Chapter Text
Mornings were not Jude Bellingham's thing. Sunrise and breakfast? Loser stuff (no offense to his sweet morning-person roommate though). That's why if there's any mandatory classes or labs scheduled before 10AM, he made sure to clear the rest of the day so he could sulk in the library or just go back home to sleep right after.
Today was one of those rare days where Jude woke up feeling OK. Not fantastic, not horrible, just fine. That means it's well past brunch and his body was enjoying every second of it. The room temperature's perfect and no light managed to pass through the thick curtains so it's pretty much the best way to wake up in.
Jude stretched his long limbs like a feline, unable to open his eyes for longer than 3 seconds before shoving his face back to the fluffy pillow to snooze away.
He changed his position to sleep on his side after his waist protested slight soreness and snuggled deep under the duvet in his new spot. A tiny part of his brain that's in charge of the circadian rhythm begged him to try cracking his eyes open again one last time so he relented, promising to go back to sleep if he was not succesful in maintaining focus for more than 5 seconds.
His eyelids fluttered open with great difficulty, long eyelashes quivering as well, feeling like the world was weighing on them. A slight pain zapped his head but cleared away after staying completely still. What welcomed his vision was not his beige closet door nor was it the messy hill of clean laundry he couldn't be bothered to fold. Instead, there was a black carry-on suitcase, still free from any physical damage or barcode stickers that made it look brand new. It was standing still by the pristine white wall, organized neatly next to the black bookshelf and computer desk.
Bookshelf?
Jude's not a big book collector. Jude did not have great taste in furniture either.
It took him a few more seconds to process that this wasn't his room to begin with. So he snapped his head to the other side of the room and found a digital alarm on the nightstand glaring red LED number of 12:09. He came to a late realization that this was in fact Erling's room.
Why was he in Erling's bed anyway?
Using the chance to jog down the memory lane, Jude closed his eyes again but now in sitting position to think clearer.
A spark of recognition flashed through his mind after pondering a bit more.
"Right, that happened…"
10 hours earlier
"Fuck, are they still following us?"
"I sure hope not."
The group quickened their pace to reach the other end of the dark alley and found themselves approaching an empty street. It's 2 AM so the lack of passing cars was expected but at least the road lights are much brighter now that they're no longer trapped between two high walls.
"How about now?" Anthony whispered a little too panicky than intended as they made their way down the pavement, pretending not to sound scared but failing terribly. "Are they gone?"
"Don't ask me, I can't smell shit." was Jude's answer.
"Right. Sorry."
Just as they continued walking, Ollie took a brief glance back to the alley where they emerged and spotted a flurry of shadows approaching the exit.
"They are following us."
Apparently that's not what Anthony wanted to hear as his scent soured almost immediately. Their hurried footsteps echoed loudly against concrete ground, leaving just occassional barking and engine noises filling the gaps.
"Tesco Express." Trent announced abruptly, pointing towards a building not too far from where they were, but that was enough for the group to breath a sigh of relief before rushing towards the brilliantly lit 24-hour mini mart.
The bell chimed weakly when the sensor detected guests entering through the automatic glass doors. A tired-looking lad was manning the counter and couldn't be bothered to look up from his phone but that indifference is very much welcomed by Jude and his friends at the moment.
Jude ushered everyone towards the back of the store behind the pet food section for a quick meeting. "Since Gio's stupid ex is obviously out of the picture, who else can we call? Declan?"
"At his gran's place in Epsom." Anthony slurred with both hands covering his face.
"Can we try ringing Harry?" Gio's voice was raspy from all the shouting and crying he did on the dance floor just minutes prior.
Ollie seemed to ponder about it for a bit but eventually shook his head. "His car won't fit everyone. Two of us will have to strap ourselves on the roof."
The group fell into a muted contemplation, each trying to find a trusted contact in their mental list. Someone they know and trust personally, someone who has a big enough car to fit them all, who's still awake or at least won't ignore their call, and specifically an alpha to deter the group of drunk men following them at such ungodly hour.
"I see no other choice. I'm gonna call Erling." Jude declared while asking for a phone.
Trent fished out his own and passed it to Jude. "Not even gonna try Jobe?"
"If you want to be grilled alive by my mum, go ahead." he quickly punched in the number he's forced to memorize by heart and waited for several rings. When the call was not picked up, Jude cleared his throat to leave a voicemail since he knew his housemate wouldn't answer an unknown number.
"Hi Erling, it's Jude. I- We're kinda stuck at a Tesco near the club and there's a pack of drunk and annoying alpha outside so if you're ok, could you please come pick us up? Thanks and sorry."
Feeling satisfied with how helpless his voice sounded, Jude waited a bit by swiping through Trent's gallery. And while observing the third picture where Gio was breakdancing while having tears on his face, there's an incoming call notification at the top of the screen.
With an easy swipe, Jude answered the call.
"Jude, what the fuck is going on?"
Although the voice on the other end sounded terribly raspy and pissed, most likely from being woken up in the middle of the night, there's already lots of background noises including the sound of keys jingling, feet shuffling, and jacket being zipped up to indicate that he's already on the move.
"Thank God you're awake. Long story short, Gio's boyfriend turns out to be a cheating bastard, Declan's out of town for the weekend, and Morgan had to leave early so we got no one as our designated driver. Nearest uber is like 40 minutes away and did you know that there's a 200% surcharge for taxi after midnight and an additional fee for 'omega protection'? Madness."
"What's with the people following you?"
"Oh that, apparently we look like easy targets to hit on. It's a club and everybody's a bit touchy with all the alcohol and music but these guys were not being very nice with their approach so we refused on the spot and left the place. They didn't take the rejection very well so we're being tailed in the middle of Camden and now they are waiting for us outside the store." He peeked from between shelves and saw the same group of alphas loitering outside Tesco with annoying smirks on their faces.
Jude could hear a disgruntled grumbling but couldn't catch anything intelligible.
"I'm really sorry, Erling. I know you're probably tired from the flight but you're the only person I can think of right now."
"How many?"
"Huh?"
"Nevermind. Who else is there with you?"
"Uh- Ollie, Trent, Anthony, and Gio. So that's five of us including me."
"Share your location."
Quickly sending his current position, Jude didn't have enough time to think of how Erling managed to immediately function like a proper human as soon as he was unceremoniously woken up.
"Got it. I'll be there in 20 minutes, driving 'Cobs'."
Jude smiled while hearing the low rumble of car starting in the background. Once again he's proven right by the universe of how reliable Erling is. "Thanks again, I'll see you later."
"Jude."
"Hm?"
"Don't get into fights, you hear me?"
"I know."
"…please be careful."
Lightly chuckling, the omega couldn't help the spreading grin on his face. "I will. But you have to come here soon. Won't know what these fists could do if they suddenly jump me."
There's a sigh from the other end of the line but Jude could imagine the man nodding in compromise. "Call 999 if things escalate."
"I know, geezer. Drive safe."
Jude passed the phone back to its owner once he's done and was now met with 4 pairs of eyes just staring blankly at him. Either they're just happy to get a free ride or too drunk to process anything at the moment.
It was Anthony who cleared his throat to break the silence. "Uhm, so your roommate agreed to pick us up? No other complaints?"
"Yep. We'll still have to stall some time before he arrives in 10."
"I could swear he said 20 minutes though?" Trent said with a frown, having front row seat to the whole conversation as he stood the closest to Jude.
The rest turned their heads back to Jude for some clarification.
"Oh, he's worried so he'll step on it, you know how it is with alphas. Besides, there won't be any traffic at this hour." Jude nonchalantly answered while crossing his arm. "It's a metallic blue car by the way, can't remember the brand so keep an eye out."
Relief must have washed over Anthony's entire body as his legs suddenly gave out and the adrenaline that kept him upright was drained away. Sitting on the floor with head resting on his propped knees, he started to rub his temples furiously. Jude turned to observe Gio for a few seconds before coming to the conclusion that the guy was equally drunk out of his mind with unfocused, bloodshot eyes darting everywhere. Ollie's now standing completely frozen and unable to close his mouth for some reason. A brief glance to Trent showed that he's in no better condition, focus entirely directed to the TV screen at the corner of the ceiling, showing surveillance footage from different points inside and out of the store. It was a miracle that they had kept it together the entire walk out the club considering the amount of alcohol they consumed. Even a strong drinker like Jude can feel his body losing control at an alarming rate. Not nearly as wasted as the rest but he might get tipsy very soon. Why was it so hard to have a peaceful Friday night out these days?
Watching the CCTV footages next to Trent, Jude observed the group of men outside laughing and joking around like they could wait the entire day. Some were lighting their cigarettes and smoking languidly while peering inside the shop. They certainly took their time just chatting by the window, enjoying the thought that the omegas they forced to a corner have nowhere else to go, like trapped mice. That sense of helplessness and desperation must be what they wanted to evoke.
Time felt like it's moving too slowly as the group of alphas moved to their 2nd and 3rd cigarette. Probably not wanting to play around any longer, they suddenly began to huddle together like teenagers obviously up to no good if their sudden silence and creepy sneers were any indication.
"Guys, I think they decided not to wait." Jude warned everyone before hoisting Anthony up to his feet.
"Whaa..?"
Ollie was the first to snap out of his stupor and gained alertness at the speed of light. "Are they all coming in?"
Jude shook his head. "Only 2."
Just then, the bell chimed to welcome new customers and two alphas walked in with a smug smile. One of them whistled a tune from "Kill Bill" and was actively searching for them between the aisles while the other went straight to the cashier to buy a pack of condoms.
If push comes shove, Jude can take on two guys. Easy, not his first rodeo. But what if the ones standing by outside decide to get involved? That'll be much more complicated since there's 8 of them in total so numbers are on their side. Calling the cops was out of the picture since they haven't done anything that warrants emergency services yet. Even if the cops came, they'll just get a slap on their wrists and be sent home in a flash.
"Oh there you are!" The alpha that reeked cheap cologne and musty fabric announced his arrival by spreading his arm wide. His shiny bald head reflected the lights of the store much better than his sparkly jacket and Ollie had to squint from the glare. "We were looking everywhere for you. Got us worried sick to see such cute defenseless omegas walking around at night without any alpha companion."
Jude wanted to barf at the sickening words but Anthony already beat him to it by retching heavily and trying his best not to vomit his dinner on the white tiles.
"Back the fuck up." Ollie cracked his knuckles calmly, a complete opposite to his previous entranced state.
The alpha just laughed, sensing no scent from him. "What's a beta like you gonna do?"
They were soon joined by the other alpha who just finished his purchase, slightly taller and had tattoos littering every exposed part of his skin. Snake on his neck, upside down cross on his cheek, random letters on each finger and a botched skull on his fist. He was eyeing Anthony and Gio from top to toe and had the nerve to lick his lips.
"Look, my friends said they're not interested." Jude took a step forward to put distance between the new alpha and his inebriated friends. "So kindly fuck off."
Jude was thankful that he's a 'defect' omega for not being able to detect any pheromone because looking at his friends' visceral reaction, the two persistent alphas must have exerted enough to stink up the last row of the aisle. He's also immensely grateful to his parents' generous genes for giving him the height benefit that towers even other alphas so he had never felt intimidated by one. This gruff guy even had to strain his neck up to meet Jude's eyes. The laughable view made Jude scoff.
"You." Some sort of realization hit him at the sight of Jude. "You have a knack of pissing people off," the guy said with a low snarl. He must've been talking about what happened in the club when Jude refused his advances in Anthony's stead, deliberately knocking his drink all over his face and shirt, slipping away through the crowded dance floor and disappearing like mirage.
"What of it?" Jude smirked.
A finger jabbed Jude's chest. There's force behind it but not enough to move him which probably irked the alpha even further. He tried putting more strength into the finger which earned him a slight shoulder movement but Jude's feet remained still nonetheless. The alpha took slow steps forward until they are almost face to face.
"Don't make me rough up that pretty face of yours."
"You think I'm pretty?" Jude replied with a saccharine sweet voice. "Sorry, I like my alpha taller and stronger."
The guy cursed at the provocation and whipped out his left hand to aim a punch directly at Jude's face but having the arm length advantage, Jude reached out first to wrap his fingers around the alpha's neck instead and created enough distance to dodge the flying fist. "Let's not get physical, mate. I promised someone not to get in too much trouble."
The alpha struggled to form coherent words as the pressure in his windpipe increased at each squeeze, using his other hand to tightly grip Jude's wrist to let go. Seeing his friend getting strangled, the bald alpha quickly abandoned his stand-off with Ollie and approached Jude, not sure if it was to separate the two or pick a fight.
Afraid that it might be the latter, a woozy Trent and tipsy Gio jumped into action and tackled the bald guy rugby-style with Anthony headbutting the alpha for good measures.
With so much ruckus being made, it's funny how the cashier guy didn't even respond or call for backup.
The bell rang for the third time that night and Jude immediately became hyper aware of his surroundings. Without needing the ability to detect pheromones, he could clearly tell that a bunch of alphas had entered the premises. He let go of the alpha's neck and dropped him to the ground when he was sure the guy has passed out.
Hundreds of thoughts flew across his mind in a blitz. Should he use this tatted guy as hostage? What's the possibility of successfully making a wild dash to the exit by knocking down the shelves? Can Ollie break the staff room door to escape from the back? Can his mates even run in this state? Even if they managed to get out, would these bastards run after them again? Honestly Jude can survive with a broken rib and a black eye if a fight breaks out. He just doesn't want to be the headline in tomorrow's papers and getting an earful from his parents. Jobe would put him in house arrest for indefinite period if he knew this mayhem happened and Jude didn't call for his help. The only option is to handle this himself and not involve any law enforcements or the press.
The 6 alphas of different shape and size made their confident way down the middle aisle after sharing a few kind words with the poor cashier to keep his mouth shut. And Jude was already there waiting, gaze flittering between unfamiliar faces that he'll soon be letting some steam off . He rolled his neck a few times and stretched both arms to avoid any sprains.
One guy came forward to meet Jude in the middle of the aisle. With his carefree stance and cocky smile, he seemed to be the leader of this rowdy pack. By the way he dress and carried himself, one would immediately think he's the picture perfect example of a proper alpha. But proper alphas don't harass omegas, especially in public places where they're under too much influence to defend themselves.
"Apologies for scaring you and your friends, we just wanted to have some fun and make friends with beautiful strangers, nothing more nothing less."
"You've had your 'fun' crashing into our booth and chasing us down the road. Apology denied." Jude calmly crossed his arms.
The man extended his hand all of a sudden. "I like you. Any omega is welcomed by us, feisty omegas included. The name's Noah and I'd really like it if we all can be 'close friends'."
Ignoring the stretched arm intended for a handshake, Jude kept his eyes focused on this weirdo's face instead. Suddenly a metallic blue glint from the corner of his eyes distracted Jude a bit and a brilliant idea popped in his head.
Just in time.
Jude softly swatted the outstretched hand away, making his movement deliberately slow. The bait was taken almost immediately as that weirdo alpha grabbed his wrist in an instant.
"Thank you for that," was Jude's final words to him before poking his tongue out.
For the fourth time that night, the glass doors slid open but now without the bell announcement as the battery probably died somewhere in between. A mop of messy blonde hair entered the scene and before anyone could notice anything, two of the alphas nearest to the entrance was dragged out of the store and thrown out to the pavement. Next, another two guys got their heads knocked against each other without any warning and also carried by their collars outside. One guy got his legs kicked swiftly, proceed to be hauled out like a trash bag and now, it was only the weirdo alpha left.
Everything happened so quickly that the jerk wasn't able to plan ahead or do anything, hand still gripping Jude's arm tightly.
When an alpha is faced with a more superior, more dominant alpha, their natural instinct kicks in and they cower like a boneless slug. Even alphas have their own hierarchy system.
That was the current situation when the tall man with long golden hair made his presence known, eyes piercing the asshole like his life was worth nothing. Jude could feel the hand holding unto his shake uncontrollably by the sheer pressure but didn't say anything.
Jude wanted to offer his roommate a grateful smile for arriving early but he had a scenario he wanted to follow. Thinking of the saddest movie scenes he could remember, Jude's eyes turned watery and he knew they would sparkle with the correct light angle. With his eyes already strained from all the smoke irritation back at the club, it was really not that hard to look the part of a poor bullied omega.
"Hi," Jude weakly whispered.
Erling Halaand, his alpha roommate of two years, finally met his gaze. And he saw red.
Without breaking eye contact, Erling's hand reached out to grab the alpha's wrist and an excruciating crack followed right after. Jude's hand was immediately freed from the uncomfortable grasp and the annoying alpha fell to his knees, unable to even scream as fear still coursed through his body.
"Wait here." Erling said and dragged the man away like he's lugging a dead body.
Jude felt his tense body completely sag. If it weren't for Anthony's small grunts, he would have dropped to the ground and rest a bit until Erling comes back.
Instead, he went back to his friends to find that they were hanging onto their last strain of consciousness.
"Erling's here." He softly said to help Trent up to his feet. "Let's get you all home."
"Yipee~ home!" Anthony slurred again and jumped up by himself but swayed almost immediately. Ollie caught him before he could face-plant on the tile and possibly lose a tooth or two.
Gio made sure to leave a lasting mark on the passed out alphas by leaving a slap on each of their cheeks. Once satisfied with the palm prints, he stumbled closer to where everyone's gathered.
Somehow Erling's already done with whatever business he had with the cashier guy and made his way to Jude with an almost feral look in his eyes.
"Hurt anywhere?"
The alpha scanned Jude from head to toe then back up to his eyes, concern written all over his face. Erling's left hand reached out to hold his cheek but stopped midway. It hovered close as if not wanting to hurt Jude with the same hand that had snapped the wrist of a dirty man.
It was Jude who leaned his head against Erling's palm, nuzzling the warmth upon contact. A heavy breath was released by the alpha once he could physically feel the rhythmical pulse under Jude's skin.
Guilt smacked Jude right in the face as he saw Erling's struggle to keep his aggression at the minimum, breathing laboured harshly. Judging by how his friends kept a safe distance away, Erling's pheromone must be all over the place. "I'm fine, we're all fine."
That calmed the taller albeit minutely. "Sure?"
Jude nodded. "Actually, it wasn't that bad. I kinda staged some parts to make it a little bit more dramatic."
Erling chuckled lowly. "I know the tears are fake but your eyes are very red so-"
"I have dry eyes, you know that."
"Right," the alpha sighed. Jude almost whined when Erling retracted his hand and the lost of warmth bothered him but kept his mouth zipped because he still had pride after all.
"Your hair's a mess." Jude commented to divert the topic.
Erling scoffed, blowing some hair out of his face. "Didn't have the time now, do I?"
It was Jude who giggled and tucked several strands of blond hair behind his ears. Erling lowered his head to allow Jude easier access to comb his hair with his fingers. "I'll make sure to call you earlier next time so you can prepare."
"There's no 'next time'. Come on, let's go home."
As he took a step forward to follow Erling out, the world spun almost comically and suddenly the tiles under his feet turned into jelly. Oh wait, it's his legs that gave out. Somewhere in the background, several voices called out his name in frenzy but he couldn't be sure when his ears were no longer functioning properly.
Before he could crash to the ground and suffer humiliation that he would certainly remember for the rest of his life, a firm arm circled his waist and held him steady. Jude leaned all his weight on his friend and clung on the alpha's shoulder for dear life.
"How much did you drink, Jude?"
Yeah, Jude's also wondering how many bottles he emptied to reach such a sorry state. Since the tab was on Gio, he chugged whatever was given to his table without further questions.
Jude could feel his body being lifted off the ground with an arm under his thighs and another securely wrapped around his waist, carried gently like a newborn. If he was more sober, he would have noticed the fluttering in his chest but for now, it was just alcohol doing acrobats in his gut that made more impact.
As someone who relies heavily on visual cues, having blurry vision was like being thrown to a timeout corner. Jude couldn't tell what's going on once they were outside of Tesco with all his senses dulled to such extent. At least the cold March breeze slapped some sense into him.
"Hop in, guys."
He heard Erling's muffled voice then he was manhandled into a seat at the front.
"Cobby~!" Jude happily splayed his arms on the dashboard like hugging the car once he was securely fastened.
As soon as everyone was strapped in, the car zoomed away without further delay. Whatever happened to the pesky alphas was no longer his concern.
In his drowsy state, Jude turned his head to watch his roommate's side profile as he suddenly grew bored of the car interior. His eyes studied the facial feature, from his tall nose to his plump lips. Everything else was still fuzzy but those two things were crystal clear.
"Like what you see?" Erling asked in the car's silence.
Jude hummed. "Your lips… pouty."
"You don't like it?"
The omega shook his head slowly. "'s cute, likeit."
It was hard to tell in the dark but Jude could have sworn he saw a tint of red spreading on Erling's ear but then they passed through an area without much lighting so he didn't try to see clearer.
Instead, he turned to see his friends in the back, either passed out or nursing a major headache.
"Wanna sleepover?" he whispered to no one in particular.
"Oh God, yes. Please." It was Gio who replied with a bucket in his arms. How he had one was a mystery that Jude will have to figure out when he's no longer drunk.
Jude switched back to Erling with wide, doe eyes, hands clasped together to plead. "Can we? Please?"
"I don't know where to drop them off anyway. But the living room central heating is malfunctioning so we'll have to figure out where everyone will sl-"
"YAY!" Jude clapped his hands excitedly. "Ant and Gio can stay in my room, Trent and Ollie can stay in Jobe's!"
A head of curly golden hair suddenly popped between Jude and Erling's seat. Jude's voice must have woken Anthony up from his nap for him to look so distraught. "Jobe stays with you?"
"It's originally a guest room but since we don't have any other guests, it became Jobe's." Erling explained. "He's renting an apartment with a friend and only comes over every few week or so."
Jude nodded with great satisfaction. "My two favourite boys! Together!"
"I doubt he'll like being lumped together with me." Erling said with a chuckle.
And that's where Jude's last memory ended. Enough information provided to guess how he ended up sharing the bed with Erling. He was sure he fell asleep with a warm body pressed against his own but there were no signs of the alpha in the room.
Jude looked down on his body and decided it's presentable enough without needing to change. Quickly brushing his teeth to get rid of the bitter alcohol stubbornly stuck to the roof of his mouth, he finally emerged from his den Erling's room. Unfortunately the world was much brighter in the afternoon and with curtains wide open, Jude didn't have the chance to adjust his eyes to the onslaught of rays attacking his retina the moment he entered the living room.
Squinting as he walked, Jude made a beeline to the kitchen purely from memory. He could smell the heavenly aroma of meat and followed the scent like a starving wolf.
With eyes semi closed, he made out four shadows he assumed to be his friends sitting around the kitchen bar. He waved a hand and four hands waved back without a sound, only sizzling noises filled the silence dutifully.
Jude continued his journey to where Erling was busily flipping the sausage, back turned against him. The black T-shirt clung to his body nicely, just like every other outfit he owned, not that Jude was paying attention or anything. Wordlessly, the omega rested his forehead on the broad, sturdy back of his roommate.
"Good morning, prinsesse." Erling greeted without turning his head. His voice carried a certain amusement to Jude's antics but didn't point anything out.
Jude hummed with his eyes closed, contemplating whether its appropriate to wrap his arms around Erling's middle like he normally would but decided against it since they had guests around. To avoid misunderstanding, he opted to cross his arms instead.
"How was sleep?" The taller asked while his hands busily move around the counter.
"Would've been better if you didn't leave. Room was pretty cold."
The alpha shook his head. "The repair guys came to check the central AC this morning. Also, had to go to the gym and buy groceries because apparently someone lived off of takeaways while I was gone and we only had 3 good eggs in the fridge. Not enough to feed a pack."
Jude raised his arms in defeat, finally detaching himself from Erling.
"Go take a seat, I'll be done in a bit."
Obeying like a good friend he is, Jude sauntered over to the long bar and took the middle stool between Trent and Gio.
They all looked dead, or at least partially, but alive nonetheless. Anthony's already on his third hangover drink while Ollie's on his second. Gio seemed to be doing the best out of everyone thanks to his wilder highschool shenanigans back in the states.
"We should have brought Vini yesterday," Trent said almost inaudibly, voice almost gone.
Even with a banging headache, Anthony couldn't help but laugh in agreement.
Suddenly, a bowl of soup appeared in front of Jude, complete with necessary utensils. Then a plate of cut up sausages, omelette, sliced tomatoes, and hash browns was placed right next to the chicken macaroni soup.
Jude looked around and found similar dishes were served for the gang. His eyes met Erling's gaze from where he stood by the kitchen island, biting into an apple.
"Erl, I love you."
The alpha tried hiding a smile but ended up laughing aloud instead. His cheeks turned rosy and eyes crinkled in delight.
Jude couldn't care less if his friends looked at him funny honestly.
They dug in and Erling made himself comfortable on the couch with the TV playing in the background.
"Erling, I think I'm in love with you too mate." Ollie managed to say after downing the entire bowl of broth and brought the dirty dishes to the sink.
Once everyone finished their lunch, they gathered in the spacious living room except for Jude who was still chewing the last few bites of his juicy sausage.
Suddenly the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Jude shouted with cheeks still stuffed with food. He trudged towards the door and opened it without peeking into the hole.
A young man, an alpha, stood with perfect posture as he waited patiently for Jude to process everything. The white tank top he's wearing exposed brown skin that glistened under the merciless sunrays illuminating the apartment corridor, making him look like a model right out of a photoshoot. His face betrayed no intention behind this sudden visit but Jude could feel goosebumps rising through his body.
"You're just gonna let me stand here the whole day?"
Jude slammed the door on his brother's face and rushed back inside.
"Jobe is here!" he half whispered half shouted to the living room occupant. "What is Jobe doing here?!"
Erling changed the TV channel without much thought. "I called. Told him to come when he's free."
"Are you insane?!"
"When you moved in, I promised your parents I'd tell them if anything happens to you. Since you weren't picking up your calls, they got worried so I had to tell them."
Jude hissed. "Telling mum and dad is one thing. Telling Jobe? You just want to see me dead! Is that why you fed me so well? For my last meal?"
"You know I have a spare key right?" the voice from the other side of the door shouted in indignation. "I even know the passcode."
Soon after, the door knob rattled for a bit and the door swung open from the outside like proving a point. Jobe Bellingham, Jude's younger brother, made his spectacular entrance with a menacing smile.
"Mind explaining what happened last night? Seems like I'm a little out of the loop. There was an altercation with drunk alphas, I heard?"
With every step Jobe took forward, Jude took one back. They continued this little charade until Jude's back hit a nearby wall and he dashed to the kitchen. He picked up half a carrot from the counter and pointed it to his brother. The quartet avoided any eye contact Jude made in request for backup.
"Uhh, I-I can explain."
"You better start with how no one could reach you. Shattered phone?"
Jude shot Erling a nasty glare for even sharing that information. But truthfully, the omega didn't even know when he had told his roommate about that. He should stop drinking alcohol for the foreseeable future.
"Right, of course." He cleared his throat weakly. "So… I threw my phone at Mason's head."
Jobe crossed his arm, raising an eyebrow. "And…?"
Jude looked down to his toes. "And I threw it to that cheating asshat's car. Cracked his windshield. He deserved it."
His mumbling was almost too quiet but loud enough for Jobe to hear. "You could have picked up a stone, or a brick! Why would you use your phone, you idiot?!"
"Well it was a reflex! I threw whatever's in my hand and managed to hit him square in the face!" Jude got equally riled up at this point.
"Was it so important that you had to risk your safety? What if something bad happened and you couldn't ask for help? And I can't track your phone to find you? What if you get cornered by bad guys like last night and couldn't contact anyone?"
"I called Erling, didn't I?!"
"What if you were alone? What if he was unavailable? You're lucky he already landed ahead of time. What if he's still in Oslo? What then? Why didn't you call me first? Hold on, do you actually know my number?"
With the assault of questions, Jude came to an awareness that he, in fact, did not remember his younger brother's phone number. And it seems whatever expression was showing on Jude's horrified face was conveyed very clearly.
"Oh wow, you memorized Erling's number but not mine? And this is the person I share my blood with." Jobe sarcastically remarked.
Jude could only offer a sheepish smile that did not reach his eyes. "In my defence, I don't remember mum or dad's number either. I only remember Erling's cause it has lots of 9 in it."
"That's not any better?!" Jobe couldn't hide his bafflement.
"Look, I'm sorry for being thoughtless and impulsive. I learnt my lesson, won't throw my phone in anger again. I'll make sure to never go anywhere alone and have my phone with me all the time. I'll even memorize your number. Happy?"
"You better get my number tattooed somewhere visible. At least if you're kidnapped, they'll know who to contact. You know what, tell them Erling's number if they want ransom."
Jude frowned. "Hey, that's not a nice thing to say!"
The man in question intercepted out of nowhere by standing between the brothers, back facing Jude. From Jobe's perspective, his older brother almost disappeared while hiding behind the broad shoulders of his roommate even with his height that surpassed most people. He even had the nerve to stick his tongue out now that they have a middleman.
"Here," Erling offered a USB stick to Jobe. "CCTV footage from Tesco."
"That's what you were doing with the cashier boy?" Jude questioned once he connected the dots. "You even thought of that?"
Ignoring the omega's rambling, Erling focused back to the younger alpha in front of him. "One of them said he had connections with the police force, that's why he got the balls to make a ruckus. I only caught a last name: Williams. The others are just local thugs so I didn't bother."
"One of them was called Noah," Jude added but cowered almost entirely when two alphas were shooting him intense gaze.
Jobe nodded. "I'll look into it. Honestly it could be anyone but if it's the Williams I know, then it could be dad's deputy."
"I'll leave it to you." Erling patted Jobe's arm. "Have you had lunch? We have sausage and soup."
The younger alpha sighed. "No thanks, I'm here just to put some sense into that donut's spongy brain and to make sure he's alive."
Jude gasped loudly. "Did you just call me a donut?"
"That's the part that offended you?"
The two brothers stuck out their tongues at each other childishly while Erling had to drag Jude back to the living room to avoid another round of endless bickering. The four hungover men immediately averted their eyes when Jude returned and shot each of them a dirty glare.
"Oh Jobe, can I ask you a favour?" Erling asked. "If you're free, can you please drive them home?"
"I ride a vespa just FYI."
Erling reached into the bowl conveniently placed on the center of the coffee table and grabbed the item securely before throwing it at Jobe who caught it with one hand. Seeing the wings logo on the car key, Jobe's eyes practically shone.
"What if I leave a dent on this baby?"
"Go wild. You can return it next week."
Smiling sincerely for the first time today, Jobe saluted and ushered Jude's friends out of the flat with great care. "I'll leave my troublesome brother in your care. Please make my life easier and keep him inside for the next few days."
The blond only chuckled and Jude waved them goodbye albeit still feeling betrayed by his friends.
"What a beauty," Jobe whistled. He's currently sitting behind the wheels of an Aston Martin DBX and appreciating each stitch of the leather and every curve of the design. His hands were careful not to disturb any controls but curious enough to trace the buttons.
"This isn't the car we were riding in last night, is it?" Anthony asked as his memory tried tracing back some information.
"No, that one was a Peugeot." Jobe replied as if he was physically there to witness. "It was parked a bit haphazardly when I got here. That one. Always wanted to drive one of those." He pointed to a metallic blue car not far from where they were parked in the basement.
Once everyone had listed their own addresses to the GPS system, the car was ready to depart before Jobe's phone dinged a notification. The others' phone also buzzed quietly at almost the same time. He checked it briefly and had to sigh before driving away with an exasperated smile.
+447891098228
add my new number Jobey~~
Looks like someone got himself a new phone.
"I want to be Jude for a week." Trent lamented and the whole car agreed.