me, him, and the moon ☾ l.s.

twenty five - back from the edge

The air had turned cold. Night had long fallen over the forest. The army had successfully pushed the enemy soldiers back to the border, with only a few scouts and injured stragglers still lagging behind. Louis had effectively hidden himself behind a tree near the riverbank, and he leaned back against the thick trunk, listening to the calming rhythm of the rushing water. He sighed softly. It reminded him of someone.

Louis was going to die.

Despite the throbbing pain in his side, his thoughts were consumed with Harry. The boy's milky white skin, his captivating green eyes. He could almost see his mate hovering over him, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Weakly, Louis raised his trembling hand to touch the hallucination, needing nothing more than to stroke Harry's soft cheek one last time before his light faded into darkness.

His fingers met icy skin. His eyes shot open.

And Harry didn't disappear.

"Harry?" he rasped. He gripped the side of the other boy's neck, gasping to regain his breath when the horrifying realization finally hit him. "Harry, you shouldn't be here! No, fuck, you can't be here. What are you doing here?"

"Lou, you're bleeding out," Harry fretted, pressing his hand against the wound to slow the bleeding. His nose scrunched in concentration, just like it always did when something required his full attention. "Come on, I won't let you die."

"No, H, it's not safe for you here. You have to go back. I can't --" Louis groaned as pain shot through his stomach again, the dull ache suddenly turning sharp again. "I can't protect you."

"It's okay. It's just us, Lou, it's just us. And I have to help you," Harry pleaded, blood from Louis's side seeping out from between his fingers. "Please let me help you."

"Sweetheart, you're shivering." Louis's face softened suddenly, and he stroked the younger boy's cheek with his thumb. Harry's skin was freezing cold to the touch. "You have to get back inside. You're so cold."

Tears welled up in Harry's eyes, and he tugged the alpha's arm desperately with his free hand. He stole a quick glance over his shoulder; the river was so close, just a hundred yards behind him, but he couldn't leave Louis. "Please, Lou, you have to keep fighting. If we can just get to the river, everything will be fine. I can fix this."

"Baby, you'll freeze to death," Louis insisted. He shoved his mate away from him gently, back toward the faint lights of the town square. "I won't let you die for me."

"Lou, I'm fine!" Harry whimpered, knowing all too well that the blood loss was causing Louis to hallucinate. His worst fears were coming to life, and the worst of them all: Harry dying because Louis just couldn't take care of him.

"I love you," Louis whispered, smiling softly at his omega. His eyes started to flutter closed, and Harry knew that despite the constant pressure he had on the wound, Louis was losing too much blood. If they didn't get the river in the next few minutes, he knew Louis would die.

He didn't think. He just did exactly what he had to do.

Exhaling sharply, Harry let out his claws, wincing at the pain that shot through his hand. And without hesitation, he dragged them deep across his chest, a quiet whine escaping his lips.

Louis's eyes flew open instantly, the deep blue flashing with a newfound energy miraculously renewed inside of him. Their bond let him feel Harry's pain completely; if not even more deeply than Harry did, because he needed to fix it. He scanned the bleeding scrapes across Harry's chest, worry and rage coursing through his veins. Now that Harry was hurt, his omega's safety and wellbeing suddenly became his only priority.