By Zephyria 
A sound of gasping was heard from across the way. Dane swallowed his laughter and continued speaking.
“Think carefully. Where do you think I’d go first after being discharged?”
After a brief pause, Grayson replied.
– To see Darling?
“Well, something like that.”
At Dane’s answer, Grayson gasped again, then quickly blurted out.
– G-go now! I’m coming now, so wait! Don’t go anywhere, you have to wait!
The call abruptly ended after the urgent shout. Dane looked down at the silent mobile phone, chuckled, and shoved it back into his back pocket. The image of a flustered Grayson brought a smile to his lips.
I should wait here on the bed, right? With the evidence beside me. When that guy bursts in, I’ll grab him and give him a piece of my mind. Is the handcuff still there from that time? Next time, buying a horse might be a good idea. And with a whip, on his ass…
Dane opened the door without hesitation. The scene that would unfold was already painted in his mind. The items, thoroughly coated with pheromones, would bear traces of all sorts of sordid acts. And they would be scattered haphazardly throughout the room…
“Oh.”
For a moment, Dane let out a short exclamation. Before him lay a sight entirely different from what he had imagined. Or perhaps, in a way, it was similar. After all, the items were piled high on the bed.
What is this…
Dane stepped into the room, bewildered. Grayson’s pheromone scent filled the air. It was his room, so of course it would be permeated with the scent, he thought, slowly approaching the bed. One step, then another. Finally, Dane stopped at the edge of the bed and gazed down at it.
The items spread across the bed were familiar even to Dane’s eyes. They were the very things he had taken, heavily scented with pheromones, to give to Darling. Various clothes, including the ridiculously large bathrobe, sheets, and towels, were spread on the mattress, and a large seal plushie sat slightly off-center. Cushions and pillows were all gathered closely together. Seeing the items encircling the suspiciously large and empty space in the center, Dane was momentarily speechless.
It was obvious who was lying there. Grayson, sleeping soundly, with clothes and items heavily scented with Dane’s pheromones spread on the floor and piled around him, was easily imagined.
Perhaps out of some conscience, Darling seemed to have stayed on the same bed. The cat fur scattered here and there was proof. Even now, Darling was asleep, lying on the fluffy bathrobe. As Dane watched silently, he eventually found it absurd. He had heard that when an Alpha or Omega nearing their heat period smells their mate’s pheromones, they become calm, but he never expected Grayson to do this.
“Haa.”
Dane let out a short sigh and his gaze drifted to Darling. To avoid startling the blind cat, he gently brought his hand in front of its face and released a little pheromone. Darling, who had been breathing rhythmically, soon perked up its ears in response. With a soft “Meow,” the cat lifted its head. Dane gently stroked it, and Darling, as if waiting, got up and stretched languidly. Sniffing the air, the cat searched for Dane’s direction. Dane gently scooped Darling up, and the cat immediately nuzzled against him, rubbing its head.
“Sorry, Darling. For always making you wait.”
As if understanding Dane’s apology, the cat stretched out and licked Dane’s face. Dane, holding the cat, let the rough tongue be, and gazed down at the empty bed. The remaining one was here. What should he do?
Honestly, he couldn’t even tell what emotion he was feeling right now. He felt perplexed, flustered, pitiful, amused, and a host of other complex emotions that stirred his heart, making it difficult to come to a decision. He wanted to clear everything away, but he gave up, thinking Grayson would be disappointed again.
Yes, just like that time.
Dane stared at a wall, holding the cat. The display cabinet was unchanged from the last time he had seen it. On the shelf where only a single can had been placed, it still sat there. Only the shell remained, though.
Dane stood there, gazing at the display cabinet, or rather, the empty can shell on top of it. The dust-free can shell even had a sheen, as if it had been polished every single day.
For something like that trash…
As he felt a throbbing sensation in his chest, he suddenly heard the sound of a car engine. Grayson must have returned. Dane stood there, holding the cat, waiting for him to come up.
With a sharp creak, the sound of the front door opening and closing followed. He had rushed in so quickly that his footsteps echoed throughout the entire house. And, making the vastness of the house seem insignificant, Grayson instantly threw open the door and shouted.
“Dane!”
Dane looked at his ashen face, panting, in surprise. Why that expression? Unconcerned by his bewildered reaction, Grayson stood still, breathing heavily, then immediately burst into the room.
“……!”
Before he knew it, Grayson had pulled Dane into a tight hug. Dane froze for a moment, startled by his intense reaction. He was about to ask why, but Grayson spoke first.
“Thank, thank goodness… It’s a relief, truly a relief…”
“Grayson.”
As he repeated the same words, Dane patted his back with one hand, as if to calm him.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen? Why are you acting like this?”
When he asked repeatedly, Grayson let out a trembling breath. Waiting for his answer, he replied in a voice that shook as much as his breath.
“Because you, were gone…”
Dane paused, and he continued.
“I was afraid you’d gone somewhere I didn’t know, and something had happened to you.”
Dane was rendered speechless by the unexpected words. He could feel Grayson’s fear vividly through their contact. His large body trembled. His panting breaths, filled with dread, kept circling his mouth. After a moment, Dane rubbed Grayson’s back, as if to reassure him. Forgotten memories resurfaced in his mind. The continuous fireworks, the man sobbing violently under their dazzling light.
〈This pain, this horror, it can’t be love.〉
Recalling him from that day, a pang shot through his chest.
How could I forget? This man’s fear, that terror.
Thinking that, he felt like slapping himself. To have played such a prank so easily, even after seeing Grayson in such agony.
“Grayson, it’s okay now. Here.”
He deliberately grabbed Grayson’s shoulders to pull away, but he immediately regretted it. Grayson’s eyes were already bloodshot. Guilt spread through his entire chest.
“I’m sorry.”
He apologized in a cracked voice.
“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”
Though he spoke with sincerity, Grayson’s expression didn’t ease. Seeing the wavering eyes that still seemed unable to believe he was actually there before him, Dane reaffirmed his promise.
“I just played a little prank. I won’t do it again. I won’t leave anywhere without telling you, and I won’t go to dangerous places risking my life.”
“……”
“Okay?”