A dot.
V went through all that trouble just so he could see a single dot. It wasn’t even bigger than a mole, and if V didn’t squint his eyes and inspected the scroll twice, he would’ve missed it. Is this what he was supposed to see with his apparently brand new pair of eyes?
"A dot. That's it?" He gave a pointed look at the Alpha.
"It's a start," replied Echo while rubbing a hand at the back of his neck.
Although he was expressionless, V was not deceived by the sheepish gesture. It was brief but he was certain that when he opened his eyes, the Alpha had a pained look on his face. It was so different from Echo's usual stoic expression that it took V out for a minute. He didn’t have the time to ask before Echo shoved the scroll to his face and asked him again what he saw.
This time, it had a dot at the center.
Curious, V asked, "Well, what do you see?”
V wasn't hoping for an answer, not with the way the Alpha was, so color him surprised when Echo said, "Camellia."
"The flower?"
Echo nodded. “Quina’s family crest.”
V tried to remember how it looked, hoping that the flower arrangement class during home economics in high school proved to be useful for anything other than making his mom a mediocre bouquet for mother's day.
And while V was lost in his musing, Echo didn't tell him why it was the Quina's family crest, or why they always put the flowers in blooming pairs. He didn't think, of course, to explain that the flower symbolizes destiny, and more than their family's role in keeping fate balanced, the flowers were a way to convey a wish made by their ancestors.
A wish, unfortunately, that was left ungranted for several decades.
Echo felt that none of this was important. So what if none of the Quina children ever found their fated mate? V didn't need to know that.
In the general public's minds, fated mates boiled down to pheromone compatibility anyway. It was only in Echo's family did they believe that there were bigger things involved to bring two people together—bigger things that controlled his life since he was 10.
As Echo watched V busy himself daydreaming, he decided that he owed the Omega the sliver of control he never had.
He brought V back to reality by waving the unfurled scroll in front of the silver head’s face while saying, "Focus."
V gave him a blank look but it was full of impatience. “I see a dot. What then?”
Echo knew from the way the Omega was standing that he was ready to snap at the Alpha if he so much says the wrong thing. Not willing to risk it, he directed them to move away from the water and closer to the wooden bookshelves on one side. “Let’s talk there.”
As the space inside the sanctuary follows no strict rules, navigating inside had always been difficult for beginners. Echo himself was lost multiple times when he was young. The place that was 10 feet away would suddenly be only inches apart from their feet if they were not careful, so Echo did his best in making sure V followed him closely.
They quickly arrived at an area that had no other furnishings except for a white, padded rug. The number of pillows only increased along with V’s arrival, the Omega declaring that ‘there’s no such thing as too many pillows’ the moment he saw the bare covering. They sat down but not before the Omega fluffed and rearranged the pillows around them in a circle that only made sense to V.
Like a nest, Echo thought. He was curious to know if V was conscious of his actions or if it was his instinct but he was not brave enough to ask. He still wanted to live to see the next day.
“I’m ready,” V said like an obedient child and Echo had to try his hardest not to stare at those big, blinking eyes.
They sat cross-legged in front of each other, a posture that came naturally from the times they leafed through the Quina family records. Echo laid the open scroll in front of them and asked V to point at where the dot was.
V put his finger directly atop the tiny dot but to Echo’s eyes, it was barely within the outline of the camellia flower.
This is going to be harder than it looks, he thought to himself. Of course, it was, V came from an ordinary family unlike him.
Echo stared at that slender finger, eyes slowly trailing from V’s hand up to his face. The scene of V running straight to the middle of a busy road was still fresh on his mind, and if V was to work outside and be constantly surrounded by people, then Echo had to make sure he at least knew how to tell vision from reality.
The only problem was the process would not be pleasant for the Omega.
--
“Don’t worry, I’m here,” were the last words V heard from the Alpha before everything turned dark.
He was told that everything he would see was an illusion—that it was to help him not see other people’s gruesome deaths, but knowing that was of no help, especially not when everything felt so real.
--
Echo stared at the Omega across from him. His posture was impeccable, back ramrod straight and head held high, but there was a slight sheen of sweat forming on his forehead.
The Alpha didn’t know what V was seeing beneath those closed eyelids, the illusion was different for everyone. From the distressed pheromones the Omega was releasing, Echo was sure that V was not having a good time.
He reached out a hand to hold V’s fist that was clenched tightly, but he pulled back halfway, scared of startling V at the sudden touch.
Instead, he asked, “Do you hear me?”
“You’re everywhere,” V replied in an instant.
Echo knew what he meant, he had been there before. An older relative tried to guide him by talking but it overwhelmed him instead. Afraid of doing the same to V, he remained silent.
“Keep talking so I know you’re there,” V ordered after roughly 5 minutes. “It’s scary here.”
Echo was a bit surprised that a fierce person like V would ever admit to being afraid, but this was also the same person who cried openly in front of a stranger after asking to be taken away, so there was nothing really surprising about this.
“I don’t think that will help,” Echo admitted honestly.
V’s body trembled ever so slightly. Through gritted teeth, he ordered, “I don’t care just do something.”
The Alpha had an idea in mind but he was hesitating. He never tried this before, as there were no other alphas or omegas in the Quina family aside from him, but he read about it when he was young. After quite the consideration, he decided it was worth trying.
“May I scent you?” He asked the Omega who was slowly losing color. He knew that he was crossing the line, scenting is an intimate act only to be shared between partners, and at most, he and V were just two people who shared the same space and ate meals together.
Echo was preparing to get rejected and was even ready to receive a scolding, so imagine his surprise when V answered, “Okay.”
It must’ve been hard on him, Echo told himself, if he’s letting me do this.
“I’m moving behind you,” he narrated his every movement for the unaware Omega. “I’ll be touching you, is that okay?”
“I know. Just do it,” V replied with no hesitation.
After receiving consent, Echo placed his chest to the back of the younger man. His long legs circled V’s crossed one and he gingerly circled his arms around the other’s waist, slowly reaching to hold the Omega’s white-knuckled hands.
As he was rubbing V’s wrist, Echo tried to ignore how he was embracing the other as they did at Hanatad’s water. He focused on putting his scent on the Omega’s scent glands, offering comfort through his pheromones. It seemed to be working as V’s fingers were slowly uncurling.
“Do it more,” V said as his shoulders were losing tension.
Echo wasn’t sure if he should, staring at the Omega’s slender, white neck, and creamy skin. His conscience felt like he was taking advantage of V’s vulnerability but his inner alpha was howling in joy and content at marking the other with his scent.
Just as the Alpha was pulling back, much to his inner alpha’s dissatisfaction, V interrupted with, “It’s okay, don’t hold back.”
Echo needed no more prompting, his instincts completely taking over his body. He buried his nose between the Omega’s neck and shoulder, rubbing his cheek along V’s jawline. While his head was busy inhaling the other’s scent, his hands were not idle either, fingers clasped with V’s as he rubbed their wrists together.
Their combined pheromones were heavenly, the peaches and sandalwood turning into something foreign yet familiar. It was V and him together, and Echo decided then that it would be his favorite scent. He wasn’t sure why, but everything felt right—the pieces of a puzzle locking into place. He didn’t even know that his pheromones were getting heavier by the minute, going from reassurance to possessiveness.
Drunk on this newfound feeling and their pheromones, Echo got bold. “I would like to say something.”
“What is it?” V asked with his eyes still closed.
“I sincerely apologize for … stalking you.” The last words were almost a whisper, but from how close they were sitting together, V didn’t need anything louder than that.
V hummed in reply and said nothing.
Echo unconsciously tightened his hold around the Omega, feeling anxious for reasons he couldn’t describe. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
“I was,” the Omega confessed. He was totally relaxed now, even leaning back on the Alpha and putting his whole weight on him. “Who wouldn’t?”
“I’m sorry,” the big Alpha squeaked, shifting their positions so that V would be more comfortable.
“I forgive you. We also have rule number 2 now so it’s okay.”
Don’t interfere with my personal life, the Omega laid down the second out of five rules they agreed upon while on the train to Nysus City.
“Thanks.” Echo mumbled behind V’s ear, grateful for the pardon on his misgivings.
With his heart free from guilt, Echo allowed himself to fully enjoy the feeling of a pliant Omega in his arms. He even let his hands roam up and down V’s arms, but never above the shoulder. He nosed the crook of V’s neck and scented his nape but resisted the temptation to kiss, and lick, and bite. His inner alpha was urging him to do more but he paid it no heed.
They continued cuddling and scenting while V battled with his illusions, hopeful that he would see more of the camellia flower than just a dot.
And if V was blushing all throughout, it was none of anyone's business.
