[BL] Between an Alpha and Omega

AN: Thank you for the wait. It honestly didn’t occur to me that you guys actually expect updates monthly now. That is… a thing to learn. Sorry~

Anywho, after a lot of construction and rewriting, I present my update. Enjoy~ Also a little treat for ya and the end.

*****

Waking up is a strange mix of gradual awareness and sudden alertness. The line between sleep and being awake is so nebulous that it's hard to fathom where one ends and the other begins. And even when the person is aware of that moment, it fades away as other thoughts push that away.

That sense of peace and silence when one wakes up on their own… was not what Jun Yibai woke up to.

No, that moment of peace was broken by voices he could only barely comprehend.

“-kind of friend am I?!”

The voice was tinged with concern and anger, though it was hard to say who it was for. Jun Yibai, barely awake as is, couldn’t put much thought into such a thing. He was more concerned about where he was.

This was an unfamiliar place it seemed.

For one thing, the ceiling was white.

It wasn’t the off-white color he was used to waking up to at his dorm. Nor the mild piss-colored white ceiling of his work dorm. No, this was that pure kind of white color that made one's eyes hurt when the lights were on. The one that made it feel like needles were being pressed into the back of one's eyes just looking at it.

It was that sterile white that one only really saw at hospitals.

His misty thoughts were confirmed as a second voice cut through the panicked one.

“Your friend, it seems, was quite lucky this time around.” A calmer, more level voice said, bringing the frenzied energy in the room down a bit. “Left alone much longer and there might have been deleterious side effects.”

“But he’s fine now?” The voice asked, sounding a bit more calm than before.

“Once he wakes up, he will be fine. A bit weak but the IV should keep him regulated.”

Regulated? Who were they talking about?

Surely not him. He was fine. Tired and feeling a bit tingly in the limbs but he wasn’t weakened. If anything, he felt eager to move.

He had responsibilities after all. To school. To his friends. To Chen Guiren, who he was sure helped him out last-

“...”

W-wait, had Chen Guiren helped him out? He… he definitely recalled seeing the alpha, puking his guts out, and then… the car but surely that wasn’t what really happened! Right?

Right?!

Because if it wasn’t just a drunken delirium brought about by stress and liquor then he’d really…

“Ugh.” He groaned, regretting his choice to try and sit up from bed. The simple action that he did every day had punished him for his hubris.

His head was throbbing and his tingling limbs were now a stinging buzz that made him want to curl up and die.

Or perhaps it was the humiliation of realizing that he had, indeed, done all kinds of stuff with Chen Guiren of all people.

Worse, he said…

He called that guy…

“Damn it!”

“Yibai!”

The curtain that had somehow seemed to appear in his vision parted, revealing a pair of faces. One he recognized and the other, he didn’t. It was a doctor, stern-looking and older, giving off an air of authority.

Jun Yibai relaxed, trusting that the man in front of him would explain what the hell was going on exactly.

That and take his mind off of… that.

Behind the doctor, he spotted Hanyu, looking concerned for him. Considering everything that had happened, it was a given. Still, he was glad he didn’t wake up alone.

Or worse, to his family.

He shuddered at the thought of how his father would react to all this. Being drugged was one thing, as he was the victim in this case but his association with omegas? The fact that his association directly led to him being hospitalized?

He was absolutely sure how his father would say something that would ruin Jun Yibai’s reputation much more than anything Li Min could cook up.

“Yibai, are you feeling okay?” Hanyu hovered over him, clearly concerned about his friends' outbursts. The doctor said that his system had been flushed but maybe there were some side effects?!

“I’m fine.” He assured him, remembering that he wasn’t alone. “Just… coming to terms with some things.”

“I can imagine.” He sighed with relief. “When I heard what happened, I wondered what kind of star you were born under to get involved with something like that.”

I ask myself that every day. He thought, looking over himself. He was in a hospital gown.

“Where are my clothes?”

“Oh, your friend said he’d bring a change of clothes for you since the ones you were wearing were messed up.” He explained, sitting beside the beta. “He should be back soon. The dorm isn’t that far from here.”

“Friend?” He echoed, frowning. The only person Hanyu knew was Chen Guiren. Surely it wasn’-

“Hello, Sweetie!”

Everyone in the room turned toward the sound as the door slammed open. While such behavior was usually frowned upon, their complaints withered away as the good-looking man sauntered in with a seductive smile.

“Ah, have I died and gone to heaven?! An angel? No, a faery?!”

“He’s handsome, even for an omega!”

“He looks a bit familiar. Is he a celebrity?”

“Surely we would have all heard of him if he was in show business.”

“If he was, I’d watch anything he was in. Even if he was just a background character.”

“How could such a person be a background character?”

The last whisper left Jun Yibai scowling. What bullshit were they spewing? This ‘angel/faery’ was coming here to see him, the background character. Part of him wanted to declare this but refrained.

Perhaps he was still being affected by the drug because he felt a bit more sensitive. It was weird.

He turned his back to the door, facing Hanyu who watched Li Suren approach. The curtains squeaked behind him, cutting the view of the trio from the rest of the room. He could vaguely hear the complaints from the other patients before they returned to their own businesses.

The lull of muffled voices fell over him, giving Jun Yibai the illusion that there would be no more problems. Unfortunately, he noticed the second chair in front of him too late as Li Suren slid onto it.

He noticed how Hanyu distanced himself once Li Suren approached, apparently ceding the space to him. Was it an omega thing he just didn't understand?

“Are you done ignoring me, Sweetie?” Li Suren whined, pouting cutely.

Jun Yibai gave him a scolding look. “You made a scene.”

“Yes, I’m sorry about that.” He nodded, placing his bag on his lap. Inside, there was some fruit and snacks, which he handed to Hanyu. “I was in a bit of a rush and forgot you were sharing a room with other patients.”

“Rush?”

“It’s been a long day, Sweetie.” He sighed, looking tired. He still looked handsome but Jun Yibai could see the stiffness in his shoulders and the tightness of his lips.

Li Suren was stressed.

Not thinking about it, he slid to the side, offering space for the omega to sit. Li Suren being himself, took the offer and more, moving in closer to hug him.

“Careful of the IV!” He snapped, lifting his arm in time to save the line from being crushed by his leg.

“Then put your arm around me.” He suggested, settling under his arm like he belonged there all along.

“You!” Jun Yibai stared down at him for a second before settling his arm around the omega. He ignored the subtle purr that swore came from the man. He just grumbled. “Fine, just behave yourself.”

“Anything for you~”

Li Suren relaxed in his arms, snuggling close to his chest as if he really were a cat. Staring down at his head, Jun Yibai couldn’t help but think he resembled a cat, just a little. His hair was soft and nice when stroked.

Was he petting Li Suren? Yes.

Would he ever admit it to anyone if asked? Never. He’d take it to his grave.

“S-should I just go?” Hanyu chimed in, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

Shit, I forgot it wasn’t just us! He cursed to himself, still running a hand over Li Suren’s silvery strands.

“No, it's fine.” He assured, continuing to stroke the omega’s head. “Suren is just clingy like this sometimes. You can ignore him.”

Hanyu clearly had a lot of questions he wanted to ask but refrained. Jun Yibai was sure he’d be interrogated thoroughly later but that was for future him to deal with. Present him wanted to know what had happened between his last coherent memory and now.

As if to escape the awkwardness of the situation, Hanyu gave his report of what brought him to the hospital.

“Well, my girlfriend saw the news this morning and sent me to check in on you.” He explained, his expression faltering as he spoke. “You didn’t answer your phone, so I went to the club and found it surrounded by police officers. Apparently, there were some arrests.

The police were there?! He glanced over at Li Suren.

The omega, understanding his silent question, shook his head.

So it wasn’t them who called the cops? Maybe it was that Omega's boyfriend then. He must be someone powerful to get the cops to not only show up but arrest people coming from that kind of shop.

He learned that he’d been put under for almost a day, having been brought in during the night. Hanyu had only arrived that morning, finding Li Suren there talking to the doctors about his condition. Most of the things said were complex, so he hadn’t understood them until Li Suren had simplified the diagnosis.

Hence why Hanyu regarded Li Suren a bit more deferentially than expected from a pair of omega’s meeting for the first time.

Li Suren then left to do something, leaving Hanyu to sit beside him and wait for the general anesthesia to wear off.

After being brought up to speed, the trio shared the snacks that Li Suren had bought. No, it was more Li Suren feeding Jun Yibai the snacks while Hanyu was forced to remain since the food had been purchased by Li Suren. To leave with it rather than eating together might be seen as rude.

The fact that Li Suren made an effort to strong-arm the beta into eating the fruit and snacks from his hand immediately upon getting the omega’s acceptance made Jun Yibai think this was a power move on his part.

Seriously, what kind of power move was this? Were omega usually like this around each other?

Jun Yibai didn’t bother to complain or fight. He was tired and arguing with Li Suren was a feint that required all his concentration.

That and it was nice to be pampered sometimes. What guy doesn’t like the idea of being fed as he sat back and relaxed? Not to mention it was all his favorites? Definitely worth it.

***

After an hour of munching on snacks and small talk, Hanyu was freed from his societal obligation to remain and left, letting Jun Yibai know that he’d make sure to grab the notes from his missed class from a classmate.

Hanyu, despite his association with him, was still very well-liked by the student body. Getting notes would be easy for him.

This lifted the weight off his shoulders for at least another day or so.

“You wanna study together?” Li Suren offered, cleaning up the space. “Catching up might be hard on your own.”

“You have your own schoolwork to do.”

“You forget, Sweetie! Your Suren is a genius, a rising star only seen once in a generation!”

Jun Yibai grimaced, flicking him on the thigh for his arrogance. The feigned cry of pain was ignored as the beta watched him pull out something from his bag.

“What's that?” He asked, frowning at the laptop he pulled out.

“A little personal project.”

Seeing that he was providing no more info, Jun Yibai stopped asking, a bit fearful of asking. Knowing him, it was definitely something he didn’t want to ask about.

But this also left him in a bind. Before this, he could distract himself by talking or eating but now that Li Suren was just lounging on the hospital bed with him, there was nothing to steer his thoughts away from last night.

From the things he’d said.

What he did.

Thinking about it while crammed in a bed with Li Suren was making him feel very warm and he could feel the familiar buzzing in his abdomen.

He had to say something quickly. So he said the first thing that came to mind.

“Where is he?”

There was no need to say who ‘he’ was. When it came to them, there was only one person that ‘he’ could be. The beta was honestly surprised that Chen Guiren hadn’t shown up too. He was a shameless bastard after all.

Yet considering he was the source of Jun Yibai’s dilemma, bringing him up was stupid of him.

If Li Suren noticed this, he didn’t mention it.

“Who, the mutt? He’s out.” He answered vaguely, typing up something on his laptop.

No, that wasn’t his. Li Suren’s laptop was a plain silver one with some cartoon characters on the center. It was sleek and new, making Jun Yibai a bit envious when he first saw it.

The one he was messing with now was an older model, clearly used beyond its years. In fact, he was sure it was a rental, seeing the label on the back. A label with his university’s name on it.

That laptop wasn’t his.

He almost didn't ask but curiosity was picking at him. “Where did you get tha-”

“Stole it.”

Jun Yibai choked, not expecting such a blatant admission.

Could he not even be bothered to pretend to be a law-abiding citizen!?

He glanced around and saw that his neighbor was asleep. None of the other inhabitants seem to hear his words. Li Suren showed no concern, continuing to type and study the screen.

Clearly, he felt no fear of being caught.

“Please tell me you stole it from a student.” He pleaded, as if that would be the more moral option.

“Obviously.” He scoffed at his question. “Stealing from a university would be way too much trouble. I could do it but that would take a bit of effort to find a good scapegoat.”

This guy. Jun Yibai laid back on the pillows, closing his eyes as if to rid himself of the building headache forming behind his eyelids.

“I stole it from your roommate so don’t feel bad, sweetie.” He said assuringly. His smile was calm and confident, as if he hadn’t been blowing the beta’s mind since waking up.

He had so many questions. So many, but he feared asking because he didn’t want to become an accessory to the crime.

But again, he was curious! Especially since it was against that jackass of a roommate of his.

“What did you do?”

“Well, I’m so happy you asked, Sweetie!” Li Suren brightened up, as if he’d been waiting for Jun Yibai to ask. “I bumped into him in the dorm hallway.”

“You don’t live in the dorms.” He pointed out. Li Suren was rich enough to afford off-campus housing.

Jun Yibai had been invited over once but he had a feeling that if he went, it’d be hard to leave afterward.

“Well, I was in the middle of breaking into your dorm but he showed up before I could sneak in.” He finally admitted, looking sullenly as if he’d been thwarted.

“And how did you plan on doing that?”

“I have keys.” A set of familiar-looking keys were presented, hanging off his finger.

“...Of course you do.” How could he not anticipate such a thing? That was such a Li Suren thing to do. “How long?”

“A few weeks but I’ve never used them, I swear.” He insisted, placing a hand over his heart. “It was the mutt’s idea, anyway. He said it would be good to have a set just in case.”

Jun Yibai gave him a look. A look that spoke volumes.

“I’m telling you the truth!” He pressed, pouting. “I will do a lot but I won’t just break into your private space without reason. I wasn’t even planning on going into your room.”

Jun Yibai wasn’t sure he quite believed that but chose to say nothing.

Li Suren continued. “Anyway, he invited me in and tried ‘giving me a tour’.” He grimaced as he spoke, rolling his eyes. “So I got him to get us some drinks before we started.”

“And?”

“I slipped some laxatives into his drink and stole the laptop when he ran off to the bathroom.”

“You feel no shame saying this in spite of the context?” He questioned from his hospital bed. After being drugged himself.

Ever the shameless guy, Li Suren shook his head.

“That alpha was a jackass wanting to get in my pants from the get-go.” He explained, sighing like a put-upon maiden. “I just made myself an escape plan just in case.”

“And used it to do what you planned on doing anyway.”

“Exactly!”

What a devious guy. He thought, staring down at the omega smiling impishly at him.

It was criminal, definitely, but he couldn’t help but smile at the thought of that arrogant guy’s swagger faltering because of diarrhea. The thought that he was suffering not only discomfort but humiliation in the face of someone he was trying to get with was very satisfying.

It was the little things, sometimes, that made someone's day.

***

In spite of Li Suren’s insistence that he spend another day under observation, Jun Yibai proclaimed his desire to leave. Li Suren had offered to cover the cost but Jun Yibai refused, saying that he didn’t want to owe a friend like that.

It's a good thing I made sure Sweetie got a regular room rather than the expensive single room.

The omega sighed. As much as he adored his man’s independence, he really wished he’d let himself be taken care of more.

At least he let Li Suren get the paperwork done while he got changed.

It was a simple matter to discharge Jun Yibai. Usually, this could only be done by family or the patient themselves.

Li Suren refused to let something like that get in the way of taking care of his mate.

So what had he done? It was a simple matter of replacing Jun Yibai’s emergency contact info with his own. He was even kind enough to add Chen Guiren to the contacts.

Was it a breach of privacy? Absolutely.

Was it wrong to go behind his beloved beta’s back to do this? Legally and ethically, yes.

Did he care? Not even a little.

He respected his Sweetie but only to a certain point. He didn’t pry into the weird call the other night, despite him wanting to rush over and hug the man if necessary. Instead, he played along and let whatever was eating at his man be soothed by his words.

Then he ended up in the hospital hours later.

To say Li Suren was pissed would be a gross understatement. So he was absolutely unrepentantly glad he’d done what he’d done. While he was sure that idiot alpha would let him know, he also knew his beta would keep quiet about it.

Like he kept quiet about all his concerns.

It was so annoying! Li Suren adored this man and he still tried to act like this? How could he not get pissed off!!

Well, not tonight!

Jun Yibai met him in the lobby, faltering in his stride upon seeing the omega’s expression.

“Did somethin-”

“Where are you heading?” He asked, though he already knew the answer before it was spoken.

“Eh? My dorm?”

This guy… Li Suren sighed, reigning in his frustration.

“With the guy you don’t like?” He said through gritted teeth. “Do you even want to go back there?”

The grimace on his face made it clear that he didn’t want to go back.

He was just being stubborn.

“I’ll be fine.” He replied, looking away.

Li Suren: …

How was it possible to adore someone and yet want to smack that same person?

“You refuse to stay in the hospital despite being told you should. Now you want me to take you to a place where you are unwelcome?” He glared at Jun Yibai, making the other falter a little. “What if something happens? Will that guy help? Will he even bother checking in on you?”

“I don’t want to-”

“Jun Yibai!”

The beta flinched, looking surprised by his outburst. How could he not? Li Suren had never called him by his full name before. It was too formal for their relationship but this was a matter that the omega refused to budge on.

“You might feel fine now but if anything happens to you after this, how will you manage?” He argued. “Do you have your phone? Any means of calling for help if needed?”

Li Suren knew the beta didn’t have his phone. After all, Chen Guiren had it, having collected it to prevent the police from associating their beta with the arrests.

Jun Yibai wouldn’t know that specifically but he would know his phone was gone.

“Suren, I-” He stopped, seeing the tears beginning to form in the omega’s eyes.

“I was really worried about you.” He choked out, trying to hold in his fears. “You say we’re friends, yet you won’t let me help you?”

They stared each other down, their eyes conveying their thoughts clear as day. Jun Yibai’s stubborn pride and Li Suren’s concerned indignation.

Eventually, one side conceded to the other.

“Sorry.” The beta muttered, pulling Li Suren into his chest.

Li Suren wrapped his arms around Jun Yibai, holding him close.

“If you really are sorry, then stay the night.” His words were muffled but clearly heard as he felt the beta stiffen.

He waited.

One moment.

Two…

“Fine.” There was a clear reluctance in his voice but that was a given, so Li Suren didn’t pay it any mind.

As if waiting for the moment between them to end, Li Suren’s assistant came forward, letting them know that the taxi he’d ordered had arrived.

“You go first.” Li Suren said, wiping his face. It was red from the tears and a bit messy. “Just give me a minute to compose myself.”

“You cry really badly.”

“I’m a work of art regardless.” He shot back, eliciting a wry smile from the beta. “Haven’t you heard that the tears of beauties are pearls to treasure?”

“I am absolutely sure you made that shit up.”

“Regardless, that means you must treasure me more from now on.” He pouted, shoving him toward the exit. “Now go!”

“Don’t take too long.” Jun Yibai turned and left, leaving Li Suren standing in the lobby.

As soon as the beta turned away, Li Suren’s expression relaxed, the tears fading like they were merely an illusion.

It’s said that the best method of manipulation was the use of just a bit of truth to sway the other person. He really was worried about his health. Being drugged is stressful on the body and it's completely unclear what side effects might occur.

Li Suren would rather him be in a safe environment in the event that something did occur.

“Get rid of the crowd and evidence.” He coldly ordered, his assistant jumping in surprise.

To see such an award-winning performance done so effortlessly. Shouldn’t Mr. Li have gone into show business instead?

He couldn’t help but think that as he watched the teen leave the lobby.

Li Suren’s men moved about the crowd, collecting and deleting any photos or videos taken. Many argued but the offer of a check with a few zeros made their indignation fade into mist.

“Sir?” the assistant followed after Li Suren, whispering. “What about the laptop?”

“Return it and go home.” He said, handing over the keys to Jun Yibai’s dorm. “Leave some food and water for the alpha there. He should still be where I left him.”

He’d given that guy a really strong laxative. It would be a hassle if he died of dehydration or something. Mildly amusing but not something he wanted to deal with right now.

Let him suffer a bit for making things tough for his mate.

*****

AN: I originally had a different chapter in mind, hence the picture. I still wanna share it with you guys cause 1: It turned out so much better than expected. And 2: It’s my first sketch using Clip Studio.

Random book recommendation: The Dragon's Appraiser by Viola Rivard. It's a M/F fantasy story. The main chick is sent as a sacrifice to a dragon but assumes that since the place is empty, it isn’t real. As such, she tries to rob the place but gets caught by the dragon. Before he can roast her alive, she talk-no-jutsu’s her way out via telling him the history of his treasures. He keeps her and they… they get along as well as a smart-mouthed woman can with a pure unadulterated narcissist learning about these weird things called ‘feelings’. It's a three-part mini I read years ago so no wait to see how it ends if you like it.