[BL]Hunted by the God of Destruction-Chapter 181: God of babysitting

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: God of babysitting
The water lapped softly at the edges of the tub, steam ghosting around them until the winter light was only a pale blur behind the glass. Elias’s breathing had gone ragged and then slow again, the ache in his belly settling into a heavy throb. He floated against Victor’s chest without really thinking about it, eyelids fluttering as if he were drifting in and out of a fevered dream.
Victor kept his palms flat over the omega’s stomach, thumbs moving in the same slow, deliberate circles. The dark-spice scent of his pheromones had deepened, but it stayed leashed, a low hum beneath the sweeter, sharper iris now pouring off Elias’s skin. It was thicker than it had been that morning, a sudden bloom of sweetness that hit the back of Victor’s throat like sugar on fire.
He bent his head slightly, nose brushing damp hair at Elias’s crown. "You smell it too, don’t you?" he murmured, voice velvet-low. "Your body’s changing."
Elias’s answer was a soft, frustrated sound, his fingers tightening briefly over Victor’s wrists before relaxing again. "I feel it," he admitted, words almost swallowed by steam. "It’s... gods, it’s different. It’s like my skin’s buzzing and my head’s full of static."
Victor’s hands shifted up, one palm sliding to the back of his neck, thumb finding the mark automatically. "That’s the bond," he said quietly. "Your heat’s not just heat anymore. It’s lining itself up with mine."
Elias cracked one eye open, trying to focus on him. "You make it sound like a weather ," he muttered, but his voice lacked bite. "Heavy chance of demigods by spring."
Victor’s mouth curved against his damp temple, shameless even now. "At least fifty percent," he murmured. "But not today."
Elias’s laugh came out more like a breath. He let his eyes drift shut again, leaning back into the big hands and the steady circles. "You’re impossible."
Victor didn’t argue. He simply shifted, drawing Elias a little closer so his back rested fully against his chest, the omega’s head tucked under his chin. Steam curled around them in soft ribbons, the scent of iris and smoke winding together until the whole room smelled like a storm waiting to break.
"Breathe," he whispered again. "Let it work through. I’ve got you."
Elias exhaled, a low sound of reluctant trust, and stayed where he was. Outside the frost edged higher on the window, but under the water Victor’s body was a wall of heat, holding him steady as his scent sweetened and the change moved under his skin.
Victor felt the shift first, the way the sweetness in Elias’s scent thickened until it coated the back of his tongue, the way the omega’s muscles went pliant but not relaxed, as if his body had quietly decided to surrender to whatever it was preparing for. Under his palms, Elias’s pulse fluttered high and fast.
"That’s enough," Victor murmured against damp skin, his voice still velvet but firmer now. "Too much heat will just drain you."
He moved slowly, giving Elias time to follow, sliding his hands from his stomach to his hips and easing him upright. Water sluiced down their bodies in sheets. "Arms around my neck," he said softly.
Elias obeyed without thinking, cheek pressing against Victor’s collarbone. His fingers curled loosely at the back of the alpha’s neck, nails grazing the still-warm skin. "You’re charming when you’re careful," he mumbled, somewhere between teasing and dazed.
"I’m always charming to you," Victor corrected, one corner of his mouth tugging faintly as he rose to his feet with Elias still in his arms. Water streamed from them both, pattering against the marble tile like rain. "Hold on."
The winter light cut silver through the steam as Victor stepped out of the bath, one arm under Elias’s knees, the other steady at his back. Adam had already laid out thick towels on a bench nearby; Victor caught one in his free hand and draped it over Elias’s shoulders before setting him briefly on the bench.
"Stay," he murmured, crouching to wrap another towel around his legs. His big hands moved with the same patience they had in the water, rubbing warmth back into his skin. "Your body’s doing enough work; let me do this part."
Elias let out a small, helpless sound, part sigh, part laugh. "You’re treating me like I’ll break."
Victor leaned in until their foreheads brushed again, crimson eyes glinting under damp lashes. "You’re changing," he said softly. "And I like to spoil you."
He straightened, reached for another towel, and wound it around his own hips before scooping Elias back up again. The omega’s scent clung to him now, sweet and sharp, a trail Victor could feel down to the marrow.
As they crossed back into the suite, the cold edge of winter pressed at the windows, but Victor’s heat stayed steady around him. He shifted his grip just enough to press his thumb once more against the mark at Elias’s nape, grounding him with that small, familiar circle.
"Back to bed," he said quietly. "And food. Then we’ll see what you’re ready for."
Elias’s lashes fluttered, a faint noise escaping him that might have been a laugh. "You make it sound like I’m about to be graded."
Victor’s mouth curved, crimson eyes glinting down at him. "I’m not grading you," he murmured. "I’m making sure you’re fed before you pass out again."
He shouldered the door open and stepped inside. The suite was warm and dim now, curtains drawn against the pale winter light. A tray already waited on the low table near the bed, Adam’s efficient touch, steam curling from a pot of tea and a bowl of plain rice with soft-boiled eggs perched on top.
Victor set him down on the edge of the mattress and bent to strip away the last damp towel. "Arms up," he said softly.
Elias obeyed, letting Victor pull a loose, warm shirt over his head. The fabric clung for a heartbeat to damp skin before settling; Victor smoothed it down with both palms, a gesture more intimate than necessary.
"There," Victor murmured. "Warm. Dry. Fed next."
Elias tilted his head, eyes still half-closed. "You’ve got the tone of a man house-training a stray cat."
Victor huffed a quiet laugh and reached for the tray. "Maybe," he said, handing him the bowl. "But you’re my stray cat, and you’re staying put."
The smell of tea and rice drifted up, simple and comforting. Elias curled his fingers around the bowl and gave a small, tired smile. "This is better than ramen," he admitted under his breath.
Victor’s thumb brushed once more at the back of his neck, a silent pulse of warmth. "Eat," he said. "Then sleep. Everything else waits."
Elias scooped up a bite, the steam fogging his lashes. "You’re ridiculous," he muttered, but there was no heat in it. "God of spreadsheets, god of snacks, and now god of babysitting."
Victor only smiled, settling on the mattress beside him, one arm draped along the back of the headboard as if anchoring them both. "Until you’re steady," he said simply. "Then we’ll see what you’re ready for."