Chapter Text
Isack smiles faintly as he feels Liam’s burning gaze on the back of his neck, then turns his attention back to the omega standing in front of him. He is petite, sweet-smelling, undeniably handsome, but not sharp around the edges or quietly stubborn the way Liam is, and Isack has to bite back another smile because he can already imagine the expression the alpha is wearing behind him.
Liam has never been particularly good at hiding his jealousy and, if Isack is being honest with himself, he enjoys testing that weakness far more often than he probably should.
“I’m sorry,” he says politely, offering the omega an apologetic smile before gently turning him down and returning to his friends.
Liam silently burns a hole through him. Kimi comments that he’s become very popular with omegas lately, Arvid adds a casual “not surprising at all.” The conversation soon drifts toward the disaster that was today’s math test as they settle into the café’s furthest booth, arguing over which answers were correct while they wait for their drinks. After a few minutes, Isack excuses himself to wash his hands.
The bathroom is quiet, almost empty, and he has only just turned off the tap when someone grabs him by the shoulder and spins him around.
His lower back bumps lightly against the sink as Liam steps close enough to leave barely any space between them. For a moment, neither of them says anything.
Isack simply looks up, meeting those bright blue eyes that always seem incapable of hiding anything they feel, and immediately finds annoyance, jealousy, and something softer buried beneath them.
Liam sighs through his nose, lifts a hand to cup Isack’s cheek, his thumb brushing gently across warm skin before he leans down and steals a kiss.
It lasts only a few seconds before they pull apart again, but it says everything Liam can’t admit out loud.
Kimi finds them like this, having come to see why they have been gone for so long. He lets out a startled yelp, forcing them to break apart, stumbles through a string of confused apologies for interrupting, and quickly leaves the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
“What have you done, Liam?” Isack bites his lower lip, lightly shoves Liam, and leaves the bathroom, leaving the alpha standing there alone. That is definitely not how he planned to come out to his brother.
Kimi nearly chokes on his soda and pointedly looks away when Isack returns. Isack simply sits down at the table as if nothing happened and joins the argument between Ollie and Arvid about which answer on the test was correct. Arvid doesn’t even try to calm things down, only adding fuel to the fire with his notes.
Liam returns some time later, and Gabi immediately asks him what took him so long.
“Shitting,” he answers, giving Kimi a wink.
Russell gives both of them an anxious look, sighs, and decides not to pry. After all, it doesn’t concern him personally. For the rest of the evening, he remains relaxed and calm, only catching Isack by the elbow near the end and falling slightly behind the rest of the group.
“Well, how long were you planning to keep this from me?” Kimi hisses, throwing an arm over his shoulder. “I thought we were brothers!”
“Oh my God,” Isack rolls his eyes and visibly tenses. “How was I supposed to know how you’d feel about me dating Liam?”
“Come on, Isack, have I ever judged you? I didn’t even beat you up when you stole my boyfriend,” Kimi snorts, recalling the events of two years ago. “I have nothing against your preferences. It’s just a shame you hid it from me. I tell you everything,” Russell mutters resentfully, elbowing Isack in the ribs.
“I don’t like alphas,” Isack stoically withstands Kimi’s skeptical stare, glances at Liam’s back as he walks ahead of them, and smiles with unmistakable warmth and tenderness. “I only like Liam.”
“Don’t say another word. I’m afraid I’ll get infected,” Kimi says, pretending to gag, and a second later Isack’s laughter rings out beside him.
“Why are you two lagging behind?” Ollie shouts, waving at them to hurry up.
Kimi freezes for a second, looks at Isack, and for the first time in his life thinks that he’s hiding something from his brother. But he keeps quiet about it, not entirely sure how he feels yet, and simply gives Isack a shove between the shoulder blades to make him catch up.
George brilliantly manages to avoid Max for several days straight, running into him only during meetings. He’s always the first to leave the office at the end of the day, never giving the alpha a chance to catch him in the lobby. George does everything he can to avoid being alone with him.
“Hey, I need your advice,” Lando looks exhausted, and Russell has the sudden urge to wrap the omega in a blanket and hand him a cup of chamomile tea. “We can’t make the numbers work. The cost of materials seems low enough, but somehow we’re still going over budget, and we can’t reduce either the workforce or the amount of equipment. On the other hand, changing materials would create a whole new set of problems—”
“Look at it this way, Lando,” George smiles reassuringly. “You don’t necessarily need to change the materials. Try looking for a supplier who sells the same products at a lower price. In the end, quality matters more than cost.”
Norris nods, thanks him for the advice, and returns to his desk. George likes helping Lando, sharing his experience, and mentoring him whenever he can.
The alpha who appears in the department immediately attracts everyone’s attention. He spots Russell and waves at him. George sighs and reluctantly gets up from his chair, heading toward him.
“Lewis, please don’t tell me Nico sent you,” the omega groans as they step into the hallway, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
“I’m sorry, but you know Nico,” Hamilton smiles apologetically and rubs the back of his neck. “He’s been driving me insane lately. All he does is complain that you won’t talk to him and keep ignoring him.”
“Ooooh,” The omega drawls the sound out, hiding a laugh behind a smile. So Nico has decided to bring out the heavy artillery. “I’m really sorry that my brother is your husband, Lewis.”
Lewis laughs warmly and admits that he didn’t have much choice in the beginning, but he doesn’t regret it for a second. Nico isn’t exactly a gift, but he’s the love of his life. George feels a flicker of jealousy, but immediately pushes it away. Envy isn’t a good look on anyone.
“You know it’s very hard to say no to you, don’t you?” Russell smiles sincerely. His brother’s husband is genuinely a good person. Lewis has helped him more than once, supported him even more than Nico sometimes did, and once nearly flew to Italy to beat the hell out of George’s ex. The only thing that stopped him was George’s request to let it go and leave it in the past.
“Really?” Hamilton looks genuinely surprised, and George shoves him lightly in the shoulder.
“You wouldn’t know it from Nico,” he chuckles.
“Fair point.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll call him today.”
Lewis pats him on the shoulder approvingly and tells him not to bury himself in work. Then he casually mentions that they haven’t had a family dinner in ages, subtly suggesting that it’s about time everyone got together again. George laughs and promises to make it happen as soon as possible.
The alpha complains about how overprotective his husband is with their youngest son and points out that by that age he and Nico had already met. Their poor kid, meanwhile, has to go straight home after school every day.
“He might miss his mate,” Lewis sighs dramatically.
George assures him that there will still be plenty of boyfriends and heartbreaks in the future, and that soon enough they’ll be wishing for some peace and quiet instead.
“I was really glad to see you. We work in the same company, yet somehow we only see each other once every five years.”
Lewis nods in agreement and eventually heads off toward the finance department. George lingers in the hallway for another minute before turning back toward his own department.
Then he nearly walks straight into Max. They both freeze.
“Well, how long are you planning to avoid me?” the alpha asks, keeping a respectful distance between them.
‘Forever.’
George wants to say it out loud, but stubbornly remains silent. Instead, he finds himself staring into Max’s eyes and fighting not to drown in them completely.
Max pulls him under with something unfamiliar, or perhaps long forgotten. It wraps around his ribs, settles beneath his skin, and drags him deeper like an anchor tied to his chest. George is terrified. Uncomfortable to the point of panic. He fights it, kicks against it, chokes on it, yet continues to sink deeper and deeper.
“As long as I can,” George finally answers.
He forces those strange feelings away and breaks back to the surface, drawing a greedy breath of freedom.
“Okay,” Max says simply.
Then he turns around and walks back to his office.
Only once he’s gone does George realise he’s breathing evenly again.
The faint trace of the alpha’s scent still lingers in the air.
By the end of the week, the rains stop, allowing the city to emerge from the gray and sparkle with bright colors. But George isn’t particularly happy about the sun, the good weather, or the end of the rainstorms. He wakes up covered in sweat despite the chills running through his body, stares at his boner for a moment, feels his pajama pants sticking uncomfortably to his skin, and sighs. One word: heat.
Russell takes his suppressants and practically drenches himself in scent-blocking spray. Kimi sniffs around the kitchen for a long time before muttering that his parent is poisoning himself with pills again.
“Why don’t you stay home?” the teenager asks, lazily finishing his cereal. “I’d feel better that way.”
“I’m swamped at work,” George says with a sigh, ruffling his son’s hair. “And the pills are working. No one will notice.”
Kimi grumbles for another minute, walks him to the door, and makes him promise to call if anything happens. George laughs and assures him he’ll be fine.
The omega leaves the apartment feeling exhausted before the day has even begun. His body has been protesting for years now, demanding things George stubbornly refuses to give, and every heat seems worse than the last.
On the way to the office, he buys a double Americano and briefly entertains the idea of turning around and going home. The mountain of unfinished work quickly kills that fantasy.
The morning passes in a blur. George sends interns running errands to finance, makes Franco redo an entire project, praises the design team, especially Yuki, and answers enough emails to make his eyes ache. Franco’s response to the criticism is a long-suffering sigh and an almost concerning inclination to smash his forehead against the keyboard.
By lunchtime, George feels miserable. Every scent in the office seems amplified, crowding his senses and making his stomach churn. The suppressants dull the worst of it after ten minutes, but not enough. He still feels drained, cold, and vaguely nauseous.
Nico’s voice echoes in his head.
‘Find an alpha already. Your body is practically begging for it.’
George mentally tells him to go to hell.
Needing a moment alone, he heads for the bathroom.
He’s distracted enough that he doesn’t notice the intern coming around the corner until it’s too late. Hot coffee splashes across his chest and sleeve.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry—”
“It’s fine,” George cuts in before the poor kid can spiral into a panic attack.
It is, in fact, not fine.
Inside the bathroom, he rolls up his sleeve and runs cold water over the reddened skin. The burn isn’t serious, but it stings. The coffee stain, however, is a disaster. Wet wipes only spread it farther across the fabric.
“Fantastic,” George mutters.
He braces both hands against the sink and closes his eyes.
The scent reaches him first. Bitter chocolate. George freezes.
When he opens his eyes, Max is standing in the doorway with a small first-aid kit in one hand and a white shirt draped over his arm.
The omega immediately presses himself back against the wall. Max sets the kit down on the counter.
“What are you doing?” George asks as the alpha steps closer. Instead of answering, Max catches the hem of the stained hoodie and tugs upward. “Max—”
“Take it off.”
George should argue. Instead, he obediently lifts his arms. The realisation is deeply embarrassing.
A minute later, he’s sitting on the edge of the sink while Max examines the burn. The alpha’s touch is careful, almost annoyingly gentle as he smooths ointment over the reddened skin.
Heat flares beneath every brush of his fingers. George fixes his gaze on the opposite wall.
“I don’t even want to know why you carry a first-aid kit around.”
“An old habit from my previous job.”
The answer comes easily, but Max’s attention never wavers. Once he’s satisfied with the burn, he places a Band-Aid over it and reaches for the clean shirt.
George expects him to hand it over.
Instead, Max slips it onto his shoulders himself and begins fastening the buttons one by one.
The bathroom suddenly feels much too small.
George watches Max’s fingers work their way down the front of the shirt and tries very hard not to think about how close they are. He fails miserably.
The alpha’s scent wraps around George, making him sway slightly and feel heat creep into his face. He never imagined he’d react like this after so many years. The last person who affected him this way had been his mate. Back then, desire had drowned out everything else. But Max wasn’t his mate. George could resist this. He could keep control of his traitorous body.
For now.
“Are you sick?” Max presses a palm to his forehead. George lets out a pathetic whine and immediately jerks away. “You’re flushed, and you’re shaking.”
Max falls silent. He studies the omega for a long moment and takes a slow breath. A suspicion forms in the back of his mind, but he hesitates to voice it.
“No way…”
His hands settle on George’s shoulders before the omega can retreat. Max leans closer, following the scent hidden beneath the suppressants and spray. George squirms, shoves at his chest, mutters threats under his breath, but Max ignores all of it.
Then he finds it. Lilies of the valley and roses.
The scent hits him all at once, warm, intoxicating, impossible to miss now that he’s found it. George whines in frustration and demands to be let go.
Max’s grip tightens for a second.
“You’re in heat,” he says hoarsely.
He steps back so abruptly it almost looks like he’s been burned.
For several seconds, neither of them speaks.
Max breathes through his mouth and stares. His thoughts have dissolved into complete chaos. Every instinct is suddenly screaming at him to keep George close, to protect him, to make sure every alpha who crossed his path knew exactly who he belonged to.
The realisation is deeply inconvenient.
“Get your things,” he says finally, his voice rough. “I’m taking you home.”
George immediately protests.
“I’ll be fine if you stay away from me. The suppressants are working.”
“I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you out myself if I have to.”
George glares at him, cheeks burning. A few seconds later, he storms out of the bathroom looking thoroughly offended.
People glance up as he returns to the department, but nobody says anything. He grabs his bag, rolls up the sleeves of Max’s oversized shirt, and tells Yuki to send everything to him by email.
“I’ll be gone for a few days.”
Then he leaves. Max is waiting in the hallway.
The ride to the elevator passes in silence.
Max keeps flexing his fingers, forcing himself to stay calm. George doesn’t look like an omega in heat. Not really.
But now that he knows, it’s impossible to ignore. The scent lingers in his memory all the way to the parking garage.
George spends the entire walk pretending Max isn’t there. In the car, the silence lasts nearly five minutes before Max finally breaks it.
“Do you always come to work like this?” George stares out the window. “You don’t have to answer. I’m guessing that’s a yes.”
“It has never been a problem before.”
“George, don’t come to the office during a heat again. Do you understand me?”
Russell grips the handle of his bag.
“It wasn’t a problem until you showed up. Nobody notices.”
Max laughs once, without humor.
“Nobody notices? George, do you have any idea what your scent does to people? That’s an office full of alphas. You walk in there during a heat and act like everything is normal.”
“Why do you even care?” George snaps, turning toward him. “What exactly are you trying to do?”
The traffic light turns red. Max stops and finally looks at him.
“Has it occurred to you that maybe I care because I like you?”
George lets out a sharp laugh.
“Like me? I have an almost-grown son. Who exactly is lining up for an omega with a kid?” The words spill out before he can stop them. “My mate didn’t even mark me. Do you understand how pathetic that sounds? My own mate. If he didn’t want me, why would anyone else?”
The moment the words leave his mouth, George closes his eyes.
“Damn it.” He turns back toward the window. “Forget I said any of that.”
The rest of the drive is quiet. Max keeps both hands on the steering wheel and focuses very hard on the road.
One thought repeats in his head the entire time:
George’s mate was an asshole.
By the time they reach the apartment building, Max has upgraded that assessment several times.
He walks George to his door, reminds him not to leave unless absolutely necessary, and tells him again that he is not setting foot in the office.
George hesitates before unlocking the door.
“Could you… move on?” he asks quietly. “Find someone else.”
The hopeful look in his eyes almost does more damage than the heat ever could.
“There are plenty of people better than me.”
Max studies him for a moment.
“I’m not going to lie and say my intentions were serious from the beginning.” George lowers his gaze. “But they are now.”
The omega closes his eyes briefly.
“Please. Let’s just go back to being boss and employee.”
For a second, Max considers it. Then he shakes his head.
“I’m not giving up on you, George.”
“Hey, Arvid, do you have a minute?” Kimi catches Arvid during one of the breaks and pulls him into the quiet space beneath the stairs. “Do you want to come over for tea today? Dad finally has the weekend off, and he’s planning to bake a pie.”
Arvid points at himself, surprised, and receives a confirming nod.
“And Isack…?”
“He already has plans for the evening.” The alpha wisely leaves out the ‘I have a date with Liam. Evening, movie, last row, you know?’ part. “I don’t have training today, so I’ll be waiting for you at the gate.”
Arvid doesn’t even have time to object before the older boy disappears in an unknown direction.
Unfortunately for him, someone witnessed the whole conversation.
Gabi greets Kimi outside the next classroom with a smug grin.
“So…” he begins innocently.
“No.”
“You invited Arvid first.”
“…Yes.”
“So you could casually invite Ollie without making it look suspicious.” Kimi freezes. “You are so predictable.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, please.” Gabi nudges him with his elbow. “You’ve been rehearsing asking Ollie over for pie since yesterday.”
“You are making things up.”
“I literally watched you practice in the mirror.”
“I hate you.”
“I know.”
gabi
should we start a betting pool on whether Kimi will actually ask ….. today?
liam
ten pounds says he’ll chicken out.
isack
five says he’ll spend ten minutes stuttering first.
ollie
what are you all talking about?
Kimi’s soul leaves his body.
kimi
nothing.
gabi
Kimi has something very important to ask someone today :)
kimi
GABRIEL.
liam
he even used your full name.
he’s panicking.
isack
poor guy.
ollie
now I’m curious…
gabi
you should be:)
kimi
I’m muting this chat.
Kimi seriously considers throwing his phone out the window.
He can’t believe his friends.
The only silver lining is that Gabi never actually mentioned Ollie’s name.
At lunch everyone gathers in the dining hall as though nothing happened.
Kimi immediately smacks Isack and Liam on the backs of their heads.
“What was that for?” Liam protests.
“You know exactly why.”
Gabi only receives an unimpressed glare.
“What?” he says, completely unrepentant. “I never said who.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Arvid watches the exchange with growing confusion.
“…What happened?”
“You don’t want to know,” Kimi mutters.
“Don’t mind them,” Gabi says, steering Arvid toward the table before Kimi can embarrass himself any further. “They’re all idiots.”
The conversation soon drifts to everyone’s math test results. Ollie eagerly complains about his seventy-six points, insisting they could’ve been a perfect score if not for a few careless mistakes. Gabi curses the last problem he couldn’t solve, Liam blames the teacher for docking points, and Isack proudly reminds everyone he got everything right.
“Oh, please,” Kimi snorts, flicking a piece of his bun at Liam’s forehead. “The worst thing that can happen is having to retake chemistry.”
“Kimi, you didn’t fail another test, did you?” Isack asks, already imagining Uncle George’s lecture.
“What, do I look that hopeless?” Kimi laughs. “I got a little over sixty. If I’d studied more, I could’ve hit eighty.”
“In another life, maybe,” Liam says.
Ollie bursts into loud, dolphin-like laughter. Kimi instinctively looks up.
Their eyes meet for a brief moment.
“…Hey, Ollie.”
“Hm?”
“My dad is baking apple pie today,” Kimi rubs the back of his neck. “If you’re free… wanna come?”
Ollie blinks, clearly caught off guard.
“…Sure,” he says after a second, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I wouldn’t say no to pie.”
Kimi smiles before he can stop himself.
“Great. Arvid will also be there.” he adds, clearing his throat.
Gabi watches the exchange in silence before letting out a long, theatrical sigh.
“Idiots.”
“Hey, I didn’t know it would turn out like this.” Nico circles around his brother, trying to catch his eye. “How was I supposed to know that Max Verstappen was your annoying neighbor and your boss? You never told me his name!”
“Can we stop talking about him?” George rubs his forehead tiredly with the back of his hand as he rereads the pie recipe for what feels like the hundredth time. After checking it one last time, he nods to himself in satisfaction.
The older omega patiently waits until George finally pays attention to him, occasionally glancing at the wall clock. George slides the pie into the oven and only then turns to Nico with a displeased look.
“It won’t happen again,” Hamilton says, pressing his palms together as if in prayer and giving him the eyes of a scolded puppy. George has always had a weakness for puppies (he loves his brother too, just a little less), so he gives in almost immediately and asks if Nico will stay for tea.
“I’m afraid I can’t. I have to take a manuscript to the publisher.”
Nico still finds time to complain that his youngest is always disappearing somewhere, while Isack covers for him so well that there’s never anything to complain about. George only grunts in response.
“Leave the poor guy alone. He’s probably building a relationship of his own.”
The younger omega endures another wagonload of whining, rolls his eyes whenever Hamilton exaggerates, and winces when Nico, forgetting himself, brings up Max again.
“What are you so afraid of, Georgie? Max seems reliable.”
“They all seem reliable. At first.” George grits his teeth, fixing his brother with a hard stare. “Where did trusting someone get me? Nico, I don’t want to go on your blind dates anymore. Kimi and I are doing just fine.”
“Please, don’t start again.” Nico gently squeezes his brother’s hand. “Maybe it’s time to let go of your fears. How much longer are you going to keep putting yourself through this? I’m really worried about you.”
“Nico, please.”
George’s voice is firm, edged with steel. The older omega raises his hands in surrender and decides it’s time to leave.
George walks him to the door, reminding him to give his son a little more freedom and hinting that, at their age, some teenagers were already quite experienced in dating. Nico waves him off with a laugh, hugs his brother tightly goodbye, reminds him not to make plans for next weekend, and rushes off to the publishing house once he’s sure George will be all right.
Alone in the apartment, George feels unbearably lonely. The silence presses in on him, broken only by the persistent ticking of the wall clock.
The television helps for a while, but not for long. He has no interest in what’s happening in the world right now. It’s far more important to understand what’s happening in his own life.
Why has he suddenly become so restless? (The answer is obvious, but he pretends not to know.) Why has apathy settled over him? And why does it feel as though Max Verstappen has brought far more chaos into his life than the enlightenment Nico keeps promising?
George doesn’t reply to Yuki’s messages, silently apologizing. His body feels heavy, and he doesn’t have the strength to sit down and work.
Max is like an energy vampire who’s drained every last bit of strength from him, leaving the omega exhausted and empty.
“Dad, I’m home!”
George hurries into the hallway to greet his son, instinctively reaching up to ruffle Kimi’s hair before remembering he has company.
“Hi, Mr. Russell,” Arvid and Ollie greet him politely.
“You’re just in time.” Like a fussing parent, George ushers all three teenagers toward the bathroom. “Hands first. Tea second.”
At first, both boys seem a little awkward. Even Kimi’s presence doesn’t help much. But George jokes easily, tells one embarrassing story after another about Kimi as a child, and before long the laughter around the table comes naturally.
“Dad,” Kimi groans, burying his face in his hands.
The bright red tips of his ears betray him.
“Oh, come on,” George laughs.
Arvid smiles and gets up to help George carry the plates to the table, while Ollie quietly takes the kettle from his hands before he can reach for it.
“I’ve got it.”
George thanks them both with a warm smile.
Soon the table is set, and George carefully cuts the pie into slices. It’s the first time he’s baked one on his own, and he can’t help feeling nervous about how it turned out.
“It can’t possibly taste bad,” Kimi says confidently, reaching for his own slice.
George relaxes just a little.
“Oh my God,” Ollie says around his first bite, eyes lighting up. “This is amazing!”
He barely finishes one slice before asking if he can have another. Arvid laughs softly and nods in agreement.
“It’s really good.”
George can’t help smiling. He likes afternoons like this, the apartment filled with laughter instead of silence.
“You’re welcome to come over for tea anytime,” he says.
Kimi glances at Ollie without thinking. Ollie catches the look and smiles.
“I’ll definitely take you up on that.”
Ollie and Arvid gradually begin to enjoy spending time with George, and it’s obvious to everyone. The older omega affectionately squeezes their cheeks and tells them they’re adorable. The teenagers flush bright red, hide their smiles behind their palms, and end up at Russell’s apartment almost every day after school.
They even stop going to Kimi’s training sessions because they genuinely enjoy George’s company. They were awkward and embarrassed at first, but those feelings disappeared as soon as they found common ground with him.
George tells them funny stories about Kimi’s childhood, making them promise not to tell his son anything. He also teaches them how to cook. Ollie isn’t very good at it in the beginning, burning things, adding the wrong ingredients, or simply making a mess, but he never gets discouraged because George laughs warmly and assures him that he wasn’t any better when he first started. That reassurance is exactly what Ollie needs, and he throws himself into learning with even more determination.
Arvid is much calmer in the kitchen, often helping George fix Ollie’s little mistakes without teasing him too much, though he can’t always hide his amused smile.
Before Arvid even realises it, Kimi’s dad slowly turns into Uncle George. The older omega gives him something Max never could, gentleness without expectations, warmth without pity, so Arvid grows deeply attached to him.
Ollie follows just as naturally, getting used to George fussing over whether they’ve eaten enough, reminding them to take leftovers home, and absentmindedly straightening their hair whenever it falls into their eyes. It feels strangely… normal.
One afternoon, while George is making tea and slicing the pie he’d baked earlier, Arvid catches himself staring.
The way George fusses over everyone, asking if they want another slice, insisting they eat while the tea is still hot, quietly making sure no one leaves the table hungry, reminds him so painfully of his own dad that his chest suddenly tightens.
The memory comes out of nowhere. Arvid lowers his head, bites the inside of his lip, and tries to keep the tears from falling.
George doesn’t ask unnecessary questions. He simply wraps Arvid in a gentle hug, motions for Ollie to bring the chamomile tea, and quietly lets the teenager cry for as long as he needs. Ollie doesn’t say anything either. He just sits beside Arvid, gently rubbing circles over his back, staying close without forcing him to talk.
Kimi finds them in the kitchen a few minutes later. He notices Arvid’s reddened eyes, Ollie’s worried expression, and immediately looks at his parent with open suspicion.
“Dad,” he says accusingly, “why are you making Arvid cry?”
George lets out a surprised laugh and reaches over to ruffle his son’s hair.
Before he can answer, Arvid hurriedly wipes his face and shakes his head.
“No, no, George didn’t do anything,” he says quickly. “I just… got emotional because of my parents.”
Ollie nods in agreement.
Kimi nods at Arvid’s explanation, pats him on the shoulder, and tells him not to be sad. If he really wants to cry, though, Kimi warns, he’ll be forced to tell jokes so terrible that not even Liam laughs at them.
Arvid lets out a watery chuckle, while Ollie snorts into his sleeve before bursting into laughter along with everyone else. He watches Kimi’s retreating back for a long moment, smiling to himself, only to flush bright red when he notices George winking at him.
“Well, you really don’t know how to hide anything,” George says with an amused smile. “By the way, does your brother mind that you spend all your free time here?” he asks Arvid.
The last person George wants to mention is Max, but he wants even less for the alpha to come looking for Arvid out of concern. Seeing Max now would be akin to leading himself to the scaffold. George cannot guarantee the safety of Arvid’s older relative, fully convinced that he’d hit him with something heavy the moment the alpha tried to come anywhere near him.
“Oh, George, you’ve got it all wrong,” Arvid says with a laugh. “Max isn’t my brother, he’s actually my uncle! But my dad used to tell me he was my brother when I was little, and now I just can’t bring myself to call him ‘Uncle.’”
Ollie blinks in surprise before laughing.
“Wait… seriously?” he asks. “I thought he was your dad.”
The three of them laugh over the misunderstanding until Kimi comes back dressed in homemade clothes. He takes Arvid to his room to help him with a few adjustments, and after a brief hesitation, waves Ollie over as well, insisting he give his opinion. George can only watch them fondly. In his opinion, they’re far too cute and still wonderfully innocent.
Eventually, Ollie glances at the clock and quietly announces that it’s getting late and he should head home. George immediately offers to drive him, but Ollie shakes his head with a grateful smile and insists that he’ll be fine. Before leaving, he thanks George for dinner, promises to come back tomorrow if it’s okay, and gives him a quick, awkward hug that leaves both of them smiling.
The omega washes the dishes and wipes his hands on a towel, noticing an unread message on his phone screen out of the corner of his eye.
Yuki
George?
Are you okay? Everyone in the department is worried…
GR
Oh, sorry for ignoring everyone ㅠㅠ
I just needed some time to come to my senses.
I’ll go through all the materials today and send you my notes.)
Yuki
No problem.)
Get well soon. Franco is completely out of control~
George also asks Yuki to tell everyone in the department that he’ll be back in a few days, so they’d better not slack off if they want to avoid a tragic fate.
An hour later, the omega calls the teenagers to dinner, leaves them alone, and reluctantly trudges into the living room to sort through the mountain of paperwork from the office. Their laughter echoes from Kimi’s room, and George catches himself smiling as well. He sends a couple more emails to Yuki and doesn’t expect the doorbell to ring at all.
With a tired sigh, George climbs down from his makeshift workspace and shuffles to the front door. He opens it, and almost immediately slams it shut in Max’s face.
“Arvid’s phone is off, so I thought he might be here,” Max says through the still-open gap before George can fully close the door. He smiles softly and unconsciously inhales the omega’s scent. It pleasantly tickles his nose, but it no longer clouds his mind the way it had before. Max is incredibly relieved. The heat is almost over, which means George will be back at work soon.
George silently steps aside to let the alpha in, restraining himself from immediately throwing him back outside. The last thing he wants is to yell or argue in front of the teenagers, so he forces a tight smile and gestures for Max to come in.
“I wish you’d come back soon,” Max sighs as he walks inside, loosening his tie around his neck. George stiffens almost imperceptibly. “The department is completely overwhelmed without you.”
“That’s because someone forced me to stay home,” George hisses, planting his hands on his hips.
“And it was the right decision.” Max has no intention of losing this staring contest. He steps closer and looks George straight in the eyes. The omega grows increasingly uncomfortable under his gaze and is the first to look away. Max can’t help but grin. He has to consciously stop himself from closing the remaining distance and pulling the omega into a hug.
“It was for your own safety.”
“And who exactly do you think I should be afraid of?”
Max steps unacceptably close, so abruptly that George is forced to press his back against the wall and hold his breath.
“Me,” he says quietly, his warm breath ghosting over the omega’s ear. “Because I’m too obsessed with you.”
George shoves him away. He looks furious and desperately wants to hit him, but instead he turns on his heel and heads for the kitchen. The last thing he wants is to waste his energy or let the alpha see how afraid he really is. Over the past week, Max has already witnessed more than enough of the full range of his emotions.
“Arvid, your uncle came looking for you,” George says as he sits down at the table, unable to hide the fond smile tugging at his lips as he watches the teenagers washing the dishes together.
“Would you care to explain yourself, Arvid?” Max asks.
Arvid lets out a few guilty noises, reaches into his pocket with his still-wet hands for his phone, and immediately realises it’s turned off. He offers an apologetic smile and shrugs sheepishly. Max can only sigh and motion for him to come along.
When the Verstappens leave the apartment, George returns to work. He reluctantly throws himself back into sorting through the documents and doesn’t even notice when Kimi wanders into the living room. The teenager watches his father with a displeased expression and, once George finally looks up, silently places a mug of hot tea into his hands.
“Kimi…” George murmurs, wrapping his fingers around the warm mug. He looks thoughtfully around the living room before taking a few careful sips of the tea that burns pleasantly down his throat. “Do you think… maybe we should move? Somewhere in another neighborhood?”
Kimi nearly chokes on air at the unexpected question. His frown deepens as he scoots closer to his parent. He can practically feel the unease hanging around George, and when he catches the faint change in his scent, his concern only grows.
“Why all of a sudden, Dad?”
George only shrugs.
Admitting that it’s all because of the neighbors feels embarrassingly childish. The past few days at home have been almost unbearable. His body ached and twisted from the lingering effects of his heat, the medication barely dulled the symptoms, and every morning Max’s scent somehow seeped into the apartment, as though the alpha had been standing outside the front door for hours.
George hates these changes. More than anything, he hates that he no longer understands his own feelings. Every encounter with Max only tangles them further, leaving him trapped in an endless knot of confusion, anxiety, and fear.
“Did Max did something to you?”
Kimi hits the nail on the head, but George stubbornly shakes his head and lies without hesitation. The teenager can tell.
He noticed the changes in his dad almost immediately, but he hadn’t rushed to ask about them, blaming everything on the workload at the office. That had been a mistake. Now Kimi is almost certain that the neighbor from the apartment across the hall is the reason behind George’s strange behavior.
“It’s okay, really.” George ruffles his son’s hair and gently taps him on the nose. “Come on, let’s drop the subject.”
Kimi heads back to his room while George buries himself in work again. Left alone, the omega stares blankly at the ceiling for a long time, lost in his own thoughts.
Kimi’s phone buzzes with a new message. He glances at the still-lit screen, the group chat is discussing a movie.
Kimi
Isack, tomorrow is going to be the end of the world.
Isack
you’re scaring me.
what happened?
Kimi
dad clearly has a crush, but he refuses to admit it. even to himself.
…well, I think he does.
Isack
shouldn’t you be happy for him, man? :)
can we stop getting in their way?
Kimi
I’m not sure.
I think I should talk to Max.
I want to know what his intentions are.
Isack
oh my God.
you’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?
maybe we should leave this to the adults?
Kimi tosses his phone onto the edge of the bed and sighs.
He has no idea what he’s supposed to say to Max Verstappen, but asking about his intentions feels necessary. The whole situation has been bothering him for days. More than anything, he doesn’t want to see his dad crying again.
So he decides to take matters into his own hands. Kimi won’t let anyone hurt his father. Not again.
Kimi
arv, could you send me Max’s number? :)
Arvid
max’s?
Is something wrong?
Kimi
everything’s okay :)
I just wanted to ask him something.
Arvid
okay, I’ll send it now.
Kimi stares at the newly received phone number, unsure where to begin.
Should he ask directly? Ease into the conversation first?
He fidgets with his phone and bites his lower lip, trying to think of the right words to send to an adult alpha. Nothing useful comes to mind. Eventually, he decides to stop overthinking it and just go for it.
Kimi
max, this is kimi.
can we talk in person?
Kimi stares at the screen for nearly a minute before flinching as the two gray check marks turn blue.
Max V is typing…
Max V
Of course.
I’ll pick you up after school tomorrow.