Avery had called off work that day.
He told himself it was because he was tired, that the past few days had worn him out. But deep down he knew it was more than that. He couldn't bring himself to leave Noël alone again. Not after seeing him in that state. Not after the scent, the heat, the tears.
Noël, on the other hand, was doing everything in his power to avoid eye contact. After crying during breakfast, a kind of silence had swallowed him up. A heavy, thick quiet laced with embarrassment. He'd muttered a soft "thank you" before trying to clear the dishes, only to be stopped again by Avery's usual cold command:
"Don't. Just rest."
But this time, it wasn't sharp. If anything, it almost sounded… uncertain.
Noël had nodded and slipped away like a ghost up the stairs, retreating to the only space that still felt somewhat safe. His room.
It wasn't until he sat on his bed that he remembered his phone.
He gasped, reaching for it and fumbling to plug it in. The screen stayed black for a few seconds, then flickered to life. The moment it booted, the notifications flooded in:
30 missed calls.
All from Leo.
Noël's stomach dropped. His heart jumped in guilt and panic.
Leo knew he was in heat. He had insisted that Noël check in constantly once the symptoms started, especially since he was now living with an Alpha. Missing even one text was enough to make Leo anxious. But thirty missed calls?
Noël quickly typed a message:
Noel: Sorry! My phone died. I was asleep most of the time. I'm okay.
It barely took ten seconds before Leo was calling.
Noël swallowed and picked up.
"Noël?!" Leo's voice exploded through the speaker. "What the hell?! I was about to call the police!"
"I'm sorry," Noël whispered, voice still hoarse from earlier. "I just...I wasn't thinking clearly. The heat got bad and I… I guess I passed out."
There was a pause. A shaky breath on the other end.
"Are you okay now? Where are you? Are you safe?"
"I'm home. I mean… I'm at his place. He didn't do anything," Noël added quickly. "Actually… he helped."
"You're sure?" Leo's tone dropped an octave. Protective. Wary.
Noël nodded even though Leo couldn't see. "I think… I think he's not as bad as I thought."
He heard Leo sigh. "I don't like this, Noël. You shouldn't be going through that with some Alpha stranger no matter how rich or cold or... hot you think he is."
"I don't think he's hot!" Noël snapped, voice a little too sharp.
Leo went quiet.
Then: "You sure about that?"
Noël opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Because suddenly, he wasn't so sure.
-------
Noël shifted his weight on the bed, cradling the phone to his ear. "Leo… I'm really sorry."
"Don't apologize. I'm just glad you're okay," Leo replied more gently now. "You've been through a lot."
There was a brief pause. Then, cautiously:
"So… this Alpha. Cheng. What's your relationship with him now?"
Noël looked at the floor. "I don't know. It's… complicated."
Leo made a sound between a grunt and a hum. "Do you feel safe around him?"
"I do," Noël admitted. "He didn't touch me. He called someone to help. He's cold, but not unkind. And… I think he tries, in his own weird way."
"Hm. Trying isn't the same as caring," Leo said pointedly. "You're not falling for him, are you?"
Noël didn't answer right away. His silence was too loud.
Leo sighed heavily. "God, Noël…"
"I'm not!" Noël rushed. "I mean, I don't think I am. Maybe I'm just… confused. Or grateful. Or hormonal. It's just… everything happened so fast."
"I get it," Leo said softly. "But be careful, okay?"
"I will."
Another pause.
Then Leo's voice turned a little lighter. "Do you think… we could meet up this weekend? If your heat ends by then?"
"Meet up?"
"Yeah. You need a break. Get some air. Maybe some food. A normal conversation."
"I'd love that," Noël said honestly. "But I don't know if I'll be allowed. I'll try asking for a few hours off."
Leo chuckled. "Look at you asking an Alpha for permission like you're in a marriage already."
Noël rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Leo."
They both laughed.
------
Downstairs, Avery was wiping down the kitchen counters with a towel. It was an unusual sight even for him. He wasn't the kind to do chores, not because he thought they were beneath him, but because he hadn't needed to in years. Still, he knew how. His father had insisted on it.
"Survival training," Mr. Cheng used to call it, barking orders across their too-silent mansion. "An Alpha must be self-sufficient. Never trust someone to clean up your mess."
He tossed the towel aside and reached for his phone. His schedule for the day had been rearranged. Several online meetings to attend, but no time to cook. He opened the food app and hesitated.
What should he order?
He could easily grab something basic for himself but what about Noël?
He thought of the omega's flushed cheeks, the soft sniffles from that morning, the wide, vulnerable eyes. What would Noël want? What would make him feel better?
He closed the app and headed upstairs.
But just as he raised his hand to knock on Noël's door, he heard it. Soft laughter from inside.
Avery froze.
The sound was warm, light. A kind of joy he hadn't realized the house had been missing until now.
And it wasn't for him.
He heard Noël speaking quickly, voice low but cheerful. Then laughter again. Avery's jaw tightened. That voice… that tone… It had to be him. The guy who kept texting.
He didn't even know the man's name, but Avery was already annoyed.
Ridiculous.
He forced himself to take a breath, to unclench his fist, to shove the jealousy back down where it came from. He knocked once, sharply.
The laughter stopped. He heard a muffled, "I'll call you later," and then hurried footsteps.
Noël opened the door, face still flushed from the conversation.
Avery took a step back, arms crossed. "What do you want for lunch?"
Noël blinked. "Huh?"
"I'm ordering something. What do you want?"
The omega tilted his head. "You're ordering me lunch?"
"I'm ordering us lunch," Avery corrected, voice even.
Noël still looked surprised. "Anything's fine. Just… not too spicy."
Avery nodded but didn't move right away. His eyes lingered on Noël's face. On the softness of his skin, the faint heat in his cheeks. The scent in the air was gentler now. Still sweet, but not overwhelming.
"The suppressants are working," Avery muttered under his breath.
Noël tilted his head again. "What?"
"Nothing," Avery said quickly, turning and walking off down the hallway.