Pheromones?
"Alright, I'll wait for you to come back."
Ethan lowered his gaze, focusing on Noah's smooth omega nape, where a familiar brown pheromone patch was affixed.
Beneath it, the small glands pulsed slightly, and when in heat, they would throb visibly, coloring that delicate skin with a soft, flushed pink.
Noah could feel Ethan's warm breath against his neck, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin.
Then, his glands and Ethan's lips came into gentle contact through the pheromone patch, as thin as it was, almost indistinguishable from a direct kiss on the skin itself.
"I'll video call you tonight," Ethan murmured.
"Mm, I'll be waiting," Noah replied, his voice soft.
By the time Noah returned home in the evening, the living room was pitch black. He hesitated for a moment before flipping the light switch.
Looking at his phone, Noah saw that Ethan had a dinner gathering, so the video call would probably be delayed.
Staring at the neat, clean living room, Noah stubbornly went over every corner again, tidying up once more.
When he was finished, he grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the fridge, unscrewing the cap but not drinking it. Instead, he held it close to his nose, inhaling deeply.
It smelled like Ethan, yet… not quite. The orange scent was familiar, but it didn't quite soothe his nerves.
Suddenly, he remembered what Ethan had said earlier—he promised to let Ethan smell his pheromones when he returned.
Noah peeled off the pheromone patch but found no scent.
He tried different methods, even referencing martial arts techniques he had seen in movies, but there was no reaction from his glands.
On a whim, he searched online, but found little helpful information. It seemed like everyone else had this ability instinctively, without needing to figure it out.
"Emma, are you busy?"
"No, Noah, what's up?"
Noah couldn't shake the feeling that Emma sounded a little off, like her energy was lower than usual.
"Well, I wanted to ask… how do you usually control your pheromones?"
"Why? Has something happened recently?" Emma sounded concerned. She nudged her head away from where it had been resting. "It's pretty obvious—you're experiencing pheromone depletion. You need to see a doctor."
Noah hesitated. Should he tell Emma that, at 29, he had only just entered his first heat?
"I can ask—what does it feel like to manipulate pheromones?"
"It's like your hand," Emma replied. "When you want to open it, you open it. When you want to make a fist, you make a fist. It's like that."
"Why don't you come with me tomorrow morning to see a doctor?"
Emma knew that Noah had few friends in City A, and probably no other omega among them.
Noah knew that, despite his verbal refusal, Emma might just show up at his place anyway, ready to drag him to the hospital.
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," Noah said quickly, ending the call.
He moved to the window to catch some light, adjusting his hair through his phone's reflection.
"How's your day going?" Noah asked, glancing at Ethan in his sharp suit. "You haven't returned yet?"
"Yeah, once this is done, I couldn't wait to call you."
In the car, Sam, acting as Ethan's driver, glanced at the rearview mirror. He suddenly understood why Ethan had insisted on getting a phone mount for his car.
Sam lifted the partition between the front and back seats, not wanting to disturb Ethan's concentration while driving.
"Why are you still in the living room? Was today really that busy?"
"No, just did a little cleaning," Noah replied.
He rotated the camera from front to back, almost like to prove his point.
"Hmm, looks clean and neat, but I still want to see your beautiful face," Ethan's voice came through the phone, soft and affectionate.
"You… you shouldn't always say things like that."
Ethan chuckled lowly, his voice teasing, "What things? Hmm?"
"No—just… those kinds of comments. The ones that make me embarrassed."
Noah didn't flip the camera back, so Ethan couldn't see the redness of his face.
"Why is your face so shy? Turn it around, let me see. I'm sure it looks beautiful."
Noah didn't budge, but Ethan's voice grew slightly more vulnerable, as if hurt, "Can't I see you? Just for a moment?"
Noah caught the change in Ethan's tone. It tugged at his heartstrings, so he quickly flipped the camera back, his voice a little frantic.
"No, it's not that! I want to see you too! I miss you so much!!"
Looking at Ethan through the screen, it almost felt like he was right there in front of him.
Noah couldn't help but smile, his words coming out slowly but clearly, "I miss you, Ethan."
"I miss you too, Noah."
Though Ethan couldn't see it, Sam definitely could hear it.
Sam gripped the steering wheel tightly, feeling the bitter sting of envy. They were around the same age—when would he ever get to experience that?
Not even a punctuation mark from Felix!
Life was unfair.
Sam parked the car, knowing if he waited for the call to end, he'd be up all night.
He didn't care about ruining the romantic atmosphere between the two; he knocked twice on the partition and called out, "Mr. Harrison, we've arrived at the hotel."
"Then go wash up. After you're done, I'll call you again," Ethan said before quickly ending the video call.
The car ride had been smooth, and with the partition in place, the soundproofing worked well enough.
Most importantly, Noah was too focused on Ethan to notice Sam's presence.
Noah had no idea that Sam had overheard everything.
As Noah prepared for bed, he glanced at his phone, still quiet in his hand.
He set the phone on the bathroom shelf but didn't get the expected reaction.
Even though his nighttime routine took longer than usual, the phone remained silent.
When Noah finished drying his hair and came out of the bathroom, he found the phone still undisturbed.
He decided to call Ethan, who should have finished by now.
The screen was fuzzy, accompanied by the sound of water splashing—the unmistakable sounds of Ethan still in the bathroom.
"Just give me a second," Ethan's voice was muffled by the steam, barely audible.
The water stopped shortly after, and Ethan wiped the camera lens with his finger. "Can't see clearly?"
Noah's heart skipped a beat as Ethan pushed the fog away with his hand, revealing his face more clearly. His hair was pushed back, exposing his forehead, his wet lashes clinging together.
Droplets of water trickled down his face, each one adding to the allure.
Even though Ethan wasn't fully exposed, the effect on Noah was undeniable.
This image had a far more powerful impact on him than any swimming video Ethan had posted on his social media.