"Welcome, dear! Oh my goodness! Hasn't my sweet boy grown since the last time I saw him?!"
Arthur offered a shy, characteristic smile as Aunt Carol, Aunt Kelly's longtime best friend, wrapped him in a tight, maternal hug. She practically pulled him across the threshold, leaving the rest of the family to follow in his wake.
It was always like this. Even when Aunt Carol visited their house, Arthur was always the first person she asked for, immediately launching into affectionate teasing that he never truly minded. Aunt Carol was incredibly kind, a perfect mirror to Aunt Kelly's warmth.
To the outside world, Arthur was a quiet, unassuming enigma. While Uncle Kevin and Aunt Kelly knew his true, chaotic, and playful self, he tended to involuntarily shut himself off around others. It wasn't an act; it was just a defense mechanism that happened naturally. Try as he might, he just couldn't bring himself to act completely "normal," even around someone as familiar as Carol.
"It's been such a long time," a familiar voice chimed in.
Arthur watched as Lily approached Natalia with a broad grin, which Natalia returned with a warm, respectful nod. Because their mothers were practically attached at the hip, Lily and Natalia had naturally grown up spending time together. It was the same pipeline that had led Uncle Kevin into a solid friendship with Carol's husband, Uncle Josiah.
Despite her striking looks and immense popularity, Natalia had never maintained a massive circle of friends. Arthur had always secretly admired that about her. She never acted like a celebrity just because people practically tripped over themselves to breathe her air.
Then again... Arthur thought, suppressed a tiny shiver, she could be a little terrifying. Not her, exactly, but just... the sheer intensity of her presence.
Sighing quietly, Arthur scanned the beautifully decorated living room. Everyone was already locked into their own lively conversations, leaving him feeling a bit like a stray puzzle piece. Pulling out his phone to pass the time, he opened his digital notebook to organize his thoughts.
He was entirely absorbed in his screen until the front door clicked open again, followed by Carol's cheerful greeting.
"Hello, Jax!"
Arthur looked up. A teenager stepped into the foyer, his face sparking a faint, flickering memory in Arthur's mind. He frowned, trying to place the boy, when the teenager's eyes suddenly locked onto him.
The boy froze, his jaw dropping. "Teacher Arthur?!"
An instant, radiant smile erupted across the kid's face, thick with surprise and genuine excitement. Arthur's own smile mirrored his as the missing puzzle pieces clicked into place. Ah. One of my students.
Arthur had taught his class the previous term. He remembered a handful of students vividly, but keeping track of every single face was always a challenge. A tiny pang of teacher-guilt hit him, but it quickly melted away under the sheer force of the boy's enthusiasm.
Still, Arthur was confused. What was he doing at Aunt Carol's house? From what he knew, Carol and Josiah only had one child, Lily.
"He's Lily's cousin," Aunt Kelly explained, stepping in with a proud, beaming smile that made Arthur's chest swell with quiet validation. "His family lives just five houses down, but he's staying with us for a bit while his parents are abroad visiting his sick grandmother. I had no idea he went to the school Arthur teaches at!"
"Ah... I see," Arthur murmured.
As he spoke, his eyes accidentally drifted across the room and collided with Natalia's. She was staring right at him. Her expression was unreadable, yet her dark eyes held him with an arresting, heavy intensity.
Arthur's heart violently skipped a beat. A fierce warmth rushed up his neck, and he abruptly looked down, aggressively scrolling through his phone to hide the evidence. Seriously? he scolded himself. I need to get a grip on this blushing. If he wanted to keep whatever was happening between them a secret until he was ready, turning into a human tomato every time she glanced at him was a terrible strategy. Someone was going to notice. Worse, he'd look completely obsessed.
'It's terrifying how much power she has over me,' he thought with a silent sigh.
A moment later, the cushion beside him dipped. Arthur secretly wished it was Natalia, but she had just been summoned over by Uncle Kevin to join a conversation with Uncle Josiah.
"I can't believe teacher knows Aunt Carol! This is crazy," Jax said, practically vibrating with excitement. "It's so good to see you outside of school, teacher. You're seriously my favorite!"
Arthur felt flattered, though the teenager's intensity was a little overwhelming. 'Were kids this energetic when I was sixteen?' he wondered. 'Young people these days are a different breed.'
"Don't lie," Arthur chuckled softly, resting his chin on his hand. "Nobody actually likes their teachers. I must just be the least annoying option, right?"
Jax looked genuinely offended by the suggestion. "No, seriously! I respect you the most. Maybe teacher doesn't remember, but... you helped me once. You basically saved my life."
Arthur blinked, utterly clueless. He searched his memory but came up entirely empty, feeling a sudden wave of sympathy for the kid. "I'm sorry, Jax. I really don't remember doing anything like that. I'm definitely no hero. Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"
Jax let out a soft, slightly wet chuckle, nervously wringing his fingers. "No way. How could I ever mistake you? But it's fair that you don't remember. It's been almost a year. I know you're just naturally kind and help everyone you can. I was probably just one of many to you. But either way... you're one of my absolute favorite people."
There was a strange, heavy undertone to Jax's voice, something emotional, desperate, yet fiercely happy.
'Wow, kids really do form strong attachments to their mentors,' Arthur thought warmly. Reaching out, he gave Jax's hair a gentle, affectionate pat. "You're a good kid, Jax."
The sudden physical contact caught the teenager entirely off guard. A bright blush bloomed across Jax's cheeks, and he let out a shy, giddy giggle.
Arthur found it adorable. Jax was chatty, outgoing, and possessed a sweet, childlike innocence despite being nearly sixteen. But Arthur was, at his core, a responsible educator.
"So," Arthur began, his voice dropping into a dangerously smooth, authoritative purr. "How did your marks look on this term's exams?"
In an instant, Jax's radiant smile vanished. His face fell into an expression of pure, unadulterated dread.
Arthur couldn't help the delighted chuckle that escaped him. He clapped a hand onto the boy's back in a mock-apologetic gesture. "What? Don't look at me like that."
"Teacher, please don't bring up grades when we're out of school," Jax groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Gosh, just thinking about report cards makes my stomach turn."
Seeing the perfect opening, a nosy, mischievous streak woke up in Arthur. He leaned in, entirely taking pleasure in teasing the poor kid by relentlessly asking about his study schedules, weak subjects, and lesson plans.
Jax looked like he thoroughly regretted striking up the conversation, yet he didn't make a single move to leave, entirely captivated by the playful glint in Arthur's eyes.
Neither of them noticed that the surrounding room had fallen somewhat quiet, their eyes drawn to the couch. It was impossible not to look. The duo shared an effortlessly charming dynamic, their laughter radiating a pure, domestic cuteness that lit up the corner of the room. They looked less like a strict teacher and student, and more like two close friends entirely at ease.
From across the room, Natalia's gaze remained anchored to Arthur.
A small, rare smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she watched him. In this quiet moment of observation, she realized she was uncovering yet another piece of him. It was a tiny, trivial detail, but it hit her like a physical blow.
When Arthur genuinely laughed, it wasn't just a polite smile. His eyes would narrow into beautiful, crescent slits, and his entire face would light up with a warmth that was devastatingly attractive.
A sudden, fierce possessiveness clawed at Natalia's chest. The biological urge of her Alpha instincts flared, demanding she walk over, pull him directly into her lap, and shield him from every other eye in the room.
'God, I want to hold him right now,' she thought, her fingers twitching against her glass. 'I want to kiss him until he's completely breathless and entirely red...'
"Have some more of this!"
"Wow, this is absolutely incredible!"
"Mmm, the seasoning is perfect."
As dinner commenced, the dining room filled with the comforting symphony of clinking silverware, clattering plates, and the rich, savory aroma of a home-cooked feast weaving through the lively chatter.
Everyone was entirely present, except for Jax.
Seated at the far corner of the table, his plate remained largely untouched. His focus was entirely directed beneath the edge of the wood, where his phone screen glowed in the shadows. His thumbs flew across the keyboard in quick, urgent bursts.
Jax:I changed my mind. I'm not giving up.
Jax:I only want him. And I just found the perfect way to get close to him.
He aggressively tapped the send button. A sharp, satisfied smirk touched his lips as he subtly peeked up from his screen, his eyes tracking the older Omega. Arthur was currently wearing a soft, incredibly shy smile a smile directed entirely at Natalia.
Jax's eyes shifted to the Alpha, his expression darkening slightly. 'When Arthur and his parents are so incredibly sweet, why does his sister look so damn terrifying? I can't believe they're even related.'
Dismissing the thought with a slight shake of his head, Jax locked his phone, slipped it into his pocket, and finally picked up his fork.
And just like that, the lively dinner gradually wound down. The heavy chatter shifted into comfortable murmurs, plates were cleared away, and the warmth of the evening gently settled into a quiet, star-filled night.