Love is like this; not a heartbeat, but a moan

7

Something happened over the past two days that neither Harry nor Louis planned.

Harry had thought they were safe since he didn't bite Louis and thus they weren't bonded, meaning there wouldn't be any lasting effects of Harry knotting Louis.
Well, he was wrong. The lasting effect is this: there's a gnawing in his gut telling him to stay as close to Louis as he can, constantly. An alarm that blares every time the omega isn't in Harry's immediate line of vision.

Harry assumes this feeling is similar to what bondmates experience when they're separated. Except he and Louis are not bondmates, so he's not sure exactly what's going on. All he knows for sure is that the night he gets home he doesn't sleep more than two hours total, despite his heavy exhaustion. For the entirety of the hours he spends staring at the ceiling, all he can think of is Louis.

In fact, it isn't just during the night that he thinks of Louis. It's always. Every waking moment of the day, Harry's mind is occupied by thoughts filled of the omega. It's painful. Actually physically painful. The distance between them is an insurmountable void that Harry wants nothing more than to charge across and reunite with Louis.

He has to wait until the wedding, though. So he waits, dutifully, and fights the urges to track Louis down and steal him away back to the beach house that has become their safe haven. He busies himself finding a suit to wear to the wedding, and then attempts to fill the remainder of his free time with simple tasks to keep his mind occupied.

It doesn't work. He thinks of Louis as he hand-washes the few dishes that have accumulated since he returned back to his flat. He thinks of Louis as he does the laundry. He even thinks of Louis as he opens his textbooks and attempts to study for his looming exams. Nothing works. No matter how hard Harry tries, no matter how persistent and insistent he is, he can't get the thought of Louis out of his head.

As a result, Lottie and Tommy's wedding the following day is a very welcome gift. Yes, he's excited for the to-be-married's and can't wait to see his family there, celebrating love. But more than that, Harry is fucking ecstatic because he finally gets to see Louis again.

On Saturday morning he drives down to the church relatively early, but once he gets there he sees people are already filing in. He has to park a block away, so he walks with celerity through the city streets until he reaches the cathedral, swiftly stepping up the beautiful marble stairs. He pulls the grand oak door open, feeling the cold metal of the handle in his palm, and steps inside to the beautifully-decorated hall.

The floral scent of bouquets reaches his senses as he gazes in awe at the ethereal cathedral. Everything is so picturesque and perfect, just for Lottie and Tommy. The colors are pale petal pink and lovely ivory, so simple yet so Lottie. The flowers at the base of each pew are effortless and natural, held together with a simple bejeweled band.

Harry walks down the aisle as others file in and finds a spot in the third row, beside Louis' aunt and uncle. They make cheery small talk as Harry's insides furl uncomfortably in his stomach. It feels nice to be assimilated back into Louis' family but strange all the same. After years of avoiding them for the simple sake that he thought Louis hadn't wanted him there, the transition to being a part of his family again is a stark difference.

Harry sighs lightly as the opening music begins to play. He loves weddings, even though they always make him cry.

And Louis will be here soon. He's a part of the wedding, of course, and Harry gets to see him all dressed up...