Adriel stopped in front of Eren's desk when he saw him slumped over, fast asleep. The second phase of the jewelry design competition was already underway. He knew how much Eren carried as Claude's secretary—running errands left and right—only to come home and push himself further, sketching designs late into the night.
"Red…" Adriel murmured softly, brushing his fingers through Eren's hair. The faintest trace of his omega's scent rose with the motion—warm, sweet, threaded with exhaustion—and it hit Adriel in the chest like a punch.
A quiet sound slipped from Eren's lips at his touch, lashes fluttering open. His scent wavered again, tentative, as though his body recognized Adriel before his mind had caught up.
"Adriel," he whispered, straightening slowly and rubbing his eyes.
"Why are you sleeping here?" Adriel asked, his voice pitched low, heavy with an alpha growl he hadn't meant to let slip.
"What time is it? Did you just get back?" Eren's voice was still groggy, his words unsteady.
"Hey—!" Eren gasped when Adriel suddenly scooped him into his arms, the move effortless, instinctive. The jolt of contact seemed to wake him fully, but his scent only grew sweeter, curling around Adriel's senses in a way that made his control strain.
"Put me—" His protest broke off when Adriel laid him gently on the bed. He tried to push up, but froze when Adriel leaned over him, shadows in his eyes, alpha presence pressing down like gravity.
Eren's pulse skipped. Was he angry? Or was it instinct burning behind those eyes?
"Adri…" he whispered, tentative.
"I know you want to prove yourself. I know you want this competition." Adriel's voice was rough, edged with something deeper, rawer. "But do you realize what it does to me, seeing you push yourself like this? Watching you burn out—do you know how it shreds at my instincts not to drag you home and keep you safe?"
He stopped when Eren's hand slid to the back of his neck, fingers brushing warm against the heat of his skin. The boldness stunned him—his omega had never moved first before.
"What are you—" His words broke as Eren's lips brushed against his, light but sure, carrying the quiet defiance of an omega daring to answer instinct with choice. For a heartbeat, Adriel froze, breath caught in his throat. The warmth of Eren's mouth lingered, soft, fleeting, laced with a sweetness that made every fiber of his being ache.
"What are you doing? Are you trying—" His voice faltered again when Eren kissed him once more, slower, deeper, his scent blooming thick and intoxicating, tugging hard at Adriel's restraint.
Adriel's chest tightened. His first instinct was to pull back, to scold, to remind them both of control—but the moment Eren's lips lingered on his, something inside him fractured.
Eren's taste, his nearness, the omega-scent flooding the space—Adriel's pulse thundered in his ears. His hands, which had been braced tensely on either side of him, betrayed him, sliding closer until his fingertips brushed the curve of Eren's arm.
Eren finally pulled away, lips still hovering close, and a sly smile curved across his face. Adriel's breath came uneven, instincts clamoring, as if Eren had stolen more than just his composure with that kiss.
"You think you can get away with—" Adriel's voice broke as Eren's lips captured his once more, daring and deliberate, sending Adriel's control unraveling all over again.
This kiss was different. Stronger. Eren pressed harder, trying to take control, his mouth moving with a passion that left Adriel breathless. For a moment, the world tilted, heat flaring through him, his alpha instincts surging to answer, but before he could sink too deeply, he tore himself away, chest rising and falling as if he had just surfaced from underwater.
"Stop tempting me, Red," he rasped. The plea sounded more fragile than he wanted. His eyes lingered on Eren's face—his lips still flushed and parted, his breath unsteady, his scent curling thick and sweet in the air. Adriel's throat tightened as desire coiled in his chest, raw and insistent, instincts demanding he claim. He swallowed hard, fighting it down, reminding himself of the truth: Eren was carrying their child. He should be angry, protective, not… this.
"You can't do this. It's not fair. You know how much I worry about you," he muttered, forcing distance between them as he moved to the edge of the bed. His fists clenched on his knees, every muscle taut with restraint, the scent of frustration leaking from him despite his effort to hold it back.
Eren's expression softened. He knew Adriel's anger was born of fear, of love, of instincts screaming to shield his omega. Quietly, he lowered himself beside him, resting his head gently against Adriel's shoulder.
The small, submissive gesture nearly unraveled him.
"I'm sorry," Eren whispered.
Adriel turned to him, jaw tight, but his heart aching at the vulnerability in that voice, at the way Eren's scent trembled against him.
"You need to decide," he said firmly. "Stay as Claude's secretary and drop the competition, or—"
"Just a little longer," Eren interrupted, his hand sliding down Adriel's arm. "Please, Adriel. The competition is almost over. I promised myself I'd win this and become Ulrick's Designer." His eyes lifted, luminous and pleading, scent sweetening as if instinct itself pushed him to sway his alpha. "After this, you can decide whatever you want. I'll listen. I'll follow."
Adriel's chest constricted. He wanted to believe him, but instinct screamed otherwise. "You won't sway me with tenderness," he said gruffly. "You know I'm worried about you—about both of you—"
Eren's lips brushed his cheek before he could finish.
"You should stop doing that," Adriel growled, though his voice lacked conviction. "These little kisses won't—"
And then, suddenly, Eren kissed him again. This time, Adriel didn't pull away.
The moment Eren's lips pressed against his, something in him snapped. Adriel tilted his head, deepening the kiss, surrendering to the pull he had been resisting for so long. His hand slid instinctively to the curve of Eren's waist, gripping tight, drawing his omega closer, scent wrapping around them both until the world blurred away.
Eren's lips parted under his, and the world narrowed to the heat between them—the press, the taste, the unspoken ache neither of them could deny. Adriel's heartbeat pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else, even reason.
Eren gasped softly at the fierceness of his response, eyes widening before fluttering closed as he gave himself over to the kiss. His scent flared—sweet, intoxicating, threaded with need—and his hand curled into Adriel's shirt, anchoring himself as if he might fall without him.
For Adriel, it felt like falling too. Every wall of restraint he had built crumbled in that single, searing kiss.
Their kiss deepened, stretching into something neither of them could control. Adriel's hand slid up Eren's back, pulling him close, while Eren pressed against him, fingers twisting tighter in his shirt, desperate to erase the distance his alpha kept forcing between them.
When their lips finally parted, both were breathless. A sound escaped Eren—half a sigh, half a plea—before he pressed his forehead to Adriel's, scent trembling with vulnerability.
"Adriel…" he whispered, voice unsteady.
Adriel's chest heaved as he drank him in—every flicker of emotion in his eyes, every waver in his scent. Eren looked radiant, fragile, and impossibly tempting all at once. The sight ignited something fierce and primal in him.