"W-wait!"
Ignoring the alpha's call, Eugene walked in long and quick strides, straight to the elevator as if to spite the man who couldn't bear the scent of others. The look of utter panic in the brown eyes as the elevator door chimed close did not fade the irritation in Eugene's heart.
He thought about alighting on the second floor, but after seeing the scorn in his face, Eugene decided he needed fresh air before he could see his daughter. There was no way he would let Hannah see him when he was still angry.
Besides, it would be a problem if Arthur followed him to the playground and saw Hannah.
As Eugene leaned against the elevator wall, he could see the alpha flash by each time the elevator door opened. The brows eyes darted around as if he was challenging his fear, but with it being the weekend, the elevator was always full of people.
Is this guy actually taking the stairs and running to the elevator to check every time? Eugene arched his brow as the elevator door closed again and headed to the ground floor. Quite fast, this alpha. It was also rather ridiculous, and Eugene's anger dissipated slightly.
Well, slamming the table and speaking his mind also helped. All he had to do was let go of the leftover anger, and he would be fine. So Eugene immediately left through the side entrance and headed to the park across the mall.
Most of the people there were those coming out of the mall, or those waiting for someone to go to the mall with. A field of what would be green grass in a few months was surrounded by tall, naked trees like a useless barrier. It didn't stop people from congregating, but thankfully Eugene managed to find an empty seat on the boulevard beneath a big clock that became the park's landmark.
"Phew..."
Now that he breathed in winter's air, the cold seemed to cool his head further. Thinking back, there was no need to be so angry. He already knew that Arthur was kind of a sheltered prince and had no social skills. All he had to do was tell the alpha firmly about how things work in the real world. It wasn't even a new discourse in the world of adaptation. There was bound to be some 'fans' feeling unsatisfied by the result.
Eugene just didn't know he would have one--a fan, that is. After all, it was an unpublished manuscript. There was a talk about publishing it officially if the movie had a good reception, but that was something in the future.
Thinking that Arthur Crowley became a fan of his work was funny, but...
It did help dissipate the remnant of his irritation.
At that moment, Eugene turned his head toward the mall and saw a confused alpha look around while biting his lips. Brown eyes rolled quickly, sometimes squinting every time he saw a man in a black coat with dark hair. Even from afar, Eugene could see the alpha panting; in panic or exhaustion, or both.
Eugene looked down at his attire. The weather wasn't as cold as usual as winter was nearing its end, but most people still wore coats while outside. Most of them were black, including Eugene's.
This guy really has bad eyesight, huh? Eugene mused. Was that why Arthur mistook Eugene for his date six years ago?
Perhaps because he was no longer angry, the alpha--once again--looked pitiful in his eyes.
Eugene took a deep breath to calm himself further and called out loud enough for the alpha to hear. "Crowley."
Arthur flinched and snapped his head toward the source of the voice right away. "Oh--"
He approached Eugene briskly, but when he arrived in front of the seated omega, Arthur just stood awkwardly, hands fiddling behind his back. "Uhm..."
"Sit down."
"Yes!"
The tall alpha sat down beside Eugene immediately like an obedient dog, hands on his knees, clutching the fabric of his jeans as if ready for punishment.
Why is a big ass alpha acting like this? Haa...
When Eugene let out a sigh, Arthur felt his heart sink and immediately blurted out an apology. "I'm...I'm sorry!"
Eugene glanced at the alpha sharply, once again reminding the man that they were in a public space. Arthur pressed his lips and returned his gaze to the ground, before continuing in a much lower volume, but one that Eugene could still hear.
"I'm sorry...for being so thoughtless and calling you a coward," Arthur said, words laden with sincerity. "I don't have the right to comment on your decision and...and, acting like an asshole."
Eugene arched his brow as the awkward apology flew from the alpha. It must have been rare for him to apologize to someone; either because he rarely interacted with other people, or because he was just haughty.
"Ugh--I'm really not good at...at this kind of stuff," the alpha stammered further. "Anyway, I'm sorry for being such an asshole."
Well, at least he had the self-awareness of calling himself that. Eugene almost chuckled, but held back in time, keeping his gaze on the distant sky.
Still, since he already decided he wasn't angry anymore, Eugene nodded. "Accepted."
Even without looking, Eugene could feel the alpha beaming beside him. Arthur sighed, half in relief, half in resignation, and glanced at Eugene cautiously to gauge the omega's emotion. He contemplated whether he should say something again--another string of apology--but Eugene already opened his mouth.
"Now that I recall, the scriptwriters were also quite pissed at this decision," Eugene said. Eventually, however, they came to the same conclusion as Eugene: it wouldn't change the plot much and would be safer for the movie. Whether it would make it worse or not, well...that remained to be seen. Eugene added with a chuckle. "Not as much as you, though."
Arthur scratched his neck awkwardly, but he felt a wash of relief at the sound of that chuckle. It gave him a sense of courage that he didn't have before.
"I think...I was projecting," he said quietly.
"Huh?"
"It's because...I was also a 'flawed' alpha," Arthur could feel the slight tremble in his own voice. Even admitting just that, without divulging the whole truth, scared him. "I was so happy when I read your manuscript, knowing that the alpha is not perfect."
He smiled; a self-deprecating one that did not match an alpha's supposed countenance. Or at least, what society told them to be.
"And despite that, Ian still accepted him--well, perhaps it's more apt to say that they accepted each other, no matter what," Arthur exhaled, recalling the relish he experienced reading the last act. "That's..." he fiddled with the fabric of his jeans, smiling wryly. "I...I think I just always want to be accepted like that, despite my shortcomings."
Eugene raised his brows in surprise, finally looking to his side to observe the vulnerable-looking alpha. He wondered what that flaw was; was it about the scent sensitivity? It couldn't be infertility since he could even impregnate someone while using condoms.
In retrospect, Eugene probably made Jude infertile because he was pissed at how potent Arthur's sperm was.
Hmm...or did it have something to do with the way he seemed to have difficulty finding Eugene? Did he have bad eyesight or something? Like a glaucoma.
Eugene couldn't help the rising curiosity, but he held himself from asking. From the look of it, even telling him this much was already a big deal for the alpha. Considering they weren't even on good terms before, it would be crossing too many boundaries.
"So, yeah...I was disappointed when I found out that part got changed in the movie," Arthur sighed. "In the end, it's just my selfishness. I'm sorry for pushing my own desire selfishly like that."
"Hmm..."
Eugene leaned back and crossed his arms, musing silently. After fifteen seconds that wrecked Arthur's nerves, he finally responded.
"Well, I guess I have to thank you," Eugene said calmly.
"...huh?"
"For being so passionate about the story I wrote," Eugene graced the surprised alpha with a subtle, almost shy smile. "Never thought someone would take it that seriously."
"Well, it's a good story," Arthur grinned. He swallowed his nervousness and asked carefully. "Uhh...about the pheromone effect..."
Right. They were supposed to discuss that before the conversation deviated into an argument.
"Ah, I don't mind using the sound effect, but do you really need me for that?" Eugene tilted his head. He didn't know anything about music. The music he followed these days was nursery rhymes and cartoon ost.
"I want to let you hear the sounds, especially the ones I assembled for the main cast," Arthur, however, nodded vigorously. His eyes had returned to their professional splendor. "I'd like to hear your thoughts, see if the melodies match the picture you have when you wrote about them."
"I see..."
Through his observation, Eugene deduced that Arthur couldn't 'see' his face--either because of bad eyesight or something else. In that case, he didn't need to worry much about the alpha recognizing Hannah, right? This guy didn't even remember sleeping with Eugene six years ago after spending an hour sitting so closely.
It probably...okay to interact normally as long as he hid Hannah's existence.
Eugene nodded after making his decision. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to make any good evaluation, but I guess I can try to listen."
Arthur perked up, the corner of his eyes lifted like how Hannah's would when Eugene promised her a new storybook. "Yes, please do!"
There's no need to keep reminding me that you're her sperm donor! Eugene grumbled inwardly, and then feeling awkward a second later. He cleared his throat to get rid of his fluster. "Anyway, aren't you forgetting something?"
Arthur blinked slowly. "Huh?"
Eugene tilted his chin toward the alpha's empty hands. "Your shopping bag."
"Oh, fuck!"
Arthur grasped his light brown curls and stood up in fright. It seemed like he was too preoccupied chasing the angry Eugene that he forgot his stuff at the cafe. He walked away briskly, but abruptly stopped and returned to the omega again.
"Umm...your number..." Arthur said with clammy hands by his side. "Can I...have your number?"
Without realizing it, after six long years, he finally managed to ask for Eugene's number.