Chapter Text
Wei Ying could do this, he rehearsed his speech multiple times in front of the foggy mirror, his hair still damp from the shower; while choosing an appropriate outfit to see your spouse at work, modest but risky enough to flaunt his curves and all his assets. His hand instinctively went to the back of his neck, his bare neck that remained unclaimed, there was no biting mark, a reminder of the real reason why he was going to see his wife at work.
It was beginning to look suspicious, a year into their marriage and Wen Qing had yet to mark him, the aunties were growing suspicious about their lack of pups, people talked about them behind their backs every chance they've got and Jiang shushu didn't have any more subtle ways to tell them to have kids. Yet Wei Ying’s womb remained empty. Every day, he had to pretend it didn't bother him; in the end, Yanli-jie had A-Ling, and that took the heat off of him for a while.
But that wasn't enough. He wanted a baby, and he won't back down, not until he got what he wanted, Wei Ying won't leave the hospital without an answer. Their marriage wasn't conventional to put it into context, it was more about convenience than anything else and Wei Ying didn't have it in him to regret it, if it meant protecting Wen Qing's family, he would do it again, no questions asked.
Wei Ying had always been a romantic. Deep down, he was the cliché stereotype of an omega, waiting for the right person to arrive, for that one special someone to share his first everything. Yes, Wei Ying was 26, and he had yet to have his first kiss or lose his virginity, Jiang Cheng used to tease him about it, and Wei Ying wouldn't expect him to understand
He said it was just omegan sentimentalism, and he and Huaisang shouldn't read all those romance novels since they rot their brains. Wei Ying wanted to marry for love, not out of duty, have pups with the love of his life and grow old together, watching their children grow, he wanted a love story like his parents, he barely remembers them since Wei Ying had been too small when they passed away, and it had been devastating for him. The only memory that persists from his parents was the love they shared for each other; all stories Jiang shushu used to tell him about his parents would always be about the great love they shared.
Then Wen Ruohan had to ruin everything.
The police found out he was laundering money in one of his restaurants, police investigated the Dafan Wen and wanted to throw them all in jail without any evidence. All because they share the same last name, most of Wen Qing's relatives were old, retired doctors, normal people who didn't have any ties with drug dealers, like Jin Guangshan claimed.
This never was about doing justice, not when the Jin family inserted themselves in the matter, it became a personal vendetta. Rumor has it that Jin Guangshan himself was the one who called the cops on Wen Ruohan to save his own sorry ass, whether it's true or not is debatable, and Wei Ying wouldn't be surprised if it is true.
The only way to prevent Wen Qing and her family from being unjustly thrown in jail was to form an alliance with one of the great families, arrange a marriage, and escape the public lynching. Wei Ying begged Jiang shushu for weeks until he eventually relented and a plan of action was put into place: Lotus Enterprises would absorb the Dafan Wen assets and release any and all documentation, including a statement to clean their name and announce the betrothal between the two families.
Jiang shushu used to say that there was nothing money couldn’t buy, meanwhile Aunt Yu would shoot herself in the foot before marrying either of her children to the Wen, with Jiang Cheng being a dominant alpha and heir of Lotus Enterprises, there was no doubt he would be a suitable candidate, but Wen Qing too was an alpha.
Although a union between alphas wasn't unheard of, with both being dominant, it would be a recipe for disaster, and the conception of pups even harder. Wen Qing would be crazy if he let Wen Ning marry someone like Jiang Cheng, who was banned from all dating apps; Yanli-jie was out of the question, since she's already married to the peacock, the heir of Jin Guangshan.
Wei Ying was the Jiangs adopted omega son, and the duty fell over his shoulders. Wen Qing wasn't exactly thrilled, she constantly told Wei Ying how stupid he was for doing something like that, to risk his life and reputation for them, but Wei Ying knew he had done the right thing, the Dafan Wen were like his second family, it's the least he could do.
The only one elated about their marriage was Aunt Yu, who seemed eager to kick Wei Ying out of her house and away from her family once and for all. She even helped organize the wedding. She was over the moon, too happy for Wei Ying's liking when she stuffed his belongings on the trunk of Jaing shushu's car and waved goodbye to the happy couple after the ceremony, Wei Ying was no longer her problem.
Jiang Cheng had been the most miserable person throughout the whole ordeal, anyone with a pair of functioning eyes could see the young alpha was jealous, but in a brotherly kind of way, people always assumed they would eventually get married when the time came.
Jiang shushu was easily swayed and he started to think about it, but Aunt Yu strongly disagreed with that notion; he'd been like that since they were kids, little ChengCheng didn't like it when his brother played with the other kids at the playground, he would make a fuss and throw a tantrum until Wei Ying played with him, grumpy little guy used to constantly break his toys during those episodes.
As they grew older things didn't change a lot, A-Cheng still got jealous, he didn't let Wei Ying forget about that one time he chose Nie Huaisang as his partner in lab practice in high school instead of him. A-jie worried, as she always does when Wei Ying is involved, 'I'm only a phone call away, A-Ying, anything you need'.
And now there he was, getting married to a woman who probably now hated him; he almost bursts into tears at his A-jie's words, that had to be the first time since Yanli-jie got married and had A-Ling that they were apart, it would be weird not to share the same space with A-Cheng, but it was something that would eventually happen, if Jiang Cheng finally take off the plunge and got married, his little brother wasn't even a virgin anymore, if the slew of girls were telling the truth. They were growing up, and that was inevitable.
Wen Qing and him were already friends since high school, and all the way through college, she became a sisterly figure to him when Yanli-jie hadn't been around to take care of him. Something like marriage, albeit an arranged one wasn't that weird, people arranged marriages all the time, Jiang shushu and Auntie Yu were forced into marriage… and that didn’t work all that well, he better not think about that, for his own peace of mind. Wei Ying believed they could work things out and even learn to love each other with time, and what better way to show how much they loved each other than to have a pup.
Perhaps it was a dumb idea to bring a child into a loveless marriage. It even sent a shudder through his spine. He was in a loveless marriage, wasn't he? Wei Ying didn't want to admit it, Jiang Cheng had been right all along, Wei Ying was nothing but a dumb omega. What if Wen Qing rejected their pup? Wei Ying read enough horror stories about alphas who reject their pups and never bond with them, even going as far as... killing the pup in a rampage, or what if Wen Qing grows to hate him and their pup? If she one day wakes up and realizes they're a burden, if she resents them. What a stupid thought to think a baby could fix his broken marriage Regardless, Wei Ying would love them dearly. Good God, Wei Ying, get a grip. You're not even pregnant.
Yet. His only comforting thought was that he wasn't pregnant yet, but soon and with a little bit of coaxing, he will be.
Armed with the bento boxes he prepared for Wen Qing because he thought she might get hungry in the middle of her shift, Wei Ying stepped out of their apartment and made the familiar journey to the hospital, his stomach already in a knot, palms clammy. Even if they don't have pups, Wei Ying wanted to be a good, dedicated husband, make it work, he kept the apartment nice and tidy, even if he almost dies in the attempt, tried his best to cook edible food, and although he was an art major and sometimes worked as a freelance artist, and on Huaisang's coffee shop, Wen Qing remained the main breadwinner of the household.
Things suddenly changed for Wei Ying. He no longer had the same freedom as before. His only priority right now was to keep the house clean and take care of the pups. As an omega that had been his future, marry a nicer, well-off person and have cute little pups. It was his duty.
There were small sacrifices he had to make in order for Wen Qing to be a successful doctor. With all the confidence he could convey, Wei Ying walked to the elevator, greeting the secretary at the door, straightening his back and standing to his full height, repeating the speech in his mind. Whatever Wen Qing could say, it won't deter him. He already made up his mind, and he won't back down.
The door to Wen Qing's office was closed, Wei Ying held the knob too tightly until his knuckles were white, biting his bottom lip. Maybe this was a mistake. He should go back home, call Huaisang, and go somewhere else. Wei Ying took a deep breath and opened the door with a bright smile; he found his wife speaking on the phone. She raised her gaze towards the young man, and her index finger pointed up. She continued her conversation, completely ignoring Wei Ying’s presence, as if he wasn't there at all.
Wei Ying pouted but held his tongue, biting the inside of his cheek; the conversation continued, and by the looks of it, it would never end. Her overpowering scent of fire and spice was too strong in every inch of the office, tickling Wei Ying’s nose. He casually walked around Wen Qing's office, swallowing the lump on his throat and trying to distract himself from his growing nerves.
She had a nice, comfy gray couch with fluffy pillows in muted, soft colors; a red rug that muffled her heels. Wei Ying picked every piece of furniture, from the black, sleek mahogany desk to the pillows. He wanted to make the office cozy enough, since Wen Qing spent more of her time here than at their apartment, almost as if she was avoiding him; the omega refrained from bringing some of his hoodies and rub himself over the couch and the walls no matter how much his instincts were screaming at him.
The walls of the office had her various diplomas, photos from when she graduated medical school, a few with family and friends, on her mahogany desk Wen Qing had a photo of her and her brother, Wen Ning. The omega never questioned why she didn't have a photo of their wedding day, Wei Ying tried not to think too hard about it, not to be hurt, it was just a photo, they have plenty back at home.
It was now or never… Wei Ying cleared his throat, but the alpha kept ignoring him. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Wen Qing hung up, and she sighed, taking off her glasses.
"Wei Ying, what are you doing here? You know that when the door is closed, it means I'm busy, right? Is there something you need?" She grabbed a pen from her desk and scribbled something on a piece of paper. She wasn't writing anything important, just avoiding looking at Wei Ying, something that had been getting difficult lately. Wen Qing spoke with a serious voice, as if Wei Ying was just one of her patients instead of her husband.
"Oh, I just wanted to bring you lunch, I thought you might get hungry, your shift is too long," he smiled, offering the bento boxes to the alpha, as a peace offering, to blunt the blow.
"Thanks, Wei Ying, but I was on my way to have lunch with MianMian."
"Again?" Wei Ying mumbled between his teeth, not expecting the alpha to listen, but Wen Qing furrowed her brows and sighed exasperatedly. His mood suddenly soured, he shouldn't be mad at something as ridiculous as his wife having lunch with a co-worker.
Hell, MianMian was also his friend, she's been multiple times at their apartment, but that didn’t change the fact that she was an unmated omega, it didn’t stop the bitter jealousy curling on Wei Ying’s stomach, and even if it wasn't unheard of alphas taking multiple mates, as it was the norm, the least he expected from Wen Qing was to respect their marriage, was she so miserable?
"She is my colleague, Wei Ying, so yes, I am having lunch with her. Again. There's some matters that need to be discussed," she explained in a clipped voice, her annoyance evident, "I don't say anything when you go out for coffee with Jiang Cheng."
Wei Ying spluttered, looking at the alpha in disbelief, shaking his head, disgusted by the insinuation that Jiang Cheng could do something like that.
"He is my brother."
"He is an unmated alpha with no blood relation to you. He could very well take advantage of you," she glared at the omega, raising her voice. So far, Wen Qing never used her alpha voice on him. She promised she would never use it on Wei Ying.
"Never mind," Wei Ying huffed, blinking to prevent the tears from slipping. He didn't like to show any vulnerability in front of her. It was ridiculous how much it affected him, how quickly he was to upset, but he had been a little emotional lately.
"Sorry, Wei Ying, I'll text MianMian and tell her to have lunch another day."
"No need," Wen Qing didn't offer any comfort, and he didn't expect any.
"You're here because you want something. I appreciate you bringing me lunch. The cafeteria food is awful," Wen Qing chuckled, the ambient around the office was tense, the sour scent of upset omega filling her nostrils.
"You know why I'm here," snapped Wei Ying, arms around his chest in an attempt to ground himself, "I want a pup, Wen Qing."
"Wei Ying…" she groaned and took a deep breath, the alpha sounded so done with him, and it broke his heart, this is not how the young omega pictured his life, "we've talked about this already. Look, how about we talk about it later? Why don't you pick a nice restaurant and we have dinner? I'm a little busy at the moment."
"You're always busy, Wen Qing!" Even Wei Ying was surprised by his sudden outburst, but he had a plan and he won't walk out of this office if he doesn't get what he wants, "I'm getting older, Wen Qing, what if we can't have pups when we are finally ready, I read in some articles that an omega's fertility window slowly closes down after 25."
"Did Yu Ziyuan tell you that? That's ridiculous and stupid. A pregnancy in male omegas is dangerous at any age. You could be 30 and still die during childbirth. Did you even consider it? Obviously not, because you're always so eager to burn yourself if it means to keep everyone else warm," Wen Qing took a deep breath to keep her emotions under control, it wasn't like her to behave in this way, but the bottled feelings were beginning to be difficult to ignore.
Do you think a pup would fix the situation we're in? That a baby would magically fix our marriage? It would be like digging our own graves. Wen Qing's thoughts remain unsaid, it wouldn't be helping her case, it would further upset Wei Ying.
"Do you feel lonely? Is that what's going on? Are you lonely and want to fill the void by having a child? Do you understand the responsibility that comes from having a pup?" Wen Qing scooted back in her fancy ergonomic chair and stood up, walking towards him, her beautiful face contorted in a sneer, glowering, "Wei Ying."
The omega lowered his head, shrugging his shoulders and making himself as small as possible at the hostile way she snapped his name, which was stupid, Wei Ying was tall, taller than the tiny alpha in front of him, he had been often mistaken by an alpha in the past, everyone assumed he would present as one too, although some would say he was too pretty to be an alpha, that his rounded hips weren't fit for an alpha.
"Are you truly ready to have a pup?" Wen Qing cupped the omega's cheek, silver eyes meeting gentle brown.
"I–I think I am," Wei Ying hesitated. This was all part of her tactics to try and dissuade him.
"Are you?" She asked again with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Wen Qing, stop treating me like I'm an idiot," his voice came out a little bit whiny. He pouted, rage simmering, like a pot boiling and ready to spill over. Wei Ying never expected to feel such anger at a woman he considered to be his family.
"You are an idiot. Sometimes, I want to smack you, Wei Ying. If I had known you would turn out like any other omega once we were married, I would have opposed to this marriage," anger glowed in her gentle eyes, Wei Ying swore he could see a little bit of hatred behind them, guilt weighing down. When did things get to this? Maybe Jiang Cheng was right, he ruins everything.
"You don't mean that, you're just being mean," the omega swatted her hand away, taking a step back, "it's starting to be suspicious, Wen Qing, you treat me so coldly, you're my wife and you just order me around like a trained puppy. People think you hate me."
"I mean it, Wei Ying, you are nowhere near ready to have a child. Did you know how difficult a pregnancy is? Especially with a female alpha, did you know about the complications and the permanent changes in your body? Are you ready for the morning sickness, the aches? A pup is a huge responsibility. They're going to be dependent on you for a while. Wei Ying, you could die during childbirth," the young alpha took a deep breath, massaging her temples, and said in a hushed voice, "You could lose the baby."
Wei Ying sobbed, the reign he had over his tumultuous moods slipping away. The omega stomped his foot over the expensive rug, reminding him of the tantrums Jiang Cheng used to throw. It would've hurt less if Wen Qing slapped him instead of telling him how incompetent he was.
"Would you give MianMian a pup? Is that what you're saying?" He asked, voice hoarse, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Don't be ridiculous, Wei Ying." The omega pretended he didn't see the way Wen Qing averted her gaze, how unable she was to look at him and tell him the truth.
"Before we were married, we were friends, Wen Qing, best friends, would you give MianMian a pup?" He shook his head, tears clouding his vision, "answer me. Why won't you give me a pup?"
"Because you're not ready!" Wen Qing raised her voice, wincing at the way Wei Ying flinched, his shoulders tensing. Now, everyone at the hospital probably heard their conversation, "I won't discuss the subject anymore."
Wei Ying cried, fat tears falling down his cheeks. He shook his head and left the office, slamming the door shut, leaving Wen Qing with her own thoughts.
After a few minutes, she opened up the bento boxes, Wei Ying made some hamburger patties with panko and butter, and some Worcestershire sauce and ketchup on top, rice and a spicy cucumber salad. It was good.
. . .
As soon as Yanli-jie opened the door, Wei Ying bursted into tears, feeling embarrassed, he never cried like this and now he couldn’t stop, at least he kept it together on the bus on his way to Yanli's place; fat tears ran down his flushed cheeks, she pulled his trembling body into a tight hug, rubbing her hand up and down his back in a soothing motion, whispering comforting words.
His sister pulled him inside the house and urged him to sit down on the couch, Yanli offered some tea, but Wei Ying refused to let her go, clinging to his sister like a young child. Aunt Yu would never approve of this behavior, Wei Ying often forgets he no longer lives with the Jiangs where everything growing up felt like a punishment, Aunt Yu wasn't there to chastise him anymore and he needed his sister's support more than anything.
"A-Ying, if you keep crying like this you're going to make yourself sick," she patted his head, smiling softly and it took a lot of strength from Wei Ying to not burst into tears again.
They were interrupted by a faint cry coming from the baby monitor perched on the coffee table. Yanli peeled herself away from Wei Ying who clung to her like an octopus and went to retrieve little A-Ling, she bounced the chubby baby on her hip, he was bleary-eyed from his nap, but he immediately squealed when he saw Wei Ying on the couch.
"Look who came to see us? Your shishu, he came to see you." Wei Ying made grabby hands towards the baby, Yanli deposited the baby in his awaiting arms, "I'll get his bottle ready before he throws a fit and some tea, A-Ying, you need to relax."
"Gah!" Said the baby, stuffing his entire tiny fist inside his mouth, looking at Wei Ying curiously. It made the omega's heart clench, to know he could never experience something like this. When his fist no longer interested him, A-Ling patted his uncle's cheeks with his spit coated hands, the omega sniffled, heart breaking.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Yanli asked, returning with a bottle filled with formula and taking A-Ling, who immediately latched to the silicone nipple of the bottle, sucking greedily, eyes focused on his mom, looking up adoringly at her.
"I want a pup so bad, A-jie and Wen Qing won't give me one, she told me I'm too stupid to take care of a child," he cries, hiding his face between his hands. A-Ling whimpers, distressed at his uncle's cries, bottom lip quivering, the baby doesn’t stand a chance, before the first tear could slide down his chubby cheeks, A-jie's already bouncing him, making him giggle and squeal.
"Oh, A-Ying, that's no true, you're not stupid, you take good care of A-Ling, he loves you, you will be a great father," Yanli poured him a cup of freshly brewed tea with a single hand because she mastered the art of doing anything with just one hand, and Wei Ying admires her so much, if he could be half of the mom Yanli-jie is, he'd succeed at life.
"I'm afraid she hates me now, A-Jie, that she's miserable with me, and I—I hate myself for it. She deserves better, but what was I supposed to do? Sit around and do nothing while they get thrown in jail for things they didn’t do, I wouldn't let that happen," he takes a deep breath, hiccuping. A-Ling looks at him with wide eyes, he swallows, letting his nephew grab his finger and wasting no time in getting it inside his mouth, "please don't tell A-Cheng about this, I don't want him to worry."
"Why don't you get a divorce, A-Ying? My father in law is being investigated, he stepped down from the company, A-Xuan is making significant changes, you don't have to live like this, perhaps you could have a pup or adopt, there's always a pup in need of some love," Yanli patted his head, squeezing his hand. Sometimes, when Wei Ying was having a particularly rough day, he just needed to see his A-jie, and he would feel slightly better.
He could get a divorce, in fact, that had to be the right decision as two full-grown adults, to end their suffering, but a side of Wei Ying didn't want to get divorced, it was like giving up without giving a decent fight, he didn't want to be a coward, Wei Ying wanted to fight, even if the battle had already been won.
"Hello?" Jin Zixuan peeked his head inside his living room, his smile faltered as he saw how distressed Wei Ying was, his sour scent permeating around the living room. Wei Ying's brother-in-law scrunched his nose; perhaps they weren't exactly friends in the beginning, but Jin Zixuan knew that if something happened to A-Li's little brothers there would be hell to pay, and his wife was rather scary, and trust him, he got firsthand experience.
"Welcome home, darling," Yanli got up and greeted his husband with a peck on his cheek, Zixuan blushed, and their baby giggled, clapping his hand and making grabby hands at his father.
"Thank God, Ling'er came out looking like my A-Jie, your genes didn't even try, he's the cutest baby," Wei Ying snuffled, smiling weakly, his eyes bloodshot and swollen, he could feel the beginnings of a splitting headache from crying so much.
"When he gets grumpy, he looks a little like A-Cheng. He even furrows his brows the same."
"I said the same when he was born," Jin Zixuan scratched the nape of his neck, "are you alright, Wei Ying?"
"Oh, please don't go easy on me just because I'm an emotional mess right now," Wei Ying's voice came out hoarse like he hasn't used it in a while, throat raw, he winced at the sound, "I should probably go, I've already imposed so much of your time, A-Jie."
"Stay," they both said at the same time, Yanli looked at her husband. She was so proud of him.
"At least stay for dinner, A-Ying, I won't be ok if I let you go like that, you won't want to worry A-Jie, would you?"
Wei Ying couldn’t go against that logic, so he stayed for dinner because when Jiang Yanli cooked, there was no way you were going to deny her food. It must be the best memories Wei Ying has of his childhood, the meals A-jie cooked, she always knew how to make him feel better with just a bowl of soup; he eventually spent the night, helping Yanli to put his little brat to bed.
There's multiple missed calls and messages from Wen Qing, Wei Ying huffs, and turns off his phone for the rest of the night.
. . .
At the end of her 12-hour shift, Wen Qing was exhausted, a tiredness seeping deep into her bones, and tomorrow it's rinse and repeat, she craves the softness and warmth of her bed. When she opened the door, the apartment was dark and cold. Normally, Wei Ying would turn the light on in the living room, or sometimes he would wait for her awake; she found a note on the kitchen counter: 'dinner is on the stove'.
Maybe he went to bed early, so she checked the room where Wei Ying kept his nest. It's wrong to step inside without the omega's permission. She expects a warning growl, but there's no one inside the nest.
. . .
After the hospital fiasco, Wei Ying stops asking Wen Qing for a pup, keeping his growing desires all to himself and instead spoiling his nephew rotten. He still searches for baby names while on break when he's working at Huaisang's coffee shop, he still squeals at the sight of all those tiny clothes in the baby section, the desire never leaves him.
Things between him and Wen Qing remained tense, Wei Ying now slept in the room where he keeps his nest, filled with his sweet smell of caramel and cherry blossoms, Wen Qing didn't even make an attempt to get inside. Their sex life previous to the altercation was lackluster, just a few heated and rough kisses and handjobs in between Wen Qing's never-ending shifts, Wei Ying liked her hands, with long, slender fingers, cold over the skin of his sensitive dick, but now it was practically nonexistent, they don't kiss or hold hands like any normal couple would.
Wen Ning noticed the shift between them although they made sure to behave normally when he was around; Wen Qing spends more and more time at work with MianMian and Wei Ying lets her, if that makes the alpha happy, who is he to deny her? If she's having an affair with her colleague, Wei Ying couldn’t care less.
The sad thing is that he cares, perhaps Wei Ying could never love her in a more intimate way, like a lover would, but previous to their marriage they were friends and the loss of someone like Qing-jie is devastating, he could try and pretend the insinuation of an affair doesn't affect him, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt any less how things have changed, they barely speak to each other, and every day the idea of the divorce sounds more and more tempting, yet it scares him. Wei Ying took more shifts at the café to keep his mind off from how much his life sucks and to avoid the alpha whenever she was home.
That morning, Wei Ying was working behind the counter. He yawned, too early to be awake, barely 7am, but he switched shifts with the college guy. Wei Ying wore red and black checkered pants with a silver chain, his Shrek pants, like Huaisang often said, a black tee and his burgundy apron with the tag that said his name, he kept his hair tied up in a ponytail, exposing his unmarked neck, feeling like some of the guys were ogling at him. The omega only recently stopped wearing his ring, not noticing Wen Qing hasn't been wearing hers for months. The gold band left an indentation on his finger, feeling a step closer towards divorce.
Twenty-six years old and he would already be a divorcee, looking on the bright side, Wei Ying could have an awesome divorce party, he already found some cool sashes on etsy that said: 'I'm divorced, bitches' with rhinestones. He wonders if he would still be a suitable bachelor for any future suitors if someone would like to marry a divorced omega. Wei Ying’s a little distracted answering Yanli-jie's messages, when the little bell above the glass door jingled, someone walked to the counter, the man cleared his throat as Wei Ying kept tapping on the cracked screen of his phone.
"Hi, welcome, What can I getcha?" He said with a cheery tone and his best smile, not looking up from his phone.
"A latte," answered a somewhat familiar voice, Wei Ying felt his heart beat faster, he heard that voice before, perhaps in his more private fantasies and dreams, a voice whispering his name with adoration, then the voice added a little shy, "with oat milk."
"Lan Zhan?" He asked incredulously, doing a double take at the man in front of him, cursing himself for not bringing contacts today because he was too lazy, he needed the extra five minutes, so instead of wasting those precious five minutes struggling with his contacts, Wei Ying slept a little more, but there's no doubt, those golden eyes were unmistakable, as if Wei Ying hadn't memorized the exact shade, molten gold, like honey over a piece of toast, "it is really you. I–I didn't know you were back? How are you? Are you here to stay?"
Wei Ying mentally smacked himself. He didn't want to scare Lan Zhan because even after all these years, Wei Ying has never learned to shut up. He grimaces. Lan Zhan left before the situation with Wen Ruohan exploded or the wedding, the omega isn't even sure if the alpha knows, and at the time, Wei Ying uploaded a bunch of staged photos to all his social media so Jin Guangshan and his cronies could stop second guessing their wedding, and Lan Zhan was a hermit, he doesn't have social media. Wei Ying considered the young alpha his best friend, although Jiang Cheng would like to argue with that, and the omega understood he can be really annoying at times, his brother often tells him.
He used to tease Lan Zhan when they were in high school until the alpha begrudgingly accepted his friendship. They even were roommates in college, Wei Ying thought he hated him, but Lan Zhan cared for him, he made him breakfast and diner because it's not like Wei Ying is a terrible cook, but he only cooks food he would eat, they would watch movies every other day, go out to museums, like that time Wei Ying dragged poor Lan Zhan to the medieval torture museum, the omega would never forget Lan Zhan's face of utter disgust, poor alpha looked on the verge of passing out; they tried to new restaurants, Wei Ying even spend summers at Lan Zhan’s childhood home, although Lan Qiren hated his guts. Then the alpha had to leave for his family's company abroad, and although they tried to keep in touch, Wei Ying lost his phone.
"Good morning, Wei Ying," the omega's knees wobble, his heart hammering, a strange feeling settling in his stomach. Maybe Wei Ying should have brought his glasses because he thinks there was a small tug at the corners of Lan Zhan’s mouth, Wei Ying swallowed, feeling the heat spreading through his cheeks.
Lan Zhan had always been beautiful, the omega used to praise him, his features that appeared to be chiseled on marble like an old sculpture, his strong jaw, the delicate slope of his nose, the gentle curve of his mouth, his big hands that Wei Ying often imagined them all over his body…and the captivating shade of his eyes, the alpha was the embodiment of perfection, omega's would throw themselves at him and Wei Ying couldn’t blame them.
It wasn't really a secret that Wei Ying had been in love with him once upon a time, he was obsessed; before they were friends, the omega would always find ways to have Lan Zhan’s attention to himself, he craved it, feeling like he would suffer from spontaneous combustion if he didn't have Lan Zhan’s eyes on him.
"Ah, it's so good to see you again, Lan Zhan," his name rolled off the omega's tongue with familiarity, as if they hadn't lost contact.
"Mn. I came back a few days ago. I'm staying with Ge and his husband." Sometimes Wei Ying thinks Lan Zhan has no idea how fucking attractive he is, no one is as perfect as he is. His black, inky short hair framed perfectly his face, skin as white as snow, and cold like the most precious jade.
"That's awesome, are…are you ok? How were things abroad? Did you enjoy it?" Wei Ying is grateful rush hour was over and he could have had this little time to catch up with Lan Zhan, he missed him dearly, his unmistakable musky scent of sandalwood and leather making his inner omega chirp.
"Busy, but manageable, was feeling homesick, Ge and his husband had a baby and I wanted to meet them, it was time I returned home. Brother also said Huaisang had a new coffee shop, and Huaisang told me you were working here."
"Oh, I think I heard something about it, congratulate them for me please. It's a fairly new coffee shop, I'm surprised even Huaisang could open a successful business. And here I was thinking Er-gege missed me," Wei Ying teased, twirling a strand of hair between his fingers coquettishly.
"I did," deadpanned Lan Zhan with a stoic face.
"Huh?" Wei Ying uttered confused, smacking himself mentally, again.
"I missed Wei Ying, wanted to see you again."
"Lan Zhan!" Squealed the omega, flushing as red as a beet, hiding his face between his hands, "you can't go around saying things like that, next time be sure to warn a man!"
"I was merely stating the truth, I missed Wei Ying," Lan Zhan suddenly looked crestfallen, gaze dropping, "I only wished we hadn't grown apart."
"It wasn't really your fault, I lost my phone, well it fell on the toilet, so yeah that happened. I'll have your latte ready in an instant, why don’t you take a seat over there and I'll get it for you?" Wei Ying grinned, feeling a warmth in his chest mixed with nervousness and anxiety, the alpha nodded and went to sit at a table far away from the large window.
Huaisang's coffee shop was a cozy little place, with hanging fairy lights, wooden tables and mismatched chairs, plush couches and decorated with potted plants; the light coming from the big window illuminated the young alpha, accentuating his features. Wei Ying tried not to be nervous as he works on the coffee machine, maybe if he pretends Lan Zhan is not there things would be fine.
Instead of calling out to the alpha, Wei Ying walks towards the table where Lan Zhan sits, all proper, with his back perfectly straight, that makes Wei Ying’s shrimp posture quiver in horror, eyeglasses sliding ever so slightly over the bridge of his perfect nose, He slides the latte over the wooden table and another plate with a reheated blueberry muffin, the alpha looks at the latte, there's a little heart outlined with the foam, it's a little wobbly but Lan Zhan breath hitched.
"You made all your clients little hearts on their lattes?" Asks the alpha, he's teasing Wei Ying, with a little scoff, his heart fluttering at the gesture.
"Between me and you, I only give this to the pretty boys and you're the first one," Wei winked, sitting in the vacant chair in front of Lan Zhan, "this is my first latte art, you're the lucky one."
"I don't want to drink it, I feel bad to ruin the heart."
"Aww, Lan Zhan, don't worry, I'll make you another one next time, maybe it can be a secret menu item specially for you~"
Lan Zhan swallowed, balling his fists. He wanted to jump over the table and kiss the silly boy in front of him, but that had to wait.
"How has Wei Ying been?"
"Ahh, Lan Zhan, always so straightforward," sheepishly Wei Ying scratches the nape of his neck, averting his gaze, "nothing much, really, I work here part time and I do art commissions every once in a while, you know the usual."
"Ge said you got married." Wei Ying noticed the slight shift of Lan Zhan’s voice, it became a little cold, distant like those times in high school when Wei Ying used to tease him.
"Umm… it's a long story, but yeah I got married, I didn't think it was relevant to mention hehe…"
"Why not?" Lan Zhan pressed, taking a small piece of the muffin, the sweetness and tangy taste of the dough and the blueberries exploding in his mouth. His gaze flickered to Wei Ying’s hands, small, slender, black nail polish chipped and with no ring on sight.
"It's complicated, Lan Zhan…"
"Did they treat you well, Wei Ying?"
"I—I," Wei Ying felt the sting of the hot tears, he didn't want to cry on front of this beautiful man, he doesn't need to know about the struggles of married life, he won't blame Wen Qing, "y–yes she treats me nice, she's a good wife."
A good wife who won't give me pups, Wei Ying bitterly thinks, but Lan Zhan doesn't need to know that.
"Wei Ying?" Lan Zhan pulled him out of his reverie, looking at the omega with concerned flickering behind his golden eyes.
"It's fine, Lan Zhan," he sniffled, smiling weakly at his friend, "tell me about your trip."
"There's a welcome home party next weekend," Lan Zhan tugged at the collar of his shirt, the tips of his ears burning, "I told my brother there was no need, but he and his husband insisted. Maybe Wei Ying can come," after a brief pause, the alpha cleared his throat, "and his wife, too, would like to meet her."
"Oh, well, I'll tell Wen Qing about it, see if she's available, with her work at the hospital it's a bit tricky, she's scary not gonna lie, but when she doesn't sleep enough she gets scarier."
"Wen Qing?" Lan Zhan’s nostrils flared for a brief second, almost imperceptible to the omega, he didn't notice how he clenched his fists. There was no way to describe the bitter jealousy that gripped Lan Zhan tightly, the betrayal to know Wei Ying was now married, the betrayal, the anger that coiled in his belly.
"Yeah, my wife," Wei Ying's voice was full of venom, they weren't husband and wife, just two miserable persons, cohabiting with each other.
"Oh…" it's all Lan Zhan said, holding the cup too tightly between his big hands until his knuckles were white, it's a miracle the cup doesn't explode with the pressure.
. . .
"I saw Lan Zhan today, he's back from Europe, can you believe it?" Wei Ying casually said while cleaning the coffee machine with a wet rag, staring at his distorted features in the polished metal.
Beside him, Nie Huaisang flinched, almost dropping the clean mugs, he averted his gaze, unable to see Wei Ying in the eyes.
"What—what a coincidence," he answered nonchalantly, biting his bottom lip.
"Yeah, he somehow knew I worked here part time, what a strange coincidence, you didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"
"I—I don't know, I swear I don’t know," Nie Huaisang raised his arm in defeat.
Correction: he knows everything.
. . .
Wei Ying knew he shouldn't get up that morning, his entire body aches, his head was throbbing painfully and there was a dull cramping in his stomach, bile rises through his throat, Wei Ying kicks the sweaty sheets aside and runs to the bathroom, clutching the walls as to not fall, he does not want to see yesterday's dinner again, the omega whimpers and emptied his stomach.
After making sure he won't puke his guts out again, Wei Ying rests a flushed cheek against the cold porcelain of the toilet, maybe he shouldn't have eaten that expired beef last night, it was only a day expired, Wei Ying can hear Wen Qing's voice saying: 'think of the worms,' the omega groaned and got up, the bathroom spinning around and another bout of nausea threatened to make an appearance, he waited for a few seconds, doing some of the breathing exercises A-jie taught him.
The omega dragged his feet towards his room, and landed face first on his bed, hiding his face between the pillows saturated with his scent, today they smelled a little sweeter; Wei Ying grabbed his phone, checking his phone, he send a text to Huaisang, telling him he won't be able to make it.
Sang-Sang(*≧ω≦): don't worry, babe, take care, call me if you need anything. Zhan-ge came looking for you a moment ago 👀 care to tell me what's goin on??
Me: he did?? he's so sweet and i honestly don't know what you're talking about, im a married man
Sang-Sang(*≧ω≦): yeah right.
He chuckled, the motion jostled his stomach and he whimpered, curling into a fetal position while he checked his heat tracking app, Yanli-jie begged him to have it in his phone, his suspicions were correct, he was on pre-heat, that was even worse than the heat itself, at least when he's in heat, Wei Ying just rides it out in his nest with his trusty box of toys and he moves on, pre-heats were a bitch. His phone buzzed, alerting him of a new message.
Lan-er gege(≡・x・≡): Good morning, Wei Ying, I went to the coffee shop and I didn't find you there, hope we can see each other again, stay safe.
Me: awww my heart! Lan-er gege cares about me, sorry bout that Lan Zhan, i was feeling a bit under the weather, i heard there's this new ramen restaurant, maybe we can go??
Lan-er gege(≡・x・≡): Of course, Wei Ying, are you alright? I can drive you to the hospital, isn't your wife with you?
Wei Ying feels a certain giddiness, butterflies fluttering violently in his stomach, he could later debate if it had been a good idea to exchange numbers with Lan Zhan, but if Wen Qing could spend her time with MianMian then he can talk with Lan Zhan, he's petty like that.
Me: she's working (*T^T) my mean wife left me all alone at home maybe Lan Zhan can come and take care of me instead
There, he sent it, Wei Ying couldn’t take it back, he squeaked, kicking his feet like a schoolgirl. The omega saw the three dots appearing and then they were gone before Lan Zhan replied.
Lan-er gege(≡・x・≡): Maybe I should, but, won't Wen Qing be upset?
Dread settled in Wei Ying’s stomach like heavy rocks, he wasn't really thinking about his wife, and suddenly, the omega felt a little guilty talking with his crush.
Me: just kiddin er-ge! don't worry about little ol' me, i'll be fine.
Lan-er gege(≡・x・≡): OK, Wei Ying, do not hesitate to call me if you require something.
The omega sighed, throwing his phone away, his mind a mess, before he could really think about what he should do, but exhaustion claimed him and enveloped him in darkness.
. . .
The next time Wei Ying woke up, he felt even worse, his stomach churning unhappily, his headache finally migrated into migraine territory; what woke him up was a soft knock on his door, barely audible, he groaned, pulling the sweaty sheets closer to his body.
"Wei-ge, are you ok? Jiejie told me you didn't answer her messages," the soft voice of Wen Ning echoed behind the closed door, and Wei Ying was grateful for it, "is everything alright, Wei-ge?"
"Yes, A-Ning, don't worry, I'm just—" Wei Ying sighed, closing his eyes, doing a big ass effort not to puke again, "it's just my pre-heat."
"O…k, Wei-ge, I'll… I'll make you some tea and bring you some pill, is it ok to keep you company? Just until Jiejie arrives."
Oh, A-Ning, you're too sweet.
"Of course, A-Ning, you can stay."
Wen Ning, bless his soul, brought him a warm cup of tea and an ibuprofen pill, he felt slightly better and quickly fell asleep. When he woke up, hours later, it was because someone pulled the sheet down, it's dark outside, Wen Qing brushes the strands of greasy and sweaty hair away from his face, running a hand through his messy hair.
"You're home early," the omega croaks, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning, feeling better when the scent of the alpha flooded his room.
"I wanted to leave earlier when A-Ning told me you weren't feeling great," she pressed a kiss on his sweaty forehead, wanting to make the omega feel safe, they might not be on good terms, but the alpha is not that heartless.
"I'm sorry…" Wei Ying sniffled, feeling the hot tears in the corner of his eyes.
"Why are you crying?"
"Because you left your work earlier, and I know you love your work," Wei Ying's bottom lip quivered.
"Don't say stupid things, Wei Ying, you're not feeling well, I'll take care of you, now go take a bath and I'll make some congee, alright?"
"And A-Ning?"
"He left a few moments ago, he's fine, don't worry."
Wen Qing pulled the omega out of his cocoon of blankets and guided him to the bathroom, drawing him a bath of warm water. The pain was already dissipating and Wei Ying even felt hungry, he found his wife in the kitchen, he went towards her, hugging the alpha from behind, his arms around her small waist, leaning and resting his chin on her shoulder, he brushed aside the fact that Wei Ying could smell the sweet, flowery scent of MianMian in her clothes, in that very moment, Wei Ying couldn’t bring himself to care, he needed his wife, his alpha.
I'm sorry I can't love you like you deserve, I'm sorry I'm not MianMian, Wei Ying swallowed the tears, he couldn’t deny that he wished for the comforting smell of sandalwood.
"Are we never going to talk?" The alpha sighed, patting Wei Ying’s arm, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
"I mean would you want to?" The omega huffed, laughing humorlessly.
"Not really," Wen Qing sighed again, she was tired, the guilt was unbearable at times, Wei Ying could be happy with anyone else but her.
"Then I don't see the reason why we should talk."
"Because you were right, we were once friends and it's unfair to you," Wen Qing pushed him away, looking straight into his silver eyes.
"We should just forget it, QingQing, you were right, I'm not ready to have a pup, I mean look at me! I'm a big baby when I'm in pre-heat, being pregnant is going to be worse. Forget it, can't we just make out instead?" The last thing is a joke, because this conversation is way too serious and Wei Ying is in no condition to talk about this.
"Ok."
"What?" Wei Ying is sure his brain short-circuits, he blinks twice, dumbfounded.
"You said we should make out, so let's make out," Wen Qing grabbed his arm and guided him towards the living room, pushing a very confused and very interested Wei Ying on the couch, he was already tenting his boots shorts, eager like a teen boy who found porn for the first time.
Wen Qing kisses were abrasive, knocking the air out of his lungs, tongue demanding entrance to the wet heat of his mouth, she bites his bottom lip, asserting dominance over him, Wei Ying spreads his legs to give the alpha more space, he moans wantonly against her mouth, hips rutting against nothing.
"The—ah the congee is going to burn," Wei Ying says between breathless kisses and soon he too forgets about the congee on the stove, especially when Wen Qing snaps the elastic band of his shorts and shoves her hand inside his boxers, he's very, very, very hard, precum pooling at the sensitive head of his cock and so very wet he's almost dripping, Wen Qing ignores his weeping cock like it's the plague and moves to trace his glistening folds, a delicate finger dips inside his slit, Wei Ying buck his hips and the alpha adds another two fingers.
The omega's breath was ragged, looking for her lips as the alpha works the three fingers inside him, he's so wet the squelching sound is embarrassing, Wei Ying’s cheeks flushed pink, he hides his face against the crook of his arm, Wen Qing pulls her fingers out and teases his entrance, the omega whimpers at the loss and buckles his hips, she kisses him, it's messy, more tongue and teeth, she caresses the skin of his knee before shoving the fingers back again, thrusting relentlessly.
Wei Ying has to bite his tongue, he imagines a pair of golden eyes, big and broad hands, a deep but gentle familiar voice, he's close, he can feel his organs building up, he bites down his lips until blood seeps out, Lan Zhan’s name on the tip of his tongue as he cum with Wej Qing's fingers buried deep inside him
Their uneven breaths filled the stillness of the room, it smells like something is burning and Wen Qing gets up, the omega follows her, standing at the entrance and crossing his arms.
"Let me suck you off, at least," Wei Ying shifts his weight from foot to foot, feeling slightly lightheaded.
"No need. Listen, Wei Ying, I bought you some supplies that can last you for the entirety of your heat."
"What does that mean?" He asks confused, things were fine, they just made out, because that's what they do, they don't talk about their feelings, they simply move on.
"I'll be with A-Ning and Popo for the duration of your heat," she explained, as if Wei Ying was an idiot.
"If I call Wen Ning, are you going to be at Popo's house? Or are you going to be with MianMian?" Dread settled in his stomach, he's tired of crying.
"Stop! Don't be ridiculous, you know I can't be here, I brought you medicine, your favorite chocolate and some heat pads if you're cramping too much."
"So, you're just going to leave me alone," Wei Ying raised his voice, and so tired of this life, but the alpha doesn't said anything, she even has her bags ready, without a single word, she's put of the house, leaving Wei Ying alone. Again.
As he sleeps at night, Wei Ying can't stop imagining a pair of strong arms enveloping him and the smell of sandalwood filling his nostrils.