Around an hour before
Xiao's POV
I was making my way home after leaving the school. My thoughts were all over the place. I wasn't able to focus at all.
"My fated pair..." I murmured under my breath. I couldn't believe that it actually happened. And it happened by coincidence.. if I hadn't given him that one pill and decided to wait to take one.. it wouldn't have happened.
You could call it a miracle. Or maybe a dream coming true. I'm filled with an overwhelming feeling of happiness. They say that finding your fated partner is a joyful occasion. And I'm able to experience it on my own.
But.. how do I explain it to my father? I know he will feel happy for me. But what if he won't like who my fated partner is? Ah.. he isn't like that, so why am I worrying? I just have to make sure that Childe won't be around. I definitely don't want him to know about this. Him knowing.. could be dangerous.
I know I'm blindly suspecting Childe.. but he doesn't seem innocent at all. And I'm well aware that my father is not this dumb to not see it. He must have some kind of a plan.
And the reason why I don't want Childe to know about my fated pair.. it's because Aether isn't stable. From what this Beta said, he isn't mentally stable and healthy. But who would be mentally stable after their parent's death? And.. being part of the accident? For an Omega, this is a lot to take in.
He had no one to fully show him the world. And no one to explain to him his Omega side. His brother.. wasn't able to do all of that. Taking care of a younger brother alone.. must have strained him a lot. He was very protective over Aether. I would say.. he was a bit obsessed with protecting him. But I can't blame him..
Once I reached home, I opened the doors. Since I didn't have to use keys, it means someone's home right now. I just hope Childe isn't here.. otherwise, it would be the worst-case scenario.
"I'm home!" I waited for someone to answer, but even after a few minutes passed, no one answered "Hello? Anybody home?" I decided to look around the house.
I took my mask off, deciding it would help me notice the pheromones of the person who was home. But.. there was no one home. I furrowed my brows and tried to look around a bit more. But there was no luck again.. the house was empty.
"Don't tell me.. someone left without locking the doors?" This happened a few times before. And it always has been my father. He tends to forget about locking the doors while leaving. He's used to the fact that someone is always home.
"Ah, Xiao. You're home early"
I was a bit startled by hearing someone's voice. I thought no one was home..!
"Ah...father" I turned around to see my father yawning and looking a bit sleepy "Were you sleeping?"
"Hmm? Ah yes, it seems like I have fallen asleep. But you came home early today"
"Yes. Something.. happened and I was allowed to go back early" How.. do I say this? How should I say it?
"Something happened? Is everything fine? You look troubled" There was a hint of worry in his voice.
"E-everything is fine..! But.. I need to talk with you about something. And I would prefer.. to do it somewhere else..." I fear that inside this house could be hidden cameras or microphones. Childe could go to any lengths after all. I don't trust him no matter what..
"I understand. Follow me then" I was a bit confused but followed my father. We went inside his room which made me even more confused.
"Father.. but-"
"Don't worry. All I have to do.. is turn this on" He approached his desk and searched for something. After a moment I was able to hear something turning on.. but nothing.. changed?
"It's a device that blocks off any kind of signal. And blocks off every other device. So we are safe to talk. It seems.. that whatever you want to say is very important. And you looked worried that someone might hear us"
He was on point, as always. He was never wrong when it came to guess my thoughts. I'm his son, after all, so he knows me the best.
"Father.. it seems that.. I have found my fated partner. It was an accidental meeting.. and I never expected this to happ-"
"So you found your pair? Ahh.. seems like this gonna come sooner than expected" Huh? What does he mean? I looked at him with curiosity and he caught it instantly "You see, our bloodline.. is special. I have never told you about this, because it wasn't the time for it. But since you found your fated partner.. it's time I tell you a little bit"
Wait.. special bloodline? What is he talking about? I have never noticed anything special about myself.. only the fact that my sense of smell is super sensitive to pheromones. Is that what he means? Or there is something else? But what else could it be?
"You are confused, I know. Our ancestors.. had always found their fated pair. There were no exceptions. And we can recognize only their scents. Your case.. is a bit different. As you know, your sense of smell is stronger.. and since we can recognize only our fated partner's scent, every other scent is barely noticeable. Of course, we can smell other Alphas and Omegas pheromones normally. But they're way weaker compared to how others smell them like. Especially when it comes to Omegas"
"Ah.. wait" I looked at my father with confusion. It's hard to follow everything "So.. everyone in our family had found their fated pairs? But.. isn't it super rare? So why..? And how?"
"As you heard, everyone found their fated pair. Our family.. has specific genes. Those genes allow us to always find our fated partner. And no matter what, you always gonna end up with your pair. You can live in different countries, but fate gonna bring you together. Oh.. and our family always gives birth to dominant Alphas as a firstborn child" With this last one, he went off-topic a bit..
"Umm.. Father. But.. why do we always find out fated pairs? Is there a reason?"
"Ah, yes yes. But.. it might not be the time to tell you this right now. I will tell you later when you are ready to hear it. Ah, I almost forgot. Our fated partners are always dominant Omegas, but you probably noticed that-"
"He is a normal Omega tho..?"
"Ah? Wait.. you mean it's not a dominant Omega? And.. it's a male Omega?" My father looked a bit shocked. But I don't understand why. Is there something wrong about male Ome- "That's amazing! We haven't had a male Omega in our family for quite a while. But.. are you sure he is not a dominant Omega?"
"Yes.. he isn't. Well.. he hasn't had his first heat as well. I'm worried about him.." His state is worrying. Omega who had no heat at his age, it's nothing good. And then there are his mental health problems. They might be the biggest worry I have.
Omegas are fragile, which means their mental state is fragile as well. I feel the need to help him.. helping him recover from everything. I want to see him happy, enjoying his life. But.. is there a chance for it to happen? Would I be able to help him?
"Is something the matter? You're lost in thoughts..." My father's voice got me back to reality.
"Sorry.."
"So you are saying that he hasn't gotten his first heat yet, correct? This is a bit worrying.. but what worries me is that he isn't a dominant Omega. Maybe his dominant trait isn't visible? Or he hasn't developed fully yet?"
"If anything.. I would assume that he hasn't developed yet. But does it matter..?" I was a bit confused. Does he really have to be a dominant Omega? What's the difference anyway?
"Yes, it does matter a lot. If he's a normal Omega.. then he might struggle around you in the future. It's hard for a normal Omega to keep up with the dominant Alpha. Also, their pheromones might not be enough for the dominant Alpha. Your ruts might be very rough for him as well. And.. I have no idea how would it go with our bloodline. I haven't heard anything of having a normal Omega as a fated pair.."
I feel like I'm forgetting the common knowledge now. It's obvious that normal Omega will always struggle around dominant Alpha. And.. I don't want to bring him any harm. Ah- why do I feel like everything changed in me the moment I discovered he is my fated pair?
"Father.. is it normal.. to feel different after meeting your pair? Before I was never worried about anyone.. but now.. I feel the need to protect him. And feeling the need to help him with his problems.. and not wanting to harm him"
"Xiao.." His voice got soft and gentle which made me look up at him "Don't be scared of those feelings. They have nothing to do with your fated partner. People feel those feelings when they have someone very important to them. It's normal to want to protect someone. So don't be afraid to feel them" he ruffled my hair gently and affectionately. I closed my eyes for a moment to enjoy this.
"Mm.. so it's.. normal? I was just worried that finding my fated partner.. changed me"
"No, don't worry. Those feelings and emotions were always inside of you. You just had no one you wanted to protect, so they were hidden. When I meet your mom.. I got those as well. But before your mom, I had a friend I wished to protect. So it wasn't the first time I felt those emotions" I opened my eyes to look at my father.
"Someone you wanted to protect?"
"Yes. I had a friend.. but they disappeared when I met your mom. Ever since that day, I wasn't able to find my friend.. and there was no information on them, so I'm assuming they're still alive somewhere"
I had no friends I wished to protect before. I had some friends when I was a kid.. they were like my second family. But then.. they had to move away. I never saw them since then. And I never heard anything from them..
"So.. is it bad if my fated partner.. had no heats? Is it something bad?" At this point, I don't know how worried I should be. This is a bit too much to take in at once.
"Well.. it depends. He could be a late bloomer and get his heat late. It might be risky since he is developing slowly. But if something else caused him to develop this slowly.. then this is worrying. He might have issues in the future. His heat might be way stronger and harder to endure. And.. there is always a risk of not being able to get pregnant or for miscarriages"
What I heard, left me shocked. If it's the second situation.. then I might know what caused it. And him not accepting his Omega side.. is adding up to it. So if this won't stop.. he might have that kind of a risk in the future? But.. this is the worst fate for an Omega. His instincts might worsen his state when it comes to this..
"This.. is bad. Is there anything I can do to help him?" At this point, I'm desperate to help him recover. I don't want him to get worse. He had already gone through enough. No need to make him go through more.
"He might stabilize if both of you spend more time around each other. But what would for sure help.. is marking" He had a serious tone. He knew what he was saying, that's for sure.
"Ah? Marking..? But.. I can't mark him this soon. He doesn't even know if he wants to be with me. And I don't want to force-"
"Xiao. I never said marking has to happen now. I'm sure your Omega needs time to process everything. Me and your mother became a marked pair after two years of knowing each other. You shouldn't force marking onto someone. Even if it's a fated partner"
My father was right. Marking isn't something you should force out. Taking time to get to know each other is the best decision. And that's what I wanted to do. It should be Aether's decision if he would give me a chance. I just have to wait and-
"But thinking about what you said about his situation.. it's best to be close to him. Your pheromones might help him stabilize his body. The both of you can just hang out as friends. It doesn't have to be something more than that. This will help getting to know each other as well" What my father said makes sense "But if this won't help.. marking would be the last option. This would stabilize his body instantly.."
"I.. wouldn't feel okay if that would be my only option.."
"Wait and listen for a moment. Even if this would be the last option left.. it's impossible to mark him. He hasn't gotten a heat yet, which makes him unable to get a permanent mark. And when it comes to temporary marks.. it might not stabilize his body as it should. A temporary mark is not as strong as a permanent mark. So stabilization of his body might be possible.. but would take longer"
"But if we take into consideration our genes and that both of you are a fated pair.. it might have a greater effect. Not to mention that you're dominant Alpha, which means you do have stronger type pheromones"
"Wait... father.. why are we talking so sure about this? What if he doesn't want to be with me? He.. already has someone he likes.." I didn't want to be like other Alphas destroying someone's relationship. It should be Omega's choice who they want to be with.
"Ah.. sorry" He sighed and started to think. At least it looked like it "Even if he likes someone.. he will most likely end up with you. I know this sounds cruel to the Omega.. but that's how our genes and fated pairs work" I furrowed my brows upon hearing this. I didn't like it one bit. This just indicates that Aether won't have a choice..
"Ah.. let's end it here. Childe is coming" My father turned off the device and hid it. Then he left the room with me. And.. Childe was right outside the room.
"Ah~ having a party without me? Come on, you could have invited me!~" I hate how cheerful he is most of the time..
"Tch.." I walked past him. I didn't want to be around him. I entered my room and lay down on my bed.
My thoughts were circulating around what my father told me. It's still hard to grasp this whole bunch of information. And it feels so unreal to begin with.
But.. it does make sense.
Alpha pheromones don't appear strong to me. They feel rather weak. And Omega pheromones.. they make me nauseous..as if I could vomit from smelling too much of them. I also don't find any Omega cute or appealing. They all seem disgusting to me. Even Aether seemed to be like them.. but not fully. There was something different about him. I just unconsciously labeled him with other Omegas.
Maybe Father is right about our family being special. I saw Aether differently once I got to know he was my fated partner. And it would explain why only bis pheromones smell so nice. If it's true that we can only smell our fated partner's pheromones.. it explains my situation.
I was never supposed to smell other Omega's pheromones, so they appear disgusting and nauseous to me. It explains everything now..
But there is still something my father wasn't able to tell me. Something.. that sounded important. But.. when will I be ready to hear it? Am I too young right now? Or.. it's something that has to do with my fated pair?
....
....Huh..?
Wait.. something... feels off..
I furrowed my brows trying to grasp the feeling of it. I couldn't put my finger on it.. but something felt really off..
It's hard to pinpoint what is it. I just have this off feeling inside my head.. but I don't understand it. Even my instincts are on guard right now...
Has something happened inside the house? It's best to check it out. I hope Childe hasn't done anything to my father..
I stood up and walked out of my room. But there were no traces of any pheromones. I could hear voices coming from the living room, but they sounded.. normal. My legs slowly took me there as I noticed my father talking casually with Childe. There was nothing wrong here..
"Ah, Xiao. Is something wrong?" My father noticed my presence and turned to face me.
"N-no.. everything is fine. I.. just have a weird feeling.. and don't know what it means. I thought that something might have happened here.. but everything feels fine.." Even if I know that everything is fine, this feeling doesn't go away. If anything, it's getting stronger.
"Haha~ What could be happening here? If anything were to happen.. we would be taking it to the bed~ Right Zhong- Owh..! What was that for??" Childe was smacked on the head by my father.
"Don't talk stuff like that around my son. You shouldn't teach him bad stuff, Childe.." My dad was dead serious about this.
I sighed and just left them be. Hearing about them doing.. stuff.. is not something I wanna hear. Well, at least my dad knows how to discipline Childe..
When I was walking back to my room, I suddenly stopped in my tracks and grasped onto my chest. It was an awful feeling.. painful as well. I leaned onto the wall trying to calm myself down. It was the first time I ever felt something like that..
"Ghh-!" I gritted my teeth once the feeling got worse. But seconds after, my instincts and brain screamed certain someone's name..
"Aether..!" I decided to waste no more time as I stormed off the house. While I was doing so, I heard my dad and Childe getting startled. They probably rushed to check what happened but I was already outside.
I vaguely remember where he lives. I don't know which house is theirs, but I remember which street it was. It's not that far off, thankfully.
The feeling I was feeling, got a bit worse over time. My instincts were indicating that something bad was happening right now. It felt.. as if his presence might fade away any moment. I don't know what's happening, but I know I have to get there was.. before it's too late.
I was sprinting as fast as I could, but it was hard to get through the busy streets. It's hard to avoid people in my way. But there was one moment.. I didn't expect it to happen.
All of a sudden my body fell to the ground. I made a yelp caused by pain from the fall. Everything around me felt in slow motion. Every sound felt blurred as if something was blocking it. Some people ran up to me.. probably checking if I'm fine. But I didn't care right now.
Aether is in life-threatening danger.. I am sure of it. My chest was hurting badly, I couldn't do anything about the pain. It lasted for a moment before my surroundings got back to normal. I was able to hear everything just fine.
But what caused me to fall was dizziness and nauseous feeling. I must have smelled too many Omega's pheromones on my way. I haven't taken my pills.. and I didn't bring my mask with me. There was no time for it.
"Sir? Is everything okay? Sir??" Someone was talking to me..
"Ah.. young boy, what happened? Are you okay?" Ah.. people are worried about me..
"You don't look fine, should we call an ambulance?"
"No.. there is no need" I stood up almost instantly. But that was a mistake. I almost lost my balance, my head started to spin more as I tried to catch my balance.
"Sir! You shouldn't do this! Please sit down and-"
"No time for that.. my.. pair-.. I-.. have to go..!" Ignoring my balance problem and spinning vision, I decided to continue walking. I ignored others who tried to stop me.
Once my dizziness went away, I was able to walk faster. I was close to the street they lived on. What's gonna be left is figuring out where they live..
I was able to arrive at their street quite fast. My body has regained its balance which helped me get here faster.
"Which.. house could it be? Think.. think Xiao.. you have no time to waste!" Ah! The scent! I can recognize it based on the scent. His house would have his scent lingering around the building.
I was running around, trying to find a familiar scent around the houses. It was hard.. but in the end, I was able to find it. But not because of the scent.. that Beta guy.. was outside the house. He didn't look good. I ran up to the house, and as I wanted to say something.. a strong scent from inside the house hit my nose.
My whole body froze. I don't know what this scent means, but it's nothing good for sure..
"Eh-?? H-hey..! How did you-?! No! You can't!" As I ran inside the house, the Beta boy tried to stop me from entering.
"Let me go..! I need to see him!" He was strong, but not strong enough to stop me. I was able to escape him, as I made my way upstairs.
The scent was super strong here. I had trouble breathing.. those pheromones were super thick.. making it harder to breathe.
But what I was.. left me shocked.
Aether was looking extremely weak. My heart almost stopped seeing him in this state. My body was standing there, frozen in place.
I heard the beta catching up to me, trying to drag my frozen body away. But it was no use. I saw Aether's brother mentioning the Beta to leave..? At least I think that was the case since I felt him letting me go and then leaving.
I slowly stepped inside the room, looking at Aether and his brother. I didn't dare to say anything, nor did I dare to get closer.
"Make sure.. to not worsen the situation. I was able to help him. So please.. don't trigger him" He let go of Aether as he stood up.
He walked up to me and glanced at me. I only nodded in response to his words. After that, he left the room with a small sigh. I heard him going down the stairs, probably to meet up with the Beta.
I glanced over at Aether, noticing how he was looking at me. There was a small hint of fear, but it was visible that he wanted me to get closer.
"H-hey.." I took a few slow and small steps towards him. I was afraid to get too close to him. I don't want to worsen the situation "I.. don't know what happened.. but.. I felt everything.. in here.." I put my hand on my chest to show him where I felt everything.
Aether was staying silent, only looking at me any my every move..
------------------
Words: 4011
Hi hi~ I hope everyone enjoyed longer chapter this time!~ I wanted to make it even longer.. but I decided to leave the rest for the next chapter.
Small Xiaother fluff should be separate ;3
And probably everyone noticed that cover art finally changed! Yes.. this lazy author finally finished the cover art ^^' And now, I will do some of the requested arts!
I know I was saying this for the last few chapters... But join this story discord server! :<
You will be able to see a lot of cool stuff there. I was posting cover art WIP's there and character designs WIP's as well! And notifications about upcoming chapter updates are posted there as well.
We also do have some cool conversations there! We also have people who can't save up for their characters~ So yeah, a lot of fun in there ^^
https://discord.com/invite/hAseD8RDg4
Anyway, see ya all in the next chapter! Or on the server if you decide to join! 💕