[FROLO]

The Gamov residence was awfully quieter than it had ever been before.

Yaroslav had cleaned up and was sorting through the past three days in his bedroom with Katya. He had not come to this room for a whole month, and now that Katya was here, he couldn’t seem to leave.

Seeing his husband sleeping so softly under the familiar covers tugged at Yaroslav’s heart.

Gods, he loved this omega; he would do anything for him.

Maybe that was why he chose to settle in the room, in the corner where his desk usually sat whenever he missed Katya too much, and he didn’t want to work in his study.

The view had always been magnificent, but gods, seeing Katya that soft, that delicate, breathing like heaven was the only thing that was for them had Yaroslav feeling some type of way.

And so, he found himself walking over to the bed, his scent fresh now that he had cleaned up.

"My beautiful baby," Yaroslav breathed as he kissed Katya on the forehead, and then on the lips so softly, like he didn’t want to wake him up.

He hadn’t expected a response.

He really hadn’t.

But when Katya kissed him back, eyes still closed, hands still warm, tugging onto Yaroslav like he was the familiarity the omega missed, Yaroslav froze.

He couldn’t give this up.

He couldn’t.

And as if they were not on different sides, Yaroslav joined Katya on the bed, above the sheets, though.

He watched the most beautiful omega hum softly, keen in his sleep, smelling so good and so divine that Yaroslav felt like he was about to lose his mind. But then maybe he already had.

Because the work he had been trying to sort...

It was all forgotten.

So, he let himself sleep beside his omega like the old times.

Like they didn’t have a broken marriage that Yaroslav was trying to fix in the most insane of ways. But maybe that was tomorrow’s problem. Because right now, Yaroslav just wanted to be with his omega, drifting into sleep so peacefully.

Katya was the first one to wake, hours later.

Strangely enough, he didn’t panic.

The familiarity of the room, of the hand snaking around his waist, the windows that showed a city engulfed in darkness, and the beautiful scent of home.

He looked at the beta beside him, the memories of the day hitting him hard.

Yet instead of pushing Yaroslav away, instead of stepping out because this man had cheated, Katya leaned into that false sense of comfort. He knew it would never change what the truth was.

He knew it was a long shot, but for the first time in a whole month, Katya felt safe.

He felt like he was home.

Like he belonged somewhere finally.

He felt like this... This was what home looked like.

"You’re awake, baby," Yaroslav groaned softly, looking at Katya like he was terrified of what the omega would do.

"Yeah... I should... I should go," Katya said, staring into Yaroslav’s eyes tenderly. He didn’t have the eyes that hated this man. Maybe because he was so tired of running, and he just needed to catch a break.

"Don’t..."

"Yaro."

"It’s already late, honey. Svet and Andre can pick you up tomorrow. Just... Please," Yaroslav breathed, his hold on Katya not relenting.

"You can’t just..."

"I miss you. I miss us. I can’t think without you. I can’t live right. I love you, please don’t go. I’ll make amends for what I did. But just for tonight, please stay with me," Yaroslav begged like this was his lifeline at stake.

He sounded so soft and gentle, and honestly, it tugged at Katya’s heart. He looked at the man as if this was what he should have come home to.

But he hadn’t.

And it hurt.

"I love you too. But you hurt me, Yaro. You broke my heart. You killed me on the day that should have been our happiest," Katya sighed exasperatedly as he pushed the covers off of him and tangled out of Yaroslav’s hold.

He couldn’t stay here.

He couldn’t look at this man and pretend like their lives hadn’t been fucked up by him. They had been happy together. This was supposed to be their home. With their little family.

It was supposed to be their little heaven.

Yaroslav had tainted it.

"Baby, wait," Yaroslav pleaded, following Katya so desperately toward the door. But the omega was done. He didn’t want to be here. Not where Milan had been. Not after what Yaroslav had done to both of them

To him.

He just couldn’t.

"I can’t stay here. Who knows what you have done with Milan on that bed?" Katya groaned, his disgust evident, and Yaroslav rushed ahead and looked at the door, standing between Katya and the door.

"Baby, please," Yaroslav begged. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"This is not the time. Yaro. I need to leave. I already wasted a day leaning into the comfort of your illusion," Katya said bitterly, like the fact that he had felt safe with Yaroslavl was the greatest of all betrayals.

He couldn’t believe that he had sought Yaroslav out. That he had been the one to call the bastard who had cheated on him. That he had brought Yaroslav to him and even let the man bring him home.

"Get out of my way," Katya said, his tone so cold that Yaroslav flinched.

But the beta was not letting go.

"No. I’m not letting you go. I will never let you go," Yaroslav said, and Katya could only think of the day he was trapped in the Moskowsky contract.

And now his cheating husband was giving him conditions, too? What the fuck?

"Don’t test my patience, Yato. Let me go. I have places to be," Katya insisted.

"This is your home, honey. This is our home. I’m sorry. Okay. I’m sorry, but please don’t go. The house is empty without you," Yaroslav said earnestly, and Katya stared at him.

For a moment it was just silence between them.

Then Katya let out a bitter pained laugh, one so disbelieving, like all of this was the middle of shit he had not intended to get involved in. Yet somehow, he had managed to have himself roped back into whatever reality this was.

"Home?" Katya asked angrily before they started to fight.

A few apartment blocks away, Sergei Moskowsky hadn’t slept a wink. Hadn’t even blinked from the moment Katya had been laid on that bed by Yaroslav.

He had watched the two husbands keenly, his anger and jealousy threatening to spill over.

He watched like a man who was so hungry for the one thing that no one in their right mind would ever say yes to.

And when he saw Katya and Yaro fighting, he was happy.

Because their fighting meant that Yaro would never get close to Katya again. That Yaro would leave his omega be and that Sergei would finally have the chance to fix every belief that Katya had of him.

It was a good thought, really, even as Katya struggled to open the door with Yaroslav acting like a barrier.

But then something happened.

Something that Sergei had not thought would ever be possible.

Much less at one o’clock in the morning and in his son’s house.

What should have stayed a fight had clearly escalated, because one moment the silhouettes were against the door and the next, they were heading back to the bed, hands all over each other.

And Sergei...

He was torn between the truth and the illusion he had made for himself.

Because he couldn’t understand. Honestly.

He had given Katya everything.

Quite literally.

An empire.

Servants.

Everything that anyone would ever need. Everything that would help Katya move on from Yaroslav...

Yet at one o’clock, Sergei watched their bodies dance under the sheets, like the past month hadn’t happened, only that it had. Because Sergei knew Katya was exhausted after everything.

But to go back into Yaroslav’s arms?

That hurt.

Yet Sergei didn’t stop watching.

Not even after they went to sleep hours later, tangled in each other.

Not even as Yaroslav woke up first and rushed out of the house, probably with memories of what they had done.

And not even as Katya looked around and rushed out too, maybe because he was not ready for a conversation with Yaroslav.

And Sergei...

Oh, he was raging when Katya got to his new residence.

Only that for the first time.

Sergei didn’t know how to explain why he was so angry.