Andem took a few tablets, just to be safe. He needed a clear head.
By the time he got himself cleaned up and decided to brave a public appearance, it was to an empty house with a note placed on top of a food set, informing him and Chima that Eteli and Nsemeke had gone to the main compound. Their dinner would be delivered later.
There was nothing on the note about Andem grabbing Nsemeke or about his horrible manners. Not only had Andem used the alpha voice on Nsemeke, but there was also the fact that it was Nsemeke, to begin with. Nsemeke, who no one was supposed to go near. Nsemeke lived in Eteli's home, not in the dorms like the rest of them.
Eteli's pet.
Andem was so fucked if Nsemeke told anyone what had happened. He put down the note just as the door next to the kitchen swung open and Chima emerged, looking like a piece of soiled paper that had been squeezed up, dragged through mud, and then put through a shredder.
His eyes were sunken, and his skin was pale. His nose was covered in blisters and bits of tissue. For some unlucky people, ruts and heats came with a cold. He was still wearing the shirt he'd worn to get to Eteli's house. He smelled of cum and sweat and it was a horrible way to smell to another alpha but Andem tried to ignore it because he felt guilty that he didn't feel or look as bad. He was also responsible for Chima's rut, seeing as he'd triggered it. With Chima's anger about Andem not setting his calendar, it was obvious that this was not when Chima had expected to be going into a rut himself, which meant that this was Andem's fault.
He'd done this to Chima.
"Can I have some water?" Chima asked, voice rough and scratchy as he sniffled into the tissue in his hand.
Andem went to the fridge and returned with a bottle that he opened and handed to Chima who downed the entire thing in one breath. He slammed the bottle down, breathing heavily before he pushed himself into the seat opposite Andem at the kitchen island with the food between them.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
He looked at Andem and sneered.
"How come you don't look like shit?"
Andem was about to reply when he remembered the suppressants. Without answering, he ran to Nsemeke's room and came back with the jar that he set in front of Chima.
"You got all the good stuff," Chima said, opening the jar of Supplimax and throwing three into his mouth.
"You're supposed to take one," Andem chided.
"How many did you take?"
Andem was sure the guilt on his face answered the question well enough for him.
"You'll be fine soon," Andem said, opening the food up.
"I'd be better if I had myself a rut-buddy like you."
He had it better than Chima: now he knew. He'd spent the night in less pain because of the suppressants, while he'd pushed Chima into a rut that Chima wasn't expecting. If Andem was any kind of decent, he'd offer up the rut-buddy. But were they supposed to even share? What was the etiquette for the situation exactly?
"I could wash it for you," Andem offered as he laid out the take-out egusi soup and eba for both of them on the table.
"Wash what?" Chima said, taking some food for himself.
"The rut-buddy."
Chima paused, fingers poised over the garri wrap he was trying to unravel to eat, as he looked up at Andem.
"Seriously?" Chima asked, unable to hide the hopefulness in his voice.
Andem nodded.
"If you want to," Chima said, recovering nonchalantly as he shrugged his shoulders.
That evening, while Andem sat in the parlor, taking Supplimax like popcorn and watching TV, it was to the background music of Chima going at it with the rut-buddy. It was like he was never going to stop and when Andem looked at his watch and noticed that Chima had been continuously getting off for almost five hours, he began to wonder why his own rut was so boring. Then he looked down at the jar of tablets in his hand, in awe. He knew Supplimax was strong, but he'd never thought it was strong enough to dull the effects of a rut this much.
While he was contemplating a permanent relationship with a jar of hormone inhibitors, the house door made a tiny "ding" sound as it opened and Nsemeke entered, carrying packs of food, slamming the door shut with his butt. When his eyes found Andem sitting in front of the TV, he quickly averted his gaze, moving away from him and the couch as he made his way to the kitchen.
Andem got up and followed Nsemeke into the kitchen. He waited by the door as Nsemeke hurriedly set out the plates and arranged the food for Andem and Chima as he'd obviously done in the morning.
"I'm sorry about this morning."
"It's no problem," Nsemeke said, still avoiding his eyes. "It's the rut. You're an alpha. I get it."
"That's no excuse. I shouldn't have done that."
"It's fine," he said. "Let's just forget about it."
Andem didn't think it was something they could both just forget, but if Nsemeke was asking to let it go, then Andem couldn't keep poking at it and worsening the situation.
"Thanks for the tablets though." Andem rattled the jar and Nsemeke looked up at the almost half-empty jar.
"You're supposed to take one at every meal," Nsemeke said, eyes going wide as he stretched around and snatched it from Andem's hand. "Do you have any idea how much these cost?"
"I'm… I'm sorry," Andem said, feeling like an ungrateful idiot and a careless fool. "I didn't know."
He could tell Nsemeke was mad and still had very much to say but either because Andem was an alpha or Nsemeke was still wary of him, Nsemeke was obviously holding back and a little too anxious to voice his opinions.
Angling his body away, Nsemeke passed by Andem on his way out of the kitchen, heading to his bedroom. Remembering what he'd done there, the night before, Andem went in after him. As he entered, the door to the bathroom closed, hiding Nsemeke from Andem's view. Andem switched off the AC and opened the windows to air the place out. He grabbed his bag and shoved the clothes he'd worn before, into the bag, before he sprayed a bit of his body spray around.
When he was done getting rid of his mess, he realized that the room was still in a horrible state. Because Nsemeke's shoes were everywhere, along with his clothes. Deciding to be helpful, he bent to pick up Nsemeke's clothes, just as Romti opened the door and emerged from the bathroom.
Looking like a creep who was rifling through Nsemeke's clothes, he smiled. "I was just trying to help."
Frowning at him, Nsemeke unplugged his phone charger and walked out of the room, leaving Andem reeling from shame. Because, for all the dreams he'd had about meeting Nsemeke again, Andem could not believe the picture he was painting of himself.
If anything, he'd rather Nsemeke forgot about him, than remember him as the forceful alpha who kept creeping around Nsemeke's room like he didn't understand a single thing about boundaries.