It's bad.

Again.

Erik kept his head low as he entered Mal's quarters, ignoring his quips with a clenched jaw, but closes the door all the same. His entire being deflated from the day's events, the heavy weight on his shoulders entirely all in his head but that didn't make it any less troubling for the teen. In fact, it was the very reason that the teen was so sulky.

He finds himself slumping next to Mal on the couch, bag carelessly dropped to the floor. He feels tired. Tired of fighting off these urges. "I almost attacked someone today." 'Again' goes unsaid, but they both know that Erik implies it without saying. His voice is dripping with guilt, eyes glued to the floor, refusing to look at Mal for fear of his reaction. The Alpha would probably be disappointed with him, that he was failing so badly despite all the time they've been trying to help him improve.

He had felt it, the wolf raising its hackles as the day went on. Mal's class was the only place where he could relax, or be as relaxed with Mal smacking him in the head if he weren't listening well enough, but it was the only that he felt like he didn't have all the pressure inside of him threatening to burst. But for this particular day, Italian had been on his first block, and as the day passed by, he felt the wolf trying to claw its way out. He winced at the memory. He had snapped at a girl, a human girl, for making a little snide comment about his attention span and intelligence. Erik had felt his skin prickle, cold and hot at the same time, threatening to burst out. It was all he could do to run away, leave the vicinity, as he ran past everyone to try and calm down.

Figures that he would run towards his Alpha.

Now he feels calm, with the grounding presence of Malvolio was enough to deter the urges, remaining calm and complacent under his gaze. But its the fear of what he would do when Mal wasn't around that scared him.

He leans towards Mal, drowning in his misery with a little sigh.

MALVOLIO RICCARDO omg so sorry for taking so long bb ;A;

"No. I... Ran before I showed anything." He mumbles, voice small and timid, but he's not even a hundred percent sure. He didn't even think of that. What if someone, especially a human, noticed his change, or connected him with the monster that now slept inside of him. He sinks further into Mal without even noticing, thoughts swirling in his mind as the repercussions hit him. A load of trouble, that's what he is, even as he clings to Mal he knows this to be true.

His lets out a surprised gasp as Mal hugs him, but he doesn't try to break free, his hands still clinging on the front of Mal's shirt like a lost child. Little pup. Any other time he would have scoffed, been annoyed by the pet name. Now... He feels that it's so fitting, and it accepts it, if it means that Mal's going to take care of him. There's none of the snide tone in Mal's voice too. He utters it with such gentleness, almost caring that Erik doesn't have the heart to be annoyed. My Alpha, he think in return and just nods his head into Mal's chest.

His listens and looks at Mal with question. They'd discussed this, of course, Malvolio imprinting on Erik, so that he could immediately sense whenever Erik got upset or was close to shifting, prevent it from even happening. Erik had jumped on the idea, but Mal had been more resilient and said that it was something to think on. And now Mal was offering but even just his words felt heavy. Erik knew that this meant a lot to Mal. He nods as Mal again explains the implications of the bond, to show that he understand and that he is listening.

Erik utters a little whine when Mal pulls away to stand up, his fingers clutching at air as the Alpha turns his back on him. All the warmth gone from his Alpha gone, Erik suddenly feels vulnerable and scared. It's ridiculous of course, Mal is still in the room and it shouldn't have much effect, the distance shouldn't have affected anything, his aggression still down in the presence of his alpha. But Erik chalks it up as different feeling altogether. Erik likes Mal, the Omega's known this for a while, and it's always pained him to see Mal give himself so little regard.

He feels the need to help him, just as much as the Alpha has helped him.

Erik stands up, shyly. Instincts tell him that he should be gentle with the upset Alpha, so he drapes his arms around Mal, resting his chin on the man's shoulder, inhaling his scent as he does. "I understand." He begins, tone soft, just for the two of them. "Means I'll also be a constant pain your ass, and I'll be on your mind as much as I will be in yours. I trust you, and your judgement, it's what I want." He can tell that it bothers Mal, to be tied to someone, and the most that Erik can do is to tell him and show him that he's willing. It hurts him to see Mal doubt himself and his decisions, but the Omega doesn't even know how to fix that.

"I like you, Mal. And if you'll have me, I'll be yours."


MALVOLIO RICCARDO feels feels

He knows that he's not the brightest crayon in the box, that he's nowhere as smart others. Maybe if he was smarter, he'd be able to stop himself, trying to control these stupid urges were taxing, mentally and physically, and it was all he could do not to melt into Mal's hold. But he can sense that the man isn't in his best either, the revelation of Erik's decision probably surprised him, though he didn't seem so, Erik could tell that some part of Mal was in disbelief and doubt.

Chuckling at Mal's comment, he doesn't think he has to put much effort in it, trouble seems to follow him whether he wants it to or not. He goes quiet as Malvolio. It's the first time that the Alpha's shown tears, which causes a part of Erik to panic and tighten his hold on the raven. It's too weird, seeing Mal cry, like some image of him has suddenly been revealed, something new for Erik to see. He clutches on to Mal, afraid that if he lets go, that the Alpha might push him away ask for time alone. Erik knows that that was what he himself would do, not liking when people saw him in such a vulnerable state. Though, he's not sure that wants to let go of Mal even if the man protests. He wants to protect him from harm, even if he doesn't know how to.

"I like you because you're good even if you don't admit it, and you're a great Alpha. People do care about you Mal, you just deny it because you're stupid." He half-teases, smiling into Mal's hair as he rubs circles on the the man's stomach in a soothing manner. Erik holds him as he shakes, feels him shudder with the force of his emotions, and it breaks his heart.

His mind stops for a moment when Mal mentions a daughter. Huh. This was the first time he's ever heard of one, he'd always been under the impression that Mal had never married and didn't really have a family. After all the times Erik's seen him, he'd never really said anything, nor were there any pictures of Mal's family. With the revelation, Erik squirmed on the spot. Maybe he was being a distraction to Mal's family or something? Figures that he would end up a burden. "It's okay." He says gently, still half-engrossed in thought, maybe squeezing a little bit too hard. He was, after all, caught by surprise. "Really, I should be thanking you. For going to all this trouble for me..."

"SO uhm... You have a daughter? Do you have a wife too?" Typical Erik, didn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

MALVOLIO RICCARDO lolololol

It's a strange pain to here Malvolio talk down on himself, normally the man is reserved about things that might even pertain to being personal, though Erik thinks that he's seen a fair few things that Mal probably never meant to show. It hurts all the same, the puncture in his chest when Mal admits to wanting to play the villain. It's something that Erik has never understood. Raised and taught by his parents to be good, to be the best that he can be, he doesn't understand the meaning behind Mal's words. It's so confusing, this strange twist to being a bad person. He wonders, half-heartedly, if Mal's parents ever messed him up so bad that he thinks this way, because Erik certainly can't find any rhyme or reason to it. He knows he probably doesn't understand a lot of things, everything is never as it seems, and for Erik, who is used to seeing something for what it is at its most truthful, is easily confused by the vagueness of the situation. Maybe naive, but he's always believed that honesty was best, no matter the situation.

Erik likes the Mal's smile, his true smile. The warmth from it, he wants to see it more, he decides, his grip maybe tightening the slightest when Mal he does so, only to be pushed away a moment later.

It's a weird ache in his chest when Mal does it, suddenly the man turns cold all over again. Erik's surprise to Mal's reaction is clear, the boy gaping at the whole, arms still held up in an awkward position as if he was still holding onto Mal, except his arms are held up on air. He frowns, hearing Mal's words despite it being a murmur, increased senses and all. He's filled with a sense of mixed emotions. For one, he feels happy that Mal's agreed that that was a good moment, at the same time he doesn't know why the man had pulled away in the first place.

He follows, like a lost puppy, trying to understand why Mal was suddenly upset. He asked a question, that was all, it was a natural concern. A daughter? So there must be a wife right? Erik's picture of a family was a man, a woman, and a child, simple as that, so his question should have made sense right?

Apparently wrong for Mal.

The subordinate eyes follow Mal's retreating form sadly, he stands by the counter, unsure if he should be following or not. As far as he knew, these were very dismissive signs, where Mal's back is turned to him. "I dunno, I just-" He starts, trying to find the words but failing. He's never been good with words, it's always a tumbling mess because he never knows when to stop, and he manages to blurt out what's on the top of his head most of the times. "I didn't know you had a daughter, okay?" He says, all moody now, pouting at the counter. "So excuse me for asking something I shouldn't. I dunno... I thought I could ask, didn't know it was a sore topic for you. I guess you don't really need to tell me anything about your life, huh?" He says bitterly. Because apparently its fine if he opens up to Mal, but it's different when it's Mal's story.

MALVOLIO RICCARDO lolololol