Louis that stands to retrieve the test in the bathroom, and he’s got the biggest smile Harry’s ever seen on his face when he walks back into the bedroom.

“Lou?” Harry asks carefully, eyeing Louis and the test that’s still in his hands.

“Love, you’re pregnant,” Louis says enthusiastically as he hands Harry the white stick. 

Two pink lines stare back at him where he’s used to seeing only one, and Harry bursts into tears and lets the test fall to the ground. Louis quickly comes to wrap his arms around him, and they stay like that for several minutes.

“I can’t believe this,” Harry says when they finally part, cheeks already hurting from just how wide his grin is. “We’re having a baby.”

“A baby!” Louis repeats before sealing their lips together in a kiss. “You’re amazing.”

The sweet moment is interrupted by Harry’s stomach rolling again, reminding him of what got them here in the first place, and he hears Louis wince as he darts to the bathroom again.

All he does is retch this time, his tummy fully empty, and it isn't long before Louis is pulling him to his feet again and guiding him back to bed.

The Alpha forces him to swallow a few sips of water before tucking him under the covers. Exhausted, it takes Harry less than a minute to fall asleep.

When he wakes again, Louis is sitting on the bed next to him and gently stroking his cheek. 

“Hey, baby,” Louis whispers to him. “How are you feeling?”

Harry stretches his limbs as he surveys his body for any sign of the nausea that’s been plaguing him. Sleeping must have done him some good, because he finds all traces of it are gone for the time being, and he feels like he may even be able to keep food down for the first time all day. 

“Hungry,” he says with a sheepish expression, happy when that makes his Alpha smile.

“Well, let’s get some food in you then,” Louis says, extending a hand out to Harry and lifting him off the bed. “You’re eating for two now, after all.”

Harry can’t help but giggle at the thought. He can’t believe it’s true, that there’s actually a baby growing inside of him right now. It’ll take some getting used to after so many negative tests, but Harry doesn’t really mind.

They head downstairs and share a late lunch of blueberry pancakes at Harry’s request, which Louis lovingly prepares and only somewhat burns. 

By the time they’re done eating, Harry is ready for another nap. He wasn’t joking when he said he was exhausted all the time. Now he guesses he knows the reason why at least. 

“Can I show you something first?” Louis asks when he says so.

“Sure,” Harry says with a yawn before following Louis upstairs again, curious about what it is Louis wants him to see right now.

To his surprise, the Alpha leads him to their bedroom, then instructs him to open the door to their closet. It’s a large ensuite wardrobe—much larger than the tiny one they shared at their old place.

It takes his brain a minute to register what he’s looking at after he pushes the door open.

Louis built him a nest.

It looks plush and comfortable and Harry just wants to crawl into it and sleep there forever. So he does, entering carefully as to not disturb any of the carefully placed items.

It’s unusual for Alphas to nest, but not totally unheard of. It’s the first time Louis’ ever done it, beyond helping Harry with his own nests from time to time.

“Louis.” Harry starts tearing up as he curls up in the nest. It smells like the perfect mixture of the both of them, the textures are just right, and he can tell Louis took extra care to build up the base nicely to provide support for his back. “This is so nice.”

“Oh darling, don’t cry,” Louis coos as he crawls into the nest next to Harry and holds him. “I know how important nests are for pregnant Omegas, and you’ve had barely any energy lately, so I thought I’d make one for you to rest and grow our pup in. You can obviously change anything you don’t like, and we could get a mattress pad to put at the bottom too. Your bad back’s going to need all the help it can get now that you’re carrying, but—”

“It’s perfect, Alpha,” Harry cuts his rambling off. “Thank you.”

Louis smiles, leaning in to kiss his Omega. “Of course, anything for you and our little pup.”

Harry thinks it’s oddly fitting that their baby’s first ever nest was built by their Daddy, and he cannot wait to tell them all about it when they get here in a few months.

***

They find out at Harry’s ten week check-up that they aren’t having only one little pup, but two; twins! Those Tomlinson genes really are strong, apparently.

While both of them are over the moon and so excited about welcoming two little bundles of joy rather than one, it does mean that Harry feels as big as a damn house by the time his third trimester hits.

He’s massive, but the pups are healthy and growing steadily, so Harry takes it in stride.

Plus, Louis is quite literally amazing, giving Harry back massages and foot rubs most evenings, never complaining when he makes him go out in the middle of the night because the babies need pickles, crunchy peanut butter or Oreos and they’re all out in the house, doing all of the work so that Harry’s vision for the perfect nursery comes to life, and indulging all of his crazy nesting tendencies.

With only three weeks left until his due date—if he makes it that far, since twins do often come early, as his doctor (and Louis) often remind him—all Harry wants to do is prepare. 

He’s itching to clean every last inch of the house, from the basement to the attic, as if the babies would decide they didn’t want to stay here if there was a single particle of dust anywhere. 

He needs to make sure everything is ready in the babies’ room, that all of their tiny little clothes have been washed and folded, that the diapers and creams are ready for use, and that Louis has finished putting the rocking chair together for nighttime feedings.

And he wants to nest so bad, to have Louis scent every last item of clothing they own so that their little family will have a warm, cosy place to bond in once they bring the twins home.

The problem is that he’s so big he can barely stand on his own, let alone actually do all of those things. 

Another small detail is that he’s been put on bedrest until the twins make their grand entrance into the world, and Louis is being pretty strict about it.

For the last two weeks, Harry has only been allowed out of his nest to pee or take baths (because showers are also out of the question at this point).

As a compromise, Louis has graciously agreed to let Harry boss him around so that all of his nesting needs are satisfied. 

Harry would feel bad about the amount of cleaning he’s asked Louis to do over the last few days, on top of taking care of him that is, but then he remembers he’s literally growing not one but TWO whole little humans in his womb, and he thinks it’s a fair trade.

He’s resting in his nest as instructed—the same one that Louis had built in the closet when they found out Harry was pregnant, but with a few changes and additions made since then—when Louis appears with a bowl of fruit and a bottle of water for Harry. The Alpha has done an amazing job of making sure Harry ate a balanced diet and stayed hydrated throughout his whole pregnancy.

“Here baby, thought you might want a snack,” he says as he hands Harry the bowl.

Harry hums in satisfaction as he plucks a green grape from the bowl and pops it into his mouth. He doesn’t know how Louis always seems to know exactly what he wants before he even does, but he certainly isn’t complaining about it. “Thanks, Alpha.”

“I just finished cleaning out the fridge as well.” Louis carefully crawls into the nest and kneels next to Harry’s round tummy, pressing two matching kisses on either side of the bump. Sensing their father’s presence, the twins both give strong kicks, making Harry huff. “What do you want me to do next?”

Harry contemplates the options for a second, but ultimately decides there is only one thing he wants his Alpha to do right now. “The babies and I would love a cuddle.”

Louis breaks out into a smile at that. “Yeah? I can definitely do that.”

He manoeuvres himself to lay down next to Harry, and the Omega awkwardly shuffles closer until he can rest his head on Louis’ shoulder.

It’s hard to find comfortable cuddling positions with Harry’s swollen middle getting in the way, and the bump is definitely pressing into Louis’ side, but it’ll do for now. 

As they always do, Louis’ hands slip under Harry’s shirt to caress his bump. There are quite a few stretch marks on the underside despite Harry lathering his skin with lotion daily. With the twins making his tummy expand by the hour it seems, he never really stood a chance.

Besides, he doesn't mind the reminder of what his body went through to grow their two babies, and Louis assures him they make him even more beautiful, so he’ll let them slide.

“Thank you for doing all the cleaning for me,” Harry says softly as he feels the babies move inside of him as Louis gently strokes the skin on the surface. “And for taking such great care of us. All three of us really appreciate it.”

Louis turns his head to the side to seal their lips in a chaste kiss. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for doing this for us.”

Harry smiles fondly. He really hit the jackpot with Louis as his Alpha, and he will spend the rest of his life being thankful for it.

“Not too long left now,” Louis says as he pulls Harry’s maternity shirt down over his bump again.

“Any day, really,” Harry answers. He’s a little nervous about labour and delivery, hoping everything will go smoothly and according to their plan, but he knows he’ll be fine as long as Louis is by his side.

They spend the next hour lounging in the nest, imagining who their little ones will look like the most and what the next few years will hold for their little family of four.

Eventually though, Harry’s Omega instincts kick back in and he asks Louis if he can please go mop the floor in the laundry room, despite the fact that the babies likely won’t step foot in there for a long time.

Still, Louis agrees with a knowing chuckle, pecking Harry’s lips before leaving the cosy nest to tend to the house again.

He’s truly the best.

***

Every last muscle in Harry’s body hurts like hell, but he also doesn’t remember a time where he was happier than he is right now.

He’s in the backseat of the SUV Louis bought recently to accommodate their growing family, sandwiched between two car seats in which their newborn twins are peacefully sleeping.

He gave birth at the hospital two days ago now, and both of their little ones got clean bills of health so they were able to come home at the same time as Harry. 

The Omega is eternally grateful for that, as he’s not sure how he would have coped with having to leave his pups behind if he got to go home before them. He may have only officially known them for around 48 hours, but he’s already utterly in love with both of them and would rather get hit by a train than spend time apart from them.

“Oops,” he coos when he notices their son Percy has dropped his pacifier, and he swiftly scoops it up and gently presses it back in his little mouth. “There you go, darling. All better,” he says before the baby can start crying about it.

He spares a quick glance to the other side at his daughter, Poppy, who hasn’t made a peep the whole journey, before briefly locking eyes with Louis in the rearview mirror. Neither of them has been able to stop smiling since the twins came out into the world screaming and kicking.

Louis’ driving the slowest Harry’s ever seen him drive the whole time he’s known him, which probably has everything to do with the two very precious pieces of cargo on either side of Harry, but they still get home in due time.

30 long hours of labour and two nights at the hospital have left Harry exhausted and sore in places he didn’t even know possible, but he’s also the happiest he’s been in his whole life. 

“Let me,” Louis says once the car is parked and he’s climbed out, gesturing to the car seats. 

Harry gives him a tight smile as he waits for Louis to unclip the first one so he can slip out of the vehicle. 

It isn't a graceful affair, and he winces as soon as his feet hit the pavement, sending a little shock of pain through his midsection. He truly hadn't expected childbirth to hurt this much.

Louis gives him a sympathetic look as he slings their two overnight bags over his shoulder before grabbing the second car seat. He looks a little ridiculous with his hands full like that, but Harry is grateful for not having to carry anything in.

All he has to do is walk up to the front door and unlock it, holding it open so Louis can step inside with the twins before following suit and shutting the door behind him.

“Home sweet home,” Louis sings under his breath as he places the car seats down by the door and smiles down at the twins.

Harry does the same. He may be biassed, but he thinks they are the two most gorgeous babies ever.

“Want to get settled on the couch to rest a bit?” Louis asks. He’s taking Harry’s recovery very seriously and has made sure Harry hasn’t had to do more than hold or feed his babies since he pushed them out. “I’ll bring them to you for a cuddle.”

Harry shakes his head. “I think I want to take them to our nest.”

Louis smiles. “Head on up then, I’ll bring them to you in a minute.”

Harry takes it slow going up the stairs and walking into their bedroom, and he winces as he lowers himself down into the nest. It takes a few adjustments for him to get comfortable, but he finally finds a position resting his back against a pillow that doesn’t exacerbate any of his residual aches and sighs in relief. 

As promised, it isn’t long before Louis appears at the doorway, holding a twin in each arm. He looks so natural like this, unlike Harry who has yet to master the art of holding them both at the same time. But Louis has had plenty of practice thanks to the two sets of younger twin siblings he grew up with, so Harry’s sure he’ll catch on soon.

He makes grabby hands at the babies, making his Alpha giggle as he hands them over one at a time. 

Harry is careful as he lays them down side by side in the nest right next to him, and smiles fondly when they immediately gravitate toward each other in their sleep. He has a feeling they will have an amazing sibling bond, and he can’t wait to be there to witness it.

“It’s about time for their next feed,” Louis says. “Do you need anything while I go make their bottles?”

“Would you mind bringing me up a snack as well when you come back?” Harry asks, keeping his voice down so as to not disturb the babies’ sleep. “I’m a bit peckish.”

Now that he comes to think of it, he hasn’t actually eaten anything since the tasteless breakfast he had to force down at the hospital hours ago. 

“Of course,” Louis replies. “I’ll be back in a tick.”

Harry’s gaze turns back to the twins as soon as Louis is gone, and he can’t help but smile as he looks at them. 

It feels surreal that they’re here, in their nest with them. Neither of them has opened their eyes since entering the closet, but Harry thinks they like it in here. At the very least, he likes having them in the nest. It feels right; like they were the missing piece of the puzzle to pure and utter happiness. 

He finds himself spacing out a little as he waits for Louis to return, thinking back on all that has happened in his life for them to get to this point.

He’s thinking about how far he’s come since that first nest he ever built when he was in university when his Alpha gets back in the nest.

He’s holding a platter with two bottles of warm formula on it, as well as two steaming cups of tea and a selection of snacks for both of them to share. He’s careful as he settles in and sets it down, taking care not to spill anything and ruin their perfect nest.

As if on cue, Percy and Poppy both start fussing, and Harry and Louis each grab one to feed. 

They may have only been doing this for two days, but they are already the dream team when it comes to caring for the twins. Harry had no doubt his Alpha would want to be an involved parent, but it still makes his heart swell with love and pride to see him in action, to witness how gentle and delicate he is as he cradles Poppy and gives her her bottle while he feeds Percy.

Once they’ve both had their fill of milk, Louis briefly takes them out of the nest to burp them, lest they get any spit up on it. Harry’s sure it will eventually happen at some point, but he’d still like to avoid his nest getting messy for as long as possible.

He’s snacking on a biscuit when Louis returns and situates the babies between them again, and he smiles fondly at the sight of Harry looking so comfortable and at home in the nest.

“You know you’re amazing, right?” the Alpha says softly.

Harry blushes and looks down at Poppy and Percy, now back to sleeping after their meal. “So are you.”

“Perfect little family, we have there.”

Harry’s never heard truer words spoken before. “We do.”