the eclipse [sequel] ☾ l.s.

sixteen - i'll never leave if you keep holding me

"I'll see you later, okay?"

Harry kept his eyes downcast as he mumbled in reply, "Okay, alpha."

Louis's fingers danced over his waist. Harry had to brace himself to keep from clinging to his alpha, begging him to stay. Louis lingered for a long moment, like he could sense Harry's own uncertainty, then he sighed.

"Okay. I'll be back soon."

"Okay."

His heart ached as he watched Louis step out the front door, but Harry finally let himself breathe. He immediately jumped into action, hurrying back upstairs and getting dressed in less than five minutes. He knew that he was holding Louis at an arm's length, keeping the alpha at a distance, but he needed to go to the infirmary before his walls fell and he let Louis back in.

It was a cold morning even for early springtime, and Harry pulled the sleeves of his jacket down over his hands. The weight of other pack members' gazes followed him down the road, and he kept his eyes downcast, avoiding any comments or confrontation. He already knew what they thought of him, and he didn't need a reminder -- especially not without Louis around to growl threats in their faces.

Despite everything, the thought made him smile.

Muscle memory took over as he climbed the stairs to the infirmary, his feet falling into the same rhythm that they had practiced for years. A gust of warm air washed over him when he pushed open the front door, and immediately, he caught Niall's eye from across the room.

"Harry? What are you doing here?" the Irish boy asked, raising an eyebrow. He started to place down the medicines that he was mixing, but he paused midair when Harry quickly waved him off. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine! Just meeting with someone about getting my old job back. Temporarily, at least."

The crease between Niall's brows deepened. "They didn't make me do an interview," he joked, but his face stayed serious, clearly not buying Harry's story. "I just walked right in and they put me to work."

"Yeah, well. Hybrid," Harry replied. "Seems like people don't like witches too close to their sick family members."

Niall seemed to relax a bit at that, and he nodded, mostly satisfied. "Alright, well, let me know if you need anything. If anyone gives you any trouble, I'm right out here."

Harry offered him a reassuring smile as he moved through the main room, thankful for the small comfort of knowing that the back rooms were mostly soundproof. Even with his best friend just ten feet away, he could still keep his conversation private.

About a step from the doorway, though, a dizzy spell hit him. He reached out for the door handle, gripping hard to steady himself. He had to blink a few times to clear his blurred vision, the metal handle distorted around his fingers and cold against his overheated skin.

"Harry," Niall called out from behind him. He sounded concerned, and panic flashed through Harry, terrified that Niall had seen him stumble. Luckily, his friend just asked slowly, "Is the door locked? You've been standing there for a minute."

Harry inhaled a shaky breath, keeping his face to the door so that Niall didn't see his flushed cheeks. "I'm fine," he repeated, although he knew that he sounded less convincing this time around. "It was just jammed or something. I've got it now."

Thankfully, Niall didn't say anything else. Harry pushed the door to the backroom open before his best friend decided to launch an interrogation.

He poked his head through the crack and rapped his knuckles against the doorframe, making his presence known. His vision was still a bit shifty, and his stomach was starting to churn again, but he forced a hesitant smile.