Chapter 2: ~2~
Kieran watched Bryan quietly tap away on his laptop, he had insisted on sitting on the floor even though Kieran had invited him to come sit on one of the chairs opposite his.
He had been in that oddly quiet state since Leon and Darian left, he was long used to him filling up the empty space of his office and now even though he was here, it didn't feel that way.
He tried to attend to some files but couldn't concentrate, his eyes drifting over to Bryan who sat cross legged, hunched over his laptop, floppy auburn hair in his eyes.
He glanced at the time. "You should go eat lunch." He tried to say nicely but it came off as cold and gruff.
Bryan hid a frown at this, not liking the way unshed tears burned his eyes.
Hasn't it always been like this? What changed?
He got to his feet at this, Kieran always looked over him like the father he never really had and as that realization hit so did the other part of it.
He didn't want to be treated that way by Kieran!
"Do you see me as a kid, Kieran?" He had no idea when he blurted out the words running through his mind nonstop for the past couple hours.
Kieran glanced up at this, his face painfully blank.
Bryan could never get a read on him, at first it had added to his charm but now he would give a lot just to know what was truly going on in his head.
"Does it matter?" He muttered ambiguously. "Come on, go eat now, I don't like you eating your meals late."
That was all the answer Bryan needed, Kieran truly saw him as nothing but a fumbling child.
He gathered up his stuff, methodically stacking up his notes.
Kieran was alerted by this, "Why are you packing up?" He narrowed his eyes.
"Because I'm leaving." He replied coldly and cryptically.
"Yes, to eat lunch, why would you need to pack up for that?" Kieran sat up this time, his mental alarms going off.
He always had to scold Bryan because he usually left his laptop running and his notes and pen scattered around whenever he went for lunch but this was different.
Bryan straightened up with all of his work stuff in his arms. "I'm a twenty year adult, Kieran, stop treating me like a child." He bit out, barely managing to get all of the words out before storming out of the Head Beta's office.
"Bryan!" Kieran called after him but he was long gone, the resounding slam of the door the only thing left.
What was that all about?
Bryan hurried down the hallways, cursing at himself for the tears all but spilling down his eyes even as he clutched his laptop and notes against his chest.
He was the dumb one, Kieran had no obligation to him and had been literally going out of his way all these while.
Bryan could tell when he wasn't needed and he would be better off keeping his distance from Kieran, for his own sanity as well.
His mom wasn't home thankfully, so he just headed straight for his room, dropped his laptop on his desk and fell on his bed.
He wished it didn't sting this much even though he had no reason to be this hurt, it wasn't that the Head Beta was dense but that he simply didn't see him as anything other than a child.
Kieran sat quietly at his desk, his office feeling bare now that Bryan wasn't here to fill it up.
When did he start getting attached to the kid?
Kid…
Wasn't that the reason Bryan had stormed off, because Kieran treated him like a child?
Fuck.
Kieran cursed to himself, reaching for his half empty pack of cigarettes that were replaced with candy sticks.
He placed one of the sweet sticks into his mouth, letting part of it hang out like it was a cigarette.
If it were anyone else he would let them go but this wasn't anyone else, it was Bryan.
What made him so special though?
Nothing, Kieran realized, he just felt guilty for upsetting him and was merely trying to make things right again.
Getting to his feet, he cursed some more. He could guess that Bryan had gone straight to his bedroom and not to eat lunch like he had told him to.
He swept out of his office, he was basically free for the rest of the afternoon so it wasn't like he was ditching work.
Erin was extremely capable so even if something did come up while he was away, she could easily handle it.
He left the candy stick between his lips, the action grounding him somewhat.
Did that mean that he should probably lay off the cigarettes like Bryan was always telling him to? He wouldn't look at that too closely.
He swept down the hallways, dirty blond hair finger combed with how often he hand pushed his hands through them.
His black shirt was tucked into pristine black slacks, his loafers tapping gently on the carpeted hallway.
He made his way down the second floor, the members of the Pack still mostly ignored him and as always, he was fine with that.
It was afternoon on a Thursday so the second floor was mostly deserted, which was perfect.
He half expected the door to be locked but he didn't knock, trying the door knob first thing.
The door swung open and he stepped inside Bryan's apartment for the first time.
It was exactly as he had pictured, spick and span without being bare, it exuded a warmth and comforting aura that only a woman could provide.
He knew how the apartments were designed so he strode directly to Bryan's bedroom.
This time he found the door open, Bryan lying face down on the bed, his shirt riding up to show off a sliver of warm skin.
Kieran knew that he should alert Bryan about his presence but instead he leaned against the door frame to watch him.
Had he ever really settled down to look at Bryan?
Why couldn't he tear his eyes away?
Bryan could sense eyes on him and he whipped around only to startle when he saw Kieran leaning against the door frame of his open door, watching him with something unfathomable in those bottomless black eyes.
His scent spiked slightly, the sweet scent of wisteria filling the air around.
"Kieran?"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone