Nogla couldn't lose his smile for the rest of the evening.
He had baked a few misshapen but well-intended cookies with the help of Anthony as Brian and Brock caught up on events (and their flirting).
He had pointedly ignored the quiet argument that had happened on the stairs.
Then, while the cookies were baking, him and Anthony had played Mario Kart after Craig had claimed to be tired and Tyler claimed to be bored with it.
He had hoped Scotty would start the next race when Smitty was yelling at John.
Then, when the cookies and icing were ready, Nogla had excitedly hopped up to help decorate them, along with everyone else.
Even Luke and Ohm had returned from wherever they had disappeared to join in the fun.
He tried not to let his eyes land on Evan's office, where the boss had vanished into.
He dragged his eyes away from the vape cloud on the balcony as the murmurs of a phone call were heard.
Luckily, it was easy to forget the dreary fog that seemed to be enveloping the gang one by one when most of them had icing smeared on their faces.
It also helped that Lui would be arriving in a few days.
"What are you thinking about that has you all blushy?"
The Irishman smiled brighter at the voice, turning to look at Marcel beside him.
"None a' yer business."
Nogla said as he smeared icing on a lopsided star.
"Five bucks it has something to do with Lui."
Scotty said with a smirk from next to Marcel.
"Keep yer nose outta my business!"
Nogla snapped, his smile still tugging at his lips.
"So when's he arriving?"
Marcel asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Nogla huffed, then mumbled,
"Soon. He isn' sure when Kite is goin' to let 'im slip off, but he said it'll be this week."
Marcel nodded, him and Scott turning their attention back to the cookies at hand.
"Kite. He's like, the Canaries' boss, right?"
Brian asked, Nogla turning to look at him.
"Yea, Lui's hiddin' wit' dem ta get da inside info. Although, he's not very high in the hierarchy yet, 'cause da false Alpha scent can only do so much."
"We know the plan, Nogla."
Anthony said with a chuckle.
"I was jus' sayin'!"
The kitchen fell into a comfortable conversation.
Brock and Brian bickered with flushed faces.
Scotty playfully jabbed Marcel whenever he faded into his thoughts.
Luke whispered sweet and dirty secrets in Ohm's ear.
Anthony stayed beside Nogla, the two of them falling into a nice cycle of icing and coating all the cookies around them in sprinkles.
Little was spoken until Anthony spoke uncharacteristically quiet,
"How does one find a boyfriend?"
Nogla looked up from the cookie he was decorating in surprise.
"Wha'?"
The Beta shrugged.
"Like, how do I go about getting a partner? I don't care about whether they are a girl or a boy, or if they are an Alpha, Omega, or Beta. I just want...someone."
Nogla turned his gaze back to the sprinkles in hand.
"Mmm, I'd ask Bri'n, or Brock. I'm not good at relationship stuff..."
"Oh...ok."
"But,"
Nogla said, accidentally spilling sprinkles over the counter.
"If you manage to fin' someone, an' you feel like they may be da one, let me know. I'm a great judge of character."
Nogla sent a wink to Anthony who scoffed, but smiled anyway.
"Yeah, great judge of character, Nogla. Is that why yer datin' a Beta who specializes in pretendin' to be Alphas or Omegas?"
"Leave Lui outta this, Bri'n!"
***
Dust floated through the air.
Stale breezes drifted through the room.
Coffee eyes stared emptily at a maple desk.
A pen tapped in thought.
The sun warmed the back of the sitting Alpha.
Elk antlers twitched at the sound of laughter and yelling in the kitchen.
The echo of a door slamming shut ricochet through his mind again.
An investigation team.
The thought bubbled into Evan's head again as he tried to desperately scrape together a solution plan for the current Jonathan situation.
No, the current Omega situation.
If he wanted the Omegas to feel safe again, he needed a way to solve the "whodunnit".
And he was going to need help.
Evan let out a sigh, dropping his pen.
He was going to need help, and if he was going to solve this as carefully as possible, (meaning with as little drama and ruined friendships as possible), then he was only going to trust the other Alphas.
A knock tapped at the door.
"Come in."
The oak opened to reveal a dreary antelope-horn, his bleached hair mused like he had been running his hands through it.
"Hey,"
John muttered, his voice creaky.
"Hey,"
Evan said, sitting up straight as John closed the door behind him.
"I'm heading to the Misfits. Wanted to let you know."
Evan nodded. It was normal for John and Smitty to visit their ally gang, although there was a lack of an Omega beside the Alpha.
"No Smitty?"
John just shook his head.
"How long are you planning on staying there?"
"Dunno. Week. Maybe two. Depends."
Evan frowned.
"If we have any action will you join us?"
John let out a huff. He still hadn't met Evan's eyes.
"Sure. I'll blast a couple guys if ya call."
"Alright. Drive safely."
John left without a word, throwing a peace sign over his shoulder before disappearing out the door.
Now they were down an Alpha.
Evan sighed, running both hands through his hair before tracing his left antler with his hand.
He needed a plan, but his mind was so encased in a web of feathers that he had to give up and head into the kitchen.
They were solving this problem sooner than later.
Evan came out of his office as another bout of laughter tumbled from the group. He poked his head in as Nogla grabbed a fistful of icing and smeared it over a wheezing Anthony's face. The Irish Beta had green icing smudged on his own, and he smirked at Anthony's squeal of protest.
Evan couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips.
His favorite part of having their gang was for these moments: his friends all laughing, trapped in a moment of perfect bliss.
However, a splattering of blue icing brought him back to the matter at hand.
"Alphas. Meeting."