"Good morning, dear. It's time to wake up."
Kelly sat gently at the edge of the bed, her hand warm and loving as she caressed the head of a half-awake Arthur.
"You will be late, son."
Arthur was well aware of that. In fact, he was already late. But the bed was too warm, and he wanted to sleep just a little longer. Just a little. Two minutes? Maybe five? Tsk... Maybe he would just stay home today.
"Arthur, I've waited ten minutes," Kelly said, her tone shifting to a gentle scold as she shook his shoulder. "You are seriously going to be late if you don't get up right now."
Arthur cracked his eyes open, his senses slowly returning as he smiled up at his aunt.
"Aunty~ Mhm... Good morning," Arthur mumbled. He sat up and willingly leaned into the kind woman's embrace, melting into the comforting, soft pheromones that naturally surrounded the two Omegas whenever they hugged. His mornings always started like this, and it never failed to make his day better.
Smack!
"Gosh! Don't fall asleep against me! Wake up!"
Arthur flinched, his eyes flying wide open at the sting on his back and Aunt Kelly's stern warning.
Right. I can't be late for school. Now fully awake, Arthur knew his waking-up routine, or what Aunt Kelly fondly called his "daily resuscitation", was finally complete.
"I made you sandwiches for breakfast. Get ready and come down quickly, okay?"
Arthur nodded obediently. Aunt Kelly caressed his hair one last time and playfully pinched his cheeks before heading toward the door. Arthur managed to pull her back for one more quick hug and a shy kiss on the cheek, leaving her chuckling as she finally stepped out.
Haa... Why does school have to start so early? Arthur grumbled internally, complaining to himself as he brushed his teeth and hopped into the shower.
The younger version of Arthur, who had absolutely hated going to school, would never have predicted that he'd grow up to become a teacher, returning every single day to the very place he used to dread. It was funny how life turned around.
After a rushed getting-ready session, he finally stepped out of his room.
"Aunty~ Your dear is here! And your dear is very hungry and very late!" Arthur announced cheerfully as he walked down the stairs, successfully drawing smiles from both the living room and the kitchen.
"You're late again, brat?" Uncle Kevin complained, his eyes never leaving the morning news on the TV. "Next time, I'm going to kick your ass if you don't wake up on the first try. Kelly is spoiling you entirely too much."
"Don't be so loud, old man. Your Kelly will get angry at you," Arthur pouted, mumbling under his breath as he marched straight over to Uncle Kevin. Without a shred of hesitation, he plonked himself right down onto the man's lap, comfortably settling in while Uncle Kevin let out a dramatic grunt of annoyance.
"For God's sake, Arthur! You're twenty-four and heavy! My legs!"
Arthur just chuckled, giggling even harder when the older Alpha rolled his eyes.
"This is all Kelly's fault," Kevin muttered. "She has ruined you."
"You're just being mean, Uncle. Your wife is kind and way better than you."
"I'm mean? You little brat."
Arthur huffed, puffing out his cheeks as Uncle Kevin fondly cuffed the back of his head. He wasn't worried; he knew Uncle Kevin wasn't actually mad at him.
"Uncle..."
"Mm?"
"You see~"
"I don't see."
"Tsk! Be patient until I actually say it!"
"Then stop squirming so much. You're going to tear a muscle in my leg."
"Humph!"
Kevin sighed heavily. "...Haa... What is it?"
"You see~"
"..."
"Aren't you going to ask me what?"
"...Get up, you brat. I don't have time for this."
"You are so boring, Uncle."
"I am. I am boring, I am mean, and this boring uncle obviously can't buy you ice cream today because of that."
Arthur's nose scrunched up in a sudden flash of panic, causing Kevin to smirk. He knew the little guy too well; Arthur would never risk losing his coveted 'ice cream tax'.
"...You are not mean! Who even said that? I'm going to beat the crap out of whoever said that!" Arthur backtracked instantly, his face switching to an eager, sweet smile. "Uncle Kevin is the best. The best Alpha, the most handsome old man, and Aunt Kelly's absolute favorite!"
Arthur's expression turned sour again when Uncle Kevin burst out laughing. He was completely being played.
"No, no. I'm not falling for it today. No ice cream tax for you. That's it."
"Come on! I'm going to tell Aunty you scolded me again!"
"...Brat."
It was Arthur's turn to laugh as Uncle Kevin's face fell. But before he could celebrate his victory, he received another light swat to the back of his head.
"I'm sorry, okay?" Arthur giggled, pinching Kevin's cheeks as the older man groaned in annoyance. "I don't even have to tell you, you're the most handsome Alpha I've ever seen. And this little guy likes you soooo much. So, my good, rich uncle is never going to be mad at his cute son, right?"
"Sneaky little guy," Kevin muttered, but his expression softened completely. He gently caressed Arthur's head and patted his back, signaling him to get up so they could finally head into the kitchen to check on the queen of the house.
"Ah! Did my dear finally arrive?" Aunt Kelly asked as they walked in, though her tone was laced with a bit of loving sarcasm.
Arthur immediately rushed over, leaning against the kitchen counter right next to her, thrilled by the attention. "Yes, yes! Your dear is here. And your other dear is here, too," he added, pointing a finger back at Uncle Kevin, who looked entirely done with the morning antics.
"Did you bully my husband first thing in the morning?" Kelly asked, looking between them.
Arthur gasped dramatically, pouting. "What are you saying, Aunty? How can anyone bully your husband? He is like a bull. Undefeatable!"
Kelly burst out laughing, which only served to irritate Kevin further.
"Now I'm a bull?" Kevin grumbled, looking thoroughly offended.
Arthur just shrugged, his attention instantly pivoting to the freshly made sandwich Aunt Kelly handed him. "Smells so good! Thank you, Aunty!"
"Anything for my cutie," Kelly smiled, caressing his messy hair for what was easily the fifth time that morning.
"Sit down and eat, Arthur," Kevin instructed. Arthur obediently took a seat, happily munching on his breakfast, completely unbothered by the ticking clock. He wasn't worried. Uncle Kevin always found a way to drop him off just in time. Usually.
"Hurry up, Arthur! At this rate, you won't finish that sandwich until tomorrow morning!" Kevin barked.
Arthur pouted, earning Kevin a sharp, disapproving glare from Kelly. Realizing he should probably stop messing around, Arthur started taking bigger bites.
Just as he was about to finish, the sharp ring of the doorbell echoed through the house, causing all three of them to turn their heads toward the living room.
"Ah, it must be Shawn," Kevin said, dusting off his hands. "I called him to meet up today, but he's never usually this early."
"Are you complaining, Kevin?" Kelly chimed in from the sink. "You should be happy that at least one of your friends understands the value of an early morning. It's the best time to get things done."
"Okay, okay, love. I'll go open the door."
Arthur watched as his uncle left the kitchen.
"He and his friends... sigh," Kelly murmured, turning back around to hand Arthur a second sandwich. "Here, eat this too. Now that Kevin is distracted, he's definitely going to be late dropping you off. Take your time."
Arthur stared at the sandwich, a sudden wave of laziness washing over him. Aunty was right; he was going to be incredibly late now. Maybe he really should just stay home. He wasn't fully prepared anyway. He had his ironed trousers and crisp white button-up shirt on, sure, but his feet were bare, and his hair was a messy nest from all the head-pats Kevin and Kelly had given him.
"Aunty... can I just stay home today?" Arthur asked tentatively.
Aunt Kelly's brows furrowed with instant concern. "Why? Are you not feeling well, sweetie?"
"No, no! I feel fine," Arthur assured her quickly. "I just... you know. I'm feeling really lazy today."
"Is it really okay for a teacher to skip work just like that?" Kelly asked, a faint, knowing smile playing on her lips.
"Well, as long as you give me permission, it's okay!" Arthur beamed. The moment she offered a soft, permissive nod, Arthur sprang out of his chair, racing toward the living room to get the final green light from his uncle.
"Uncle! Can I st-"
The words died squarely in Arthur's throat.
He came to an abrupt, skidding halt at the entrance of the living room. It felt as though the air had suddenly been sucked out of the room, the world dropping into slow motion around him.
W-wow…
They had a guest. But it certainly wasn't Uncle Shawn.
Wow… Arthur thought again, his doe eyes widening in sheer disbelief.
It was her.
She had the same black, wavy hair as Aunt Kelly, and the same striking hazel eyes as Uncle Kevin. Except, she wasn't the little girl Arthur remembered anymore. Not even close.
Arthur's gaze locked onto her, tracking the tall, commanding figure standing by the door. Her long, dark waves cascaded freely over her shoulders, and her beautifully sculpted, athletic frame filled out a perfectly tailored suit.
Then, her eyes met his.
A sudden shiver of goosebumps raced down Arthur's spine. Her gaze was breathtakingly beautiful, yet dangerously sharp, so intense that it made him feel completely exposed, as if she could read every hidden thought in his head.
Almost instantly, a fierce, burning blush crept up his neck and flooded his cheeks.
The girl from his childhood had grown into a stunning, overwhelming Alpha.
N-Natalia…
She was back. She was finally home.