Baby Boy || Gay MxM || Omegaverse

9. Like a Rose

I loved our little bubble. I never wanted to leave our little bubble. The outside world didn't exist anymore. I was fine with staying in my house with my little Rene by my side, making Francis run the business and my errands for me. It was peaceful.

And to be fair... I wasn't sure if I wanted to return to my old life as a mafia leader anymore. Not only was I much happier watching Rene and giving my full attention to helping him grow strong, but I was getting old, slow, and tired. My fifties were fast approaching, and our glory days were far gone. And Rene... He didn't need to have anything to do with that kind of life.

So... I actually started reconsidering what I wanted to do with my life.

I stared at the television without paying any attention to it. I had a little baby alpha curled up in my lap, snoozing away, and my mind was occupied by his soft hair... And thoughts about our future. It was weird to even consider abandoning the mafia. It had been my life for the past... thirty years? Thirty-five years? I was a teenager when this life had sucked me in.

I never really looked back. There was nothing to look at, really. Just a little teenage Michael who got a bad hand dealt at birth, lurking behind the dark corners, trying to sell a little bit of weed to earn two bucks. I was glad I never learned to feel bitter about how my life turned out to be. There were times when I'd felt jealousy, yes, but never bitterness. It was no one's fault my parents were drug addicts, and I ended up in the system, then on the streets, and then...

I looked around in my luxurious house, with my newly found mate sleeping in my arms. I made a life for myself. A life I didn't regret. I was the Michael Mercer, after all. The Boss.

But perhaps it was time to be someone else. Someone new.

I looked down at Rene when he moved, his breathing changing. I smiled as I watched him waking up. He opened his sleepy eyes, took one hasty look around, and found me. He smiled drowsily when our eyes met.

"Hey, baby boy..." I murmured, brushing my hand through his hair. "Did you have a good nap?"

"Uh-huh..." he said with a nod, closing his eyes, and curled up under his blanket.

"Need a moment longer?" I asked.

"No..."

"Uh-huh..." I chuckled. I was sure he'd fall back to sleep, but his stomach growled demandingly. "Sounds like you could use a little snack."

He laughed lightly, stretching his body. "I just ate."

"It's actually been... almost three hours," I said, checking the time. "Your body needs fuel. Lots and lots of fuel."

He let out a cute little growl, but it got drowned by the sounds of his stomach. He wrinkled his nose and opened his eyes.

"I guess I could eat," he said, smirking.

"Come on then. I'll make you something," I said, gently petting his shoulder.

It was wonderful, really. In the past few days, his appetite had grown so much it was basically a job to keep him fed. He was constantly hungry, and it was showing. He was gaining weight, and even though it still was subtle, his physique had already changed for the better. His sharp curves were softening, and when I held him, my fingers didn't sink between his bones. He would look so much better in mere weeks.

"What would you like?" I asked him when we stepped into the kitchen.

"I don't know... Everything?" he said, stopping by the kitchen island while I made my way to the fridge.

"Well we have... How about sandwiches? There's plenty of toppings," I asked, staring into the full fridge, but Rene wasn't answering. "Baby?"

I turned to him. He was staring out the window, into the darkening yard. He seemed focused.