Julian arrived at the meeting a little later than he had intended since the detour to the hardware store had added a few minutes to his drive. When he pulled up, the parking lot outside the event center bustled with activity. Someone had set up a power saw, and safety-goggled volunteers were yelling over the buzz as they cut planks to different lengths. Julian was surprised at how many people had turned up to help, and how enthusiastic they seemed. They’d never built anything before, so maybe working on a physical project together was inspiring the volunteer team.

The Omega didn’t see Eric outside, but Logan was there, consulting a clipboard before measuring and marking the boards. When Julian walked over, the Alpha smiled. “Hey, man. Thanks for bringing those nails,” he said, taking the bag.

“No problem. Have you seen… um,” he trailed off, realizing how clingy he sounded.

The look Logan gave him was one beat too long and just a little too knowing. Julian was instantly on guard. “I think Eric’s inside,” Logan said. “If that’s who you’re looking for.”

Julian nodded stiffly in thanks and headed for the doors. Were his feelings that obvious? A worse idea snuck into his mind and wouldn't go away: had Eric said something? Bragged about what happened?

He didn’t think Eric would do something like that, but what did he know, really? He’d only known the man for a few days. He wanted to believe that the Alpha wouldn’t kiss and tell.

And then there was the broken condom. The Omega thought he should tell Eric as soon as possible, but what if it turned out to be nothing? Maybe he should wait until he knew for sure.

He forced himself to take a deep breath as he reached the doors. He was “working himself into a state,” as his grandma would have said. He would just talk to Eric like any other member of the team and see how the Alpha behaved. And then he could decide what to do. Easy.

He entered the event center, startled at the change. Someone had brought a radio, and old classic rock music flooded the room. Instead of the musty smell, the air was fragrant with fresh wood, a scent Julian had always liked. Some of the volunteers were cleaning, others were working on decorations, but the biggest group was building the stage along the far wall.

Julian’s heart skipped a beat. Eric had clearly been working hard: the front of his dark grey t-shirt was damp with sweat, clinging to his chest muscles. He looked at ease among the pile of materials and workers, a hammer swinging from the loop on his jeans with every step. He glanced up, caught sight of Julian, and nodded, but he didn’t smile.

* * *

Hours later, the hall was transformed. The stage was nearly complete, and the wall decor was mostly in place. The rented tables and chairs would arrive the day of, but that wouldn’t take long to set up. The volunteers went home in twos and threes, but Julian stayed. His excuse was that he had to see what else needed to be done, but he hoped he fooled the others, because he wasn’t fooling himself.

Eric had only spoken to him once or twice the whole evening and barely looked at him, which made Julian extremely nervous. He tried to think back on the morning to figure out if he’d done something to displease the Alpha, but Eric had seemed cheerful when they parted. Something must have happened between now and then, and Julian was desperate to know what it was.

Logan hung around until the end as well, a gesture that Julian found both sweet and irritating. The Alpha kept looking at him with a the hint of a worried frown. Julian guessed that Gabe had asked Logan to watch out for him because he was a good friend, but the last thing he wanted right then was to feel like someone was watching his every move. Luckily, Logan finally left, but not before glancing at Eric and telling Julian to “call if he needed anything.”

The Omega sat down at a table and pretended to be going through some paperwork, watching Eric out of the corner of his eye. He was finishing up one last part with a few of the other builder volunteers, and Julian couldn’t help but notice the Alpha was friendlier with them. In fact, he was more talkative than Julian had ever seen him. But he hadn’t said more than two words to Julian all night.

Finally, the rest of the volunteers cleared out, leaving him alone with the Alpha. It was late, almost eleven, when he heard the last car pull out of the parking lot. Eric was on his back and half under the platform, adding some screws to the underside of the stage with an electric drill. Julian slipped out of his chair and crossed the room to stand next to him. “How’s it going?” he asked, his voice sounding loud in the silence of the room.

“Fine,” Eric muttered, his voice muffled by the screws he held carefully between his lips. “Just a few more of these to go.” He didn’t look at Julian but stayed absorbed in his work.

The Omega had a terrible sinking feeling that he tried to ignore. “Are you… ok?” he finally asked.

“Yup,” Eric answered, driving in another screw with the buzzing drill. He didn’t say anything beyond that.

Julian had intended to walk away, to meet Eric’s indifference with his own, but he felt his eyes sting with sudden tears. He tried to turn away, but he wasn’t fast enough, and Eric’s eyes widened in surprise when he glanced up at Julian’s face. “Hey, what’s this?” he asked, pushing himself up to a seated position.

Julian just shook his head and turned away, swiping angrily at the tears that were collecting in his eyes. His throat was too choked up to speak without sobbing, and he refused to do it in front of Eric. He was a weak Omega after all, unable to hide his emotions, just like Eric had once said.

He jumped when a pair of strong arms encircled him from behind. Julian hadn’t heard the Alpha stand up; he’d been too preoccupied with trying not to cry. Eric’s scent enveloped him along with the embrace, intensified by his hard work and blended deliciously with the smell of new wood. The Alpha leaned down, his lips brushing Julian’s ear, sending a shiver up his spine. “What’s wrong, Julian?” Eric murmured.

Despite his sadness, Julian could feel his body responding, a longing rising up to take over. “You ignored me all night,” he managed to get out, feeling the heat of embarrassment burn up his neck.

Eric took hold of his shoulders and gently turned him around so that Julian was facing the Alpha. “I thought that’s what you would want,” Eric said. “I hear gossip moves fast in small towns.”

Julian looked up, surprised, but the Alpha seemed to be serious. “You didn’t tell Logan that we…”

The Alpha chuckled. “Are you kidding? I think he would knock me out. He seems like a good friend, though. I’m glad you have someone like him and Gabe looking out for you.” Eric reached out, gently brushing a tear from Julian’s cheek with a roughened thumb. “Is that all right with you?”

Julian knew he should agree. Keeping their relationship (whatever that meant) secret was the best thing for both of them. Logically, he knew that. But to be in the same room as the Alpha and have him act like Julian was nothing to him was too painful.

Eric stayed quiet, but he looked expectant, waiting for an answer. Julian didn’t have one to give him. All he wanted was that closeness they had shared last night, so he stood on his tiptoe and brushed a kiss against Eric’s lips.

The Alpha made a soft noise of confusion, but he returned the kiss, deepened it. His hands slid down to Julian's hips and pulled him close, and the Omega yielded willingly. He was so lost, and the worst part was, he didn’t want to stop.

But suddenly he remembered the broken condom. He must have tensed up, because Eric pulled back, his dreamy smile fading into a look of concern. “What is it?”

He hated to spoil the moment, but it felt like a lie to carry on like nothing was wrong. And Julian had never been able to keep his mouth shut anyway, a fact that many of his exes had loved to tell him over and over.

The Omega took a deep breath. “Look, Eric, there’s something you should know.”

The mood in the room changed instantly. The softness fled from the Alpha’s face as fast as a door slamming shut. His shoulders tensed up, and he took a step back, his hands falling from Julian’s hips. “Well?”

“I was cleaning up this morning and I found the condom from last night,” Julian said. “And… it was broken. I don’t know if it happened during the sex or afterward, but there was definitely a rip in it.”

Eric’s normally tanned face turned pale. “You’re saying there’s a chance…”

“…That I might be pregnant?” Julian finished. “Yeah. There is.”