Stupidly, Killian was a little nervous as he walked up the stairs to Jamie and Randy’s apartment. It wasn’t the dread and exhaustion when faced with some clients, but he could feel the weight of what this meant laying heavily on his shoulders.

What if Killian couldn’t help? What if Jamie got worse and worse and eventually…

Killian shook his head as he knocked on the door. He didn’t even know these people. And, yeah, sure, basic empathy meant that he was a little concerned, but this wasn’t his problem. He’d been hired to do a job, which was the only thing he should be concerned about.

Killian fought not to flinch as the front door opened, Jamie’s heat scent hitting him all at once. Killian had been in the fog of heat scent more times than he could count, but Jamie…Jamie smelt really fucking good.

Randy smiled at him faintly, his eyes strained in the corners. Killian could imagine that heats weren’t exactly a happy and fun time for him and Jamie.

“Come in. You want a drink of something?” Randy greeted.

“Water’s good. Jamie doing okay?”

“He’s…same as always. The start is pretty shitty. I mean,” Randy laughed humourlessly, “it’s all pretty shitty, but we can’t do much until the heat really hits.”

“Okay. Still, I can get the supplies ready if you want. I know you said he doesn’t eat much, but maybe this time it’ll be different?” Killian suggested.

“We’ve got that all ready. Omegabars and electrolyte drinks in the bedroom. He’s just drinking water now, got a heating pad.” Randy walked Killian into the living room, the heat scent thickening around them.

Killian’s heart squeezed as he spotted Jamie curled up on the couch, hands pressing the heating pad to his middle, eyes closed and eyebrows drawn in pain.

Killian approached slowly, checking with Randy that it was okay before sitting down. “Hey, man. How you doing?”

Jamie blinked his eyes open, gaze surprisingly clear. “Oh, hey. Fuck, you smell good.” He glanced at Randy. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—”

Killian interrupted him. “That’s what I’m here for. Sniff away.”

Jamie snorted, but he looked miserable, sinking into the pillow his head was propped on. “I’m just gonna give you a blanket apology for anything I may say or do during heat. And, uhm. Sorry, we should have said this before, but obviously you know that you can leave any time if it ever gets too much.”

Killian smiled slightly. “I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem, but noted.”

Jamie nodded, closing his eyes again, mouth pursed in discomfort.

“Here, wanna put your legs on my lap? No funny business.”

Jamie laughed. “Sure. No funny business.”

Killian slid under Jamie’s legs, carefully slipping a hand under the bottom of Jamie’s loose sweatpants and stroking the skin of his calf. “This okay?”

“Mm, yeah,” Jamie mumbled.

Killian hadn’t even noticed that Randy had left until he returned with the promised water, looking at the two of them with a strange, blank expression on his face.

Killian watched him carefully. “You good?”

Randy seemed to shake himself out of whatever he was thinking about. “Yep. Hey, Jamie. How far along?”

“Thirty minutes, probably.”

“Okay. I’ve—I mean…we’ve got you.”

Jamie gazed up at him, the sweetest smile Killian had even seen on his face. “I know.”

They all shifted so Jamie was lying half on top of Killian, half on top of Randy. Killian couldn’t help but stare at the loving way Randy stroked Jamie’s hair, thumb rubbing against his cheek as if he were the most precious thing in the world.

For long, drawn-out minutes, everything was calm, silent as the storm approached. Even if Killian hadn’t known what was going on, he could have figured out something was wrong just by the scent. It grew more potent by the second, an acrid, sick edge to it that put Killian on edge.

“Randy,” Jamie moaned eventually, his body shuddering.

“I’m here,” Randy assured. “Let’s get you to the bedroom, yeah?”

Killian followed silently as Randy picked Jamie up and carried him deeper into the apartment. He paused in the doorway for just a moment, watching the careful way Randy lay Jamie on the bed without letting him go.

Randy stroked a soothing hand down Jamie’s side, but Jamie seemed beyond that sort of touch now, arching with a broken sound, dragging Randy in for a kiss.

It would have been hot, really, if it weren’t for the context, for the stringent smell permeating the room. Killian opted to keep his clothes on—comfortable sweats and a T-shirt, just like the couple—as he got onto the bed.

The reaction was instantaneous. Randy pressed down on Jamie as if protecting him from a threat, a deep, guttural growl ripping out of his throat. Killian froze, instincts screaming at him to leave.

He wasn’t wanted here. This was not a safe space.

Jamie seemed just as startled, letting out a distressed sound. “What?” he gasped in confusion, flinching. “What? Did I, did I—”

The growl cut off suddenly, Randy looking at Jamie, eyes wide. “No. Shit, I’m sorry. Baby, no, I’m sorry, you didn’t do anything wrong.” He turned his head towards Killian. “Sorry. I don’t know…”

“It’s fine,” Killian assured quietly. “Everything’s okay. Can I get on the bed? I won’t touch him.”

Randy let out a long, slow breath. “Yeah.”

Killian climbed onto the mattress, telegraphing his movements. He lay down, body language passive, open. Submissive. “You tell me when you need me. I’m not taking Jamie away. I’m here for both of you.”

That seemed to relax Randy a little. “Right. Sorry.”

“You’re good.”

Randy became quickly distracted by Jamie, sinking into a kiss.

He concentrated on remaining calm, unthreatening, letting the want between Jamie and Randy spill over him as the couple undressed each other, fully in the throes of Jamie’s heat.

“Randy, please. Please,” Jamie muttered as Randy finally stripped both of them bare.

“I’ve got you. You’re okay.”

Killian watched as Randy slipped two fingers into Jamie’s pussy, the slit that throbbed beneath Jamie’s balls, wet and desperate with heat. Jamie moaned loudly, body arching, his ribs standing out beneath his thin, pale skin.

It was clear that Randy’s hand wasn’t cutting it, and he pulled away to line his cock up, sinking into Jamie in one swift movement.

The groan they both let out hit Killian like a hammer, his heart racing as Randy started thrusting, Jamie flushed and shaking with obvious pleasure. The sour note in his scent eased, filling with nothing but the mouthwatering smell of heat-lust.

Killian had to hold himself back from stroking Jamie’s hair, from telling him how well he was doing.

Randy began to shake with what had to be his impending orgasm, and he leaned down over Jamie, kissing him deeply, sweetly, pushing into him one last time. It was as if a bubble formed around the couple, as if they were the only thing that existed in that world, a dimension away from Killian.