PROXIMITY IS A WEAPON
Li Weiyan had always believed that the worst part of heat was the loss of control.
He was wrong.
The worst part was the waiting.
Zhou Shen did not touch him.
That restraint—deliberate, rigid, almost brutal—sat heavier than hands ever could.
They existed in the same space, breathing the same air, their scents tangled so tightly it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. The apartment, small to begin with, felt compressed by their presence. Heat clung to the walls, to the floor, to Weiyan's skin like a second layer.
Zhou Shen stood near the window, back straight, hands clasped behind him as though he were facing a firing squad rather than an Omega in heat.
Weiyan sat on the edge of the bed, knees drawn up, fingers digging into the fabric of his trousers hard enough to crease it. His body throbbed in slow, merciless waves—need rising, cresting, falling just short of unbearable.
"You should sit," Weiyan said hoarsely.
Zhou Shen did not turn.
"If I sit," he replied, "I won't stand back up."
The honesty of it sent a sharp, unwanted pulse through Weiyan's body.
"Then stop pretending this is helping," Weiyan snapped. "Your scent is everywhere. You're making it worse."
Zhou Shen inhaled slowly, deliberately, as though forcing air past instinct.
"Yes," he said. "I am."
Weiyan stared at him.
"Then why—"
"Because," Zhou Shen interrupted, finally turning, "you are safer with me here than without."
Their eyes met.
The Alpha's pupils were blown wide, darkened by instinct he was barely containing. Sweat dampened the collar of his shirt. His jaw was clenched so tightly it looked painful.
"You think I don't know what Alphas do to Omegas in heat?" Zhou Shen continued, voice low and razor-edged. "You think I don't know what would happen if the wrong person caught your scent in the hall?"
Weiyan swallowed.
"Don't pretend this is about kindness," he said. "This is about you wanting to be the one here."
Zhou Shen stepped closer.
The distance between them collapsed to less than an arm's length.
"Yes," he said. "It is."
The word landed heavy and unapologetic.
Weiyan's breath stuttered.
"Then stop acting like a martyr," he whispered. "If you're going to stay, stay."
Zhou Shen's hands curled into fists.
"Careful," he warned. "You're asking for something you don't understand."
Weiyan laughed weakly.
"I understand perfectly," he said. "You're terrified of touching me because once you do, you'll want everything."
The Alpha's control slipped.
Just for a moment.
His scent surged—cedar and ink flooding the room, sharp and possessive and unmistakably Alpha. Weiyan gasped, his body arching forward before he could stop it.
Zhou Shen froze.
He took a step back as though physically restraining himself.
"Don't," he said, voice rough. "Don't react like that."
"Why?" Weiyan shot back, shaking. "Because it makes you want me more?"
"Yes," Zhou Shen said immediately.
The admission rang through the room like a struck bell.
They stood there, staring at each other, the truth exposed and ugly and undeniable.
Hours passed without either of them noticing.
Heat was not linear. It came in surges—sharp spikes of need followed by aching, hollow lulls that left Weiyan trembling and exhausted. Zhou Shen moved through the apartment with military precision: opening windows, adjusting the temperature, bringing water, bringing food Weiyan barely touched.
He never touched Weiyan himself.
That was the cruelty of it.
When the shaking grew too violent to hide, Zhou Shen knelt in front of him—but kept his hands on his own thighs, muscles rigid with restraint.
"Tell me where it hurts," he said.
Weiyan laughed breathlessly, tears burning at the corners of his eyes.
"Everywhere," he said. "That's the point."
Zhou Shen's throat bobbed as he swallowed.
"I can help," he said quietly. "Without—"
"No," Weiyan said immediately. "If you help, help properly. Or don't."
Silence fell.
Zhou Shen closed his eyes.
When he opened them, something raw looked back.
"You don't get to force this out of me," he said. "Not like this."
Weiyan stared at him, chest heaving.
"I'm not forcing you," he whispered. "I'm asking you to stop pretending you're above it."
That struck deeper than anything else.
Zhou Shen stood abruptly and turned away, hands braced against the wall, shoulders tight.
"You think this is pride?" he said. "You think this is ego?"
He laughed once, sharp and humorless.
"I'm afraid," he said.
Weiyan's breath caught.
"Afraid of what?"
Zhou Shen did not turn.
"Of liking how easy it would be," he said. "Of how right it feels to stand this close and know you would let me."
The words burned.
Weiyan stood unsteadily and crossed the room.
When he stopped behind Zhou Shen, their bodies were so close that heat bled through fabric.
"You're already not above it," Weiyan said softly. "You just haven't admitted it yet."
Zhou Shen shuddered.
The knock came at the worst possible moment.
Sharp. Professional.
Zhou Shen turned instantly, Alpha instincts snapping into place.
"Stay here," he said.
"Who is it?" Weiyan asked, panic flaring.
Zhou Shen did not answer.
He opened the door just enough to step into the hallway, blocking the view.
Chen Mingyu stood there.
He froze the moment Zhou Shen's scent hit him.
"Sir," he said slowly. "You didn't answer your phone."
Zhou Shen's gaze flicked briefly back toward the apartment interior.
"Say it," he said.
"An Alpha from the Cultural Bureau reported an unauthorized pheromone spike in this building," Chen said carefully. "They're requesting an explanation."
Zhou Shen's jaw tightened.
"I'll handle it."
Chen hesitated.
"Sir… you're leaking."
Zhou Shen's eyes went cold.
"I'm aware."
Chen lowered his voice. "If this becomes public—"
"It won't," Zhou Shen said. "Go."
Chen left.
Zhou Shen closed the door and leaned his forehead against it for a fraction of a second before straightening.
Weiyan stood in the middle of the room, pale and furious.
"So now what?" he demanded. "You still think this is contained?"
Zhou Shen crossed the room in two strides.
"No," he said. "I think it's already a problem."
Weiyan's laugh broke into a sob.
"Then leave," he said. "Before you ruin both of us."
Zhou Shen stopped in front of him.
"No," he said quietly.
He lifted one hand—stopped just short of touching Weiyan's face.
"I will ruin myself first," he said. "Before I let anyone else have access to you like this."
The possessiveness in his voice was naked.
Dangerous.
Weiyan's body reacted instantly.
"Zhou Shen," he whispered.
The Alpha's control finally fractured—not completely, but enough.
His thumb brushed Weiyan's jaw.
Just once.
The contact sent a violent shudder through both of them.
Zhou Shen froze.
"That's all," he said hoarsely. "That's all you get."
Weiyan closed his eyes.
It was worse than nothing.