the eclipse [sequel] ☾ l.s.

twenty five - i would burn in it for you

With how exhausted Harry had already been, Louis's rut was both a blessing and a curse. On the positive side: Harry got to spend three days in bed with Louis. On the negative side: Harry spent three days in bed while Louis fucked him senseless.

Well, getting fucked senseless wasn't exactly a negative. It just wasn't very conducive to resting.

Still, he dragged himself out of bed early that morning. He had woken up alone, a sign that Louis had finished his rut, and despite his exhaustion, he hadn't been able to get back to sleep.

Ever since he was a young teenager, Harry had never been able to sleep without Louis. That fact had yet to change.

Louis was already down in the kitchen by the time he wandered in, rubbing at his itchy eyes and mumbling an incoherent greeting. The alpha turned as soon as he walked into the room, halfway through fixing himself a cup of tea.

"Hey," he greeted Harry with a tired smile. He slid the steaming cup across the counter to him before pouring himself a second one.

"Thank you," Harry said, sitting down and wrapping his fingers around the mug, sighing when the warmth sank into his skin. "How are you feeling? Back to normal?"

Louis slid into the seat beside him with his own cup of tea in hand, scooting his chair closer to Harry's so that their shoulders were pressed together. "Mostly normal. I've still got a bit of an adrenaline rush going, but it'll wear off today or tomorrow."

"We need to talk to the others about plans," Harry said.

"If you've changed your mind, we'll go. I mean it, Harry. You say the word and I'll get you out of here before my father and the council can come up with some ridiculous new reason why we have to stay."

"I haven't changed my mind," he responded, although he punctuated his statement with a wide yawn. "Even if all we can do is warn them about when the witch plans to return, I think I owe this pack that much. After all, she'll only come back to the Sons because she thinks I'm here."

As much as Louis hated that Harry thought he owed the Sons anything, he bit his tongue. His mate was determined to show the same pack who had beaten him half to death that they hadn't broken him -- his spirit. He understood that now.

They dressed quickly. When Louis finished first, he turned around and helped Harry into his sweatshirt, rubbing at the omega's shoulders with steady hands.

Harry's entire body ached, but he didn't complain. He had really only helped Louis through one rut before they synced, so he chalked his soreness up to not remembering how brutal an alpha in rut could be. Louis had essentially slept on top of him for three days straight, shielding him from the world while he pumped Harry full of his seed, so it was natural that Harry felt a bit achey.

Luckily, Louis's hand didn't leave his waist as they made their way to the training center, always keeping him close. When they walked in the front doors, Liam, Zayn, and Niall were gathered at the center table, their heads down as they discussed plans.

Niall was the first to spot them. "Oh, thank god. You survived," he exclaimed dramatically. With a sassy glance at Louis, he added, "I was talking to Harry, by the way. Thought you might finally breed him to death this time."

Harry scrunched his nose. "Ew, Niall. Seriously. Gross."

"You're all so sensitive these days. I can't say anything," the beta complained. "Like, when I told Liam and Zayn that you were pregnant, they acted like I had just showed them photos of you and Louis having sex."

"Niall! You told them?"

"How did you even know?" Louis echoed Harry's surprise.

"I didn't know it was a secret! I mean, you were practically walking around with a glowing sign over your head. It's not my fault these two are morons."