Polaris || l.s.

chapter 17: tumble

"I rescued her!" He exclaimed, exasperated, "she should not be favoring you over me."

Louis could only huff out a laugh as Olympia pushed herself into his lap, with a force so unexpected that it knocked the alpha down on the mattress behind him with a soft thud. "I think she likes my beard," Louis managed to get out as Olympia pushed herself up to Louis' chest, leaning forward to rub the side of her face against the alpha's beard. Harry frowned, watching as Louis carded his fingers through her fur. How could it be possible that this animal was receiving everything he had been dreaming about? She had barely been living with them for two days and she had already managed to capture Louis' attention all on herself.

"I think she's healed enough." He grumbled, crossing his arms sullenly. Thankfully, his words went unheard. He didn't think he could live with letting people know he was envious of a bloody animal. He loved Olympia, of course, he did. But she was supposed to be pampered by him. And she was to provide him some company, not the other way around — or whatever it was that was happening right in front of his eyes.

He hauled himself up to his feet when he noticed the lack of attention on him, rolling his eyes as he started sorting out today's lunch. Raw vegetables with overly salted broth would serve Louis right. "Are you making lunch?" He heard Louis ask over the clanging of pots. He barely had the chance to nod before Louis was by his side, taking him by his forearm to lead him towards the nest.

"I think Olympia needs you. You can spend some quality time with her whilst I fix us some nice lunch."

Harry stood his ground though, absolutely planting himself on the floor. Louis halted when he noticed that he wasn't following his lead anymore, turning around with sheer confusion filled in his eyes. "I want to make us lunch today." He said, arms crossed and his nose upturned. "And I said you can rest. I'll take up cooking duty today." Louis retorted calmly with a questioning quirk of his eyebrow. 

"Oh, so you resent my cooking now?" His eyes were narrowed down to slits, and he was certain he looked akin to a wolf with a never-ending bloodlust. "What made you realize that? Was it the delicious desserts that Josephine baked only for you?"

"Harry —"

"I will make lunch today." He cut in before Louis could say something sensible and make him look like a fool again. "And you will bet your piffling arse that it is going to be just as salted as the sea's water."

He spun on his heels, plodding his way towards the stove as he started from where he had left off. A heavy silence engirdled them, something so unwonted for them now that they had both gotten accustomed to living with each other but Harry didn't let it deter him or his determination. He carried on peeling the fresh carrots Louis had purchased from the farmer's market today.

"You like celery, yes?" He called out after he was done dumping the peeled carrots in a bowl. "No." Louis sounded as if he wanted to say more but at last, he settled for a sigh. The alpha also sounded closer to him than before, but thankfully, just as exasperated.

Good for him, he thought.

"Oh. Alright." He nodded, already chopping up a stick of celery. "You are so petty." Louis sounded amused now and as it seemed, also much closer to him. And sure enough, when he went to wash his vegetables by the sink, he bumped into the alpha. Much to his chagrin (delight, really), Louis caught him by his elbow before he could fall face-front on the ground.

"Are you upset with me, doll?" Louis' gaze on him was as apparent as a beacon of light in the murk of a moonless night. He could feel it on him as he tried to free his hand from the alpha's unyielding clutch. He could not even appreciate how Louis had called him 'doll' after so long when he had larger things to tend to. Like the vegetables waiting to be washed. Or Olympia playing around with the pillows by the edge of his nest. Or perhaps, even the weight of Louis' hand on his forearm that seemed just as scorching as the heat of the sun at its peak during late June.