— A-Ah that hurts! — Guilherme complained with a grimace.
— Stay still, or it'll sting even more.
It was your fault.
If he'd stayed in the gym and watched the training session, Guilherme wouldn't be injured. If you'd ignored the conversation between Jake and Matheus, if you hadn't got angry...
Haa... Why did he get angry in the first place?
Just because Jake hadn't replied? He didn't expect anything from him, so why would he be angry that the alpha hadn't replied? What did he expect? A proposal? That they'd start going out just for a moment?
Two men walking down the street holding hands? Of course that would never happen.
Well... Now they were going to have something. Only nothing too serious. Nathaniel couldn't discern how he felt about it. A chill ran through his stomach as he looked forward to finding out what it would be like the next time he saw Jake, but at the same time he was afraid that nothing would change.
Jake had kissed him twice... Nathaniel had never felt so bewitched by someone before. Since the accident, he had accepted his fate as a bachelor. He'd even considered starting to look after kittens. No one would kiss someone with a face as scary as his.
Until Jake proved otherwise.
The conversation between the alphas reminded Nathaniel that there was no point in dreaming about Jake. It was a miracle that they were going out, but it would be stupid of him to expect anything more. There would come a time when the alpha would meet someone else, someone handsome enough to suit him.
Then Nathaniel would be left on the sidelines.
It was best not to get his hopes up.
Before it was too late.
— Hein, Nath, why are you sniffing Jake's pheromones?
— Because he used them on me.
— What? Why? — Guilherme exclaimed, then grimaced again — Did he try to avoid that?
— That?
—Yeah, what happened at the restaurant.
— Maybe.
Guilherme stared at his brother curiously, afraid to continue the conversation. The door to the living room opened, showing the couple coming in from shopping. Mental preparation for his mother's wave of concern... Nathaniel sighed, rolling up the bloodstained cotton wool and putting it aside. When they saw Nathaniel tending to Guilherme's wound, the woman ran out.
— What happened to you? Why is Guilherme hurt?
— Ah, Mum... Actually, some guys turned up at the college to cause trouble. You know how it is...
— I don't like this story. Are you having problems at university? Getting involved with the wrong people?
Guilherme glanced at Nathaniel, who didn't say anything. What could he say to her? The most his mum would do would be to go to the college and make a fuss. After all, someone would mention the rumours about him.
The wrong person at the college was precisely her eldest son, at least that's what the rumours said. If his mother found out about the rumours going around about Nathaniel, she would certainly have a meltdown.
It was wiser to keep quiet or change the subject.
— Come on, Mum! Not at all, Mum. The captain of my team even protected me and...
— Ah — Nathaniel intervened, looking at his mum and stepdad — I woke up like an omega.
Blinking dazedly, the three of them completely abandoned the subject of the fight.
It worked.
— What?
— What do you mean? Nath... Wait, what?
— When?
Putting some ointment on the tip of his finger, Nathaniel spread it on his brother's wound, continuing to distract his mother.
— Lately I've been sensing other people's pheromones, and Jake said I was emitting them too, so he recommended I see a doctor.
— Jake? — His stepfather asked in surprise — Your new friend?
— Wait, but I didn't feel any pheromones coming from you, Nath!
— Was that because of the day he covered you in his pheromones?
Immediately Guilherme covered his mouth as if he had let slip a big secret. The look he received from his parents certainly made him regret having told them.
Not that Nathaniel minded.
Tidying up the first-aid box as soon as he had put the band-aid on his brother's face, Nathaniel sighed as if the conversation didn't bother him.
— Well, Dr. Priscilla said that he was responsible for waking me up. So we talked and agreed to help each other.
— Wait a minute, young man. You can tell this story straight.
Arabella, the boys' mother, got the three men to take the shopping out of the car and into the kitchen while Nathaniel told them what had happened. Nathaniel, obviously, left out the intimacy he'd had with Jake at the farm, but only made it clear that the alpha never overstepped the mark and always looked after himself.
Thanks to Guilherme being present for some of these moments, Jake wasn't labelled a shameless alpha by his parents. For them, Jake Mckenzie was just an alpha who used his pheromones to calm Nathaniel down and help him avoid further trouble.
Although Nathaniel was still slightly afraid that his mother would create a scandal because of him. In the end, had he failed in his mission to distract her?
— And it took a friend of his to ask him to see a doctor? Incredible! When I ask you to go for a check-up, I have to force you, don't I?
— Darling, at least he went. And everything's fine, isn't it?
Nathaniel nodded.
— Did she say anything else?
His mother's serious look made it clear what she was talking about. The omega calmly took the shopping out of the bag.
— I'm fine. My late blooming hasn't affected the heart.
— Your heart — the woman emphasised — Even so, if you're going to start hormone treatment, you need to take care of yourself.
— So that's why you two disappeared this afternoon? The coach was furious that Jake had missed training.
— Is he on the team too? — Arabella asked suspiciously.
— Yes! Jake's helping me with training, and the coach even praised me for it!
— I'm curious, has he ever seen you without a mask?
— Yes — replied the omega simply.
Perhaps his lack of enthusiasm for telling the details wouldn't make his parents believe that story. And it wouldn't be necessary, since his younger brother reflected the excitement of chattering about the alpha.
— Actually, when we were having dinner at the farm, everyone was really shocked when Nath took off his mask. But then Jake got really pissed off...
— Look at his mouth! — Mum scolded.
— I'm sorry! I meant that he got really angry and gave the whole team a big lecture...
That's right, Jake defended him in front of the whole team. At the time, Nathaniel didn't think much of it as he was going through his first rut, but he had to admit that Jake did something surprising.
Usually nobody cared how he was treated because of his scar. People whispered in front of him pretending it was no big deal. Perhaps they thought that if it was true, he shouldn't be bothered. It was the first time anyone had defended him so readily.
As expected, Jake was a stranger.
But a stranger in a good way.
Leaving the rest of the conversation aside, Nathaniel remained silent, helping his stepfather put the shopping away.
It was all very well for him to be peppered with questions about his late blooming, but at least it would take all his mum's worry away from him and leave Guilherme free. A fight between teams was normal, and Nathaniel had failed to protect his brother. That would be more upsetting than his awakening.
— Nathaniel, bring your boyfriend to lunch with us on Saturday.
Stopping to guard, Nathaniel looked at his mother in surprise.
— He's not my boyfriend...
— But you like him, don't you?
Blinking dazedly, Nathaniel didn't know what to answer.
It was a trap, wasn't it? Mums always had clever questions that trapped their children in a web of contradictions to uncover the lies. He never talked about relationships with his mum, which made it a very awkward subject to broach.
Would she be angry if she found out that Nathaniel had kissed another guy?
— He's my friend. And I think he must work on weekends.
— What does he work with? — Her stepfather asked.
— Jake is a waiter in a restaurant — Guilherme replied — The snacks there are good, too.
— Good, that's settled. Saturday we'll go out for lunch. We'll meet Nathaniel's boyfriend.
— He's not my boyfriend... haa, never mind.
HIs mum was stubborn when it came to her children. Caring to the extreme.
Soon after the shopping was done, Nathaniel helped his mum prepare dinner and everyone gathered in the living room to watch the soap opera and then Big Brother Brasil. At least the family's routine was not altered by Nathaniel's revelation.
He had expected his mum to pepper him with questions until she found out that Jake and he had done things that were... inappropriate. Inappropriate things. She would probably freak out if she found out that they weren't in a serious relationship.
But that was something even Nathaniel had no control over.
I mean... It wasn't up to him.
After watching the programme, everyone went to their rooms to sleep. However, the omega was too agitated to close his eyes and rest. It wouldn't do any good, knowing that his nightmares would wake him up in two hours.
While he waited for his computer to switch on, Nathaniel thought about Jake.
Why had Jake asked him out?
Nathaniel was anxious. To have someone's attention, but in a caring way... how long had it been since he'd felt this anxious? At the same time as it felt good, it also felt dangerous. He could die of the heart at any moment just from longing to see the alpha again.
As soon as the computer switched on, Nathaniel opened Orkut as usual. He only intended to look at a few communities, read something interesting and then study a little. To his surprise, a window opened at the same moment.
And to make his heart pound, it was Jake.
"Jake Mckenzie: What are you doing up so late?"
— I'll say the same — Nathaniel mumbled, pondering what to say.
As expected. Just seeing his chat glow orange and reading Jake's name flashing on the screen was enough to give him butterflies in his stomach. He wanted to reply promptly, to keep talking until they got tired of each other, but at the same time he didn't want to seem desperate.
If he answered too soon, Jake would think Nathaniel was waiting for him. So he took a deep breath, waited a few seconds and then replied.
"Me: Not sleepy. And you?
Jake Mckenzie: Doing a job I forgot about =D"
Letting out a low laugh, Nathaniel leaned on his face, enjoying the conversation with Jake.
Could it be that, like him, the alpha was sitting in front of his computer in his pyjamas? He said he was doing work, so his desk would probably be cluttered with books.
Every time he saw Jake, he was very tidy. People were more at ease when they were at home, and that made Nathaniel's imagination soar.
He wanted to know. He really wanted to know how Jake looked when he was at home, relaxed.
"Jake Mckenzie: Did you feel anything strange today? That guy was there, so I was worried he was using pheromones.
Me: I'm fine, nothing happened.
Me: Ah...
Jake Mckenzie: What?
Me: Are you working this weekend?
Jake Mckenzie: Hm... Why, are you up to something?
Me: I need to know before I make any plans.
Jake Mckenzie: I'll open anything for you, my diary, my legs..."
Nathaniel covered the computer screen with his hands, feeling his face burn.
— What the... What the hell?
How could he be so shameless? After what happened at the cottage, Jake had turned out to be... Naughty? Nathaniel didn't even know how to deal with that side of the alpha. The worst thing was that he spoke so naturally that he seemed to mean it.
Like... Would Jake really be turned on by the fight that happened in college? He'd rushed off so fast that he didn't even want to touch the subject for fear of finding out the truth. Not to mention that the way Jake touched him was proof that he was ready for something more.
Jake's hands were strong, and that night by the pool, Nathaniel was surprised by the sensation he felt when Jake's thumb caressed his chest. It was something so secret and exciting, he would never forget it.
Just remembering it made him feel those sensations again.
And that would make him hard...
The chat room beeped with new messages. Through his fingers, he scrutinised the messages. If he saw anything embarrassing again, he would continue to ignore it. To his relief, it was nothing of the sort.
"Jake Mckenzie: The last message was from Matheus, ignore it.
Jake Mckenzie: I swear it was him."
Ah, Matheus had commented earlier that he and Jake lived together. What a shower of cold water for his puritanical thoughts.
— Two men living alone... I feel strange about it.
They didn't really go together, but it was strange trying to imagine Matheus as relaxed as Jake. For some reason, it disturbed the relaxed image Nathaniel had built up of the alpha.
"Me: All right.
Jake Mckenzie: You didn't really think it was me, did you? I don't talk like that!
Me: I know
Jake Mckenzie: I'm not that shameless!
Me: Are you?
Jake Mckencie: ...
Jake Mckenzie: Not so openly, anyway."
How could he be so spontaneous? I mean, Jake spoke so naturally that it was enviable. Although he was embarrassed to read it, it wasn't uncomfortable given the nature of their relationship.
That kind of intimacy was expected now, wasn't it?
Maybe he should loosen up a bit too? Although he'd never tried to talk rubbish like that...
"Jake Mckenzie: But to answer you, I have to work on Saturday and Sunday. Movement days.
Me: Got it.
Me: Is it okay if I come round for lunch?
Jake McKenzie: Sure. Would you like me to reserve a table for you?"
So thoughtful.
Nathaniel felt his chest tighten at the sight of such kindness. Ever since they'd had coffee, Jake had been concerned about this detail. Apart from his family, that was a hard thing to come by.
Could it be that Jake was delusional?
"Me: All right, I'll tag along."
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to introduce Jake to his family. After all, it was for his own good. If anything happened to Nathaniel, the alpha would know who to call. Of course, Jake knew Guilherme and everything, but the beta wouldn't always be with them.
In any case, Jake was someone so charismatic and caring that he would certainly put his mum and stepdad at ease about his late bloomer.
Jake was slow to reply. Nathaniel stared at the computer screen for a long time, waiting for an answer.
"Jake Mckenzie: With whom?
Me: I told my mum and stepdad about my blossoming, and I also told them about you.
Me: Today she told me we're having lunch at the restaurant where you work, so she can get to know you.
Jake Mckenzie: ... O.O
Jake Mckenzie: Holy shit
Jake Mckenzie: Wait... you told her what happened at the farm?"
Was he desperate?
That's interesting.
Unfortunately Nathaniel didn't know how to provoke Jake enough to make him even more desperate. He needed social interaction.
"Me: If it's a problem, I can tell her to leave it for another day
Jake Mckenzie: I'm just a bit anxious.
Jake Mckenzie: Do I need her blessing to call her mother-in-law?"
— Is he on drugs, by any chance? — Nathaniel asked with a frown.
"Me: No.
Me: She just wants to meet the guy who's going to help me deal with the pheromones.
Jake Mckenzie: So you didn't tell her about us?
Me: You want me to tell my mum that you're the guy who jerks me off to calm the sudden heat?
Jake Mckenzie: ...
Jake Mckenzie: No, it's cool :x"
Stifling a laugh, Nathaniel enjoyed the new sensation. Talking to someone so close after midnight was unheard of. Another achievement for Jake, who was making this new omega experience a new world.
Relaxing in his chair, Nathaniel stared at Jake's profile picture.
To have such a handsome and popular guy paying attention to him... Was it a delusion or a dream of his? It couldn't be. His body remembered Jake's kiss and hug, as well as his smell.
He wanted to hold him.
Reaching out to touch the screen, he couldn't quell the sudden urge to touch Jake, Nathaniel wondered if it was also his pheromones.