Chapter 4: A Loyal Friend

For a long moment, they're just holding each other. At one point, Mar moved to half-sit on Liam's thighs so they're in a more comfortable position. For once in a long time, he felt so much warmth.

Liam heard his best friend taking in a deep breath, and he himself refrained from doing so, in fear that taking in too much of his crush's pleasant pheromones would make him do things more than he should.

"Liam..." The other alpha's muffled voice called his name. The platinum blond nodded into their hug, giving him the permission to continue. "I won't ever stop you from leaving me. I'd still take you on vacations if you want to."

"What did Laura say to you?" Liam asked back, his chin rested securely on his best friend. "She must've done something, said something to ya to make you think this way. I don't want to leave you."

"It's not her fault." Mar replied, his voice softer and less muffled. "It's not your fault for rejecting her advances either."

Liam gripped on his best friend's hoodie, trying to think of a response.

"I promised I won't leave you no matter what, remember?"

They were kids back then, and Liam was bribed into being a friend for his father's boss. Even if he wasn't bribed into it, Liam would still become friends with Mar. Then, their summer houses and various "hobbies" brought them close.

"We were like twelve when we made that promise." Mar's fingers pulled down on his white T-shirt, and blue eyes widened when nails dug into his skin. "I'm glad you're still keeping it."

For a second there, Liam was about to plant kisses on his best friend's shoulders, but he stopped himself in time.

Slender fingers made their way into Liam's hair, and they gripped tight. The platinum blond alpha gasped as his head was pulled back, but he didn't have much time to react because those plush lips smashed into his.

Their teeth grind against each other, and their tongues meet half way through. Liam tasted alcohol and mint, and he melted even more as vetiver filled his nostrils.

His brain blacked out for a moment, all he could focus on was holding on the curves of Mar's back and the sensations of their lips moving in rhythm, and how perfectly overwhelming vetiver and cedarwood go together.

Once he opened his eyes again, purple eyes were staring at him. Both of them were panting, and a string of saliva connected their lips together. A beautiful dusting of red framed Mar's face, who looked just as dumbfounded as Liam.

Everything dawned on him at once: Mar just kissed him. No, they made out.

Suddenly, the taller alpha was pushed into the green fabric of the couch cushion. The black haired alpha towered over him, eyes glowing magenta in the dim light. His black hoodie zipper was undone, and Liam was pretty he's openly staring at this point because lord, Mar is a young god who will get him executed for blasphemy. Yet, blue eyes kept looking up at the man whose hands stayed on his chest after pushing him down; nails were digging into his skin even with the fabric of his white T-shirt separating their skins. Vetiver and cedarwood are fogging the air around them, and Liam was seeing heaven.

"I shouldn't take advantage of you like this." Mar mumbled, his face contorted into a deep frown before he pushed himself off Liam.

"Wait!" The platinum blond alpha reached for his best friend's hand, but he caught on to his wrist instead, holding the black haired alpha in place while he was trying to get off the couch. "What if I want you to?"

As soon as those words came out of his mouth, Liam internally slapped himself.

The other alpha was equally as shocked by the statement as Liam was, and both of them just stayed in their awkward position for a few solid seconds which felt like years.

Mar was the first to break the silence. "You want me to what?"

"I..." Liam let go of his best friend's wrist, leaving a red mark— no— his literally finger prints in red on lightly tanned skin. The taller alpha then ran his hands through his hair. "Forget what I said."

"Wait! No!" His best friend was on to him again, slender fingers gripping on to Liam's shirt like a bully in middle school. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Liam was gasping for a bit, his eyes meeting Mar's, but his lips couldn't form words and his mind blank. To be honest, he didn't know why he said that.

"That's a no." Mar sighed, and his grip on the taller alpha's shirt loosened. "Let me make this clear."

"Mar—"

"My father said a loyal friend would walk barefoot through hell and back." The black haired alpha gritted his teeth, but his pheromones showed no hostility. "His example? You. You're his example of walking barefoot through hell and back."

The blond alpha was pulled up by the grip on his shirt. Liam is pretty his face is fifteen different shades of red at this point as the tip of best friend's nose touched his.

"You wouldn't say no to me fucking you." Mar's voice was softer than he initially started, and suddenly Liam was released from his hold.

Liam fell on to the couch cushion, and he once more he reached out to catch his best friend without much thought.

"You know I won't." The alpha said back as soon as he took a hold of Mar's waist, locking him in place. "So, what's stopping ya?"

For once, Liam saw a glimpse of something dangerous in those magenta eyes, but that danger came from fear. Fear of what exactly? He doesn't know, but the scene of vetiver wafting aggressively in the air makes him want to pin Mar to the floor and claim—

"You're a doctor-to-be. You'll know what's wrong with me the moment you see me exposed." Mar snarled, his pheromones drenched the air.

Liam has seen his best friend naked more times than he could count, what is he talking about? Mar's body was sculpted from years of gymnastics in his childhood and working out at the gym when they moved in next to each other. Sure, he has a few scars, but they added to the charm.

"Is that a challenge?" The platinum blond alpha leaned in closer to his best friend. "I promised I won't leave no matter what."