Harry watched with a patent frown as Louis rushed inside the house, his shivering frame draped with a flimsy linen fabric that clung to his damp body. "It's bloody cold out there." The alpha muttered to himself, running a quick hand through his saturated hair. "Um, you want some privacy?" He questioned, turning around to face the fireplace even before Louis answered, closing his eyes for good measure. "I don't mind," he heard Louis mutter, the man cursing underneath his breath before a raucous thud resonated in the small room.
His primal instinct was to spin on his heels and ensure that Louis was safe but he pushed that impulse down when his mind recollected that there was a slim chance Louis was stark naked. "I am all fine, not like you asked or anything— but you know, just putting it out there?" He giggled lightly at the words, "did you fall?"
"No— I mean, yes?" He simply nodded at the juxtaposed response, choosing to not comment on the quiver of Louis’ voice— it was manifestly evident that the alpha had caught a cold. "I am done. You can turn around." He complied effortlessly, scrunching his nose up at the sneeze that followed Louis’ words. "I thought you were used to it?" Louis tilted his head at that before letting out a tiny sneeze that had his button nose scrunching up in the process— it was indisputably adorable. "You told me you were accustomed to taking dives in the lake," he elucidated softly, taking a seat in front of the hearthside, making sure to keep a safe distance away from the hearth.
"Yeah, in the summers?" He craned his neck in Louis’ direction, curling an eyebrow in question when the alpha scratched the nape of his neck sheepishly. "You are actually nuts," he mumbled, shaking his head incredulously as Louis sat beside him, extending his palms towards the gradually ebbing fire. "I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable by suggesting we take a bath together, besides, it was fun," Louis mumbled back, an insouciant shrug emphasizing his nonchalant tone. "Fun? Catching a cold is fun?"
Louis barely chuckled at his words, shuffling forward and towards the ingle. "The fire is going to run out soon, I will go get some wood logs." Harry nodded, green eyes scintillating in front of the diminishing fire. "Louis?" He called out just as the alpha stood up from his spot. "My— I had some clips in my hair and—"
"The golden ones?" Louis interrupted, already plodding his way back to the cherrywood bureau. "Yes. They even had these little stars on them, and I—" He was yet again interrupted by the alpha, who was currently hunched over the drawers of the askew, chipped bureau. "They look expensive, if not lavish. Did you steal them from the prince?" Louis questioned the last bit while staring at him with an eyebrow quirked in sheer amusement, lips twitched up in a languid smirk. "N-No. The k-king gave them to me!" He blurted out without a second thought, eyes wide.
"Oh." Louis gave a single nod of his head, looking deflated all of a sudden. The teasing smirk dropped down to a hollow scowl before he was inching towards him with his fist clenched around the clips in his hand. "Here," the alpha tossed the pair of golden clips on the nest gently, avoiding his eye. "The— um, the clothes you were wearing are in the bureau, you can take them any time you want. I will— I am just going to get some more wood for the fire before it completely dies down." He watched through squinted eyes as Louis walked out of the house, steps heavy and uncertain.
Had he said something wrong? Perhaps, he was reading too much in between the lines— maybe, that was just Louis’ aversion to the royals; his instant response whenever the royals were mentioned. Before he could delve more into the depth of the matter, the door flung open, and in came Louis, arms full of cumbersome wood logs that he carried effortlessly. Had he been in Louis’ shoes right now, he was certain, he would have probably sprauchled about with two logs alone, panting and gasping for trivial intakes of breath.
"We are running out of wood. I would have to go to gather more wood tomorrow. Would you like to join?" Louis asked with an air of nonchalance encompassing him, so casual in his actions that had Harry rethinking if the previous conversation had even taken place. "Yes, sure!" He answered after a beat. Getting out of the house and taking in his surroundings was probably a great idea. He had to get accustomed to the paths and trails of the seemingly impenetrable forest, had to be prepared to run away lest Louis ever displayed any diabolical intentions— his true self, the flagitious thief crouching behind the camouflage of a soft-spoken and domesticated alpha.
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Polaris || l.s.
Fanfiction[discontinued until further notice] Harry's heart was dead set on freedom. It was not a recent thing, he had been itching to get away from the confines of the responsibilities he had as the prince of Eonshire. Running away from home was easy, but b...
