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Lu Guang woke up feeling much hotter than usual and with awful pain in his stomach. He wasted no time in shooting out of his bed and the room in a matter of seconds. He rushed to the toilet and reached for the medicine he kept in a hidden spot behind the cabinets. In a rush yet as calmly as possible he shook some of the pills out of the bottle and into his hand.
In a matter of seconds, he gushed them down with a glass of water and panted.
His heat turned up early, perhaps because of the stress of being stabbed and kidnapped, and having witnessed how his best friend got shot... In short, a lot happened.
He scrambled out of the bathroom and hurried to the living room where he quickly wrote down a note for Cheng Xiaoshi to read after he woke up. He just wrote that there's a matter he has to deal with and that he'll be gone for a day or two, at least until his heat became less obvious.
There was a place down the street where he'd usually spend them, but he wanted to go get some supplies from the store because the last time he was there it was a bit of a mess. There was a lot of dust and he was low on some warm blankets. He wasn't usually looking for comfort and comfy environment, but something was different this time. He felt much more sensitive than usual, and he didn't know what could've been the cause of that.
As he entered the nearest store he could find, he was momentarily flabbergasted by the amount of people at such an early hour. That's when he realized there was a holiday mascot somewhere aside so parents brought their kids to take photos with it. He smiled softly at the sight of all the joy around him before venturing inside.
He had a hard time navigating through the aisles because of the dizziness that was starting to settle in. At some point, he found himself stuck staring at some shelves for minutes, having no idea what he was looking for nor was it even there. His body was starting to feel way too hot for comfort and the need to get out was prevailing over the wish to get the groceries and supplies.
There was a commotion down the hall but he was way too lost in his own confusion that he didn't see someone running towards him until they collided with him and sent him crashing backwards onto the ground.
Well almost. A pair of arms embraced him from behind and helped him stay upright. Even if he had taken pills to lessen his heat he could still sense the person behind him. An alpha bearing a strong, rich saffron scent. It was intoxicating, but not enough to make him lose his mind.
"Hey there, easy" the person soothed "Li Tianxi, be careful not to tackle anyone else okay?"
The pink haired girl tried muttering some words, but they came out incoherent. Or that's at least how Lu Guang heard them. He suddenly realized that he actually knew her. She was Li Tianchen's sister. Such a coincidence that they'd run into each other.
For a moment, Lu Guang froze. What if the person behind him was her brother? The one that kidnapped him and tortured him and used him as a trading condition. His body immediately started to writhe in the grip beneath his shoulders, but it was useless. He barely had strength to stand before and now it was even harder after feeling some sort of support.
He tried focusing his mind to pay attention about what was happening around him, but everything seemed to be more and more fuzzy with each passing second. He saw movements of something pink and felt a cold touch on his hand afterwards.
"Xixi, what's wrong? Are you okay?" the tall man behind him asked, his grip still present beneath Lu Guang's arms. The white haired boy felt too tired to keep his head upwards and was stuck staring at the shadows on the ground. The girl in front of him was signing something he found hard to decipher even if he was familiar with sign language.
"Eh really? We should probably get out of here then" Lu Guang felt the alpha maneuver him around until he found himself on the other man's back "Go get your brother and let's meet at the cash register"
Li Tianxi gave him a curt nod before running off. The guy adjusted his hold on Lu Guang before carefully heading his way.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'm Liu Xiao by the way" the man introduced himself, but Lu Guang only had the strength to open his mouth before curling forwards from the pain in his stomach and strengthening his hold on the alpha.
If these were some strangers, Lu Guang would've wasted no time in trying to get away. But the sight of someone as kind and caring as Li Tianxi reassured him that he was in good hands. He could only hope so. He had no idea who the guy carrying him was nor did he know if Li Tianchen was still angry at him about the whole changing the past and securing the future crisis.
Everything was so confusing and he just wanted to take a nap so badly.
Unconsciously, he leaned closer to the other man's neck, taking in the reassuring scent the other was offering. Alphas weren't usually so easy-going when it came to omegas in heat. Most of the times they got very possessive towards the omega and intimidating towards other alphas. Somehow this guy seemed different. Lu Guang hoped it wasn't his heat playing tricks with his perception, falsely reassuring him that this guy was a good person.
He often yearned to spend his heat with Cheng Xiaoshi. He knew that the other would treat him well, but revealing his omega identity was scary. He knew he wouldn't be judged, but he felt like he'd lose the ability to protect the other in the same way he could now. He worried that if Cheng Xiaoshi found out he was an omega, he'd end up pampering him too much which would lead to him losing the influence he had on the other. Or maybe abandon him because he cannot live with an omega, Lu Guaang never asked what he thought of that.
"Liu Xiao! Xixi told me something happened-Why are you carrying that bastard!?" he heard someone snarl and had no doubt that it was Li Tianchen. A shiver ran through his spine, the boy was still angry and Lu Guang felt flashbacks of the torture in his mind. He let out a quiet whimper into Liu Xiao's shoulder and felt the other man's curious gaze on him.
"Chenchen, could you keep it down a bit? Can't you sense it?" the other sighed.
"Sense what?" the pink haired boy narrowed his eyebrows but proceeded to inhale deeply. In a matter of seconds, his eyes lit up and he sprung at Liu Xiao, trying to pry the teen on his back off of him.
"Tianchen-" Liu Xiao warned once he realized how wildly the young beta's eyes were gleaming in dangerously red shade. Not in a lustful way, but in pure rage.
"Let me give him a piece of my mind for all the pain he put us through! I'll tear him to shreds and then send his remains to Cheng Xiaoshi. Is this their attempt to deceive us or something?"
"N-No" Tianxi muttered, trying to separate her brother away from the other two. Liu Xiao frowned in irritation, he'd have pushed at the other boy if both of his hands weren't holding the omega on his back.
Lu Guang seemed to get the hint of what was happening because he began struggling against the alpha's back. Liu Xiao momentarily wondered if he was doomed to stumble onto the ground eventually so he released a strong warning scent that seemed to freeze all three teens around him.
"We can discuss this later. Right now, we need to get out of here before we cause a scene. Do you understand Chenchen?" Li Tianchen didn't appear to be satisfied with the proposition, but he complied enough to pay for their groceries and supplies as they left the market.
But before joining other passengers on the street, Liu Xiao maneuvered the omega male off of him and leaned him against the wall so he could take off his coat and hat and drape them over the other's pale form. Lu Guang flinched from how nice the clothes felt against his form.
"Just a precaution measure. I know you probably don't want to attract any more attention" the alpha smiled, but Lu Guang felt it rather than saw it. His vision was blurry, but the scent of the hat and the coat was so strong that he had to fight back the urge to inhale it.
He never dared to inhale Cheng Xiaoshi's hoodies and always tried to keep his distance from them even when he was the one washing their clothes, he worried that he possibly wouldn't be able to hold back from nesting afterwards.
As if reading his mind, Liu Xiao offered him a comforting repetition of pats on the head. Lu Guang's body shivered at the kind gesture. It felt so strange to be treated so nicely, especially by someone he considered his enemy.
"You can scent my clothes, I won't really mind. You have a really nice scent yourself"
The white haired omega's eyes lit up at the approval and compliment. It was the first time he heard someone compliment his scent in a long time. Liu Xiao seemed to have so much influence on him with just his words. He hoped that his scent wouldn't drive him crazy as well. Lu Guang wasted no time in burying his face into the apparel and he sighed in a content manner. The alpha smelled good just like Cheng Xiaoshi, but his scent was slightly more rich in taste even if a bit less intensive. Like he was trying to breathe a plant based scent through a fog.
"There you go" Liu Xiao smiled, ruffling the white hair before picking the other boy up and back on his back. Once they had started heading home, they separated a bit. Li Tianchen was walking few feet in front of them, releasing a warning aura to anyone who considered approaching him while grumbling to himself. His hood was over his head and he seemed to be pouting like a child. Liu Xiao and Li Tianxi were soundlessly walking behind. Liu Xiao seemed to be lost in his thoughts while Li Tianxi occasionally glanced at the fellow omega. She never got to interact with another aside from her mother so it was a groundbreaking experience for her.
Lu Guang was finally starting to feel his heat draining him of his last bits of energy and wondered if he might've collapsed if it wasn't for the three finding him. He felt so uncomfortably hot and the nausea in his stomach was getting more and more painful. His hands tightened around Liu Xiao's shoulders. He hoped that Li Tianchen wouldn't tie him to a chair again because he doubted he could stay conscious in such a position without throwing up and fainting.
He felt both hypoaware and hyperaware of everything. He didn't see when Li Tianxi reached with her hand to touch his own, but he felt the coldness of her palm so much that he shivered.
Gathering enough strength, he glanced at the younger omega whose eyes momentarily darted around before she formed a simple question with her hands.
'Would you like some strawberry juice?' Lu Guang smiled at the offer with a small huff and nodded. The girl's eyes lit up before she rushed to Li Tianchen who was carrying the groceries. She took a single carton of juice and placed the straw inside before handing it to Lu Guang. The white haired omega signed a small thank you and she beamed in response, happy that he could communicate via sign language.
Her eyes momentarily locked with Liu Xiao's, who was smirking fondly in her direction. She blushed before locking her hands together and marching forwards to walk beside Li Tianchen, who frowned when he realised that neither she nor Liu Xiao were the ones drinking the juice. He chose not to comment tho, he knew he'd have whole afternoon to rant about it once they got home.
Lu Guang felt immense happiness once the sweet liquid passed his taste buds and made its way down his throat. He hadn't even realized how thirsty he actually was. His fever was starting to settle in, making him much more dizzier. He gripped Liu Xiao stronger not to accidentally fall off and the other took notice of that.
"We'll be walking for another fifteen minutes, would you like that we stop if you're feeling nauseous?" Liu Xiao asked with a glance over his shoulder "You're starting to overheat a bit too much. I can feel your heat through my shirt"
"I'm sorry, I can walk-"
"That's not what I asked you" the other smirked and Lu Guang found it hard to recall what the question was in the first place. He gave Liu Xiao a puzzled look, confusion overtaking his senses, while gently feeling the texture of Liu Xiao's coat draped over his back. It was nice. The other took Lu Guang's silence as a cue to take a break. He did, however, send Li Tianchen off to take the bags home so that their food wouldn't spoil. Surprisingly, Li Tianxi chose to stay with them after tossing away the empty juice carton, so the three of them settled beneath a tree shade in a nearby park.
Lu Guang chose to sit a bit further away from the other two, but remained holding onto the coat and hat for comfort. Liu Xiao was leaning onto the tree, eyes closed in serenity with Li Tianxi's head in his lap, his fingertips were gently playing with one of her ponytails. The touches were tender and caring, so close to his eyes and were making Lu Guang feel like he was the one receiving them.
Lu Guang felt a swirl of some feelings in his gut. Longing and timidness perhaps? He saw Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi doing little displays of affection some times but never had courage to ask them if he could join. He always thought of it as their thing and didn't bother making them uncomfortable by asking.
Even if he was always stoic and aloof, deep down he had a wish to be pampered. He always found satisfaction in any form of skin on skin contact that Cheng Xiaoshi would insinuate. Even if those were just silly little touches to him, to Lu Guang they meant everything.
"Care to join?" Liu Xiao hummed with a grin. Only one of his eyes was opened, as if teasing the young omega. Lu Guang craved to join them, especially once the alpha stretched out his hand towards him.
The desire to be petted boiled deep inside of his gut.
Careful not to accidentally tear Liu Xiao's coat and hat while scooting closer, Lu Guang let himself feel welcomed by the scents of saffron and cotton sugar.
Once he reached Liu Xiao however, he had no idea what to do, where to put his head, how welcoming the two were in the first place and similar. He needn't have worried though. Liu Xiao gently cupped the side of his face and, as if on cue, all energy left his body at that moment and he would've landed face first into the ground if the alpha's hand wasn't still holding his cheek.
He had no idea why the alpha had so much effect on him and he hoped he wouldn't regret being so pliant later in the future.
The grip on his cheek pulled him in until he was resting against Liu Xiao's thigh. Li Tianxi seemed to note his presence because she reached her hand over the alpha and wrapped it around Lu Guang's, who squeezed the other omega's hand in appreciation.
The thigh tensed momentarily while Liu Xiao was shuffling around and Lu Guang wondered if he was perhaps too heavy for the other. His doubts disappeared however once Liu Xiao covered him with his coat and placed that hat of his on the side of Lu Guang's head.
Long fingers came to play with the hairs at the back of his neck and Lu Guang momentarily froze at the sensation. It felt strange, not in a bad way though. It felt comforting and tender. But he never thought he'd get to feel something like that.
"Has nobody ever pampered you like this?" Liu Xiao questioned, stopping for a moment but resuming once he felt Lu Guang's head push back at his hand in an encouraging manner.
"Is that odd?" the omega questioned in a raspy and insecure tone. Had the strawberry juice that remained on his throat already dried out? He was beyond lost in confusion from the heat to be able to tell how much time has passed since then.
"Kind of, I guess" the other hummed "Li Tianchen told me that you live with Cheng Xiaoshi, are you actually not mates? You don't smell like him in the slightest. I'd expect him to at least scent you before you leave your home"
Lu Guang shook his head.
"From how affectionate he is, I thought that something like this wouldn't be strange to you"
"I am not a part of their pack"
"How so?" the dark haired man muttered, eyebrow raising in genuine confusion and curiosity.
"I'm just a roommate, and business partner. That's all there is to it" Lu Guang answered in a disappointed tone, nose pressing further into the fabric below his head. His own heart ached as those words left his mouth.
"Did they tell you that?"
"No!" Lu Guang answered immediately and with a quick jolt.
"Then how can you be so sure?"
"Because I'm the one who doesn't want to get attached. I know that they wouldn't mind having me around after so much time had passed, but I'm not ready to... reveal myself"
"Ah, I see. You haven't revealed your omega identity to them, huh?" Liu Xiao hummed, fingers moving from the hair to rest on Lu Guang's nape, where the scent gland was "Is there something you're afraid of regarding that or just nervous?"
"That I won't be able to protect them if they find out that I'm an omega"
"Well, from what I've heard, you did a great job protecting them few weeks ago when you were going against Qian Jin and Li Tianchen"
Lu Guang turned his head curiously and met Liu Xiao's reassuring gaze.
"I'm sure they're proud of you, I definitely would be if I was in their place"
Something inside Lu Guang crackled, shattered in thousand pieces and reconnected effortlessly. He turned around away from the other, not wanting to show any tears to the alpha behind him. Liu Xiao hummed softly, sympathetic laughter bubbling in his throat, before lightly rubbing at the young omega's nape and dozing off beneath the tree's shade.
With the peace surrounding him, Lu Guang thought he could use a nap too. The heat drained him more than he thought it would. Gathering enough courage, he turned around so his body was facing Liu Xiao's front and he moved to bury his face into the dark haired man's side. The alpha's hand, now on the font of neck, unconsciously caressed his throat. He moved even closer until his nose was buried into the fabric of Liu Xiao's shirt.
As his eyes began to close, he heard someone utter 'you're such a good omega'. His heartbeat quickened, but he had no idea who said that. Liu Xiao? Li Tianxi? Li Tianchen? He really couldn't tell.
His heart sank slightly at the thought that he just imagined that.
He really wanted to be someone's good omega.
Li Tianchen returned ten minutes later, hands resting in the pockets of his hoodie. He stared at the three of them with an unreadable expression.
Liu Xiao grinned his way once he became aware of his presence. The beta huffed in response as he neared the tree and sat beside Liu Xiao and where Li Tianxi was resting. His gaze momentarily rested on the white haired omega before he glared at the alpha beside him.
"Are you seriously taking him with us?"
"Why wouldn't I? He's adorable" Liu Xiao chuckled, fingers gently knocking over the hat off the other boy's hair as he ran them through it "I don't think he'll be a threat to us, especially in this state. Didn't you say that his ability was basically useless without Cheng Xiaoshi"
"But still, he's very smart. I can see why Cheng Xiaoshi likes having him around" Li Tianchen wrinkled his nose, one hand reaching to tug at the white locks only to be knocked away by the alpha in front of him.
The beta hissed at the action while the other rolled his eyes.
"I think your touch is the last thing he needs right now" Liu Xiao snickered, but his eyes were serious.
"Why so?"
"Weren't you the one who tortured him just few weeks ago?" Liu Xiao questioned while Li Tianchen clicked his tongue in displeasure.
"Since when is painfully patching up someone's wound considered a form of torture?" he huffed, hand playing with the sleeve of his sister's uniform.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't approach him at all. Just let him get used to you not having any bad intentions, I hope. Don't you remember how he reacted when he saw you?"
"Please, you speak like you don't know me at all!"
"Didn't you say something about tearing him to shreds?"
"I was annoyed, people say stupid stuff when they're annoyed!"
"Well, try being less annoyed then. You should know how sensitive omegas are when they are in heat" the alpha frowned, and Li Tianchen's features momentarily turned sour. Of course he knew, his sister was an omega. A very sensitive one. He was very well aware of how fragile an omega's health was when in heat, he just found it hard to associate the delicateness and timidness of omegas to someone so cold and unshakable like Lu Guang.
"I know that, it's just hard to think of him as an omega" Li Tianchen muttered, hand reaching again to brush the messy white hair, more tenderly. This time, the other teen didn't try to stop him.
"Being omega isn't decided by someone's personality" Liu Xiao chastised "I'm an alpha, but I'm not as possessive as some may think. Just like you aren't weak for a beta and Li Tianxi isn't helpless"
Li Tianchen nodded in understanding just as the dark haired male decided to get up. Li Tianxi was next, waking up after sensing the movement beneath her head. She reached over to Lu Guang to try and wake him up, but was stopped with a hand on her own.
"Li Tianxi, let him rest until we get home. Would you like to help him build a nest then?" Liu Xiao proposed with a smile and she beamed in return. The alpha then bent over to lift the other teen on his back again only to retreat his hand at how hot the other felt.
'This isn't good, omegas usually overheat but not like this...' Liu Xiao frowned but scooped the other up nevertheless. He felt way too light for comfort. This time, he decided to carry him in his arms as the other was way too out of himself to be able to hold onto his own.
Li Tianchen offered to help but Liu Xiao reassured him that everything was okay. Or at least he hoped it would be. Usually, he wasn't strong enough to carry someone for so long. Not even the twins. Maybe it was the young omega's scent giving him strength to continue.
Liu Xiao found it hard to describe. It was like the scent of freshly washed clothes that spent their day in a garden after snow. Fresh and sugary.
He realized he was craving something sweet.
Now that Qian Jin was locked away in a prison cell, him and twins were able to pack their whole apartment with candies and chocolates.
At least he wouldn't have to worry about not having sugar for their unexpected guest once they've arrived.
It didn't take them long until they were at the doorstep with Li Tianchen unlocking the door. The moment he did, his sister made a beeline for a little group of plush toys, pillows and blankets in front of their TV. She was set on arranging the best nest she could for the other omega.
Liu Xiao approached to the sofa and sat the fainted boy onto it before collapsing on it himself. His hand reached for the bowl on the table which contained some fruit flavored candies.
He had no idea if the taste was so enhanced because he yearned for them or because of Lu Guang's scent. Either way, he savored the sweetness while it lasted.
His hand reached to for the TV remote to turn it on before flicking through the channels they had. He settled on a children's program that Li Tianxi liked to watch even if she was currently immersed into building a nest.
Lu Guang beside him stirred a bit, most likely due to the discomfort of his position. Liu Xiao gently maneuvered him to lean on his shoulder, which seemed to ease the pain at least a little bit.
It would take Li Tianxi some time to arrange the nest, and he began to wonder if it would be a good idea to take him to his room to rest there until the pink haired omega was done with arranging the pillows and plush toys.
He chose not to because he didn't want the other to get overwhelmed by the scent of an alpha he barely knew. The last thing they needed was for Cheng Xiaoshi to come searching for them because they harmed his beloved partner that had no clue how precious he actually was.
There was rustling in the kitchen, which made Liu Xiao remember that it was Li Tianchen's turn to make lunch. He sighed in relief, he truly felt like he had no energy left. Maybe the heat of an omega was affecting him too in some strange ways. He just wanted to grab the teen beside him and cuddle him senseless. But he knew that had to wait for that. He had no idea if he'd even be accepted into his nest once he woke up. It would hurt to be declined a nice cuddle sessions, but he was not childish and unable to understand the why behind such a decision.
When he'd moved in with the twins, he read a book about omegas behavior and was very familiar with their most common thoughts and concerns in times of heat. That's how he came to understand Li Tianxi better. The girl didn't approach him until a week later after meeting him.
Lu Guang moved his head slightly and Liu Xiao froze when he felt a nose against the scent glands on his throat. The omega was thirsting for his scent. Liu Xiao worried that the other might climb onto his lap if he didn't calm down soon. He tried releasing a comforting and calming scent, which only caused the other teen to nuzzle his cheek against the alpha.
At this point, Liu Xiao couldn't hide a blush anymore. He had met many omegas throughout his journey, but none were like this. Lu Guang seemed so lost in his fever that he'd completely abandoned rational thinking and was focused on searching for comfort, which Liu Xiao didn't want to restrain him from.
The alpha moved to lay down onto the sofa, his head on the armrest's pillow with Lu Guang resting his cheek on his chest, slightly squished between the alpha and the back of the sofa. He seemed to have quieted down a bit and was just nosing Liu Xiao's collarbone affectionately.
Liu Xiao was a bit nervous because he had never been this close to an omega. He was always told that alphas and omegas exist just to seek pleasure in one another, but this didn't feel like it. It felt much more pure instead of lustful. And he concluded that he liked it this way much more than he would if he just immediately mated with an omega and bonded only afterwards.
He gently played with the other's hair, close to dozing off when he felt a tug on his shoulder. He curiously glanced aside where Li Tianxi was signing that the nest was ready. She moved to tug at Lu Guang's shirt but the other gave no reply except a light stir. She backed away nervously while Liu Xiao frowned, leaning down to check the other's temperature with his lips.
He was scorching hot, how could he forget that?
The alpha carefully moved into a sitting position and lifted the other into his arms so he could move him into the nest. He quickly rushed to make some tea and find medicine, but was beaten to it by Li Tianchen.
"Here you go" the boy huffed, handing the supplies to the taller teen. Liu Xiao nodded in gratitude and returned to the nest. Li Tianxi was pushing one of her plush toys at the other omega, trying to wake him up. Li Tianchen pulled her back while Liu Xiao was trying to wake him up with a cold bottle of water against his clothed arm, as to not shock him too much with the sensation. Lu Guang unconsciously backed away from the sensation so Liu Xiao tried putting the cold bottle against him once again and this time Lu Guang tiredly peeked at the teen above him.
"You have a fever, take this" he offered the pill and water to the omega, but then flinched when he sensed a sour scent biting at his nostrils. Lu Guang growled at them, eyes filled with distrust as he tried backing away until his back hit the edge of the nest. His eyes were gleaming with doubt, fear and rage. Only then did Liu Xiao remember that they had basically taken this guy that was their enemy just few weeks ago to their home.
The alpha followed Lu Guang's gaze and realized it was aimed at Li Tianchen. Not that he was surprised, he'd be mad too if he was mistreated and left to bleed out on a chair, not knowing if anyone would come to his aid.
"Li Tianchen" Liu Xiao muttered apologetically, and the beta seemed to realize what he was thinking of because next thing he did was back away into the kitchen with a click of his tongue. Lu Guang still seemed tense with anxiousness but other than that he seemed to regain some clear mind. His hazy eyes locked with Liu Xiao's and the other offered the pill and water, silently hoping that the other would take them.
Lu Guang doubtfully looked at them before turning around, back facing Liu Xiao's way.
Li Tianxi let out a small whimper from the dejection. She couldn't comprehend what exactly caused Lu Guang to brush them off. Especially after she had put so much effort into making that nest.
"Did he not like it?" she signed while also muttering the words, eyes filling with tears.
Liu Xiao patted her head in a comforting manner.
"Give him some time, don't stress yourself with this" but his words went unheard as the girl's scent became like one of burned out candies. She sobbed into her hands and Liu Xiao stared at her with no idea what to do. He wondered if he should hug her or let her sob in peace. There was no need to choose though, because someone else already has.
He didn't even see Lu Guang move from his spot yet he was suddenly embracing Li Tianxi in a comforting manner. His gentle scent enveloped the room, and Liu Xiao concluded that he needn't worry about either of them anymore.
'I am sorry. You made a lovely nest. Thank you' Lu Guang signed shakily, and the girl nodded with a small 'It's okay'. She glanced at Liu Xiao and signed him to give her the medicine. He did and she signed that the pills would help him with his fever. Lu Guang still seemed hesitant, but did accept them after a moment of contemplating. The alpha behind him was amazed at how easily Li Tianxi managed to convince him to take his medicine.
The two omegas settled in the nest with a small space between each other while Liu Xiao stared at them slightly dumbfounded. He had no idea if he was allowed to be there in the first place. He was an alpha that Lu Guang didn't even meet until that day. Maybe it was him that actually caused the earlier cold shoulder, and not Li Tianchen.
As he prepared to leave the room, he felt a hand on his wrist. The grip was gentle yet firm. He glanced back to meet a yearning gaze.
"Stay" Lu Guang rasped with a hint of desperation and insecurity. Liu Xiao wasn't about to decline the invitation. He let himself get pulled inside as the omega settled his head on his chest. He entwined their limbs together while Li Tianxi came to embrace the other omega from behind, her hands clumsily found their way around his chest.
The white haired omega sighed in contentedness at the warmth surrounding him. His arms locked around the alpha's torso, trying to pull him in even closer.
Liu Xiao would've chuckled at the cuteness of the scene if he wasn't growing concerned with the young omega's behavior the more he got to see it. The white haired teen was so touch-starved that he was trying to eliminate any possible distance between them. And the distress in his eyes when he was going to ask Liu Xiao to join him pained him.
He immediately decided that once the other was of clear mind, they'll have a talk about everything. Going into heats without a pack can be awful at times. Especially when you have close people that you don't ask for help. He found it hard to imagine how Lu Guang deals with his omega needs while looking at his friends being all touchy and comfy with each other.
If what Lu Guang thought of them was true, they were good people. And Liu Xiao wanted to encourage Lu Guang to join their pack even if that meant that could mean that this was both the first and the last time he'll see him like this ever again.
Until then, he'd enjoy every moment of getting to cuddle him.
"Liu Xiao" Li Tianchen muttered, crouching near his head that was on the edge of the nest "Lunch will be in around an ten minutes or so, do you need anything?"
"I don't think so, everything's under control" Liu Xiao hummed "Care to join us?"
"Do you want that guy to rip my face off?" Li Tianchen hissed while the alpha rolled his eyes, his hands gently shaking the omega in his arms awake.
"Hey, are you okay with Li Tianchen joining us?" Lu Guang blinked sleepily at Liu Xiao before his gaze turned towards the beta behind him. The omega whined softly, way too lost in heat, while reaching to pull the other inside.
"Isn't he lovable?" Liu Xiao chuckled fondly as he ruffled the white locks. Li Tianchen clicked his tongue in disbelief before moving to flop down behind his sister "He won't bite you, you know"
"I don't feel like taking my chances yet" the beta grumbled before curling up to take a nap. Liu Xiao chuckled at his attitude before covering all of theem with an enormous blanket and adjusting his hold on the boy occupying his arms.
He thought he was imagining things, but it seemed like his fever was going down. Relief tingled in his chest. He had no idea if it was due to the other teen's pheromones, but he had grown to like him quite a lot in the last few hours. He fret the thought of having to abandon him once all of this was over and return him back to his household and his alpha, which wasn't really his alpha but still.
His hope lingered on a wish that this wouldn't be their last encounter ever. Maybe they'll get to see each other again. Maybe as friends. Maybe as enemies. He just hoped that whatever they are then, he'd still be able to feel this kind of peace.
He glanced at the wall above the sofa. They still had around 5 minutes more until lunch time. He hoped that the white haired omega would like their cooking. Nobody was a professional cook there. Their apartment was cozy and tidy, but their kitchen was a mess most of the time
Li Tianxi couldn't cook except assist someone else. Li Tianchen could make some classic meals and Liu Xiao probably the most experience with cooking. He had gotten to travel a lot and learn about many different meals. Cooking wasn't his hobby though. Or anybody else's for that matter.
They were constantly on some missions and were often too exhausted to cook. The alpha was sure that Li Tianchen was probably just warming the vegetable soup they had the day prior.
He wouldn't complain though, the soup turned out much better than any of them could've expected.
"Hey, Lu Guang" the alpha whispered quietly in case the other was in deep sleep "Are you hungry?"
He felt the other teen shake his head sideways against his chest and took it as some kind of am answer.
But then a low rumble echoed throughout the quiet room and he glanced at the exhausted omega curiously.
"Was that your stomach? When was the last time you've eaten?" Liu Xiao questioned and only got a shrug as a response.
"That's not good, you have to eat something"
"I'm fine, I've endured this before"
"You went days without food?" the omega was quiet, tense for a moment before slouching his shoulders in defeat
"But that's not good" Liu Xiao muttered to himself as he moved to stand up. Lu Guang's hold tightened around his torso but the alpha tried to pry his hands away as gently as he could.
"Hey, I'll go get you some vegetable soup, and we can continue cuddling afterwards. Do you have any preferences regarding it?"
"I don't want to eat anything"
"That's not what I asked. I'm bringing the soup here regardless of what you say"
Lu Guang angled his head upwards to send him an annoyed glare before diving beneath the covers.
"Whatever you bring me is fine I guess, just don't give me too much garlic and onions, I'm not too fond of spicy soups"
"Noted" Liu Xiao smiled and ruffled his hair gently before entering the kitchen. He was glad he didn't doze off because it would be a pain having to deal with their apartment stinking like a fire in the forest. He himself wasn't feeling hungry, but he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to persuade Lu Guang into eating unless he also ate. The twins had eaten some sweets recently, and he knew they would go eat when they were feeling like it and that it was almost impossible to persuade them otherwise.
Carefully as instructed, he checked the bowl for an excess in onions and garlic in Lu Guang's soup before heading back to the living room once he deemed it was alright.
Liu Xiao wasn't gone from the room for a long time, but it seemed like it was enough for the other teen to just turn around to embrace the twins.
'So cuddly, he should really talk to his partner about his touch-starvedness once he returns home. It would do good for both of them' Liu Xiao mused to himself as he settled the bowl beside the nest.
"Hey, turn around" the alpha muttered, giving the white haired omega a gentle shake on the shoulder. The other groaned before turning to face Liu Xiao with an annoyed expression that seemed to fail miserably in its intensity. The alpha chuckled before pressing aa gentle smooch beneath his chin.
He offered him the bowl of soup with a carefree grin:
"Here you go~"
"Thank you" the omega muttered, clumsily making his way out of the nest as he didn't want to spill the liquid onto the nice nest Li Tianxi had put so much effort in.
"How is it?" Liu Xiao asked as he observed the other teen but in a not too obvious way.
"It's very nice, thank you. I appreciate what you're doing for me"
"Don't mention it" the taller male chuckled they ate in silence for a moment before the alpha spoke up "I was wondering, how come you appear so comfortable here when you said that you fear your friends discovering your identitiy. Doesn't the idea of strangers, or rather ex-enemies, knowing you're an omega bother you in the slightest"
"No, not really. It's them I'm worried about. I can take care of myself just fine" Lu Guang muttered, placing down the bowl to stretch himself.
"Yeah, right" Liu Xiao snickered, and the other responded with an offended glare. Liu Xiao had a feeling that he wouldn't be saying that if Qian Jin found out about his omega identitiy back during his captivity.
"I have a feeling you don't sound too convinced" Lu Guang eyed him warily and the other sighed.
"Lu Guang, we found you overheating in a store of all places. Imagine if you stumbled across a stranger with bad intentions?"
"I would still be okay-" he didn't get to finish as Liu Xiao quickly tackled him onto the ground, pushing him face first into the edge of the nest while holding hands behind his back. Familiar cramps that he had almost forgotten about returned, and Lu Guang held back nausea that was only held back due to the alpha's strong scent.
"Go on then, get out of this if you can" Liu Xiao muttered, face void of any emotion. Not like Lu Guang could see that, but he heard by the tone of his voice that something wasn't right.
"Let me go" he struggled but it hurt to even try. His stomach was basically crunching onto nothing. A pounding headache was slowly introducing itself. And familiar heat shivers were starting to wreck his body again.
"You said you'd be okay, then prove it" Liu Xiao urged, pressing him further onto the ground and Lu Guang felt his breath quicken in fear.
"I said let me go! Please-"
"Is that what you would do? Beg for pity while at the mercy of a crazy alpha?" the taller rose his eyebrow, but eased the hold he had on the other's hands. One of his hands rubbed gentle circles into the cold skin. His voice went softer, but some roughness still remained "Alphas can't control their urges well, especially around scents so strong like yours"
"You were controlling yourself just fine"
"Because I'm a damaged alpha"
"What?"
"You know I have an older brother right? When I presented, my parents scared some of my glands because they didn't want their alpha boys getting too territorial"
Lu Guang paused, timidly glancing back to meet the other's emotionless gaze aimed somewhere at the wall.
"I-I'm sorry"
"It's fine, I'm just glad that I've finally gotten to actually sense an omega after so long. Li Tianxi's scent is very mild most of the time. So much lighter compared to yours" Liu Xiao bent his head lower to kiss the back of his neck. Getting too close like this usually meant courting intentions, but Lu Guang couldn't feel anything akin to that coming from the other so he tried his best to relax and let the other take the lead.
However, Liu Xiao was off of him in a matter of seconds, unceremoniously flapping onto the carpet beside him. Lu Guang stared at him with dazed and curious eyes. As if begging for more and having no idea what to do at the same time.
"I'd be so happy to call you my omega" the teen sighed "but I already know you're Cheng Xiaoshi's even if you don't realize it yet"
"How can you be so sure that he likes me?" Lu Guang muttered and Liu Xiao faced him with a melancholic grin.
"If I got to see you every single day like he does it would only be a matter of time before I fell in love with you" the omega tried to blink away the tears caused by such a confession, but it felt like just thinking was exhausting him in some way. He couldn't imagine Cheng Xiaoshi ever finding him lovely or endearing in any way imaginable. Someone like him deserved the best. Only the best.
And Lu Guang new he would never be able to be the best his partner is worth of.
Lu Guang felt a tray tear slide down his cheek as arms embraced him and pulled him into a warm chest. He sobbed into the fabric of the shirt, clutching it tightly, yet not enough to wrinkle it.
"There, there" Liu Xiao chuckled sympathetically as he worked on maneuvering them back into the nest. He flopped next to Li Tianxi with the omega resting on his chest "It'll all work out in the end"
"How can you know?"
Liu Xiao smirked, corners of his lips barely rised though.
"I just know"