By nightfall, Delaney is pulling into a gated home with a circular driveway, his eyes scanning a well lit property as he parks. A sprawling lawn is peppered with several cherry blossom trees, and in the middle of it all sits a small pond. He feels slightly self-conscious as he approaches the front door, knocking twice before shoving a hand in his back pocket. He has no need to feel self-conscious. The property is gorgeous and he can admire the beauty of the home as well, but something gnaws at him. He pushes it aside as the door is pulled open by Eli. He greets Delaney with a wide smile and immediately launches into an apology for his appearance.

"I'm so sorry. I apparently timed things very poorly and believed I had enough time to prepare dinner, shower, and get dressed. However," he gestures to the length of his body, "as you can see I did not leave myself enough time to do any of those things aside from dinner and showering."

Delaney stares, unblinking, over at Eli as he takes in his appearance. Black curls are damp and impossibly darkened as they air dry. A plain white tee hugs his shoulders, biceps, and chest but releases its grip around his narrowed waist. Black lounge pants sit on his hips and Delaney has to remind himself that he cannot and should not openly stare. He falters, lingering a little too long on what he hopes is an accurate depiction of what lies underneath the thin material of the pants. He raises his eyes to meet Eli's and swallows thickly as he finally finds his voice to reply, "Investing in a clock would be beneficial."

Eli stands back as he ushers Delaney in, laughing lightly. "And here I thought you would let me get away with my shabby appearance since you're a guest in my home."

Delaney toes off his shoes and slides into a pair of house shoes as he waits for Eli to lead the way. "I would say, 'You don't know me at all!' in a tone that is purely meant to mock, belittle, and guilt you into feeling terribly about your oversight into my true nature, but it's true. You don't know me."

"And yet, here you are. In my home as if I do," Eli smiles down at him and gestures to a rectangular glass table. "Dinner is done. Please, make yourself comfortable."

Delaney walks along the side of the table, humming appreciatively at the slab of black marble that runs along the width to hold it up. Before he sits, he walks to the large, picturesque window. He draws back sheer, ivory curtains to look out at the back lawn. If he believed the front to be beautiful, the back was absolutely breathtaking. A cobblestone walkway starts from the back patio—that is complete with a large pool, several gas grills, a meat smoker, and patio furniture— and winds down into the grass. Willow trees line either side of the walk way, the path almost hidden by the soft green branches. His hand rests on the glass, his face inches from the window as he peers out into the night. Eli's voice is soft as he interrupts,

"I wasn't exactly sure what to serve you, so I decided it would be easier to bring everything."

Delaney turns around to glance at the table. Several dishes sit in the center along with two wine glasses. He's slightly embarrassed, his cheeks heating up as he realizes that Eli moved quietly so as not to disturb him as he gazed out at the lawn. "Thank you," he manages to speak as he takes his seat at the table. He half expects Eli to sit at the opposite end, so he's taken aback when the man pulls up a chair next to him. Being in close proximity has Delaney a little antsy, so he takes a deep breath to steady his nerves.

"I wasn't sure what wine you'd prefer, but it seemed as if you enjoyed white wine?" Eli pours them both a glass before he begins to serve Delaney. As he's plating the food, he names each dish with a fondness that brings to mind something Eli mentioned the first time they had dinner. However, Delaney doesn't have the opportunity to bring it up. Not before he has a bite of risotto.

The flavor palate is immaculate and once again, Delaney finds himself sighing softly as he eats. Usually, he'll keep up a constant stream of conversation during dinner, but the dishes were too delectable to be left sitting under the blanket of mundane conversation. When he's done, when he can eat no more, Eli clears their plates, making several trips to the kitchen before he returns with a towel slung over his shoulder.

"Did you make dinner?" Delaney asks.

Eli nods, a slightly embarrassed smile curling up the corners of his mouth as he acknowledges his handiwork. "I did. What did you think?"

Delaney leans back in his seat, crossing his legs at the knee as he hums appreciatively. "I think that you're one step closer to getting me to make the same sounds I did at dinner the first time."

Eli arches an eyebrow as he chuckles softly, "Yeah? Well, we still have dessert."

"I'm not sure I can eat another bite."

"Not even if it's a decadent chocolate cake?" Eli needles a bit.

Delaney narrows his eyes in Eli's direction, his suspicion finally getting the best of him. "Why were you insistent on making me dinner and dessert?"

"It's simple."

"Well?"

"I like you," Eli states matter of fact.

Delaney fights back a blush to point out, "You don't know me."

"I know that being around you is calming. I know that I haven't felt this relaxed ever." Eli leans against the edge of the table, lowering his chin to look down at Delaney. "I know that I can't stop thinking about you and I want to see you daily."

Delaney loses the fight against the blush, but thankfully, he fiddles with his hair, pulling the long curls from behind his ear and allowing them to fall forward, slightly obscuring his face. "You have a savior complex. You're an alpha who stumbled upon a crying omega. At a hospital."

"I don't adhere to societal expectations of my biology, Delaney. You make me laugh and I like that."

Delaney doesn't know what to say to that, so he lamely asks about dessert. "Where's the cake?"

Eli's sudden laugh has warmth seeping into Delaney's bones. "I'll be back." He pushes away from the table to disappear into the kitchen and returns with one plate and two forks.

Delaney picks up a fork and pokes at the cake. "It looks like a normal chocolate cake."

Eli reaches over to pluck Delaney's fork from his hand, holding it deftly between his fingers as he carves off a small sliver. "For all intent and purposes, it is. However, cooking is another form of art. The same way that a painter has to carefully blend colors to create that special one he's looking for is the same way a chef has to select the ingredients. With the right color, the painter's work is elevated from mediocrity to something breathtaking and emotionally evocative. When a chef is able to pair together the proper ingredients, a chocolate cake ceases to be 'just a chocolate cake' and becomes more." He brings the fork to Delaney's mouth, waiting.

Delaney tucks his hair behind his ear again and leans in, his tongue slowly creeping over his lips to rest underneath the prongs of the fork before pulling it forward to wrap his mouth around the utensil. His blood rushes in his veins and his stomach dips as he notices that Eli's gaze never once leaves his mouth. A sweetness that isn't overpowering explodes on his tongue and he can't help the low moan that tumbles, end over end, from the back of his throat to hang suspended between the two of them. When he reaches for his fork, Eli reaches for his hand, threading their fingers together, and cuts off another sliver to feed to him.

"While we were eating dinner, you named all of the dishes before serving them. So, I'm inclined to ask, what's the name of this delicious cake?"

Eli smirks, a rumbling chuckle building in his chest as he feeds Delaney another bite. "I would say the name won't really live up to its expectations much longer."

Delaney eases the tip of his tongue across his bottom lip, catching any stray crumbs. "Oh? Why is that?"

"Well," Eli places his fork on the plate and grips the arms of Delaney's chair, leaning in as his voice drops to a low, throaty whisper, "It's called 'Better than'."

For the first time that evening, Delaney is aware of a scent that, quite literally, makes his mouth water. It's heady and intoxicating, yet not overly strong. He inhales deeply, his breath hitching in his lungs as he identifies notes of longing and barely restrained arousal. His voice registers barely above a whisper as he asks a question he's certain he knows the answer to. "Why won't it live up to the expectations any longer?"

"Because there's nothing I, or anyone else for that matter, can make that would be better than what I plan to do to you." Eli doesn't give Delaney a chance to answer before he's feeding him another sliver of cake.

He struggles to chew, struggles to swallow as his breathing becomes slightly more labored, his heart rate increasing as Eli leans in to remove a crumb from his bottom lip. Delaney watches intently as Eli brings his thumb up to his mouth and slowly slides his tongue over the pad, all the while keeping beautiful, honey brown eyes locked with his. Delaney feels like he can't breathe, as if all of the air has been sucked from the room, despite his chest visibly rising and falling as Eli leans in to hold his chin between a thumb and forefinger. Instinctively, Delaney tilts his chin up, his lips already parting in anticipation, and when a soft mouth meets his own, he moans into the kiss without shame.

Tension is coiled tightly in his gut, the flames of desire licking at his veins. His mind urges him to move quickly, but where he's impatient, Eli is agonizingly patient, taking the time to run his hand up Delaney's arm and over his shoulder to tangle in his hair while the other grips his hip and pulls him to his feet. Eli kisses him in the same way he did previously, slow and methodical, each kiss growing more urgent, more passionate as he makes his way down Delaney's mouth, to his jawline, and finally to his neck.

His knees feel weak under Eli's attention. The way his tongue and mouth glide across fevered skin has Delaney gripping muscular biceps tightly. His head falls back, allowing the alpha more access to his most sensitive erogenous zone and when Eli's lips come together above his gland to suck lightly at the skin, Delaney moans loudly.

"Fuck, you sound so pretty," Eli growls against his neck.

Words escape Delaney and he can only gasp as the sharp points of canines are followed by the slow sweeping movement of a tongue against his gland. He's struggling to hold on, to keep his body upright and he loses the battle once teeth nip his skin, worrying it gently before Eli pulls back to lift him up onto the table. Delaney watches as Eli grips his shirt by the hem and pulls it over his head, discarding it on the floor next to him. When he moves to slide the pants from his hips, Delaney reaches out, stopping him. "Let me."

"Okay," Eli acquiesces in a soft tone.

Delaney stands again, his legs trembling just as badly as his hands as he unties the strings of the pants and begins to ease them off. However, they catch on Eli's cock, straining as Delaney makes no motion to pull the material out wide enough for his length to be free. No. He wants to watch as the pants finally give.

Delaney all but comes in his pants when Eli's thick cock pulls free, the head leaving evidence of his arousal across the top of his belly button as it comes to rest. "Holy shit," he whispers reverently.

"May I?" Eli motions to Delaney's jeans and honestly, he would have said yes to anything he was asked in the moment.

In the blink of an eye, his pants and underwear are discarded, house shoes strewn across the room with his garments and he's once again, sitting on the cold surface of the glass table. Eli's fingers are nimble as they work to unbutton his top. Once the cold air hits his skin, his nipples pebble rather quickly, eliciting a low moan from Eli before he dips his head down to flick the tip of his tongue across the buds. Slick pools between Delaney's legs, moistening his thighs and making the glass beneath him slippery. His body is vibrating from the touch, each light pinch or firm grip causing him to gasp, moan, whine.

Eli grips his thighs, pulling him to the edge of the table. "May I?" He points to the half-eaten slice of cake and Delaney, slightly confused, but wholly aroused, nods. Eli uses two fingers to scoop up a bit of the cake and with the soft command of, "Open your mouth," he pushes in the digits, groaning softly when Delaney closes his mouth to suck them clean. As Delaney is laving his tongue between chocolate covered fingers, Eli is slowly sliding him forward, lifting him off the table with ease, to begin to lower him onto his cock.

Toe curling pleasure spreads throughout his entire body as Eli fills him with one, smooth thrust. They both exhale loudly; Delaney into the open air as Eli's fingers fall from his mouth and Eli into the crook of Delaney's neck as his body is held flush against the alpha's.

Eli's thrusts are deep and each time he snaps his hips forward, Delaney cries out. His nails dig into Eli's back, surely leaving crescent moon marks on his skin, but Delaney can't find it in him to care right now. Not when Eli has a tight grip on his ass and is pulling him forward to grind his cock against a hard abdomen as the alpha pushes deep inside of him.

Eli lightly moans in Delaney's ear, "You feel so good."

A full body shiver passes through Delaney as he tries but fails to respond. He can only bury his face in Eli's neck as his orgasm continues to build. His muscles twitch and clench around Eli as he rolls his hips forward. When his back arches and his moans become breathier, his voice reaching a crescendo, Eli slows them down to whisper,

"The view looks even better in the morning."

Delaney is already fucked out, bliss robbing him of any common sense, so he mutters, "Huh?"

"You'll appreciate the view in the morning. Especially from my room," Eli smiles softly.

"Mm, okay." He doesn't really understand, nor does he care about what Eli is saying. He's on the precarious edge of an orgasm that he knows is mind blowing and he desperately wants to plummet to the depths below. However, when Eli begins to walk them forward, each step causing his cock to shift inside of Delaney in deliciously mind-numbing ways, he finally understands.

He's not going home any time soon.