Natalia felt a surprising wave of joy settle over her. Talking to Arthur was genuinely fun. Even the smallest topics seemed to trigger massive, animated reactions from him, making every minute of their conversation feel thoroughly alive.
However, he was far from easy to read.
His brain seemed to slow down whenever she spoke, processing her words in delayed, agonizingly endearing stages. Natalia watched the sequence play out like clockwork: first, a fierce blush would stain his cheeks; then, his pretty eyes would widen in sheer surprise; his mouth would open and close like a little fish, and only then would a stuttered reply finally slip past his lips.
Natalia couldn't remember the last time she had been this patient with anyone. But his expressions were a drug; they left her eager to keep the conversation going just to see what he would do next.
It was weird, and she knew it.
Despite her growing fascination, she didn't want to make him genuinely uncomfortable. They had only just reunited after six long years, and she had already blurted out that he was cute.
What on earth was he going to think of her? Had she completely lost her mind, dropping a line like that on an innocent, shy omega who looked ready to bolt into his room at any moment?
"I'm sorry if that comment made you uncomfortable," Natalia said, her tone shifting to something softer, grounded and thoroughly honest. "But just so you know, I meant it. You really are cute. And... very good-looking, too."
Arthur's eyes darted up to meet hers before he instantly looked away, the intense shyness returning with a vengeance.
"Ah! I-it's okay. T-thank you," Arthur mumbled, his heart hammering against his ribs at the unexpected second compliment. "It's... actually the first time anyone has ever said that to me. I mean, besides Uncle and Auntie..."
Objectively speaking, praise shouldn't have been such a novelty to Arthur. Every single day, without fail, Kelly and Kevin showered him with affection, declaring how handsome and adorable he was, and jokingly warning him that he was going to drive a whole crowd of Alphas wild one day.
He loved them for it, but he had always dismissed it as parental bias. He had never craved validation from anyone else.
He hadn't cared about other Alphas. In fact, Arthur had to admit he was deeply uncomfortable around them. He wasn't necessarily timid, but a deep-seated dislike kept him from ever engaging.
So, the fact that he was standing here, not only holding his ground in a conversation with Natalia but harboring a swarm of butterflies for her after just one afternoon, was a monumental shift.
He knew part of his comfort stemmed from the absolute safety he associated with Kevin and Kelly's daughter. But if he stripped that excuse away, the truth remained: she was rapidly becoming special to him.
He seriously, truly liked her.
She might be the one, a quiet voice whispered in his chest. Maybe... the only one.
Arthur clenched his fists tightly behind his back, trying to untangle the sudden puzzle of his emotions. He quickly shook his head, pushing the heavy thoughts aside. He didn't want to overcomplicate things right now. Not while she was standing right in front of him.
"Seriously? That's unbelievable," Natalia teased, her lips tugging into a familiar smirk. "Honestly, even the way you roll your eyes is cute. It deserves to be complimented, too."
Arthur snapped his head up with such violent speed that Natalia let out a startled, genuine chuckle.
Safe to say, Arthur was absolutely mortified. "R-rolling my eyes?" he stuttered, his mind frantically rewinding through every moment he had spent today believing he was being a master of secrecy.
Maybe Uncle Kevin was right. He really was a hopeless airhead. Oh my god... why did I ever think I could roll my eyes at her without her noticing?
"Yeah," Natalia purred, leaning in just a fraction. "I was sitting there at lunch wondering who this cutie was, dramatically rolling his eyes at me. Turned out to be my mom's precious baby boy."
"I-I'm sorry, I j-just..."
"Haha, it's alright," Natalia interrupted gently, her voice carrying a trace of genuine impression. "Rolling your eyes like that is a talent. I certainly can't pull it off."
Arthur held his breath, his eyes searching hers. She looked entirely sincere. Did people not just know how to do that automatically? "...You're lying."
"No, I'm telling the truth," Natalia murmured, her gaze locking onto his with an intensity that made his knees weak. "If I tried to roll my eyes, I seriously doubt I'd look half as good doing it as you do."
The sheer weight of her attention was suffocating in the best way possible. Arthur lowered his head, his voice dropping to a faint mumble. "...I see."
Natalia let out a quiet sigh, looking down at the laptop charger gripped in her hand. For the first time in years, she felt a sudden, greedy reluctance to leave. She wanted to stand in this hallway and talk to him just a little bit longer.
Fortunately for her, Arthur was harboring the exact same desperate wish.
"A-are you really staying this time?" Arthur asked hesitantly, his voice small. "You're not leaving again?"
Natalia's eyes darkened slightly as a wave of old guilt washed over her, thinking of the years she had left her parents to handle everything alone. "No. I'm not leaving."
"...That's good," Arthur muttered.
His mind scrambled, desperately searching for any topic, any random sentence to drag the moment out, but his brain remained stubbornly blank under the influence of his racing pulse.
Sensing the mutual reluctance to end the moment, they both awkwardly co-operated to keep the dialogue afloat.
"Ah, by the way," Natalia noted, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm not actually into other Alphas. I really was just joking earlier."
"Ah... I'm s-"
"Don't apologize," she chuckled. "I was just messing with you."
"...I see." Arthur paused, looking at her features. "Are you...mad at me too?"
Arthur blinked, caught off guard. "W-what do you m-mean?"
"About me leaving, and not coming back sooner. My old friends, some of our relatives, a few of the neighbors. I imagine they have a lot to say. You must too..."
Arthur shook his head, a soft, reassuring earnestness taking over his features. "...I'm not mad. You're finally back home anyway. That's the only thing that matters."
Natalia stared at him, a profound sense of relief washing over her. The tight knot of anxiety she had carried since stepping off the plane loosened just a bit. "Thank you, Arthur."
"I-it's okay," he muttered, the blush returning.
"Mm. I should probably get going then," Natalia said, slipping her usual cool, unreadable mask back on, though her eyes remained soft. "I have a mountain of work to catch up on. I hope we can get along well in the future."
"Yeah. I hope so too," Arthur said, offering a shy, radiant smile that anchored Natalia to the floorboards for a few extra seconds just to admire it.
"Mm." Natalia finally turned and walked away down the hall.
Arthur stood rooted to the spot, his eyes tracking her until she turned the corner and disappeared into her room. He lingered in the empty hallway for a few more minutes, letting the adrenaline cool, before he practically threw himself backward onto his bed.
She is so incredibly beautiful, he thought, a silly, helpless smile creeping onto his face as he stared at the ceiling. No wonder all the omegas back in high school used to whisper about her whenever she came up in conversation.
Then, his smile shattered.
It's also no wonder if she ends up marrying one of those flawlessly beautiful omegas one day...
Arthur let out a heavy sigh, forcing a painful smile back onto his lips to mask the sharp ache in his chest. It's fine. It's totally fine. Not everyone gets to end up with the person they fall for at first sight, right?
He rolled over onto his side, hugging a pillow tightly. Well, technically it wasn't first sight... but seriously, what is wrong with me? Why do I like her this much?
He rolled to the other side, his thoughts pacing back and forth. Everyone says you can easily mistake a strong physical attraction for actual feelings. Is that all this is? Just a silly crush on a beautiful Alpha?
Unable to stay still, Arthur sat up on the edge of the mattress, absentmindedly tracing the lines on his fingertips, his expression growing deeply serious.
"I really want her," he whispered into the quiet room, testing the weight of the words aloud to see if they sounded crazy.
I want to love her.
I want to be the one who makes her smile.
I want to hold her.
The list of desires grew longer and more terrifying by the second.
Hah! I've officially lost my mind, Arthur thought, throwing himself flat on his back again. We had our very first real conversation today. Don't be an idiot, Arthur. Don't get your hopes up.
But as his heart gave another fierce, erratic thud, he knew it was already too late.