#enigmabird

she sleeps with him and purrs while lying on his chest and those are probably the only moments max feels calm and safe 🥺 sometimes he sneaks her little treats

and then one day max sees rico and the kitty! hes approaching her slowly and max gets scared because rico is big and scary and the kitty is so tiny and young!

but then he notices a piece of meat in ricos hand and moments later the kitty is rubbing her head over his legs waiting for the treat. and it makes max pause, because maybe rico is not violent and terrifying?

and maybe there are some more little moments where max notices rico being nice and gentle? he respects an omegas opinion and helps around the house and maybe even cries over something?? max's brain is muddled with his preheat hormones and he doesnt know what to think anymore. rico took him away from his home

but his home was so cold and unhappy. and here max is always warm and gets so much food and they give him warm clothes even though hes been difficult all the time he's been there

and then what if.. max gets sick 🥺 all that stress and preheat hormones and sitting on the balcony in only a blanket. he doesn't really notice it because hes been feeling pretty bad already but then he wakes up with a fever and he keeps shivering and everything hurts

meanwhile rico is downstairs getting breakfast when he feels something brush against his legs. he looks down to see the cat hes been feeding for a couple of days. she's meowing and weaving around, looking urgent and, it looks like she's trying to lead him somewhere?

confused, rico follows her upstairs and to max's closed door

"sorry, friend. this is max's room, we can't go there," he says to the kitty. but she keeps meowing and even scratches on max's door

rico gets worried, then, because max has been looking worse and worse and he smelled like preheat so what if something happened?? he gently knocks on max's door and asks if max is okay

he listens carefully, hears a shuffling then a small muffled groan

even more alert now, rico asks if he can come inside. he can't imagine himself walking away if max said no, but he would never betray max's trust and privacy

more silence, then a very quiet "..yes"

rico feels relief, thats immediately taken over by more worry when he opens the door and sees max, shivering and pale under the blanket

"max, whats wrong? is it your heat?" he urges, hovering his hands above max's curled up form

shivering violently, max shakes his head. "cold," he manages to get out through his chattering teeth

rico reaches out to check his temperature, but stops himself. "is it alright if I touch you?"

max nods weakly and rico presses his palm to his forehead. its burning

he wants to go get some fever medicine for max, but when he turns to go, max's ice-cold fingers wrap around his wrist. "dont leave," he rasps.

rico tries to soothe him, rumbling. "im just going to get someone to bring you medicine. I'll be back, I promise."