The train ride was anything but comfortable. Echo had to actively stop himself from squirming in his seat, lest the Omega in front of him gets offended. The seat was cushy and there was enough leg space, but the silence from his companion was deafening.
They were both trying to be nonchalant, but the air was pungent with distress, the scent of rotten fruit invading his senses. His inner alpha was yelling at him to fix it, to offer a few words of consolation or maybe counter-scent the place with comforting pheromones. Anything would do as long as he does something. Instead, he was sitting like a statue, face hard as stone.
He didn’t want this; it was difficult to fight against his instincts but he didn’t know what to do.
The last time he saw the Omega, he was lying on the bed, barely back to life. He was already nearby—tying up loose ends when Leo called him saying there’s been an accident. He wasn’t at all surprised to know that V was somehow involved. For the months that he and his team had observed the Omega, unpredictable was the new normal. It would be an ordinary day until the Omega shows up and throws fate off tangent, causing more work for him.
He thought he would be numb to V’s antics but the encounter at the train station proved him wrong. He reached out to the crouching figure out of concern when he found himself being clutched desperately. Admittedly, he panicked at the thought that he might get punched again but the worry was in vain.
With no greeting whatsoever, V spat words Echo would’ve never imagined to hear. “I’ll accept your offer if you take me away right now.”
It came in a flash but the anxiety Echo saw on V’s face made him agree with no hesitation. He knew it was a decision brought by impulse, that he was taking advantage of whatever situation the Omega got himself into, but he couldn’t let the opportunity slip by.
Leo found them soon after, he got his phone back and the Beta gave his ticket to V. His assistant had to stay behind anyway, something about one of their model’s streams going viral.
That was how he found himself sitting on needle pricks one hour on the way to Nysus City. His companion had not said a word since.
When Echo was preparing himself to suffer the rest of the ride in quiet suffocation, he heard V say, “I’m not running away.”
The Alpha was still stuck on not knowing what to do. This was not included in training so he kept his face inexpressive and made no response.
V didn’t seem like he needed one as he continued speaking to the window. “Okay, I am. To tell you the truth, I was running away from you, and the irony is that now I’m running away with you. It’s laughable.”
“Why?” Echo understood why V would run away from him after the series of peculiar news he received, but he couldn’t understand why he would leave after only one and a half-day in his hometown.
“Because my family loves me too much.” V turned his head to Echo, making direct eye contact for the first time since the train moved. “And I love them just as much, so I would rather walk into the pits of hell than see them crumble in worry.”
It wasn’t lost on the Alpha how V likened living with him as walking into the ‘pits of hell’ but he made no comment. After all, no sane person would willingly agree to live with their stalker.
“I’m always holding them down.” It was a murmur, words that might not even be meant for the Alpha’s ears, but he caught them anyway.
He saw the Omega’s body posture visibly deflate, crumpling in itself. At first, it was light sniffling, but like a dam bursting from pressure, the man did too. He sobbed and sobbed with arms covering his face. His shoulders, strong enough to throw a grown adult over them, shook from all of the muffled bawling.
Echo felt guilty. It was as if every time he met the Omega, he was distressed, in pain, or angry. It was better when he was watching from afar, at least from a distance he got to see him smile. His conscience stung when he realized he wouldn’t be seeing this open display of weakness if he didn’t disclose the truth. He knew he contributed somehow to V’s breakdown but it was too late to regret now.
For the first time, Echo wished he could see the familiar glow - the color, the sparkle, the flashes. Because then they would be destinies instead, some type of karmic balance the world deemed to them. They wouldn't be as raw and vulnerable as right now. He could put fate back in place, no problem. He had been doing it since he was legally allowed to drink. But how was he supposed to put back a person together? Where do the pieces fit? How can he be sure it won't break further if he breathes the wrong way?
The only thing he could do was pat the weeping man with a stiff arm and hope it provides enough comfort.
--
The first time V was put on house arrest, it was because he got ran over by a bike. He was 12 and rowdy, the ripe age to feel invincible. He was the king of the world so why would he look both ways when crossing the road?
It wasn’t even serious. There were no broken bones, only blooming bruises, a sprain, and a few scratches. He didn’t even need to stay overnight at the hospital. However, that didn’t stop his household from shutting down when they knew what happened.
For the week he was forced to recuperate at home, his three elder brothers skipped school and stayed with him no matter how hard he protested. Even his parents and eldest brother closed down the business, though at that time they were only running two restaurants.
He didn’t miss the way Iver strolled the perimeter of their house every night as if he was searching for an enemy, or how Trey was uncharacteristically wordless as he guarded by his bedside. Condes, compared to them, appeared more normal. If it wasn’t for the calls he made every day to various government officials demanding an increase in public safety and a change in traffic laws, V would’ve been fooled into thinking so.
The youngest thought that it was their Mom who would nurse him back to health but she was absent. Surprisingly, it was Arwan who made the meals and ensured the house was spotless. This was fine except he never stopped moving, always finding something to fuss about. The bags that his brothers sported under their eyes proved that all of them hardly slept.
He finally got a glimpse of their Mom when he saw her curled up in her nest, baby clothes held tightly in her hands. Their Dad was with her, heavily scenting the master bedroom and whispering soothing words to her ear. The parents that usually seemed like superheroes to V never looked more feeble than through that tiny crack at the door. Whatever complaints he had about his brothers were swallowed down, his previous desire to whine was shrouded by helplessness.
It was the first time the young Vivien saw them like that. It was as if their family was turned upside down. It felt so foreign; it wasn’t the home he was used to.
From then onwards, he promised not to get hurt again.
Or at least, not to get caught.
V took a deep breath to try and shrug the memories away. He couldn’t let the guilt and anxiety he took so much effort to push down overwhelm him. It was best to not think of things—of anything, to be safe—while in public. He hadn’t even noticed the hand that was awkwardly patting him until the touch felt too hot on top of his clothes.
He wiped the tears away with open palms, never one to care for his image. He needed to set his priorities straight and since he was stuck with the Alpha for 5 more hours, they might as well try to get to know each other.
“How long will I be staying?” He asked once he found his voice.
V missed the way Echo flinched as his eyes were still blurry from the crying. “Until we figure out what’s happening.”
“And how will you do that?” V had to make it clear that there was no we in these circumstances. Yes, he was still resentful at being stalked. Apparently, he was getting visions as well, so sue him for being petty. He didn’t have it in him to play nice when none of these problems existed before he met the Alpha.
Echo flinched again. This time, V saw the way his tone cut through the man, easing his dissatisfaction a bit.
“There are records from my ancestors that might help. My house is also protected by a barrier so it would be the safest place for you and me.” The Alpha confessed after a few minutes of consideration.
“Barrier? Like magic?” Why didn’t I see that last time I was there? V completely forgot how he left in a flurry, outraged at their previous conversation.
“Yes but no. It’s not exactly magic, not in the way the media portrays it. It’s from an ability. It creates some sort of vacuum to protect the Keepers from the side effects of constantly influencing destiny.” Echo explained slowly, but when he saw that the Omega had a blank look on his face, he hurriedly added, “You’ll see when we get there.”
V was lost in his own thoughts. He was inwardly ridiculing himself for only now understanding why Echo called him and those like him ‘Keepers.’
Keepers of Fate, huh. Fitting. He honestly thought it was some sort of ancient family name so his brain automatically filtered the information out when the Alpha started his spiel with ‘I am from the Keepers, a bloodline blessed with manipulating destiny.’ Plus, he didn’t believe it at that time. Who could blame him when everything seemed straight from a fantasy novel?
Well, he was technically correct in that it was some sort of ancient family, but it was not the time to wonder how far back their history goes.
Staring straight at the dark eyes that—once again—felt like it was piercing his soul, V’s voice was unshakeable when he declared, “Let’s set some rules, Alpha.”
