4. Dario
4
DARIO
I stare out the window, watching as the rain continues to pour.
The weather somehow matches my emotions lately.
Never in my life have I gotten caught up in feelings for one of the omegas I worked with.
I know there’s always a period afterwards where we both feel bonded and close because of the cocktail of pheromones and hormones that are exchanged during a heat.
Those usually fade within a few days.
With Allen?
I still feel like I’m silently pining.
I dream about him most nights.
On the nights I can’t sleep, I lie awake, aching for him.
I’ve quit the agency I was working with because the thought of helping another omega through their heat makes me feel sick to my stomach.
Gods, I miss him.
So why the fuck haven’t I tried to contact him again?
I’m so stuck in my head about the whole thing.
I might be feeling this way, but would it be fair to check up on Allen?
He hired me for a job, and now I’m asking for more than that.
Plus, it’s likely that all of these feelings are one-sided.
I don’t want to put Allen in an awkward position like this.
But at the same time, is it really better to not even try?
To completely give up on someone who I have such an instant connection with?
My thoughts are interrupted by my phone ringing which is probably for the better.
Anything to distract me from the turmoil rolling around inside of me.
“Hello?” I answer without even looking who’s calling.
“Hi,” a soft voice says back, “is this Dario?”
My heart stutters inside of me and my breath catches in my chest.
It’s Allen.
His voice washes over me, soothing a broken part of my heart without doing anything other than speaking to me.
“Allen,” I breathe out, relief clear even to my own ears.
“It’s so great to hear from you.”
“It is?” Allen asks in surprise.
“Yes. Of course.” I find myself grinning.
I don’t even know why he’s calling but I don’t care.
I’m talking to him and that’s all that matters.
“What’s going on? Is everything alright?”
“Umm, yes?” He doesn’t sound sure.
I don’t push him, giving him a moment to collect himself and find the right words.
“This would be much easier to explain if we were together. Would you mind coming over for lunch?”
“I can’t think of a single thing I’d rather do. Is it okay if I come right now?”
“That would be perfect. Thank you, Dario.”
I hang up, marveling at how relieved Allen sounded at the end of the call.
Hope blooms inside of my chest.
Could it be that he’s been feeling the same way as me?
Could all this pining be going both ways instead of one-sided?
Has he missed me as much as I’ve missed him?
It’s only been about a month and a half, but somehow that feels like a lifetime.
It doesn’t take long for me to drive to the little town where Allen lives.
The neighborhood is just as adorable now as it was the first time I took this road.
After pulling into his driveway, I take a quick second to breathe, check my hair and that I don’t have anything in my teeth, before getting out and heading to the front door.
I raise my hand to knock but the door flies open, revealing Allen already there, waiting for me.
My chest bursts with affection.
I’m practically giddy with how happy I am to see him.
He looks well.
I’d even go so far as to say he’s glowing.
Allen’s face breaks into a wide grin, one that I easily match.
I might have only known this omega for a short amount of time, but the feelings inside of me are overwhelming and real.
I want him.
I want him desperately .
I can’t imagine going back to my life where I’m moping around, thinking about him all the time.
“Thank you for coming, Dario.” Allen bites his lip for a moment, his cheeks turning deliciously red.
“Would it be okay if I hugged you?”
“More than okay. Come here, little omega,” I say, pulling him into my arms right there in the doorway.
Having Allen in my arms again feels like coming home.
I feel like I can breathe again instead of having my head stuck under water.
He smells just as good as I remember, maybe even better somehow.
His body is soft and fits against me just right.
Gods, I’ve missed this.
I’ve missed him.
I lean my face down, burying my face against his hair.
I breathe him in, not even hiding the fact that I’m scenting him.
He smells so good, vanilla mixed with something else that I can’t quite name.
Somehow, his scent is different from what I remember and I don’t know if it’s because something has changed or because it’s been over a month since I’ve smelled him and the memory of him was starting to fade.
Now that I’m here, I’m finding it hard to care about all the what ifs and worries of earlier.
All I care about is keeping Allen.
“I’m really glad you’re here, Dario.”
“Me too, Allen.” I pull away and Allen guides me into his home.
We sit down at the table where we had our first meeting together.
“What’s on your mind? Everything okay?”
Allen looks anywhere but at me.
He puts his hands on the table, fidgeting with the sleeve of his shirt.
His breathing picks up and his eyes begin to water.
My heart aches.
Reaching across the table, I take his hands in my own, giving him a gentle squeeze.
“Hey,” I whisper, waiting until his eyes meet mine.
“It’s okay. Whatever it is, Allen, it’ll be alright. I’m here.”
“You’re here,” he says, like he’s trying to get himself to believe the words.
“Yeah. I’m here. For as long as you’ll have me.”
“You mean that?” Allen asks, his voice breaking.
I nod.
“Meeting you was like nothing I imagined, Dario. I literally hired you for your services, but during that time, I caught feelings.”
My breath catches and the words play over and over in my head.
“Really?”
“Yes. I was so sure there wasn’t a chance in hell you could feel the same way,” he says, shaking his head at himself.
I squeeze his hands.
“What changed your mind?”
“Nothing. I’m still pretty sure this is going to end in you running out the front door, but circumstances have changed. I can’t just think about myself.”
“What do you mean?”
Allen pulls his hands away from me and I miss the contact immediately.
He places a hand on his stomach, his eyes staring into me.
“Dario. I’m pregnant.”
“What?”
Allen nods his head, looking sad.
“I was so careful but somehow, my birth control failed. I’m pregnant and in case it wasn’t obvious, the baby is yours.”
There’s a moment of silence as the words sink in.
Not only does Allen feel the same for me that I feel for him, but he’s also pregnant.
With my baby.
Holy.
Fucking.
Shit.
I move without thinking, pushing my chair back with too much force, causing Allen to flinch.
I race around the table, falling to my knees before him.
Heat is building behind my eyes and I do my best not to let myself start crying because if I start, I’m not sure I’ll be able to get the tears to stop.
I’m overwhelmed.
I’m happy.
I’m excited.
I’m terrified .
My hands shake as I raise them to Allen.
He gives me a tiny nod before I fall against him, burying my face against his stomach, my arms wrapping around his middle.
Allen makes a broken noise, his hands coming around my shoulder, curling himself in half to hug me.
We hold each other for a long time, letting our scents mingle and mix, soothing the other.
When I pull back, we both have watery eyes and hopeful smiles.
“I can’t believe this is real,” I breathe out.
“Every night I was away from you, I wished I could be here instead. The pining never stopped, even when the hormones and pheromones faded.”
Allen nods his head.
“Same for me. I was so worried about your reaction, Dario. You didn’t sign up for this.”
“Maybe not, but I am now. I want this, Allen. I want this baby and this life and most importantly, I want you .”
“Really?” Allen asks, his voice coming out strained as he sniffles.
“Yes, you silly omega. In case it wasn’t clear, I think I might be in love with you.”
“Oh,” Allen breathes out, tears breaking free and sliding down his cheeks.
I can’t stop smiling and neither can he.
“That’s really good. Because I think I feel the same about you.”
I can’t hold myself back a moment longer.
I lean up and kiss my omega’s lips.
Allen makes a noise of surprise before he’s melting in his seat and kissing me back.
My hand goes to his middle, touching his stomach.
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Allen and I are going to have a baby.
Our relationship has barely started and already it’s going from zero to sixty.
As I pull back and see the smile on Allen’s face, I don’t think I’d have it any other way.