Chapter Text
"The pain of silence silences the loudest words"
One year.
The decree of the arranged marriage had been filling all these months. It had been a year since they got married, a year since they had been living in a house and not understanding what each other felt.
The Byun and Wang families made a deal twelve months ago. The Wang family offered them their firstborn omega bastard son, the one who would never take over his father's position at the famous clothing brand, in exchange for an arranged marriage with the middle son of the Byun family, the famous alpha who would take over his mother's role in her cosmetics company.
Nicholas expected the hell of his life to get worse. He had endured the insults of his parents and siblings for a long time, and he knew he would suffer much more at the hands of his future husband. He didn't care, because his soul had already been condemned to suffering from the moment he left his mother's womb and grew up being called a freak because of his marks.
The omega wasn't ugly, but he didn't fit the criteria that society imposed on his species. His black hair was straight and sleek, his jawline was pronounced like an alpha's, and his eyes, filled with fury, detracted from his omega image. No one would want to marry an impolite omega. That's what his father had told him his whole life.
He didn't expect to marry the silliest alpha in society. In Nicholas's eyes, Euijoo was a silly and useless alpha, the kind who cried when watching YouTube videos of puppies being rescued. But who was he to talk about others, knowing that he cried in the dead of night, afraid of living past the age of twenty-three?
He just wanted to be happy.
Remembered perfectly the day he walked into that church filled with CEOs and friends of both families, his white suit highlighting his black hair that fell slightly over his eyes, his irises covered by dark brown lenses. He felt disgusting under those masks, the texture of the exaggerated makeup and the lenses that covered his true appearance. His head had never been raised, walking down the aisle with his head down beside his mother, who smiled as robotically as possible, nodding to a few acquaintances, but only he felt the pinches she gave him on the arm and the whispers that said, "Raise your head now."
He hated being the centre of attention, hated being thrown onto an alpha and hoped that God's mercy would not make him suffer more than he already had. But the existence of God was never valid for Nicholas.
That day, his head felt like it weighed a ton, and it was a struggle to lift it and look at the alpha in front of him. He did not feel fear towards Euijoo, but rather pity, pity for having to put up with him for countless years until he was buried underground. It would not be long.
It became a nightmare every night when he remembered the alpha's fangs digging into his skin in front of everyone, how his body faltered with that intimate touch that made his wolf want to attack, Euijoo's steady hands grabbing him from behind so he wouldn't fall, as if they were in a fairy tale and Byun was the prince who saved the day. It hurt his heart to remember the exact moment when the applause rose so high after he was marked, it was as if they were betting on an ox at auction and whoever applauded the loudest would take the ox home and have it for dinner with barbecue sauce. He didn't like that idea of being predestined to someone he had never heard of.
His bite on Euijoo's neck was not the most applauded. So that's when Nicholas realised that they weren't happy about the marriage, no, they were happy that an omega's life was being destroyed before their very eyes with a single bite.
And that no one would come to rescue him.
His eyes that day after the bite scanned the entire church, looking for someone he knew, someone he could run to crying, into his arms. But the truth is, Nicholas had never met anyone, he never had a friend.
It was always him. Just him.
Euijoo's hand on his back and the little whisper, "It's okay," did not calm Nicholas' nervousness, it only increased his anger and anguish at the false identity that the alpha wanted to convey before turning his life into hell. But he was wrong.
Throughout the first year, Euijoo never crossed the line. He didn't force Nicholas to talk to him, or even to answer him, he just left Wang... there. Quiet, mysterious, sad. It was as if Nicholas's existence was enough in Euijoo's life. He wasn't a bad alpha, because he cried watching videos of puppies being rescued and had the sweetest voice ever, he was still learning to love.
Nicholas, on the other hand, avoided talking to the alpha. Although his wolf loved the scent of tangerine with a sophisticated touch of wet grass, he still didn't trust his husband. He wasn't afraid. Was desperate.
But Euijoo never forced him to do anything.
The routines were carried out alone. When Wang went into heat, Euijoo left some jackets so that the omega would feel protected and left the house, leaving it solely to his husband. When he arrived, saw that his jackets were untouched. When Euijoo's rut came, he locked himself in the bedroom and took suppressants so that his excessive desire to touch his omega wouldn't go elsewhere; he kept himself in "captivity" so he wouldn't hurt the omega.
And that day it was rain.
It was raining heavily, the wind blowing against the kitchen window, which had the lamp on, illuminating Nicholas sitting at the table, leaning over it while painting his picture. The lightness with which his brush moved over the canvas was in stark contrast to the raindrops falling on the glass window, bringing a certain melody to the downpour. The clock struck 8pm, and something stirred inside Wang's chest.
Euijoo always arrived at 7pm.
Could it be the rain? Of course, because rainy days meant long commutes. Nicholas wasn't a fan of sunny days, but he had a certain limit when it came to rainy days.
His mobile phone vibrated next to the glass of ink-coloured water, displaying the name 'Byun Euijoo' on the message screen. He gently placed his paintbrush on the paper and picked up his phone to read the message.
'Hi, there's a lot of traffic.
It may take me a while to get home, but don't worry, I'll try to get there as soon as possible.
Take care, Nicholas.'
He let out a tired sigh, throwing his mobile phone back on the table and running his hands over his face. Couldn't describe the feeling, couldn't express it in words or gestures, he just let himself be carried away by the silence. It was a tightness in his heart, a pain so sharp that it made him lean over the table, groaning in pain and shedding a few tears.
And the thing he hated most was that Euijoo could feel all his sadness from across the city.
He stood up shakily, opening the first door of the upper counter, standing on tiptoe while making a maximum effort to reach the medicine box he had placed at the back of the cupboard, and when his fingers recognised the texture of the lid of the jar, grabbed it quickly, opening it and throwing all the packets onto the counter. His hand reached for the pack he wanted so badly, taking two pills out of it, putting them in his mouth and swallowing them with the help of running tap water.
He breathed heavily, but now he felt alive.
More alive than ever.
He calmly put all those cards back in their place, placing them where they had been before, leaning against the cupboard door, looking at his trembling hands. He hated being like this. His hands were dirty with ink, but that was never the problem. The problem was the way his body was perceived.
For fifteen years. Fifteen years. Nicholas had to learn on his own that if he didn't love himself, no one else could love him. They were long, difficult years, listening to arguments about his appearance, insults, and the lack of self-love when he looked in the mirror. He didn't eat for fear of deviating from the "standard" his mother had imposed on him, he didn't want to look at his arms and see the scars his younger brother had left on him. Why? For no reason. He couldn't look in the mirror and see his reflection.
He couldn't understand why people thought he was ugly, when, oh God, the shape of his eyes was so beautiful and his irises were different colours. Like an angel.
He couldn't understand how a ten-year-old child could hate himself. He hated his voice, his body and his pure gaze that carried the 'fury' that everyone talked about. But hell, he never carried anger.
His eyes were the bottom of the valley.
His eyes were his portrait.
His eyes were his sadness, his struggle, his life. His life and his death.
How could a child hate himself just for being... himself?
The sound of the door creaking brought Nicholas out of his reverie. He didn't realise that the short time he had been lost in thought had lasted many long minutes. He raised his head and saw the front door open and Euijoo walk through it. The kitchen was American-style, the only thing separating it from the living room being a medium-sized pillar in the middle.
"Hi, are you hungry?" Asked as he put his key in the keyring and took off his shoes at the entrance. Nicholas shook his head, knowing that Euijoo wouldn't force him to eat, inhaling the scent that his omega loved so much. "I stopped by a convenience store and bought something for us to eat," He clearly hadn't seen the omega's sign of denial.
"i'm fine, I'm not hungry."
"Oh..." Was all the alpha said, raising his head, allowing Nicholas to observe him more closely. He was wearing loose black sweatpants that were almost falling off his hips, a sweatshirt in contrasting colours with some motivational writing on it, and his head was covered by a backwards-facing cap that technically leaned more to the left. A business owner would not dress like this to go to work, but Euijoo did not mind working in casual clothes, unless he had important meetings that day.
On top of everything else, he was in charge of everything, dressed formally and informally.
"You look cold, you'd better warm up before eating," Said the omega, returning to his seat, watching the alpha begin to take food out of the bags. A certain confused murmur made the other speak again. "Your nose is red," He gestured without looking up, picking up the brush.
"Oh no, it's always like that. I'm fine," He denied with a simple smile that filled his round cheeks. "Painting again?"
"My distraction so I don't break down, maybe," Replied, dipping the brush in navy blue paint, feeling the alpha's concerned gaze on him. "Just kidding. Yes, I'm painting."
"Have you been eating properly?" He walked behind his chair, putting a pot of instant noodles in the cupboard and gesturing to the omega where it would be if he wanted it. "Despite everything, we still have a brand."
"Don't even remind me..." he muttered, feeling his mobile phone vibrate again, but this time he didn't pick it up because he knew it wasn't anyone important. "I'm eating well, why? Does it scare you to see the omega who was forced to marry you die and you be to blame?" Damn it, Nicholas. You're on the defensive again, no one's going to understand you like this. "Sorry..." He lowered his head in regret.
"Hey, I'm not scared of seeing my omega die and me being the one to blame, no, I'm worried about not being a good alpha. I'm just making sure, Nicholas," His tone was neither angry nor loud, but calm and quiet, and that stressed Nicholas out.
"I'm sorry," he apologised again.
"I was just worried about you today, that's all, and you seem to be ill," Nicholas stopped dancing the brush across the paper, still looking down. "If something is weighing on you, or bothering you, or even difficult to deal with, you're not alone, okay? You don't like me, but I'm still your alpha, and the first thing an alpha wants to see is his omega well," Faced with that emotional speech, Wang grew even more irritated and raised his gaze to look at the alpha who was staring at him with the most cautious eyes possible.
He didn't understand.
This was a sham; no one could care so much about him.
"Not liking you is a very strong feeling, Alpha, I only tolerate you knowing that you can be just like everyone else," He countered, analysing his painting. The sound of the microwave echoed in the room before Euijoo replied.
"Think what you want about me, Nicholas, either way, I'll still care about you."
And then the conversation ended there. Like a vacuum on a mountain.
Nicholas tried to be someone confident, a person who wouldn't cause problems for those around him, but he couldn't maintain that attitude when he just wanted to give up everything, let go of the walls that held him back and allow himself to be swallowed up by them in the darkest room. It was a fact, he couldn't be a person who believed in love after all the kinds of abuse he suffered at home, his cheek hurt after forcing a huge smile at the old family photos.
Euijoo never came to prove him wrong, never, but rather to encourage him to be himself. That rude, foul-mouthed mask of the omega was never fair, but rather a costume he wore to defend himself. They say that children who grew up in dysfunctional families never had big dreams, which is true, because Nicholas' dream was always to have someone to talk to about his paintings.
And that was fine.
Dreams may not always come true.
"Turn off the lights before you go up," Announced the omega as he gathered his things to go upstairs, closing the paint pots and cleaning his brush. "I'm warning you because you left them on last time."
"Don't worry, you can go rest, I'll tidy up your things," Said the alpha, cautiously watching the smaller one look at him confused. "Seriously, leave everything there, I'll tidy up for you."
"You don't know where the storage room is."
"I'll find it."
Oh yes, Euijoo did know where Nicholas' dye supplies were stored. How? Well, every night when he came home and saw the omega leaning over the table while he slept, it was he who put his partner to bed, and there he was, putting all the utensils back in their respective places. The difference was that Nicholas wasn't unconscious that night, but the storage place had never changed.
"Thank you," Said formally, rubbing his sleepy eyes before turning hesitantly upstairs, heading towards his bedroom.
"Good night, Nicholas."
"Good night, Euijoo," The alpha didn't understand, but his wolf liked how his name sounded when spoken by his companion's voice, shifting comfortably on Byun's chest, who cleared his throat at that.
Euijoo was never one to approve of arranged marriages; he hated anything related to arranged plans, and this hatred came from his genetics, as his parents also hated it. However, he found himself being forced by his parents, who showed a certain desperation to marry their son to the firstborn omega of the "friendly" family. He never understood why his parents acted so rudely in that matter, knowing that they both detested arrangements, and then, when he saw his partner for the first time, everything seemed to be answered in one person.
Despair.
Despair was what he and his parents saw in Nicholas' threatening silhouette, a person who was possibly enduring everything in silence and would have no one to tell about his feelings. He did not refuse the contract, he just signed it without reading everything.
Wang was not a threat or someone ugly in Euijoo's eyes. On the contrary, Byun was enchanted when he first saw Nicholas's two-toned eyes, one light blue and the other dark brown. He didn't feel fear; he felt willing to protect that man.
He never felt hurt when Nicholas responded rudely or ignored him. In fact, he couldn't feel sad for someone who was just being defensive. He didn't know Nicholas's whole story, but he knew he had suffered enough to carry sadness in his eyes and defenciveness in his heart. And that was all right, soldiers also pretend to be tough to protect the king and queen, even though they know everyone just wants to return to their mother's arms and cry like newborns.
He finished eating, cleaning up his mess and tidying up his partner's things. He gently dried the brushes Nicholas used, putting them back in their original pot, and began to clean the dried blue paint that stained the white table, but nothing that alcohol couldn't help. After much effort to remove the paint, he threw the paper away and cleaned the mouths of the paint pots, closing them properly as he picked them up and walked towards the cupboard in the hallway near the living room. That hallway led to the guest bathroom, two guest bedrooms, a pantry and a lonely living room.
Opened the top cupboard, putting the paints in order according to their shades, just as Nicholas had arranged them, and quickly returned to fetch the brushes and the professional case containing graffiti pens, professional pencils, mechanical pencils and erasers that Wang used for sketching, placing them on the bottom shelf inside the cupboard.
He poured out the dirty water in the glass, washed it thoroughly and put it on the dish rack to dry, picking up the painted picture that the omega had worked hard to make. He looked at the painting with caution and admiration. He couldn't deny that his omega was talented, although not everyone could make a person smiling towards the horizon using only different shades of blue.
Euijoo liked it. Blue was his favourite colour.
Walked to the lonely garden at the back of the house where hardly anyone ever went. He placed the painting on the marble table covered with a beige cloth, the table that had been named "The Table of Paradise" by the alpha. It was where Euijoo always placed Nicholas's dyes to dry overnight, and the omega had possibly adopted that same idea, as there were three more drawings that the alpha remembered not having put there.
He smiled, enchanted by his partner's work, feeling his chest warm. Nicholas couldn't describe his feelings, so he painted, which made Euijoo automatically understand him.
Not intensely, but enough not to cross the line.
Stretched when he saw that he had been looking at the paintings for a long time, going back into the residence, making sure the table was completely clean, and finally, not forgetting to turn off the kitchen lights, picking up his backpack that had been left on the sofa in the living room after his arrival. He climbed the stairs quietly so they wouldn't make a noise and wake Wang, which Euijoo thought would be fine, since the mark was stable at that moment.
And when he passed the omega's bedroom door, knew he was really asleep as soon as the sweet smell of strawberries and milk reached his nose, calming his heart. He loved it when Nicholas slept, which everyone found strange, but only he could smell the most delicious scent in his entire life. He didn't understand why the smell intensified even more when the omega slept, but he didn't care.
In any case, he would always be in love with that wonderful combination of strawberries and milk.
And at the end of that night, Euijoo fell asleep with his notebook on his lap while solving company issues. And Nicholas? Well, he dreamed he was happy.
Once in a lifetime.
×
"You look so handsome today, Mr Wang," said the woman who cleaned their house and cooked for the omega. She was beautiful. A beta with flowing black hair, her youthful face matched her age of twenty-two, she had eyes as big as jabuticaba fruit and a beautiful smile.
"Don't treat me formally, Jia, alright?" He said calmly. He gave the beta a simple smile. "And thank you, what's so charming about my face today? uhmm?" Joked with the woman, who let out a soft laugh as she put the cutlery in its place.
Jia was a young woman, she was ordered to be a 'maid' in the couple's house, but the omega and alpha hated to refer to her by that name, so we called her a helper. She helped with cleaning the house and cooking, and Nicholas could clap his hands for his meals, they were all so delicious. Her relationship with the omega was closer and friendlier than with the alpha, perhaps because of his absence and Wang's greater presence, but with her, Nicholas could let his most sincere smile slip.
In many aspects, Nicholas saw himself in Jia, even in the more subtle ones, such as getting frustrated at not being able to get everything done on time, knowing that her bosses would never get angry about it. The beta was a friend to the omega; they talked all day long, and often Nicholas listened attentively to Jia's big heart-to-heart talks. The woman had also come from a dysfunctional family and now she was doing everything she could to get out from under her mum and dad's roof, but it seemed that the more she worked, the more she failed.
The mere small details.
"Maybe your eyes, maybe your smile, maybe the sparkle in your beautiful blue and brown eyes when the sun shines through the window," She hummed, and that phrase made Nicholas swallow hard, feeling his chest warm up. He had never heard that in his entire life.
"Aish, don't say that, those are the parts I hate the most," He denied, covering his blue eye with his fingertips.
"Just because you hate it, doesn't mean others can't love it, Nicholas."
"Are you sick, Jia?" Asked the omega, changing the subject as quickly as possible, seeing how adorable the beta's face had suddenly become confused. "You've been talking a lot of nonsense, you know?"
Jia laughed softly, closing the drawer and walking through the kitchen. "I'm fine, dear, no symptoms of illness. How about you? Is everything okay?"
Everything is fine, princess," he stretched out on the doorstep separating the living room from the kitchen. "But I've been feeling some chest pains, I hope it's a heart attack—"
The woman threw the dishcloth that was on her shoulder at the omega's face. "YA, don't say that!"
"I'm just joking," Rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue and smiling freely. "But the chest pains are no joke, and they've been worrying me a little, even though I'm taking my medicine right on schedule," He scratched the back of his neck, looking intently at the silhouette of the woman who was pacing back and forth in the room but still listening to the omega speak. "These pains come so intensely that it feels like I've been stabbed. My wolf has been silent for... two months? He only shows up when Euijoo arrives, as if he were going to his owner with his tail wagging, but all he gets is a pair of huge eyes that look at you with concern but never touch you."
"Darling, wouldn't it be better to go to the hospital to have it checked out? Tests... it could be your wolf."
"No, I'm fine, it must just be another symptom of anxiety or a side effect of the medication," He laughed awkwardly, ignoring that strange feeling in his chest that was starting to creep up again. It wasn't Euijoo, it came from within him. His hands rested on his chest, massaging gently, and he began to exhale the air he hadn't even realised he had been holding.
"Has the pain started?" Jia asked, standing in front of him with concern in her eyes as she held the pan in her hand. It was almost lunchtime, and the beta liked to make a good lunch for the omega to eat and leave for the alpha to enjoy in the evening. She got no answer, "Hey, Nicholas?"
"Uhm?" He replied, still dazed, closing his eyes as his head remained bowed. "Just give me a few seconds, okay?" Walked slowly out of the kitchen, disappearing up the stairs.
Jia let out a weary sigh. In the time she'd been living with Nicholas, she'd learnt that he was the type to avoid talking about his pains, just walking away and saying that everything was fine.
It never was.
"Anything, just shout!!!" She exclaimed loudly, but it sounded more like a question, knowing that Nicholas would never shout for someone to come to his aid.
The sensation was torturous, he could feel his teeth grinding against each other, causing an irritating chill to run down the back of his neck, feeling shivers run through his whole body. His legs were stiffly bent while his only solution to breathing was to keep his head down, trying to calm his wolf so that Euijoo wouldn't feel anything unusual through the mark, but the feedback on his mobile phone, restless vibrations, was already the answer to everything.
"Come on, Nicholas... it's nothing, stop making a fuss..." He whispered to himself, reaching for the mobile phone on the bed. The tremor in his hand was visible from five metres away and he hated being seen.
'Hey, is everything OK?
The mark is warning me that something isn't right
Nicholas?
Just tell me you're okay and I can stop worrying so much.'
He unlocked his mobile phone, bent over the bed, his fingers began to type on the digital keyboard but a sharp pain shot through his chest like a sword and a painful scream escaped his lips, he let go of the phone and immediately began to inhale its smell, and realised how sour and disgusting it was to smell. "J-Jia..." He mumbled, hoping his voice would automatically come out as a scream.
He'd never thought of asking for help.
The door burst open. "I heard you scream!" The beta came in terrified, holding an onion in one hand and a knife in the other, and her fringe was messy from the run she'd made up the stairs. "What's going on? Does it still hurt?!" she dropped the food on the bedroom dresser, not caring how rude it was.
The mobile phone vibrated again.
'I'm coming back.
Tell me you're all right'
Another scream came from Nicholas' lips, causing him to fall to his knees on the floor, clutching his chest with his trembling hands, which were beginning to lose colour and were as cold as a corpse. Perhaps his time had come. "Hey! Please, don't do that, you're scaring me! Nicholas, I'll call Mr Byun!" The beta was also in despair, it was terrifying to see the scene of the omega screaming in pain.
"No!" his voice sounded louder, but it was too late because Jia already had her mobile phone to her ear, waiting for Euijoo to answer. "Jia, please don't..." he gasped, and a drop of water fell to the floor. He hadn't even realised he was crying.
Perhaps from pain. Perhaps from despair.
Or perhaps of joy.
"I can't leave you like this! I need to speak to Mr Byu - Hi! Nicholas is very ill, I don't know what to do!" She voice was raspy, which brought even more despair to the alpha on the other end of the line. "I don't know!" She shouted, gesturing with one arm.
She was really desperate. Nicholas would have laughed at her if he hadn't tried not to lose consciousness.
His whole body was freezing, it felt like the onset of hypothermia, but his face was burning like the depths of hell. He knew Euijoo was coming after Jia had calmed down a bit, but her calmness was making Nicholas more nervous.
Tried to speak, opened his mouth and forced himself to speak, but all Jia could hear were moans, sobs and gasping breaths muffled by Nicholas' head lowered towards the ground. He was curled up on the icy floor, his forehead literally pressed to the floor in an attempt to relieve the enormous heat on his face. His teeth gritted, and he could taste the iron mixed with the salty taste of the tears that seeped from the corner of his lips.
It was a mess.
"He's already coming, Nicho, hold on..." Jia's soft hand brushed against his back and all he could feel was a shock, which made his body shudder and a painful cry burst from his lips. "Okay, no touching?"
"Out- Get out-" Another scream came from his lips, ordering his friend out of the room. He felt his wolf after so long without feeling and testing it, and the sensation wasn't the best. It felt like claws ripping through his chest. "Call Euijoo!" He begged, seeing from his side view that the beta was already running out of the room.
He couldn't understand.
He always felt all those chest pains, what was wrong this time?
His fangs were showing, he didn't like them in his mouth, they were hurting his mouth. What was going on? Was his wolf angry? Was your wolf sick? What the hell was going on?
As one last scream escaped his lips and his sight began to blur, the scent his wolf loved so much began to stir his instincts. "Nicholas," The large silhouette of his alpha stood in front of him, looking at him with the most worried eyes in the world.
Wang didn't answer, he just continued to lie on the ground, his breathing uncontrolled and his body trembling. He found himself being lifted up by his alpha's large hands, standing up quickly while being held by the strong hands on his back. "Nicholas? Hey, look at me... What do you feel?"
Nicholas stood paralysed. When he raised his head with great effort, his eyes met his alpha's. "Yeah, look at me. Where's it hurt?"
Euijoo looked at him as if he were the most beautiful person in the universe.
"Everything," His voice was weak, but this time it wasn't filled with screams, just a tightness in his chest. "My chest aches."
A hand came out from under his protection and landed on his chest, and it seemed as if all that tightness had been replaced by cosiness. "Here?" Nicholas nodded, gasping as the mixed sensations coursed through his chest, and wiped the corner of his mouth, which was oozing metallic blood. "It's okay, you'll be fine, it was just a scare, okay?" His voice was so calm that it made Nicholas's whole body relax.
He hadn't even noticed when Euijoo put their bodies together, leaning Nicholas's head on his shoulder, still massaging the omega's chest to relieve all that pain that, in a way, he also felt in a strange way. In his knowledge, the symptoms of anxiety would never pass to the other partner.
It would never be anxiety.
The alpha turned his head towards the door, spotting Jia and the newest omega at the door. Yuma, his friend since school, was just like a kitten, watching worriedly from afar. He first made sure Nicholas was unconscious. "What exactly happened, Jia?" The calmness in his tone transmitted through the mark to Nicholas, who, oddly enough, had fallen asleep standing up.
Jia recounted the entire event, from the letter A to the letter Z, showing her despair with every word that came out of her mouth, only to be reassured by the omega next to her who smiled gently at the beta. "That was terrifying, Mr Byun, to see him like that!"
"Has he taken any kind of medicine today?" He asked curiously, stroking the omega's back, realising that the little one's body was getting warm again.
Jia wet her mouth, undecided whether to tell him or not. Nicholas had told her not to say anything. "Oh, no, Mr Byun. He was so well before," She commented, looking at the onion and knife she had left on the dresser. "My God, lunch!" exclaimed, picking up the food and the utensil and hurrying out to the kitchen.
Euijoo giggled at her friend, meeting his friend's attentive eyes through the doorway. "He scared me."
"He scared us..." muttered Yuma, walking into the room with his arms crossed. His pastel pink hair fell in detail over his black eyes. "He looks frail, hyung" Euijoo nodded in agreement with his friend, settling his husband in his arms, ready to put him to bed comfortably.
"I try my best to make him feel good about my presence, but the best way for me to gain his trust is to keep myself worried at all times..." He placed the omega on his bed, watching him shrink away from the warm, cosy feel of the covers around him. His hand reached for the blanket that he always saw Nicholas carrying up and down the house on freezing days, covering him evenly. He let out a long breath. "I feel he needs love, not worries..." The warm tone in his voice made Yuma look at the sleeping omega with a certain affection.
Euijoo sat on the edge of the bed, gazing thoughtfully at Nicholas who seemed to be sleeping comfortably in the alpha's presence. Every day since the day they got married, Byun had been worrying excessively about his partner's health, knowing that he would never really know what was going on live.
He was afraid of arriving and seeing him lying dead over his most beautiful painting.
"Don't worry so much, Juju, everything's fine. You have to understand his side of not sharing what's going on," Yuma seemed to read his thoughts.
"I think he suffered something at his old home..." his eyes analysed how handsome and adorable Nicholas looked in his loose, casual clothes, as he always wore, but they were pastel colours, the colour palette Euijoo would pay to see his partner wearing.
Yuma sighed heavily, "The Wang family has some rumours of manipulation of various things, it could be that something really happened inside that house," He stretched, reaching up to stroke the top of the alpha's black hair. "Anyway, take care of him and don't let him disbelieve in love. I know arranged relationships are difficult to deal with, but be patient. I'll see you," Yuma had always been Euijoo's best friend and counsellor, because it was with him that Byun could cry and not be trapped by so many questions.
He'd just cry.
The room remained silent. Euijoo wanted to go out, but it seemed that something was holding her close to her omega, transmitting warmth to the small body that was beginning to tremble slightly under the covers. "Are you going back to the company? I could ring Fuma and ask him to take over from you."
"Please, I don't know if I can leave him. Not after all this," He replied self-consciously, not looking up at any point.
The rosy-cheeked man nodded, picked up his mobile and left the room, leaving only the alpha with his husband.
The larger man's hand rested on Nicholas's, who involuntarily crawled out from under the blanket, holding it carefully, afraid that it would break in several places. He was fragile, but Euijoo thought it was the end of the world.
Maybe everything that happened was his fault.
Maybe it was the wolf getting sick from lack of his alpha's touch.
Everything could revolve around Euijoo's absent existence in Nicholas's life.
Tears fell unhurriedly from his eyes, agonised by the strange feeling in his chest, and he pulled Nicholas' hand towards his mouth, kissing it and staying there, inhaling the scent he loved so much. A sob escaped his lips coldly, realising that he was crying again, worried about Nicholas's health. "I'm sorry..." He murmured, leaning his forehead against his omega's hand.
He didn't think Nicholas was listening.
But something in the newly awakened omega's chest stirred restlessly, unhappy with all that affection. He wanted to pull his hand away, shout at the alpha, split his head from his neck, but all he did was accept the apologies without showing any emotion, still with his eyes closed, feeling a warmth coursing through his chest.
The afternoon passed as slowly as a worm walking along the road. Nicholas didn't even manage to take advantage of the warm sunshine outside to finish his paintings and put them out to dry, falling asleep for five hours in his bed next to his alpha, who slept on the edge of his bed. Certainly, when he woke up for the last time that day, Euijoo was no longer on the edge of his bed, and the only light coming into the room was the light from the corridor, which came slightly through the ajar doorway. He stretched, feeling his torso creak as if it were going to break in half.
His body was still a little shaky but there was no sign of any severe pain in his chest, and he felt his legs go weak as he stood up from the bed, glancing at his reflection in the wardrobe mirror. His black hair was growing, it formed a beautiful mullet shape, and it was a bit messy, but he didn't bother to fix it.
The old Nicholas would put on his lenses before leaving the room. However, this new Nicholas didn't care what anyone else said about his bi-coloured eyes, so he just wiped the corner of his eyes and left his room. The house was quiet and he could hear Jia's soft voice talking to someone, possibly Euijoo.
He climbed down the stairs with difficulty, gripping the banister tightly and afraid that his legs would betray him, making him embarrassed on the steps. He thanked himself internally for making it to the ground without embarrassing himself, seeing the others in the kitchen. "Oh, you're up!" Jia exclaimed, taking the tea towel off his shoulders and gesturing with his hands for his friend to come closer.
Nicholas ducked his head, embarrassed at all the attention on him. "Are you all right?" his alpha's warm voice drifted into his ears like a melody, calming a mixture of emotions that was already building in his chest. He nodded, sitting down in the same chair that he sat in every day
His gaze met the one he didn't know, and he was able to inhale its scent immediately, knowing it was another omega. It was a mixture of peaches and chocolate chips, but at the same time it smelled like an expensive cologne. He flashed a cute, cuddly smile, showing his fangs. "Hi, I'm Yuma!"
"Hi, I'm Nicholas," Said robotically, watching as the alpha pushed the plate of food towards him. "I'm not hungry."
"Eat" Euijoo didn't hear, and Wang didn't understand the feeling that ran through him, but his fingers automatically moved to grab his hashis.
"You scared me, you idiot!" Jia hit Nicholas on the arm, who didn't react to the touch, looking innocently at her friend. "There's no point looking at me like that!"
"Do you want to go to hospital if this keeps happening?" Euijoo asked and the omega's look changed, like something more invisible than anyone could describe.
"I don't think that's anything to make a fuss about," He shrugged. "It was just an anxiety attack."
"Anxiety symptoms don't cross the line, as far as I'm concerned," Yuma muttered quietly, earning a sharp look from Nicholas and a 'shut up' look from Euijoo. "I'm sorry, dear, but I'm the same species as you. I don't feel afraid of you. You need to be careful."
"I'm fine"
"If you were, none of this would have happened, anxiety attack or not," hummed, putting down his hashis. Nicholas arched an eyebrow. "I'm not here to make you feel angry, I'm here to help you, darling, I want to be your most loyal friend of all, but you lying to your face is a bit distressing," he blurted out, not breaking Nicholas exchange of glances.
"You don't know anything, you don't even know me," He replied immediately, seeing through his peripheral vision Euijoo sigh tensely and Jia step back, staring at the scene.
"Darling, you've got a book open through your eyes, and believe me, I've never had a literary hangover," He smiled gently, showing off his prey again. Wang felt like smashing his plate of food in that omega's face, but in a way, everything he said seemed to make sense.
"I've lost my hunger" Pushed the plate away, ready to leave the room, but a hand stopped him in his tracks.
"Finish your meal"
And like a puppy, he sat down at the table again, eating without looking up, listening to the conversation unfold naturally again.
By nine o'clock at night, Jia and Yuma were saying goodbye. He just didn't understand why Yuma had placed a kiss on his forehead, as if trying to make him feel comfortable.
"See you around, Nicholas." He left a warm smile for the omega, turning round and patting the alpha on the chest, who smiled back at his friend and said goodbye.
Yuma. The mysterious omega with the fanged smile and a straight line like a football.
He played with his fingers on the table, trying to forget everything that had happened that day and the existence of his alpha at his side, but his alpha's large, thin hands grabbed his, preventing him from continuing the job of pulling off the dead skin near his fingernail. "Nicholas"
"I know. I know I've worried you today, I know you're worried about me"
"You need medical monitoring, I'm not saying this to get rid of you, but because there might be something wrong with your wolf. You can say it was just an anxiety attack, but I would never stop caring about you so much. Your health is my peace and comfort, understand?" Nicholas looked deep into Euijoo's round, sparkling eyes, and he could sense in such a strange way how the alpha's emotions and feelings were visible in his eyes. "You may not trust me, believe that I'm just like those who hurt you, you're right, I won't change your mind so quickly, but I need you to be open so that, whatever happens, you don't hesitate to call me"
"I don't want you to quit your job because of me," Euijoo's head signalled a 'no, you're wrong' and his look of concern only intensified.
"I'd never leave you alone because of a job, Nicholas. You're my omega and I'm your alpha," The omega lowered his gaze, not believing his words. "I sent you several messages as soon as I realised something was different, you don't know how worried I was and we don't even share romantic feelings. I didn't think twice before rushing over here, I left my office in such a hurry that my trainees got out of my way. Nicholas, I don't mind leaving work for you. I'd care more if I got home and saw you being taken away by ambulance. Does that comfort you or scare you?"
Nicholas didn't know how to answer.
In fact, he had never been more important before than was now.
"Then let me stay by your side to take precautions. I don't want to feel everything through the brand, I want to reassure you before you collapse like today. OK? Is that okay?"
He didn't get any answers, as usual, but he knew that an immense gratitude was coursing through the omega.
"You know, I'd rather see you sleeping over your drawings of paintings, with your cheeks full of paint, than see you lying in a hospital bed."
And in that one sentence, Nicholas realised that there are people in your life who can really care about you.