me, him, and the moon ☾ l.s.

twenty eight - the end of the world . . .

The crisp morning air sent goosebumps crawling over Harry's skin, and he burrowed further into Louis's side, stealing as much of the alpha's warmth as he possibly could. When they finally had to leave their warm bed that morning, the older boy had fussed over Harry like a worried parent, bundling him up in two thick jackets and a knitted hat that nearly covered his eyes.

"I'm fine, Lou," Harry had giggled sleepily, smacking Louis's hands away when he started chasing Harry around the house, trying to wrap a third coat around his shoulders. "I'm more likely to die of heat stroke than hypothermia at this point."

"You get cold easily!" Louis had responded defensively, huffing as he tossed the third coat aside. It was nearly spring, after all, so even the early mornings weren't too cold. "I just want to make sure you stay warm, you know, even when . . ."

The unspoken words hung heavy between them: when I'm gone.

No one knew how long the battles would last, and no one knew who would come back alive. They could only take advantage of their last moments together and hope that it wouldn't be too long before they saw each other again.

"Haz, Lou! Over here, lads," Liam's voice rang out through the crowd, and Louis tugged Harry toward their friends. The main square was packed with soldiers and their families, all hanging around just before dawn to see the squad off.

Harry said quick goodbyes to Liam and Zayn, making both boys promise to be careful (and to take care of Louis, even though the alpha would hate the idea of his own friends looking after him). When he turned around, Louis was engaged in an intense-looking conversation with Niall, and Harry quickly made his way over to the other two boys, tucking himself under Louis's arm.

"I'm going to go check on Zayn and Li," Niall said, excusing himself rather awkwardly. Harry furrowed his brow in confusion, immediately looking to Louis for an explanation.

Louis just sighed, his brow knitted together to mirror Harry's. His thumb rubbed gently over the omega's hip, but he avoided Harry's gaze, staring off into the distance. The silence between them felt thick and heavy, making the fresh morning air feel much more suffocating.

"Lou. Baby," Harry cooed, framing the older boy's face with his hands and locking their eyes together. He was growing quickly, and after just a few months together, Louis could already tell that his omega would outgrow him very soon.

He couldn't bring himself to care -- no matter how tall he got, Harry would always be his baby.

"What's going on, love?" Harry continued, studying the alpha's face carefully. "You've never been this worried about leaving before. What's different this time?"

Louis sighed, smiling softly at his mate. "I've always hated leaving you," he reminded Harry, and both of their minds flashed back to the same memories; when they were just too young to realize what they truly felt for each other. "I just . . . I have a bad feeling, I guess."

"Everything's going to be fine," the younger boy replied, trying to sound confident even as his voice wavered, thick with emotion. "I'll be waiting right here when you get back."

"But Harry, your dreams. My father, appearing in your dreams," he protested, tangling his fingers with the omega's and squeezing. "That has to mean something. Niall said --"

"I don't care what Niall said, or what he thinks he knows. We're all just being paranoid, and you --" he poked Louis's chest for emphasis "are scrambling for reasons not to leave." Harry's face softened, and he buried his nose in the alpha's neck, inhaling the soothing pheromones and feeling his body relax instantly. "Not that I want you to leave. Not now, not ever."