tw// panic attack, mentions of panic attack
He stared at the note in his hand, contemplating whether he should really go down to eat. Frankly, he doesn’t think he has the stomach to eat as he still feels like shit, refreshed but still shit, even after that shower. But he figures if he wants to recover faster, then he really needs to eat. He sighed. He walked to hang his towel back to its rack, before walking out of his room.
Now when the note said there was food downstairs, he kind of expected a take out placed at the kitchen table or counter. Food he can just bring to his room so he can eat peacefully. He definitely did not expect for it to come in the form of Wade Ashton, wearing a black sweater and a pair of grey sweatpants, topped with a baby blue apron.
Klyde stopped on his tracks, shocked at the sight that greeted him. This is the first time, ever since they got married, that he saw the alpha in a casual fit, especially in the kitchen, cooking at that. He blinked fast, trying to wake up his mind. Maybe this was just a product of his fever?
He eventually approached him, albeit warily, bare feet padding on the cold floor.
“What are you doing?” he asked, voice still hoarse, as he climbed up a kitchen stool to sit.
Wade casted him a glance, eyeing his clothes, before bringing his attention back in front of him.
“What does it seem like to you?”
Klyde ignored the sass, he’s too sick to deal with it so he just sighed and rolled his eyes.
“What are you cooking?” he asked then. He can’t really smell anything; his nose is clogged. He tries to sniff the air but can’t really smell anything. He’s breathing hard on his mouth.
“Lunch,” the alpha simply answered.
“Can’t you smell?”“No,” he answered flatly.
Wade sighed, turning off the stove.
“Go seat on the table, this is done.”
He climbed down the stool, jolting slightly as his feet touched the cold floor again. Wade’s eyes narrowed at him.
“Are you not wearing a slipper?” the alpha asked, walking around the kitchen counter to look at his feet. Klyde looked up at him, confused. He’s always been barefoot around the house, but then again, the alpha wouldn’t know that. He can count on his fingers the number of times they saw each other in this apartment.
“No,” he simply answered again.
The alpha sighed again, walking past him and placing the dishes he’s carrying on the table.
“There’s an extra pair by the entrance, go and wear them.”
Other times, he would have raised a brow at how he’s being ordered, although for his own sake. He would have stood his ground. But for some reason, Wade’s tone wasn’t at all commanding. A mere request, it seems. So instead of clashing with the alpha, Klyde just complied. His feet are feeling cold anyway.
When he came back, now wearing the pair of slides, the table is now set. His stomach growled at the sight of food, but at the same time, he feels nauseous. The steak looks delicious, (holy shit Wade cooked steak?), there’s a salad too. He’s salivating, but his stomach is saying no.
Wade must have noticed his struggle.
“If you can’t stomach this yet, there’s a soup,” he said. He looked at him, he almost looks embarrassed?
“Where?” he quietly asked.
“Sit. I’ll go get it,” he left after that. So Klyde sat.
The table is small, just enough for four people. He turned his attention to the alpha, the sound of utensils hitting each other loud in the quiet apartment. Wade came back holding a small pot, he gently placed it on top of a coaster on the table, before leaving once again. He got a small bowl and placed it in front of Klyde. He sat in front of him.
“Eat.”
He looked at all the food in front of him, his gaze landing last on Wade who started eating. He glanced down at the bowl in front of him, the pot of soup and then back at Wade. He almost startled when their eyes met.
“What?” he asked.
Wade chewed silently, swallowing his food before opening his mouth to speak.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” he asked as he cut another piece of his steak.
Klyde gulped. Looking at the alpha unblinkingly.
Wade sighed.
“Rehan, I didn’t put poison there. Eat.”
He wants to laugh; how does he tell him that it’s not that. Of course, he knows the alpha won’t poison him. They have a contract after all. How does he tell him that he kind of want to eat steak too?
Klyde internally sighed, finally reaching out to grab a spoon and scoop the soup into his bowl.
They ate silently. He wants to compliment the soup but he can’t really taste it properly, with his nose clogged, his taste buds are also affected. He mechanically spooned the soup into his mouth, enjoying the warm sensation that it leaves down his throat and chest.
“Do you want it?” Wade suddenly asked.
“Huh?” he asked, confused. Did he say something?
“You’ve been staring at my steak. Do you want some?” Klyde’s cheeks colored at the realization. He must have had zoned out while looking at the steak. He averted his gaze at the alpha, shyly eating his soup now.
“Rehan,” Wade called out.
“Hmm?” he hummed in reply, refusing to meet his eyes.
“Do you want it?”
He glanced at the steak, looking delicious in front of him. He peeked a glance at the alpha’s half eaten steak on his plate too, before bringing his gaze back to his bowl.
“I did not just cook it for me, eat it if you want. It’s yours,” he briefly met the alpha’s eyes, looking at him amusedly before finally reaching for the plate. He grabbed the fork and knife too.
He pushed his bowl of soup aside, salivating at the food in front of him. He almost moaned at the first bite. The taste is dull on his tongue, his fever is really shit, but he still loves the flavors that exploded in his mouth. He ate happily, stuffing his mouth with food. He still ate carefully, trying to get a feel of what his stomach can handle.
Wade eventually continued eating. They ate in silence again, only the sound of utensils lightly hitting the plate can be heard. He occasionally sips from his soup, focused on his steak. When he’s done eating, he gently pushed his plate away. He reached for his glass to drink and only belatedly realizing that the alpha has been done eating long before him, and was watching him eat the entire time.
“What?” he asked, almost choking.
He feels so full, the throbbing at the back of his head still present though. He thinks the meal he ate today is more than all the snacks he ate for the last week. What has he been doing?
Wade only shook his head before standing up, starting to gather their plates.
“Let me. You still have to go back,” he said, trying to take the plates from Wade. Wade only tightened his hold on them.
“No,” Wade replied firmly.
“But you have to—”
“I’m not going back, Rehan.”
“Huh?”
The alpha sighed. He seems to do that a lot around him.
“I’m not going back,” he calmly repeated.
Klyde is taken aback at that. What does he mean he’s not going back?
“But the office and—you just held a meeting—I –You can’t—”
“Rehan, hey, hey,” the alpha called. He didn’t even notice that he was rambling. His scent turning sour at his distress. He’s so concerned about his company that he panicked at the thought of neither of them not being at work.
He startled when he felt a hand grip his arm, Wade immediately let go when he felt him jolt.
“Wade—”
“Relax, hmm?” the alpha soothed.
Klyde’s breathing is coming out fast and in short breathes, verging on a panic attack. His scent is going wild in the room, the smell both sour and bitter from his distress. The alpha tried to touch him again, and he didn’t flinch this time. Wade’s touch is gentle on his arm, warm hands running up and down his clothed arm. He struggled to regain his even breathing. It’s taking a while before he eventually calmed down. It was like magic. He can’t smell it, but he knows the alpha must have let out a soothing pheromone to help calm him down, and it worked. His breathing turned even. But now, he feels sleepy.
“Feeling okay now?” Wade asked quietly. Klyde only noticed their proximity now, the alpha’s warm breath fanning on his fringe. Any other time, he would have freaked out at the lack of distance. But he feels so sated right now, sleepy and content.
He hummed in affirmation.
Wade slowly let go, he let out a small whine at that. The alpha gently shushed him.
“You need to rest, hmm? I can still smell your fever.”
He almost snorted at that. He can smell his fever? It sounds odd. He has only ever heard of it in history books. People before them with more heightened senses. They still have heightened senses until now, especially the alphas. But it got less and less over the years, the result of evolution. If Wade is still able to do that, then he must be so in touch with his wolf.
It took him a while to finally step back, blinking blearily up at the alpha.
“Go to your room and rest, I’ll clean up here.”
This time, he did not bother protesting. He carried his tired limbs up the stairs and to his room. He walked slowly, verging on just passing out on his feet.
When he reached his room, he slowly slid under his blankets. Almost purring at how content he feels. His pillows are cold, making him hum in appreciation. He sat back up, fluffing them up even more, and arranging his pillows in a way that satiated the itch in him. He plopped back down, sighing as he did so. This time he’s really purring. Deep gentle rumble coming from the depths of his chest, making its way out of his throat.
He thinks, when was the last time he felt like this? Omegas only purr when they feel safe or content. Does it mean he feels safe here? In Wade’s apartment? He feels safe around an alpha? He cleared his throat; it only amplified his purr. It resonated in the small room.
It was definitely because of the pheromones Wade let out earlier, he thinks.His brows furrowed, his headache returning at the train of his thoughts. He hugged the pillow on his left, burrowing himself in his bed even more. He pulled his blanket up his chin.
He should stop thinking of irrelevant things. Instead, he should be thinking of more ways on how he can save his company faster. He opened his eyes at that, debating whether he should contact his secretary to know what is happening in his company right now. His fatigue eventually won. His eyes closing. It’s getting hard to keep them open by the second. His body became one with the bed, too relaxed that he can almost not feel them.
After a few minutes, his eyes finally slid shut. Breath evening out as he gave up and finally succumbed to the darkness. The lunch he spent with the alpha replaying at the forefront of his mind.
What he expected to be a one-time thing happened again the next morning, and then the next again, and then the next until waking up to the sight of Wade cooking in the kitchen didn’t look unusual anymore. It’s the fourth day, and now he just automatically slips and perches himself on a stool by the kitchen counter to silently watch him cook. It’s the fourth day of him being absent in the company too, and he’s in constant worry. He wonders how everyone is doing there, what’s happening and their current state. He tried to tell Wade multiple times that he’ll be fine to go to work but the alpha only just looks at him dead in the eye, and it effectively makes him quiet. He huffs every time it happens. He’s also worried for the alpha’s work. He, too, hasn’t been going to his company to work for days now. Isn’t he worried? But then again, he had established his company for years. Wade surely has confidence in his workers, something Klyde lacks, especially now that th
Klyde’s heart is hammering in his chest as he sees the familiar sight of Wade’s building. It’s quite far from his so he had to drive to go there. His hands are sweating on the steering wheel, he took his feet off the pedals of his car as he can’t stop them from fidgeting. He’s been taking deep breathes too, but he can’t seem to calm down.But how is he supposed to calm down, his mind supplies. His husband, contract husband, just called him to inform him that his pack wanted to meet him! How is he supposed to calm down?!Packs aren’t really that common nowadays, but not rare either. Wolves evolved from living in packs to carrying on their own. Packs are not necessarily supposed to be family related; it’s usually just made up of wolves who find deep connections with each other. Klyde never had a pack, his family doesn’t count. So, he’s freaking out with the thought of meeting one toda
The waiter poured them wine as soon as they sat on the table. The chattering of Wade’s packmates is a nice comfort to Klyde. They’re in a nearby restaurant for lunch. The pack insisted on taking them to lunch as a “compensation”—their words, for not telling them about their marriage sooner. Wade tried to escape but his attempts were futile as they quite practically dragged the two of them outside. So now there they are. “Do they have pasta?” Aien asked out loud to no one in particular, he’s scanning the menu. “Of course, they do,” came Kez’s quick reply. He said it with a roll of his eyes.“What kind of restaurant doesn’t serve pasta?” Aien scrunched his nose. “It’s my first time here.” “That’s because you don’t go out of your apartment. Explore the world, pup.” Klyde chuckled at the brothers’ bickering, the rest of the p
Frankly, Klyde never thought he’ll meet the pack again, or at least one of them. But he should have known when he met them for the first time that the bunch were stubborn. Of course, they’ll meet again, it’s inevitable. It was totally unexpected. He carried on with his life, pushing the memory of meeting the pack at the back of his head and once again buried himself with work in the company. It’s as if the interaction didn’t even happen at all. So, when one day, Aien suddenly quite literally just barged into his office, trailed by his stressed-looking secretary, to say Klyde was shocked would be an understatement. “Aien?” he uttered bewilderedly, surprise coloring his tone as he watched the beta march in his office. Aien’s eyes roamed around the place before it finally landed on him. A big smile stretched on his lips, eyes lighting up at the sight of him. “Klyde!” he exclaimed, walking towards his office table. Lou
Klyde swears he swallowed all his food properly, so he doesn’t understand how he just suddenly choked on nothing, maybe air. But he blames Aien’s unexpected question. He found himself in a coughing fit, struggling to breathe, and he’s so fucking embarrassed. “Aien!” Wade called sharply as he hurried to hand Klyde his drink and tissues. Klyde’s eyes are teary as he accepted the drink, wincing as he drank the soda. He also accepted the tissue, wiping his mouth and eyes as he finished drinking. “What? What?” Aien asked frantically.“What’s wrong?” Klyde continued to cough. Wade turned to Aien, glaring at him. “What’s wrong—did you really have to ask that?” Wade asked, irritated. Aien blinked at him in confusion. “What’s wrong with my question?” “You were asking about pups.” “And?
Klyde made sure to wash everything he used, rather Wade used to cook, and his plate. His moves are light as he navigates himself in the kitchen and almost as if he did not want to make a noise in the quiet apartment. He dried his hand on his sweater after he’s done. He also made sure to refrigerate the leftover pasta so it won’t go to waste. Maybe Wade will eat it later, and if he doesn’t, then Klyde can heat it up to eat again tomorrow. He quietly climbed the stairs. He passed by the alpha’s room and entered his room without making any sound save for his footsteps. He sighed once he was inside, breathing out the breath he did not even know he was holding. He proceeded to the bathroom, now that he was done eating, he can finally do his night routine. He took his time pampering himself, opening many packets of different masks and serums, rubbing some moisturizer on his face. He hummed at the pleasant scent th
Time surely flies especially when you’re busy. Although the work pile had been considerably less, it did not mean he can just slack. So, he went on with his usual days with Aien’s continuous visiting but now, he gets to go back to the apartment earlier than he used to for the past weeks. The wind began to blew colder, the sun started to set earlier, decorations slowly appeared on the streets and before he knows it, it’s already Christmas eve. Klyde scanned himself in the full-length mirror inside his room. He’s looking over his shoulders, making sure to check if it looks good on all sides. When he deemed it good, he turned around to look at himself again, adjusting the blazer of his coat. He nodded at the sight. It looks good, but of course, he should not expect less from a tailor that works for Wade. Wade called him a week before the event to tell him that the tailor was on his way. He did not expect for it
The place is big and very bright with impressive chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. The walls are beige decorated with many paintings and variety of Christmas lights and garlands. There are round tables with chairs for guests and some lounge tables as well which are all decorated with subtle hints of baby pink poinsettias. Businessmen and their dates dressed in black are already lounging and talking, their chatter mixing with the pleasant music playing, and all in all, the place is decorated in things that screams both expensive and Christmas-y. Klyde would have appreciated it at least if he’s not still distracted by what Wade pulled before they entered. His face feels hot, and he’s much too aware of his heart beating too fast for his own liking in his chest. He inhaled a deep breath, calming himself. Ah, yes. Something that Klyde always appreciated in this kind of parties though, is the presence of air neutralizer. With such big events,