Quinn didn't end up staying too long after the end of the year party. In fact, it lined up with the normal time off that staff got at the end of the year. This was all because his grandma didn't like others fussing over her.
There was also the fact that his mom and aunt got together and decided that enough was enough, she was getting care at home whether she agreed with it or not. It had turned into a huge argument in the hospital. So loud that the nurses had come running to make sure that everything was okay, but it was Quinn and Phoebe who stood at the door, telling them that everything was fine, this was just how Quinn's female family members dealt with things.
It was embarrassing, but it ended well. His grandpa eventually stepped in and said that he was getting old too, and they would need someone, even for a little bit, to help them. That seemed to soothe the hurt feelings and ego of his sweet grandma, and things were decided after that.
She was going to have to spend some time healing in the hospital, and while she appreciated everyone being here, they had their own lives. They had school and jobs and she would be here when they got back. She might like them back when she moved back home, but beyond that, she was okay.
The small admittance that she would like to see them when she got out was a sign that she was quite shaken up by everything that happened. Along with the arguing. Quinn was just happy that it had only been about 15 minutes of yelling, not an hour. Everyone seemed relieved at that as well. They had all been prepared to be escorted out by security for upsetting a patient.
It was only when his aunt and mom stepped out and spoke to the nurses that everything seemed to truly be paved over. That was also when Quinn found out that his mom and aunt had been planning this for a while. They had wanted to get help for their dad, but had waited. Quinn could only imagine the guilt that had to be eating them alive now that they were in this situation.
That just meant that it reinforced their belief that they needed help, and they wouldn't say no. With their parent's permission, they were going to get the main floor of the house renovated. Currently they didn't have a bedroom on the main floor, so they needed to change that. They also wanted to install one of those sitting elevators so that they could have access to the upper floors without putting strain on their bodies.
It was a lot of little things that they had been avoiding because they didn't want to face the fact that they were aging. Quinn understood it all, and it was thanks to his, Patrick's and Phoebe's pleading that their grandparents folded so quickly.
With three sets of pretty hazel and brown eyes begging them from the edge of the bed, there was no way that they stood a chance. Patrick was even willing to put on a show, crying about how he wanted to have his grandparents around for a long time. He even hiccup-sobbed about wanting them to meet their great grandkids, but he was still in university. It was a while out before he could fulfill that part, and he wanted them to be at the wedding etc. It was a good show, and moved everyone who saw it. Phoebe even got involved, but Quinn held back. He didn't want to make any promises he couldn't keep.
His cousins could promise marriage and children easily. They would have no issues doing that, but Quinn? He was a beta, and a beta who was attracted to men at that. The best he could hope for would be to marry a male omega, but those weren't that common. He also didn't know any outside of Patrick, and he was a special case.
He also wasn't going out of his way to find a partner, because, well, he'd been attracted to Michel. He liked…fuck, Quinn had a type that he was attracted to and most male omegas didn't fall under it. That was the nice way of saying it.
The not nice way to say it was that Quinn liked male alphas. He had a type, and it was the exact opposite that would result in natural children between two men. He was also not a top, not as far as he was concerned, but it wasn't like he had a ton of sexual experience in the first place. Quinn hadn't partied, and instead had been plotting out his and Noah's next 10 years of life together.
Kids and partners had been factored in, but neither of them had really thought that they would play a part. They had instead just made a clause, just in case, because neither of them liked surprises when it came to work.
Personal affairs? Well, that couldn't really be put down on paper and made real, so a few clauses would do.
Thinking of Noah even at a moment like this made Quinn realise, not for the first time, how much he relied on him. It didn't surprise him as much as it probably should that Phoebe suggested that Noah had made the mark on his neck.
He wondered if it would surprise Noah? That was why he wanted to talk to him in person about it. About…everything. He owed the man a lot, and an honest conversation about feelings, real or otherwise, was important. It wouldn't ruin their relationship, not that Quinn thought it would.
Sure, maybe Quinn wasn't ready for anything serious, but talking to Noah like an adult wasn't a bad thing. He'd never spoken to Michel like an adult, even if he'd tentatively tried. It had never happened. It was a good thing in Quinn's mind that it was very important that he spoke to Noah. It showed he valued him, in whatever capacity that was.
Friend, business partner…anything else that could entail. He just thought after the scare he'd had and seeing his family's bonds in person again, it made the sting of what he'd just gone through worse. Bitter.
He needed to be strong. Proud. He needed to not let Michel control him anymore.
Even if the fool had called him several times over the last few days and left some scathing voicemails. Quinn had eventually decided to block his number, at least temporary, while he was still with his family. He even told his boss that it was going to take one of the days off he'd suggested to recover from travel.
His boss told him he didn't need to tell him why he needed the time off, just that he was happy he was keeping him in the loop. Quinn did enough for the company that keeping him happy with a few days off was nothing, especially at one of the less busy times for them.
Quinn was grateful that he worked for such a good man.
He also kept Noah up to date, asking if he wanted anything as a thank you for looking after his plants. Noah's response was corny, like always. Quinn coming home safely was his top priority.
Quinn flushed as he realised what that could look like to someone who didn't know them well. Phoebe was giving him the damn wiggly eyebrows as she read his text over his shoulder. Quinn wasn't going to live this down for a while, not when combined with the hickie.
He could feel the house visit on the horizon once all the stuff with grandma was sorted.
Thankfully, his parents seemed ignorant to all that was happening or not happening in Quinn's personal life. It was probably due to the fact that they had to focus on his mom's parents, and while it was a terrible situation and Quinn did not like being called back because his grandma fell, he was a bit grateful that he wasn't the focus of their penetrative gaze. Sometimes it felt like they could see into his soul, so it was nice to come back and not have to worry about it.
That was not the case for his aunt. His alpha aunt had eyes just like Patrick's. Soft and hazel green, she was a smart woman who had made a business out of being able to see what others didn't want to reveal. So it shouldn't have been a surprise that the other mother of Phoebe pulled him to the side before he left and asked if he was doing okay.
The genuine concern in her gaze, in the way that she held onto his upper arm supportively, made Quinn's throat close. It took him a few long, hard minutes before he was even able to speak. He told her that he didn't know. It kind of felt like everything was coming down at once, and he was just trying to weather the storm.
Her soft gaze watched him, nodding quietly. Quinn had no idea what to say to her kindness, even less when she offered that they always had an extra bedroom if he needed to escape the city for any reason. For mental health reasons, to hide, whatever he needed. Quinn did wonder what they thought he'd gotten up to, but he didn't push it. He was just grateful for their concern.
He thanked her and told her that hopefully, he wouldn't have to take her up on the hiding part. They both smiled, neither speaking of what was really going on, but Quinn left that conversation and left the countryside with a lighter feeling. His shoulders didn't feel as tense or tight. Even though it was a really, really shitty situation, and saying goodbye to his grandma while she was in the hospital had been hard, they were going to make it through it.
Everyone was supporting each other. Quinn's family wouldn't abandon him, and were in fact willing to hide him from…someone? Quinn wasn't even sure what they meant by that, but they appreciated the thought. He appreciated that they would have his back.
Saying goodbye to his parents had also been hard. They regretted that they hadn't been able to spend much time with him, with all of the conversations they had to have with nurses and doctors. Quinn didn't mind. He got to spend some time with his cousins, and he was excited to see where they both went in the future. A small sparkle had popped up behind his mom's brown eyes and she had chuckled at that. She was also excited to see where they both went in the future too, and while Quinn had a sneaking suspicion that she knew something that no one had told him, he wasn't worried that it was something bad.
They were honest about bad things, and secretive about good things. His family liked good surprises, not bad ones. Quinn hugged them a little too long before he got back into his car and drove back to the city. It wasn't too long of a drive, just a few hours, but by the time that he got into the city it was dark.
He'd kept Noah up to speed about where he was, so it was no surprise that when he got up to his apartment, the lights were on, food was laid out on the island, and Noah was in the living room, his face stoney. As soon as he saw Quinn, he brightened, getting to his feet and stomping over. He wrapped Quinn up in a tight hug, squishing the box of tea treats that Quinn had gotten him that he knew the bigger man loved.
"How was everyone?" Noah asked, and Quinn felt his eyes water. He hugged Noah back just as fiercely.
"They'll be okay." Quinn whispered. "I told you they had a screaming match in the hospital, but it worked out. Mom and Aunt Brittany got the ball rolling long before any of us knew about it. Contractors are just waiting for the ground to thaw a bit before coming in. Everything is going to work out once grandma is healed enough to leave the hospital. Grandpa isn't leaving her side. They gave him a bed so that he doesn't actually end up hurting himself and ending up in the hospital for real." Quinn told him through a bitter laugh. "It was a little hard to watch. All the happiness and love." Quinn admitted. It was a secret thing, something he knew that Noah wouldn't judge him about.
"Oh Quinn." Noah breathed, squeezing him tighter. They didn't speak for a long, long moment. Just feeling each other's warmth, their breath, the sound of their hearts beating. Quinn wondered, not for the first time, that if he could sense Noah's pheromones, would they soothe him? Noah had once described his pheromones as something sweet with a little tang. That was what an omega friend had said it was like in university, and Quinn had been rather intrigued by that. Was it like an orange? A lemon?
It was sad that Quinn would never know.
When they had gotten their fill, Noah helped him sit down, took off his coat, and took the battered tea snacks with a cheeky grin. Quinn smiled in return, his body still burning from what Michel had done to him.