Chapter Text
They were a perfect union in that moment, their skin as supple and undeveloped as newly fallen petals from the spring bloom. As they moved against each other with rhythmic grace, pleasure and warmth blossomed through them like an ever-blooming flower. The cadence of their breath lulled into a steady beat that echoed around them until time itself seemed to melt away in the intensity of it all
Sana keeps a watchful eye over Nayeon expression, feeling a swell of pride at the pleasure that washes over the older girl's face as she drives her hips forward once more. She ghosts her lips over her girlfriend, moan as they finally kiss, working her hips slowly, but firmly
Nayeon can hardly hear anything over the heartbeat hammering in her ears. It feels different, now, being cradled so tenderly by the younger alpha, her stomach swooping with each deep thrust.
"Faster" She breathes out, nails digging into pale skin. The alpha seems happy to give, moving forward to scrape her teeth against Nayeon bonding mark as she quickens her thrusts. Sana feels desperate for release
Nayeon chant Sana name like a broken prayer, surely drawing blood as she draws her nails over the alpha back. The omega cries out once more as Sana comes inside, her throat feeling hoarse as she's thrown into another orgasm
It's a memory. It means so much more than just sex. It's much more than just satiating their most primal instincts
It's love. It's the spot that Sana never wants to leave
It's the promise that's never fulfilled
~
An inviting beacon of warmth and light, the modern tavern stands as a symbol of hospitality. Inside its doors lies a comfortable refuge from the daily grind, one that offers respite from both physical and emotional exhaustion. A place where hearts are mended with stories shared in laughter over libations - good company found through food, beer, wine or spirits – this is what makes up a safe place for most of the people that go by during the day
Sana, maybe, loves this place a little too much
She grabs yet another drink from the counter. Of course, she’s not meant to drink this much. After all this is her job, not a past-time. She’s meant to take care of the people that walk by and their orders and listen to most of their conversations. It’s been a while since she had one but she still has to listen. That’s most of her job
Sana felt like she aged three centuries in the span of a few months: she had the hollowed look of years’ worth of late nights, hard drinking and barroom brawls that kept her alpha side in business. Despite this hard exterior, there was something supernatural about her – an airy grace behind the bartender’s mask that could make her forget about her surroundings. Somehow, she still thought how she could be alive after so much drinking
“Give me the usual” says a random client. The alpha complies and pours a glass of whiskey. Her mouth waters. Goddamn, she feels useless almost stupid. How could she fall so low? Just like this, in the worst of ways. It’s embarassing how awful she must look to the outside world: just an orange haired alpha with no self-respect and a deep hatred for every little thing around her
There’s a sketchy movement on the corner of the bar. Sana squints. Drunk or not, she needs to take care of any weird business. It’s her place after all. The only thing left behind a father who seemed to hate her but had no other choice but to give her a tiny bit of his fortune
Some alpha push each other around. Sana takes a whiff of the air: an omega it’s around. It must be a thing of power, some sort of stupid competition between them just so they could try their luck on the omega. It’s the alcohol. It’s the place. It’s their nature that makes them a bunch of beasts with no regards for their surroundings
“I fucking hate you!”
Nayeon’s voice still echoes in the back of her head
“Hey!” she says, voice loud but still calm “What the fuck are you two doing?”
“Why do you care?!” says one of the alphas. Its slurred speech its a clear indicator that they’re beyond drunk “Mind your own business!”
“This is MY business, dumbass. You better stop or I’m kicking you out”
“I would like to see ‘ya try”
It’s the alcohol, of course. Sana wants to blame that. She hates her nature like no other. Every day, she wakes up hoping it’s her last day as an alpha. This animal urge, those insticts, that need to protect and keep everyone safe…she hated that. She only wanted Nayeon, no one else. Sana only wanted Nayeon back in her arms, rambling about her ‘awful’ day as a barista in the cafe that’s just two blocks away from her bar
Sana faces the drunk alpha
“Say that again, idiot. Get the hell out of my place”
“Fuck you”
“You looked for it”
It started unceremoniously; a spilled beer here, an overturned table there. Before long it had grown into a full-blown bar brawl. Bottles flew through the air, punches were thrown and pandemonium ruled the night as bodies tumbled over one another in search of their assailants. Shouts and grunts filled the clamoring room as patrons dodged tables and chairs to avoid being trampled by flying fists or kicked in their midsections by wild flailing legs
Sana fights everything and everyone. Her punches land everywhere and she’s feeling all types of aches around her joints but it’s pleasing. Surprising as it is, Sana feels certain pleasure as she empties all of her rage in these poor drunk guys. They’re paying for all of her sleepless nights, for all of the tears she spilled while she cried for Nayeon, for all those days where she could barely walk after being so drunk
People are scattered all over the bar. Some of them record with their phones, some other run to the exit
Sana stands among them: a busted lip, a bleeding eyebrow, bruised knuckles and red fists
The drunk alpha lays on the ground. Another one walks closer
“I fucking hate you, Sana. You ruined my life”
Sana's gaze narrowed as she advanced on him, her fists already balled up in anticipation of the confrontation. She glared at him with an intense hatred that almost made him quiver in place. The alpha lifted a powerful fist and swung for his gut like a hammer coming down from heaven - there was no turning back now. He saw it coming but he was too drunk to dodge it, feeling the full force of her blow against his abdomen sending shockwaves throughout his body. He stumbled backwards and fell over onto the ground, grunting painfully as he lay there stunned by Sana's rage-fuelled attack
Breathing heavily, the alpha wipes the blood away from her mouth
“You wanna do that again, motherfucker?”
The two alphas groan. One of them falls unconscious. The other crawls away
For the first time in days, Sana feels powerful. She feels in control of her life. This is a mess she must fix. Her mess
But it’s totally worth it. It’s the rush of adrenaline she needs and that no other thing in the world could give her. Not alcohol. Not tobacco. Not anything
Just this
Pure, blind rage
As she slowly picks up the pieces of the fight, Nayeon’s voice no longer echoes on her brain
~
“I hate this. I hate to be this shit…why the fuck do I have to be this?”
Jihyo feels a bitter taste on the tip of her tongue as she hears Momo talking about herself in the worst of ways. It’s uncomfortable, yes, but not for her. It’s like no one else in the world could hate Momo the same way Momo hates herself and it’s depressing, like she cant do anything about it. Specially because Jihyo thinks this whole “rank” deal isn’t as important as everyone makes it to be
“Hey…no need to call yourself that”
Momo groans
“I don’t need inspirational quotes right now, Jihyo. Please”
They walk towards the nearest drugstore. Momo is planning on buying some supressants for her upcoming heat. As an omega, she needs to take care of every single day of her calendar. Jihyo knows those days are as valuable as money. They mean her safety, her freedom, the way Momo interacts with the outside world. Evil people wait out there, hoping for a chance to hurt others. To hurt omegas. Jihyo hears about it on the news every single day: killings, abuse, stalking, high-rates of domestic violence and hate crimes
The thought alone makes her blood run cold
The day was peaceful and calm. Not yet the oppressive heat of summer, nor the biting cold of winter. Golden sunlight seeped through cumulus clouds like honey, casting a soft glow across meadows and forests alike. A gentle breeze rustled leaves in the trees as birds sang their sweet tunes to one another. All felt right with nature today – all stillness, no stirrings or whispers between even two blades of grass that crossed paths here and there in this blissful walk towards a not so blissful purpose
“So…” Jihyo talks once Momo seems to be out of her angry moment “You’re spending your heat alone? Again?”
“Yes” Momo mumbles. She buries her hands on her pockets “Again”
Jihyo thinks the conversation is dead. They reached a dead end. At least on this topic
Momo was a diminutive figure with an iron will. She jutted out her chin in stubbornness as if it were carved of stone, and whatever conversation she had wouldn’t easily be swept away by others’ words. When she walked into a room, one knew immediately that no force could move her from whatever goal was set in front of her. It might be a consequence of the way she was raised. Jihyo knew Momo’s family was hoping for an alpha after her older sister presented as an omega. All of her parents hopes were on her shoulders. They needed an alpha like no other
But Momo is an omega
A whole ‘disgrace’ as she calls herself
And her parents love her. They hug her tight before she leaves for work and pack her lunch every other day. Her father takes her to football games and greets her with a fist bump. Her mother holds her hand and calls her pretty names, teaches her the long lasting family secrets of their recipes for all of her favorite foods. Hana, her older sister, takes her around the country on sudden trips and dances with her until they’re too tired to go again
But Momo is still an omega
She’s still the things that her parents didn’t want
It takes a toll on her, Jihyo knows it
Her bubbly personality suddenly dropped. She’s angry all the time, always looking to mark her distance between everyone and their relationship was forever damaged as soon as Momo knew her rank
Because Jihyo is an alpha
And, according to Momo, alphas and omegas are not meant to be friends. They’re meant to be lovers. Mates. Soulmates if you want it. Nothing else
“Well…If you need anything you know I won’t judge you”
Momo just nods
“I know you’re not like everyone else, Jihyo and…I’m sorry for the way I am”
“You don’t need to apologize for being you-”
“It’s not that” Momo sighs and shakes her head “Forget about it…”
Jihyo clears her throat. She must sound so creepy right now, pushing Momo to talk about a theme that's obviously making her uncomfortable
“Uhm…I didn't meant it in a sexual way, you know? I meant like getting stuff for you and alpha-proofing your department so you don't get nosy neighbors at your door again and-”
Momo giggles. Her angry demeanor suddenly washed away as she looks at her friend
“Ji…thank you. It's okay. I'll be fine. We just need to get the suppressors and I'll be fine”
The young alpha only nods and keeps walking side by side with her long time friend. They met in high school, long before their ranks even “showed up”. Jihyo loved soccer. Momo loved to work out. The high school gym was public so they were bound to met at some point, maybe not as close as they're today but close enough to know their names
Fate. Maybe just a match
Jihyo is always glad about meeting Momo and her colorful personality. She's the youngest daughter of three. Her older sisters are betas, both married, one travels the world while the other takes care of a beautiful little girl. Her parents are betas too. The doctor said that the alpha “gene” comes from one of her grandparents
No one else in her family knows how to be a good alpha
And Jihyo always heard too many stories: about ruts, about heats, about instincts. However, nobody said a word about being a good alpha
What was a good alpha?
The textbook definition says a good alpha is a long-term investment – in time, energy and love. They're a rippling pond of reassurance, always there to break the surface tension with understanding, providing steady hands to support their mate during even the most tumultuous emotional storms. They guard against any potential danger while simultaneously allowing them space to explore their own boundaries; they encourage them in their self-discovery as well as offering gentle guidance when needed. Above all else, a good alpha personifies unconditional love for the people they protect
Jihyo knows that might be a lie
Nothing in life is as strict as written in a book
“You know what my dad said the other day?” Momo says when they're just a few steps away from the drugstore
The young alpha only shrugs. She's looking at a Harley Davidson bike parked at the other side of the street. Her life long dream of riding one suddenly surfaces
“He said he hopes I find an alpha just like you”
Jihyo completely forgets about the Harley
“What?” Her voice is choked. She looks at Momo in the eyes and finds the omega smiling. Not a smirk. A full, happy smile
“Yeah…someone who takes care of me, respects me and loves me. He says he finds all that stuff in you”
Jihyo is still speechless
“It'll be easier if I just fall in love with you, right?”
Momo enters the drugstore right at that time and Jihyo is left standing at the sidewalk like she's one of the statues decorating a park
~
Mina was at the corner table of the coffee shop, nervously sipping her cappuccino and looking out into nothingness. The shop had been empty when she arrived, but it began to fill up with customers as minutes passed. She checked her phone for any updates from Jeongyeon and sighed once more before pushing it back into her pocket. Her fingers played with a hangnail absentmindedly as she waited for the certain someone who was now running late by fifteen minutes or so
It's the usual. Jeongyeon always runs late when it comes to important stuff. Mina knows she'll never be on time. If it were for her, she might be late to her own wedding
Wedding…
The word is so foreign. So cold yet so bright. So peaceful yet so scary. A whole turmoil of emotions and events that mix and match in a flurry of all kinds of thoughts. And Mina feels like she's running out of time to address the elephant in the room
Just when she's about to get lost in her thoughts (again) she sees Jeongyeon walking through the front door of the coffee shop
Jeongyeon makes her way to Mina, smiling widely and holding a bouquet of flowers. "Hi," she says softly, though the smile never leaves her face.
Mina can't help but smile back. She takes the bouquet with one hand and covers their hands together with the other. "What's this for?"
“Nothing, really…I passed by a flower shop and thought you would like them”
Mina giggles. This is another thing that Jeongyeon loves to do: being herself
“Thank you, Jeong. They're lovely”
The alpha wonders if the floral scent floating around comes from the flowers or from Jeongyeon. It must be weird to take a whiff so she only scratches her nose with the back of her hand
“You said we had to talk about something important”
Jeongyeon barely pays attention to the unfinished cappuccino near Mina's hand
“I know you might not remember” Mina plays with the edge of a napkin. Her eyes are focused everywhere except on Jeongyeon who looks stunning with her dark, brunette hair and piercing green eyes. The result of a long, privileged bloodline of pure-bred omegas and deltas. Her family took a lot of pride in rising powerful omega men and women “But I wanted to talk about our promise”
Jeongyeon tilts her head
“The one we made in high school?”
And Mina is genuinely shocked by that answer. As something that happened years ago, she always thought Jeongyeon had forgot about it. People, specially young adults and teenagers, tend to say stuff they'll eventually forget: silly promises about being rich, famous, staying together forever and remaining loyal to only one band or artist. It's the usual among their peers
But this…
It almost feels unreal
“You remember?”
“Well…” Jeongyeon scratches her cheek with her index finger “We're about that age now, aren't we? 23 years old. The exact year we said we'll-”
Jeongyeon never finishes before Mina ends the sentence
“We'll get married”
It happened when they were freshman at high school. Mina said she was scared about her rank. The outside world was scary and her parents won't protect her forever. Jeongyeon was sure about ending up as an omega, it was in her genes. Her family went as far as hiring a genetic engineer for the sake of their bloodline. It was just about time. They just had to wait for her to present
“If you end up as an alpha, I'll marry you” said Jeongyeon with that big, goofy smile of hers “That way you won't have to worry about your rank. My family will love you either way!”
“So…you wanna make it happen?” Mina draws invisible circles on the table with the tip of her finger “Are we really getting married?”
Jeongyeon shrugs. She never really cares about anything. Life comes and goes for her. Jeongyeon looked out at the world with bright eyes and a carefree smile. Even on days when it seemed like things were falling apart, she could still manage to find joy in the small moments. Her laugh was always ready, her optimism contagious. Whether walking through fields during long trips or strolling down city streets, she always managed to see hope even in dark times. With an open heart and an inviting demeanor she was able to bring people together from all sorts of walks of life without judgement nor prejudice; a true companion that one would be lucky enough to call friend for many years
Maybe it was her omega nature. Maybe just her personality. Mina was glad about her friendship 'cause they were completely opposites: Mina was a anxious creature, ever on the edge of panicking. Everywhere she went, her fears came with her like an old friend. She had learnt to cope in moments of crisis; she could keep calm when necessary and act decisively even if it meant going against herself. But often it felt like life itself was coming down hard on her; every day seemed to be filled with decision making and fear-filled risks that left Mina exhausted at night but still unable to rest peacefully until morning's light brought some hope for the new day ahead
Maybe she was on edge after presenting as an alpha. The sudden responsibilities falling on top of her shoulders like a boulder
“I don't see that as a bad thing” Jeongyeon mumbles. She reaches across the table and grabs her friend cappuccino, taking a long sip out of it. Mina makes a disgusted face but the small foam mustache on Jeongyeon upper lip makes her laugh “I mean…it could be worse. You could be Jihyo”
Mina just shakes her head from side to side
“I'm being serious right here”
“I'm being serious too! You could've ended like that angry demon named Park Jihyo but you're actually a lovely alpha so I think this is a win-win situation”
The alpha sighs. Mina thought of Jeongyeon, and felt the familiar warmth spread through her chest. She was strong, kind-hearted; she could trust her with anything. Marriage to her would be a blessing. But she hesitated when considering the reality of two lives intertwined in love and devotion: was she ready for that commitment? She wanted to believe it was possible – but finding courage within herself seemed like an insurmountable task this evening, so instead Mina let her imagination wander off into fantasyland as if it were just another adventure in life awaiting her on the horizon
“All right then” Mina makes her choice. Harder than any other else in her life. Even harder than choosing for a college “Then it's settled”
“We're getting married?!”
“We are…so you better plan something for me. I'm talking to your parents next week”
“You can barely ask for a pizza on the phone and you want to talk to my parents?”
“Yoo Jeongyeon, I swear to fuck if you make another bad joke I'm turning into a widow before I even marry you”