It's been five weeks since Saliou had last seen Wren. And throughout those weeks, living under one roof with his emotionally estranged brother, was starting to become insufferable. Sooner or later, one of them has to leave.
Saliou figured it was only a matter of time before someone breaks the news to him. After all he is no fool – and so are Wren and Milou.
Omegas are most fertile on their first day of heat. It's a given fact. Recessive Omegas, with their irregular estrus cycles and intrinsic hormonal imbalance, are often unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term. But when paired with a dominant Alpha, whose ability to consummate a Catch is close to a hundred percent, the chances of pregnancy dramatically increase.
So, you see, it was only a matter of time, Saliou told himself over and over again.
Milou had locked himself up in the apartment for two weeks now, spending most of his time in his bedroom. Later, Saliou found out he had resigned from his job. While he never bothered to ask Milou about it, he had kept a close eye on him since.
But one day, Saliou came home from work to find Milou gone. He tried calling him several times, only to keep getting his voicemail. At 6 PM and still no sign of his brother, Saliou began to feel anxious and impatient.
He was starting to consider calling Wren but just as the thought registered, he heard a car pull up into the driveway. It was Milou.
Saliou raced to the door and threw it open, ready to give the other a piece of his mind. But he was surprised when Milou stepped out of the passenger side of the car.
Milou glanced up, saw him, and walked towards him with an expression that's somewhere between resigned and apologetic.
The younger twin frowned. "Where have you been? Why weren't you answering my calls and texts?" he inquired angrily.
Milou stuffed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and lowered his head, avoiding the other's piercing gaze. In a voice devoid of emotion, he said simply, "I'm pregnant."
For a moment, the younger twin stared at him without a word. And then, he gave a soft sigh. He was shocked but somehow not surprised.
"Well, it's not like we didn't see it coming," Saliou muttered sarcastically, shrugging his shoulders.
Milou tilted his head to look at the other. "We went to see the elders." Then he paused dramatically before adding, "They want Wren and I to get married."
There's no doubt about it now. Milou enjoys dropping emotional bombshells on his brother. He remained silent for a while, his gaze fixed on Saliou as if waiting for him to break down and cry.
Of course, Saliou was terribly shocked. Not only is his brother pregnant, he's about to take away his greatest love, as well!
But Milou picked the wrong day to rile him up. After all the heartbreak he'd gone through, only a fool would step up to that plate again. He refused to give his brother the upper hand.
"So... am I the last one to find out about this?" Saliou managed a tight-lipped smile.
"Come on. If anything, you were the first to know," Milou replied coolly. He placed a hand on his belly as he walked past Saliou and went into the living room. "After all, weren't you there the day I conceived?"
It took a whole lot of effort for Saliou to look calm as he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. He didn't want to give himself away, so he tried to rein in his wayward emotions. After all, he is not the kind of person who cries or lashes out in front of others – and certainly not in front of Milou. He's had enough emotional discharge five weeks ago.
The sound of approaching footsteps snapped Saliou from his muddled thoughts. He stood there, by the front door, staring. And then, he felt a sharp pang in his chest.
There, just a few feet away, staring back with his intense blue-gray eyes, was Wren.
He looked like he'd lost weight since the last time Saliou had seen him. His eyes were almost sunken and his cheekbones looked sharper. In Saliou's eyes, he looked like a defeated man.
"Hello, Sal," he said with a weak voice as he slowly approached the other. He wore an expression that was somewhere between sadness and shame.
Saliou crossed his arms over his chest defensively and lowered his head, avoiding the other's eyes. "Do you... want to come in?" He held the door open and moved to the side to let Wren in. "I'll head out so you can have some time alone with Milou –" He froze when Wren wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close in a tight and fierce hug.
"You... You haven't been answering my calls," Wren said with obvious hurt and disappointment in his voice.
That's because I blocked you, Saliou said to himself. He tried to wrench himself away from the other's embrace.
"We need to talk, Sal." Wren rested his head on the other's shoulder, refusing to let go. "You can't keep avoiding me like this..."
Saliou could feel tears stinging at the back of his nose. He pinched his fingers over the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for what he thought was just a few seconds. "Listen, Wren." He opened his eyes and looked at the other, careful to keep his emotions under control. "Let's not complicate our lives any further." He pressed his hands to Wren's chest to pry himself from his embrace. "I think... it would be in our best interest to... just end it here."
"I don't want to," Wren responded immediately, not even blinking.
This stunned Saliou. That was the last thing he expected to hear from the other. His lips curled back with contempt. "I'm not giving you an option here. It's all over. We have to end this. I don't need these complications in my life, Wren. I can't make time for any of this. For you."
Wren's eyes flooded with tears at the keen and bitter heartache. "I didn't mean this to happen..."
"None of us did," retorted Saliou. "But it did happen, and we need to deal with it." He paused as he pressed a hand to his temple. "Honestly, Wren, there's so much I want to do for myself. By myself."
Wren was quiet for a while, sobbing, looking utterly helpless and hopeless.
After what seemed like forever, he finally spoke to fill the silence. "I was against it, Sal. You know you're the only one I want to marry."
Saliou raised a finger. "Give me a moment. I have to go get something of yours."
Before Wren could say anything, Saliou made his way back into the apartment while the other waited at the entryway. A couple of minutes later, he returned with a tiny velvet box in one hand.
"Here, I believe this is yours," said Saliou as he held out the box to Wren. "I found it under Milou's bed. You must've dropped it the day you..." He let his voice trail off for a moment, then continued, "The last time you came over."
It was the ring box containing the engagement ring. Wren had dropped it in his haste to leave the scene and thought he had lost it for good.
Wren looked at the box in Saliou's hand, a pained expression on his face. Somehow, it found its way to its rightful owner. But now, he wasn't sure if the rightful owner would still be willing to accept it.
"It was meant to be the best day of our lives, Sal," he said regretfully. "We were meant to have a future together..."
Breath backed up in Saliou's lungs as he tried to speak, but no words came out. Everything inside him yearned for this man standing before him. Yet deep sorrow shot through him, knowing the impossibility of their circumstance.
Finding his voice once more, Saliou said, "Things happened, Wren, and there's nothing we can do about it. We can't change the past... there's no use dwelling on it."
Wren placed his hand on Saliou's, closed his fingers around the box on his palm, and squeezed it tightly. "Please don't give up on us, Sal..." He begged. "We can still fix this. I know we can."
His words tugged at Saliou's heart. He dropped his gaze and bit his lip. "Wren... You know it ended the moment you bonded with Milou... And there's just no way for us to get back together now that you're both expecting a child..."
Wren closed his eyes. "How can you throw away our relationship so easily, Sal?" A tear escaped.
Saliou dabbed his own tears as he looked at the other. "Do you seriously think this is easy for me?" His voice choked before he continued, "You... and Milou... don't have the slightest idea what I'm feeling right now. You – You've put me through hell these past few weeks...!" At this point, he was unable to control the sobs that ravaged his body. "It – It hurts so much... It hurts so much I want to tear my heart out...!"
Despair filled Wren. He threw his arms around Saliou's neck as they both cried. "I may have bonded with Milou, but it took all my resolve not to mark him. I still love you, Sal. I always will."
Saliou pushed him away gently. "That's beside the point," he said, sniffling. "It doesn't change anything, Wren. You two are getting married. And you're about to have a child, for god's sake. There's just... no place for me to fit into your life anymore..." Although he could barely see through his tears, he held out Wren's hand and placed the ring box on his palm. "You're giving this to the wrong person. I... no longer see any reason for me to keep this."
Wren clasped Saliou's hand once more, pressing them to his face as if his life depended on it. "I'm not ready to let you go, Sal... This isn't what I wanted. I don't want to let you go...!"
Saliou searched Wren's face as his hand fell on the other's cheek, caressing it lightly. "Please... if not for Milou, do it for the sake of your child..." he sobbed. "This child is a blessing, Wren. They have to grow up in a loving family, with loving parents..." He cupped Wren's cheeks and smiled weakly. "I'm sure you'll be a great father, Wren..." And then he let out a soft chuckle. "I predict the baby's going to be spoiled rotten."
For a moment, they shared a hearty laugh. And then, tears once again built in their eyes.
There was a fleeting moment of silence as they held each other's gaze. Wren searched the other's face, soaking up every detail, seeking a deeper grasp. Yet what he saw was his own pain mirrored in the other's dark brown eyes.
Before he could touch the other, Saliou drew away.
Saliou lowered his head and sighed. "I'll be moving out next week," he announced somberly. They stood just feet apart, arms still extended toward each other, fingers barely touching. "I'm not sure if Milou realized it but, he started nesting about a week ago. Pretty soon he'll want you around more frequently, so... you need to be with him then. I'll just get in your way, so..." His lips quivered, and then he seemed about to cry again, but restrained his tears. Instead he smiled at the other, even when his heart was breaking too much.
"This is the end of the line for us, Wren... Goodbye."
Gulping down a sob to keep his composure, Saliou turned to the door and walked away. Just being close to Wren was tearing at his heart. Any longer and it would shatter his defenses.
I will move on from this, Saliou silently prayed, and I hope he will too.
As for Wren, he knew things were over despite how much he asked for forgiveness. And as he watched Saliou walk away, he felt his own happiness leave with him. His thoughts fell into an endless loop, repeating the same question over and over, "Why did this have to happen to us?"
Saliou was right. It was over for them, and he killed their love...
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