Oddity's Charm ( Omegaverse BL)

Ivan wakes up to the familiar chime of a text notification. The soft glow of the phone screen casts light over the dim hotel room, illuminating the quiet space. His body feels heavy with exhaustion, but he reaches for his phone, squinting at the message.

Zander:

> How are you?

Three words. Nothing overly emotional, nothing too invasive. Just a simple check-in.

For a moment, Ivan just stares at the screen. He can practically picture Zander pacing in his penthouse, probably clutching his phone like it's his lifeline, desperate for a response.

He exhales, feeling the weight of expectations pressing down on him. He could ignore it, leave Zander hanging, but something in his chest tightens at the thought.

So, he types out the simplest, most neutral response he can think of.

A thumbs-up. No words. No explanations. Just an acknowledgment that he's alive.

He presses send before he can second-guess himself and then locks his phone, tossing it onto the bedside table. He rolls over, pulling the covers over his head, trying to pretend the hollow feeling inside him doesn't exist.

***

Zander's POV

Zander's breath catches the moment his phone pings. He scrambles to grab it, his fingers moving with urgency as he unlocks the screen.

A response.

It's just an emoji—a single thumbs-up—but his heart clenches like it's a lifeline thrown into a storm.

He exhales sharply, leaning back against the couch, his grip tightening around the phone. It's not much, but it's something. It means Ivan saw his message. It means Ivan didn't ignore him completely.

Zander stares at the screen for what feels like an eternity, rereading the tiny icon over and over again as if it holds some hidden meaning. He wants to text back, to ask more, to reach out more—but he doesn't.

He's not allowed to push anymore.

So, he forces himself to put the phone down, even as his fingers itch to type another message.

Instead, he does what he can do—he transfers Maksim's contract to Ivan's name. Maksim still reports to him financially, but now, legally, he works under Ivan's authority.

Zander won't ask for updates. He won't demand to know where Ivan is or what he's doing. It kills him to stay in the dark, but this is what trust means.

So he waits. And waits.

---

Ivan's POV – One Week Later

The week passes in a blur of early call times, high-profile photoshoots, and exhausting studio sessions. Ivan throws himself into work, losing himself in the rhythm of it all, in the flashes of cameras and the chatter of designers.

And through it all, there's nothing from Zander.

No texts. No unexpected visits. No grand gestures.

It's… strange.

He thought he'd feel relieved, but instead, there's this gnawing emptiness inside him, like he's waiting for something that never comes.

Maksim drives him everywhere—to and from shoots, to and from meetings—but never once does he mention Zander. It's like an unspoken rule, an invisible line neither of them crosses.

And then, one evening, as Ivan steps into the car after an exhausting shoot, something shifts.

He's tired. Not just physically, but emotionally. Tired of the silence. Tired of feeling like something is missing. Tired of pretending like he doesn't already know the answer to the question that's been gnawing at him for days.

So, that night, he moves back into the penthouse.

Not because of Zander. Not because of the gifts or the comfort.

But because it's his. Yeah that's what he tells himself.

He made that clear. If he's going to stay there, it will be on his own terms.

After unpacking his bags, he pulls out his phone. He hasn't messaged Zander in a week. Hasn't given him anything but that damn thumbs-up.

He types out a short message.

Ivan:

> I moved back in.

He stares at the words for a long moment before hitting send.

He doesn't expect a response right away. But when he places his phone on the bedside table, it buzzes almost immediately.

Zander:

> Okay.

It's short, restrained—but Ivan knows Zander, knows him well enough.

And he knows that on the other side of the city, Zander is probably staring at his phone, gripping it like his life depends on it, taking this as the small victory that it is.

And strangely enough, Ivan doesn't hate that.