Beta Complex-Chapter 68: I’ll Have to Burn the Thing

Leo taps the face mask packs that he laid out on the mattress between them. He picks one up and eyes it, "They’re all different. Just choose your pick." He chuckles, the sound strained. He turns his blue eyes to Ethan and his lower lip begins to wobble. His vision blurs as tears spill from his eyes.

"Wah," The omega sniffles and leans down to give Ethan a hug. As much as he can give him anyway, seeing as there’s a cast on his best friend’s neck and arm. "Don’t ever do that again!" He sobs, "I was so worried about you. You can’t ever abandon me in this world, you hear me? Selfish," The rest of his words don’t make any sense as he blubbers all over the beta.

Ethan can’t hide his smile as he runs his hand through Leo’s hair and soothes him. There’s only a handful of times when Ethan has ever seen the omega like this. Leo isn’t someone who often expresses his true feelings, especially in a healthy way. He typically likes to drown his sorrows in alcohol and loud music, so Ethan would rather take crybaby Leo than party Leo.

"He’s been a damn mess since he found out about the accident." Roxanne says, her voice soft as she stares fondly at the blonde boy.

Leo sits up, his eyelids puffy and red. He sniffs and wipes the tip of his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. "Don’t even kid." He says with a roll of his eyes. "I’ve been so distracted with Max that I hardly thought about you."

Ethan snorts and knows it’s a lie. Especially after the way the omega cried his heart out just moments before. Gone is the vulnerable side of Leo, but it was nice while it lasted.

"Max won’t take off the suit I made for him." Leo changes the subject as he tears open a face mask. He opens up the wet fabric and leans down to arrange it on Ethan’s face. He brushes loose strands of brown hair off of his forehead and leans back. "Every day he wears the damn thing, he goes to work with it on and he goes to outings with it on."

Leo may sound annoyed but Ethan knows he’s pleased about it. He can see it in the way his cheeks flush red, in the way he avoids eye contact to fiddle with the other face masks. He grabs one and passes it to Roxanne, who doesn’t hesitate to take it. She opens it and applies it to her face.

"I’ll probably have to burn the thing." Leo sighs.

Ethan can’t help but feel happy while being with his two favorite people. Roxanne and Leo stay for a few more hours until it’s late in the evening. Ethan yawns as the two pack up their things.

"Do you need anything from home?" Roxanne asks as she leans over him. She smooths his now brushed out hair away from his face and kisses his forehead.

Ethan hums softly, "No." It’s not like he can change clothes with the casts on, and Zander has books that’ve been keeping him entertained. Along with the television. He grows restless from time to time, but there’s not much he can do about that, though.

Leo pants Ethan’s hand before throwing his backpack over his shoulder. "I’ll come by often."

Zander waits by the bedroom door as the two walk out. He glances back at Ethan, his hand on the edge of the Door. "I have to head out as well." he says. "I’ll walk them out. I’ll be back later tonight."

"You’re working?" Ethan asks before he yawns again. "Isn’t it too late to work?" He can’t ask about dinner since the four of them ate together earlier, but maybe it’s something urgent. Ethan remembers how frazzled he looked earlier, how he kept checking his phone.

Zander nods his head and smiles, though it looks forced. Maybe he’s still embarrassed too from being scolded by Ethan’s mother. "Just call if you need anything. I’ll come right to you." The door clicks shut behind him.

Ethan stares at the spot Zander was moments before, and smoothes his uninjured hand down the comforter. It’s eerily quiet now without Leo and his mom, and he suddenly misses the restaurant and his bedroom. It’s still weird being here in Zander’s room. He sits in silence for a while before putting a show on Getflix. Then he hears the front door open again.

"Did you forget something?" He calls out to Zander. He scans the room, assuming Zander left his phone and wallet by mistake, but doesn’t find anything the alpha could have left behind.

The bedroom door opens and Ethan’s tired smile drips. Because the person who comes in isn’t the alpha of the house. "Chris?" He asks in surprise.

The long blond haired omega beams, a prep in his step as he basically skips into the large room. He claps his hands together and leans down to give the beta a hug, careful of the casts.

"Are you surprised to see me?" He stands straight and his smile slowly falls from his face as he takes Ethan in. "Geez, you okay?" He pulls the arm chair closer to the bed and takes a seat, sitting forward so he can hold Ethan’s hand.

The beta smiles, "I’ve been better. How’d you know I was here?" He turns to look back at the bedroom door, half expecting Zander to come in. Did he bring Chris here? Is that why he was looking at his phone? Ethan frowns, no. Zander said it was work, so probably not.

"Huh?" Chris blinks, "Oh, uh, Zander told me you were all alone so he asked me to keep you company while he was gone."

"Really?" Ethan can’t hide his smile, "Why didn’t he tell me?" Ethan sighs, it doesn’t matter anyway. "I told him I was fine. I’m sorry you have to be here with me." Still, it’s nice seeing him.