With morning came the groggy, haphazard shambling out of bed and stumbling into the shower for Myrick, who managed to sleepily begin his morning routine propelled by nothing more than habit, a feat that surprised him, to some degree; he had apparently not set an alarm the previous night, and it was habit that had woken him up in the first place. Still, everything about him felt like it was…off. Walking felt strange, he felt a soreness that he had never felt before in his life, and though he otherwise just felt like he could sleep for the next week, his sleep-addled brain couldn’t piece together the why of it. He felt faintly nauseated, like his stomach was full of food that didn’t agree with him, and he couldn’t figure out what had happened to make any of this happen in him.

Then the previous night slammed into the side of his head as he rinsed himself off.

Suddenly his heart was in his throat, and his eyes snapped open of their own accord. He bit back a cry of alarm when he nearly fell and cracked his head open scrambling out of the bathroom and staring at his bed. The nest he had built was still largely intact, though some of the pillows had been shuffled around to accommodate the added figure on his bed, still large and imposing-looking despite sleeping soundly with his back facing Myrick. Myrick had a thought to wake him and try to talk to him about all of…this, but decided against it when he threw on a pair of boxers and checked the time. It was six thirty in the morning, and though Tristan would have to go to work relatively soon, he didn’t need to get up just yet. At least one of them would get a decent amount of sleep this way.

Should he make breakfast for the both of them? Part of him wanted to, to give Tristan something in his stomach before he went off to work but he wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. He felt strangely queasy still, and he wasn’t even sure what Tristan would want to eat, if he even wanted to at all. Still, some coffee seemed like a good idea, he decided, padding out into the kitchen and beginning to prepare the coffee pot. His movements were familiar, another part of a routine that would now have to accommodate having someone else in his life, and before long, the rich scent of coffee filled his lungs and helped to soothe the stress edging into his nerves. Though the longer he breathed in the coffee’s aroma, the scent was almost too much, and he suddenly felt his nausea come back. He pressed a hand to his eyes, trying to ground himself and wait out the symptoms—was that his heat, or was it something else? He wasn’t even sure at that point.

He looked up from debating what coffee mug to use when he heard the sound of someone shuffling out of the hall. For a moment, he felt a pang of uncertainty and fear when he saw Tristan come out, sleepy and listless; would the light of day shed light on all the reasons that the two of them couldn’t work out? The thought didn’t sit well with Myrick, who was still left with lingering effects from his heat; he was out of the worst of it, thankfully, and they’d gone another few rounds throughout the night before they finally fell asleep from exhaustion. Worst case scenario, he could still ride out the last bits of it alone, though he knew he wouldn’t be able to cope well with things ending here, not after he’d been struggling for weeks against his growing attraction to Tristan.

Tristan blinked away sleep from his eyes, looking over at Myrick for a moment before offering him a groggy smile. He grumbled something out that was largely unintelligible, but Myrick could guess he’d wished him a good morning. Myrick chuckled as Tristan padded into the kitchen, his broad frame draping over his back in a loose cuddle as he continued to wait on the coffee.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re only here for the coffee?” Myrick teased, trailing off into a hum as he felt his Alpha nosing along his scent gland, pressing little kisses on the back of his neck.

“You’re half right,” Tristan admitted. “Was hoping for some sugar, too.” Myrick felt him grin against his neck and let out a huff of a laugh and turned around in his arms, his palms coming up to rest flat against his Alpha’s broad chest. Tristan grinned sleepily. “Does this mean I get some sugar to go with my coffee?” His grin was as broad as the rest of him as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Myrick’s mouth. “Mmm,” he hummed as he pulled away. “Coffee’s always better with a little sugar.” He said with a firm nod. Myrick laughed, but his lingering doubts must have been apparent, because Tristan tilted his head, grin softening. “Something on your mind?”

“What happens now?” Myrick said after a moment of deliberation. Part of him wanted to pretend he didn’t have these doubts at all because he knew that they were largely unfounded. But he also knew that if he didn’t voice them, they would just eat him inside out and utterly ruin whatever he and Tristan could possibly have. “I mean, I know we talked about some things last night, and I don’t doubt what you said. I just…” He trailed off in search of the right words that would help him understand.

“You just worry.” Tristan supplied. Myrick deflated and nodded his head. “I’ll tell you what happens now, okay?” Tristan offered, tilting his head. “I’m going to drink some coffee with you, and then I’m gonna run back to my place because I’m an idiot and don’t have any clothes to wear to work in my car.” Myrick laughed softly, and Tristan grinned wider and took Myrick’s hands in his, kissing each of them once. “Then, I’m gonna have to run to work—my boss called in sick suddenly, you understand, so I have to help make sure he doesn’t have anything to worry about while he’s gone.”

“Oh, you’re boss is sick?” Myrick chuckled and played along. “I had no idea.”

“He’s got just the worst fever, from what I hear,” Tristan nodded, his expression serious. “So, I’m just gonna go cover some stuff for him. Then, when I get off, I was gonna come check on my boyfriend—I think he’s come down with the same thing, actually.”

“How coincidental!” Myrick laughed.

“Guess it’s going around,” Tristan grinned and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “So I’m gonna come by my boyfriend’s house, check in on him, and help take care of him however he needs me to.”

“Sounds like you’re a good boyfriend,” Myrick hummed as Tristan kissed his cheek. His hands wrapped around his Omega’s hips, pressing them together tenderly. They were both stirring from the contact but knew that now wasn’t the time; with Myrick out of work, as much as neither of them wanted it, Tristan had to go to the office today.

“I’m the best boyfriend,” Tristan corrected, an easy smile on his face as he plucked a coffee mug out of the cabinet and made himself a cup of coffee. “Because I’m your boyfriend.” He kissed him softly, mouth lingering on his Omega’s lips for a moment before pulling away. “I know you’re scared,” he said, his tone more serious than it had been before. “I am too, a little. But I’m your man, without reservation, for as long as you want me, yeah? Sound good?” Myrick placed a hand on his stomach, where he felt the flutterings of…of something new and exciting stirring within, and he took a breath before smiling.

“Yeah,” he decided, pulling his Alpha in for a kiss. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

* * *

Months later, Myrick would comment tearfully at their wedding that yeah, things had become more than good for them, for their baby that was due any day now. Myrick was still a little saddened that he couldn’t look trim and well-cut in his suit for the wedding, but Tristan paid it no mind, showering his new husband in affection and reassuring him that he looked absolutely stunning. As he felt Tristan’s hand at the small of his back, gently guiding him back down the aisle, out to their new lives together, cheered on by their friends and family. Myrick lifted a hand and touched the mark on his neck, barely healed from the night before. He couldn’t recall a time when he had felt so happy, so loved, as he did in that moment.

Yeah, he thought with a giddy laugh as Tristan swept him off his feet and into their limousine. Yeah, things were good.