Avery knew it wasn't his place to keep the truth from Noël, not entirely. Even if the full weight of it might be too much right now, he still deserved to know something. So before calling Noël in, he turned to Dr. Wu with a firm instruction.
"Just tell him the basics for now. Nothing that could cause him unnecessary stress."
Dr. Wu nodded, understanding. "We'll just say he's special… that he manifested both genders at birth. That's why his cycles are more intense. We'll leave the rest for after his heat."
Noël was then called into the room, and he entered nervously, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his sweater. He didn't look up.
Dr. Wu explained it gently, keeping his voice calm and steady.
"There's nothing wrong with you, Noël. But your body is… different. You're a rare type of Omega. One that manifested both genders from birth. That's why your heats are more painful and intense."
Noël didn't say anything. He just nodded slowly, as though trying to absorb a truth that felt too big for one moment. His face was unreadable, eyes unfocused, like his mind had wandered somewhere far.
They picked up some prescribed herbal supplements and pain relievers from the hospital pharmacy. Nothing heavy. Dr. Wu insisted on staying natural unless the pain became unbearable. Suppressants were officially off the table.
The car ride home was silent for a long time.
Noël kept his eyes on the window, watching the streets blur past. But he wasn't really seeing anything. His mind was a storm of questions.
"So this is what they were hiding from me?"
"Is this why I was always being taken to the hospital in secret?"
"Why no one wanted to adopt me?"
"Am I broken?"
Avery kept glancing over but said nothing. He knew that look. That quiet spiral of thoughts. And he didn't want to interrupt it… but he also didn't want it to get worse.
He cleared his throat. "Do you want to eat anything in particular?"
Noël turned toward him, slightly surprised by the question. Normally, he'd be the one asking what Avery wanted to eat, not the other way around.
He hesitated before replying softly, "Anything's fine."
But Avery could hear the flatness in his tone. The ache hidden beneath the calm. Noël was still shaken. The doctor's warning echoed in his mind: don't let him feel stressed. So Avery made a silent promise to himself that today would be about peace. Comfort. No more surprises.
---
Meanwhile, back at the office, whispers were starting to stir again.
People were talking.
"Avery missed work again?"
"What's going on with him lately?"
"He used to be so punctual… now he's acting like he doesn't care."
The gossip spread like a quiet virus, and of course it reached his father.
The car's Bluetooth rang. Avery sighed when he saw the caller ID flash across the screen. He picked up.
His father's voice blasted through the car, harsh and impatient.
"Where the hell are you? Are you trying to rebel against your responsibilities now? Skipping work over and over like some spoiled teenager?"
Noël flinched at the volume. Avery clenched his jaw, annoyed and more than a little embarrassed that Noël had to hear this.
"I told you," Avery muttered through gritted teeth, "I'm handling something important."
"Oh please, what could be more important to you?"
Avery ended the call without another word.
The silence afterward felt heavier than before.
Noël turned to him. "That was your dad?"
Avery nodded.
Noël didn't ask any more questions. He looked away again, back out the window, while Avery just kept driving… quietly hoping that once they got home, things would feel a little more normal again.
They arrived home to the comforting scent of a home-cooked meal. Avery had arranged for Mrs. Agnes to stop by and prepare lunch. The warmth of the food filled the house. She cooked rosemary chicken, soft rice, and pumpkin soup. Noël barely spoke but quietly ate. It reminded him of something like childhood. Still, his eyes held that same muted look of confusion and concern.
After the meal, Noël walked into the laundry room, only to find it spotless. All the clothes were folded and neatly arranged. The floor had been mopped, the air freshener still lingering in the air. The whole house was immaculate. A strange dread crept over him.
"Do I even still have a job?" he wondered.
Feeling more displaced than ever, he went upstairs to his room, the thoughts gnawing at his mind.
Avery followed silently. As Noël entered and headed toward the bed, Avery stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug. So tight Noël barely had time to react. His face was buried in Noël's neck as he inhaled deeply, trying to ease whatever emotional weight Noël might be carrying.
But the effect was more intense than he expected.
Noël's scent still carried the delicate notes of peach and vanilla.The kind of aroma that curled through the lungs and lingered in memory. Avery's body reacted without him realizing. His own scent now evolving into something richer, deeper began to flow out in response: sweet wine with a faint trace of dark berries and warm cedar, something smooth yet potent, like temptation in liquid form.
Noël, already sensitive from the all the information he recieved today and his cycle, flushed as Avery's scent overtook the room. He swallowed tightly, heart hammering. The room felt warmer.
"I just... wanted to make sure you're not worrying too much," Avery murmured, pulling away slightly to look into Noël's face.
Noël hesitated, the questions piling up. "But… am I still working here? I haven't done anything the last few days. I just... I thought I'd be fired by now or something."
Avery frowned gently, brushing a thumb along Noël's jaw in a way that made the Omega shiver. "No. You're not fired. You're recovering. Once you're stable, we'll talk about everything, okay? I'm not going to punish you for being unwell."
But Noël's gaze lowered.
"Then why are you keeping me here?" he thought. "Is it really because you like me... or just because of how I smell to you?"
He didn't say it out loud. Instead, when Avery asked softly, "Can I... hold you again?" Noël just nodded. He didn't know what else to do. Maybe this was the only value he had right now. Maybe if he just stayed quiet and gave in, Avery wouldn't get tired of him.
Avery lay down on the bed with him, gently pulling Noël close. His arm wrapped around Noël's waist, one hand resting at the small of his back as he buried his face once more in the Omega's neck, taking in that scent he couldn't get enough of.
But something shifted.
Their pheromones, previously swirling independently, began to synchronize. Subtly at first, then with more weight. Noël inhaled deeply and caught Avery's scent fully for the first time.
Sweet wine. Something seductive. Something calming. Something dangerous.
And it made him ache.
His body reacted without permission, the heat rising like a tide he couldn't suppress. When Avery shifted slightly to get more comfortable, he accidentally brushed against Noël, just enough for a breathy moan to escape Noël's lips.
Avery froze. He lifted his head slowly to look at Noël, whose face had turned red. In that second of eye contact, both of them knew what had just happened. Avery had felt it—Noël's arousal pressing faintly against him. Noël was trembling slightly, embarrassed, but clearly unable to help it.
Avery swallowed hard.
"I didn't mean for that to happen," he said softly, guilt tightening in his chest.
Noël shook his head slowly. "It's not your fault... I think I just... I can't control it."
Neither of them moved.
The air between them was thick with tension, heat, and restraint like a match waiting to be struck.