"Yeah..." Felix whispered though his voice shook, and the fear in his eyes hadn't fully faded. He glanced toward the door where Mika had disappeared, then back to Jake. "...You didn't go with him."
Jake crossed the room in three strides, sinking carefully to his knees beside the bed so he could look up at Felix so Felix would *know* he was chosen, cherished, unshakable.
"No," Jake said firmly. "I never will."
He reached for Felix's hand the one not tethered to IV lines and pressed it hard against his chest.
"Feel that?" he murmured. "This heart? It beats for *you*. Only you. If anyone else tries to touch what's yours" He let a low growl ripple through his voice "I'll remind them who I belong to."
Felix swallowed thickly… then slowly curled his fingers into Jake's shirt.
"...Stay," he whispered. "*Please.* Just... stay right here."
"I'm not going anywhere," Jake promised, giving Felix's hand a gentle squeeze and staying exactly where he was. He didn't want to push, but *god*, the relief that washed through him at being *wanted* again... it nearly made him shiver.
Felix's eyes flickered between Jake's eyes, studying his face intently. He seemed to be struggling with something wrestling with words that didn't seem to want to come out. After a moment, though...
"...Jake," he whispered, voice soft. "Can I... ask you something?"
"Anything, sweetheart," Jake said softly, tilting his head up slightly to meet Felix's eyes.
Felix hesitated fingers still curled lightly in Jake's shirt as if afraid the words might break whatever fragile peace they'd built.
"...Did you *want* him?" he finally whispered. "Even just a little... did part of you wish it was real?"
Jake's breath caught in his chest.
He'd known this question might be coming and part of him dreaded it. How could he admit that he'd been tempted? How could he say he'd almost given in? *How could he admit he'd failed to resist those instincts?*
But... he owed Felix the truth right now. Every harsh, ugly part of it. So he swallowed past his pride and met Felix's eyes, voice low:
"Yes. I was tempted."
"But," Jake continued, hand tightening over Felix's. "Temptation isn't the same as wanting it to *happen*." His voice dropped, rough with honesty. "My body reacted I won't lie about that. But my heart? My soul?" He pressed Felix's hand harder against his chest. "*Never wanted anyone but you.* Not Mika. Not anyone else. Just *you*, Felix."
Felix stayed silent a long moment just watching him, breathing shallow then whispered:
"...It still hurts to hear you say you were tempted."
"I know," Jake said, voice thick with remorse. "And I hate that I put that look in your eyes hate that I made you feel like you weren't enough. You're *everything* to me, Felix. More than chemistry or pheromones or some stupid instinct kicking in."
He leaned forward until his forehead rested gently against the back of Felix's hand still pressed to his chest.
"That moment in the hallway? It was weakness human weakness and yeah, maybe part of me reacted because Mika was loud and pushy and my body's dumb like that sometimes..." He let out a shaky breath. "...But my *choice*? That's always been yours."
"I could've lost everything tonight, and it would've been my *own damn fault*," Jake went on, voice hoarse from the force of trying to restrain his emotions. "My relationship with you, my reputation, my sanity... all of it just because I wasn't strong enough to ignore my instincts. But that's a *flaw* in me, not a reflection on how I feel about *you*, okay?" He lifted his head, searching Felix's eyes.
"I won't let it happen again. I *swear* I won't."
Jake sighed as he pulled away from Felix's side, hand lingering on the bed like he wanted nothing more than to stay there forever. But he had a meeting *actor things* to attend, as much as he wanted to stay in this delicate bubble of forgiveness.
He took a deep breath. "You going to be okay here while I'm gone?"
Felix nodded. "Yeah, I'll be good. Probably just gonna get some sleep…." He gave Jake a small, almost shy smile. "…And dream of my big, strong Alpha coming back to me."
Jake's heart twisted, and he reached out to gently brush a loose strand of hair from Felix's face. "I won't be gone long," he promised, feeling a soft sense of protectiveness swell inside of him. "And if you need me, I'm just a phone call away."
Felix caught Jake's hand in his, still small and fragile but no longer as weak as it had been. "I'll be fine," he murmured, giving Jake's fingers a light squeeze. "Just... come back."
Jake smiled, gently squeezing back. "Always," he said softly, reluctantly pulling away. "Rest, Felix. I'll be back before you know it."
Jake forced himself to turn away, each step toward the door feeling heavier than the last. He paused at the threshold, looking back at Felix one last time.
He looked so *small* in that hospital bed, dwarfed by the machines and tubes that kept him alive. Yet despite everything, he was still holding onto that fragile thread of hope, trusting Jake to come back to him.
"I love you," Jake murmured, voice thick with emotion. "See you soon, babe."
Felix's lips curved into a small, weary smile. "Love you too," he whispered.
Jake lingered for another moment, eyes locked on Felix's face, before forcing himself to turn and leave the room. The door softly clicked shut behind him, leaving Felix alone in the silence of that hospital bedroom with only the steady *beep-beep-beep* of the heart monitor to keep him company.
Jake strode down the hallway, jaw set and shoulders tight. The actor's meeting was in fifteen minutes back at the studio and he needed to focus. But his mind kept circling back to Felix: his voice, his scent, those fragile green eyes that trusted him with everything.
He didn't notice Mika until it was too late.
"Back again?" came that syrupy voice from a nearby alcove.
Jake froze mid-step and there he was: Mika, leaning against the wall like he'd been waiting all day. His smile wasn't sweet anymore; it was *hunting*. And this time his pheromones hit like a wave of molten honey.
Jake growled low in his throat and turned sharply away. "I told you to stay away you motherfucker."
Mika let out a low chuckle, the sound sliding over Jake's skin like silk. "Aww, don't be like that," he drawled, stepping closer. His eyes glinted maliciously. "I just wanna talk."
Jake clenched his jaw, muscles tense. "There's nothing to talk about."
Mika's scent intensified, thick and cloying. His eyes were wide and guileless, his lips parted in an innocent pout. He looked every bit the helpless Omega, lost and defenseless... except for the cunning gleam in his eyes.
"Aw, c'mon, Alpha," he murmured, taking another step closer. "Just give me a few minutes. What's the big deal?"
The scent of honey was thick in the air, almost making Jake dizzy. Mika stood just a few steps away now, the picture of vulnerability: pale skin, delicate frame, long lashes fluttering softly.
Jake gritted his teeth, trying to force down the predatory instinct that growled in his chest, the part that wanted to claim, possess, *have*. He wasn't falling for this game.
"You're a fucking damn parasite, you know that?" he growled lowly. "Playing on instincts like some kind of... Omega-shaped trap."
Mika only smiled wider lips parting just enough to show the faintest hint of fang. "Oh, but you *love* traps," he purred, stepping even closer. His voice dropped to a velvet whisper. "Especially when they smell like me."
And then like a switch the scent changed.
Not sweet anymore.
*Familiar.*
Warm jasmine and rain-washed skin.
*Felix's scent.*
Jake's breath caught in his throat heart stuttering as confusion crashed over him like ice water. His vision blurred for just a second… Was it? Could it be?
"...F-Felix?" he whispered, dazed head spinning from pheromones and longing and guilt all warring inside him.
"No," Mika whispered back, pressing flush against Jake's chest with a smirk. "But I can pretend."
Jake's heart pounded in his chest as a million thoughts whirled through his mind. His instincts were screaming to claim, to dominate the Omega *his* Omega who smelled so damn *perfect.* But there was something off; a bitter undercurrent in the scent, a tension in Mika's stance...
No. This wasn't right.
He shoved Mika away firmly. "Don't," he growled, voice deep with warning. "Don't you *dare* act like he's here. It won't work. I'm not falling for it."
Mika's face twisted for just a second the mask of innocence dropping to reveal a spark of anger, frustration. But then he schooled his features back into a pretty pout. "But whyyyyy?" he whined, reaching for Jake again.
Jake caught his wrist before he could touch. "Because I'm not an idiot," he bit out, refusing to look at Mika's face. The Omega scent was too close, too overwhelming. "I know you're not Felix. You don't even *feel* like him."
Mika's face twisted for a split second, his frustration bleeding through… but he quickly covered it with a playful laugh. "Well, of course I don't," he purred, trying to close the distance between them again.
Jake stood his ground, refusing to be swayed. "You think I don't know my own mate's scent?" he growled. "You might be able to mimic his looks, but you can't imitate all of him. I know what he feels like in my hands I know what he *smells* like. You're a cheap knockoff."
Jake tightened his grip on Mika's wrist, refusing to let him draw closer. "You really think you can mimic Felix and lure me into some kind of… what, some twisted act of cheating?" he said, voice low and hoarse. "I'd be insulted if it wasn't so goddamn *pathetic*."
Jake shoved Mika back not hard enough to hurt, but firm enough to make his point. "You don't know what love is," he growled, stepping into his full Alpha presence. His voice dropped like thunder. "Felix isn't just some scent I can be tricked by. He's my *heart*. And you? You're nothing but a scared little kid trying to pretend you mean something."
Mika flinched just slightly at the raw power in Jake's voice, his bravado cracking for a heartbeat. But then he lifted his chin, eyes flashing with something dangerous.
"You say that now," he whispered, voice trembling not with fear, but fury. "But what happens when he's too weak to hold onto you? When *he* can't give you what you need?"
Jake didn't blink. "Then I wait." His voice was iron. "A lifetime if I have to."
He turned and walked away shoulders straight, jaw set leaving Mika standing alone in the hallway.
Alone
Defeated
But not finished
And somewhere deep down?
Jake knew… this wasn't over