Jun wasn't exactly what you'd call "open-hearted". Or social. Or particularly warm. But he had his moments like tonight, when he stood outside Yuji's old apartment with a plastic bag full of takeaway, beers and the urge to do something vaguely friendly.
"Tch. Better appreciate this," he muttered, glaring at the door like it personally offended him.
The building hadn't changed. Same flickering hallway lights. Same weird smell. Jun shifted the bag in his hand and knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again.
Still no answer.
"Oi, Yuji! You better not be ignoring me again just because I rejected your latest chapter rewrite."
Silence.
Jun sighed. Classic Yuji. Probably buried under a blanket somewhere, pretending the outside world didn't exist. He reached into his pocket for the spare key because of course he had one and opened the door.
Empty.
No mess. No art supplies scattered everywhere. No blanket burrito sulking on the couch.
Jun blinked.
He walked inside slowly, like he might find Yuji hiding in a cupboard.
"...Yuji?"
Nothing.
The fridge was unplugged. The lights off. The place felt abandoned.
His phone was out in seconds. Ringing.
"Come on, pick up…"
No answer.
He called again. Nothing.
Jun rubbed his face. Then turned when he heard a soft voice behind him.
"You looking for that omega?"
One of the neighbors. Old lady. Always smelled like garlic.
Jun nodded. "Yeah. Is he on vacation or something?"
The lady tilted her head. "Moved out weeks ago. Some fancy car picked him up. Had nice luggage too. Thought he hit it big or something."
Jun stared.
"...Moved?"
The woman gave a little shrug and went back inside.
Jun stood there in Yuji's dark, empty apartment, with lukewarm takeout in his hands, feeling suddenly and inexplicably...weird.
He stepped back outside and dialed again.
Finally, Yuji answered.
"Yo, if this is about the chapter, I swear I'm working on-"
"Since when the hell did you move?!" Jun barked.
Pause.
Then Yuji: "Uh. Surprise?"
Jun nearly dropped the food.
"You ghosted your editor! You ghosted me! I brought dumplings!"
Yuji laughed. "Aww, you care."
"No, I care about the deadline. Also, what do you mean surprise? Where are you living?"
Yuji hesitated. Then said, "The penthouse."
Jun blinked. "Like...a penthouse penthouse?"
"Nikolai's penthouse," Yuji said.
Jun froze.
His brain did a little loop-de-loop before landing on the one conclusion that made the least sense.
"Wait. Is this one of your weird manga research things or-"
"I'm an omega, Jun. And I might be... carrying someone's baby."
Dead silence.
Jun sat down on the steps outside Yuji's old place.
He rewound every interaction they'd had the last few days ago.
Yuji ranting about heat symptoms. Yuji joking about nesting. Yuji complaining about anatomy videos. Yuji sending him a manga panel of an omega in labor with the caption "me soon? lol".
He thought Yuji was just being... Yuji.
He hadn't realized Yuji was being dead serious.
"Yuji."
Jun said, voice dropping into something dangerously sincere, "can you please consider your actions for once?"
Yuji sighed. "It's not like that."
"I don't care if you're embarrassed. Just tell me where you are. I'll come over. We'll drink. Or talk. Whatever you want."
Yuji hesitated. Maybe it was the genuine worry in Jun's voice, or maybe it was because, deep down, he missed having someone from his old world.
"…Fine."
"Deal. Send me the address."
___
Jun was not prepared.
The penthouse was ridiculous. A sky-high fortress of glass and steel with security. The elevator alone probably cost more than his car.
"This is a James Hond villain's lair," he muttered, marching toward the front door. "What the hell, Yuji."
He rang the bell.
No answer.
Rang again.
Still no answer.
"Don't make me break in. I know how to scale walls. I watched three seasons of Ninja Warrior." Nahhh.... He wasn't about to mess with a door that probably cost more than his life insurance.
The door clicked open.
Jun stepped inside and froze.
Marble floors. Designer furniture.
And Yuji.
In pajamas.
"Hey," Yuji said, a little sheepishly. "Sorry. I had music on."
Jun stared. "You… live here?"
Yuji nodded. "Yeah. Kinda."
Jun dropped the six-pack onto the nearest coffee table. "Are you being blackmailed?"
"No."
"Threatened?"
"No."
"Are you… a sugar baby?"
Yuji opened his mouth.
Closed it.
"Sugar baby?"
Jun slapped a hand to his face. "Yuji."
"I'm not, okay? I'm just-. It's complicated."
Jun narrowed his eyes. "That's exactly what someone with a mob boyfriend would say."
Yuji sighed. "Just drink the beer, Jun."
They sat. Drank. Didn't talk about everything. But it helped.
Yuji didn't tell Nikolai yet, Jun was coming over.
Yuji knew Nikolai would find out anyway, thanks to all that high-tech surveillance.
___
Jun cracked open his beer and stared around the penthouse like it personally offended him.
"You have a robot fridge, Yuji."
"Her name is Fin," Yuji corrected, sipping his drink.
"Her name-? You named the fridge?"
"Better than naming the existential dread that watches me sleep."
Fin rolled by with a soft whir, blinking its light panel in what looked suspiciously like disapproval.
Jun watched it go. "Okay. Be honest. How deep in debt are you?"
"I'm not in debt."
"Did you sell your soul? One kidney? Did someone trick you into signing a fake dating show contract?"
Yuji paused. "That last one sounds disturbingly specific."
"I just-" Jun waved his arms, voice rising. "Yuji, you've always been a bit reckless, but this? You disappear, suddenly start living in a penthouse with some lunatic rich alpha you just met? Bro, you're an omega, not James Hond!"
Yuji shifted uncomfortably. "It's not like I planned this."
Jun's face softened just a bit. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "I know. But you could've told me something. Anything. I thought maybe… I dunno. You were in trouble."
"its not like I'm in trouble, I just...chose it" Yuji muttered.
Jun blinked. "Wait, what?"
Yuji gave him a lopsided grin. "Pregnancy. Rich guy. Ringing any bells?"
Jun gaped.
Yuji sighed. "Long story."
"…You seriously wanna carry a baby..Haih..."
Yuji raised his bottle. "Cheers."
Jun clinked his beer against Yuji's like it was a prayer.
"Okay. Just one thing," he said after a moment. "If that rich bastard ever hurts you- physically or emotionally, I'll throw hands."
Yuji laughed. "You're two inches shorter than me."
Jun raised a finger. "Mentally tall."
___
The elevator chimed softly.
Nikolai stepped into the penthouse, silent as usual. He didn't expect anything unusual tonight - Yuji had been quiet all day, and the reports showed no signs of distress.
But as he passed the living area, he paused.
The bedroom door was open. Too open.
He glanced inside and stopped cold.
Yuji was asleep.
On the bed.
With someone else.
Jun, the editor or maybe yuji's friend.
Both of them were still dressed, sprawled messily across the bed, clearly drunk. A couple of empty beer bottles sat on the nightstand. Yuji's face was flushed, his arms draped around Jun like a koala hanging on for dear life.
Nikolai's eye twitched.
He walked in slowly, his shoes silent on the floor. He glanced once at Jun- snoring softly, one sock missing, completely dead to the world. Then his gaze shifted to Yuji.
Messy hair. Pink cheeks. Shirt slightly wrinkled.
...He smelled like peach-flavored beer and something warm.
And he was clinging to someone else.
Nikolai didn't say a word.
He simply leaned down, slid his arms around Yuji with practiced ease, and gently lifted him off the bed.
Yuji mumbled something, head lolling onto Nikolai's shoulder. His hand instinctively gripped Nikolai's collar, pulling closer.
That didn't help.
Nikolai walked to his own room, jaw tight.
Not because he was angry.
Just... annoyed.
Slightly.
Very slightly.
He placed Yuji on his bed, carefully arranging the blanket over him. Yuji curled up immediately, breathing even.
Nikolai stood there for a moment, staring down at the sleeping omega.
"He drinks with anyone," he muttered under his breath.
He glanced back once toward Jun's sleeping form, then closed the door.
Securely.
Maybe even locked it.
Just in case.