The three siblings were reunited.
It was not a heartfelt, emotional or tear-filled reunion, it was simply uncomfortable and maybe, a little unwanted. At least, Edith wasn't particularly keen on coming to this country to see her younger siblings, but Kate was quite... persuasive.
"Edith..." Edwin started but had nothing to say.
"You both seem to be doing very well for yourselves." She had long known that Edwin had become a singer and was searching high and low for her, but Ethan's situation was a bit surprising.
"We were... We searched for you, did you know?" Ethan asked.
"I finally have a life of my own why would you want to drag me back?" It's not like they shared any deep sibling bond or anything special.
The trio fell into another strained silence.
"Clarisse and Thessa are gone."
She squinted at Edwin "Good riddance."
The twins smiled a little.
"Seeing that we are all doing well and I have met with you as required, I'll be heading back."
"You won't stay?" Edwin asked.
She stared blankly at him for a second "I have my own children and husband; I can't stay here to take care of you."
"No... No... We just thought we could spend more time… together." Ethan explained.
"Oh..." She looked from one sibling to the other "...next time?"
They lit up "Really?"
She couldn't help but reach out to stroke their heads. Being an older sibling was a strange thing, even after their disaster of a childhood, she couldn't bring herself to actually dislike them "Really."
"The money!" Edwin blurted out suddenly "I almost forgot to give you your money."
They had a difficult time locating Edith because she absolutely did not want to be found. She studied her ass off, was awarded a scholarship and booked it out of the continent the first chance she got, going as far away from that place as she could. Did she feel bad about leaving Edwin behind? Sometimes she did, other times she suppressed the thoughts and forced her mind to focus on other things like maintaining her freaking scholarship and her part-time job. Only people with a roof over their heads and full stomachs could afford to worry about others.
Eventually, she wasn't plagued with guilt as much. She graduated, got a job, met a nice man, settled down and had her children. Occasionally, her thoughts would stray to her brothers, but they were quickly forgotten. She had her own family to take care of.
And then, she received a blast from the past, someone was frantically searching for her, it seemed that way but besides her old name and a composite sketch that looked very little like her, these people had nothing to go on. She denied it, quite vehemently and consistently too, until this woman named Kate showed up at her doorstep.
Edith couldn't deny it anymore.
Her ticket was booked. She insisted on going to meet with them alone and she was a little glad she did. Both of them were doing even better than she had anticipated. Damn, they were doing so much better than she was. Guess their mothers' dreams did come true, even better was the fact they would never benefit from it, wherever those psycho bitches were. Her guilt eased a little. Ethan's family were a bit... as long as he was happy and safe, all's well.
Maybe her next visit she would return with her own family.
Lately, Ethan had experienced a myriad of emotions, be it a panicked impulsivity, a crippling fear, the frightful uncertainty of what would come next, all finally culminating in embarrassing foolishness.
It was a lot.
Thinking back, maybe he shouldn't have made that consultation, no... He shouldn't have gone so far to hide his secondary gender, maybe if he hadn't done that, his husband would not be so distant. The man that could not stand the idea of his being an arm's length away...
"I have arranged your personal effects."
He looked at Irene, whose words had interrupted his thoughts "Th-thank you." Since the whole fiasco happened, he couldn't bring himself to face anyone, although they all seemed to carry on like normal, like what had happened was no big deal. "I-Irene, are... are you up-upset with me t-too?" He asked in a tiny voice.
She softened "Of course not." She answered with a light chuckle "Why would you think that?"
"B-because I lied and... and now you have to m-move here." His voice, growing more quiet with each word.
"That's actually not a bad thing. It's a bit of a vacation for us."
"R-really?"
"Yes."
His shoulders dropped, her words did little to make him feel better rather they added to the weights that shackled him. The truth was he wished they would be angry or even a little disappointed. He had hoped someone... anyone would be annoyed with him or chastise him, but he didn't get that. Mari, Hank, Lein and Olly said they understood his anxiety; Xavier and Jason simply acted like nothing had happened; his siblings said he was lucky to have such understanding In-laws; Irene treated him no different from before and Alexei completely avoided talking about the issue.
These were his thoughts as he pulled his knees closer to his chest, a finger picking at his toenails. He glanced at the clock; it was well past midnight. Whenever Alexei left for work, he returned at daybreak. The man barely had the time to get a proper rest lately. He glanced towards the dining table; he had made dinner or was it breakfast? It didn't matter, it had been a long time since they shared a meal, just the two of them.
The thought made him a little eager. He wondered if he should heat it up.
"…Alex."
Alexei almost jumped out of his skin at the sound, he looked over his shoulder at the drowsy person who had called out to him "Did I wake you?" When he returned, he found Ethan asleep on the couch and a dining table full of food. He quietly tucked his husband into bed and got to work clearing away the dishes and putting them in the fridge. "Go back to bed, you need to rest."
"…Alex..." He murmured, ignoring the instructions given, taking tiny steps towards the man washing his hands "...I wanted us to eat together."
"We can eat another time."
"You're avoiding... m-me." He whispered, tugging on his shirt "You said... You said you d-don't hate... me."
"I don't hate you." He answered candidly.
"Are...are you angry?"
His gaze narrowed as he stared at the other's face "Ethan, we've gone over this."
"Then... Then you-" He swallowed, his throat hurt.
"You should be getting proper rest."
His heart broke at the statement, the person that wasn't getting any rest was clearly Alexei "I won't cry." He whispered.
Alexei examined his face, he said he wouldn't cry but those glistening eyes and trembling lips said otherwise. He didn't want to get into it right now, he was tired "I've told you we can just continue like normal."
Ethan's grip on the man's shirt tightened "No-no."
"No?"
"No. You... You don't like that I'm an... an..." He couldn't bring himself to say it, it felt like a taboo, a word that shouldn't be spoken.
Alexei glanced at his rumpled shirt and then back at Ethan's face "Ethan, it is you and not me that dislikes the fact that you're an omega."
"What?" He whispered.
"It is also you who is avoiding me and not the other way around."
"That's not true!"
He reached out a hand to touch Ethan's nape, stopping when the other stiffened, he withdrew his hand "This…" He said with a sardonic smile plastered on his face "…you wear a patch all day. We are in our room for crying out loud, why do you still put that on?"
Ethan covered his nape with both hands and stepped away.
An action that annoyed Alexei even more "Ethan, I've had a long day. I just want to take a shower and go to bed. Can we do that?"
"…I'm not crying!"
"Ethan, can we just... Let's go to bed, okay? You need to take care of yourself, remember what the doctors said."
Again, Alexei swept all issues aside.
Ethan hated it.
For a person who had been basically strong-armed into working at this facility, Olly was having quite a good time. After hearing about Yul's current research, he was intrigued, it was a rare opportunity to work with special grade pheromones. As interesting as Ethan's case was, Yul's research was even more so. He found himself getting more invested and... that was exactly how they got him. Before he knew it, he had signed several NDAs and a contract as a consulting specialist.
He quickly understood the necessity of those NDAs; in the few weeks he had been here he came across a few interesting 'patients' from politicians to superstars and even a pregnant alpha. Another reason, a few tens of the volunteers seemed to be there under a bit of... strong persuasion.
Was he curious? Yes.
Was he actually going to ask? No.
He didn't really have to though; gossip was abundant in the facility.
Ah... Yes. The facility, that might as well be a self-sustaining, well-maintained town. The medical center itself was sat in the middle of area, with all manner of infrastructure surrounding it. It seemed the primary aim was to make sure that one would not miss the world outside. From schools to department stores, there was every infrastructure he could think of. He often found himself contemplating bringing his sugar... partner over. That little gold digger would be fine anywhere as long as he wasn't spending his own money.
Speaking of partners, Ethan's partner, Alexei, was... well, he was something, that was for sure. He had expected the situation to play out a little differently, considering what he had heard and Ethan's attitude to getting treated but contrary to his expectations, he was quite the supportive husband. He read the results of Ethan's latest test report before glancing at him "Ethan, are you having some trouble?"
He leaned forward a little "Pardon?"
Olly turned the screen to face the pair "Your stress hormone..." He pointed to the red number "... it's a bit high. Are you not sleeping properly? Is there something that's making you anxious?"
Anxious? Ha! He stole a peek at Alexei then looked at Olly. "I'm fine." He said as he shook his head slowly.
He looked from one husband to the other "Very well." He turned the monitor back to him, if he says he's fine, then he's fine "Remember, this treatment puts quite a bit of stress on your body. It is important that you eat well, get a good night's rest and maintain a good state of mind."
Ethan nodded obediently.
Alexei cast Ethan a sideways glance, with a blank expression.
"Have you noticed any signs of heat?"
Ethan clenched his fists and mumbled "…no."
Olly quietly updated the omega's information, his pheromone levels were within range, and he was healthy, excluding the stress factor, he should have had a normal heat by now. He contemplated prescribing heat inducers but decided against it when he met Alexei's eyes. The man was a prime factor in Ethan's recovery, it was obvious there was no need for 'outside help in that regard "I guess, we'll just have to wait and see."
Wait and see?
Ethan leaned closer to the camera "...th-thank you." He added with a soft voice. When he told Dr. Beck about his situation, the sessions, that just served to check in once a month, became a biweekly arrangement.
"Remember what your doctor said, anxiety is not good for your treatment."
"I will."
"I'll see you again, okay?" The older man said fondly, "Just do as we discussed, take it easy and I'm certain everything will work out well."
He nodded and ended the video call. He stared at his reflection on the screen for a few minutes as he cemented his resolve.
Crisp, soothing, soft and so... so sweet, after Alexei pointed out the little patch detail, Ethan stopped wearing them indoors and those were the words best used to describe the air in their new residence, and it was something Alexei loved. It was even more intoxicating than before.
At first, he was angry, not because Ethan was an omega, honestly, he didn't care about that. He just couldn't understand why Ethan was comfortable accepting help and goodwill from everyone except him. If he had been the one who brought his sister over, the man would pout for days about his interference, but when his father did it, he was eternally grateful. He chose to sneak around while his husband sat at the very top of a medical giant.
He could hear Ethan conversing with someone. He wasn't eavesdropping, he wouldn't do that. He knew Ethan was in therapy but that was something he found out by sheer coincidence a while back when he was looking over the other's monthly expenses, but this too was also something Ethan hid from him.
Honestly, the depths of Ethan's deceptions astounded him. Even now, he was still bewildered by the facts. That harmless looking youth that smacked him across the face had so thoroughly deceived him and had him in the palm of his hands... So yes, he was actually upset about the whole deception thing. It was a bit of a blow to his ego too. Not for long though, when he was presented with Ethan's medical report, his anger was slowly replaced by a different feeling. And when it was proven that Ethan's condition was, in fact, entirely a result of his little 'campaigns' he was... He was flattered. He would have celebrated it if his husband hadn't become so skittish. That much was fine for a moment, but if Ethan were to harbour even a thought of leaving him, then OPS would definitely have a case on their hands.
The door was opened and Ethan stepped out of the room shutting the door gently behind him.
Alexei tapped a finger against the armrest as he watched Ethan's expression of deep contemplation morph into one of absolute shock when their gazes met.
"You-you're back early."
"Yes."
Ethan's chest rose as he took a very deep breath, he gathered the hem of his sweater into his hands, wrinkling the soft fabric "I... I was speaking with my doctor..." He explained, rapidly "...th-therapy. I've been in therapy for years."
Alexei's gaze narrowed, Ethan was visibly trembling, his voice shook but he didn't look away "I see."
"A-Alex, I'll tell you everything."
Alexei watched his lovely little liar for a few seconds before he extended a hand to him "What are you doing, standing way over there?"
Ethan took a small but sure step towards him.
Jason had his share of doubts, not about his affections for Lein or Lein's affections for him, both parties were very clear on how they felt about each other, what he doubted, however, was his ability to make this newly reformed Lein happy. This person was so put together and calm, the agitated irrational person from the last days of their relationship was gone and in its place, a man so irresistible that it made him nervous, had emerged.
Unfortunately, there were many... many things from their past that were still branded on his mind that Jason couldn't help but be overly cautious and that looming shadow is why the Crushed Diamond pop-up concert ended the way it did.
Ethan couldn't make it because of his treatment, and Mari had given her tickets to Kim, who showed up Caleb for some reason. Jason was more than happy to put aside some time to accompany Lein. It was just four hours, work had eased up and if he got a headache from all the excitement, painkillers wouldn't hurt.
It was a good night, much more fun than he had anticipated. Caleb and Kim immediately made themselves scarce, it remained that way for the entirety of the night and Lein was happy. It was great. When the concert ended they went for a nice dinner. Perhaps, a little drunken on the mood and the restaurant's romantic ambience, Lein leaned over to kiss him.
Jason turned away.
The kiss landed on his cheek, it was a rather subtle rejection but a rejection, all the same. He watched Lein sober, the confusion in his eyes turned into understanding tinged with a little pain. He showed a small smile and continued with his meal like nothing had happened.
Even if the restaurant was reasonably private, public displays were now out of the question. Lein's reaction also left him a bit... muddled, if anything, unsettled. The rest of the night was the two awkwardly acting like there was nothing amiss.
"Jay..." He started once the car stopped in front of his home "... I'll be more careful."
Jason's jaw tensed.
He continued "I know you never really liked stuff like that."
He hummed.
"Then..." He hesitated for a second before swiftly dropping a light kiss on his lips. He only said he would be careful not that he would stop completely "... goodnight." He added with a sly smile.
This night, Jason didn't walk him to the door like usual, instead he remained in the driver's seat and watched him intensely. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel; it was getting harder and harder. This person had become too irresistible to him, and he was at a loss on how to deal with it. He tapped his forehead, lightly, against the wheel a few times. He didn't know how to handle this person, and it was really grating on his nerves.
The days that followed were pretty normal , they went out on dates like usual... almost until things got busy, all because dear older brother said he would sign a contract with OPS but ran off to the Glasshouse leaving the brunt of the work to him. He never really noticed how little time he had spent with Lein when things got busy but now, it was glaringly obvious, maybe because they weren't living together.
That had to be rectified.
"If you keep this up, your mum will actually ban me from coming here." Jason shut the door gently behind him with a light chuckle as he stepped into the backroom "Bad for business."
Lein had been banished from the floor because he kept hyper focusing on Jason "That..."
"Should I stop coming by?" He stepped closer.
An embarrassed Lein kept his attention on the bag of beans that were already sorted. Anything not to face Jason right now.
"Hmm? Rosalein, am I causing trouble for you?"
Lein could feel the heat of the other against his back, with a voice intoxicating enough to make him go weak in the knees. He gripped the edges of the shelf for support.
"Well?" A hand snaked around Lein's waist, and he pressed his body firmly against the other "You looked like you had a lot to say while we were outside, now you're silent." He muttered against his ear "Won't you say something?"
What was he supposed to say? I wish the rest of the world would disappear so it would be just us two? He might have said that if Jason's wandering hands were not distracting as fuck. All he could manage were breathless and poorly suppressed moans.
"Rosalein..." He felt the other shiver when he brushed a thumb over his navel "...if I were to steal you away and lock you up at my place, would you hate that?" He felt another tremor when he playfully flicked his nipple "If you can't meet with your parents or your friends, would you mind? I don't think your parents would."
Lein mumbled something under his breath.
"Mm?" Jason laid his chin on the other's shoulder "Did you say something?"
"I... don't...mind." he gasped. He felt Jason's chest vibrate from a chuckle. The hands that had been relentlessly fondling his body under his shirt found their way to his waist and turned him around, trapping him between the shelf and the other's body "You can take me anywhere." He grabbed the edge of Jason's collar and pulled him in for a kiss, half expecting Jason to refuse him.
What a pleasant surprise when he didn't.
"Rose, your ma-" Hank swallowed his words as he stopped short of stepping over the threshold. Why did he have to witness his kid making out, rather voraciously too, with a boyfriend that he didn't particularly like? He stepped back out and slammed the door shut.
"What happened?" Mari asked.
The door was opened again to reveal a stoic Jason and a frazzled Lein.
Understanding dawned on her "Ohhh..."
Jason nodded politely at Hank before turning to Lein "I'll text you." He dropped a light kiss on his cheek before walking off.
Hank eyed Lein with eyes full of disapproval.
Yul has always been considered quite the professional, even when she went on her excited rants, she was still professional and very respectful of all her subjects, even the ones that had to be gently persuaded but that changed when Iris was brought in. There was not a single day that passed quietly between the two, each encounter escalating to the point where Yul actually slapped the older man when he said Xavier was better off dead.
Xavier was called to intervene, and Yul took a step back, taking every snarky comment Iris threw at her with meekness. Well, that was about to change because Iris was about to have his precious gland harvested and she couldn't wait to break the news to him.
"Did you sleep well?" She asked with a bright smile as she stepped into the room without waiting for his permission to enter. As usual, her entourage of three were trailing behind.
Iris sneered "I see you remain just as mannerless as ever."
Yul beamed even brighter "You must have had a good rest. That's great."
Iris eyed her with disgust when she drew closer "Stay away from me, you reek." He said with a hand pinching his nose "It disgusts me to think that someone like you picked up my scraps."
"Hmmm..." She ignored him as she fixed her latex gloves, before reaching for a vial and a syringe. It was time to administer his special cocktail.
"Xavier must really be desperate if he's willing to eat something as bland as you."
Yul quietly filled the syringe "Please, hold him down..." She glanced expressionlessly at Iris "...gently." Her years of hard work were about to bear fruit. She was beside herself with excitement. She held a cotton swap against the pinprick, wiping away a drop of blood in the process "This will be the last time I do this."
"Couldn't last as his little bedwarmer?"
"No, you'll be leaving soon."
His contemptuous look faded "What?"
"We never planned to keep you indefinitely." She replied casually.
Iris, overcome with an unexplained foreboding, stepped away from them "Are you planning to kill me?"
"No..." She replied, a little astonished as she pulled off the gloves.
He took a few steps away from her as his mind clouded and slowed, the energy in his body began to seep out. His breaths became laboured and heavy.
"Do you like it?" She asked with bright eyes "A nice mix just for you, I made it." She explained as she took steps closer to him.
He stumbled back, reaching out with both hands to grab whatever his hands could touch, her words echoed in his head. He tumbled to the floor with a light thud "You crazy…"
"You won't die..." She explained softly "...but you sure as hell wish you did. See what this does is that it kind of shuts down your motor system for a while. Sensory processing will slow but your gland should still be very active. It'll hurt so much when you wake up but-"
"Yul…" someone tapped her shoulder "…he's passed out."
She stared at the person laid out at her feet and snorted "Take it away."
Xavier did little to hold back his laughter when he was informed of what had transpired. He glanced at Kate "What do you think?"
"You enjoy keeping crazy people by your side?"
"She's very cute, isn't she?"
"Ha!" She scoffed in disbelief.
He pushed himself out of his chair. To be honest, he didn't care if he could leave the Glasshouse for the rest of his lifetime. He was pretty satisfied here but for whatever reason, Yul and his sons were hell-bent on curing him. If the kids wanted to play, why ruin their fun? He sauntered to his desk "So? What happened after that?"
"The gland was harvested and as per her request, Iris is currently being treated. When he gets better we'll dump him off some place."
"That's a rather vicious thing to do to Iris." He commented.