* * *

"Have you calmed down?" Lan asked gently, continuing to stroke Reese's hair. It had been nearly half an hour since Reese had stopped struggling, and he was hopeful that the Beta had finally settled. Reese seemed to have stopped crying, so he thought it was a good moment to ask. He also wanted to understand why the Beta had been crying and who had hurt him. If he could help, he would do it without hesitation.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it right now, and that's okay. But if you don't mind, I'd like to know why you're upset. I want to help as much as I can. If someone's bullying you, please tell me," Lan added, his tone helpless, as he patted the Beta's back. They were now in bed, and since they had been in the same position for a while, Lan had made himself comfortable.

Too embarrassed to talk, Reese made one last attempt to pull away but failed again. Although the Alpha's arms were comforting, he needed to get a hold of himself. He was older by a year, yet he felt he was being too childish. He had shown a vulnerable side to Lan and feared the Alpha now thought he was problematic.

"L-let go... I'm fine now... You don't have to bother," Reese finally said, believing the Alpha wouldn't release him unless he spoke up.

"It's not a bother... I told you, I want to help, and I'm not letting you go if you refuse to talk. Do you really think I'd let my lover go after seeing you cry like that? You must think I'm heartless," Lan said, raising an eyebrow and pulling Reese closer, pressing his small face against his side. Reese groaned and tried to struggle again, ready to scream in frustration, when a growling sound from his stomach suddenly interrupted.

After being called back home earlier, Reese had missed lunch  and lost his appetite. Now, his stomach was complaining, having nothing to digest after expending so much energy crying and struggling.

"You didn't eat lunch?" Lan asked, surprised, finally letting Reese go. The loud gurgling from Reese's stomach was unmistakable.

"Well... things happened..." Reese replied evasively. He couldn't bring himself to explain that he had fought with his mom and lost his appetite. He felt that if he told the Alpha, it would only upset him more.

"That's it! You're coming out with me," Lan declared, getting off the bed and pulling Reese up with him. Reese hadn't even changed out of his uniform and had been lying in bed crying, so Lan could tell he was feeling down from whatever had happened. Reese might not want to talk, but Lan had his ways of finding things out if he wanted to. Still, it would be better if the Beta told him himself, which Lan would try to coax out of him.

"What? Noooo... I'm not leaving..."

"You are because I said so, and if you keep being stubborn about it, I'll carry you out for everyone to see. Do you want that?" Lan warned, though he didn't actually mind following through. Reese pouted in frustration. He knew Lan was worried, but he didn't understand why. They were only roommates.

"Why are you acting like this!? You don't have to do all of this. We're just roommates who got drunk and played a bit—nnn," Reese argued, refusing to get off the bed. But before he could finish his sentence, Lan's lips were on his, pushing him back until he fell on the bed and the Alpha towering over him.

"S-Stop~ nnnn..." Reese managed to cry out, trying to push Lan away, but his efforts were futile against the Alpha's strength. Lan, driven by an unexplainable desire to dominate that stubbornness away, deepened the kiss, his tongue invading the Beta's mouth. He didn't fully understand why he was upset, but something inside him knew he wouldn't like it if he let Reese continue talking.

"There's no turning back now, Reese... You're mine..." Lan growled, his chest vibrating with a possessive intensity. If Reese were an Omega, he would surely feel the thick Alpha pheromones he had showered him to mark him as his.

"You're sick!" Reese retaliated. He couldn't understand why Lan was acting this way. It wasn't as if the Alpha loved him. Yet, seeing Lan behave as if he really was his lover made Reese feel weak. It had been a long time since someone had shown him such care and concern, even if it was just pretend.

". . ." Lan didn't reply, only smirking before leaning down to kiss Reese again while biting on his lips a little. This time, his hand slid inside the Beta's uniform, caressing the narrow waist he had secretly admired. He squeezed his palms against it and loved how his fingers buried on the smooth and supple skin, making him excited, pulling it close to his body.

"I thought you said we're going out?" Reese reminded after Lan released his lips and his kisses trailed down his neck. Knowing it was useless to resist, Reese moaned softly, blushing as he felt something press against him.

"In a bit..." Lan murmured, nibbling on the tender skin before sucking on it, aiming to leave a mark. He couldn't fully explain it. He knew he had liked Elven for as long as he could remember, but he had never felt this kind of desire for him. Instead of lust, he wanted to cherish and protect him. But with Reese, it was a mix of everything, leaving him confused about his feelings. Was he sexually frustrated and directing it all at the Beta? But why Reese? It wasn't as if he didn't have options, but his mind was set on Reese.

"H-hey... Ahh... This is becoming dangerous..." Reese panicked, feeling Lan's arousal rubbing against him. It was hot and warm. He could also feel its length and he blushed, guessing it was something ginormous. He knew the Alpha could get it up even with a male Beta like him, but he wasn't mentally prepared for it.

"Don't worry... I won't put it in..." Lan reassured, moving to another spot and sucking on the tender skin. Reese moaned again as goosebumps covered his body, but at the same time, it felt good and comforting. "Not yet, of course..." Lan added, letting go of Reese's skin with a satisfied smile. Hearing this, Reese blushed an even deeper shade of red before putting his hand between them to keep the Alpha from leaning down again.

"What do you mean not yet? Who said I was gonna let you?" Reese demanded, raising his brows in mock anger, though his cheeks were red with embarrassment. Lan knew he wasn't truly upset.

"That's why not yet... Not until you let me," Lan smiled, teasingly pressed himself again. Of course, even though he was turned on loving how the Beta reacted to his advance, he wasn't really going to touch him further than this.

"In your dreams!" Reese countered, his eyes wide.

"Haha, well... It's not too bad to dream. One day it might come true, and when that time comes, you better prepare yourself," Lan warned, softly caressing the Beta's flat belly before pressing just above the bellybutton, knowing he could reach beneath it with a thrust. The thought awakened something inside him that he had to control that he had to pull away a little. Though he didn't voice this to Reese, the Beta wasn't clueless, and he turned even redder if possible.

"G-get off now, you pervert!" Reese whined, hiding his face, unable to believe what Lan had just insinuated. Fortunately, Lan didn't plan to tease him further and got off, chuckling.

"Fine, I'm a pervert... Still, let this pervert take you on a lunch date," Lan laughed, urging his lover to get up.

"You honestly don't have to do this. It's not like we're really dating," Reese said as he got up and fixed himself, hoping to prevent anything dangerous from happening since he wasn't strong enough to resist such advances. Hearing his words, Lan frowned and pulled Reese close again.

"Do I really have to kiss you again and leave more marks to make you understand not to say such things?" Lan said seriously, his thumb caressing the red spot he had made on Reese's neck. He had ensured it was in a spot that could be hidden by their uniform, but if he wanted to, he could make it more visible and cause trouble for the Beta.

"We're dating, and that's final. You can't take back what you already agreed to," he added firmly, his hands moving to the back of Reese's head as he leaned down to kiss his stubbornness away. Their decision to date had been impulsive, but Lan was already too invested to let Reese think of it as a mistake.

"Understand?" he asked, releasing Reese from his relentless kisses.

"But I'm not confident I can stop myself from falling..." Reese admitted honestly, his eyes teary. He was only human, and if Lan continued treating him this way, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from becoming greedy.

"You don't have to stop yourself... I know I'm not," the Alpha replied, leaning in for another kiss. This time it was longer and more passionate, leaving them both panting as they finally pulled away. Reese gave up and decided to give the Alpha a little bit of his trust, hugging him and rubbing his face against Lan's chest. Besides, he has an inkling Lan wouldn't shut up about it if he continued to deny it.

"You better not hurt me... or you'll regret it. I'll make sure of it," Reese mumbled, making Lan chuckle, unaware of how serious the Beta was.

"I promise," Lan said softly and dotingly, lifting Reese into his arms. As they stared at each other, he added, "Now can we go? Your stomach's been growling like crazy. I can't wait to fill you up. I already have a place in mind." He started walking, intending to carry Reese to his car. When they reached the door, the Beta began struggling, not wanting to be carried. Lan tried to go through with it but since he didn't want to delay the time more, he eventually yielded and put Reese down. And despite not being dismissed from class, they managed to drive out of the campus and to one of Lan's special places where Reese soon discover who he had impulsively decided to date.

"Sir, a call from the ranch reported the young master arrived earlier this afternoon with a friend," a maid reported. Meanwhile, a blond Omega in his early forties paused whatever he was doing and glanced at the wall clock. Realizing it wasn't time for his son's class to end yet, he frowned.

"Did they say what he was doing?" the Omega asked, walking towards his phone. He had put it away earlier because his husband's frequent calls were distracting him from writing his book. After retiring from his job to raise his second child, he had picked up hobbies like gardening and writing.

"They said the young master asked to prepare a meal and serve it in the garden," the maid replied.

"At this time?" the Omega asked, confused. He nodded and dismissed the maid, deciding he probably needed to call and make sure everything was fine. Lan was never the kind of child who would skip class without reason, so before he got upset, he needed to hear from his son. Besides, Lan likely knew he would be reported since even though the 12,000-acre farmland was promised to him by his grandfather, it didn't mean he could do whatever he wanted, especially on a school day.

Of course, he didn't know that he would soon face a surprise he never thought would happen so soon.

* * *

To be Continued. . .