Delaney is fresh out of the shower and pulling on a short robe when the doorbell rings. He pulls the towel from his hair, rubbing it along his locks and scrunching out any excess water before he tosses it in his hamper. The doorbell rings again and he hurries forward to open the door. Eli looks down at him, a fiery stare making his honey brown eyes flash.

There's a brief pause before Eli enters Delaney's home, kicking the door shut. Any pretense of pleasantries or menial conversation is pushed to the side as Delaney is lifted into strong arms, his legs placed on either side of Eli's hips. He wraps his arms around broad shoulders and leans in to kiss the alpha, sighing softly when their mouths meet.

"God that drives me crazy," Eli groans. His fingers tangle in damp curls, gently tugging so Delaney has to crane his neck back a bit. Eli bites gently at the sensitive skin, his hips bucking forward a bit when Delaney grinds against him.

"If you're going to do that, we won't make it to the bedroom," Delaney gasps.

"I wasn't planning on doing so, to be honest with you." Eli's hand moves between them and within seconds, his cock is pulled from his jeans and the head pressing against Delaney. In one smooth thrust, he's nestled deep, gasping just as loudly as Delaney when heat engulfs his shaft.

Delaney's head drops to Eli's shoulder, his grip tightening as his hips are pushed and pulled, Eli controlling the pace and depth with which Delaney takes him. "Slow," Delaney whimpers. He nearly comes undone when Eli whispers,

"Let me take care of you."

Delaney is pressed against the nearest wall, Eli's body weight keeping him pinned against the cool surface. Hips forcefully snap against his ass, causing his body to bounce with each thrust. His cock is trapped between the both of them, his sensitive length rubbing against the cotton of Eli's shirt and sending an electric current rushing throughout his body.

Eli is a bit more aggressive with Delaney than he has ever been and he absolutely loves it. Each thrust forward feels like the alpha is trying to carve out a space only he can fill. The warmth within Delaney is not simply related to his heat and despite this maybe not being the most appropriate moment for him to have this realization, he does. He knows that he likes Eli. He knows that one day soon, he'll share this truth. He knows that when he does, he runs the large risk of his heart being broken, but right now, he pushes all of that aside to concentrate on how he feels in this moment. He feels so full and he moans that loudly as Eli sucks a bruise on his skin.

"So full," Delaney whimpers. "I'm so full."

Eli grunts against his neck, "God, you feel so incredible. I don't want to pull out."

"Come—inside—," Delaney gasps between moans.

"But you're—fuck," Eli moans low in the back of his throat as Delaney tightens around him, slick dripping from between his thighs to dampen Eli's jeans.

"It's okay," Delaney coaxes. "It's okay. Just do it. Please. I—I need to be full." His eyes water and he quickly wipes the tears away, hiding the unsettling onset of the emotional pain that's warring with his physical pleasure.

Eli's hips stutter as he thrusts deeply within Delaney. His fingers flex tightly around the man's hips and he feels a bit of momentary regret as he realizes there will be bruises on the soft skin. However, his regret is replaced with an intense sense of pride as he preens at the thought of marking up Delaney. His omega. Delaney's hips cantering forward to meet his thrusts has his pace becoming erratic.

Delaney can feel Eli's knot pressing against his hole, stretching him slightly with each thrust forward. He craves the fullness, needs to stay full for as long as possible, so he bites at Eli's earlobe sucking softly as he asks for the alpha to knot him. "Do it. I need you, alpha. Plea—" His begging is cut off, blinding pleasure is on the heels of searing pain as he's split open by Eli's knot. When they're joined together, it's as if every sense of Delaney's becomes heightened. He can clearly differentiate the pained expression just beneath the surface of Eli's ecstasy. The dizzying pheromones threaten to pull him into a comfortable and mind numbing blackness. He can taste how sweet those pheromones would be on his tongue and his gums ache with a pressure and need to bite down on Eli's gland and drink him in. When he feels warmth spill inside of him, he lets go with the alpha, crying loudly as his orgasm takes hold of him.

Day Five

By this day in his heat cycle, Delaney's usually coming down from the worst of it. The pain has become more tolerable, the intense need to be filled has usually subsided and he's able to shower or bathe without feeling the need to get off. However, this time is different. And maybe it's because Eli is still here and being in close proximity to the alpha has Delaney slicking up more than he ever has, but this day passes by in a blur of sticky limbs, stained sheets, and Eli feeding him in between thrusts.

It was the only way to get Delaney to agree to eat.

Day Six

A summer storm rages outside of Delaney's window. The sheets have been changed and a load of laundry has been started. They spent the early morning cleaning Delaney's room before taking a long shower. They're in bed, Delaney laying on Eli's chest as the alpha plays with his hair.

"I have a question," Delaney completely breaks the silence.

"I might have an answer."

"Why did you knot me this time?"

Eli stiffens, his hand stilling in Delaney's hair. "I don't know..." he trails off.

"Bullshit." Delaney props up on his elbow and stares over at Eli. "What made this time different from the first time? Or the subsequent times?"

"Do we have to talk about this now?" Eli scrubs a hand down his face, exhaling loudly.

"Yes," Delaney insists. He's trying to stop himself from disrupting this quiet moment, but he pushes. He needs to know before he—before he—

"I've never... knotted anyone." Eli answers softly.

Delaney's eyebrows pinch together, his head tilting slightly. "But you're not a virgin."

"I've never wanted...to knot anyone," Eli clarifies.

Delaney tucks himself into Eli's side and waits for the man to continue. When he doesn't, Delaney pushes. "Why?"

"At the risk of you teasing me mercilessly," Eli sighs softly, "There's not been anyone I've wanted to knot. It's primitive and takes away your ability to do anything for hours. It's meant to keep," he coughs lightly, "everything... inside and I've never thought about... it's just not very convenient." He rushes out, shrugging.

It's meant to keep everything inside.

Delaney needs to tell Eli the truth. Right now would be the appropriate time to have the conversation. They're already talking about something that can easily segue into the truth of why Delaney was crying the day they met. Instead, he focuses on one thing Eli said and uses that to fuel his courage in disclosing a truth that he knows Eli is aware of and that isn't as important as the knowledge of his medical condition. "There's never been anyone you've wanted to knot until me?"

"Yeah," Eli hums softly as he plays with Delaney's hair. "Dunno what you did to me Dee, but I'm not complaining. Why did you choose to focus on that? Is it because..." he trails off, gasping facetiously. "You like me?!"

"I didn't say that!" Delaney protests.

"At this point, seeing as how we just heat shared—,"

"You literally only fucked me through the worst of it. It's not like you were here from day one."

"IRREGARDLESS," Eli yells.

Delaney groans loudly. "That isn't a word."

"It's in the dictionary."

"Morons."

"Irregardless," Eli continues, "We heat shared even if it was for a few days. You asked me to come over and, what did you say yesterday, 'fuck you into the mattress'?"

"If I did like you, I definitely don't now," Delaney complains as he smacks Eli's chest.

"Well, I like you, a lot."

"I know."

"And..." Eli says slowly, over enunciating the word.

"I, maybe, like you too," Delaney rushes out.

Any sense of joy he feels when Eli cheers loudly and annoys him by immediately smothering his face in kisses, is overshadowed by the heavy sense of shame and guilt as Delaney holds on tightly to his truth.

I'll tell him before things get too serious.