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“I’m fairly certain this was not in my job description.”
The joke was a soft murmur to only himself, a pityable attempt to calm his own nerves. Anxiety was thrumming so loudly in Gao Tu’s ears it muffled the rest of the world. The Secretary was actively rummaging through his boss's closet. The goal was to find a comfortable set of pajamas for the aforementioned alpha, however the sheer size of the closet, along with the volume of clothes it contained made the task impossibly difficult.
A whine cut through the anxious rumbling in his ears, causing Gau Tu to whip around. Shen Wenlang seemed to be stirring awake where he lay on his large bed. Gao Tu saw the alpha's dark eyes pry open by a fraction, still foggy, yet clearly searching for something. The man was still obviously drugged. Gao Tu bit his lip, wondering how this could have happened.
***
It had been a standard dinner party. A pharmaceutical firm that often collaborated with the HS Group had just launched a new clinical branch. One that was meant to implement revolutionized methods of accepting and assisting patients. Spokespeople, representatives and CEO’s from all sorts of research facilities and hospitals had come to the event, interested to see the effects of the new clinic. Shen Wenlang had obviously been invited, and per usual had brought Gao Tu as his plus one.
Gao Tu had been glued to Shen Wenlang for the first part of the evening, eating and chatting with him and the group of people they usually gravitated towards at these sorts of events. Though as the buffet portion of the evening came to a close, Shen Wenlang drifted off with a group of other high-tier alphas. Gao Tu was no stranger to this, it was inevitable at most of these types of events. So he busied himself, chatting amongst other secretaries and plus ones that had been left to mingle. Gao Tu had always been popular amongst the Omega secretaries at these events. He supposed it was because of his true nature that they accepted him so easily.
Gao Tu had been chatting with a pretty, young omega when he spotted a figure that looked suspiciously like Hua Yong behind her, sauntering towards the patio he knew Shen Wenlang resided on. The figure was quick to slip out onto the patio before Gao Tu could take a proper look, but the thought left him faintly ill with jealousy. Why would Hua Yong be here? For Shen Wenlang obviously. The idea of another Omega entertaining the object of his affection while Gao Tu had been left to act as all the other secretaries sat uncomfortably in Gao Tu’s stomach, and he found himself excusing himself from the conversation to wander over to the open bar. He had stood at the bar, wondering vaguely if there was any drink that would make him feel less pathetic when a fight broke a few stools down. Some lower-ranked alphas had got in a spat, nothing physical but their pheromones had settled like a blanket over the bar. The effect was not nearly as that of Shen Wenlang’s pheromones, but it still had Gao Tu white-knuckling the counter and feeling ill.
The alphas had been quickly separated, and Gao Tu felt a comforting hand on his back. When he looked up he came face-to-face with a stranger. A Beta, handsome. Not nearly as handsome as Shen Wenlang, but notably more handsome than Gao Tu. The Beta gave a charming simper as his hand continued its path up and down Gao Tu’s back.
“Are you alright?” The other man asked, his voice deeper than the average Beta’s. Gao Tu straightened himself up, shaking the Beta’s hand off of him in the process.
“Yes, thank you.” Gau Tu smiled politely. “I think something I’d eaten just didn’t sit well with me, but it’s passed now.”
“Ah, that’s good to hear.” The Beta empathized, “Have something to drink, it should help settle your stomach.” With that the Beta offered Gao Tu the drink in his hand. Though Gao Tu wasn’t completely sure what the foggy liquid in the glass was, he was pretty sure it was alcohol.
“Ah, no, thank you,” Gao Tu denied with a shake of his head. “I really shouldn’t drink.”
“Please,” The Beta coaxed, pushing the drink into Gao Tu’s hands. “You haven’t had anything to drink the entire night, you need to have some fun!” Before Gao Tu could dwell on how the Beta knew what he had or hadn’t drunk, a firm hand pried the glass from Gao Tu’s fingers. Gao Tu belatedly sensed the suppressed scent of irises and the domineering presence.
“He’s not feeling well, he shouldn’t be drinking.” Shen Wenlang’s tone was final, harsh. In a way Gao Tu never heard directed at himself. Shen Wenlang was notorious for losing his temper, raising his voice and snapping at people around him, but Gao Tu had never heard it like this. He glanced back at the S-Class alpha and was hit with a wave of unease. Shen Wenlang was glaring past Gao Tu, at the Beta, with narrowed eyes. His jaw was set and ticking, before he brought the glass to his lips. “I’ll take the drink on his behalf.”
The Beta’s eyes widened considerably before he removed himself from the situation. Gao Tu hardly noticed, his wide eyes staring at Shen Wenlang with poorly veiled curiosity. Shen Wenlang's eyes shifted from the retreating Beta to Gao Tu. The Alpha froze momentarily under the gaze of his secretary, both men seemed to be searching the other for an answer to questions they were too scared to ask out loud.
Then Wenlang lost his balance.
The whole world seemed to spin as he fell to the side. The sudden motion snapped Gao Tu out of his state of wonder. He rushed forwards to catch and support the Alpha. Shen Wenlang lent on him while Gao Tu took the glass from his hand. Gao tu noted, with a sickening twist in his stomach, some salt like residue in the glass. At the same moment, Shen Wenlang's pheromones began to seep through his suppressant patch, the spicy headiness of pre-rut entwining with the usual iris scent. The smell settled in Gao Tu’s nose in a way that made him acutely aware of the upcoming problem. Simultaneously he led Shen Wenlang out of the venue, while dialing his driver.
The driver and guards had left Gao Tu and their boss at Shen Wenlang’s residence, none of them willing to come in and help with the Alpha. Shen Wenlang was known for his short temper on good days, but the entire staff knew to steer clear of the man when a rut was approaching.
So Gao Tu led a groggy (and frankly whiney) Shen Wenlang up the stairs and into his bedroom alone. Discarding the Alpha on the bed was a task in itself, as Shen Wenlang seemed determined to bring the secretary down with him. Gao Tu found himself crushed half-under the Alpha when he finally toppled into the bed. He wriggled himself out from under his boss, allowing the Alpha to settle fully on his stomach, half his face smushed into the soft sheets before huffing contently. Gao Tu had to bite his lip to stop from smiling at the way Shen Wenlang’s nose scrunched when he dozed off.
Gao Tu wasn’t exactly sure how to appropriately change his boss into a set of more comfortable clothes when Shen Wenlang was like this, but he did know that if it were him, he’d hate to have to go through his heat in business attire.
Now, Shen Wenlang’s sleepy gaze seemed to pin him in place where he had been rummaging in the closet (that was the same size as Gao Tu’s living space, mind you).
“Come here.” The Alpha demanded, his voice uncharacteristically whiny.
“I’m trying to find your pajamas,” Gao Tu soothed, earning a huff from the Alpha. “It can’t be comfortable to sleep in those clothes.” Shen Wenlang let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like a whine, before conceding the location of the pajama drawer.
The sets that resided there were mostly all the same. Black, silk, button-downs and loose, matching pants. Shoved towards the back of the drawer, Gao Tu was able to find a larger, cotton button down paired with striped, breathable bottoms. Both which smelled as if someone had tried to wash the scent of rut out of them. Content with his find, Gao Tu brought the pajamas back to Shen Wenlang, whose dark eyes had been following him the whole way.
Despite being awake, Wenlang still had to be pulled up into a sitting position by Gao Tu. The secretary watched as his bosses usually deft fingers fumbled with his clothing, before huffing frustratedly.
“Help.” Shen Wenlang demanded childishly, and Gao Tu had to duck his head to hide his flustered expression. He quickly helped get the tie off of Shen Wenlang, and his fingers skirted down the dress vests and dress shirts. Goa Tu forced himself to ignore the tense muscles that his knuckles ran across as he undid the buttons. When he reached the clasp to the dress pants, a large hand caught his smaller one and held it still with ease.
“I can do this one.” Shen Wenlang muttered, sounding a lot more himself than he had the rest of the evening. Gao Tu looked up at him, momentarily stunned and flushed, before nodding quickly and excusing himself. Shen Wenlang’s pheromones were getting impossible to ignore, hanging heavy in the air. Gao Tu ducked into the bathroom with his bag, vaguely wondering how long he’d last before his own instincts took over. With shaking hands he pulled his inhaler out and gasped in the suppressant that gave him momentary peace from the heat from his own throbbing gland. The clarity gave him the time to search his bag for his emergency injected suppressant and administering it. It was by far the strongest suppressant his body could handle, and he knew it would be necessary to get through this night if he didn’t want to pounce on the Alpha. Goa Tu had hardly stored the needle away before the bark from the Alpha reached his ears.
Back in the bedroom Shen Wenlang was sat on the bed, clothes from the party askew on the ground and the pajamas mostly on his body. The pants were fully on, though the button was undone, and the shirt seemed to have gotten caught on Wenlang’s broad shoulders. Gao Tu didn’t need a verbal command to understand what those glaring eyes wanted. With a fond sigh he hurried over to the tangled Alpha, helping orientate the sleep-heavy limbs so that he could pull the shirt on. Just as quickly as he had unbuttoned Wenlang’s now-discarded clothing, he fastened the buttons of the sleep-shirt. Gao Tu faltered when it came to the pant button, but under Shen Wenlang’s demanding gaze he dared not defy his boss. It was hard to ignore the contrasting feeling of Shen Wenlang's soft skin and coarse happy trail that Gao Tu brushed against as he fastened the button. Harder yet to ignore the soft sound Wenlang made when Gao Tu brushed against him.
“Gao Tu…” Wenlang breathed. The disguised omega looked up at his boss with wide, bunny-like eyes. Shen Wenlang was far gone, he could tell by the way his usually sharp and acute eyes had softened as they regarded him. Something akin to fondness reflected so clearly in the Alpha’s eyes in a way Gao Tu hadn’t seen since they had been in school. Shen Wenlang’s fingers trailed up Gao Tu’s arm, more gentle than the secretary could have fathomed. It was as if the Alpha thought he would run if he wasn’t careful. Then, those fingers ran up towards Gao Tu’s throat. He made no move to stop them, complying as Shen Wenlang pulled Goa Tu up towards himself.
Before the Omega could even process what was happening, Shen Wenlang had his nose pressed towards the nape of Gao Tu’s neck. Gao Tu had practically fallen into the larger man's arms, lying pliantly against him as Shen Wenlang nuzzled against his secretary. Belatedly, Gao Tu realized that the Alpha was nosing near his pheromone-drenched suppressant patch that he had forgotten to replace. Before Gao Tu could react or pry himself away, he felt Shen Wenlang breathe a heavy sigh against his neck.
“Smells so good.” The happy rumble from Shen Wenlang had goosebumps rising on Gao Tu’s skin. He couldn't help the satisfied sense of pride that washed over him, preening slightly under the Alpha’s touch. He knew, in the back of his mind, that it was the drugs talking. Sober Wenlang would never have such a positive response to the omega’s pheromones. But for the moment, he allowed himself a little bit of delusion. Finding comfort in a scenario he knew he could never really have.
He should be disgusted with himself, the logical part of Gao Tu’s mind whispered. He was taking advantage of a drugged man. A man who had only been drugged because of Gao Tu. And here Gao Tu was reaping the benefits. But he couldn't find it in himself to protest or try to right the situation. The pheromones Wenlang was releasing had Gao Tu’s head foggy. Even with the suppressants, the rut-induced pheromones itched at Gao Tu’s brain, heavy and alluring in their own way. And the way he was hit with wave after rolling wave of clearly pleased pheromones every time he complied to whatever the Alpha wanted left Gao Tu boneless, agreeable to be moved as Wenlang pleased, only to restart the cycle.
That was how Gao Tu found himself tucked into bed, nestled under the Alpha’s chin. Wenlang was hardly conscious, stuck in a dozed state that didn’t quite allow him rest but at least provided him comfort. Despite the dress attire Gao Tu had never changed out of chaffing against his skin, Gao Tu found himself immensely comfy in the arms of the Alpha. The constant heat that rolled off Wenlang, mixed with his content pheromones and the near-purring that was coming from the depth of his chest, left Gao Tu at ease enough to fall asleep.
It was much later in the night when Gao Tu was awoken by the Alpha. It seemed that Wenlang had been hit with another wave of the drug-induced rut. The awakening wasn’t crude or rough, Gao Tu woke to sluggish hands curiously running along his body and warm kisses pressed wherever the Alpha could reach. Gao Tu bathed in the soft attention as he came to, still half-asleep and the memories from the evening not yet returning.
Memories and a panic hit him like a freight train when those same clumsy hands began to fumble with his buttons. Gao Tu lurched up and out of Wenlang's grasp, scrambling away from the Alpha. An injured keen sounded from Wenlang at the rejection, and guilt stung at Gao Tu’s conscience. When he looked at his old friend, the guilt hit him even harder. It was obvious Wenlang wasn’t aware of what he was doing. His eyes were unfocused, sweat was running down his face and even from the distance Gao Tu had put between them, he could feel the feverish heat coming off of Wenlang. Lead-like arms reached towards him, and Gao Tu pulled himself further away, slipping out of the bed. He ignored whimpers from the Alpha as he headed to the bathroom, searching for a basin and towel.
By the time Gao Tu returned to the bedroom, Shen Wenlang was tossing in the bed restlessly. Between heavy panting and soft whines the omega could make out his own name, a mantra on the Alpha’s lips.
“Tutu.. Tututu…” It was a nickname Gao Tu hadn’t heard in years, not since they had become adults. Shen Wenlang’s unfocused gaze landed on Gao Tu as he approached, eyes wet and face flinching in pain as the rut seemed to momentarily grow stronger. “Tutu… Bunny… don’t leave. I won’t-” Wenlang cut himself off with a pained whimper. “I won’t do anything you don’t like. Just- don’t leave me.” Wenlang’s voice was broken from exhaustion. His entire body relaxed when Gao Tu was within reach once more. Gao Tu sat himself on the edge of the bed and began wiping Wenlang’s face with the damp cloth. Shen Wenlang’s hand rested on Gao Tu’s thigh, and finally he seemed to drift into slumber as Gao Tu washed his body with the cool cloth. The Omega was mildly concerned with the Alpha’s behaviour. An S-Class Alpha in rut would usually be domineering, aggressive, and consumed by an urge to fuck. That wasn’t how Shen Wenlang had been acting at all, rather he was acting almost as if he were in heat. The effect of the drugs had Wenlang searching for comfort, aside from the earlier attempt to remove Gao Tu’s clothes, but even that had not been nearly as aggressive as expected from an S-Class.
Gao Tu laid the damp cloth on Shen Wenlang’s forehead and rose to return the basin to the bathroom. Shen Wenlang, though still fast asleep, let out a disgruntled huff when Gao Tu brushed him away, the Alpha stirring as if the broken contact from the Omega was causing him some sort of discomfort. Gao Tu sank to the floor, lying the basin down beside him as he allowed Wenlang to grasp his hand in his sleep. Gao Tu situated himself so he could at least lean against the bed, watching carefully as the Alpha settled once more.
The omega found himself gazing at Wenlang’s features, softened by slumber. Dark lashes that brushed against sharp cheekbones, and brows that had relaxed from their typical scowl. It was no secret that Wenlang was a handsome man, Gao Tu had always been aware of the fact. But he had never seen the Alpha look so soft… So domestic. Gao Tu had always liked to be reliable, he thrived one knowing that Shen Wenlang needed him. Always had, even when they were back in school. But as he sat and let his thoughts wander, he became acutely aware of how much he liked being the only one there for Wenlang that night. He liked how Wenlang had allowed Gao Tu to guide him like he trusted the secretary would not steer him wrong. Gao Tu liked that he had trusted him to pick out pajamas and then dress him, he liked that the Alpha found comfort in his scent and presence even if he didn’t consciously realise that’s what it was. The Omega refused to allow himself to dwell on how much he loved the way the Alpha had called for him, called his name. Even while in pain, experiencing the effects of a drug-induced rut and delirious, the Alpha had called for him, for Gao Tu. Even when out of his mind he knew to rely on Gao Tu. The thought made Gao Tu unreasonably giddy. He leaned his head against the bed, hand still clasped in Shen Wenlang's as he allowed sleep to tug his eyelids closed.
***
It was a low groan that woke Gao Tu up. He found himself squinting as soon as his eyes opened, the room bathed in bright, morning light. When his eyes adjusted, his focus shifted to the Alpha, who was clutching at his forehead and grinding his teeth as if in severe pain. Gao Tu gasped and scrambled to check on the Alpha. He found himself hovering over Wenlang as he fretted, not quite sure how to relieve the Alpha’s pain. After a moment, Wenlang squinted his eyes open and his lip pulled up as if in disdain.
“You didn’t think to close the blinds last night?” Wenlang griped. Gao Tu found himself relieved that the Alpha seemed to be back in his right state of mind. The smell of rut was no longer seeping from him, though it still lingered in the air.
“No, I’m sorry sir, it was-” Wenlang cut him off with another low groan.
“Painkillers are in the left-most cabinet in the bathroom.” Gao Tu took only a moment to process the meaning of the words before scrambling to fetch the pills.
By the time he returned, Wenlang was sitting up in bed, the covers pushed off of himself. Now in the bright morning light, Gao Tu could appreciate the way the soft cotton draped gently from Shen Wenlang’s broad figure, highlighting the contrast between his muscular upper-body and slimmer waist. Wenlang’s eyes snapped to where Gao Tu stood, and he found himself missing their wide, gentle look from the night before.
“You couldn’t have changed into something else to sleep in?” Wenlang groused as he took the pills from Gao Tu, who blushed faintly under his scrutinizing gaze.
“I didn’t bring anything to sleep in, this wasn’t exactly planned-”
“You could have at least taken off your jacket, it couldn’t have been comfortable.” It hadn’t been, but Gao Tu didn’t have the courage to bring up how velcro-like Wenlang had been the night before, making it difficult to do much of anything for himself. Wenlang seemed to read something in Gao Tu’s expression, and though it made him huff, he said nothing else. Instead he stood up and walked past Gao Tu, into the large closet. He came back out holding a lounge set that he pushed into Gao Tu’s hands.
“Change into this.” Wenlang ordered.
“Sir- I can’t- I-”
“I’ll send your suit to the drycleaners with mine, it will be back by this afternoon.” Shen Wenlang’s tone left no room for argument, so Gao Tu murmured his thanks and ducked into the bathroom. It wasn’t as if he had any other plans for his Saturday that he could use as an excuse to leave.
As he changed into the silk set, he became acutely aware that the loungewear most likely cost more than his well-worn suit. It was gentle against his skin in a way that nothing he owned would ever be. The fabric also carried the scent of Lilacs, buried under laundry detergent. Gao Tu breathed through the fabric for a moment, trying to take in the calm and domestic pheromones. Even after a full night, Gao Tu found himself clinging to the scent. It was so different from the commanding pheromones the Alpha gave off at work. In the mirror, Gao Tu couldn’t help but find his reflection almost laughable. He looked so out of place in the fine silk. The clothes made the size difference between him and Wenlang ever so apparent. The clothes were obviously too big, hanging loosely from Gao Tu’s frame. Even fully buttoned, the v-neck of the top cut low, exposing Gao Tu’s sharp collarbones. The Omega decided not to dwell on it. Instead he rummaged through the bag he had left in the bathroom the night before, replacing his pheromone patch. The injection was still working, so that no new pheromones were leaking, but he’d rather be safe.
When Gao Tu stepped back into the bedroom, the Alpha was gone and the windows had been opened. The room had been aired out, to the Omega’s relief.
Gao Tu found Shen Wenlang in the kitchen, one hand holding a phone up to his ear while the other held a tin of his favourite tea. Gao Tu gently took the tin from the Alpha as he barked orders to whoever was on the other line, and went to put the kettle on. By the time Wenlang was off the phone, the tea was already steeping.
“None of my staff are on the property.” Wenlang huffed, coming to stand closer to Gao Tu, who hummed his acknowledgement.
“Yes, they were all eager to get out of your way last night.” Gao Tun agreed.
“What happened to me?” Wenlang asked, sharp eyes flashing like they knew he had been wronged.
“You were drugged,” Gao Tu admitted as he handed a cup of the tea over to Wenlang. “I’m not sure what it was, it induced a sort of warped rut. You were mostly just sleepy. I’ll send a report of it to your doctor later.” Wenlang hummed around the tea, then perked up as if he had remembered something.
“Record a copy for a… researcher friend of mine as well.” Wenlang instructed, handing over his phone after opening it to a chat with a person labeled ‘Lunatic’, though Gao Tu chose to ignore the distasteful name. “Just tell him what happened last night, don’t leave out any details. He might find it interesting for his research.” Gao Tu stared at the phone for a moment, before shaking his head.
“Maybe later, let me figure out breakfast first.”
“Why not? Gao Tu wha-” Wenlang's brief agitation melted into suspicion as he eyed the Omega’s reddening cheeks. “Did I do something?”
“No!” Gao Tu denied quickly, then added, “Not really. I’ll just… later.”
With that he began searching the kitchen. The rice cooker seemed to have been set by the chef the night before, so Gao Tu found himself rummaging through the fridge and pantry for something to go with it. Wenlang trailed behind Gao Tu, never more than a step away, not unlike the way he used to back in school when Gao Tu worked jobs that allowed for it. Wenlang prattled aimlessly, on occasion sending a jab Gao Tu’s way to try to garner a response from the Omega, only receiving a small smile at most in acknowledgment. It had been a long while since the two had interacted in such a way, and Gao Tu found he had missed Wenlang’s tactlessly roundabout way of getting the attention he wanted. When Gao Tu had found his ingredients and settled at the counter to assemble the bowls, Wenlang hooked his chin over Gao Tu’s shoulder to watch what he was doing while he was still talking. His incesscence earned a laugh from Gao Tu, which Wenlang delighted in.
Soon, the two settled on the sofa, bowls in hand as Wenlang scrolled through channels.
“Do you remember that show we used to binge in university?” Wenlang asked and Gao Tu hummed his confirmation. In honesty, he didn’t really. On the days the two of them used to laze around Wenlang’s apartment, watching TV or scrolling on their phones, Gao Tu often found himself drifting to sleep, it being some of his only downtime between school and work. Wenlang never seemed to mind, understanding the Omega needed rest and just happy to have him around. Gao Tu on the other hand always found he slept better in those years when the Alpha was within reach.
The show he did vaguely remember just because Wenlang loved it so much. It was a romantic comedy, with poor acting and even poorer writing. It was riddled with plot-holes and cringey moments, but Wenlang always got terribly invested. Gao Tu, though not remotely as big a fan of the show, found it charming how much Wenlang liked it, no matter how out of character it was to him.
“They’re still airing episodes!” Wenlang announced excitedly, and Gao Tu couldn’t contain his amused huff. Wenlang began giving a poor recap of the show in the last few years, and Gao Tu found himself more content than he had been in years, absorbed in Shen Wenlang’s presence.