When the phone's alarm went off at seven, Eamon was already wide awake. He hadn't slept since three o'clock. First, it took a long time for him to even fall asleep, and after only three hours, he woke up. It was a dream that interrupted his sleep. It wasn't a nightmare, but he still woke up covered in sweat. He dreamed of Tem. He dreamed of the moment when they became mates, and he dreamed of the intense kisses they had shared. He dreamed that he had desperately torn off Tem's trousers, and Tem had eagerly helped him. Eamon dreamed of the moment he lost his virginity. He dreamed of how wonderful it had felt, and when Eamon woke up, he was breathing heavily, and his boxers were wet, which shocked him. He had never had a wet dream before. Eamon wasn't the type of teenager who just thought about sex all the time. He had always been indifferent to things like that, so this was a new experience for him. At first, Eamon was so embarrassed he thought he could die, but then when he thought about it some more, he figured that it wasn't so strange after all. Eamon didn't remember anything from when he and Tem first met. And in dreams, you process things that happen when you're awake. No, the dream itself didn't surprise Eamon. But what surprised him was that even though he was awake, he was still thinking about Tem and Tem's naked body. Tem was a man. A man with male genitalia, and surprisingly enough, that didn't seem to bother Eamon because when he stood and washed his dirty boxers, he thought of the dream again and instantly became hot. That startled Eamon, and he didn't try to think about it and forced himself to calm down.
Eamon tried to go back to sleep again, but he couldn't. He had too much on his mind. Instead, he looked at his cell phone. There was still no message from Tem, even though he had promised he would let Eamon know that he was alright. And Eamon did his best not to write to him. He didn't want to annoy him. Instead, Eamon was sitting there in bed with his cell phone in a firm grasp. Sometimes he looked at various finance and business websites. But he couldn't stop thinking about Tem. Eamon desperately wanted to hear from him. He wanted to hear Tem's voice, and he wanted to know if anything had happened during the dinner with Tem's and Farid's parents. Or if Farid had found out about the bond that Tem now had with someone other than him. Eamon knew that he should trust Tem when he said that Farid wouldn't harm him, that Farid was a good guy. Tem was an adult after all, he knew what he was doing. Still, it was hard for Eamon to relax.
When it was time to get out of bed, Eamon put on his school uniform and quickly combed his thick red hair. And while still looking at the phone, he started walking to the kitchen. He knew the house like the back of his hand. Or so he thought. Suddenly Eamon bumped his forehead into something hard, surprising him more than hurting him. Confused, he looked up, wondering how he had gotten to the kitchen so quickly.
"Well, good morning to you," Eamon heard Finian say.
"Good morning, dadaí."
Eamon went back to stare at the phone again. He had figured out Farid's full name and was now browsing through every social media account Farid used. Farid was slightly older than Tem, and he was working as a salesperson for a big corporation. He was a good-looking guy, and Farid appeared to be harmless from what Eamon could tell. Just as Tem had said.
While Eamon was reading about the company Farid worked for, he took a bowl from the table, poured cereal and milk into it and started eating. It was impressive that he managed to do so without making a mess. Because not once did he look away from the phone.
Even though Eamon was worried, he couldn't help but look up the financial statement of the company where Farid was employed. It was a typical Eamon thing to do. Finances were, after all, one of Eamons biggest interests. That and slasher movies and video games.
"Please sit down," he could hear his father say, and without responding, Eamon sat down on a chair.
'Interesting,' he thought to himself. The company's net profit was really good, and also the gross profit.
"Answer me Eamon, when I'm talking to you."
Eamon jerked when he heard his father's voice and looked up in surprise. Was it dadaí who sounded so angry?
"Sorry, did you say something?"
Both Finian and Ikumi were staring at him, looking startled. Finian started to ask questions about Tem, and when Eamon told him that Tem hadn't contacted him, Finian looked worried. He suggested that if Eamon didn't hear from Tem in the afternoon, they would go to his house and see if everything was alright. Eamon was worried it would be too late, but he didn't say anything.
Shortly after that, one of the bodyguards came and said they had to go to school. After receiving a hug from his father, Eamon got into the car, and the car drove away. Eamon looked at his cell phone again, but now he wasn't just sitting and waiting for Tem to send a message. Instead, Eamon sat and thought about buying shares in the company Farid worked for, and he had been so focused that he didn't notice that they had arrived at school until Ikumi told him. For the first time since he had woken up, he put away his cell phone and said goodbye to Ikumi when they parted in front of the school building.
The first subject for the day was English, and they had to do a quiz. Even though he was distracted, Eamon got every question right. After the quiz, the next class was Math, and then Eamon actually stopped thinking about Tem. After all, math was Eamon's favourite subject. But right after the lesson was over and it was time for a lunch break, he was so worried that he could barely stand it. He had to see Tem. As soon as possible. So Eamon did something that he had never done before. He decided to skip school. He knew that his fathers wouldn't really be angry about him missing a few classes, but they would be upset if he didn't contact them. But Eamon really didn't want to talk to Finian. He knew that his dadaí would succeed in reassuring him, telling him to wait. But Eamon just couldn't. He needed to see Tem.
However, Eamon didn't want to leave without telling Ikumi because they were supposed to go home together after school. So when it was time for the lunch break, Eamon walked over to the building where Ikumi had her classes and went to the school canteen. When Eamon reached the top of the stairs, he heard loud, angry voices and mocking laughter.
"Your dad was marked by Caoimhe, but he has sex with her dad so he can make an album. And everyone knows you're an omega. You'll probably be a slut just like your dad."
Eamon reacted immediately and rushed to the large hall and yelled:
"What the hell did you say?"
Eamon felt his blood boil, and his voice echoed in the canteen. He got everyone's eyes on him, but he ignored it. All he saw was Ikumi and the students, who were obviously bullying her. Now everyone was quiet.
"I asked what the hell you said about my family."
Eamon glared at them, and when they still didn't answer, he let his gaze wander across the room. All the kids were younger than him, and he could see that they were scared. But Eamon didn't care. Ikumi was his family, and no matter what, he would protect his family.
"If I find out that anyone is talking shit about my family again, we will take action. Understood?"
When still no one answered, he asked once more if they understood, and with trembling little voices, the kids replied that they did. Eamon walked up to Ikumi, took her hand in his, and together they walked out. They met a teacher that was on his way into the school canteen, and the man asked Eamon what he was doing there. Eamons first reaction was to ask him why the hell there weren't any teachers in the canteen, but Eamon chose not to. He didn't have time for that.
"I need to talk to my little sister." He talked in a loud voice so everybody could hear him because that was the truth for Eamon. They hadn't known each other for a long, but that didn't mean anything. Ikumi was his sister now.
When they were alone, Eamon turned to Ikumi and asked her how long the harassment had been going on, and when she answered that it had been a few weeks, Eamons felt a mix of both anger and sadness. He first wanted to ask why she hadn't told them about the bullying, but he didn't. It wouldn't change anything now. But he hated the other kids for doing that to Ikumi. Eamon hugged her hard and asked her to promise that she would talk to him if anything like that happened again, and Ikumi promised.
"What did you want to talk about?" Ikumi asked.
"Tem still hasn't answered. So I'm going to his place now," Eamon said and told her that he would tell his fathers later.
Ikumi thanked him for helping her, and before he went, Eamon ruffled her hair and said that they were family and that no one could mess with them. And with that, Eamon left. He hurried as fast as he could down the stairs, out the building and across the schoolyard, towards the street. There he saw the black car that he and Ikumi had taken to school earlier, and the female bodyguard was standing beside it, smoking a cigarette. Eamon waited until the bodyguard looked the other way before going out into the street and waving down the first taxi he could see. He gave the driver the address of Tem's apartment, and as he sat there in the back seat of the black car, Eamon felt as if he were in an action movie. He had sneaked out of school, passed a guard, and now he was sitting in a taxi, with his heart hammering in his chest. Eamon leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. This wasn't like him at all. He definitely didn't do things like this. Eamon was a smart young man, and he knew that it was his bond with Tem that made him like this. Tem was his omega, and he had to protect him.
Eamon picked up his phone and looked at the photo gallery. He hated having his picture taken, but Tem had once begged Eamon that they should be photographed together. Tem had taken Eamon to his workplace, and in the photo, the shorter man was being tattooed on his foot by a colleague of his. He smiled and did the devil horns with his right hand, and the left arm was around Eamon's shoulders. Eamon had looked like he was at a funeral. Just looking at the photo made Tem laugh so hard that it brought tears to his eyes. Eamon was just happy that he could make Tem smile. Eamon also liked that picture, Tem was so happy and he was so cute. Tem really was a good looking guy.
Eamon sat there in the car and looked at the picture. He looked at Tem, and two emotions filled Eamon. Worry that something had happened Tem and longing. He missed Tem. He missed his smile, and he wanted to hear Tem's laugh and to meet Tem's warm gaze. The dream from the night was still fresh in his memory, and when he saw Tem, there was something new he longed for. Something he didn't dare put into words yet.
After arriving and paying for the ride, Eamon stood in front of the building where Tem lived. He didn't hesitate but ran at full speed up the stairs and knocked on the door. No one opened. He waited, then knocked again and shouted.
"Tem, it's Eamon. Please open the door."
Still, no response, and Eamon was about to take out the key Tem had given him when the door opened. But it wasn't Tem standing on the other side, but a tall man with black hair, a beard and a serious expression on his face. Eamon froze up. He recognized the man immediately. It was Farid. Eamon couldn't say anything. He hadn't been prepared for Farid to be the one to open the door. Eamon hadn't even thought about the possibility for Farid to still be there at all.
"Can I help you with something?" Farid's voice was rough, and he sounded annoyed, but his eyes showed something else. They were tired and filled with grief.
"Is Tem home?" Eamon could hear how young he sounded. He sounded like a baby compared to Farid's dark voice.
"He can't talk right now. You have to come back later."
"But I have to talk to him today. It's important!"
Farid's gaze darkened, and he stared down at Eamon. Eamon wasn't short for being only fourteen years old, but he was shorter than Farid, who was about the same size as Finian.
"As I said, it's not possible now. Tem can call you later. What's your name?"
Eamon began to panic. He couldn't let Farid stop him from seeing Tem. He had to make sure that Tem was alright.
"Tem! Tem! Are you there? It's Eamon!"
At first, Farid looked startled by Eamon's sudden cry, but he recovered quickly and took a threatening step towards Eamon. He was just about to say something when Eamon saw Tem behind Farid. Eamon was so relieved that his legs almost gave way.
"Eamon?" Tem sounded shocked when he said the young man's name.
Farid jerked and turned around.
"Tariq, you must rest! Go to bed again."
But Tem shook his head. He didn't look at Farid. Instead, his gaze was fixed on Eamon.
"Please, Farid, let him in."
Farid frowned when he heard the desperation in Tem's voice and glanced at Eamon, who hadn't let Tem out of his sight. Reluctantly, Farid moved from the doorway, and at the same moment, ran Eamon inside the apartment. He stopped in front of Tem and put his arms around him, and held him tight. Tem didn't return the embrace, but he rested his forehead against Eamon's chest. Immediately feeling at ease.
"Is everything alright? I've been so worried!"
It was quiet for a while. It didn't take long before Tem answered, but for Eamon, it felt like an eternity.
"I'm tired," Tem whispered, closing his eyes.
"Tariq, is this your mate?"
Farid's voice reminded them that they weren't alone, and Tem moved away from Eamon, making the alpha lose his grasp on Tem. Eamon turned around to face Farid. Farid had closed the front door, and now he stood with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at Eamon as if to challenge him to battle. It really annoyed Eamon.
"Yes," was all Tem said. The sad tone in Tem's voice made Eamon jerk, and he glanced anxiously at Tem.
"My God, he's just a kid!"
Eamon didn't say anything because Farid was right. He was just a child, and he had never felt more like one before. A little kid that had no idea what he was doing.
Farid took several steps closer to Eamon. His gaze was hard.
"Tariq has told me everything, and I know this isn't his nor your fault, but I'm sad and angry. And worried. I'm worried that you won't be able to take care of Tariq, that your actions will harm him and make him miserable."
"Farid, please stop," Tem said in a loud voice.
The exhaustion and sadness in Tem's voice made Eamon's heart ache. He didn't want Tem to be unhappy. Eamon wanted to make Tem feel better.
"No, Tem, he needs to hear this."
When Farid looked and spoke to Tem, Eamon saw that Farid's gaze was affectionate and his voice tender. But when he looked at Eamon, his eyes were filled with deep anger, bordering on hatred.
"You're just a child, but you still have to take care of Tariq when his heat comes. You have to help him, to make him feel safe and loved. To help Tariq get relief. Because you are the only one that can do these things because he can't be with anyone else. But there are laws, so you can't yet. And you have to be there for him during all his depressive and manic episodes. You have to see him so sad that it almost breaks your heart, and you have to stop him from doing things that can hurt him just because he can't think clearly. So, do you really think that you can give Tariq everything he needs?"
Eamon just stared at Farid. Sure he knew very little about bipolar disorder and also about the omegas heat. But he would do his best to be there for Tem.
Eamon didn't know what to say to Farid. He just stared at him, making Farid shake his head and sigh like he was fed up with everything.
"You're too young. This will be too much for you to handle."
Eamon still didn't know what to say. Tem was standing close to him, so close that he could feel him tremble, and Eamon glanced at the shorter man. Tem was grey in the face and had dark bags under bloodshot eyes. He looked ill.
While Eamon watched Tem, Farid approached his former fiancé and took him in his arms. His grip on Tem was strong, and Tem's grip was just as hard.
"Even if I can't be your family, I will always be there for you if you need me."
Tem nodded and looked up at the man who had been a part of his life for as long as he could remember.
"Thank you," Tem said in a tender voice.
Farid leaned down and placed a light kiss on Tem's forehead.
"I love you. Never forget that."
He was about to let go of Tem when the omega was suddenly pulled aside. Eamon had put his arm around Tem's waist and held him close. Farid frowned. His gaze was dark, but when he saw Eamon's facial expression, he took a deep breath and looked wide-eyed at the boy instead. Surprised by the big change in Eamon.
Eamon glared at Farid. His eyes were almost the same colour as the rising sun. It was as if the eyes were on fire. Farid got it. Eamon couldn't have made it any more clear. Tem wasn't Farid's anymore. Tem was this boy's, and Farid had no place there. Farid took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was defeated.
"I understand. I'm leaving now."
Then he turned around, and without another word, he left the apartment. The door slammed shut behind him, and stillness filled the apartment. Eamon and Tem stood there for a long time. So long that both lost track of time. Eamon's eyes were green again, and he was calm. Tem's closeness reassured him. And it was the same for Tem. From the moment Eamon had taken him in his arms, he felt safe, and it was as if he could breathe easier. The more time he spent with Eamon, the better he felt. The nausea was completely gone, and the anxiety and depression melted away. But Tem was tired. So tired that he could barely keep his eyes open, and he swayed. Eamon reacted at once. He lifted Tem in his arms, surprising Tem, who gave off a small cry and stared wide-eyed at Eamon. But they didn't say anything. Eamon carefully put Tem on the bed and sat down next to him.
"Sleep," Eamon said, gently stroking Tem's hair.
"But we have to talk."
"We can do that later. Now you just have to rest."
"Promise me you will stay," Tem begged in a pitiful voice, and Eamon nodded with a tender smile on his face.
"I promise."
And he stayed. Eamon crawled into bed and lay there next to the smaller man. It didn't take long before Tem fell asleep. Eamon was unexpectedly calm. The panic he had felt when Farid had talked about everything Eamon had to do, was gone. It had disappeared the moment Farid had hugged Tem and kissed his forehead. Eamon had hated it, and he knew why. He couldn't see Tem in someone else's arms. It was just wrong. Tem was his mate, no one elses. And Eamon didn't care about all the difficulties that Farid had talked about. They didn't exist now. All that mattered was that Tem was there, and Eamon would take care of him. Whatever happens.
When Tem woke up after about an hour, the first thing he saw was Eamon's handsome face. His alpha slept deeply, and he looked calm, like he had no worries in the world. Tem was baffled. It was astonishing how much Eamon affected him. In just a few minutes, Tem immediately felt calmer, at ease. It was incredible how strong the bond between them was.
Tem moved closer to Eamon, so close that he could hear the quiet sound of Eamon's heartbeat. It still hurt a bit when he thought of Farid. Tem had just accepted that his feelings for Farid were much stronger than he had thought, but he was grateful that he had realized it so late. Otherwise, everything would have hurt even more. But his feelings for Eamon were stronger than it was for Farid, and even though he knew that Eamon didn't feel the same about him, Tem was now sure that Eamon wanted him as his mate. Eamon's yellow eyes and defensive attitude towards Farid said it all. And all the doubt and bitterness Tem had felt towards Eamon just a few hours earlier was now gone. He was just happy that Eamon was there.
Eamon slept for a good while, exhausted after the almost sleepless night and the anxiety he had felt all day. But when he woke up, he found himself face to face with Tem smiling at him. It was a gentle smile, but it made Eamon feel warm inside.
"How are you feeling?" Eamon asked.
"Much better. But it's been a rough day."
"I can understand that. Do you want to talk about it?"
Tem shook his head.
"Not right now. I will tell you everything later."
"Are you sad?"
Tem heard the anxiety in Eamon's voice.
'Such a sweetheart,' Tem thought and put his hand on Eamon's cheek.
"Yeah, I'm sad. But it's going to get better. I'm sure of that."
Eamon leaned into the hand, and his warm gaze made Tems heart hammer in his chest. Eamon then took a deep breath as if preparing for something.
"I know I'm young and immature when it comes to certain things. But I know that I want to be with you, Tem."
Tem didn't move nor say anything. He just stared at the nervous boy.
'He wants to be with me!'
Those words, those wonderful words, made Tem feel like he would float away until he realized that Eamon probably didn't mean the same thing as he did.
"Tem?" Eamon looked at him anxiously.
"I want to be with you too, Eamon." Tem tried to sound happy, but the fact was that he wanted to cry. Being constantly tossed between hope and despair was exhausting.
Eamon noticed that Tem tried to sound happy, but he wasn't. And Eamon hated it. He wanted Tem to always be happy. Okay, it wasn't possible to always be happy, but at least he didn't want to be the one who made Tem sad. Eamon thought about what he had said, and he knew that Tem hadn't understood that Eamon was serious. He sat up in the bed and looked at Tem with a serious gaze. Making Tem feel nervous just by looking at him.
"I'm not good at this. Honestly, I suck at talking about feelings and stuff. But I'm going to do it anyway. Because I don't think you understand how I feel. Tem, I can't stop thinking about you, and when you didn't respond to any of my messages, I panicked. I haven't been able to sleep, and I left school early because I was so worried. And then when I saw you, I was so happy that you weren't hurt, but then Farid was here, and he talked about you like you were his, and he touched you. And I got so angry. I can't explain it, but it wasn't right. He isn't allowed to touch you like that. But when I touched you, I became warm inside and calm. All worries that I felt just disappeared. And I don't know if it's all because we have this bond. But I love to be with you. We have so much fun together, and it's relaxing. And I want to be with you all the time. And when I see you, it makes me excited. And you're so cute. No, not just cute, you're beautiful. So bloody beautiful. And I want to touch you. Damn, this is so embarrassing!" Eamon cried out and threw himself face down on the bed and hid his head under the pillow.
Eamon had spoken so fast that Tem barely kept up, but he had heard everything. Shocked, he sat wordless, looking down at Eamon and at Eamon's bright red ears. He sat like that for a long time, trying to find the right words, but it was hard. Eamon had said everything Tem wanted to hear, but it felt too good to be true.
"I don't understand. Do you like me?" Tem managed to say.
He knew it sounded stupid. Eamon had, despite his rambling, been clear on what he meant. But Tem wanted to hear it again.
Eamon looked up, his cheeks blazing red. Tem could see that he was nervous. Eamon tried to gather courage, and finally, it was like he couldn't keep it to himself anymore. Eamon grabbed Tem's shoulders and looked him deep in the eyes.
"I'm in love with you!" Eamon almost shouted out the words.
"For real?"
"Yeah, really!"
It took two seconds. Two seconds before, Tem threw himself around Eamon's neck and held him so tightly as if he was afraid that Eamon would disappear.
"I love you too, Eamon."
It took the young man completely by surprise over how incredibly happy he was when he heard those words from Tem. It felt like he was going to explode with all that happiness he felt. How could he ever have thought he could never feel this way for Tem? He surely had been in denial! Because it felt so right as if it had always been meant to be like this, long before they even met. Eamon grabbed Tem's shoulders and pulled him to him, and hugged him so hard that Tem lost his breath for a moment. But Tem didn't mind. He loved that hug, and he loved Eamon's smile. Hell, he loved absolutely everything about Eamon.
There they sat for a good while. The room was filled with the scent of the pairs of pheromones. It was their scent that no one else but them could sense. Their pheromones were perfectly fused together and became something new.
Holding Tem in his arms had Eamon remember the dream he had. He wanted to kiss Tem. The omega saw the longing in Eamon's eyes, and it was a longing he also felt. But as Eamon slowly brought his face closer, Tem put his hand over Eamon's mouth and with a tender smile, he shook his head.
"We can't, darling. You're not sixteen years old yet."
Eamon looked at Tem with wide eyes. He never thought his age would matter if they could kiss or not.
"But we are bonded! We have already had sex!" Eamon sounded so frustrated that Tem couldn't help but laugh a little.
"I know, but we still have to wait. It's only one year."
Eamon looked grumpy, a facial expression that Tem had never thought he would see in Eamon. He even pouted.
"You are so sweet, and I love you so much," Tem said and rested his head on Eamons shoulder.
Eamon turned his head and dared to kiss Tem's forehead.
"I love you too. My Tem."