His Warmth
"Pestering me this early in the morning." Tairon greeted as soon as he answered the phone, his voice rough. "Don't you have better things to do? Like, I don't know, check the contract between your twin and the Acosta?"
An amused giggle was heard on Kael's line. "You're so cranky, I missed it. I am checking it and boy I must say, my twin is either desperate or stupid," Kael answered while his eyes were glued to the piece of paper in his hand.
"For a billion of dollars," he read. "I, Kaisen Asher Ashworth, have to marry the second son of the Acosta and bear an alpha with him in... wow they're very detailed, in a year or he'll have to pay thirty times the debt."
"Outrageous," Tairon commented in a sleepy tone.
"Right? And three months have already passed since the contract has been signed. Then that would mean I only have a few months to find my brother and have him fucked by this alpha."
"Can you choose your words properly?"
Kael put down the contract back to a suitcase. "What? I'm not paying thirty times of a debt and certainly not getting fucked and impregnated by some alpha I just met," Kael said, unsuggestive.
'I gave that alpha a blowjob last night though.'
His face went flushed as pictures of last night came crashing. He threw himself on the bed, buried his head under the pillows and screamed his throat out. He was questioning his life decisions. He shouldn't be drinking like that. Ugh! It's those bastards' fault that the alcohol hit him. If he hadn't released that much pheromones, he wouldn't get so drunk and embarrassed himself.
After screaming for a while, his throat hurts so he stopped and picked up the phone where Tairon was still connected. "Man—"
"You did something embarrassing, didn't you?" he cutted him off.
And a series of screaming under the pillows was heard once more.
Kael hung up after talking to Tairon for an hour and decided to take his breakfast. Good thing the door isn't locked anymore, he's craving for an avocado egg toast.
He was hopping on each step, humming happily as he greeted the servants that he would pass by until he reached the kitchen, greeted Marta who was busy cooking and pretends not to see Zenon at the dining table, a laptop in front of him and a cup of coffee beside it.
"How do you like your coffee, sir?" Marta politely asked but Kael only turned her down with a smile.
"I'm in the mood for borrowing the kitchen, can I?" Then he gave Marta his puppy eyes. Marta allowed him and gave him space and the ingredients that he needed.
Kael occupied himself with creating his breakfast, humming some random music, pretending that he didn't notice the piercing glares the moment he went inside the kitchen. Why is he staring? He was drunk last night, is he someone that would take grudges to his grave? Kael was drunk but he didn't forget the fact that they enjoyed it so doesn't that mean they're quits?
He made two sets of avocado egg toast, bite on the other one, savor it as he satisfies his cravings. Alec would make it for him which he eventually taught Kael for his constant whining of wanting to eat it even at dawn.
Kael, pouting and trying his best to act casual, grabbed the plate with the breakfast he made and slid it on the dining table. And finally, their eyes met however Kael withdrew his eyes and looked at the toast instead. He watched him in his peripheral vision as Zenon leaned in on his seat, arms crossed with his stares boring holes on Kael.
"I uh…" he cleared his throat. "Man, I must've lost my mind last night. Thanks for bringing me home still. Uh… breakfast?" Kael made it sound as normal as possible.
"Do you even remember what happened last night?" His voice was cold, weighing whether to throw the avocado egg toast on his face, splash him the hot coffee beside it, or smash him using the computer. Well, that's just on Kael's mind.
Kael let out a nervous laugh and tried to slip through with a lie, "I guess I was too drunk to remember. I just remember to… take out the trash?"
"I guess you touching my dick can jog your memo一" he was interrupted by a loud slam on the table. Zenon looked at Kael with a wide eye. How dare he interrupt when he was still talking.
"Ahh I think I saw a housefly just now. Did you see it too, Marta?" Kael looked where Marta was and she isn't there anymore, so embarrassing. So he averted his gaze back to Zenon who was looking at him with brows furrowed. "Hehe, I guess my eyes are deceiving me nowadays. I better visit the hospital and have it checked."
"Who's visiting where?" A hoarse voice was heard and it came from the newly arrived man Kael had met yesterday.
"Father," Zenon greeted, however devoid of any emotion in his tone as if he disliked the fact that his father is in his home.
While the tension between the two grew thick, Kael munched on his toast as fast as he could. He can feel that he will be sandwiched in a crossfire between the two alpha. He wants to excuse himself fast to avoid it.
However, the heavens must have hated him. Zenon's father completely ignored Zenon, rather his attention was on Kael. "Are you feeling unwell, son?"
Out of nervousness, Kael straightened his back and exclaimed, "I'm feeling great, father…" a stare stabbed him from his side so he added, "...in-law." As if he just remembered, Kael stood up and offered the newly arrived man a seat.
"We were just having breakfast, please sit. Have you had breakfast yet, sir? I can whip up something for you," Kael offered that earned him a smile.
"You are basically my son now. Just call me father or dad."
Kael felt something flutter in his stomach. He had never called anyone 'dad' before. Kael had only had his mom with him and she didn't remarry so he never had a father figure. Ugh! He's being sensitive, he wanted to cry.
The sparkle in Kael's eyes didn't escape Zenon.
Zenon's father chatted with Kael for a bit, which Kael was happily conversing with. Although he didn't want to, Kael excused himself as he felt he was imposing on the two alpha. He wasn't the main purpose of his father-in-law's visit anyway but the real son that was abandoned in the corner of the space.
Kael wandered around the house until his feet brought him to the back of the house. He didn't notice it before but there is a huge garden on the other side filled with various kinds of flowers. Kael felt like he was comforted with its sweet scents as he strode on a small pathway.
He took a stroll around the garden, appreciating every flower that he came across until he stumbled upon a round flower in a single pot. He noticed that there isn't a lot of this kind around, only in this one pot. Kael crouched down to look closer. It has a pretty deep pink color, thin multi-layered petals that resembled a rose.
"That's a ranunculus. My wife, Zenon's mom, planted it."
Kael stood up in haste, almost stumbling and embarrassing himself, good thing he was able to balance himself back. "Sir dad! Are you done talking?"
The middle aged man's face stretched in a smile. "Yes. Were you here the whole time?"
"Ah, I was just taking a stroll to pass time." His eyes went back to the flower.
"Do you know what the meaning of this flower is?" Kael shook his head so the man added. "It symbolizes charm and attractiveness. If someone would hand them to you, it could be a declaration of telling you that you are charming. My wife loved it."
"I noticed there isn't much like this flower around."
"That's because it's sensitive to grow. Only these ones were able to survive from the many my wife planted so she sought places where she could grow lots of them. I'll bring you there someday."
Then there's a moment of silence before the man spoke again.
"Your birthday is almost around the corner." Then he fished out a small black rectangular card. "Why don't you buy something you like with this card?"
Kael's eyes sparkled at the sight of the legendary bottomless black card that only filthy rich people can own. Can he really have it? Well, basically it was given to Kaisen but who the hell cares, Kael was the one in front of him and for the meantime will shoulder the trouble of this setup so he might as well… think of it as a compensation?
But despite that thought, Kael refused, "I have to apologize but I can't accept it, Sir dad. It's uhm…" He was hesitant whether to tell him or not.
"What is it, son? If it's about Zenon, you wouldn't have any problem with it."
"No, no. It's not really. It's just…" Kael paused for a bit before he finished his sentence. "In our… family… receiving gifts or wishing someone a happy birthday before their actual birthday is bad luck."
The older man's brows furrowed. Kael wanted to laugh at the resemblance of Zenon to him. Good thing the older man didn't force him to take it, instead he said that he will wait for his birthday then. After that, he left the mansion.
Two days, Zenon counted, that omega stirred clear from his sight. Laian said that he was just in his room all day and went to the garden during the afternoon. It's not because he cared but because his father would check on Kaisen through him. If anything, he was rather thankful that he didn't need to deal with him.
But that changed on the third day. He could hear that familiar gleaming voice from outside the kitchen.
"I bet they're as beautiful as you are," Kael flattered. Marta's chuckle was heard after. "Man, I wish I had siblings too. I'd teach them to ride bikes and crash cars."
"Hayst, why would you teach them the latter?" Marta was in disbelief but that only earned a hearty laugh from Kael.
Zenon quietly watched the scene unfold. When was the last time he'd seen Kaisen laugh so carelessly? He was always holed up in a corner, his smile never reached his eyes, and his presence was cold. Unlike the Kaisen now, the sunlight that shone from the window seems to compliment his warmth.
As though Kael felt him watching, they locked eyes and that confirms Zenon's thought, 'this omega isn't the same from the omega he met before'. Whether this person changed or not, it doesn't change the fact that Kaisen harbors resentment towards Cassian.