Truebonds (Larry Stylinson)

Destiny

Harry watches from the window of the scenting room as a pair of goldfinches peck at the grass in the back garden, not a hint of a breeze to rustle the fall leaves that hang heavily from the stems as they await the sun rays to dry the gathered morning dew.

It's peaceful, the gentle sounds of the farm awakening all around the farmhouse, soothing in a way that the hum of city traffic could never hope to achieve. Their conversation from last night about whether he would ever move back to the country had weighed on him and he'd wrestled with it as he fell into a fitful, dream-filled sleep.

He really doesn't know what he sees for his future, or where it might be. He'd always thought it was for later consideration when he was older, the wisdom of his years able to guide him, but time waits for no man, as they say, and maybe the future is now. It's certainly something that will start to occupy his mind more presently than it's done before.

A knock at the door draws his attention. "Come in," he calls out and the door opens to reveal Louis looking adorably sleep rumpled and unshaven. "Morning, Lou. Sleep well?"

"Y-yeah," Louis rasps out and clears his throat, staying at the threshold. "Yes, thanks. You?"

"Not too bad. Have you had your breakfast?"

"I have. It was really nice."

"Excellent. Come on in. Take your time though so you can get acclimated to the environment now that I've scented the room."

Louis nods and slides a foot out tentatively, then takes another step, closing the door behind him. He leans against it, hands behind his back, head bowed and chest rising and falling with each increasingly deep breath.

Louis is quite the sight with his soft clothes and unstyled hair, and Harry has to hold himself in check. He feels a pull to Louis like he has with no other client and it's something he has to consciously tamp down at regular intervals. As a scenter, and as an alpha, Harry is naturally drawn to omegas, but he senses that there's more to it than that with Louis, he can at least admit that much to himself. He's a professional though and he knows he can control it, he has to. Louis trusts him and he won't break that trust for anything, no matter how much his alpha yearns to act on those urges.

Harry stays where he is on the window sill, letting Louis explore the room unimpeded.

"I like what you've done with the place," Louis says, a hint of teasing in his tone as he trails his fingertips along the top of the dresser.

Harry lets out a snort of laughter, not having expected Louis to be the one to try and lighten the situation.

"I'm glad," Harry offers. "We're gonna be in here for a while."

Louis makes his way over to the bed and sits on the edge, looking up and smiling. "We are. So, what's next?"

"Well, you haven't keeled over from my scent, which is a good start. It's up to you whether you want to start with preparing your nest or we can just lie with each other for a while and I can start to put you under."

Louis contemplates the options, tugging at his bottom lip with his thumb and forefinger as Harry watches on and waits for his response.

The scenting cycle has three phases; Nalak, Nelek, and Nuluk. The first phase, Nalak, can be challenging as the person often fights against their inner omega to keep the upper hand before finally submitting. Some clients prefer to fashion their nest prior to commencing this phase and others prefer to leave that until their omega is brought to the surface and can guide the process.

At initially meeting Louis, Harry would've guessed he'd want to control that aspect before he was under, but now that he's gotten to know him a little more, he suspects the opposite. His suspicions are confirmed when Louis lays down on the bed and backs himself into the wall, curling into a ball on his side, hands pillowed under his head.