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The first thing he noticed was those pointy but fluffy black cat ears darting nervously around the room. He tried hiding them with his locs draped over them, but they were too cute not to notice. Jamal was in awe immediately. He didn’t remember them existing when they were young; his friend’s dog ears, for example, were always a topic of conversation even in the academy, but Michael’s? He couldn’t think of a time someone pointed them out.
But now, now they were more apparent than anything, as he stood in the middle of the room and shyly introduced himself to the team. The younger was already aware of the fact that the other was an omega. For what it was worth, he never cared about such things. As a beta, he was pretty much out of the loop. He could understand neither side properly, and he was always completely fine with it. It was beneficial for him in the sense that he couldn’t get distracted that easily. His instincts were pretty much to have none. Sure, if there was someone with a nice scent, he’d look into it, but he never went as crazy for someone because of it.
But Michael was a little different from the start. First it was his ears. He quickly became obsessed with them. The way they twitched when he got nervous, the way he tried to hide them, and the way he got shy the moment Jamal mentioned them. “Your ears are very cool.” It was shamefully one of the first things he said to him, but he couldn’t help the words tumbling out of his mouth. The other just smiled a little crookedly, tilting his head to the side and scratching the back of his neck. “Thanks”, he mumbled, before looking away. Before the younger could say even more stupid shit, he was interrupted by a very enthusiastic Müller, welcoming the new player.
Even if the German boy was far from the most extroverted person ever, he felt compelled to be that when it came to Michael. He was introverted as fuck in the beginning, only slowly getting used to everyone on the team, and the German boy found himself thinking he could get him to open up. So he stuck to his side for the first few days, not obnoxiously so, but showing up whenever they had duo-exercises and talking to him occasionally during water breaks.
“Phonzy and I are playing FIFA later, you in?”, he questions after he felt like the other would be comfortable enough with him to agree. Michael’s ears twitch slightly as he turned his head away from him. “I guess yeah”, he agrees after a few more moments. The younger smiled satisfied. “Perfect. I’ll text you my address.” Clasping a hand to his shoulder for a moment, before he dropped his water bottle and made his way back on the field. “Michael is joining us”, he happily informed Alphonso when he stopped by his side. “Huh? Really?” He sounds surprised. Understandably so. “Yeah, really”, he confirms swiftly, smiling so bright one might think he was competing with the sun. “Nice.”
In comparison to Alphonso, Michael was actually on time. A beanie drawn over his head, covering the fluffy ears Jamal adored so much. There was a little disappointment that was quickly covered up with the excitement he felt having him over at his place. He let him in, leading him back to his living room. With drinks and some light snacks, he had already prepared for the evening. “Did you furnish all this?”, the older questions as he slumps down on the couch. Jamal looks around the room. “No, my mum helped me”, he explained when he realized he, in fact, did not pick a single thing in this room. “Figured”, he commented, and the German boy decided not to ask what he meant by that, because he could imagine.
When Alphonso finally showed up, they made themselves comfortable on the couch before playing what felt like only a few rounds but ended up being the whole evening. Michael was mostly quiet at first, letting the oldest do most of the talking, before he slowly caught their vibe and joined in on the banter and jokes. “That’s what you get for trying to shit-talk me innit”, he grins triumphantly as he scored on Jamal a second time. “You equalized, dumbass”, he reminds him swiftly. “Ah wesh, let you score to make defeat even sweeter.” And he meant it. Scoring just a few seconds later and snatching victory from the younger. “He even told you that’s tough”, Phonzy chuckles as he grabs Jamal’s controller to start the next round.
It just felt natural; everything about it felt just right.
After that day, Michael seemed a lot more comfortable around him. He was talking more in training, and he gravitated towards him the same way Jamal did before. And the best thing about it, Michael’s fluffy ears started to twitch happily when he was around him. No one else seemed to notice, but the German boy for sure did. He was obsessed with the thought that it was his doing, that he was the reason for it - the reason for the older boy’s happiness.
Jamal was leaning against his side, his forearm propped on his shoulder as they watched from the sidelines. It was five against five, and they were waiting for their turn. “Have you read that article Phonzy sent us yesterday?”, the younger asks, casually starting a conversation. The other didn’t react in the group chat, so he wasn’t sure if he saw it. “Yeah”, he confirms. Jamal grins, turning his head to be able to look at him. He was purposefully looking at the pitch in front of them, wavering just enough for him to notice. “They were glazing you Miks.”
He hums, trying to play it off. “But being fair, they’re not wrong.” And that’s when he fails. His black ears twitch happily, not able to control himself. Jamal doesn’t point it out. He just likes teasing the other to see it, feeding an addiction that wasn’t feasible, but tempting enough to be unable not to fall victim to it. “You were our best player on Saturday though”, he deflects, still not looking at him. It was the younger boy’s time to freeze, his own ears betraying him just as bad at the words. “Bro, you killed it, don’t doubt it”, he says, trying to play it just as cool. Michael looked at him through his peripheral vision before humming. “Not doubting myself”, he clarifies.
After hanging out as a trio a few times, Jamal finally wills himself to ask the older to meet up just the two. Michael agrees without hesitation. That’s how they ended up sitting on opposite sides of the living room coffee table, with the younger sitting criss-cross on the floor, while playing chess. The plan was FIFA, but they somehow ended up like this after the Frenchman found the chessboard in one of his cupboards. “Mate, you be losing”, the younger states. He’s been waiting for the other to make his move for what felt like at least half an hour. He was still trying to figure out a way to win this, even if it was made clear that whatever he chose to do would lead to his defeat eventually. “Shush, I’m thinking”, he mumbles, seemingly concentrating.
“Thinking about losing?”, he teases, receiving a glare from the other, before he focuses back on the board. Jamal chuckles, but moves to get up. “I’m getting myself a soda, want one?” The older hums and gives him a thumbs up. So he scrambles to his feet and languidly makes his way into the kitchen. Getting two sugar-free sodas from the fridge before coming back. He stagnates for a moment when he comes back into the room. An unusual, subtle hint of something like vanilla and strawberry. “Do you smell that?”, he questions Michael, who was still staring at the board like it personally offended him.
He lets out a confused hum before looking up and meeting his friend’s eyes, his eyebrows drawn together slightly. “What?” The younger shrugs undignified, stepping further into the room. The smell wasn’t strong; it was just a hint of something he had never smelled before, which was weird, in his own home. It got just a tad heavier when he got closer to the Frenchman. “Vanilla and strawberry”, he clarifies, setting the two bottles onto the coffee table next to the still unresolved board.
There was a moment in which he seemed confused about the words, before he suddenly looked a little panicked, a hand flying up to his neck. Jamal frowns at the reaction. “What?”, it was his time to question. Immediately, the older boy’s ears start to twitch anxiously. “I forgot to change my blockers”, he murmurs, more to himself than to the other, but it was rather helpful in making it click for him. “Wait. That’s your scent? Vanilla and strawberry?” He was surprised, not in a bad way, but it didn’t feel very fitting. The scent was sweet, like really sweet, and it just didn’t make sense for the other boy’s vibe.
Michael looked up at the younger with an expression that was unreadable. “Shut up”, he went into defense. Jamal figured quickly that he wasn’t fond of his own scent, probably with the same train of thought he himself went down just moments ago. He shakes his head. “I’m not making fun of you. It’s warm and comforting; it’s nice”, he sums up, direct and honest. The other looks at him with suspicious eyes. There was a realization from the German boy that he would rather not have had, so he decides to ignore it for the moment. “I probably should go home and change them”, he mumbles after a few more moments of silence.
“I mean, I don’t care about it and I know it already, so no need from my side.” Jamal wanted to reassure him. He wanted the other to be comfortable around him, to not feel like he needs to hide something, anything really. The younger wouldn’t make fun of anyone’s scent, for that matter. As a beta, he wasn’t necessarily immune, but he wasn’t as responsive to it as omegas and alphas - strawberry and vanilla was a good combination after all. Michael seems to hesitate, his hand still clasped over his scent glands. “You sure bro?”, he finds himself asking, very slowly, still obviously nervous. “Yeah, as I said, it’s nice”, the younger moves to confirm quickly.
There were a few moments of hesitation, but in the end, he removed the hand from his neck and sighed. “Okay, but don’t tell anybody.” He was being serious, so instead of making a joke, Jamal just nodded. “I won’t, I promise.” This discovery was his and his alone, and he would’ve never shared it with anyone else regardless. Knowing his scent felt intimate in a way he couldn’t quite describe, and the way he carefully pulled the transparent patch from his neck, since it had exceeded its purpose, was almost sensual. He wasn’t aware scent, or the implications of it, could cause him so much damage, but he was proven wrong so quickly it felt like backlash.
And if he bought a candle scented like strawberry and vanilla in the next few days? What if he lights that candle almost every day to get just a little fraction of what the real thing did to him? And what if he finds himself looking for some more things scented exactly like Michael? Yeah, so what if?
The discovery led Michael to be more comfortable being without his scent blockers when it was just Jamal. It was a slow process, but eventually, when the younger came around to his place, he left them off sometimes, making his own home smell so intensely like him. For the German boy, it felt a little like getting high whenever he stepped foot inside the house. Inhaling that sweet scent, like hitting a blunt.
Jamal was sprawled out all over his couch, head dangling from the edge as he sighed heavily. He’s been exhausted even before training, before that finished him off entirely, and now he was engulfed in what felt like a vanilla strawberry dream. But of course Michael wouldn’t let him rest. Kicking at his legs from beside the couch. “Stop pretending like you’re a dying princess, you ass”, he comments. “What if I am dying?” “Not in my house, that’s for sure. Get your lazy ass up”, he retorts immediately. The younger lifts his head to look at him with one eye open. Arms crossed in front of his chest. Unfortunately, it didn’t make him look scary at all, so much so that Jamal wasn’t sure if that’s what he was going for.
“At least make room mate”, he demands when the German boy didn’t move an inch. Before Jamal could answer with a dumb response, he just rolled his eyes, grabbed his legs to lift them up so he could sit down, before drawing them over his lap. One of his arms lazily draped over his legs. The younger could definitely get used to this. The Frenchman turned the TV on, selecting Netflix and clicking on Suits. Jamal grins. This was his doing. Something he didn’t even have to ask for; the other just did it, wordlessly. And somehow all of this felt oddly domestic.
It was just a few days after this when Michael came around to his place to play some chess. He arrived late and looked like a truck had run him over. “Woo, what happened to you bro?”, the younger asks when he opened the door. “Don’t even”, he grumbles, rubbing his eyes as he stepped in. Jamal chuckled, but didn’t prod further. He wouldn’t get an answer if the other didn’t want to give him an answer anyway. He was already close to falling asleep when he just as much as sat down. But he was seemingly trying to fight it, and for the German boy it was clear he didn’t want to talk about it at all. So he just observed the way his eyelids looked like they were heavy, how his blinking got slower and slower, and how his head dropped a few times when it was Jamal’s turn.
After two rounds, the younger excused himself to the toilet, and when he came back, he found his friend curled up, sleeping on the couch. He looked at him in awe. He looked so peaceful and cute. His ears peeked out from where he turned his face towards the couch. Jamal couldn’t bring himself to wake him, so he just got a blanket from his cabinet and carefully placed it over him. He couldn’t help himself when he let his hand thread through his locs and patted his hair after he tucked him in a little better. Dimming the bright overhead lights before sitting down next to him. Feeling obligated to watch over and protect him in this vulnerable state.
It took just a few moments before he heard something. It was like a low rumble at first, or like someone just started an engine in the distance. But when he listened closely, he realized it was coming from Michael. For a moment he sat confused, almost a little panicked, before it clicked: his friend was purring.
He vaguely knew why it happened, but he had never heard someone purr, and he wasn’t aware of the extent of it. He knew that omegas could purr when they felt extremely comfortable and happy, when they felt stressed and tried to self-soothe, or something about healing he never really understood. Whatever it was, the sound was addicting. It must mean he was comfortable, right? Because his scent showed no signs of distress, it was warm and intense. He was additionally aware that how much and when omegas purred differed from omega to omega, so he wasn’t sure what was true for the other. All he knew was that first he had never heard him purr before and second he wanted to hear it more often.
It felt special - but maybe the other purred around everyone and he just never noticed.
Whatever.
He lets him sleep, staying by his side. Hearing the gentle buzz and breathing in his sweet scent ended up lulling him to sleep too. He ended up waking up first the next morning, his limbs aching and heavy from the way he fell asleep half sitting on the couch. Everything cracked when he stood up, and he cursed himself for it. Michael was still sound asleep, cuddled up into the blanket, his limbs somehow everywhere around him. The younger grins and decides to let him sleep as long as he needed. He’d have to wake him for training eventually, but till then he didn’t see the need to do so. The older was so exhausted yesterday, Jamal felt like he needed that sleep. So he just patted his head and disappeared into the kitchen to get himself some cold water.
Michael didn’t mention anything when he got up. “Thanks for the blanket bro”, he says after he shuffles into the kitchen, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes. “No problem, seemed like you needed it.” The Frenchman hums and grabs a soda from the fridge like he was the one living here. Jamal smiles a little. “Hungry?”, he questions softly. “A little yes.” He slips into one of the barstools, partially tying his hair back, leaving a few locs out that perfectly framed his face. He looked so soft and cute. Different to how he usually presented himself. The younger boy liked this. Being allowed to see him like this - this unguarded.
“I’ll make breakfast”, he hummed, before he let himself be drawn into the beauty that was his friend. He couldn’t be caught staring like a creep. Not if he wanted to continue being his friend, and he definitely didn’t want to lose him. “Nice, thanks mate”, Michael smiled before stretching himself out a little to wear off the sleep that was still stuck in his bones. He truly looked like a cat when he did, his ears twitching sleepily, his face scrunched up slightly, as he stretched his limbs out. His hoodie lifted enough to expose a little of his bare stomach, laced with muscles. Jamal immediately turned away before he did or said something dumb.
The second time it happened was when they were on the bus back from an away game. Jamal snatched the seats in the back row for him and the Frenchman to relax for their drive. Michael said he was exhausted after the game, so the younger let him sit in the window seat so he could sleep easier. Handing him one of his earbuds so they could listen to their music together. The older took it wordlessly and popped it in his ear. He fell asleep pretty quickly after the bus started moving, but instead of leaning his head against the window, he rested it against Jamal’s shoulder. For a moment said one forgets how to breathe, which was immediately made worse by the other starting to purr once again.
He couldn’t smell his scent, but he was certain it was once again because he was happy and comfortable and not because he was stressed. His breath stalled, and he was wide awake in an instant, trying to act calm and collected, like this wasn’t happening at all. Like his locs weren’t falling over his shoulders. Like his body warmth wasn’t seeping through to him. Like his fluffy ears weren’t brushing against his neck whenever they drove over a hump or took a turn. Like the low thrum of his purring wasn’t following through his body like electricity.
Their music blasted in his ear as he tried calming himself down. His heart was beating way too fast, and he tried what he thought to be meditation to try and get it under control. So he spent the whole bus ride pretending to be totally normal about the situation. Michael woke up right in time for their arrival; his purring stops as he lifts his head from the other boy’s shoulder. He yawns, dragging his hands over his eyes before stretching his back. “We back yet?”, he questions, his voice rough from sleep. “Uh, soon, yeah”, the other replies dumbly at how casual this seemed for the older. Maybe he was indeed not special, and it was just that normal for the other. “Ah, nice.”
“You two awake?”, Phonzy suddenly interrupts their moment, turning around on his seat in front of them. “Yep, perfectly timed”, Michael grins, flinging back a loc from his face. The youngest just gives him a thumbs up and stops their Spotify playlist. Like coordinated, they both take out the earbuds, the German boy putting them back in the case, before slipping that into his bag. “You still coming around for chess later, yeah?”, Michael hums as he takes a look at his phone to check the time and look if there was anything urgent to respond to. “Chess? Yeah, yeah, course”, he mumbles, still distracted by the proximity the other seemingly deemed as normal. “Perfect.”
“No, I’m telling you, I didn’t do none. Just came home and water was everywhere on the ground floor”, Michael exclaimed over the phone, followed by a curse and some water splashing in the background. The younger didn’t want to laugh, but he couldn’t help a little chuckle coming out of his mouth. “It’s not funny, bro”, he whines in response. “Sorry, sorry”, he grins, lying back on his couch. “What are you going to do now?” Michael sighs on the other line. “I called someone already, but I won’t be able to stay here for now”, he explains.
“Found a place to stay yet?”, Jamal asks, reaching out for his freeze-dried strawberries. “No. Don’t want to bother Upa and his family, might need to get a hotel or sum.” There was an exasperated groan after he was done speaking, the realization of how much stress this was hitting him. “You could come stay at mine; I have enough space”, the younger was quick to suggest, like an overeager puppy trying to help, but tripping himself up instead. There was a moment of silence. “You sure? Don’t want to like bother you or anything.” He sounded a little hesitant, albeit Jamal didn’t know exactly why that was: didn’t he want to? Or maybe he just wanted to be polite.
“Yeah sure bro, I don’t mind”, he immediately confirms. “One less thing to worry about, truly thank you, Jam.” “I’m glad I can help.” And he was. He was glad he could help. But suddenly he realizes that he invited the guy he was into to stay at his house for however long it will take to fix whatever is wrong with his pipes. Yeah, great. Good idea. “I’ll be coming over as soon as everything is sorted here, yeah?” Jamal hummed nervously, trying to conceal his realization immediately. He couldn’t panic now.
It was just a few hours later when Michael stood in front of his door with a suitcase and a bag. He looked exhausted and done with everything, his fluffy ears dropped to the side, so the younger went into caring mode rather than teasing him about it. He could do that later on, after all. He led him to one of the guest rooms, leaving him be, so he could get comfortable there. Soon enough, the Frenchman joined him in the kitchen, though. “Do you have some like blankets or something?”, he questioned as he appeared in the doorframe. He was only wearing a tank top with sweatpants now, showing his tattoos and muscles quite nicely.
“Umm yeah probably, for what?” He was a little confused by the question. Not just because his ability to think suffered a blow from his looks, but also because he was pretty sure the bed was freshly made with blankets. But the other rolled his eyes like the answer should be obvious. “I don’t know, bro, to burn, what do you think?” But he was still not picking up what he was putting down. “Uhhh”, comes unintelligible out of his mouth. “For my nest, you idiot”, he explains. “Oh”, is the only thing Jamal had to say to that. Once again, he realized that he was not in the loop at all with this kind of stuff. Of course he was aware that it exists, but he isn’t usually confronted by it in that way. But he regains composure quickly, clearing his throat.
“Yeah, umm, yeah, let me get you some”, he smooths it out. Michael nods, already making his way back to his temporary room. The younger sets his cup of tea down to trail to the laundry room, where he suspects the fresh blankets are stored. Carrying a few of those back to the other, who already started arranging some of his stuff on the bed. “I’m being real here. I don’t know about this at all”, Jamal admits as he drops the blankets on the floor. The older hums. “I figured.” But he didn’t elaborate. “Will you explain, please? I want to understand.” While he usually didn’t really give a fuck, he wants to understand Michael; he wants to know everything about him.
“It’s really not that hard. We nest. It’s comforting. I don’t necessarily need it to sleep; I don’t do it at away games, but it helps significantly”, he hums while rearranging some parts, incorporating the new blankets to make it bigger. “That’s kinda cute”, Jamal brainlessly supplies, making the other snap towards him. “Don’t ever say that again, bro.” It was clear he was not identifying with the description. The younger laughs. “If it’s true…”, he starts, but he didn’t even get the chance to finish when a pillow was already flying into his face.
“Don’t even start”, he interrupts, while Jamal starts giggling. “Alright, alright, I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be making dinner soon, want some too?” He decides not to push it further, partly out of the fear of saying something even dumber than just calling nesting cute. “Yeah, haven’t eaten anything yet, should be doing that.” “I’ll get to it then. If you need anything else, you know where to find me”, he smiles, turning to leave. “Thanks, bro.” It sounded like he meant it. So the German boy smiles as he leaves the room.
He cooked, and they ate together, before transferring to the couch and watching a movie that was recommended by someone in training today. Michael fell asleep about halfway through, wrapped in a fluffy blanket, practically only his ears sticking out. He was purring again. The low rumble, even if faint under the blanket, still managed to take over the whole room. Even if the older didn’t want to hear it, he was cute, definitely so. And as his scent blocker from training wore off, the room started to fill with his sweet scent again.
Jamal could get used to that, and that was the issue.
When the older woke up, peeking out from under his blanket, he looked absolutely disheveled. The German boy held off from making a joke, fearing he would never fall asleep next to him if he did that. “Sorry, didn’t plan on sleeping. I’m just so exhausted, man”, he murmurs as he scrambles to sit up, stretching his arms out to get himself ready to stand up. “Nah don’t worry bro, rough day, I understand.” He hums in agreement. “I’m off to bed”, he clarifies next, stretching once more before standing up. “Good night, Mikey.” “Good night, Jam”, he says back, a sleepy smile spreading on his lips.
His scent was lingering, and soon it was spreading throughout the whole house. Seeping into Jamal’s bedroom and lulling him to sleep. “I’m sorry for the scent, mate”, Michael noted over breakfast two days in. The younger looked up from his plate in confusion. “Why be sorry?” The Frenchman immediately looked a little startled at the question, clearly expecting another reaction. “Don’t know, it’s strong and shit, like it’s everywhere.” Jamal just shrugged and focused back on his food. “Don’t care. I like your scent.” He couldn’t see the way the other started smiling at his words.
Alphonso was the first one to notice that they came together twice in a row this day. The first one he brushed off as coincidence, but this didn’t feel very coincidental to him anymore. “Do y’all come as a two-pack now or what?”, he questions the second they came in together, chatting. “Hello to you too”, Jamal says instead of answering the question posed. “Nah, I’m being serious, what’s going on?” The Canadian crosses his arms in front of his chest. “My ground floor flooded. I’m living with Jam for the moment, innit”, Michael decides to resolve the situation, the youngest humming along. “Well, good luck.” Before either of the two boys could question those words, he already turned to walk away. They share a confused look.
“You two living together now?”, Thomas asks later during training as they stood around to wait for their turn. They share a betrayed look with each other, knowing exactly who was behind this. “Temporarily. His place flooded”, Jamal answers for them. Thomas gave him a look that the younger couldn’t quite place in the moment. “Real nice of you”, he comments. “Yeah, saving my life here”, the Frenchman agrees, oblivious to the silent conversation the oldest tried having with Jamal. “Good luck”, he just grins before walking away.
“Why does everyone say that?”
Michael overslept. He put his alarms out one by one before going back to sleep. Jamal got restless. Training would start soon enough, and he wanted to grab some breakfast at the facilities before that. The older wanted to come with him, or so was the plan. But he hadn’t heard anything from him at all today. So, he goes against his own rules to not intrude into his space without explicit permission and knocks on his door. It was deathly silent on the other side, even after he knocked again and again.
He cracked the door open just a little. The room was dark, the curtains drawn closed, and through the way he was looking into the room, he could only see the edge of the bed. Opening the door even further when he realized the other must’ve overslept and he needed to wake him. “Mikey”, he calls, voice soft but loud enough to hear him. No response. He takes a step inside. “Mikey”, he repeats once more, a little louder, but still no reaction. His eyes were getting used to the lingering darkness. Michael was curled up in a ball in the middle of his nest, tucked in one of the blankets he got from the living room. He looked peaceful like this.
He smiled fondly. There was a bitter aftertaste when he realized he had to be the one to disturb that peace. Waking over to the window to open the curtains, letting the light in and hoping he would wake up from this. But it just earned him a sleepy grumble and his ears twitching unhappily, as he turned his face further into the blanket. “No, get up, man. You overslept, Mikey”, Jamal tried to reason, like he was talking to a fully awake person. When he got no reaction, he sighed. Last step: making his way over to the bed, reaching out to the ball of Michael and lightly shaking him. “Wake up, come on”, he mumbles.
“What?”, he suddenly hears from under the sheets, so he retreats in success. “You overslept, you idiot. Come on, get up”, he explains as he takes a step back from the bed. Michael immediately turns around, sitting up quickly. His expression was one of shock, and his ears were standing straight up on his head. “What time is it?” “9:17”, Jamal answers after taking a look at his phone. “Fuck”, the older cursed as he scrambled to get out of the blanket. Apparently, he only slept in boxers, or at least today he did.
The younger immediately locks in, trying not to stare and turning around to leave. But he was sure if someone would’ve paid attention, it was obvious he was looking for a beat too long. At his abs, his legs, and his ass as he slightly turned to the side. “I’ll be downstairs waiting on you”, he mumbles, already on the way out. “Ah, uh yeah, thanks, I’ll be quick”, the Frenchman babbles as he tried to think about the proper steps of his morning routine and how to optimize those. He wasn’t quick. They had to rush on their way there, they had to rush their breakfast, and they had to rush into the changing rooms.
Jamal was relaxing on the couch, scrolling on his phone. The older wanted to take an extra shower after training, so he waited for him to watch some TV later. When he came down the stairs, freshly showered, he sat down on the couch next to him. “My foot aches”, he claims, frowning a little, pointing to his left foot. The younger puts his phone down to turn towards his friend. Gesturing to put his legs up onto his lap. “Let me”, he mumbles. Michael understands and swings his legs up. “Where does it hurt?”, he questions, carefully grabbing his foot. “On the side the most”, he explains. The German boy hums and starts carefully massaging the muscles. The other sighs, relieved, relaxing back into the couch.
Pressing his fingers in, dragging them out to relax the muscles underneath. Going in circles to add extra pressure. The older was leaning back, his eyes closed, breathing a little heavier than usual. His scent smelled a little sweeter than usual - Jamal at least thought so. “Good?”, he questions, his voice low and quiet to not break the moment. The Frenchman hums. “Thanks”, he murmurs in addition. The younger just smiles. Truly, he would do anything for him. Call him crazy, he doesn’t care. Not as long as the other felt this comfortable and relaxed in his proximity.
He just continued. Deliberately working in places the muscles felt tense. And suddenly, he heard it again. Michael was purring. The German boy was immediately smiling as wide as he could again, his heart warming. But this time he wasn’t asleep. Matter of fact, as soon as he noticed he was wide awake, sitting up and almost yanking his foot away from his hands. The younger looked at him, confused. “What?” “Was that me?”, he questioned, terrified. “What? The purring?” Jamal was still more than confused. He’s heard him purr before, a few times actually, so he wasn’t sure why that would be such a big deal. He nods in response, still shell-shocked.
“Yeah, you’ve been doing that”, the younger confirms. “What do you mean I’ve been doing that?” “Purring in your sleep specifically”, he explains. What was his problem? He immediately pulls away from him, leaving him with even more questions. “I don’t purr”, he claims, stoic, almost unbelieving. “Of course you do.” Michael looks at him, finally properly looks at him. His look unreadable, just a mix of different emotions. Ears dropping to his side. “No, you don’t understand: I don’t purr”, he repeats, like it would be the answer to all of those unanswered questions, when it was only a repetition of his own words.
“You’re right, I don’t understand.” The older rubs his face, almost exhausted. “I never purred before, like I didn’t think I even could at some point”, he murmurs, looking down at his own hands. “Wait, I’m the only person you purr around?” There was something really possessive about the confession. Something Jamal himself never felt about someone else. This must mean something, right? “I mean, I knew I liked your scent, but I didn’t think…”, he mutters. It was more to himself as he tried piecing everything together.
“My scent?” Sometimes he genuinely forgot he had one. It was faint and more on the neutral side. “Yeah. Rain. It’s calming”, he confirms. He was right; that was his scent. He wasn’t aware the Frenchman could smell it that distinctly. “It’s not even strong.” Michael sighs heavily, closing his eyes. “I have a very good sense of smell. More times than not, I can’t be around alphas without blockers. It’s too much, gives me a headache and makes me sick”, he explains. His ears were twitching anxiously, and he was scratching his wrist uncomfortably.
Jamal doesn’t say anything for the moment, just reaches out to wrap his hands around his wrists to stop him from irritating the skin too much. “Don’t panic. It’s ok. I like when you purr, and I like strawberry vanilla”, he smiles, letting his thumb caress the skin under his palm soothingly. But the Frenchman clearly still wasn’t really convinced of anything. The younger scoots closer. He lets one of his hands go, slowly brushing some of his locs behind his ear, before he laid his hand carefully against the side of his face. Tilting his head up so he would have to meet his eyes.
“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to know that you feel so comfortable with me. Embrace it”, he whispers. Michael lets out a shaky breath, closing his eyes. “Kiss me”, he demands. His voice was so quiet the younger almost couldn’t hear him, but he did, and it immediately made his heart beat faster. He freezes for a moment, not sure if he was just dreaming or if it was reality. But the little “please” that followed made him snap out of it. He didn’t wait for a second longer, leaning in, holding his face between his fingers, before carefully connecting their lips.
Michael’s lips were soft, so incredibly soft, and the way he instinctively leaned in made his heart skip a beat. The kiss was slow, delicate, and full of everything they couldn’t really name. Feelings that they had yet to explore. Lips meeting in perfect harmony, as they belonged to each other. The German boy tightened his grip just slightly, not ready to let go just yet, his body succumbing to the feeling of immeasurable happiness. He never wanted to stop - he wanted to kiss the other forever.
He even tasted like strawberry vanilla. His scent was so close and only for him to take in. Michael kissed back with determination. It felt just right, just like it should feel. Like the movies always portrayed it, but not with fireworks. Instead, they felt comfort. Something restless settling deep inside of him. They didn’t feel the need to deepen it in that moment, pulling back but staying close, when the need for oxygen slowly overtook the need for each other. Gasping for air. Forehead against forehead.
They stayed like this for a while, not knowing how much time passed, as they just looked into each other’s eyes. Jamal thinks he never saw such a beautiful shade of brown in his life before - so earnest and pretty. Letting his hand trail through his locs. Purple suits him, red suits him even more. His ears relaxed, and he could fight the urge to let his fingers wander over them. They were just as fluffy as they looked. Michael doesn’t shy back; he just closes his eyes for the moment. And then there was this low rumble, that steady noise that seemed to have taken over Jamal completely. He was in total awe. “I’m here, I’ll always be here”, the younger promises, making the other open his eyes to meet his gaze. He stopped stroking his ears, but the purring didn’t stop.
“I could never live without the rain.”