Tem parked his black Kawasaki Vulcan in the hospital garage and almost ran up the stairs. He didn't have the patience to wait for the elevator. He rushed through the hospital corridor, which gave him a lot of dissatisfied glares from people he passed. Tem didn't care about any of that. He needed to get to Eamon quickly.
Since it was a hospital solely for omegas, only a small section allowed alphas. The door to the second part was guarded by security guards, beta's, who were armed with sedatives. They didn't pay Tem any attention as he passed because no one could ever mistake Tem for being anything but an omega.
As soon as Tem entered the other part of the hospital, he could sense Eamon's pheromones. At first, it was rather faint, but the closer he got to the alpha, the stronger the scent became. This led him to a closed door, and with a trembling hand, he knocked on it.
"Come in," he heard a woman say in a loud voice and nervously, he opened the door.
There were four people inside the room, two of whom he hadn't met before. First was a woman with curly dark brown hair and cat-like eyes and a man he only recognized from a picture. It was Eamon's second father, Finian. But Tem wasn't prepared for the giant stomach.
'How many babies are that man expecting?' Tem thought to himself.
He looked at Tem with a friendly expression on his handsome face.
"Howdy-do!" Tem blurted out, and as soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately wanted to run head forward into a wall. But amused, the pregnant man just chuckled.
"You must be Tem. Thank you so much for coming at such short notice. I'm Finian McCallister, Eamon's father."
"Nice to meet you," Tem replied and managed to smile.
He was so nervous, which was weird because he was usually never nervous. But to stand in front of the father of the boy he had sex with just the day before was so strange. And awkward. So very, very difficult.
When he looked at Finian, Tem could see where Eamon had got his red hair and green eyes, even though Finian's hair and eyes were darker than his son's.
"Nice to see you again."
Next to Finian, Shiro sat on a chair, and he also smiled kindly at Tem. Tem nodded in response and briefly wondered why Shiro was there instead of Dorian. But the thought vanished immediately when he saw Eamon. The boy sat on a bed and looked straight at Tem. Tem's heart began to beat like crazy. Why did he react like this? Why was it so much more intense now than the day before? Tem didn't understand.
"Do you feel that as well?" He asked in a whisper, not caring that they weren't alone.
Eamon turned completely red in the face, but he nodded.
"Yes," he replied very quietly and Tem again thought that Eamon was the most adorable person he had ever seen.
"The effect of the bond will be very intense in the first weeks. Or what do you say, Shiro?" Joy asked from her seat next to the bed and looked at Shiro.
The black-haired omega nodded and looked uncomfortable.
"Yes, it was quite intense," he replied, getting a gentle smile from Finian, as an assurance that it was okay to talk about it.
"You will have this need to be together. To touch or just be close to the other person. You are drawn to each other, and just the thought of being apart is painful. I'm not saying that will be the case for you. But it was like that for me," Shiro said, smiling, but Tem couldn't help but think that the smile didn't look happy but kind of sad.
It was before Dorian had accepted him, and they became a family. So Shiro still found it painful to talk about
"And it was like that for Dorian, as well, Shiro."
Finian took Shiro's hand in his and smiled at him. It was a friendly, soothing smile.
Tem and Eamon, who had been looking at the two older men as they spoke, slowly turned their heads and their eyes suddenly met. Eamon had a startled expression on his face, but Tem seemed calm as always. But the calm wasn't genuine. For the first time since the day before the day, Tem began to realize that the situation he was in was probably more serious than he had first thought.
'Bloody hell, everything's turning out to be a huge clusterfuck!'
At the same time, someone cleared their throat next to Tem, which caused both Tem and Eamon to flinch, and they took their eyes from each other.
"So Tem. My name is Joy Clemens, and I am a doctor here at Fulham Clinic for Omegas. I am also a close friend of the family, and I will do everything I can to help you and Eamon. First, I will tell you what we need to do today, and please stop me if there is something you don't understand or want to know more about. Does this sound good?" Joy asked calmly, and Tem nodded. She had his full attention.
Joy explained that they would take a blood sample from the gland, where the mark was. And because of the unusual situation, it was very important to quickly confirm whether they were fated or not. The laboratory would immediately look at the sample, and they would get the result within an hour or so. If the results showed that they weren't a fated pair, they would look over the possibility of revoking the bond. But if they were indeed fated, they needed to make a plan that suited both Eamon and Tem.
When Joy asked Tem to sit on the bed, Eamon jumped down to give him room, which made Tem a little disappointed. He wouldn't have minded sitting next to him. And when Tem saw Joy reach for the syringe on the instrument cart, Tem, without hesitation, took off his jacket. He could see how shocked Eamon and Shiro were when they saw his scarred arms. Eamon turned pale, and Shiro looked worried. Joy and Finian, on the other hand, barely reacted. They just frowned for a second.
"Would you believe me if I said this is from a kitchen adventure gone wrong?" Tem asked with a grin, but when no one said anything, Tem's smile faded, and he chewed on his lower lip.
"Never mind," was all Tem said and sounded dejected as if he were trying to tell a funny joke but completely failed.
The others didn't know what to say, so they remained silent, but they were all worried. Most of all, Eamon because he had never seen anything like it. The scars went all over Tem's forearms and covered almost every inch of his skin. Eamon was filled with intense anxiety. He hated to see Tem's arms like that. It was a feeling that Eamon couldn't understand or put into words. It was almost as if he felt the pain in his own arms.
Tem could see the upset expression on Eamon's face, and he smiled at the boy.
"Don't worry, sweetie, the scars are really old, so it doesn't hurt anymore."
Eamon just nodded to show that he heard what Tem was saying, but it still bothered him.
"Okay, Tem. It's very important that you sit completely still, "Joy told him, and Tem, prepared for the pain.
Funny enough, Tem didn't like needles, even though he was a tattoo artist and had several tattoos. Syringes were scary, and now the woman would stab him in the neck with a needle. It scared the shit out of him. Tem closed his eyes tightly and looked like he was on the verge of freaking out until he suddenly felt someone grab his hands. Tem opened his eyes again, and right in front of him stood Eamon. His gaze was gentle as he looked at Tem.
"It doesn't hurt that much," Eamon said, and there was something in his voice that calmed Tem.
Tem noticed for the first time that Eamon's voice was actually quite dark. He had probably entered puberty early. That would explain his height and already firm body.
"Have you already done it?" Tem asked.
"Yes, a little while ago."
When Tem felt a sudden sharp pain in the neck where the wound was, Tem got so stiff that it felt like he would faint. But Eamon's presence calmed him a bit and made Tem feel safe.
"It's done," Joy told them, and Tem sighed in relief.
"That hurt like a bitch."
Eamon was still holding Tem's hand, and it made Tem's heart beat faster in his chest.
"You have really big hands to just be a kid," Tem said with a grin.
Eamon quickly released Tem's hand, and he blushed all the way down to his neck, which made Tem's grin even bigger.
Looking at the interaction between alpha and omega made Shiro and Finian glance at each other. They were relieved. Tem's calm attitude clearly helped Eamon to relax.
"Shiro, can you go with Eamon and get us something to drink?"
Eamon frowned as if he didn't understand what his father was getting at but nodded somewhat reluctantly and followed Shiro out the door. Joy took the test and also hurried away, leaving Finian alone with Tem. Finian looked at Tem for a long time. He was no longer Finian, the father, but Finian, the psychologist. Tem recognized that look. He had seen it countless times, but it still took him by surprise, and he swallowed nervously. He didn't know that Eamon's father was a psychologist. He didn't know what he felt about that.
"Eamon told me you're engaged."
"Yes, I am."
"How are you going to handle this? Do you need help?"
"It's cool. I will take care of it," Tem said with a big smile.
Finian watched Tem, and there was something about the younger man that worried him. The carefree attitude didn't feel genuine.
"I need to know Tem. Are you still hurting yourself?"
"No. Stopped three years ago. It won't happen again."
"Are you sure? "
"Yep. I see a psychologist and eat a lot of pills."
"Because you have to understand that if you and Eamon are fated, you can't live without each other. And that means that if you die, then Eamon dies, and the other way around."
"Seriously?"
Finian could hear the shock in Tems voice.
"Yes. It's a bond that will last for the rest of your lives. Do you understand? Eamon is dependent on you now."
Finian could see the uncertainty in Tem's eyes. It was clear that this was getting too much for omega to handle. And Finian couldn't blame him, but he still needed to make sure the man understood how serious this was.
And Tem seemed like the kind of person who did not take things seriously if you were not straightforward with him.
"But remember that you're not alone. This is something that concerns both you and Eamon. And as Dorian said yesterday, we will do everything to support you both. So it's something you want help with, don't be afraid to ask."
Tem stared at Finian, and he could hear and see the desperation in the red-haired man's voice. He didn't know what to say. He felt overwhelmed. No one had ever needed him before, but it felt pretty good.
"Do you want to come to dinner today?" Finian asked suddenly, his voice no longer filled with anxiety.
"Seriously, do you really want that?" Tem asked, surprise.
Finian sounded sincere and not like he forced himself to be nice to Tem. The younger man didn't get it.
"Of course we would," Finian said with a smile.
"But we don't know if I'm actually is Eamons fated pair or not."
"It doesn't matter. You have a special bond with my son now, and we will take care of you."
Tem didn't know what to say. Who was this person that cared so much for others? It was so rare that it was suspicious. Tem almost expected that Finian would try to make him buy a mobile subscription or convince him to join a sect.
"Well, as long as it's not too much for Eamon. He's just a kid, after all."
"Yes, he is young, but Eamon is stronger than most his age. He's always honest and a very kind-hearted person. Please Tem, I need you to know that if you ever need our help, we will do everything to be there for you."
Those sincere words and Finian's soft voice made Tem realize that this was the kindest thing anyone had ever said to him. He knew that if he didn't fight it, tears would pour out. But Tem sucked it up and smiled instead.
"Thank you, but I will make sure that this won't affect your family too much. So what's for dinner? "
Finian, being the clever and attentive person he was, knew that Tem was pretending to be tougher than he actually was, which worried Finian. The scar filled arms, the easy-going attitude, him taking medication and seeing a psychologist told Finian that Tem had a difficult past and was perhaps still struggling. Finian knew that he had to keep an eye on the younger man.
Eamon and Shiro came back shortly after Finian had told Tem that Dorian was hungover and would probably order everything on the menu from his favourite Chinese restaurant. Tem had said it was the best he had heard all weekend and that Dorian was undoubtedly a genius, which made Finian laugh so hard that it even brought tears to his light green eyes. He thought of Dorian naked in front of the toilet, complaining that he was the only dumbass in the family.
That was when Eamon and Shiro came back, and the two men stared at Finian and Tem, surprised by Finian's laughter. The red-haired man rarely laughed out loud, and not in a million years did they think that Finian would laugh in this serious situation. But here he was, laughing with his hand on his stomach. Tem stood next to him and had a puzzled grin on his face.
"What's happening?" Eamon asked, and he was confused.
"I just said your dad was a genius for ordering everything on the menu when he was hungover."
Shiro started giggling, and even Eamon got a little smirk on his face.
"Oh, that explains it."
"Why?"
"Well, I love Dad, and he's many things. But a genius? Not so much."
The three men smiled at each other, and when Finian had calmed down, they started talking about everyday things, like how it was at school or what Tem's occupation was. They stayed in the room and waited for several hours until Joy returned with a piece of paper in her hand. Her face showed no emotions, and that told Finian everything he needed to know. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as Joy held the paper in front of her.
"The result is complete, and it's with one hundred per cent certainty that you two are a fated pair and have bonded."
The silence in the room was heavy when Joy spoke. It was as if everyone was holding their breath.
"The result is actually very extraordinary. There are no previously known cases where pheromones have blended like this. Your pheromones are now exactly the same."
"How is that possible?" Finian asked, and Joy understood why he sounded so bewildered. Finian was, after all, specializing in the relationships between the different genders, but this was something new.
"What happens during a normal bonding between alpha and omega is that alpha binds the omega to them. This bond can be broken. Omegas only need to meet the alpha during their heat, as they can't have intercourse with any other person than their alpha. Fated pairs are drawn more intensely to each other and must be together regularly. Otherwise, the alpha and the omega will get hurt and, in the end, die. Their pheromones are matched on a chemical level and are compatible, but they don't mix. Not like yours has done. Your pheromones have changed and have become a combination of your old. I wouldn't be surprised if your pheromones will soon have the same scent."
Shiro looked horrified. He thought about how complicated it was to be a regular fated pair. While Finian frowned, he had a very serious expression on his face. However, Eamon and Tem didn't say a word. They just stared at Joy like she was speaking a foreign language.
"So what does all this mean?" Finian asked.
Joy took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. The expression on her face as she looked at her friend was filled with sadness. Finian didn't deserve this. None of them did.
"We honestly don't know. Because this is a new phenomenon, we need to do more tests, closely monitor your health and contact more experts."
Joy then turned to Eamon and Tem, and they could see how worried she was.
"All I know is that you two have to be together a lot from now on."
It took a while before any of them said anything. Eamon sat down heavily on the bed, his hands trembling, and he was pale with empty eyes staring straight ahead. Tem's stomach ached when he saw Eamon so devastated. Tem went up to him, and just as the boy had done before, he took Eamon's hands in his. Eamon looked up and looked into Tem's beautiful two-coloured eyes.
"Don't worry, Sweetie. Nothing will change for you," Tem said.
'It's going to be like I'm not even there,′ Tem thought, and he was determined that Eamon would be able to continue to live his life as he did before they met.
Tem's eyes shone, and his smile was big.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
What happened after that was something Tem could never have imagined. Eamon took a deep breath like he tried to calm himself, then he got the nicest smile Tem had ever seen on his gorgeous face.
"I promise, I will take care of you."
Tem's heart pounded in his chest, and it felt like he was going to start crying. He thought that Eamon meant every word he said, and even though it made him so incredibly happy, he was at the same time sad. Tem knew he would be a burden to the boy. Nothing more than an obstacle for him to live a normal life. And it hurt so much. Tem wanted so badly to accept the care that Eamon and the boys family showed him, but Tem knew it would only break his heart. He could never be a part of Eamon's life. Not really. But Tem said nothing. He smiled tenderly at the boy.
"Your father is right. You really are a kind-hearted boy."
Eamon just smiled, but Shiro's words irritated him. Eamon hated being called a boy, especially by Tem. Even though he barely remembered it, they did, after all, have sex. They were bonded, and they were a fated pair. He wasn't a boy anymore.
Finian and Joy decided that Eamon and Tem would return to the hospital in two days for more tests, and they needed to be spending as much time as possible together. Tem was once again relieved that Farid was away. It gave him time to figure out how to break the news to his fiancee.
Tem would follow the others with his motorcycle. They had parked in the same garage, and when Eamon saw the bike, his whole face lit up. Tem chuckled and asked Eamon if he liked motorcycles. Embarrassed, Eamon nodded and gently pulled his hand along the side of the black motorcycle.
"It's so beautiful."
Tem followed the boy's hand with his eyes, saw how it warmly stroked it, felt every smooth curve. Tem couldn't tear his eyes from that hand. How wonderful it would be if Eamon in a few years touched him like that. So tender, so lovingly. Tem closed his eyes and sighed. How would he be able to handle this?
After getting in the car, Eamon put in the earbuds, chose the heaviest metal track he could find and closed his eyes. He clearly showed his daídai and Shiro that he wanted to be alone. The adults didn't disturb him, and without anyone saying a word, they started driving towards Chelsea.
Eamon was tired. Ever since yesterday, he had been going through a roller coaster of emotions. He had been devastated, confused, angry, and the most surprising thing of all, a little excited. Eamon didn't understand the feeling at all. He thought it was all because of the band, but he didn't hate it. He didn't dislike being with Tem. He actually thought the guy was nice and funny. But the thought of doing something more was so foreign. He couldn't even imagine it. Okay, Tem wasn't unattractive, Eamon could admit that, but he was still a man. Eamon sighed there in the backseat of the car. The sound of Decide blasted in his ears, and he could feel himself unwind. If only Tem could have been a girl instead, or if Eamon were gay. How easy everything would have been. But despite everything, Eamon wanted to take responsibility. And their sexual orientation or even other partners came second.