Work Text:
It was a peaceful day in Sheng Shao You's household. The alpha and his enigma were enjoying a rare day off, one where they could both afford to do nothing. They settled in comfortably, with Sheng Shao You sitting on the couch, Hua Yong’s head resting in his lap, as gentle fingers went through soft, beautiful hair.
The peace was disrupted when one of the staff approached and informed them that an omega named Gao Tu was here to see them.
Sheng Shao You blinked. It was a surprising event; Gao Tu was an omega of impeccable manners, far too polite to arrive anywhere without days of prior notice. Sheng Shao You ignored Hua Yong’s grumbling, nudged him to sit up, and signaled the staff to bring the omega in.
Gao Tu bowed slightly upon seeing them. “Hello, Mr. Sheng, Mr. Hua. I hope you’ll forgive my intrusion.”
Hua Yong didn’t say anything, likely because he had no intention of forgiving anyone who interrupted his time with his alpha, but Sheng Shao You smiled kindly. “We’re happy to have you here, Secretary Gao. Please, sit down. Tea will be ready in a minute.”
“There’s no need for that, Mr. Sheng” Gao Tu said quickly, sitting down. “I don’t want to take up much of your time. I’m just here to discuss what happened yesterday.”
There was a pause, short, but noticeable. Sheng Shao You immediately looked more alert. “Secretary Gao, I assure you, I had no intention of hurting Shen Wen Lang.”
“I know, Mr. Sheng. And knowing my mate, I’m sure the fight was more his fault than yours. What I want to discuss is what happened between him and Mr. Hua.”
Sheng Shao You turned to Hua Yong with confusion, and seeing how he tried to avoid the alpha’s gaze, Sheng Shao You instantly knew, it had to be bad. “And what exactly happened between them?”
Gao Tu took a deep breath, steadying himself. “Mr. Hua was very upset about you getting hurt and decided the appropriate response was pushing Wen Lang out of a window.”
The whole room fell into absolute silence for one second “HE DID WHAT?”
Sensing the danger, Hua Yong finally spoke up. “It was just a warning. I didn’t let him get hurt.” The glare he received from Shao You made it clear: silence would have served him far better.
“Mr. Hua” Gao Tu said, voice shaking slightly, “I understand being protective of your mate, and I do apologize for what Wen Lang did. But I must ask that you refrain from going to such extremes next time. Pushing my mate out of a window, putting his life in danger...” His voice cracked on the last word, and the faint scent of burnt sage began to fill the room.
Sheng Shao You, who had been glaring daggers at Hua Yong the entire time -daring him to say another word- was beside Gao Tu in an instant. The alpha gently took the omega’s hand in his own and began releasing calming pheromones.
Hua Yong was livid. How dare anyone benefit from the lovely pheromones of his alpha? But he gritted his teeth and said nothing. He knew better than anyone that Shao You would stand up for any omega in distress, even if it meant fighting his own mate. In fact, Hua Yong’s whole plan to trick Shao You into falling for him was based on this very trait.
Ignoring his mate’s silent suffering, Shao You continued to release gentle waves of soothing pheromones. “Gao Tu, please calm down. I’ll be more careful not to ruffle Shen Wen Lang’s feathers again. And I promise you, Hua Yong will never pull something like that again.” He shot a very pointed look at his mate while saying the last sentence.
Hua Yong knew very well that he was on thin ice and didn’t waste a second before bowing slightly. “You have my word, Secretary Gao.”
Who would’ve known Sheng Shao You would be the great Enigma’s kryptonite? ( Hua Yong knew. He’d known this man would be his fucking downfall from the moment they met.)
It was past 8 p.m. when Gao Tu returned home. He only had to knock once before he was greeted by Shen Wen Lang’s smile as he opened the door. That smile vanished quickly, though, once he got a whiff of Gao Tu.
“Why do you smell like that fucker Sheng Shao You?”
Gao Tu walked past him without a glance. “I was at their home, discussing what happened between you and Mr. Hua.”
“And what, he fucking scented you?”
“I was distressed,” Gao Tu answered coolly, unfazed by Shen Wen Lang’s anger “And Mr. Sheng was kind enough to help me calm down.”
Shen Wen Lang looked at Gao Tu like he couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth “HE HAD NO RIGHT TO DO THAT!”
Finally, Gao Tu turned to look at him, jaw set and eyes cold. “Do what? Help me compose myself when my own mate puts me through panic and stress?” he turned his back to Shen Wen Lang, taking off his shirt “He’s too much of a gentleman not to.”
Shen Wen Lang tried to come up with an answer to THAT, feeling guilty because he could smell the very faint smell of anxiety under that fucker's pheromone, but was cut off as Gao Tu began changing into his pajamas.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m very tired, Wen Lang. I want to sleep early.”
“Without taking a shower? Are you kidding me? You smell like him !”
Gao Tu stared into his mate’s eyes for a few seconds, then calmly picked up his pillow and the spare blanket. “If it bothers you, I can sleep on the sofa.”
But before he could take one step out of the bedroom, Shen Wen Lang wrapped his arms around him from behind, holding him in place.
“No need, no need. You take the bed. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
The sofa in question was a custom piece, beautiful, one-of-a-kind, and quite possibly the most uncomfortable thing anyone could sit on, let alone sleep on. Gao Tu made no effort to object to Shen Wen Lang’s decision.
Around midnight, a message woke Gao Tu. He sat up, turned on the lamp beside the bed, and put on his glasses.
It was a text from Hua Yong. Attached was a picture of him in pink silk pajamas, lying on a couch that looked even more luxurious and more uncomfortable than the one in Gao Tu and Wen Lang’s home. Beneath the photo were only two words:
Well played.