"He's here again." Mari did little to hide her displeasure when Henry walked into the shop as she placed a coffee cup gently on the counter.
Hank always came to the store to have lunch with Mari and Lein, it was close enough to the gym, so it wasn't much of a bother. This was his daily life now. "Don't you think you're being overly biased."
"I'm not."
"You are." He shrugged and pulled his cup closer "You still think Jay will come back."
"He will." Mari argued.
"He won't."
The two whispered back and forth across the counter while Henry placed an order with Lein. Henry, an alpha Lein met at group therapy. He wasn't in recovery, just a volunteer who helped organize the sessions.
"Hi." He greeted Lein sheepishly.
"Hi." Lein returned his greeting with a bright smile.
Henry scratched his nose, he wondered if his interest in Lein was obvious "Can I get the usual?"
He snapped his fingers "Café auf lait with a ham and cheese sandwich? Right?"
"Yes." He nodded, something about Lein always getting his order right just made him feel… well, it made him feel good.
"Alright, coming up."
"Rose, you focus on the coffee. I'll watch the register." Mari inserted herself into the scene before Henry could say another word "Please have a seat and wait for your order." She all but shooed him away "If you stand in front of the register, you'll make it difficult for other customers."
"Oh, sorry." He awkwardly made his way to be seated away from the counter, glancing back a few times. He had a sense Mari didn't want him nearby, maybe not even in the store.
Hank joined her behind the register "Mari, you have to stop doing this."
"I have to stop working?" She asked innocently.
"Woman, you have to stop interfering with Rose. People are going to be interested in him whether you like it or not."
"I am not interfering with him."
"You know exactly what you're doing."
"Alright, fine but I don't like Henry."
"He's a perfectly decent young man."
"You don't know that." She eyed the person in question.
"How do you know he is not?"
"How do you know he is?"
He huffed as he walked around the counter "I'm not doing this with you."
"It's you who is biased. You'll toss my child to anyone as long as it's not Jay."
Lein reappeared "What are you talking about? Who am I being tossed to?"
"Nothing dear…" she eyed Hank up and down "…your father was just leaving."
Hank shook his head and bid the pair goodbye.
Despite Mari's passionate campaign, Lein did receive quite a lot of attention and several of those suitors passed her. Her worries were for naught though as Lein, himself turned everyone away. He wasn't interested in getting along with anyone at all.
In part, because of Jay and in part, he was just over everything.
Alexei pulled Ethan closer to bury his face in the crook of his neck. It was a curious thing "Did you change your soap or something?"
Ethan frowned "No."
"You've been smelling really good for a while now." He took another whiff "What's that? Lavender?" He buried his face even deeper "I like it."
"You're smothering me." Ethan whined, pushing Alexei's face away as the other tried to bury his face deeper.
"No." Alexei rolled over to lay on him "I shall smolder you."
"I can't breathe." Ethan twisted and wiggled energetically as he shrieked.
Alexei was motivated, watching his lover light up beneath him. Ethan's exuberance was intoxicating. With a smile plastered on his face, he reached down for a kiss, soft and sweet as his hand crept up Ethan's shirt. The playful and joyous air fizzled and intimacy took its place but before they could get into it, Alexei's phone rang and Ethan was given some respite. Alexei pulled away and sighed, rolling his eyes "Every fucking time…" he mumbled as he rolled off the bed, took in Ethan's ruffled appearance "Don't move an inch. In fact, stay exactly as you are right now." He hissed before reluctantly got off the bed and went to his study to take the call.
But immediately Alexei left, Ethan was thrown into full panic mode. He knew exactly what Alexei was smelling.
Those were his pheromones.
His pheromones that had been absent since he was eighteen, but what did not make sense was the fact that he had stopped taking those drugs a long time ago and he had never once visited the specialist Dr. Noelle had recommended so how was it possible that Alexei could smell it?
He grabbed his phone with shaky fingers and dialed her number.
"Ethan?"
"D-Dr. Noelle. I n-need your help please."
"Oh, my days, it's been so long. How are you?"
"Puh-please…" he glanced at the door, lowering his voice "…help me."
"Why? What happened?"
He drew in a deep breath "...my pheromones. Someone can smell my pheromones."
"Well, isn't that a... good thing?"
"The specialist… can I... Can I have his number again?"
"You never went?" She sighed "It's been months, but I'll send you his details, please be sure to go this time."
"Th-thank you."
Alexei returned to see Ethan deep in thought, unraveling a thread from the hem of his shirt and wrapping it around a finger furiously only to repeat the process. He furrowed his brows "Ethan?". He reached out to tap his shoulder.
Ethan flinched as an involuntary yelp left his lips.
"Why are you so jumpy?"
"N-no… no not-nothing."
"Are you sure?"
Ethan nodded eagerly.
"…okay?" he scrutinized him for a second "Let's go down for breakfast."
Ethan spent the whole day waiting eagerly for the specialist's contact but before that, he had to find an explanation for Alexei. Luckily, Alexei had basically given him the answer. He opened his online shopping cart and filled it with all sorts of lavender scented items and toiletries.
He would take it one step at a time.
When the contact finally came, he wasted no time in making an appointment. He set it in the middle of the day so he could go there during work hours and make it back before the end of the work day. With that out of the way, he changed all his toiletries, soaps, creams and whatever he used on skin, on his clothes… everything now bore the scent of lavender.
But all this did very little quell the anxiety eating at him.
The day finally came.
The specialist offered him a seat as they exchanged greetings.
"Doctor..."
"Just call me Olly." He clicked on Ethan's file "Noelle told me about your condition but I want to hear from you exactly what happened."
Ethan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. The topic had always been an unpleasant one to discuss "S-some years ago I… I uh, used some modulators that destroyed my glands. I was diagnosed with g-glandular hypoplasia, but recently someone…" he let out a shaky breath "…my partner said he could smell it."
"Some years?"
"It happened when I was around eighteen so…" Ethan made a brief calculation in his head "…so almost six years now."
Olly nodded knowingly, typing "Noelle said you tried to treat it, but things weren't going as hoped."
"Yes, the drugs had no effect."
"I see..." He tapped the keyboard again "...when exactly did you start treating it? And what did you use?"
He listed off a number of drugs nervously "It was four years after that."
"Hold on..." Olly pulled out a pen and paper from the drawer "How old were you when you used those drugs?"
Ethan leaned closer "Eight-"
Olly cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. He held up a hand to stop him from speaking "Could you not lean in so close?" He placed another pen in the middle of the table "Try not to go beyond this point."
Ethan stared at him with eyes full of annoyance and irritation. Was the man try to say he smelled bad?
"Please don't be offended, it's just you're covered in pheromones and it's a little uncomfortable for me." He reached for the switch behind him and soon, the room was filled with the low hum of the ventilator.
Ethan sniffed himself "I don't really smell anything." He spoke under his breath.
"I don't either and that's what makes it even more uncomfortable." He explained before returning the focus to the paper "How old were you?"
Ethan's mind was still reeling from the information. He was covered in Alexei's pheromones? They didn't have a scent? "Eigh-eigthteen."
"And you started treatment four years later so... Twenty-two?"
Ethan nodded in confirmation "Yes."
"You've been in treatment for four years?"
"No, two."
Olly looked up "What?"
"I stopped the drugs two years ago." He said quietly. Once he found out Alexei hated omegas.
"Okay." Olly turned back to the computer to enter the new information. "I understand that sometimes it is very frustrating when a treatment plan does not give expected results but-" he glanced at the pen that served as a barricade when Ethan leaned in out of curiosity.
Ethan took the hint and settled back into his chair.
"…spontaneous recovery is unlikely in your situation. It could be a tumour, but the probability of that is also a bit..." Olly remarked when he was done typing up his medical profile "Do you have a steady partner?"
"Yes."
"How long have you been together?"
"Almost two years?"
Alarm bells began to ring in Olly's head. In this line of work, one came across all sorts of people and heard all sorts of gut churning stories "Did your partner tell you to stop treatment?"
Ethan frowned "No." He answered firmly with a pout. He didn't know what this doctor was thinking but he was certain he didn't like it.
"Alright." He heaved a sigh of relief that he didn't have to call the protection agency "How did you know your glands were active?"
He wanted to lean in but stopped himself "My partner said he could smell my pheromones."
"Since when?"
Ethan was perplexed, for a while now Alexei had been making comments about how he smelled nice, it was only on Saturday that he actually stated clearly what the scent was "I think a few weeks."
Olly nodded and typed in another note "We'll have to run some tests, I'm sure you're familiar with the process but I will explain it again. We can do an ultrasound now, but you will have to check yourself into the centre for the others, as you know, pheromone gland assessment is best done early in the day. It is also a very exhausting and sensitive test. You'll have to be in the hospital for a few days."
Ethan began to panic again. There was no way he could do that. "Do I… do I have to?"
"Yes. That is the only way we can tell the state of your gland."
"Um... What... What if I just take inhibitors?"
He became concerned now "Ethan, is something the problem? Isn't the probability of recovery something good?"
He pressed his lips into a thin line but said nothing.
"Can you tell me why you stopped your treatment?"
Ethan remained silent.
Olly didn't push, there was never a lack of cases with complicated backstories. "Let's do the blood test and ultrasound first. I'll also see if there's any other test we can do today."
The whole testing process took approximately an hour.
"There are some changes, but it is not a very clear picture..." He compared Ethan's last results to what was made available "...but... but...." He tutted as he squinted at the screen and smiled "there are no signs of significant recovery from what we have now. You need to do the extraction and biopsy for a clearer picture." He scanned Ethan's dissatisfied face "I actually need to ask these questions so forgive me if it feels inappropriate. Your partner is a dominant alpha, yes?
"Yes."
"How often are you two intimate?"
"…almosteveryday..." He mumbled.
Olly was genuinely surprised "You have sex every day?"
Ethan's eyes widened in horror "No! No...no." he waved his hands wildly "…no. Just on the weekends or so. We …mostlydoother things..." The enthusiasm he used to clarify diminished with every word until there were none left.
"Al-alright..." His awkwardness was contagious "I had to ask for your medical report. It shows you were recommended for a psychological evaluation with regards to your case. Did you do that?"
He picked on the hem of his sleeves "Yes. I did. After I moved I arranged to have an online session once a month."
"That is good."
"And your new partner… is he good to you?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
"Really?" he said with a small smile "Can you tell me about him?"
"He's…" he pulled on a loose thread and wrapped it around a finger as a smile formed involuntarily "… so silly."
"Silly? I don't hear that often."
He nodded shyly. Alexei was indeed the silliest person he knew.
"I guess that's good. Very good. If your new environment is one you find safe and secure. That is actually perfect. It might even be a contributing factor to your recovery."
He blinked rapidly "C…Con-contribute?"
Olly became just a little excited "You know there have been many studies where some omegas and alphas whose glands have gone into remission recover suddenly. All from a psychological standpoint but in your case, it might be a factor."
"I-I don't…" he shifted in the chair "…I don't understand."
"Ethan, you may be actively healing. I cannot say for sure, but the possibility is very high especially if the first person to perceive it is your alpha partner. We can't overlook the fact that your partner may play an important role in this. While there are many… many studies, the science behind the bonds between alphas and omegas is still being explored-"
"That is absurd…" he mumbled to himself "I don't have a mark. He thinks I'm a beta!"
"Why would he think that?"
Ethan fell silent.
Was his patient deceiving his partner about his secondary gender? He glanced at the medical report on the screen "Why does your partner think you are a beta?" he repeated cautiously.
Ethan looked about ready to burst into tears "I…I d-don't understand."
"…Ethan…"
His scowl deepened "That makes no sense."
"Ethan, it is just a guess on my part. You can bring him in so we can try to figure it out."
He questioned himself, not listening to what the doctor was saying.
"Does he not know about your condition?"
Ethan avoided his eyes.
Understanding dawned anew on Olly. He was indeed lying, that was why he suddenly stopped treatment. Not that he could judge, everyone had reasons for doing whatever they did "Is that why you don't want to do the tests?"
"We live together."
"I see. I will look into what can be done but Ethan you do know that you have to inform him at some point, especially if he plays a part in this. This is about your health."
Ethan pursed his lips. That was not an option.
Olly let him go only after emphasizing that he must not, for any reason, take inhibitors or suppressants. It was best to let things play out naturally until they had more information.
Ethan's next stop was the delivery point where his new lavender scented items were waiting for pickup.
Did he need to go this far?
Yes, his did.
He had seen firsthand just how much Alexei hated omegas. He wanted to shoot his twin brother, a person that looked just like him. He wasn't taking any chances, he was determined to keep his secret hidden.
Even if he had to get rid of the gland.
Alexei swiveled his chair distractedly.
His eyes travelled from the potted plant, to the reed diffuser to the cup of tea on his table. He tapped a finger rhythmically on the armrest. "Dawson..." He interrupted, intent on not listening to a word the man was saying "...I suddenly realized that I like the scent lavender."
Dawson lowered the tablet, his eyes drilling annoyedly into his boss "Yes sir."
Ten minutes later, a lot of things were replaced. The office was now effused with the soft, crisp smell of lavender. Alexei sighed contentedly. He was satisfied but not really, something was still missing.
"Sir!" Dawson grew impatient.
"The vice president will be back soon." He pointed at the stack at the corner of his desk with a wicked smile.
Once more, Dawson turned around and rolled his eyes as he walked out of the room. He assembled the other secretaries and the desk was cleared.
"Ok!" Finally, he clapped once and rubbed his hands together, showing a little willingness to work "What have you been going on about?"
"NEDA, sir. The director has practically been begging you for a meeting for months." Dawson narrowed his eyes, the director in question was a step away from breaking into his own home. It was pure harassment at this point.
"Is that so?" he clicked his tongue "I don't feel his sincerity."
"You would feel it if you would just meet with him."
His eyes lingered on Dawson for a second before they landed on the new diffuser "Ah~ I wonder if lavender tastes nice."
Dawson almost slammed his tablet into the floor "SIR! I'm arranging the meeting and next week you have a trip overseas. You need to meet with professor Masha. The vice president insists you show your own sincerity. I have booked your flight. After that, you will go to country XX to finalize the details for the N foods product launch."
Alexei leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms "Did you just raise your voice at me?"
Dawson took a deep breath, removed the tablet from its fitted case to retrieve a sheet of paper which he placed on the desk. He would have flung it at his face, but he was not certain he would walk out of the office in one piece if he did such a thing.
Alexei eyed the paper "What is this?"
"My resignation letter, sir."
"I see that, I can read but why am I reading it?"
"Sir, every morning since your relationship begun, I have been printing this out."
"It's been almost two years... You have been printing a new resignation letter every morning for almost two years?" he inspected the piece of paper before flicking it away with a finger "Do you come up with a new reason every day? Think about the earth Dawson, such a wasteful thing. I'm very disappointed."
"It's recycled paper."
"Then you're just wasting company resources. That's bad, Dawson. Very bad."
"Sir."
"Take this away, I will never accept your resignation, you should know that by now. Stop wasting paper." He leaned back into the chair.
"The meeting?"
"It's fine."
"Your flight?"
Alexei gave a noncommittal hum.
Dawson gave himself a mental pat on the back.
Alexei noticed a few changes in his home.
Everything Ethan used had been switched out to something lavender-related or scented.
It was curious.
Irene was usually more thorough, she would have changed other things as well or at least, the manner of change would not be so obvious "Irene, are you losing your touch?" He asked while reviewing the household budget. Things had to be settled before his flight.
"What do you mean?"
"If your husband told you about my recent fondness for lavender, you should have changed everything not just what Ethan uses."
She was puzzled "I didn't change anything. Everything I get has been the same as when he moved in."
"Really?"
"Not a single has been changed."
"Oh…" he signed off the budget "…my bad."
It really was a curious thing.
Alexei sent another message to Ethan to confirm his location.
After the meeting with NEDA, they would drive down to the Glasshouse to visit Xavier then off to their planned getaway. It was almost a ritual at this point. He didn't want to stop at his father's but ever since he found out the man had been in contact with Ethan behind his back, he just gave up. He realized there was no stopping it at this point.
The reason Ethan was attending this particular meeting was simple, he knew exactly how these old men behaved. The probability of seeing a horde of omegas just a few drinks away from going into heat behind the door was almost a hundred percent. Stupid people always came up with stupid solutions to their problems. He would definitely need some cleansing after it.
This was also a good way to announce their relationship. He knew Ethan still wanted to be low-key about it, but this was necessary… to discourage certain undertakings.
Dawson stepped into the room, froze, and looked back at his boss with a heavy expression.
Alexei understood. He stepped into the room.
Numerous bottles from wines to spirits, excitable scantily clad youths and a mix of scents and smells that made him want to hurl.
See? Stupid people, stupid solutions.
Corporate espionage was something everyone did. One must always be weary of their competitors, just don't get caught and do a good job with clean up afterwards. It's not that hard, unless you're stupid.
The director and his entourage rushed forward to usher him to his seat.
"Dawson…" his smile grew wider and more unsettling "…I see sincerity everywhere I look. Oh…" he clicked his tongue "…so much sincerity, I don't even know where to look or how to respond. How about I cut your bonus for this year?"
"I wasn't careful enough. I'm sorry."
Alexei cast him a side glance. With a shallow laugh, he stepped forward to take the hand of a director that ushered him to a seat and directed a few choice youths to serve him.
Dawson sighed. No doubt, the man was enraged.
They danced and danced around the issue, but no one said it.
Thanks to Jason's persistence, their stock prices kept tanking as more and more dirty laundry about NEDA was being aired out for the public to devour. Now, they weren't even worth the paper they used to wipe their asses and Alexei stepped in like a saviour ready to pull them out of insolvency, but it came with a price.
One he wasn't willing to say until they offered it up themselves.
NEDA was NEDA because they had a coveted patent. Hanzel had been itching to break out their birth control, but they couldn't do that because of that same patented formula. They had a few years left on it but to think they would come to him all on their own. When the rat was caught, how elated he was. He was going to take that patent for dirt cheap, and he would help himself to a good percentage of their company while he was at it.
That was the original plan before he came in but not anymore, after today NEDA would just simply cease to exist.
"Dawson..." He spoke in a low voice so only they could hear "...why don't you partake in the sincerity that has been laid out before you?"
"I'm a married man, sir."
He looked up at the man standing beside him "Is that the problem?"
It was at this moment Ethan was led into the room. He was shocked senseless by what he saw. Alexei would never ask him to come to a place where delirious omegas were gathered. He turned around to call for the attendant. Surely, he had been led to the wrong room.
"Baby..." a very familiar voice called out.
The room fell silent, everyone followed Alexei's eyes to the person hovering by the door.
"...why are you leaving already?"
Ethan's head began to spin as it conjured up all sorts of explanation, the most troubling being that Alexei had found out he was an omega and brought him here to spite him.
"Come here." He said sweetly.
He was frightened, but he complied. Walking over gingerly to accept the hand held out to him, sitting himself exactly where Alexei wanted him.
Alexei hugged him, burying his face deep in his nape he drew in a deep breath.
He had a sudden epiphany, it was Ethan that was missing, even though everything around him gave off the scent of lavender, Ethan wasn't there. He finally felt true satisfaction. "Why did you try to leave? Hmm?" He asked lazily, completely ignoring the looks of surprise and puzzlement around the room.
Dawson rolled his lips to suppress a smile, if Ethan's presence improved his boss's mood his bonus might just be saved. Also, he could breathe properly.
"If I had known you preferred the youthful endearing type, I would have arranged for that." The director commented with a lecherous laugh.
"There was no need. The president of Hanzel was able to arrange for a little companion for himself. We made the effort for nothing." Another chimed in, they laughed again.
"Watch your mouth..." The temperature of the room dropped by several degrees "...this is my fiancé you're talking about."
Everyone was shocked but clearly no one in the room was as shocked as Ethan, whose jaw was literally hanging leaving everyone wondering why he too was just as surprised by the news.
Alexei pinched his chin "Right, baby?" He dropped a kiss on the corner of his mouth with a soft chuckle.
The rest of the night was hazy for Ethan.
After his surprise engagement announcement, the NEDA executives made excuses one after the other and scurried away until the room was emptied. Alexei bid Dawson goodnight and dragged him to the car and the next thing, they were on the road.
Alexei slipped his fingers into Ethan's, intertwining them. "You even changed your shampoo..." He murmured as he buried his face in the other's hair.
"You said you liked it."
"Mm... I do. It's intoxicating." He sniffed him again, this time, his neck "Everything about you is intoxicating."
Ethan sat stiffly in his embrace.
"Are you upset?" He asked as he played with Ethan's ring finger "I didn't talk to you about it, does that make you upset?"
"…N-no."
"Then you don't want to?"
Ethan peered up at him "It's not that, it's just... It was very sudden. And all th-those p-people..."
"Baby, we've been together for quite some time, I would do it right now if I could. I thought you would feel the same way but..."
"N-no…" He cradled his cheek "…I do... you know I do. I was just… surprised."
"Then can you be excited? Can you be excited for us? Do I have to turn into a music box for you to be excited about me?"
Ethan scoffed as he smacked Alexei's chest lightly "Why would you bring that up now?"
He caught the hand and brought it to his lip "No? Then should I cry and cause a scene in public?"
He pouted "I thought we were having a serious conversation!"
"We are. I am very serious about turning into a music box."
"You should, then I can step on you and crush you."
"It was an accident, why won't you believe me?"
"Hmph!" Ethan rolled his eyes and turned away. "You know you are lying. Everyone says you broke it one purpose."
The two bickered in that manner for the rest of the journey.
Xavier looked up from the newspaper to the two and then back to the paper, barely sparing his son a glance "Congratulations on your engagement." He said lazily.
"The drive here is like three hours, how did you already find out?"
Xavier chuckled knowingly.
It irritated Alexei "Where do you even get a newspaper in this day and age?"
Xavier folded the paper neatly and placed it on the end table "So, why is my son-in-law tucked away behind you?"
Ethan bent sideways to reveal himself with a bright smile "Good evening, Sir."
"Just call me dad..."
Alexei pulled Ethan back when he attempted to go to Xavier's side "Call him Xavier. In fact, you don't have to speak to him ever."
Ethan pinched his hand and jerked away, running quickly to Xavier to present himself "Good evening, Dad."
"What a lovable child."
"He's only nice to you because he likes me." He said resentfully under his breath.
Xavier ignored him "Are you making good use of the safe?"
Ethan nodded happily "I protected the music box well."
Xavier rose, ruffled his hair and draped an arm around his shoulder "I'm glad…" he sneered at his son as they walked passed him "…I can't believe such a petty person is a spawn of mine." He commented as he led Ethan away.
"Why doesn't anyone believe me?" Alexei grumbled as he followed behind but his defenses fell on deaf ears.
They arrived at Xavier's vault.
Ethan looked around in fascination. The chiseled arches, curved ceiling and what seemed like endless rows of a plethora of priceless items, from antique gadgetries to jewelry left him breathless.
"This is without doubt one of my favourite vaults."
"You have more?" Ethan asked with bright eyes.
Xavier smiled at him "Yes." He answered with pride "I'll happily take you around anytime, feel free to come over to play."
"He will not be doing that. Don't try to lure him over with your cheap secondhand goods."
Ethan glared at him but said nothing.
"Get out." Xavier commanded.
"Ethan, let's-"
"Get out." Ethan echoed. Clearly, the comment was an intolerable one.
Alexei was hurt but did not protest his eviction. He turned around, grumbling to himself about how Ethan had changed and left the room.
The two browsed the collection peacefully with Xavier carefully explaining the origin and story behind several pieces.
It was a novel experience. Ethan listened attentively to each explanation. Their tour ended in front of a music box in the form of a bejeweled egg. Xavier carefully wound it, the egg opened up like a polypetalous flower to reveal a pair of embracing lovers as a sweet, soft melody echoed off the walls and the loving pair spun around elegantly.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Your engagement gift, do you like it?"
Ethan was almost moved to tears. He nodded softly.
"Would you like to hear the story?" He glanced at Ethan with a smile "It is not anything dramatic or anything heartbreaking, just an alpha father who spent a year making this for his omega child as a wedding gift. Unfortunately, I have no omega children to gift this wonderful item."
The song stopped and the egg closed up.
The room fell into silence.
Ethan looked up to see kind eyes staring at him.
"I hope you both are very happy, Ethan."
Alexei became visibly upset when he saw the item in Ethan's hand "Is that… Did you really give him another music box?"
"It's his engagement gift. Don't break this one."
He looked at Ethan's solemn expression "Why does he look like that? What did you do?"
"He was moved by the gift." He paused to eye his son "What's it to you?"
"What's it to me? I see my partner obviously not happy, of course it is something to me." When Alexei tried to take the box from him, Ethan refused, pressing it firmly to his chest.
"Baby I just want to help you hold it. I'm not taking it away."
He shook his head with pursed lips, tightening his hold on the box as he stepped further away from his reach.
He was going to be happy, just as Xavier wished.
They would both be.