“He’s right, mom,” was the first sentence Chester said. “I can manage myself.”

The appearance of the man was a little surprising for both Kayla and Sebastian. Sebastian still had his mask on—though, of course, Chester’s lingering pheromone was still penetrating through his mask.

The younger man knew he wouldn’t survive being near the Omega. Even with extra suppressants, he didn’t know how strong a fated pair’s pheromone would be. Fortunately, a Beta couldn’t detect pheromone, so she wouldn’t notice if Chester’s pheromone was stronger than usual.

He got up, striding away as he needed to get his inhibitor and more space between them. He gave Chester a curt nod, motioning for the other man to take a seat. Chester made his way to sit on the couch where Sebastian had sat on previously. Quite a gamble, actually, as Sebastian’s scent still lingered on the couch. However, Chester dreaded sitting right next to his mother. He loved his mother, sure—but she nagged too much.

Today, too, he believed she came to nag.

“Why didn’t you answer my calls?” Kayla demanded right after Chester was seated. Her tone was accusing—which annoyed Chester to an extent.

“Put it on DND,” he admitted nonchalantly.

“Even though I called you this afternoon?”

Chester didn’t answer. He clasped his palms on his laps—a gesture of boredom.

His mother sighed in defeat. “Chester you need—”

“Mom, I’ve told you so many times that I can care for myself,” Chester cut her off with a raised voice, darting his glare towards the older woman. “I’ve listened to you all the time, I’m tired. You hear Sebastian, right? He said I can care for myself!”

“If you can care for yourself, then you don’t need to rely on a Beta like him,” Kayla raised her voice involuntarily as anger arose in her. “You don’t need a Beta to rely on, you need an—”

“Oh, now you say I shouldn’t rely on a Beta?” Chester cut her off once again. “Then why should I even rely on you and listen to you? After all you’re only a Beta—”

“Chester!”

Chester jolted when his mother yelled his name. He realized he had let anger took control over him. His face paled as he watched the insulted look on his mother’s face. Dropping his darkened gaze, he couldn’t help drowning in guilt. “... Sorry...” he whispered with a voice barely audible.

The mother and son fell silent, heavy atmosphere weighing them down.

Sebastian was watching from the sideline, being merely an outsider on a family’s quarrel. He wasn’t sure if he should chip in—after all, he was a stranger. He didn’t know how their relationship worked—saying something unnecessary would hurt either Chester, Kayla, or both. He felt like he was walking on eggshell—nothing felt right at all.

He had taken another inhibitor, so he assumed that being near Chester would be alright. He decided to make his presence known and entered the awkward silence. The two Morrisons glanced up at the young man. “I was making soup for Chester before,” he explained, pointing at the forgotten pot in the kitchen. “Would you want some?”

The pair of mother and son seemed confused at the sudden offer, but Kayla nodded. “Sure,” she said. “Chester needs some, anyway.”

Chester resisted an urge to shoot a glare at the woman. Instead, he gave a simple nod at the offer. He hadn’t eaten anything since morning—a soup was a great idea for him.

So, Sebastian left the pair to heat the pot. He pulled two bowls from the cabinet and poured each with some soup. He didn’t make too much—as he planned to make only for Chester—so the bowls weren’t full. He brought the recently heated soup to the table, setting it down in front of the pairs. He pulled a stool from the kitchen counter, setting it in place and propping himself down.

The mother and son dug in, taking a spoonful of soup. Warmth rinsed Chester’s dry throat and stomach, spreading into his system. It felt like an embrace—perhaps, it was something that he needed right now.

He glanced up to Sebastian watching him from across the table; smile plastered on his childish face.

Only then that he realized that he had been lonely. He tried his best to be the toughest in the group, trying hard to be independent to the point he forgot how to rely on someone. Perhaps, relying to someone else wasn’t as bad as he thought—and, at least, he felt like he could trust Sebastian. At least, he believed he could rely on him without subjecting himself to any power imbalance.

Being fated pairs might be the reason Sebastian did a lot for Chester—but, even then, he was grateful.

The mother and son continued to enjoy the warm soup that warmed both their stomach and their heart. The problem and disagreement might not vanish with only a touch of warmth—but setting them aside for a while wasn’t much of a bad idea.

Sebastian decided to lead the conversation—asking Kayla about something that didn’t relate to secondary sexes and talking about trivial things. Kayla—as easy to please as she was—engaged in the conversation easily, sharing about Chester’s childhood and her own story of life.

Chester couldn’t help feeling grateful for whatever Sebastian gave for him. He closed his eyelids, listening to the conversation playing around him and immersing himself with the warmth nestling him.