The crumbling of the drug cartel would have normally brought Harry at least some small amount of satisfaction, but he could not find it in himself to muster up that relief when the addition of the latest victim’s photo was all he had thought about for the last two weeks. So many innocent lives had been lost, their faces pinned up on the white board to seek justice for the childhood that had been snatched away from them.

He sighed and let his head fall against the board. This was an intelligent psychopath they were attempting to catch, one who had had the time and means to perfect his deception. For all they knew, the man could be an upstanding citizen, hiding his depravity under a mask of civility – under the impression of the American dream with a picket fence and a matching swing set. On the other hand, it could be a classic case of an antisocial criminal. Someone with no police record, no Internet presence, no traceable path – a faceless fish in the sea.

The BAU had aided in the profile, but that had been the last bit of progress the case had seen. The man seemed to be under the impression that his time was running out, Harry hoped it was true, hoped they could catch him in time before another body turned up, before another picture was pinned up to haunt him.

During his time in the force and later at the FBI, Harry had seen innumerable deaths – of acquaintances, victims, and criminals alike – but the death of children was one that had always hit the hardest. There was something about children being the image of an angel that rang true.

He turned his head, eyes roaming over the Focus-Area before coming to stop at the omega. What worried him even more was the shift in Louis. The omega had been laid-back and at ease with the case before witnessing what horror had been dealt to the last victim. Harry had noticed how it affected the omega even when he tried to hide it, had seen him digging deep into the previous cases, searching for connections and the smallest clue, ending his search with ill-concealed frustration when it amounted to more questions.

It had affected Louis’ sleep, that empathy of his, making him even more susceptible to nightmares. It ached Harry when he failed to soothe Louis’ tremors before they turned into whimpers, when his omega woke up with pain clouding his eyes, when the pain brought forth another deeper one – the longing for a child, to protect and nurture.

But this time, instead of being blinded and hiding the insecurities on both their parts, they talked. Shoving the dust under the carpet had caused them immense pain in the past, and neither wished a repeat of that. Louis had started seeing a psychiatrist, twice a week for now, and had returned from each session with a new sense of determination.

He straightened and took another deep breath when he saw Rowen stepping out of the elevator, headed towards Harry’s office.

“Diablo was found guilty on all charges,” Rowen said once he was seated, “A unanimous vote by the jury, and given a life-sentence by the judge.”

“It’s a miracle the ruling was done within two months.”

“Miracle indeed.”

Harry eyed his boss, wary of the way he seemed to project himself as relaxed, “What can I do for you?”

Rowen gestured to the board, evading his question again, “How certain are you that this is the doing of one single man?”

“Can’t ever be too certain,” he replied, turning to the board, “The pattern is always similar, as if it is executed by rote, which leads to believe that it must be the same person doing it over and over again that by now it is second nature to him. But at the same time, it makes you think how long he must plan in advance to never leave a trace, never be identified by anyone. So, it could be more than one person.”

“Can’t ever be too certain,” Rowen repeated, sighing, then with resolution, “We will catch him.”

Harry nodded absently, eyes flicking through the faces.

“I have a favour to ask,” Rowen eventually said, motioning Harry to his chair. “And I come to you directly because you denied Agent Horan last time.”

“I am not asking Louis to sell his software.”

“That’s not the only reason why I am here. I will ask him myself later today, I realise it should come directly from me.”

“Then what else brings you here?”

Rowen tapped his index finger on the table, five in quick succession before speaking, “I’m going to offer him a job, here, at the FBI, for when the contract is seen to on both ends. I will pitch it to him during the Christmas party at Quantico, and I need you to mention it to him before that.”

“I have at least three problems with what you just said,” Harry shook his head at his boss’s attempt to get him to meddle.

“I’m all ears.”

“First, the obvious, he is an ex-criminal who, until recently, had a Blue Notice issued for him by the Interpol. The other that you seem to always forget, conflict of interest. I have a past with him that we would both need to disclose if he is to join the team,” Harry counted, “And even if we excuse these two, the third problem I have is that I understand what you mean by mention.”

“And what do you understand?”

Harry pursed his mouth, “You want me to make sure that he accepts the job.”

“He is a useful asset,” Rowen shrugged, “And you have the advantage of your Voice.”

“He is not an asset,” Harry usually admired Rowen’s tendency to make use of every possible opportunity, but he would not tolerate Louis being reduced to an asset. “I am not going to use my Voice on him.”

Rowen considered him for long moments, “You know his skills would not go wasted here, and as I have said before, he is far too intelligent. Even more than you, I believe. It would be rewarded fairly here. Any simple office desk job would be an insult to that intelligence.”

Despite his best efforts, Harry felt his mouth twitch into the barest smile, feeling prideful on behalf of his mate. “I agree, and that’s why I think he should hear it from you. I’m pretty sure he would tell me shove it if I bring it up.”

“You are a stubborn man, Agent Styles,” Rowen laughed good-naturedly, “You would make a good head some day in my place.”

Harry shrugged with a smile, “What can I say, I have learned from the best.”

Rowen took his leave after another feeble and failed attempt to convince him. Harry was certain Louis would be a good fit for the job, a perfect addition to the team, and he might have even tried to convince Louis had they not had been in this tumulus situation. He wanted Louis to make his own decisions with whatever he chose to do once he got his freedom, the omega lacked autonomy in many aspects of his life, Harry did not wish to take away any more of it.

Even though it was Louis’ own actions that had led to the FBI monitoring and cataloguing his moves, it would still be imprudent if Harry were to insist Louis to work for him.

He knew the burdens that came with this work, it was not all heroic actions, and he had seen how it had begun to affect the omega. He would never wish any more of that burden on Louis.

-

Harry stepped into their room, shivering from the warmth that surrounded him, and closed the bathroom door behind himself. He eyed the file in Louis’ hands, mouth twisting with displeasure, “Louis.”

A single warning and the omega looked up at him sheepishly, “Sorry.”

Never bring work to bed. They had agreed years ago. It was enough that they worked all day, the night at least could be theirs.

Louis pressed his fingers against his eyes, sighing and leaning into him when Harry wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I think I need reading glasses,” Louis mumbled, nuzzling under his jaw.

“Or it could be all the stress, but we’ll book an appointment just to be sure,” Harry said, tilting his face to return the soft touches. He pulled the blanket over their legs, smiling when Louis’ arm curled around his middle.

“Eight children have been murdered in as many months,” Louis said at length, it was clearly something that kept bothering him, a thought he could not simply put away. “Makes you wonder how many he had abducted, and when.”

Harry was at a loss for words. They were all trying, but at times it felt like they were always a step behind this killer, never quite able to grasp what went on in his head. And these types of killers were often dangerous, their unpredictability warranted extra precautions. He rubbed his hand down Louis’ arm, sighing when nimble fingers ran along his collarbone, thumb dipping in the hollow under his throat.

“I don’t think I’ve ever truly appreciated what goes into the work you do,” Louis’ voice lowered, “It’s remarkably stressful.”

“That’s one way to put it,” he smiled.

“Your whole team is commendable.”

“So are you, you’ve been helping us a lot.” He knew where this was going.

“So, Rowen stopped by,” Louis looked up from where his fingers were smoothly gliding, raking them up Harry’s neck and into his hair, “He offered to buy my software.”

“And?”

“I think I’ll get it patented first, and then profit off of it for the rest of my life.”

Harry placed a chaste kiss to the omega’s lips, thoroughly impressed, “That’s clever, darling.”

“Which brings us to…,” Louis dallied, taking his sweet time mussing Harry’s hair, “…he also offered me a job.”

Harry hummed, leaning into the gentle scratch of the fingers, eyes fluttering as they skimmed down to his nape.

“A full-time teaching job at Quantico. My credits and doctorate are still valid, he wants me to teach Crime Analysis.”

“Seems a bit on the nose,” Harry purred, “But fitting, nonetheless, Doctor Tomlinson. Or do you prefer Professor?”

Louis laughed; a sweet melodic sound Harry could not resist. “Be serious, H,” the omega tried to scold when Harry chased his lips.

Harry caught the hand in his hair in a gentle grip, pressing kisses to the knuckles before resting it over his chest, “I am being serious, darling. You do have to decide whether you want the agents in training to address you by doctor or professor.”

“So, you’d be fine with me working at the Quantico?”

“Of course,” he assured, “It would prove its challenges at first. Some people might undermine you for your past, but you’re nothing if not relentless.”

“The only thing I regret is leaving you, H,” Louis said, “Not the crimes I committed.” At Harry’s raised eyebrows, Louis continued, “Well, if they don’t want someone stealing their money, they should make their systems more secure.”

“They did,” Harry reminded, “You broke past them.”

Louis shrugged, a nonchalant raise of his shoulders, “And?”

Harry nuzzled against the omega’s temple, whispering his confession, “And I think you’re brilliant.” Apparently, it was the right thing to say. Louis melted further into his body, wedging his foot between Harry’s legs.

“Well, there’s one more thing. Rowen wants me to occasionally consult with cases after all of this is said and done,” Louis gauged his reaction, tilting his head when Harry pursed his mouth. “Not so on board, are you, now?”

“I am if you are,” he insisted, relaxing his posture, “I know teaching alone would bore you. It’s only that, well, you’ve been stressed lately, darling. You’re not trained for this work, and I don’t want it to affect your health.”

“I have a psychiatrist now for that, H, and she is helping me,” Louis said, “I know you worry, but I think I can handle it.”

He did worry, constantly; but how could he not? Louis was not trained to be in the field, he should not even have been on the last crime scene. It was Harry’s own recklessness that had had him agreeing to Louis’ demands. Saying that, he also did not wish to bind Louis. He wanted Louis to pursue whatever his heart desired and mind found fascinating.

“I will only allow you in the field after your psychiatrist okays you for it, and after you’ve had some basic rudimentary training,” he offered a compromise.

“You will allow me?” Louis asked, an amused curl to his mouth, blissfully unaware to what Harry knew.

He smirked, “You will be working for me, not with me, if you choose to consult.”

Louis huffed a laugh, licking his lip, “Would I be working under you, Sir?”

His smirk melted into an amused smile as he played along, pulling the omega’s face closer, chasing the taste of his lips with his tongue, “Definitely.”

The omega did dissolve into giggles at that, “You’re an idiot, H.” He playfully pushed at Harry’s chest when Harry bit his earlobe. “I’m assuming Rowen told you all this already.”

“Not the teaching part, but the other, yes.”

“He didn’t ask you to make me agree?”

“He did.”

“And you refused,” Louis surmised.

“Obviously.”

“Why?” Louis asked. “I know it’s not because you’re unhappy with me working.”

Harry hesitated, he hated bringing up the single imbalance of power between them. The society might categorize them by their secondary genders, but to Harry they were equals. The only scenario where their secondary genders mattered to him was when he lovingly admitted to being Louis’ alpha, and felt honoured at calling Louis his omega.

“Harry…”

“He wanted me to use my Voice, in case you refused,” he leaned against the head board, the mere idea of such a blatant misuse of his Voice over Louis had him feeling unsettled behind his ribs.

“What a jerk.”

The light dismissal on Louis’ part had him smiling, the tightness in his chest easing significantly. “What a jerk,” he acquiesced, shivering when Louis ran a finger down his throat, then back up before replacing the touch with his lips.

Feather light kisses traced over his jaw and down his neck, tongue licking over the previous path, teeth replacing the pink muscle to nip at the skin, encouraging a growl out of his throat.

“You could use your Voice,” Louis whispered against his lips, kissing away his protest, “Order me to do whatever you want.” Another kiss to swallow his words. “It would be strong, compelling, difficult for me to shake off.”

“Louis—” he watched as the omega gulped, entranced with his own imagination.

“I want you to use it on me, here, in our bed, to please you however you want,” Louis continued, pupils wide in a reflection of Harry’s own, “Here, where I want you to. Where you won’t be worrying about misuse.”

“You always please me, darling,” Harry whispered, reciprocating the fascination Louis had found, but possessing enough sense to not fall head-first into the omega’s trap hidden underneath the seduction. And seduction it was; blatant and unashamed. The omega must have had a mastery in it, in bending Harry to his whims and fancies, because Harry followed him like a pebble followed the course of the river—mindless and unafraid—no thought to where he ended up, whether he found himself on the shore or buried under the water’s current.

Louis moved to straddle his legs, hands carding through his hair as Harry’s own settled on the omega’s hips, pulling him close to align the obvious arousal they were sporting.

“Tell me what to do, please,” Louis begged so sweetly, with such innocence that it would trick anyone to believe it. With a bit of manipulation, he could even fool Harry into questioning whether he was not as debauched as Harry knew him to be.

“Louis,” he warned again, a dangerous hint to his tone, cautioning the omega against the game he was attempting to play. He had never used his Voice, not on Louis, not on anyone else, and it would be strong on its first use, the omega was right. There would hardly be any give to whatever he directed Louis to do, it would take sheer will to even think of refuting it.

Louis moved against him, a tempter Harry was enthralled by, getting tangled in the omega’s carefully crafted lure. His hands sought Louis’ behind, tracing the dampness through the fabric, gulping when the beguiling creature moaned and pushed into the touch. He could not resist the temptation, bringing his mouth to the omega’s neck, tugging at the gnarled skin, at the mark where he often made the omega bleed for him.

“Teach me how to please you, alpha,” Louis whispered, eyes hooded and body beckoning Harry like a siren’s call. “You’ve given me your love and warmth, let me know your strength.”

The trap snagged Harry at his ankle, bringing him to the ground and at the mercy of the omega despite how the night unfolded. He turned the omega on his back, his Voice deep and unrelenting when he ordered Louis’ hands above his head, when he pinned the lithe body under himself, leaving nowhere for the omega to escape, when he made the omega scream into the darkness, when he ordered the omega to come over and over again until his eyes glazed over and he fell under a trance, tears of pleasure cascading down ruddy cheeks.

Only then the beast inside him settled enough to retreat, giving way to the gentle lover. He worshipped the omega – kissing every bruise he had imbued onto that ivory skin, whispering his awe and admiration as he held Louis close – praised him for his obedience and gently nudged him back to awareness.

-

Harry was certain his team questioned the nature of his relationship to Louis, or he at least speculated they did. How could they not when every glance Louis threw his way was filled with heat? The omega turned red in the face whenever Harry was in his proximity, stammered his way through his sentences, and avoided actively looking him in the eye. This new side to Louis was one Harry was not familiar with.

The omega was boisterous and full of confidence; cocky to an extent. Shy had never been an adjective Harry would have used to describe him. Although, now the situation warranted a revisit, not that he could ever entirely describe Louis—words alone could never be enough.

He sidled along the omega when he found him in the break room. Louis was sipping at his coffee, attention focused on the cup as if it was the most delicious thing he had ever drank. Harry knew better. He filled his own cup, letting moments skip by as he himself took a sip, then another, waiting for Louis to acknowledge him.

What he got was another look through the lashes and crimson cheeks before Louis ducked his head again.

“Louis,” he stepped closer to the omega and placed his cup on the table, sighing when all he received was a hum, “Stop this.”

“Stop what?” Louis asked, tone matching his own in a low murmur.

“May I ask the reason behind your avoidance?”

“You may, but you will not be getting an answer.”

He saw the hidden mischief, the slight smirk that played at Louis’ mouth before the man schooled his features back to his demure act.

Tilting his head in consideration, Harry took another step close, acutely aware of how anyone from his team could walk in at any time, “Look at me.”

Louis did, eyes flicking up to meet Harry’s as his cheeks darkened again, throat bobbing as he gulped. So, not entirely an act.

“What’s got you so shy?”

“Nothing,” Louis shrugged, clutching the cup to his chest.

Louis had been fine in the morning, if only demanding extra attention, nothing Harry would ever say no to. He had been fine during the car ride to work as well. The change in his attitude had begun as soon as they had stepped inside the building.

Harry brought his hand up to trace the omega’s cheek with the tip of his finger, admiring as it bloomed under his touch, bringing forth a shiver. “Then why are you blushing?”

“I’m not blushing,” Louis huffed, mildly offended, “I do not blush.”

Harry felt his lips twitch upwards. He replaced his finger with his palm, cupping the warm cheek and watching as Louis leaned into it.

“Darling,” he whispered and saw the omega’s eyes flutter close.

“How can I not blush when I feel you every time I move?” Louis finally spoke, “When all I can think about is last night?”

“Oh,” Harry had an exceptional ability to lose his words in time of need. Though, he did agree. He had caught himself thinking of last night whenever his mind was not otherwise occupied. His eyes raked down the omega’s form, intimately aware how beautifully he was marked under his clothes, every bruise claiming him as Harry’s.

Louis chuckled, “Yes, oh.” Taking a hold of the hand still lingering on his cheek, Louis brought it down between them. “I’ve always known you’re strong,” the omega said, “But I was embarrassingly off the mark about how much. All I can think of is you moving above me, inside me, bending me however you want. I keep wondering, why didn’t we do it sooner?”

They should not be having this conversation here. For one, it was inappropriate to be talking such things at work, but what mattered more to Harry was that he had to hold himself back, and it proved to be more difficult than he could have anticipated.

“You should not encourage me using my Voice,” he tried to reason, more with himself than with Louis.

“Why shouldn’t I? It pleases me just as much, if not more.”

“This is a dangerous thing you’re playing at.”

Louis licked his lips, stepping into his space to whisper against his mouth, “I already won, darlin’.”

Harry watched as the omega sauntered away with a smug grin; pleased and victorious.

-

When the ninth body dropped, Harry did not take Louis to the crime scene despite all the protest he received from the omega. The protest which later turned to incessant glaring when he returned. He stood his ground; he would not have Louis at a crime scene until he was cleared by his psychiatrist. It would be detrimental for Louis, Doctor Asin had said, and it would be a while before he was cleared to consult on active murder cases.

Louis had scoffed when she had given her evaluation to Harry, saying he knew what triggered him and what did not. For that he had received two sets of raised eyebrows.

Rowen had favoured Louis’ reasoning for his own selfish interest, or rather for the interest of the public; an omega with empathy would see what they had missed, if in turn compromising his own psyche. Harry had shot that reasoning down immediately, brooking no room for argument. He would not have someone exploiting Louis’ psyche—even the omega himself—be it for the greater good or not.

It had been a long day—first in the field with Adeleye, Mitch, and the whole forensics team; then, going over every detail of the case with Niall and Sarah, not discounting the active ignorance he had received from Louis. It was late when Harry sent the team home, knowing he had worked them to the bone and it would not do any good to burn them out.

“You’re being entirely unreasonable,” Louis said as soon as he had his seat belt on, throwing another glare Harry’s way, “I can help and you know that, but you’re being selfish.”

“I’m being selfish?” Harry asked, “Really? By trying to keep you from having anymore nightmares than you already do, I’m being selfish?”

“Yes!” Louis turned in his seat, “As long as this killer roams free, more children will keep dying, keep enduring whatever horrors they are being put through. A few more nightmares do seem reasonable to me!”

“Even if I thought you could help, you have no clearance or training, and I won’t have a civilian on an active scene,” Harry kept his calm even as Louis’ temper raised, he was tired and looked forward to the comfort of the bed.

“I’m not a civilian, though, am I?” Louis scoffed. “I’m still a felon, or do you keep forgetting that?”

“My reasoning still stands. You don’t have clearance and despite Rowen siding with you, even he won’t allow you in the field. No one wants a target for abuse of authority painted on their backs when you end up having a breakdown.”

“When, not if,” Louis noted, “You think I’m fragile, don’t you? A poor omega who shakes when he hears about such brutal things.”

Harry sighed deeply, shaking his head, “You can twist my words all you want, it will still not get you that clearance.”

He could hear Louis grinding his teeth, felt the frustration radiating from him as he tried to search for loopholes.

“You could say I’m fine to work in the field. The law for bonded pairs gives you power to make decisions for my mental and physical well-being.”

Harry brought the car to a stop at the red light, finally turning to face the omega, “Even if I were to ever use that archaic law, it certainly wouldn’t be for something that could potentially harm you.”

“You don’t know what can and cannot harm me,” Louis grit out, tears of frustration building at the corners of his eyes.

“I said potentially.”

“Fuck you! Just—you don’t get to make these decisions for me!”

Harry refrained from pointing out that a moment ago Louis did want him to make a decision regarding him as long as it served the omega’s purpose. He drove ahead when the signal turned green, letting a few moments of quiet pass before he said, “I’m not making any decisions for you, Lou. I’m following the protocol that is in place to ultimately protect you. I would do the same thing for anyone on my team.”

Neither spoke another word for the better part of the drive home, both keeping their thoughts and words to themselves. Usually, it was a comfortable sort of silence that resided during the evening, one that did not demand any unnecessary filling after a long day at work, both content at simply being in the other’s presence. That day, the silence seemed stifling.

Eventually, it was Louis who broke it, his hand sliding over the back of Harry’s, squeezing it thrice before holding it in a gentle grip, “I’m sorry. I know I’m the one being unreasonable.”

“I understand why,” he brought their joined hands up, skimming his lips over Louis’ knuckles.

“It’s just—so many children, H,” Louis let his head rest back, a melancholy shrouding him, “And it doesn’t seem we are any closer to catching him than we were yesterday. But at least until yesterday it was one less death.”

Harry did understand Louis’ frustration even if he could not reciprocate it in its entirety. To Harry, it was two deaths after the case had fallen under the FBI’s jurisdiction—third, if they counted the murder that had brought the case to them—but Louis saw the whole picture from the very first case; the sorrow, the pain, the horror, everything that could shut his mind down if he took in too much of it at once.

Cases like this went unsolved for years, sometimes the killer was never caught, simply stopped. Harry was loathe to think what might happen if that were to come true, nothing would devastate him more than the consequences it would bore on Louis.

“We will catch him.”

Miracles and luck were not something one could wish on when it came to such things, but in that moment, Harry did.

They opted for a simple dinner, and quick, separate showers after getting home.

Louis held him tight when they settled under the blankets for the night, both of them aware of what was to come. That night, Louis’ nightmares seemed to have doubled in intensity. It took Harry an hour to calm down his mate, another for warmth to return to his skin. It pained Harry, broke his heart when Louis cried silent tears against his chest.

His omega was strong, braver than most people Harry knew, he did not deserve his dreams to be tainted. If he could, Harry would take away all the pain and hurt that resided in Louis’ mind and bear it himself. For now, he would be the pillar Louis could gain his strength from; not a crutch for balance, but a medium of constant support.

-

In the morning, Harry called Adeleye to monitor the team in his absence, letting him know that he and Louis would not be coming in that day, and to call him if there was any development on the case.

He did not wake Louis even as the clock started crawling closer to ten. The previous day had been draining, and on top of that, the omega had had a rough night. A few extra hours of sleep would not hurt. The omega would wake up when his body decided he had rested enough.

Harry went through the photos of the latest victim. There was truth to what Chloe had said, the killer was getting anxious. The body had been mutilated and bore multiple bite marks, one of which was a mating bite. Louis would want to see the photos. Harry could deny him a field permit, but not keep him from analysing case photos. And the truth was, Louis might probably see something they had missed. He just wished it would not be too damaging to the omega.

The doorbell rang when the hour hand had ticked close to eleven. Harry frowned; they were definitely not expecting someone to show up. His neighbours were friendly but mostly kept to themselves during the weekdays, and anyone from work would have called first had they needed him.

When he opened the door, it was to two smiling faces. His mother and sister stood at his doorstep, pleased with their surprise and unaware of the sudden dread that filled him. He cursed inwardly when he heard footsteps descending down the stairs at the same time.

“Who’s it, H?”