the eclipse [sequel] ☾ l.s.

twenty eight - the moon

The streets were quiet. The day was still young, the sun only barely peeking over the heads of the trees. They had packed up almost everything in the cave and sent it on to town with some helpful soldiers while they followed behind. Harry insisted on leaving a few things, too attached to their makeshift home to really give it back to nature completely.

Louis could see that he was nervous. He tugged at his shirtsleeves as they walked, fiddling with his fingers constantly -- but every time Louis caught his gaze, he smiled. Even with how nervous he felt about returning to the Sons again, he didn't want Louis to think that he was making a bad decision.

This was the right thing for them. Harry believed it, and he would make Louis believe it, too.

Before they left the cave early that morning, Niall had pulled Louis aside. "Harry isn't doing any magic," he had said bluntly, keeping his voice low. He glanced over Louis's shoulder to where Harry was still busy helping Zayn pack.

Louis frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He hasn't done any magic since the miscarriage. I haven't even seen him help Liam with the fire. Even the small things, it's like . . ."

"He's scared." Louis cursed himself for not noticing. Harry had become so much more open with his magic after their banishment, but Niall was right: over the past few weeks, Louis hadn't even seen him use his powers when he was cooking.

"It's part of him, Louis. He can't live in fear of himself."

"You're right," Louis had agreed. "I'll talk to him. Don't worry."

But he was worried, of course, even as he tried to ease Niall's concerns. He watched the omega fidget restlessly, only barely fighting the urge to take his hand just so that he would stop. If Harry was afraid to do any magic, he was suppressing a huge part of himself, pushing his powers down in some useless attempt to protect himself.

To protect Louis, too. To protect them all.

Louis kept a close eye on him as they walked, and even closer eye when they actually started approaching the town gates. The woods thinned out and disappeared, the road stretching out into the open for the last few paces of the journey.

He stopped Harry just before they passed under the gates, his fingers curling around the omega's hip. "Hey. You alright?"

"Of course," Harry replied. He caught the worried look on Louis's face, and he reached out to take the older boy's hand. "Louis, seriously. I'm fine. I'm excited! I'm happy for you."

"For us," Louis corrected him. "I'm doing this for us. All of us."

"I know. I know." He surged forward to press their lips together once, then once more. "It's the right thing, Lou. Really."

Louis still sounded skeptical, but he let Harry guide him past the gates and into town. "Do you really believe that?"

"Absolutely."

His positive words were offset by Zayn grumbling over his shoulder. "Back again. I could jump for joy."

"Shut up," Liam said, shoving him playfully. "You should jump for joy. It's a good day."

"I'm not jumping. You couldn't pay me to jump," the beta told him seriously.

"Louis could order you to jump. Head Alpha and all."

"He can try to order me around after tonight's ceremony. Right now, he's got absolutely nothing on me."

Louis ignored them all. "I have to talk to my father about where we're living now that our old house has been . . . compromised."