Galen realized the next day that he’d have to wait for August’s hickeys to fade before he could hold the press conference. Galen watched them peek out of August’s collar as he made breakfast, offering to help in order to get a closer look at his handiwork. He couldn’t resist feeling ever-so-slightly smug that his own bite mark was already just a shadow, but August’s would last longer. Not too much longer, though; he bought some nice creams to help them heal faster.
Galen set the date for a few days later and sent out a press release announcing it. He’d finally lined up everything he needed, so it didn’t make sense to delay it any longer than necessary. He still had plenty to do making sure that everything went smoothly, dealing with hotels and event crews, and fending off preemptive questions from the press.
August had endless questions for Galen now that the press conference was imminent. He didn’t know what he should say or how he should act or if the plan would really work. He asked Galen what he should wear, what he should cook for the speakers they were hosting, if the tech crew needed to be fed, what he should tell his family, where he should stand… he knew that he was the biggest problem and the greatest risk in the current situation. Galen talked him through all of it. He arranged it so that August would only have to say that he would give one-on-one interviews later. He helped August pick an outfit and make a meal plan for the day. He did his best to convince August that this time he meant it when he said it would be alright.
The morning of, August got up early to make breakfast for Galen. He was feeling a strange mix of emotions as Galen fidgeted with his hair and rattled off his to-do list. August focused on the eggs congealing in the hot pan in front of him, his back to Galen and the living room, and mentally went over what he needed to do. When the omelet was done, he placed it in front of Galen, reheating some leftovers for himself.
“The tech crew say they’ll be here in about an hour,” Galen said, folding up is comm and putting it to the side for a moment, “And the guard assured me that no one will get the chance to climb the walls like Deana did.”
“Sounds good... what about the speakers? Any changes there?” August asked.
“Mn, the Emperor had something come up, but the Empress is still coming.”
“And what did the hospital say?”
“The director will not comment until the ethics investigation is over, but they’re sending one of the lawyers that helped with the contract. And your doctor said he’d come, but he might have to leave if there’s an emergency at the hospital.”
“’Course. And what about the other two?”
“Deana’s waiting for them at the shuttle station as we speak.”
Everything was lining up, but the pressure and tension were still mounting. Galen roamed the house and fidgeted listlessly, dive bombing the kitchen until August finally asked him if he wanted to help with the cooking after all. Working side by side, there was a moment of calm before the tech crew arrived and Galen swanned out to direct them. When he came back inside, Deana and two others followed him in.
August rushed to greet them, his heart in his throat. One was a short Omega woman in her 40s with a sweet demeanor and a round face. The other was a taller woman of similar age with a delicate frame and two ornate leg braces that were just visible below her skirt. She looked at August like an old friend and immediately launched into chatter about the trip. Living on the other side of Galaxy, her and her partner were so excited to visit the capital for the first time.
She was the patient in the original case study, the one that August and Galen’s experimental trial had been based on. Her partner was her childhood friend. Thinking that she was going to die, they had started an unadvised relationship, only to shock the doctors when the Alpha pheromone rejection appeared to go into remission. It was a miraculous story, and Galen had asked them to come and talk about it.
After that, the Empress arrived, and then the lawyer, and finally August’s doctor. August did his best to play host while Galen handled the logistics and greeted the arriving press. The man looked like he was sparkling, rushing in every direction the moment he was needed with a gentle smile on his face. August was getting more and more anxious as the hour approached, however. He had something important to tell Galen, and he needed to do it before everything was over. But Galen was so preoccupied that August just couldn’t get him away in the few moments of freedom that he himself had. He couldn’t abandon the Empress to chase after him, in the end.
Time ticked by and more press started to arrive. Galen only got busier, animated by a nervous energy that August recognized from when he’d had his flare up. Even once he came back inside and all that was left to do was wait until the start time, he fluttered around the living room. August trailed after him desperately but still wasn’t able to peel him away for a private moment. Finally, it came down to a few remaining seconds.
The press conference was starting and everyone was filing out the door. August and Galen were the last ones out. Before Galen could step over the threshold, August reached out and touched his shoulder. Galen turned around, a little concerned. In that instant, August finally had his attention, and words tumbled out of his mouth.
“I just… I don’t regret any of this,” he said, doing his best to look Galen in the eye. It wasn’t exactly what he’d intended to communicate. The words were abrupt and short and only partially what he’d wanted Galen to know. “I hope—” he started again. Aware they were out of time, he didn’t finish his thought.
The worry had melted from Galen’s face and he flashed a smile at August. It was a dazzling, radiant grin, momentarily careless like a flower shaken in the breeze. Lacking in practice or artifice or anything resembling restraint, it stunned August until Galen turned out the door and stepped in front of the waiting press. No time left, August steadied his breathing and followed suit, only holding the moment in his heart.
Outside, Galen strode up to the podium, facing the crowd of faces and swarm of cameras, feeling at once like his old and new self. He gave his signature smile and told them all, “Thank you for coming today.” Everybody went quiet when he spoke, only the cameras swaying back and forth in front of the safety net, trying to get the best angle. The words Galen had rehearsed in his heart flowed out of him, and he let the mics carry his voice through the gathering.
“And I also want to thank everyone who has supported me for doing so. Unfortunately, I feel I may have let you all down by failing to clarify my situation. I want to fix that now, and to that end, I’ve arranged for a number of speakers who can shed light on the circumstances leading up to today. I would also like to give my own account, but the very first thing I want you all to know is that I like August—”
Galen’s voice suddenly faltered. He turned his back on everyone in front of him to flash another smile at August, who was caught completely unprepared. August’s cheeks went hot and he looked up at all the cameras, which only made his blush worse.
Galen had already turned around again and continued to speak as if there had been no interruption. “I like August and will be staying with him for the time being. I’ll take questions at the end, but I want to be respectful of our guests’ time…”
After that, the press conference went off without a hitch. The Empress took responsibility for the role she had played in setting up Galen and August, and she also made clear that she would support whatever Galen wanted to do. August also succeeded in smoothly explaining that he would be giving interviews later in the week. Then, the other couple came forward and told a heart-rending story of their friendship, the horrors of the disease, and the miraculous recovery and relationship that followed. They talked about how lucky they were, how good their current lives were, and how much they hoped that others with Alpha pheromone rejection could also live long and happy lives. The hospital’s lawyer also explained the legal framework surrounding the experiment, and how other similar trials had been run in the past. Finally, August’s doctor stepped forward to offer insight into the medical side of things. He explained that the data so far showed that August’s treatment had been very successful, and the information they were gathering was critical in directing research towards mechanisms that could be used to develop specialized drugs.
August listened to it all in a daze. As the reporters started asking questions, it was clear that the situation was turning in his favour. Or rather, it felt like his situation had turned around from the moment Galen smiled at him. He let himself be hopeful as he watched Galen smoothly navigate the Q&A. After the press conference was over, he would have to give an interview to Deana, and after that he’d have to do many more. But everything suddenly felt much more possible now.
The next week passed in a haze. August had no energy for self-reflection, being bounced from one interview to another until the whole Empire knew more or less everything about him. The press conference was a success, though, and the tone of the news online had warmed up considerably. It was just a little bit regretful that a considerable amount of the thaw had come from memes about August’s press conference blush.
Milly had done her part, too, with August and Galen’s blessing. While she had been at the forefront of the blush memes, she had also put out a video explaining her relationship to August and Xanier. With her help, it became widely known that Xanier was nosey and had stolen the photo off of August’s phone without him knowing. While some were still skeptical, everyone at the their university at least believed it. As a result, Xanier became far too busy trying to preserve his reputation on campus to stay involved in August’s business.
Furthermore, there was a new story taking over the headlines. Some whistleblowers in the military were describing widespread discrimination against Beta and Omega personnel. A number of key figures were being implicated, the most important of which was Galen’s father. Reporters had already started linking the things he’d said publicly about August to his treatment of Beta subordinates. Galen refused to clarify how much he had to do with the situation. He only told August that he was relieved his father wouldn’t get away with it anymore, and that he hoped he would take an early retirement to reflect on his attitudes.
The last big hurdle they had to face was the ethics investigation, the results of which were about to be announced. August was sitting on the couch and had unfolded his comm and set it to float far enough back that he and Galen could both watch it easily. Galen was sitting with his back leaning against him, with one leg stretched out along the rest of the couch and one leg thrown over the back of it.
Fortunately, there was no suspense. As soon as the lead investigator started speaking, he clarified that the hospital’s experiment and contract had followed all the rules. The rest of the discussion was quite technical. Ultimately, the team did recommend some changes going forward, but August and Galen wouldn’t be impacted.
“It’s finally all over,” August said.
Galen agreed, “Mn, things will calm down now. It shouldn’t be too bad by the time classes start up again.”
August looked at Galen. The man had gone back to his lazy, unconcerned default, resting his weight on August’s shoulder. “Then… from now on… should we be…” August struggled to articulate himself. Ever since the press conference, he’d felt more and more confident in his feelings, but when it came to actually saying it, he was still at a loss.
Galen made the situation worse on purpose. He stopped propping himself up on August’s back and instead willfully flopped down so his head rested in August’s lap. Then, he watched with glee as August’s face went red on command. He reached up and pinched his cheek with a few slender fingers. “Should we be what?” He asked, pretending to be genuinely confused.
August floundered. “Uh… um… stop that first,” he managed, pulling Galen’s hand away. He kept hold of it though, and couldn’t help but play with it as he gathered his thoughts, running his thumb across the slender wrist and threading his own fingers between Galen’s. The delicate sensation finally made Galen’s own face pink as he waited patiently for a reply.
Eventually, August remembered to speak. “From now on… should we be together?” he asked, watching nervously for Galen’s reaction. The Omega’s blush deepened and a carefree smile bloomed across his face.
“I think so,” he said.
