Kelly "Kell" Eden dropped the last of his moving boxes into the middle of his new studio apartment and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the heel of his palm. With the scattering of disassembled furniture and cardboard shipping boxes filling up the space, there was hardly any room to move around. The place felt like the size of a damn cupboard—and it was still going to cost him a fortune. He'd had a decent sized place in a nice neighborhood, but rising rent costs had forced him to move out. Now he was living in Forest Glenn, a downgrade on all levels. Cheaper rent, but with the added distance and traffic he was now an extra forty-five minute drive away from both the Art and Design Academy and his job at Electronics World.

He hated that job. He hated the fact that even though most of his classmates were already working at firms or otherwise making an income with their art skills, he was stuck at a shitty retail job. For some dumb reason he just couldn't land a design job or sell his work, despite being an incredible artist. Instead, he was slinging computer supplies. It was discouraging that one of the best painters in the Art and Design Academy's illustration program was one of the few not making money from their work. But as skilled as he was, Kell had always had a problem selling himself. He thrived in a school environment, but when it came to the real world, he'd always struggled with shyness. Even his best friend, Jessie, was great at putting herself out there. Even though she'd always been an airy, head-in-the-clouds type of girl, she was absolutely fearless about getting her work in front of prospective buyers, clients and galleries.

Jessie lay across one of the large sized moving boxes, her chin in her palm. She was drawing in her sketchbook as she watched Kell. She yawned and stretched, cat-like. She'd come over to help him move, but in the end, she'd only helped him with the big stuff before retreating into her sketchbook. He didn't really mind, though. He was just glad for the company.

"Send Noods," she said, flipping onto her back and holding her sketchbook high into the air.

Kell cut open a box marked "Supplies" and pulled out his roll of gouache brushes, paints, and a portfolio case that contained his latest project, and set them against the wall next to his naked mattress. "Say what?" he said.

"Send Noods," Jessie repeated, closing her sketchbook. She'd done a series of figure sketches of Kell lugging his moving boxes into the room. "That's where we should go for dinner tonight. I looked it up on the internet, it's nearby. Apparently, they've got some of the best ramen in the city. The chef is famous, or something."

"Oh, okay. That sounds pretty good." He found an open space on the carpet and plonked himself down, exhausted. "God, I hate moving."

"You sure you'll have time for dinner?" Jessie asked. "We've got that project due tomorrow. You got it all finished?"

He snorted. "Of course I've got it finished. Anyway, I promised I'd get you dinner for helping me out. Do you want to see what I painted for the project?"

She grinned. "Hell yeah. Let's see, let's see."

He unzipped the portfolio case and pulled out three thin boards with gouache paper mounted onto them and turned them to Jessie. She took them and spread the paintings out on the floor in front of her.

"Love this linework," she said, her eyes widening. "Wow, what a great series. Gorgeous."

He'd spent the past two weeks working on this school project, a series focusing on pregnant omegas. Each painting was of a different man surrounded by different types of plants or flowers, and Kell felt like it was some of his finest work. The lighting and poses were definitely on point, the style managing to be painterly, yet tight at the same time.

"Thanks, Jessie," he said, feeling even better about the work with her endorsement. He held Jessie’s opinion in high regard. The two of them had met in freshman year in a lower division art class they both shared and had bonded over a love of Japanese food and similar artistic tastes. They became close very quickly, supporting each other through the stresses of deadlines and projects and creative droughts. Kell hadn't had many friends as close as Jessie before, and he wondered if he weren’t an omega, maybe the two of them would’ve become a couple.

Kell didn't know what it was like to have a boyfriend. It wasn't that he didn't want one or wasn't interested. It was just that no alphas had ever asked him out during high school, and he'd been too shy to make his own moves. Now that he was at ADA, one of the most intensive art schools in California, Kell just sort of resigned to the reality that he probably was going to die single and alone. With all the projects he had to do, not to mention his job, there was hardly any time to even think about dating. Not that that did anything to lessen the aching desire he felt every time he passed a hot-as-fuck alpha. Kell craved one. He was dying to know what it would be like to be with one, and there were more than a couple men in his program that he wasn't ashamed to admit he’d fantasized about.

After returning the moving truck to the rental shop, Kell and Jessie went to grab dinner at Send Noods. The place was a small joint, with counter seating and a few tables. The two of them chose to sit at the counter, mostly because they wanted to gawk at the hot alpha owner and chef who was cooking up bowls of piping hot noodles right in front of them.

"Two orders of miso ramen," the hottie chef said, placing the steaming bowls down onto the counter. "Enjoy my noods." He winked and turned back to the stove.

"You know," Jessie said as she separated her disposable chopsticks, "I think I'd be cool with driving all the way over here to visit you. As long as we can eat here every time."

"Uh-huh," Kell said, as he distractedly did his best to not stare too hard at the ramen chef's firm and shapely behind. He looked over and was surprised to see Jessie had pulled out her sketchbook and was doing a figure drawing of the guy—only he was completely naked and holding a bowl of ramen in his upturned palm. Kell reached over and quickly shut Jessie's sketchbook. "You're going to get us kicked out of another restaurant," he hissed at her.

"Maybe I should ask him to send me some real nudes," she said, and dug her chopsticks into her ramen.

Kell laughed nervously, and she said, "You think I'm joking?" with a sly smile.

"Just eat your damn noodles and stop fantasizing about his noodle," Kell said.

"Don't pretend like you aren't."

Kell slurped down a mouthful of ramen noodles. They were perfect—al dente and obviously handmade, soaked in the umami flavor of the broth. He was no noodle expert, given the only ramen he could typically afford to eat was served out of a Styrofoam cup, but he knew this stuff deserved praise. He felt a tingle of excitement as he wondered what it'd be like to slurp down something else that belonged to that hot alpha chef.

"It's kind of ridiculous," he said to her. "I've been so horny recently, it's almost out of control."

"That's no surprise," she replied. "You're probably in heat. You need to get laid, Kell, or else you're gonna explode. I'm sure we could find you a guy. You're a good-looking dude. Just a little awkward, that's all. But I don't think you'd have any problem getting picked up if you went and sat at an alpha-omega bar."

"I'm not a fan of bars," he said. "You know that. Or clubs."

"Yeah, but... those are the easiest places to meet alphas. To be honest with you, I don't understand why you haven't already had alphas asking you out. Like, someone at school has to be into you."

"And yet, it's never happened," he said. "I'm just cursed."

"You just need to take things into your own hands," she said. "There's a bunch of hot guys in our program, right? Ask one of them out."

Kell's face went hot, and he cleared his throat. "No... I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Most of them have omegas or betas already. And besides, there's no damn time for that. We're all so busy with school. And... I just don't want to ask."

"I think that's probably all it is," Jessie said. "Right?"

"What about you?" he said, taking his chance to dive out of the spotlight. "It's not like you have a boyfriend."

"Yean,” she said, unaffected. She fished out a hard-boiled egg from her soup and ate half of it. "But it's also not like I'm not getting laid. You don't need to be in a relationship to fuck."

Kell didn't really like the idea of casual sex like that. He'd rather stay frustrated than just fuck for the sake of it. He wanted it to be with someone special—or no one at all. He had it all imagined out. Candles. Perfume. A big fluffy bed in a fancy hotel.

The chef leaned over the counter and smiled at the two of them. "How's everything tasting?" he asked.

"Great," Kell stammered, flustered by the chef's handsome smile.

He really hoped that it wouldn't end up being with no one at all.

* * *

The Art and Design Academy was renowned for producing some of the finest designers and artists in the world. Kell had always known he'd wanted to study illustration there and had worked his ass off to get accepted. Six figure tuition or not, he’d had to go to ADA. With the strength of his portfolio he was easily accepted and was without a doubt one of the most skilled artists in his program. In his eyes, there was only one other student who produced work at his level. That other student was Parker Leipold, alpha and resident asshole.

Kell did his best to get along with everyone. He provided help and advice when asked, he was always friendly, he stayed out of drama. There was no reason for anyone to dislike him, and yet Parker Leipold had always remained a jerk from the first day they'd met in freshman year. It was true that Parker was generally cold to everyone, but for some reason he seemed to be especially standoffish to Kell. It bugged the hell out of him. What had he done to offend the guy?

Parker came from a rich family, but he wasn't one of those kids at ADA who'd simply bought their way into the school. Parker was insanely talented, to the point where it both awed and intimidated most of the other students. His talent only annoyed Kell, because he made it seem so damn effortless. Kell had worked his ass off developing his skills to get to this level, and here was a guy who seemed to naturally be that good at it. His compositions were incredible and complex, his lighting and color techniques perfect, and when he painted people he had a way of giving them the most incredible life and vitality. Watching Parker work was an exercise in frustration for Kell. He hated that he felt that way, but he couldn't help it.

Today, the class would turn in their projects for critique, and Kell was excited to get some feedback on his work—but more than that, he was looking forward to the praise. It was his best work, after all. He'd put together a killer series of paintings. He was positive that this time, not even Parker would be able to say anything about it.

Students filled the classroom, working on hanging up their work onto the walls for display. Kell popped in his earbuds to listen to music as he removed his paintings from his portfolio case and started to mount them at his display space. He stayed focused on his area, resisting the urge to look around at everyone else's work. He liked to wait until the critique session to look so that he could give everyone the full and proper attention they deserved.

He placed mounting adhesive onto the back of the second of his paintings and placed it up on the wall and stepped back to examine it. Jessie was next to him, and she also worked quietly with earbuds in. Chris, a beta whose display was next to Jessie's, came up to her and said something, gesturing across the room. Jessie glanced over to where he was pointing, and the two of them walked away together. Kell looked over his shoulder to see where they were going, and to his surprise he saw that the entire class had gathered around one display space, gawking at whatever was there. Curious, he pulled his earbuds from his ears.

"Holy shit," someone muttered. "That's just insane."

"Parker does it again," said someone else.

Kell left his display and went over to the huddle and peered through. Parker seemed to not even notice that the entire class had gathered around his work. He had a pair of over-ear headphones on and was putting up his third painting. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing muscled forearms that were splattered in dried paint, like he hadn't bothered to wash after finishing his work. He stepped away from the triptych of paintings and tilted his head, examining them. Kell hated that bored expression Parker always seemed to wear, like nothing was a challenge for him, and it annoyed the hell out of him that the guy didn't even seem to care that everyone was checking his paintings out.

"I've got a lot to learn," Chris sighed, walking away.

Kell didn't want to look before the critique, but he couldn't help himself. He shuffled forward to get a view of the work, and his jaw dropped. God damn. What he saw up on the wall were absolute masterpieces. They were figure paintings, but done in a sort of impressionist, abstract style, with an energetic brushwork that got Kell's blood pumping. The way the paint danced across the canvas, creating shapes and structures that seemed to explode off into 3D space... He hated to admit it, but it was incredible. Parker was incredible.

Jessie turned away and walked back to her display, patting Kell on the shoulder as she passed him. "Parker hits another out of the park."

Kell grunted and returned to his paintings. He stared at his trio of pregnant omegas, which now seemed so drab and lifeless in the wake of Parker's work. Dammit. He shouldn't have looked.

"Alright, alright!" The classroom door opened and Professor Young entered. "We've got to get through everyone's work today, so let's get the critiques started right away. I hope everyone's prepared? Good, Good. Quiet down please. Shh shh shh." The murmur of classroom chatter faded as Professor Young pushed a flattened palm down through the air, like a conductor silencing an orchestra.

Professor Young made his way over to the nearest project to him, belonging to a girl named Sammie. The class gathered around the painting, and Professor Young examined the work, first at a distance and then up close, his face just a few inches away from its surface. After a quick moment of contemplation, he gave his thoughts. His critique was basically what Kell would've said—she'd done a good job of capturing movement in the work, but her use of color was uninspired and didn't serve the overall painting.

"Anyone else have comments?" Professor Young asked.

Parker raised his hand.

"Parker. Go ahead."

"You did a good job with the capturing the force of the model's pose," he said, his arms crossed solidly over his chest. "I remember you had trouble with that in your last projects."

Sammie nodded enthusiastically with stars in her eyes. She looked enchanted to have received a compliment from Parker Leipold. Kell privately rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Parker," Professor Young said. "Anyone else? No? Alright. Next is... Parker. Let's see."

The class moved to Parker's triptych. Professor Young chuckled to himself as he examined the work, like he was in disbelief of what he was seeing. He turned to face the class. "Well. Not to say I'm surprised, given the quality of work Mr. Leipold has produced over the quarter. But I must say, I'm impressed. Very impressed. I can feel the energy behind every brush stroke, the vitality. I would say it has an almost Van Gogh quality to it, but that wouldn't give you enough credit for your originality."

"Thank you, Professor," Parker said. He didn't smile, just nodded slightly. It seemed to Kell like Parker had been expecting the praise. Perfect, as usual.

"Anyone have a critique for Parker?"

"It's so beautiful," Andrew said. Andrew was an omega, and it was obvious to Kell that he had the hots for Parker. How anyone could have the hots for someone so damn icy was beyond him. The guy was physically attractive, he couldn't deny that. But beyond that... He was just a stuck-up jerk. Kell thought so, anyway. "I love what you did with their eyes," Andrew went on. "It feels like you can see their souls. Like they're alive. I think what you've done is amazing."

Parker nodded in acknowledgement but said nothing. Kell wished he could come up with a critique for Parker's project, but there was nothing he could say. Perfect, as usual.

Professor Young went around the room, continuing the critique session. For each project, Parker had something to say. Nothing too complimentary, but generally positive and constructive. Jessie's project got an all-around good response, and Kell exchanged a grin with her. "Good job," he whispered to her.

"Thanks," she replied. "You're up."

The class gathered around Kell's paintings, murmuring with approval at what they saw. Professor Young did his examination routine, taking it in at a distance and then up close. He nodded to himself and pointed towards the first painting.

"Lovely lighting here, Kelly," he said. "Beautifully rendered. Very naturalistic. Excellent work, as always."

"Thank you, sir," Kell said, pleased.

"Comments on Kelly's work?"

There was a murmur of general agreement that he'd produced some gorgeous work. Jessie complimented his technical prowess in the rendering of the figure's anatomy. Andrew said that he appreciated the subject matter. Then, Parker spoke up.

"It's not your best work," he said, coolly, and Kell felt a knot rise in his throat. "Technically it's sound," Parker went on, "but the composition is uninspired. The way they're just holding their pregnant bellies, looking slightly away from the viewer. It feels distant. There's no courage. I get the sense you were afraid of something, like you were afraid to dive in all the way and engage the models."

Professor Young stroked his chin, and looked back at the paintings, like he was verifying something he'd missed. "Response to that, Kelly?" he asked.

Kell crossed his arms over his chest to hide the fact that he'd balled his hands into tight, white-knuckled fists. He felt his face going hot with embarrassment. He shouldn't have been embarrassed. It was a critique. He could take critiques—he had to be able to take them, it was the only way to improve. But hearing it coming from Parker's mouth had his heart pumping with irritation. He knew everything that Parker had said was completely accurate. What he'd not so long ago thought was his best now crumbled before him, all the flaws now completely evident.

He shook his head. "No," he said.

No courage. Afraid.

Dammit, that'd cut deep. It was so accurate. How was it that Parker could see all that so clearly, just from looking at the painting? Because it was completely true, and Kell knew it.

The class turned away from his painting, leaving him stewing in frustrated irritation. Parker walked away, without so much as another word of acknowledgement to Kell. It was like he'd come by just to destroy him. Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised. It wasn't the first time that Parker had done that to him. He always seemed to have a harsh word to say about Kell's work. He always seemed to be looking down on him. And yet, Kell had never said a word about it. He'd only ever just stewed about it, like he was now.

No courage.

That’d always been his problem. He wasn't the most assertive person.

"Jeez," Jessie said quietly to Kell. "That was a little rough."

"It was true, though, and I didn't even know it," Kell grumbled. "He totally saw right through me."

"Good work completing your projects," Professor Young said. "That's all the time we have for today. Next class we'll be discussing the marketing design project that we have coming up next. Please leave your work up so that the lower division classes can take a look at them, and I'll see you later."

The class filled with discussion and the sound of backpacks and portfolio cases being zipped up and closed. Some people hung around to check out the artwork, and of course Parker's display had a large crowd around it. People were even taking photos of them. Parker, however, wasn't sticking around. He hugged his portfolio case underneath his arm and slung his backpack over one shoulder and headed out of the room.

"Wanna grab some lunch?" Jessie asked, yawning. "Critiques always make me hungry."

Kell watched Parker disappear out the door, his critique still burning in his mind. He hated that he always had nothing to say to Parker. He hated that he always just took it from him. Why the hell was he the only person in the class that Parker had something really critical to say about?

They left the room. Down at the end of the hallway, he saw Andrew run up to Parker and stop him, no doubt to continue gushing to him about his paintings. Kell stopped. Dammit, he was tired of this shit. He had to speak up this time.

"I'll catch up with you," he told Jessie, and strode down the hallway towards Parker.