Chapter Text
Gao Tu blinked his eyes open. The room was bright, sunlight was brushing past the blinds and so it took a while for him to get used to the lighting. Blinking repeatedly as his squinted eyes surveyed around the room.
Gao Tu woke up alone, as usual. He didn’t even know why he expected otherwise.
He stretched in his bed, trying to brush away the back pain and the soreness of his thighs. Abruptly, he sits up—big mistake. So he lays down again, more carefully this time. His ass hurts. Odd.
What happened last night?
He tried to recall anything remarkable besides the erotic dream he had with his boss but nothing else rang a bell… Wait, didn’t he pass out in the office bathroom? How the hell did Gao Tu end up in his own home?
Gao Tu was starting to think that maybe he has hidden powers, and those powers involve him always respawning to his bed whenever he passes out from his heat. He chuckles lightly at the silly thought. He scratched his neck absentmindedly and hissed as he suddenly felt like he touched a sore spot.
He tried to think of any rational reason that could explain how Gao Tu woke up in his bed. Maybe a co-worker found him? But why would they take him home and not the hospital like one would normally do if they spot an unconscious person?
Then it clicked, he passed out while in heat.
Gao Tu’s mind began racing, someone knows. But more importantly, why was his heat gone? It usually lasts for a few days. He glanced at his phone and it appeared to be the day right after he passed out. Strange.
Was last night-? No, that’s impossible.
Breathtaking. The praise rang in his ears, a familiar voice and tone spoke them out loud, with eyes pure of lust, and actions full of love. He felt his chest tighten as he remembered last night’s dream.
This is not a dream, my bunny.
Gao Tu blushed as he remembered the nickname. Which part of his sick brain even decided on that? He wants to bury himself to the ground. He groaned as he tried to get his legs to wake up, which both felt like jelly.
Then suddenly a familiar scent enters the room. His eyes snap right where his senses tell him where the source was. He recognizes the iris scent first before realizing that the man entering the room with a glass bowl containing what looks like porridge and was very much shirtless was none other than Shen Wenlang.
It was Gao Tu’s turn to short circuit. What could his boss be doing this early in the morning at his house, shirtless?
Was this his sick imagination again? He was pretty sure he's awake and not dreaming; he pinched himself the moment he saw the alpha's face. Gao Tu was pretty sure that his mind was playing tricks on him until-
“Oh, you're awake.” A chilling voice said. That made the omega truly wake up.
“Oh.. you- you're real.”
“Disappointed?” The man raises a brow and takes a step forward. Instinctively, the omega slides away, backing up from the alpha made Wenlang stop in his tracks.
“What?”
“What?” The omega stutters out. His breathing started to quicken, his chest tightening fast. The events last night flashed before his eyes.
That wasn't a dream?
Gao Tu might truly explode. He might just dig himself a hole right in his bedroom and live under it forever.
Oh- then..
Embarrassment was quickly replaced with anxiety. The alpha didn't hurt him last night, or voiced his disgust. Instead, he whispered compliments and horrifyingly adorable pet names that absolutely did NOT make his heart pound. But-
Shen Wenlang hates omegas.
Shen Wenlang knew that Gao Tu was an omega. Shen Wenlang hates Gao Tu.
Is.. This is it, isn’t it?
He thought he could keep it from Wenlang forever, that when Gao Tu leaves, the memories of him from Wenlang won’t be of disgust but just of a distant colleague who always had his back. Tears have already started to form before Gao Tu could even stop it. He tried to calm his breathing down and tried to accept the impending doom bestowed upon him by the heavens.
It seems that my luck was never just that good, huh.
A cold hand rubbing the skin between his brows startled him out of his thoughts, lightly making him flinch on his spot. “Stop thinking about bad things so much. It's not good for our baby.”
Our.. baby?
Dread crashes into him, heavy and unforgiving. He knows. Shen Wenlang knows.
The realization hits like a blow to the chest, knocking the breath out of him. Gao Tu hadn’t even noticed the tears spilling down his cheeks until a sob ripped through his throat—raw, involuntary. He crumples under the weight of it all, breaking down completely. There’s no strength left to pretend, to fight, no room for pride. Just the quiet, aching sound of his own defeat.
“Please.. don’t hurt him.”
His pleads echoed in the room, accompanied by his wet sobs. His hand instinctively pressed over his stomach, a weak attempt to shield the baby from sight, from judgment, from harm. He avoids the alpha’s eyes, he didn’t know what would be left of him if he even caught a glance of disgusted look coming from the alpha.
Suddenly, he’s being pulled close into a tight embrace. With no fight left in his body, he hung his head down low to the alpha’s collarbone and sobbed his heart out. The alpha was whispering comforting words to his ear but he couldn’t hear anything anymore, he couldn’t understand what was happening anymore.
He didn't understand why the alpha was not shouting, why he wasn’t getting angry, why he wasn’t throwing insults and profanities, and why his embrace felt so warm and safe that Gao Tu wanted nothing else but to live in his arms for eternity.
The alpha rubbed circles on his back, gently shushing him and mumbling sweet nothings, “Don’t cry anymore, my bunny. I’m here, Gao Tu. It’s going to be alright, darling.”
“Why aren’t you getting angry?” He gasps out, trying to get a hold of the situation and calm himself down from all the crying. It would’ve been better if Wenlang was angry instead, so he could run away again and convince himself to never want to seek this kind of comfort from someone who could never be his.
Strong iris scent fills his nose, the alpha was once again releasing that delicious calming pheromones that makes Gao Tu want to melt in him, that makes Gao Tu’s heart calm and racing at the same time.
“Breathe, my love.”
How the hell was he supposed to breathe after that?
The alpha reached for his hand and placed it right on his own chest, “With me now, Gao Tu. You’re breathing too fast.” Gao Tu follows the alpha’s lead, trying to match his breathing while each inhale floods his lungs with that intoxicating iris scent.
Gao Tu can finally breathe again, he sniffed and remained stiffly leaning on the alpha’s frame—too afraid to move. Scared that if he moves, Wenlang would start showing his anger, or worse, vanish from his hold.
Gao Tu’s fingers played with the hem of his sweater, their breathing echoed in the quiet room, neither of them spoke for a few seconds. “I don’t.. I don’t understand. Did you put this on me?” He whispered with his rough voice. Wenlang looked down to take a look at where the omega was gesturing, which were his clothes.
Wenlang let out a breathy laugh, his shoulder shaking making Gao Tu’s head shake as well.
“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t expect you’d ask that.” Gao Tu does NOT pout at all. He shyly moves away, unsure if he was still welcomed in the alpha’s arms since he’s calmed down now.
“Yes, I put you in those clothes. Didn’t want you getting cold.” Wenlang smirked, making the omega’s heart skip a beat.
Silence stretched between them. Gao Tu didn’t know what to say, but he should probably apologize.
“I-”
“Gao Tu.”
His breath hitched as the alpha called on his name. Instinctively, he replies, “Yes?”
“I’m sorry, Gao Tu.”
The omega’s expression crumbled again, tears were slowly coming back and already forming in his eyes.
“I’m sorry it took me this long to realize. I’m sorry that I made you feel like you have to hide from me. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there for you.”
The alpha took his hand, thumb brushing against his knuckles in slow circles. Gao Tu didn’t resist. He allowed the warmth to take over him.
“I know that you’re an omega, and that you’re pregnant, which I don’t doubt is mine as well.”
“I-”
“Let me finish first.” Which made Gao Tu stop as he looked up to the alpha’s eyes which were staring intently towards him. “I know that I’ve said many hurtful things to you and my words were what probably drove you away. From now on, I promise that I'll make it up to you for everything.”
“I’m not letting you go now.” It made Gao Tu breathless. He didn’t have it in himself to believe what was currently happening. Lies and denial have always been the easiest route for him to take.
“You don’t like omegas.” Gao Tu insists. The idea was stuck in his head and after years of believing it, he couldn’t just erase it from his memories in an instant.
“I like you, Gao Tu.” And Wenlang smiles. He smiled at Gao Tu and it all felt so unreal. “I like whatever you may be, beta or omega. Just you. I like relying on you, I like having you by my side all the time, I like you from your clumsiness to your hardheadedness. I like you, Gao Tu.”
“I lied to you.” He argues, shaking his head. Not believing his ears quite yet. “I hid your child from you.”
“I understand.” That’s it ? Gao Tu thought. Will he leave now? Is this the end of it all?
“It’s fine, Gao Tu. I understand why you felt that you needed to hide it from me. I’ve come to terms with it just a few hours ago. I don’t care if you have any more secrets you want to hide, as long as you’re still here I’ll give you anything you want and give you double. You want ten percent of my company to stay? I’ve already called my lawyers to sign over the twenty percent in your name.”
“What?! Are you crazy?!” Gao Tu suddenly bursts out, jumping out of his thoughts. It was the first time Wenlang had seen him like this, the alpha quite liked it. “That was a joke! How did you even know about that?”
Shen Wenlang only chuckles, which infuriates Gao Tu just a little. Only a little, because despite himself, his heart fluttered like crazy with how deeply the alpha’s words affected him.
“I- I don’t.. I can’t believe this is really happening.” His voice barely came out as a whisper, for he really couldn’t. He didn't let himself dream for the past ten years. Nothing had ever been handed to him on a silver platter, his luck had never been this good, so why now? Why now when he was so ready to let go?
“Can I prove it to you?” Gao Tu makes no movement to stop him. Not when Wenlang was placing the omega’s palm to his own cheeks, nuzzling in it before kissing it gently. Not when the alpha leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
Gao Tu felt like he was in a living dream, but it's not a dream, it's not his mind playing tricks on him. It was just Wenlang’s kiss, tender and loving, enough to make his head spin and his body light.
The omega pulls the alpha closer by his neck, deepening the kiss, drinking in that iris scent and drowning in it. He lets the alpha push him down the covers, down to his nest. He didn’t know how much time had passed, it could be minutes or hours. Nothing else mattered, nothing else was there but Wenlang’s kisses and embrace.
So Gao Tu lets him take over.
-
The porridge Shen Wenlang made was long forgotten on the bedside table. By the time he was done proving to the omega he was real for the second time, the porridge was cold. But Wenlang didn’t care, his place beside the omega was far too warm for him to even think about moving away. But the omega must be hungry, he didn’t eat dinner after all and it was lunch time already.
His alpha was eating him up with guilt, berating him for leaving the omega hungry. He squeezed the arm draped over him, before attempting to sit up. Which earned him a tighter grip and his breath knocked over as he bounces right back where he previously lay.
“Where are you going?” The omega looks at him with those big bunny-like eyes. Despite bunnies being supposedly cute, the stare was quite terrifying in Wenlang’s opinion. Instead of voicing his fear, he clears his throat, “Getting you food. You haven’t eaten.”
“There’s the porridge you brought earlier.”
“Which is cold now.” He points out.
“Did you cook that?”
He rolls his eyes, “Of course, I cooked it. Who else would? You?”
“Wow”
“What?” He raised a brow.
“Didn’t expect you to know how to cook.”
Wenlang scoffs, “Do I look incompetent to you?”
“Sometimes, yeah.”
“What?!” The alpha was absolutely baffled.
“You forget your own belongings sometimes, you know?”
“Oh, so that’s why you took my handkerchief, is it?” He jabs, voice teasing.
Silence follows, he looks down to see Gao Tu hiding his expression on the alpha’s shoulder. He spotted the tips of his ears were red, Wenlang counted this as his win.
He budged the hand wrapped around his waist, which was still unmoving, and sighed.
“Omegas get separation anxieties during their heat.” Gao Tu reasons, his voice muffled.
Wenlang laughs, “I’m not that stupid, we both learned that at school. You’re not in heat anymore, baby.”
“Same thing.”
“You’re hungry. I can smell it.” He argues, voice serious.
“Oh, yeah.” The omega looks up at him and scrunches his nose adorably, just like a bunny. “Forgot that you could.”
“I’d ask you to come with if you really insist on that separation anxiety of yours, but I don’t think you can walk right now- ow!” His eyes widened as Gao Tu swatted his chest hard with the same hand that was just caressing him earlier. “Is that how you usually treat your alpha?”
“You’re my only alpha, dummy.” Well, that probably shouldn’t make his heart swell with pride as much as it did. He kissed the omega’s forehead, unable to stop himself even if he wanted to—which he didn't.
“Can’t let our baby get hungry, Gao Tu.” He tried again, this time was met with less resistance. Well, that was a great tactic, he’ll try that again someday.
Just as he was about to get up from the bed and head to the kitchen, a hand grabs his wrist, pulling him back slightly, making him look back at the omega who was still laying down.
“Promise you won’t leave?” Gao Tu asks him with those eyes.
Wenlang’s heart melts, right at that spot. Why in the world would this beautiful omega even think that there was anything in this world that could make him leave Gao Tu? Even death wouldn’t be enough to stop him now.
“Never.”
…
Ever since that fateful day Shen Wenlang found Gao Tu passed out in their office bathroom, Gao Tu’s life had taken an unexpectedly lucky turn. After a lot of negotiation and bickering, he found himself living under Wenlang’s roof a week later, the alpha had insisted it would be easier for the both of them since the pregnant omega needed his pheromones and the alpha, well, he needed Gao Tu by his side.
His resignation was immediately forfeited and he moved back into his office right beside the CEO’s. The alpha had argued him over working, insisting Gao Tu not to push himself since he was overworked already, the alpha only reluctantly agreed after promising to not overdo it and to hand over the heavy workload to the assistant secretary.
His life was finally back in its usual course, only a lot better than he'd expected his days would be. If someone told Gao Tu two weeks ago that he'd be waking up, going to work, and falling asleep with his ten year long crush, he would've laughed at their face and called them crazy.
And yet here he was with his alpha greeting him every morning with breakfast in bed, along with a passionate kiss that makes Gao Tu blush every single time.
His work went by just as usual, planning meetings, responding to boring emails, and as well as making tea for ‘Mr. Shen’. Which Wenlang hated and had repeatedly demanded that Gao Tu call him by the name instead, but the omega insisted on being professional in the workplace, which meant he enjoyed teasing the alpha too much to stop.
Lunch meant waiting for Wenlang to get out of his office and then pretending he's not there when he lingered around Gao Tu's table, clearly asking for attention. Gao Tu always had to fight off a smile and pretend to be very interested in his screen rather than the constant ‘ehem’ and a glare that screamed ‘stop working and eat with me’.
Gao Tu's evenings became a lot more lively. Instead of the quiet echoes of plates clanking in his small apartment, it was full of teasing and sassy jabs from the alpha as they cooked their meal together, which of course, Gao Tu bites back with sarcastic remarks of his own.
He had never felt this kind of happiness and contentment before. It felt like yesterday when he would live off paycheck to paycheck, worked ‘till his arms ached, studied hard ‘till his nose bled, barely scraping off extra money just to buy the alpha small snacks in the morning.
Now, his new normal involved constantly scolding the alpha for buying too many things such as nesting materials—which always earned him a scolding in return. Wenlang would simply reason ‘It’s for the baby, my bunny’ and just like that, Gao Tu would fall silent as the tip of his ears gradually turn red.
His nest was already moved in a spare room near by their bedroom, which was quite the hassle to move back after their scenting and pheromone sharing. Wenlang always had to carry him back to their bed or sometimes even be too tired to do so because Gao Tu absolutely refused to move from his very much comfortable spot covered with his favorite smell in his beautiful nest filled with all his alpha's gifts and scent.
Sometimes, Gao Tu would wake up from nightmares.
Sometimes, Gao Tu was too afraid to fall asleep, terrified that everything would vanish the moment he closes his eyes. That if he let himself drift off, Wenlang would finally wake up and realize this was all just a mistake and leave him behind.
But the alpha would always be there, by his side, releasing calming pheromones and rubbing circles on his shoulder as he draped his hand around Gao Tu, pulling him closer.
Every time he would wake up gasping and heart beating too fast, the alpha was always there to calm him down—mumbling words of affirmations and assurances. Gao Tu would melt in his arms every single time, falling asleep with his nose deeply nuzzled right at the alpha's scent gland.
Meanwhile, his symptoms due to pregnancy have calmed down and lessened. Finally, his hormones and pheromones have become balanced as soon as the alpha gave him a permanent mark.
He had known that a permanent mark would be the answer to all of his problems and that he stubbornly ignored it, prompting to run away instead. What shocked him most was how effective it actually was. The alpha had only laughed in his face, pulled him into a tight hug, and called him adorable for the rest of the day.
Gao Tu was just glad that his baby was getting more healthy and relaxed inside him now that his health has greatly improved due to Wenlang's insistence on feeding him every time his scent even dared to smell a little hungry.
He was also very indulgent with the omega's cravings. Once, he slowly sneaked into the kitchen at night, too shy to ask for a snack that Wenlang had cooked for him earlier that day and attempted to make it himself—only to fail miserably and was left to be immensely unsatisfied at three in the morning.
Wenlang found him leaning on the kitchen counter with teary eyes, a burnt forest smell, and defeated expression. He immediately panicked and asked what's wrong only to scold the omega again for not waking him up immediately. Gently wiping the tears away as Gao Tu tried to explain his attempt in between his sobs.
By the end of it all, the omega was swinging his feet happily from the high stool, munching on the snack his alpha made for him, and humming a catchy tune, tears long forgotten and scent left without a single trace of that burnt smell.
Gao Tu was finally happy.
Happy that Wenlang was with him. Happy that his baby is safe and sound. Happy that he no longer had anything to hide. Happy that every morning, he woke up to the face he’d loved for ten years and counting. And happiest of all that they had gotten through the pain of the past, and that he wasn't alone now—Wenlang and him would face whatever came next, hand in hand, together.