Avery drove us back to the apartment in silence. I tried striking up a conversation—asking him what he thought about the events of the day or what he wanted to do tomorrow—but he didn't respond. It wasn't that he was ignoring me. It was more like he didn't hear me at all, lost in whatever thoughts were running wild in his mind. I gave up after a while, leaning back in my seat and letting my thoughts wander.
So, I'm actually… dominant, huh?
The word felt foreign, like trying on a new shirt that didn't quite fit yet. I didn't feel different—not physically, anyway. My rut might come more frequently now, and my pheromones might be stronger, but beyond that? I didn't know what it was supposed to change. If anything, I just felt more at ease with myself, like something that had been out of place finally clicked.
I glanced over at Avery, his jaw tight as he stared at the road ahead. The thought of him pulled me into daydreams about our future together. Would he want kids?
I wanted them. I wanted little versions of him running around—a house filled with laughter, warmth, and Avery's gentle touch guiding our family. Maybe two boys and a girl. The boys could take after his adventurous spirit, and the girl… she could be our little princess, adored and protected by all of us. But then again, maybe the boys would be the quiet, artistic ones, and she'd be the one keeping us on our toes.
A soft laugh escaped me at the thought, but my daydreams quickly spiraled. Male omegas had a harder time with pregnancy, and Avery would need time to recover between children. Would he even want to put himself through that? Would we even make it that far?
My chest tightened. These thoughts felt so far away, like trying to grab hold of smoke.
"Haa… huuh… Kai." Avery's breathy voice jolted me out of my thoughts. "Try to control your pheromones a little better, please. We're almost home."
I blinked, realizing I'd been staring at him this whole time. His cheeks were flushed, and his breaths came shallow and uneven. I hadn't even noticed I was releasing pheromones.
The doctor's words echoed in my mind. Your pheromones will be stronger now.
I slowly reined them in, though the effort felt strange, almost unnatural. I hadn't even released that much—at least, it didn't feel like I had—but Avery was already reacting so strongly. His soft gasp and the slight moan that escaped his lips sent a thrill through me. My mind wandered again.
What would he look like beneath me, completely surrounded by my scent? Would he get desperate, his expression raw and unguarded?
I felt heat rise within me, and before I could stop myself, I began releasing my pheromones again. Avery let out a small sound of frustration, snapping me back to reality.
This… this is going to take some getting used to.
Avery parked the car in silence, and we walked up the stairs to the apartment. Aside from asking me to stop in the car, he hadn't said a word. His quiet felt heavier now, like a storm cloud hanging over us.
Once inside, he turned away from me, and I hesitated, unsure of what to say. My instincts screamed at me to comfort him, but I didn't want to push too hard. His emotions bled into mine—pain, anger, sadness—all swirling in a way that made my chest ache. Was I feeling this more because of my dominance?
"Why aren't you angry?"
The question hit me like a slap, and I froze.
"What?"
Avery turned to face me, his tear-streaked face breaking something deep inside me. His shirt was stained from the tears he'd tried to wipe away, and his voice cracked with the weight of everything he was holding back.
"You went through all of that as a child—treated like garbage as a teenager. Your own mother still uses you like an ATM. They did all of that because you weren't dominant. But you are. How can that not make you angry all over again?"
I stepped forward and pulled him into my arms, holding him tightly as he trembled.
"That was just the life I grew up knowing," I said softly. "I'm happy you're angry on my behalf, but I don't have to deal with it anymore. Besides, if they'd known I was dominant all along, sure, they might have treated me better. My family might've been a happy one, my childhood full of laughter instead of pain. But…"
I pulled back just enough to meet his eyes.
"I wouldn't have seen who they truly are. And if my life had been different, maybe I never would have met you. So, while I might still have to work to move on, I wouldn't change a thing. Not if it means losing what I have now."
Avery stared at me, his lip trembling as the tension melted from his body. Slowly, he leaned into me, resting his head against my chest.
"It's almost 3 a.m.," I murmured. "Do you want something light to eat before bed? It's been a long day."
He nodded against my chest, and I couldn't help but chuckle. He looked like he was pouting, his cheeks puffed slightly as though he was still trying to be upset for me. It was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen.
Despite a brief disagreement about who should cook, I won in the end. He insisted on doing it since I'd just come home from the hospital, but it felt good to move around. I sent him off to take a bath while I prepared a small fruit and cheese platter. It didn't take long, and when I was done, I hopped in the shower.
Avery was still in the bath when I started undressing. His eyes followed me, glued to every movement, and heat rose in my chest under his gaze.
His pheromones drifted into the shower like a seductive tide, brushing against my skin with deliberate intent. They seemed almost sentient, caressing my spine and teasing the edges of my composure. My fists clenched at the tiles as I forced myself to focus on rinsing the soap from my body.
"A-Avery," I called, my voice barely steady. "It's not that I don't want to… I just think we should wait a couple of days."
"Hmph!"
The sound made me whirl around, soap suds trailing from my hair. Avery sat in the bathtub, his nose and mouth submerged as he blew sulky bubbles in the water. His narrowed eyes glared at me, his eyebrows scrunched in adorable defiance.
How could he act so cute while being so impossibly frustrating?
"Believe me, I want to," I said firmly, though my resolve wavered under his sharp gaze. "I just think it'd be better if my pheromones settle a bit first. Let's eat something and rest, yeah? No need to pout."
He climbed out of the bathtub with a pointed huff, grabbing a towel only for his hair. Water cascaded off his bare body as he stalked out, his lingering glare leaving a trail of heat in its wake.
I sighed, rubbing a hand down my face. "What am I going to do with him?"
When I walked into the kitchen, still toweling off, I froze. Avery sat atop the table, still completely nude, plucking strawberries and grapes from the platter with the air of a spoiled prince.
"If you didn't want to," he began, voice sharp as the edge of a blade, "then what was that in the car, huh? Do you like being a tease, Kai? Did you enjoy watching me squirm?"
Oh no. This wasn't a ravenous fox. This was an angry chipmunk, cheeks puffed as he shoved fruit in his mouth mid-tirade.
"Hahahaha!" I couldn't help it; the laughter erupted. "Avery, you are just so—so fucking cute!"
"Cute?! Is this funny to you?" His eyes narrowed as his hand darted to the platter. A cold, wet sensation smacked against my chest.
"Did you just—"
He sat there, smugly triumphant.
"That was a grape."
I reached for a pillow on the couch, waving it menacingly. "Oh, you want to play that game, do you?"
Another berry struck my forehead.
In seconds, we were locked in a war of thrown fruit and fluffy projectiles, dodging and chasing each other through the apartment. Laughter bounced off the walls, blending with Avery's breathless giggles and my own.
When we finally collapsed on the bed, the truce felt well-earned.
"God, I fucking love you." The words tumbled out before I could stop them.
Avery stilled, his wide eyes turning to me.
"I love you too," he said softly, voice trembling. "I love you so much, Kai."
Our bodies tangled together, his hand tracing lazy patterns on my chest. My resolve to wait felt like the world's cruelest joke.
"Hey, Kai," he murmured, his voice dreamy yet curious. "What were you thinking about in the car earlier? You seemed… lost in thought."
"Oh, um…" I hesitated. "Nothing much. Just us. Our future."
He tilted his head, lips quirking into a half-smile. "Our future, huh? What about it?"
"Well…" I swallowed, nerves coiling. "I was thinking about kids. If you want them, of course. I mean, I do, but only if you do. I'd never—"
"Kai," he interrupted with a gentle laugh, pressing his palm against my chest. "Relax. That makes me happy. I'd love to have kids with you. Just… maybe not right now. Let's tell my family first, okay?"
Relief and joy surged through me in equal measure. "Yeah. Of course. Whenever you're ready."
Just like that we drifted to sleep, lazily holding each other, exhausted from the day's events.
In the dream, Avery's voice was the first thing I heard, sweet and eager.
"Kai, I'm so hungry. When do you want to eat?"
"We can eat whenever you want to," I replied with a chuckle. "If you're hungry, let's have something right now. What would you like?"
Avery's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Hmmm, I don't know. Something with pineapple. A lot of it. Maybe a pineapple pizza, or some barbecue burgers with pineapple, or grilled pineapple… I just really want pineapple."
"Pineapple… on pizza?" I asked, horrified. "There's no way I'm eating that calamity of a dish."
He pouted, his lips forming an exaggerated frown. "PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA IS NORMAL!!! Do you hate it that much?"
"No, no, it's just… not really my thing." I relented, trying to soften the blow. "How about we order two pizzas? You can get whatever you want on yours."
His expression instantly shifted, his face lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning. I couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm, though a nagging sense of confusion lingered in the back of my mind. Avery had never shown a particular fondness for pineapple before. It wasn't something he avoided, but it had never been a craving, either. Why the sudden obsession?
I pulled out my phone to place the order while he stared at me, unblinking, like he might disintegrate me with his gaze if I got his request wrong. Feeling oddly self-conscious, I repeated his exact wish to the pizzeria: "A large cheese pizza with pepperoni and extra, extra pineapple."
When I turned back, Avery was already seated at the table, practically vibrating with anticipation. He looked like he might start drooling any second, his eyes glued to the door as if sheer willpower could make the delivery faster.
By the time the pizza arrived, I barely had the chance to set the box down before he attacked it. For such a tiny person, he devoured the entire pie in record time, like he hadn't eaten in days.
"Are you not going to eat, Kai?" he asked, licking pineapple juice from his fingers.
"Oh, yeah… I'm just impressed with how fast you inhaled that pizza. You must have really been hungry."
"Yeah, I was. Thank you for the meal!" He beamed at me, glowing with satisfaction, his hand rubbing his slightly bloated stomach. The sheer joy on his face made me laugh despite myself. Damn, he must have really been craving that.
But then, as I watched him smile, the scene began to blur at the edges, dissolving like fog under sunlight.
I jolted awake, blinking as my surroundings came into focus. My heart still thumped in my chest, the vividness of the dream clinging to me like a shadow. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, the faint smell of pineapple lingering in my mind.
As I glanced around, movement in the corner caught my attention. Avery was standing in the kitchen, carefully unpacking groceries. His damp hair clung to his face, and his oversized shirt hung off one shoulder as he hummed to himself.
Then I saw it. The sheer amount of pineapple he was stacking on the counter—two whole fruits and several cans—made my stomach drop.
"Oh, did I wake you?" he asked, noticing me. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to grab a few things while you slept."
"N-no, it's fine," I stammered, still staring at the pineapple. "What… what did you buy?"
"Nothing much," he replied nonchalantly. "Just some milk, eggs, bacon, and, um… pineapple. I don't know why, but I woke up craving it like crazy."
I swallowed hard, the memory of the dream flashing vividly in my mind. Coincidence? Or something more?
"Kai, are you okay?" Avery asked, tilting his head curiously.
I forced a smile. "Yeah… just waking up, that's all."
But as I watched him slice into one of the pineapples with a contented sigh, I couldn't help but wonder.