You Were Running (I Was Hiding)

In Front of All These People? (L)

The sunlight burned Louis' eyes as he stepped out onto the stage with the rest of his class. Luckily, the awning over the stage prevented the sun from beating down on them directly, but he still had to squint against the brightness when he looked out over the crowd sitting there. His gaze traveled over the crowd until he was able to see his family sat a few rows back and he finally let out the breath he did not know he was holding.

On the far right side of the stage was the podium where three chairs were set out for Mrs. Ingles, the school's headmaster, and the officiant to be during the ceremony. The couples were directed to stand in four long rows facing the podium. As they took their places, Louis could feel the heat radiating off of the alpha's skin next to him from how close they were standing. Harry had not looked at him once since they began their procession to the stage and Louis could not help the uneasiness that overtook him at that fact. He chanced a quick glimpse of the taller boy, surprised to see the tension he was holding in his shoulders and jaw. A muscle in his cheek feathered as he ground his teeth together and his usual smirk was replaced with a grim line. It was a stark contrast from how carefree he had always been, even earlier when their pairing was first announced.

Louis was pulled out of his thoughts quickly when feedback from the microphone sounded through the amphitheater. He had not even realized the three had arrived on the stage. He quickly diverted his gaze to the podium where Mrs. Ingles was now standing, the headmaster stood to her left while the officiant sat behind them in the chairs.
The omega took a deep breath. Now was when the rest of his life would begin.

The ceremony was divided into two parts: graduation and marriage. The graduation portion was simple, almost an afterthought to the day. The true purpose of it was to give the town their first look at the pairings since each couple would be called together to receive their diplomas. Mrs. Ingles began calling each couples' names but Louis could not bear to focus on her as he tried to keep his knees from buckling. Soft murmurs and polite applause greeted each couple as their names were called. When it was Harry and Louis' turn, his body acted on autopilot. His legs carried him to the podium and he took his diploma from the headmaster with shaking hands before the two men turned to face the audience. His eyes sought out his family and he was not surprised to see them all wearing matching expressions of shock–Marie's mouth was even hanging open in a small 'o' shape. It was unusual for someone of such high importance in the town to be paired with someone of a lower class which was evident in the stunned silence that followed their announcement. Eventually the polite applause returned and the two made their way back to their spot in line. With another subtle glance, Louis saw that the only proof that this affected Harry at all was the subtle flexing of his hands, as if he was trying not to clench them into fists. Louis, however, tapped his fingers anxiously on his thigh, knowing that their pairing would be under intense scrutiny. They would be under more pressure than any other couple to prove their compatibility.

Once all pairings were introduced and received their diplomas, the next part of the ceremony began. Mrs. Ingles instructed the couples to face each other at close proximity before she and the headmaster returned to their chairs and the officiant made his way to the podium. As Louis turned to Harry, his head tilted back in order to look at his face.

"On this magnificent day in the year 328 of the New Era, the union of these thirty-one matches shall be overseen," the officiant began, his words flowing from him like recited poetry. "It is a blessing and an honor to partake in the divine matching as you all have done. This ceremony shall mark the embarking of your courtships. May it be joyous and fulfilling to you. You may now remove your pairings' neutralizers."

Louis sucked in a deep breath as he watched Harry pull out two wipes from his pocket, his movements slow and deliberate. The omega's gaze was unrelenting as he looked up at Harry, waiting for the alpha to begin. This was the first time that anyone from outside of his family would be able to scent Louis, something that never felt quite so intimate until this moment. Louis' chest burned as he held his breath, watching unblinkingly as Harry slowly raised his hand and brushed the wipe down Louis' neck. The contrast of the cold wetness from the cloth and the heat of the air made him shiver involuntarily and Harry's eyes snapped to Louis'. Louis could almost convince himself that they held concern in them, but as quickly as Harry had looked to him, his eyes flicked back to Louis' neck as he continued to wipe off the neutralizer.

Once Harry had finished, Louis then took his own cloth and ran it slowly down Harry's neck. He felt the pulse under his fingertips quicken at the action. Louis' familiar scent of lavender and vanilla was slowly curling around him now that his neutralizer had been removed, but nothing could compare to Harry's scent hitting his nose. It was strong, the notes of cinnamon and bergamot filled his lungs to the point that he could taste it on his tongue making his head swim. His fingers clenched tightly around the cloth in his hand as he lowered it back to his side. When he looked back up at Harry, the alpha's nostrils flared and his head tilted slightly back, like he was trying to get away from the omega's scent. Louis could not help the tightness that enveloped his chest at the thought.

Louis' head dropped down as the officiant started speaking again.

"To be able to scent someone is one of the most intimate things we can do–to blend our scent with another's and show our connection to the rest of society. It is with this act that you will become one and become an official pair. Do you, in front of this crowd of your family and peers, declare your intentions to court and mate?"

"We do," Louis and Harry said in tandem with the rest of their class. Louis brought his eyes back up as he spoke, finding the alpha's green ones staring intensely back at him. The omega could not help the flush that painted his cheeks.

"Then it is time. Scent your partners," the officiant declared.

These words felt like a death sentence. This one simple act held Louis' future. After this, he would no longer be his own entity but instead an extension of his alpha. He swallowed past the constriction in his throat. Harry gave a small nod, an indication that they both knew this is what they had to do, and then reached out towards the smaller man. He gripped his hip and pulled him forward–their chests nearly pressed against each other–before lowering his face into Louis' neck. Louis gasped softly at the feeling, his eyes sliding shut as he leaned forward and nuzzled his nose against Harry's neck. He felt the alpha's hot breath as it ghosted over his skin, goosebumps rising in its wake. The grip on his hip became tighter as the two of them began covering each other in their scent. Louis continued rubbing his nose up and down Harry's skin, the feeling almost overwhelming his omega. Nothing could have ever prepared him for how this would feel. He had been scented by his parents before, but it never felt like this, like he had been stripped bare and put back together.

The thumb on his hip started rubbing small circles as Harry began licking at Louis' neck. A whine started in the back of the omega's throat, his head unconsciously tilting to the side. His eyes shot open at that, quickly glancing around to see if anyone had noticed. It was then that he saw many of his classmates were in similar positions, lost in their own little worlds as they tied themselves to each other.

When the audience began applauding to signal the end of the ceremony, Louis started to pull back from Harry. Instead the alpha gripped him tighter, a growl emitting from his chest. Louis let out a small squeal at the act. It was abruptly cut off and Harry jerked away from Louis, dropping his hand. When Louis looked back at him, his green eyes seemed wild, emotions swimming in them, but his face remained impassive. He held out a hand and Louis took it timidly, allowing the alpha to turn them towards the audience who were now on their feet clapping. He once again scanned the crowd for his family, trying to commit their faces to memory at this moment. If this was going to be the last time he saw them, he wanted to remember their faces as they were now: happy, proud, hopeful. For the first time all day, Louis let a bit of that same hope take up residence in his chest. A miniscule bit of light in a vast expanse of darkness, but it was still there nonetheless.