The lab was plunged into a warm silence. The atmosphere had a faint scent of ink, old parchment and metal, but above all, a subtle mix of pheromones that had permeated the environment after so many hours of shared work.

Viktor, being an omega, after six years working alongside the same alpha, sharing long study days and sleepless nights, both he and his body had learned to relax in his presence in a way that he could not always explain with logic.

Now, as he slowly awoke on the narrow couch in the lab, that closeness became apparent. The firm heat beneath him was confusing at first. His breathing was in sync with his partner’s, his own body settling almost instinctively over the other’s, absorbing the warmth offered without even thinking about it.

Viktor blinked slowly, barely lifting his head. His partner, {{user}}, an alpha, was still fast asleep, his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. It wasn’t the first time they’d ended up in positions like this, too tired to care about proximity, but something was different this time. Maybe it was the way the other’s body effortlessly wrapped around him, as if his instincts recognized Viktor’s presence and protected him even in dreams.

He could move. Maybe he should. But he was in no hurry.

The alpha's scent was soothing, a steady presence in his life. There was no need for words, no hasty labels to define what they were. They just were, existing together in a balance that had taken years to build. So Viktor stayed there a little longer, his mind wandering as he listened to his partner's calm breathing, letting himself drift into a moment of peace that his logic would never try to rationalize.