Morning silence wrapped the Ulrick mansion, broken only by the soft creak of a door. Adriel slipped quietly into Eren's room, careful with each step. The fever had finally broken hours ago, but exhaustion still clung to the omega's frame.
Eren lay on his side, back turned, breathing steady. Peaceful. For the first time in days, Adriel saw him resting without pain etched into his features.
He circled to the other side of the bed and lowered himself to the edge, eyes lingering on Eren's face. The omega looked younger like this, lashes resting against pale skin, lips parted slightly with each soft breath.
Adriel's chest tightened. He had told himself it was duty that kept him here—responsibility, the unborn child, the contract that bound them. But somewhere along the way, it had shifted. He wanted to be here. Needed to be.
"What am I supposed to do to keep you safe?" he murmured, brushing a stray lock of hair from Eren's damp forehead. His fingers lingered against warm skin, and he leaned in before he could stop himself—just to feel the heat, to reassure himself the fever hadn't returned.
But when he didn't pull back, his breath mingled with Eren's, his instincts stirring. Too close. Far too close. And yet—he didn't move.
Then Eren's lashes fluttered. His eyes opened slowly—and found Adriel's face inches away.
Adriel froze.
Eren blinked, startled, heat rising to his cheeks. "Wh-what are you—" he began, shifting back quickly. But his hand brushed against Adriel's arm, and in the scramble, Adriel's weight tipped forward.
Their mouths met.
It wasn't deep, just a press of lips—unexpected, clumsy. But the shock of contact jolted through them both like a live current. For an instant, the room filled with nothing but the sound of their shared breath.
Adriel's alpha instincts roared, sharp and unrelenting. The taste of him. The pull. His body screamed to claim, to mark, to seal what already felt inevitable.
But reason snapped him back. He jerked away, standing too quickly, running a hand through his hair as though he could scrub the moment from existence. His pulse thundered in his throat.
"I—I didn't mean—" he stammered, voice rough. "That wasn't—"
Eren sat up slowly, his hand flying to his lips, eyes wide. His heart pounded against his ribs, his body betraying him with the heat pooling low in his gut. He wanted to say something, anything, but the words stuck.
All he could do was stare at Adriel, chest rising and falling too fast, the taste of the accidental kiss lingering on his lips.
A heavy silence settled between them, thick with everything neither of them dared to say. Eren's pulse thundered in his ears, too loud, too fast. He was sure Adriel could hear it. The faint trace of the Alpha's scent clung to the air—warm, grounding—and it only made his chest feel tighter.
"It… it was an accident," Adriel said at last, his voice low, uncertain. His jaw tensed as if the words cost him something. "I'm sorry."
Eren swallowed hard, heat burning his face. "I—it's fine. You said it was an accident." His voice cracked on the last word, and he hated how weak it sounded.
Adriel sat carefully on the edge of the bed again, putting space between them this time. His presence was steady but careful, like he didn't trust himself to get too close. "How are you feeling?" he asked, softer now.
Eren shifted back instinctively, his body tense. He hadn't meant to—hadn't even realized he was doing it—until Adriel's eyes flicked to the distance he'd created.
"I'm not going to bite, you know," Adriel said with a quiet, almost self-deprecating laugh. "You don't have to flinch."
"I'm sorry," Eren blurted out quickly, shame burning hotter than the fever ever had. His fingers twisted in the sheets. "I didn't mean to. It just… happened."
Adriel exhaled slowly, then shook his head. "You don't need to apologize." He reached out and ruffled Eren's hair, his touch deliberately light—gentle in a way that made Eren's throat tighten. "If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I didn't mean to wake you. You looked… peaceful."
Eren blinked up at him, uncertain. His voice came out quieter, almost fragile. "How long was I asleep?"
"A full whole day," Adriel replied. His gaze softened, lingering on Eren's face as if reassuring himself he was really awake. "Not surprising, though. You were burning up last night. The doctor said your body needed rest."
Eren nodded faintly, but the words barely registered. His heart was still tangled in the memory of the accidental kiss, the heat of Adriel's mouth against his for that one impossible second. His instincts hummed in the space between them, restless, searching—and that was what scared him most.
Adriel stood, brushing his palms against his jeans as if to shake off the weight of the silence. "Anyway, I should probably let you get back to sleep."
But before he could take a step toward the door, a hand closed around his wrist.
He froze, glancing back. Eren's fingers trembled where they held him, his grip light but desperate.
"What's wrong?" Adriel asked softly. "Did I forget something? Are you hungry? Want strawberries?"
Eren shook his head quickly, eyes downcast. "No."
Adriel tilted his head, concern flickering across his features. "Then…?"
There was a long pause. Then, barely louder than a breath, Eren whispered, "Is it okay if you stay?"
Adriel blinked. "Stay? What do you mean?"
Eren lifted his gaze, uncertainty and heat mingling in his eyes. "I don't mean the house. I know I'm safe here. I meant… here. With me. Just for a while."
Something in Adriel's chest tightened.
"Oh," he said softly, his voice careful now. "You want me to stay. In the room."
Eren nodded, his cheeks flushing. "I don't want to be alone right now."
Adriel's scent warmed instinctively, the faint spice of his Alpha presence rolling over the space like a quiet promise. The tension in his shoulders eased, and he sat back down beside Eren—closer this time. Not too close, but enough that his nearness filled the air between them, steady and grounding.
They didn't speak for a while. They didn't need to. Sometimes, just staying was enough.
But then Eren's voice trembled, cracking the silence. "I'm sorry."
Adriel turned to him, brows lifting. "For what?"
"I'm saying sorry in advance… in case one day I can't hold it in anymore." His hand slipped from Adriel's wrist, curling into his lap. "Don't hate me if I end up falling for you."
His words hung heavy in the air, fragile and raw.
Adriel's heart stilled.