When Eamon, Shiro and Dorian walked through the door, they were met by a tiny black dog. His tail wagged as he greeted them. But the only one who gave the puppy any attention was Shiro. Dorian and Eamon just went straight in. They were too exhausted, and their heads ached. Eamons because he had been crying for the last few hours and Dorians because he had taken one glass too many. He hadn't felt drunk when he was at the club, but soon as they dropped Tem off in Bernt, the alcohol had hit. He was drunk as hell. Dorian hadn't been affected like this in so many years. But being able to party with everyone made him go a little bit crazy. He had almost fallen asleep in the taxi while leaning against Shiro, who held both his and Eamon's hand.
The house was quiet and dark. The only room where the lights were on was in the kitchen. Dorian went straight to the room, and just as he had suspected, his husband and best friend were there. The red-haired alpha was sitting at the table in front of the laptop, and when he heard Dorian come in, he turned and looked at him. He smiled, and it was the most beautiful smile Dorian had seen the whole evening. But it also made him lose all his strength. He felt tears burning in his eyes, and on trembling legs, he quickly went to his husband. He fell to his knees, put his arms around Finian's waist and rested his head in Finian's lap. And he cried. He just couldn't contain it inside anymore. It was far too much. Finian was startled and just stared at his husband, and his whole face was filled with worry. He didn't understand what was going on, and it frightened him.
"Dorian, what has happened?"
But Dorian couldn't answer. He couldn't stop crying. The tears soaked Finian's lap, but it didn't bother him. He put his hand under Dorian's chin and made his husband look at him. Dorian's expression almost broke his heart.
"Please, Luv, what's wrong?"
"It's my fault, dadaí. I have done something terrible."
Finian looked up and stared at his son. The boy looked even more taken aback than his father, but Eamon could no longer cry. He had run out of tears.
"What do you mean?" Finian slowly asked, afraid to hear the answer.
"I have marked an omega."
Finian flinched, and it felt like his heart stopped beating.
Shiro walked into the room after making sure that Ikumi was sleeping, and he put his arm around Eamon's shoulders. The boy was surprised at first but leaned against the smaller man. Shiro was perfectly calm when he told Finian everything that had happened to Eamon. He left out the attack, thinking that it wasn't important at the moment. He was afraid that everything would be too much for Finian to handle. When he was done, he looked at the alpha with sadness in his dark brown eyes.
Finian didn't say anything, he just sat with a serious look on his face, and it seemed like he was trying to process what Shiro had told him. All that he could hear were the silent sobs from his husband. Finian stroked Dorian's hair and took a deep breath.
"Alright. I think we need to move to the living room. This chair is killing my back."
He then looked at Dorian and gently caressed his cheek.
"Do you want to sleep?"
Dorian shook his head, but Finian could see that he was tired.
"Let's go to the sofa. You can rest your head on my lap if you want to."
Dorian nodded at that, and with help from Finian and Shiro, he got up from the floor. Hand in hand, they walked up to Eamon, and Finian embraced his son with his free arm.
"Thank you for telling me, Eamon. I'm proud of you, and I love you so very much."
Eamon's lower lip trembled, and his eyes were glistening from tears. But he didn't cry. He just nodded and walked alongside his parents and Shiro to the living room. Finian, who usually sat in the armchair, placed himself on the sofa, and Dorian laid down beside him and rested his head on Finian's lap. Eamon took the armchair instead, and Shiro sat down on the footstool beside him. He held the boy's trembling hand in his.
"Can you tell me about the omega? What's his name?"
"Tariq El-Masry," Shiro answered.
"But we should call him Tem," Dorian mumbled, so sleepy that he didn't bother to open his eyes.
"Oh, that was a pretty smart nickname," Finian said, and Shiro couldn't help but chuckle, making Finian look at him questioningly.
"Dorian and Tem said that as well," Shiro explained.
"Is he old?"
"No, I don't think so. Not over twenty-five at least."
Finian was relieved. It would have been a problem if the omega was a lot older than Eamon, but this age difference they could deal with.
"Do you know anything more about him?"
Shiro took a deep breath, trying to muster up the strength to tell Finian about Tem's fiance, but he didn't have to. Eamon beat him to it.
"He's engaged."
Finian first stared at Eamon, then he closed his eyes and sighed. Of course, he was. It would have been too good to be true if everything could go smoothly for once.
"That's a problem."
"Yes, it is," Shiro agreed. "But Tem doesn't seem particularly bothered by it. I actually never met anyone as laid back as him."
"Do you think he understands what it means to be a fated pair?"
"I don't think so. But I think Tem realises that it's a serious matter. I told him that we had to confirm the bond before anything else."
"Good. I will call Joy first thing in the morning. Eamon, I can't even imagine how you feel, but Shiro and your dad have been through the same thing. You can always talk to them."
Eamon didn't say anything, but he nodded, and that was good enough.
"I think we should go to bed now. You must be very tired."
With that, Finian decided that he should let the now sleeping Dorian spend the night on the sofa and followed his son to his bedroom while Shiro waited in the hallway.
Eamon took off everything except his boxer, crawled under the covers and looked at his dadaí, who was standing by the side of the bed. Finian gently stroked his son's hair, and the look on his face showed such intense love that Eamon immediately felt relaxed and safe. How could he have thought of not telling his dadaí? No one was smarter and more comforting than he.
"You aren't alone in this, Eamon. You are my precious boy, and I can't even express how much I love you and have done ever since I first learned I was pregnant. So please rely on me."
Eamon already knew this, but it still felt good to hear. He gave his dadaí a tired smile. He could barely keep his eyes open. His father's gentle caress and the comfort of his bed made the boy quickly fall asleep. Finian sat there for a while and watched his firstborn. He was anxious, but he was also determined. He was going to protect Eamon.
Finian quietly left the room. Shiro was waiting outside and held out his arms towards the alpha. Finian smiled, walked up to the smaller man and let himself be embraced.
"Everything will work out," Shiro calmly said.
"Thank you for being there for our family," Shiro heard Finian's voice tremble slightly.
Shiro was glad that Finian felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable in front of him. Finian was always so strong, but he was still human. He felt Finian tremble, and Shiro's heart ached for him. Too much had happened. How much longer could the rock of the family last?
"Of course. You all mean the world to me."
Finian took a step back and gave Shiro a tired but thankful smile.
"It's going to be a long day tomorrow, so we need to sleep."
Shiro nodded. There in the hallway, the two men went in different directions. But they shared the same feeling, that even though they tried to be strong, they were, in fact, terrified.
A girl with fiery red hair and deep emerald eyes leaned against the wall in the dark corridor. Her beautiful face was filled with shock, and her heart hammered wildly in her chest. She had heard everything. She had heard how her brother had met his fated pair and how her brother had marked the omega. She had heard endless sadness in his voice and how small he sounded—her kind, caring big brother.
She had heard her dad cry in despair and how her dadaí had spoken to Shiro in such a weak voice. A voice she had never heard from him before. It broke the girl's heart, and she was determined never to jeopardise meeting her fated pair. She would rather isolate herself completely than risk anything. And with that resolution, the twelve-year-old girl went to bed, on the verge of crying and with a dull ache in her stomach.
No one slept particularly well that night except Ikumi, who was the only one who didn't know anything about what had happened. Dorian woke up in the middle of the night, his head still hurting, and he felt a little nauseous. He hadn't been hungover for a long time, and perhaps he still was a little tipsy. Not fully awake, he slowly went to the bedroom, only to discover that Finian wasn't alone in their bed. Caoimhe slept close to him, and the puppy had made Dorian's pillow his bed. Dorian realised that there was no room for him, and he turned around and walked towards Shiro's room. First, he passed Ikumi's room and looked in very carefully. The girl slept peacefully, and the sight of the carefree girl made Dorian smile. He closed the door and went to Eamon's room. Carefully not to make a sound, Dorian went up to the bed and looked down at his son. Eamon was having a nightmare. He frowned and bit his lower lip so hard that it bled. Dorian went down on his knees and put his big hand on Eamon's head, gently he stroked the boy's hair. Without waking up, the boy began to cry, and tears ran down his cheeks.
"I'm so sorry."
Hearing the pain in the fourteen-year-old boy's trembling voice made Dorian hold his hand still. He was frozen and couldn't move. Because if he did, he would start crying, and that would make Eamon wake up. So Dorian just sat there, looking at his beloved son. After a while, it seemed like the nightmare had ended. Eamon stopped biting his lower lip, and he relaxed. Relieved, Dorian was about to stand up when Eamon suddenly grabbed his arm. Eamon was barely awake, but he looked at his father with sleepy eyes and a small smile on his face.
"Hi, dad."
"Hi, buddy. Did I wake you?"
Eamon shook his head and turned to the side. Dorian could see that he was about to fall asleep again.
"I had a bad dream."
Dorian said nothing, but it hurt.
"But there was this guy with the most beautiful eyes, and he smelled so good. And he made all the bad things go away."
Dorian didn't know what to say. Stunned, he stared at his son while the boy no longer could keep his eyes open.
"It was a really great guy."
Eamon was once again asleep, and Dorian stared at the boy. He hadn't expected that Eamon would dream of Tem. And he couldn't decide whether it was a good thing or not.
Carefully Dorian left the room and went straight to the only place he wanted to be. Shiro was awake when he came in and looked at Dorian with a gentle smile.
"You can't sleep?"
"I just woke up. And you? Have you slept anything?"
"No. I just keep thinking about everything that happened. Eamon and that crazy woman."
Dorian went up to the bed and crawled under the covers. Shiro immediately hugged Dorian as he put his arm around his mate.
"I am so incredibly sorry that I couldn't be there for you. I will never forgive myself for that."
Shiro looked up at his mate, and even though he had tears in his eyes, he looked at Dorian with so much love that Dorian felt warm inside.
"Don't be sad about it, darling. You can't always protect everyone. It's not your responsibility. We have to take care of ourselves and sometimes rely on others who aren't part of our family."
"But it doesn't feel right. If I do, it will feel like I have failed."
Shiro sat up and leaned against Dorian, so his forehead rested against the alphas. The tip of their noses almost touched.
"But Dorian, if you keep thinking like that, you will just wear yourself out. You will make everyone completely dependent on you, and it's not going to do anyone any good."
Dorian just stared at Shiro. It wasn't as if he hadn't heard it before. Finian and his fathers had said the same thing many times during the years. But it felt different when it came from Shiro. It somehow had a bigger impact, and he smiled.
"Thank you," he said, giving Shiro a light kiss.
It wasn't meant to be anything other than a simple kiss, but when he was about to take his lips off Shiro's, the omega placed both hands on the back of Dorian's head and pulled Dorian towards him. He kissed Dorian hard, made him open his mouth with his soft, warm tongue. Dorian didn't hesitate. He put his strong arms around Shiro's waist and kissed him with such intensity that Shiro lost all strength and almost collapsed in Dorian's arms. But Dorian didn't let him get away. He continued to kiss Shiro. The thought that he almost lost this wonderful man to a crazy person made Dorian feel desperate and possessive. He longed to feel Shiro, to make sure that he was okay. And that he was just his. Shiro, who had been too scared to relax for several hours, needed to be with Dorian. He needed Dorian's strength. And their pheromones exploded in the room. They both went into heat at the same time. Their desire for each other made them lose all control. They ripped their clothes off while kissing fiercely. Shiro was already wet, and after Dorian had placed the omega under him, the alpha entered right away. Shiro would have screamed by the sudden sensation as the full length of Dorian's cock filled him up if Dorian hadn't covered his mouth with his own. They didn't utter a single word as Dorian moved his hips hard. They also didn't stop kissing each other. They didn't need words. All they wanted was to be close. Dorian needed to feel that Shiro was alive, and Shiro needed to know that Dorian was there for him.
It didn't take long before they both came, but Dorian didn't stop, and Shiro didn't complain. Three rounds later, Dorian finally bit Shiro hard in the neck, and Shiro could feel him being knotted. He wasn't scared this time, and the amount of seed that poured into him made him shake and moan loudly with satisfaction. Dorian let go of Shiro's neck and licked the blood while he released soothing pheromones that made Shiro relax. When the swelling subsided, Dorian pulled out and collapsed beside the passed out Shiro. He pulled the omega close. That was all he managed to do. Dorian fell asleep right there by his beloved. On top of the covers, naked like the day they were born.
The sound of a door closing caused Shiro and Dorian to open their eyes at the same time, and they sat straight up in bed.
"Good morning, you horndogs, it's time to get up. We have to go to the hospital soon, so you have five more minutes to snuggle, and if you're not out by then, I will throw a bucket of ice-cold water on you!"
They could hear the suppressed laughter in Finian's voice, and Shiro turned bright red. At the same time, Dorian put both his hands on top of his head and groaned with pain. He was still hungover, and it felt like his head was going to split at any moment. He turned his gaze to Shiro and managed to smile. The omega was an adorable mess. His bedhead was so cute, his body covered with dried cum was sexy, and his swollen mark looked tasty. Dorian kissed Shiro's cheek and leaned his forehead against Shiro's temple.
"I love you so damn much. I can't explain how lucky I am to have you as my fated."
Dorian's words made Shiro feel calm again after the abrupt awakening, and he looked at Dorian. The tender expression, the warmth in Dorian's voice. It meant everything to him.
"I love you too, Watashi no otto," he said in the softest voice Dorian had ever heard, and Shiro's eyes shone.
"What did you say?" He asked curiously.
Shiro looked down, his cheeks turning red, and he shook his head, clearly feeling embarrassed.
"No, no, Luv. You can't say anything sweet in Japanese and expect me not to be curious. Out with it!"
Shiro took a deep breath to muster up the courage, leaned against Dorian and whispered in his ear. And what he said, put a bright smile on Dorian's face. He shone like the brightest star. Dorian hugged Shiro and placed a tender kiss on his forehead.
"I like it! I really like it."
Shiro was embarrassed but not scared. After everything they had been through, he had learned that Dorian would never get angry with him. And for a moment, he thought of the child inside him. His and Dorian's child. But whatever he decided to do, he knew that this wasn't the right time to bring it up. And he couldn't help but feel a little relieved about that.
Dorian didn't want to move. He wanted to stay in bed with Shiro for the rest of the day and pretend that everything was just fine. But Dorian knew he couldn't. His son was in trouble, and he needed to be there for him. So Dorian got up from the bed, but as he did, he was hit by an intense wave of nausea. He needed to vomit. Right away.
Dorian panicked, put a hand over his mouth and buck naked, he ran to the door, opened it and darted out. He almost crashed into Finian, who just managed to move out of the way. Dorian couldn't say anything. So with his cock dangling between his legs, he ran as fast as he could to the nearest toilet, and when he was only a few meters from the bathroom, he suddenly stood face to face with Caoimhe. They stared at each other. Dorian was panicking ever worse than before, and Caoimhe was paralyzed, unable to move. The girl's gaze slowly began to wander down, and Dorian just managed to hide his penis with his free hand. Caoimhe looked like she was going to vomit as well.
"Dad! What the hell? Dadaí! Dad's naked. Now I have to go to a psychologist for the rest of my life!" She yelled and ran away, screaming swear words far too advanced for a twelve-year-old.
"Sorry!" Dorian called after her, ran to the toilet and puked.
"Bloody hell," he whispered when it stopped.
He was about to get up when he felt nauseous again, continued to vomit and then collapsed exhausted on the floor.
Finian stood at the door with a sympathetic expression on his face, waiting for his husband to calm down. When Dorian did, after being tormented for five minutes by constant puking, he looked up at Finian with tears in his eyes. Finian thought that Dorian looked exactly as he did when they were sixteen years old and got drunk of the whiskey Dorian stole from Keith. Dorian had puked all over Finian's mother's sofa and got them into so much trouble with their parents that none of them touched alcohol for several years.
Finian put a large towel over Dorian's shivering body, stroked his cheek and kissed the top of his head.
"I think it's best if you stay at home."
"But I have to be there!" Dorian said in a painful voice. The anxiety he felt about drinking too much was much more painful than the vomiting.
"It's okay, Dorian. We need you to rest so you can be strong when we return. I can go with Finian and Eamon."
Dorian looked up at Shiro, who was standing by the door.
"Et tu, Shiro?"
Shiro giggled.
"You know I love you, but let's be realistic. What good would you do if you have to visit the toilet all the time?"
Dorian moaned and leaned his head against the cold toilet seat.
"Finian has a bad influence on you. I'm honestly a little sad. One reasonable person in this family was enough. Now we have two. I'm the only dumbass."
The two men who loved Dorian with all their hearts laughed and were relieved. Even if the situation was grim, they could always count on Dorian to light up the day. Even though he was hungover, naked and hugging a toilet seat, he was always their hero.