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Seb’s phone, thankfully, doesn’t ring all that often anymore.
Sure, it may have to do with the fact that he turned off the sound for a whole lot of team personnel, hasn’t dated in a while, and really enjoys his peace and quiet nowadays, Kimi-style, but still. When it rings, it actually means that picking up is pretty important.
Even if the caller seems to be-
That can’t be right.
“Max?” Seb says carefully.
It’s, well, not completely taboo to keep in touch with your previous omega partner’s new alpha partner, but it’s not a thing that one does lightly. And definitely not out of the blue on a Friday afternoon in the middle of-
Fuck.
It’s March already, isn’t it?
“Is Charles okay?” he asks immediately, with a genuine worry.
Charles’ annual heats, the two that they had spent together during their year and a half relationship, were one of the most intense things Seb had ever experienced at that point in his life. The first time was worse, immeasurably, but that was Seb’s fault - Charles did his best to warn him. And Seb, similarly to other topics that ultimately drove them apart, chalked most of it up to youthful exaggeration that Charles was actually not at all prone to.
It was a difficult, terrifying three days. Seb made mistakes and found the exact extent of his self-confidence. And learnt from it, for the following year.
He kind of hopes that those efforts were enough of an apology.
“Sebastian,” Max says, measured and tight. Seb’s heart lurches. “You realise why I’m calling, then?”
“Yes. But- no?” Seb swallows. “Is he okay?”
“Depends.” There’s some rustling, and then a distant, painfully familiar whimper. “I know, baby, I’m trying. Just a moment, yeah? Wait a moment. Seb?”
“Yeah,” Seb whispers, throat squeezing.
They didn’t break up badly; didn’t end up enemies. They just knew it wouldn’t last.
But every once in a while, when Seb can’t fall asleep, he wishes he had been a better person and treated Charles more like an adult. A decade’s extra worth of experience made that tough back then. Seb likes to think that he would do better by Charles now.
“He’s- asking for you,” Max finally says, and the reluctance in his voice is so obvious. “He’s asking for you, and he won’t let me- I can’t help him. Not the way he needs.”
The last part is bitter and just a bit desperate. Max must love Charles a great deal, to admit this out loud to another Alpha; to Charles’ ex-Alpha, no less. Seb knows Max well enough to see what this call really is - the last resort.
“How bad is it?” Seb asks, suddenly shaking. His whole body is tense, like it’s expecting him to leap into action at any second, which is completely ridiculous. They’ve been nothing more than cordial and polite with each other since the break-up, and they don’t regret the split, either of them.
“Bad,” Max admits, like pulling teeth. “He’s running too hot - shh, baby, it’s okay, I swear - and no matter what I do, I can’t make him… relax.”
Can’t satisfy him, Seb’s brain translates. If Charles isn’t satisfied, he won’t fall asleep. He won’t eat, it will be hard to make him drink anything, impossible to leave him alone without him breaking into tears.
Seb remembers. From the first time.
“He’s calling for you,” Max says again, hopelessness fighting through reluctance. “I don’t know if you can hear, but he’s calling for you.”
And Seb- he does, then. Hear it. A whisper in the background, a hurt whine, an Omega crying for his Alpha. Full name, Sebastian, said the French way, longer on the e, no ch-sound that English-speakers assign it. Like Charles used to say it, Sébastian, whenever he was being honest; whenever he couldn’t help himself.
“Charles,” Seb answers instinctively, a tremble of Alpha embedded in it. He doesn’t love him, not the way he used to, but this is-
Some things are just buried too deep in his bones.
Max growls, the limits of his possessiveness crossed at last.
Further away, Charles whimpers, and then he doesn’t stop.
“Fuck,” Max curses, and more rustling comes through. The whimpers grow louder, grating in Seb’s ear. “Honey, it’s okay. You’re so good for me, sweetheart, so perfect, shh.”
Seb gulps heavily.
“Elbow,” he rasps into the phone.
“What?”
“His elbow. Thumb on the inside of it. Press him down.”
There are several seconds of nothing but Charles’ misery where Seb prays that Max is a less prideful boyfriend than he had been. Then comes a keen, Charles’, and then his desperate purring. Better than whimpers, just slightly soothed. Still on the edge.
“Fuck,” Max says again, then heaves a sigh. “Okay. Come over?”
“Are you sure?” Seb asks, more forcefully than anything else so far. “Max. I can’t- I’m still an Alpha. And I know he’s not mine, but he’s- he’s in heat, and if he calls for me… I don’t know if I can stop myself. I don’t want to fight you, not when he’s like this.”
“I know.”
The pause takes an age.
“I know,” Max repeats, but it’s defeated this time. And young, and helpless, and anxious. Worried. “But he needs you, and I love him, and he’s hurting, and that’s- erm. Christ. Anyway. You can’t knot him. Or fuck him. I won’t be able to stop myself if you try.”
“Okay,” Seb manages, chest aching when he hears Charles whine for Max, and then for himself. “Address?”
“I’ll send it to you.”
—:—
It’s the longest twenty-minute journey in Seb’s entire life. He’s looking a little wild, eyes feverish and hands shaking; he knows that. Trying to smooth things down during the elevator ride only results in more frustration, though.
Why would Charles ask for him? Why would he do that, to any of them, but especially Max? They’ve been so happy together this past half-year, Seb has seen them floating around the paddock, hand in hand, delighted and devoted. Well-matched, in ways that Charles and Seb just weren’t despite all the adoration and trust they shared for a while. Seb was only the third person Charles had ever spent a heat with; and the first person to see him through it twice.
They weren’t bad for each other, no; but they weren’t this good, either. Seb could never have allowed what Max is allowing today.
“Seb,” Max says when he opens the door for him. He’s posturing, pulling himself tall and wide, smelling of Charles and concern. He’s not particularly threatening; Seb breaks eye contact first anyway, shrinking politely into himself.
Max sighs in relief.
“Thank you,” he says, sincerely. “I’m just…”
“I know.” Seb steps through the doorway, giving Max respectful distance. “Messes with you, doesn’t it?”
“Fuck yeah.” Max runs a hand through his hair. ”I’ve never- it’s never been like this for me before, this protective and, I don’t know. Keyed up?”
“Yeah. It’s easier the second time around.”
Max growls at him.
“You can’t do that,” Seb says quietly, keeping his eyes down. “You can’t sound like that in front of him, okay? That’s not helping.”
Max’s mouth shuts with an audible click.
“Sorry,” he exhales, slow and controlled. “I don’t know how to- deal with you, right now.”
A tight whimper leaks through a closed door that Seb can see across the living room. Both their heads snap to it, double answering whines resonating in the entryway. Seb’s heart pounds so hard against his ribs, breath having picked up into shivery panting.
“I need to-” Seb starts off in Charles’ direction, all at once unable to help himself.
Max snarls, grabbing him by the wrist and yanking back until Seb’s spine meets the front door.
“Max, for fuck’s sake,” Seb snaps, adrenaline pumping through his veins. “Fucking stop that.”
“I can’t,” Max rumbles, but lets go. “You can’t just-”
“He’s yours,” Seb stresses, automatically leaning forward in what he knows is a fairly aggressive stance. “I know that, I’m not here to fucking steal him, I just want to- help, you called me to help, no? So let me.”
Baring his teeth, Max matches Seb’s position, and for an insane moment, Seb thinks that they will actually come to blows.
He braces for it.
“Christ,” Max grits out, choppy before he forces himself to calm. He straightens up and takes a deliberate step back. “Sorry, it just… comes. I can’t help it.”
Drawing in a deep breath, Seb makes himself relax as well.
“We can’t go in like this,” he repeats quietly. “We can’t do that to him.”
“I know.” Both hands wrapped around the back of his neck, Max sighs. Then, he cracks open one eye. “Um. Would you let me- uh.”
“Yeah?”
Max stretches out his arm, palm up, wrist on display.
“Oh,” Seb quips.
Scent Seb. Leave a mark on him that designates Max as the lead Alpha, that signals Seb’s willingness to submit.
With Charles crying out for them both, voice trembling and tearful, it’s really no decision at all.
That doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Shivers slither down his spine when Max brushes the inside of his wrist over the side of Seb’s throat. It’s a light touch, careful, not meant to last past the day that they will likely spend here, but it still grates over some baser instincts that live curled up at the back of Seb’s skull.
“Fucking hell,” he hisses, hands twitching by his sides, breathing hard and working consciously on fixing that. “Jesus. Okay.”
“Yeah?”
Shaking his arms out, Seb does his best to ignore the urge that would have him plunging his whole body into the nearest water source to scrub Max off.
“Yeah. Fuck.”
“Thanks,” Max says quietly, his muscles mellowing out. “Come on.”
—:—
“God,” Seb whispers, freezing at the door.
Max is already crouching by the bed, cooing at Charles, swiping tears off his cheeks, and Charles is-
Charles is-
“Love,” Seb says. It slips out, another instinct buried deeper than expected.
He can see Max stiffen, but it’s nothing in comparison to Charles.
“You-” Charles stammers, hitching, his eyes still on Max. “He-”
“It’s okay, baby,” Max whispers back, letting Charles nuzzle into his palm. “He came, yeah? For you.”
“Left me,” Charles says, wobbly and hurt. His breath is coming too fast, skin too flushed, he’s too hard, too wet, running too hot, god. “You both left me.”
It hits Seb like a freight train, a different day, different bedroom, but the same softly-spoken You left me. Alpha, don’t leave.
Fuck, it hurts.
“Would never leave you, honey,” Max soothes, gentler than Seb’s ever seen him. ”I promise. Come here.”
Max goes from his knees to his ass on the carpet, sitting down, arms spread wide to beckon Charles in.
Charles won’t come, Seb knows. He never leaves the bed when he’s this upset.
Shaking his head, Charles withdraws into the centre of the mattress, curling up there.
Max drops his arms.
“Left me,” Charles mumbles again, fingers wrapping around the duvet and gripping tighter, tighter, like Charles would disappear without a tether. He’s all shivery, dazed. Out of it, the same way he was with Seb during the first heat, and it’s really no wonder Max had no idea what to do. Seb managed the second time, with experience and taking Charles’ word for gospel, but who knows how much Charles told Max.
The way they’ve been going, Charles may have wanted to not scare Max off.
“Charles,” Seb croaks out, chest hurting so fucking much, and takes a cautious step closer.
To his surprise, Max lets him.
Very slowly, Seb makes his way over, dropping to the floor a little bit further from the bed than Max is. Charles tracks them both with eyes blown wide, holding himself so still he’s trembling with it, tears slipping down into the sheets until he turns his whole face into them, hiding from view.
“Which day is it?” Seb asks very quietly.
“Fourth.”
Seb sucks in a breath, gaze snapping to Max’s.
It’s within the typical duration, still, hasn’t gone past five, but for Charles, with how intense his are… it’s no wonder he’s barely conscious. If he hasn’t slept yet, it’s a miracle he’s still able to talk.
“Please don’t kill me,” Seb whispers, not even really joking as he lifts a hand to Max’s wrist to rub his fingertips over the scent gland there. Max hisses at him, of course, but Seb is just trying to keep Max amiable so that he can help Charles; and this will help. Scent always helped.
“Love,” Seb murmurs, as steadily as he can while he rises to his knees, sliding his hand over to Charles in offering.
Charles makes a bereft, exhausted noise.
“You’ll be fine,” Seb croons gently, as soothing as he can be. “Hold my hand, yes? It will be so good for you.”
Charles cracks his eyes open, staring blearily. First at Seb, looking long enough that it feels like Seb’s insides are out there for Charles to inspect, and then to the hand that stopped a few inches from his face.
“It’s easy, love,” Seb coaxes, slowly drumming his fingers over the mattress, pinkie, ring, middle, pointer. “So easy, isn’t it?”
With one more flit to Seb’s face, Charles shuffles forward a little, giving the tiniest sniff, and then Seb’s hand is held hostage, Charles’ fingers gripping his wrist deathly tight as Charles rubs his face into the palm, Max’s scent as well as Seb’s sinking into his skin.
“That’s good, love, perfect,” Seb encourages, shoulders dropping in relief. Holding out his other hand to Max, he waits for him to scent it too before he offers it to Charles.
Charles snatches it immediately, guiding it to his jaw. Seb does what he used to do best and massages in little circles just behind his ear until Charles starts purring, breaths slowing down.
“Is that good?” Seb whispers, carrying on. “Do you feel better, love?”
Charles makes a soft mrrp-ing noise and tugs weakly on Seb’s hand until Seb gives and climbs up on the bed, letting Charles push closer and curl up.
“It was a bit hard, yes?” Seb murmurs, fingers threading through Charles’ sweaty hair. “But that’s okay, love, just needed a little help, hm? You’re being so good, look how pretty you are for-” Seb stumbles, swallowing. ”Us. For us.”
Max-
Seb turns his head back.
Max is staring at him, jaw clenched and shoulders tight, halfway between relief and jealousy, and it’s really to his credit that he hasn’t dragged Seb off the bed yet. The self-control needed to let another Alpha comfort your in-heat Omega is something Seb could have only dreamed of when he was in his early twenties. It must hurt, in so many ways, to witness this.
Seb doesn’t know how to courteously invite Max into his own bed, so he bares his throat instead, just a touch.
There’s silence, but then Max gets up and walks over to the other side, slipping in to press his front alongside Charles’ back.
“What did you do?” Max asks, eyes burning on Seb. It feels like another test, another moment where everything could devolve into a fight.
Charles sniffles a bit, letting out a plaintive whine.
“Here,” Seb says as gently as he can, leeching all the instinctive command out of the word to make the suggestion meek. Lifting his pointer from where it’s still in Charles’ hair, he draws Max’s gaze down. “Try?”
Max gives a curt nod. Seb withdraws, and Max replaces him before Charles can even let out a whimper.
“Slow,” Seb whispers, averting his eyes. Max bares his teeth a little, but listens.
Charles melts under his touch so much more than he ever did for Seb.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Max murmurs, rubbing his temple lovingly over the top of Charles’ head. “Better?”
The answering purr is sweet enough that Seb feels exactly how much he’s intruding.
Despite the invitation, despite Charles’ fingers still firmly gripping his wrist, Seb is just not a part of this relationship. Doesn’t have any claim to Charles anymore, regardless of how much he can help him right now, and his stomach feels kind of heavy with guilt. He’s just taking up space, really. Space that belongs to Charles and Max.
“I-” he starts, gulping right after.
He pulls back the tiniest bit.
“Sébastian,” Charles mewls, twitching like the idea of Seb leaving hurts too much. “No.”
He doesn’t ask whether he’s sure, because Charles will simply not let him go, clutching him tightly. And Max might actually tear him apart if he hurts Charles by trying to go anyway.
Charles is staring up at him, jewel eyes dark and wide and full of starlight, and christ, Seb remembers that look, he remembers it all, every bit, everything. It punches the air out of his lungs.
“God, I should have done better by you,” he croaks, the words cutting like razors as they spill out. Turning his hand inside Charles’ grip, he clumsily clasps him back. “And I’m so glad you found something better, love.”
Charles blinks, slow and content to have Seb’s touch and scent on him, and Seb leans in to press his lips to his forehead, lingering while his heart pounds against his ribs.
He feels a little lighter, having let that out.
“Seb,” Max says, quiet but serious. He wraps an arm around Charles’ waist to rest a palm on his naked belly. “Stay.”
—:—
It’s easier, after that. For all three of them.
“Please, Alpha,” Charles whines, and they both lean in to hush him.
Sitting behind Charles, hands hooked below his knees to keep him spread wide, Seb presses kisses to his shoulders so that Max, buried inside him and claiming his mouth, can fuck him a little deeper.
Charles keens and trembles against Seb, still running hot and flushed all pretty. After several orgasms and a thorough scenting, though, he’s slipped back to a level normal for his heat.
“You’re doing so well, love,” Seb rumbles, relief having passed into hazy fondness some time back already, and swipes his thumbs over the sweat-sticky sides of Charles’ thighs.
Mewling just like he used to, Charles lets his head fall onto Seb’s shoulder.
It’s a dream, a very, very feverish dream. Charles’ scent hasn’t changed one bit, and he’s still all soft skin over hard muscles, his stomach clenching and rippling right where Seb can admire it. His cock is just as wet, weeping over his abdomen, and he’s slick enough that Seb can hear the dirty sounds of Max pushing into him.
“You are, baby,” Max says, voice raspy and tinging with Alpha, making the Omega shake. “So good for us, look how well you take me. I’m gonna knot you again, sweetheart, want you so full of me your belly will bulge.”
“God,” Seb groans, head thunking against the wall. “You found one filthy Alpha for yourself, love.”
“Alpha,” Charles blubbers, arching under Seb’s hands and Max’s body, and spills all over himself. “Alpha, Max, please, please-”
“Need a minute, baby,” Max gasps, but jerks helplessly anyway. “Fuck, you feel so good.”
“Want it,” Charles sobs, trembling, and Seb knows it’s not oversensitivity so much as the fact that he already wants to come again. “Need it, Alpha, hurts, please-”
It’s such a change of tune from the exhausted, tearful creature Seb saw a couple of hours ago, and it’s so good to see. More like the second heat they had spent together, when Seb knew a bit better what was necessary to pull Charles through.
What he still knows.
“Legs around your Alpha, yes, love?” Seb coaxes. Max visibly shivers at the words; Seb wonders what it feels like to have another Alpha acknowledge you like this in such an intimate situation. “I’ll make you come, hm?”
"Yes,” Charles whines, squirming and trying to place his legs properly until Max rumbles and they simply fall wide open, resting flat on the sheets.
“That’s perfect, too, so good,” Seb murmurs, petting down Charles’ chest to his flushed cock, the other hand pressed just below his ribs to hold him steady. Not that he needs to be held, pliant and wonderful now that Max put him in his place, but Seb knows that Charles likes it, both the command and the contact.
Digging his nails into Charles’ belly, he savours the moan he gets. And then moans himself when he notices Max’s heated stare on him.
“Show me,” Max orders. Seb stiffens immediately, and Max apologises with a panted, “Please,” adjusting his rhythm to something slow and thorough that has Charles crying out.
It could have been so unpleasant and strange, having two Alphas in one bed.
Seb is learning to appreciate the thrill instead.
“We’ll show your Alpha, hm, love?” Seb stage-whispers. “Show him how pretty you can be.”
Laying his palm over the tip of Charles’ cock, Seb squeezes and massages gently, skin growing slick as more pre-come bubbles out. Charles quiets down, almost like his body recalls what comes next and how to best enjoy it.
“So good for us,” Seb murmurs, chin on Charles’ shoulder to watch. “Slowly, yes?”
A shaky moan escapes Charles, stomach clenching. Max makes a strangled little noise.
Seb grins and, wrapping his hand around the base of Charles’ cock, he tightens his fist until it’s almost too much and then drags it up.
“A-ah- Alpha!” Charles keens, hips violently kicking up to chase after the touch. Seb quirks his lips at Max, and Max uses the hand on Charles’ waist to push him down and hold him there.
“That was very pretty,” Seb praises, swiping a thumb over the wet tip again. “Gonna make you feel so good, love.”
Quickly, Seb drops his hand back down. Then, just as slowly as before, he pushes it up, setting a deliberately intense rhythm. Charles moans sweetly, squirming as much as Max allows, which is not very much at all, and his hands wind into their hair, one each, to grip firmly.
He keeps them close.
“Oh, you’re gonna be the death of me,” Max whispers, face open and flush high on his cheeks, staring at Charles like he’s all his world. “Going to kill me and bring me back, sweetheart.”
Charles makes a soft, desperate noise, and another one, and another one. They grate on Seb’s ears, but don’t tug on his soul and instincts half as much as they obviously do on Max’s, whose entire body stiffens before he collapses to cover Charles, nosing frantically over his throat.
“My Omega,” Seb can hear him whisper. It’s broken enough that Seb can’t even call it territorial. “Perfect Omega, I love you. I will mate you one day if you let me, I promise.”
Oh.
Charles is asking for a bite.
He had never asked Seb.
Max pulls back, and he’s got that wonderstruck expression on his face again. Seb doesn’t think he’s ever looked at anyone like this, including Charles.
So it makes sense, he supposes.
Charles lets out another hurt sound, squirming wildly, and Seb’s instincts do flare up this time. Max moves, thrusting in; Seb strokes Charles’ cock, rubbing his own cheek against his to scent him a little more. If it pushes up some half-forgotten feelings, well.
It’s a different time.
“Make him come, yeah?” Max grunts, most of the softness gone from his features when he looks at Seb, but there is a glow about him that simply wasn’t there before.
With a nod, Seb twists his wrist, making Charles cry out, and reaches between his legs to press a fingertip just behind his balls. Max’s hips crush his hand in with every thrust, pushing him in more firmly, and Charles seizes a moment later, spilling over Seb’s hand.
“Alpha, Alpha, please,” he gasps, breathless and hoarse and familiar, so painfully familiar Seb whines. Charles’ hand curls into Seb’s leg, clawing in. “Please, please, Seb-”
God, Seb didn’t think he’d still want to-
“Here, love,” he chokes out, offering his dirty fingers to Charles.
“Baby,” Max punches out, groaning right after.
Another thing Seb can teach him.
Charles’ grip is firm around Seb’s forearm, holding him steady as he licks across his palm, between his fingers, the wet drags of his tongue almost unbearable. Seb’s been hard this whole time, but this, this, Charles caring about Seb’s comfort, might push him over the edge.
“Christ,” he groans, cock flexing against Charles’ back when Charles’ blunt teeth close gently over his thumb.
“More, Alpha,” Charles purrs frantically, loud and needy, and Max shouts, hips rutting harshly into Charles as he comes. Charles’ mouth falls open, letting Seb go. “Alpha, yes, yes, more-”
Max presses in harder, and Seb can feel the strength behind it when Charles gets crushed into him, moaning and shivering.
“More, more, need more, Alpha, please,” Charles begs, voice sweet, broken, desperately clutching at them both like they are his lifelines.
“You’re almost done, aren’t you, love?” Seb realises, stroking his side. “Just a little more?”
“Yes, yes,” Charles keens, shifting until Max holds him still again. “Please, more, I need- Alpha-”
“Max?” Seb asks carefully.
The dazed look Max gives him is very familiar.
“Can you suck on his chest?”
Max nods without a moment’s hesitation, probably too stunned to wonder whether listening to another Alpha is something he truly wants to do. He leans down, wraps his lips around Charles’ nipple, and sucks.
A high, thin “Ngh!” spills out of Charles, his hands shooting out to grip the sheets.
“Always so sensitive,” Seb praises, petting over his waist, massaging into the dips of his hipbones to feel his belly jump. “So pretty for us, you’ve done so well.”
“Seb,” Charles whines, clearer than before. “Max, please-”
Charles cries out, and a quick look tells Seb that Max has bit down, pulling the nipple away from Charles’ body before he lets go and licks over it, soothing everything away.
“He’s so good to you, isn’t he, love?” Seb coos, a helpless smile spreading over his lips when Charles mewls, hips jerking.
Max, still locked inside him, whines, bites anew, and presses in harder, hips circling.
Charles arches like a bow. He comes with a whimper, melting into Seb with all the trust in the world.
“Good, love,” Seb coos, voice cracking with too much emotion. He cards through the satisfied Omega’s hair, fingers shaking. ”Such a good Omega, to find such a good Alpha, finally.”
“Seb.”
It’s not Charles’ voice this time.
Surprised, he finds Max’s dark, relieved eyes staring up at him, mouth red from making Charles’ chest red, and god help Seb, but Max looks pretty like this, too. Spellbinding.
“Yeah?” he asks, timid in a way he rarely is.
“You’re a good Alpha,” Max says, firm and certain.
It’s almost like an order, except the words don’t fit.
“Isn’t he, baby?” Max carries on softly, propping a finger under Charles’ chin to make him look up at Seb, and it’s all dark, wide, starlight.
Seb drowns a little.
“Hasn’t he been very nice to you?” Max prompts, petting the edge of Charles’ jaw. “Kind, helpful?”
“Always,” Charles breathes, staring and sated, head resting on Seb’s chest. “Always, Alpha.”
Something in Seb recoils, but they don’t let him, crowding in closer. Charles searches until he finds Seb’s hand where it lies on the inside of Charles’ thigh, and Max leans into Charles, Charles leans into Seb, and it’s really all a bit too-
“Good to me,” Charles whispers, skin cooling because his heat is done. Taken care of.
“Good to us, I think,” Max corrects, head tilted in consideration.
It’s just a bit too-
It’s just really hard to-
Seb needs to breathe.
“Can I, Alpha?” Charles asks, and Seb knows, lungs still and heart quiet, that he’s talking to Max, not him.
“Go ahead, baby,” Max murmurs. “I think he’s needed it long enough.”
Charles turns his head and presses his teeth very gently to the side of Seb’s throat.
It feels like forgiveness.
Seb’s hips kick without his permission, and he comes against Charles, eyes closed, whimpering, twin voices gently shushing him.
—:—
Seb stays until Charles falls asleep.
“Sorry,” he whispers once he sees his lashes stop shaking against his cheeks, once the grip he’s had on Seb’s hand turns into a loose hold at best. “I should… yeah.”
“Sebastian.”
Max is peering at him from behind Charles, cuddled up to his Omega from tip to toe, one arm drawn protectively over Charles’ waist.
They really do fit each other so well.
“Thank you,” Max says quietly, his breath just barely ruffling Charles’ curls, making him snuffle.
“It’s fine.”
“No. Thank you for taking care of him. And for dealing with me.”
Huffing a silent laugh, Seb grins sheepishly.
“And you, with me. Both of you.” Seb hesitates. “I didn’t mean to… I don’t know. I didn’t realise it would feel like this.”
“Makes two of us,” Max smiles, open and understanding and very unlike the intense person Seb met on track and at the door. He watches Max’s gaze flick down to Charles.
What passes over his face is too painfully honest and private for Seb to witness.
“I’ll go,” he says, carefully picking himself up.
“Will you come back?” Max asks, blinking sleepily. He’s almost as adorable as Charles.
“What do you mean?”
“If he asks for you, next year. Will you come?”
Seb’s eyes slip down.
Powdery pink sits high on Charles’ cheeks, his shoulders curled inward as if he’s cold now that Seb is not there.
Cautiously, Seb pulls a duvet off the end of the bed and draws it over them both. Max playfully gnashes his teeth at him, grumbling at the care.
“If he needs me, yeah,” Seb finally answers, fondness bubbling in his chest until it spills into a smile. “I don’t think he will, though. You’re good for him. You’ll learn.”
“I did a bit, today. And you were good to him. Before. Now, also.” Max tilts his head. “I hope you know that.”
“Yeah.” Nodding, Seb runs a palm down the side of his neck, knowing exactly where the warmth stems from. “I think I do.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
Seb finds his clothes. Brings some water to the bedside table. Lurks by the door, a tug on his soul forcing him to turn back.
“Take care of him, yeah?” he whispers.
Max gives him a half-asleep smile.
“For the rest of my life,” he mumbles, snuggling closer to Charles. “If he lets me.”
The tension fades, and contentment tiptoes in instead, drawing soft rumbles out of Seb’s chest. Max follows, equally tender, upkeeping the soothing sound even when Seb stops. Charles sinks into sleep a little more deeply, held, loved.
“Good,” Seb sighs, lighter by a lifetime, and pushes the door open. “That’s good.”