The rain wasn't falling. It was pouring down.

An icy curtain, dirty and thick, hit the university's concrete as if it wanted to tear the cobblestones away. People were running, laughing. Others were moaning, sheltered by the awnings. The pheromones had washed away, dissolved, too weak to signal anything.

But he wasn't moving. Adrian looked up. An omega was standing there, alone, motionless at the edge of the parking lot. Not hunched over. Not in visible distress. Standing straight, soaked to the skin. The kind of figure no one dares approach. Too proud. Too cold. Too... withdrawn. But something was wrong. He had no umbrella. No bag. And his fingers were shaking.

Adrian hesitated for a second. Then he placed his tote bag on the ground, took off his dry sweatshirt, and stepped into the rain.

"You'll catch a cold."

The omega turned his head slowly. His eyes were dull, washed by the water, ringed with fatigue and anger. He didn't answer right away.

Adrian handed him the sweatshirt, without looking at it too closely. Without insisting. The omega frowned, as if he wanted to protest... but his jaw loosened a little. He took it.

"Thank you..." he finally breathed, without looking at Adrian either.

A light clash between two scents. Nothing explosive. But Adrian's pheromones reacted to the omega's. A suspended moment. A scent of contained anger and warmth just waiting to settle.

"My name is Adrian." He said. "Do you have a name?"

His tone was calm, a bit worried. Adrian really wanted to help.