The alpha crouched next to his feet and carefully pulled off his shoes. He set them aside and touched his cool forearm to Linus’ forehead.
“Fuck, you’re burning up!”
He hurried away. Then he returned with a wet towel, pressing it against Linus’ forehead.
It felt good. Linus sagged against the couch, turning his face toward that cool comfort.
“I’ll need you to swallow the Ibuprofen,” the alpha said. “Can you do that?”
Linus shrugged. “Head hurts.”
“It’ll feel better when you’ve had your meds. Here.” A strong, warm hand enclosed his and turned it around. Two pills dropped into his palm. “Two Ibuprofens since you’re an omega.”
Linus stuffed them into his mouth clumsily; a glass of water was pressed into his hand. He took a big gulp and choked.
“Fuck!” the alpha hissed. He patted Linus’ back and peered at him in concern, bright blue eyes fixed on Linus’ face.
When the alpha tried to take away the water glass, Linus pulled it back, gulping down more water until the pills were safely in his stomach.
“Okay, that’s good. Let me get you some stew so you’re not taking the pills on an empty stomach.”
Linus frowned. “Stew?”
“Yeah, you like it. Hang on.”
The alpha moved away. Linus sagged into his couch, closing his eyes.
What the hell was going on? Why was there an alpha in his home?
He tried to make sense of this, except it hurt to think. The apartment was quiet save for some clinking sounds in the kitchen.
The alpha returned, the couch dipping next to Linus. “Here. It’s still hot, so be careful.”
Linus heard blowing sounds. Then a spoon nudged against his lips, and he opened his mouth.
It tasted like one of the stews he made. There wasn’t any beef, though, just the thick soupy parts of the stew, and some tender vegetables.
“There’s beef in there too,” the alpha said. “But we’ll stick to something easy to digest for now.”
He fed Linus a few more mouthfuls. It wasn’t enough to fill his stomach, but it tasted good. After a while, the alpha set down the bowl and arranged Linus so he was lying on his side. He tucked a cushion under Linus’ head.
“Sleep now,” the alpha said. “I’ll be around if you need me.”
His footsteps drifted away, and Linus sank into darkness.
When he woke up,the apartment was dark, and there was a thin blanket covering him.
He was in his bed.
How did I get here?
Linus frowned and tried to rummage through his memories, but his head hurt.
He needed to pee, though.
With a wince, he grabbed his glasses and fumbled his way out of bed.
“Where are you going?” A huge shadow appeared in front of him.
