Kaiden can't believe how blissful his life has been. He lives in a gorgeous house, all his needs are taken care of, and even his cooking skills are improving. Of course, the last part is only possible with the Beta butler's help.
"How's this?" Kaiden places the meat and vegetables that are freshly rolled in rice wrappers in his palm and presents it to Uriel, asking for the older man's opinion.
The butler takes a careful look before a proud smile blooms on his face. "Perfect," he says, "it's not too thick and not too thin. It's just right."
"Really?" Kaiden's eyes shine at the positive evaluation.
"I don't think you need me in the kitchen anymore," Uriel praises generously.
It's the best response Kaiden has gotten, especially after ripping about half a pack of rice wrappers on his first attempt. His body thrums in pride; his accomplishment is etched on the wide smile on his face.
Kaiden lifts the spring roll high in the air with both hands. "Behold," he says, the sound of his playful voice is like bells chiming in the wind, "my perfect creation!"
"Congratulations." Uriel joins in on the fun, although only with a small but proud smile instead of a hearty laugh like Kaiden.
Kaiden continues giggling as he parades the uncooked roll around the kitchen, showing off to no one but the first friend he made since he became an adult.
Sure, it's unusual for his first friend to be a middle-aged butler, but it's impossible for the two not to have positive relations with each other. When Kaiden first approached the butler and asked him to be taught how to take care of the house, Uriel was appalled. How could he let the guest do housework?
But the Omega was persistent, arguing that he feels useless if he doesn't do anything, and it only took one day for Uriel to succumb to Kaiden's earnest eyes. There is no way the old bag of bones can resist Kaiden's big, adorable eyes and his pouty lips. As a man with all his children grown and with their own family, he quickly discovered that he is weak to Kaiden's lovable and charming appearance. He isn't sure if the Omega did it on purpose but acting cute certainly worked.
He thought that teaching and guiding Kaiden around will add to his workload, but it actually has the opposite effect. With another pair of hands around, he receives more help than he cares to admit. Uriel is especially impressed at how quickly the Omega picks things up, whether it is from simple cooking to the complicated arrangements around the extensive manor. Kaiden even remembers the tiny details that he says in passing, details that even the butler often took for granted.
It is only when Kaiden acts like this, childish and playful, does the Beta remember that the kid is not even in his 20s yet. The pure joy emanating from the Omega's body is almost palpable - as if anyone passing by can smell it, and they certainly can if only Kaiden doesn't have an inhibitor around his neck.
The choker-like inhibitor on Kaiden's neck is thick and black, stopping him from releasing his scent, so no one around him can sense his emotions through his pheromones. It acts both as a suppressant and a form of birth control, and since the first morning he woke up in the Lin manor, it hasn't been taken off.
Uriel feels guilty whenever he recalls the look on Kaiden's face when it was given for him to wear. Kaiden was shocked at first, of course, since no omega uses inhibitors anymore. There's improved medicine and better technology now - leaps superior to having the restricting metal device on 24/7 like in the past. It's dated and a remnant of a time when omegas were treated as property instead of humans, but Kaiden voices no complaints. Uriel thought that the Omega would cry that morning, but he only lowered his gaze and silently accepted the heavy choker to put it on under Uriel's sympathetic gaze. Neither of them can go against the order of the master of the house, no matter how concerned Uriel is for the possible repercussions to Kaiden's health.
The bright smile on Kaiden's face brings him both warmth and guilt. He wishes he can do more for the young man, so he does the best that he can and supports him from the side.
"Let's cook it now, Uncle!" Kaiden's cheery voice jingles around the kitchen.
Yes, the Omega has also gotten around to calling him 'uncle,' the generational gap between them is ideal for that form of address, after all.
"Right away, Kaiden." Uriel still acts in a manner befitting of a butler, but it is clear that they have gotten closer to each other. The smiling face and gentle eyes on the Beta's face clearly say so.
As they prepare the rest of their lunch in harmony, Kaiden hums to an unrecognizable melody while Uriel moves around him.
--
This is how Kaiden spends most of his days: playing around with Uriel when he's bored, lounging around the house when he's tired, and picking up skills here and there. Everything is relatively peaceful for Kaiden.
If there's one thing that brings excitement to his life, it's the intimate nights he spends in Damon's company.
They don't always go all the way, it's impossible for the Omega's body to keep up if they do. However, one way or another, Kaiden ends up in Damon's hold while the Alpha 'shares' their pheromones as much as they can. It's pleasurable, Kaiden can't deny that, but he can't stop his heart from fluttering whenever Damon softly caresses him.
It makes him weak, he knows, but there's a longing inside of him that only chants Damon's name. No matter how hard he tries, the longing only grows stronger whenever he wakes up to an empty bed. His inner omega cries every time, distressed at not seeing their mate after their most vulnerable state. Without fail, his inner omega tells him that maybe they're not worthy, that they didn't do a good job, and that's why the Alpha left.
After the tenth time Kaiden woke up to nothing, he made it a habit to bolt to his bedroom - to the safety of his nest - as fast as he can. His nest is modest and somewhat lacking, especially because it doesn't have the scent of the Alpha his omega recognized as their mate, but Kaiden makes do.
So what if he spends some mornings crying, the emptiness all-consuming with voices telling him he's a failure at everything he does? He picks himself back up before Uriel calls him for breakfast, and Kaiden convinces himself every time to focus on what's important.
One year, he tells himself as he eats his well-prepared lunch, he needs to survive for just one year.
He needs to leave Lin Manor with his heart intact.
It's all he has.
It's the least he can do for himself.
--
Kaiden has been in the Lin Manor for a while, but he has not ventured outside yet. After seeking directions from Uriel one morning, he makes it his mission to explore the well-maintained forest garden.
The garden, like the rest of the house, is beautiful. One step in and it feels like he's in a fairytale book, one that holds promises of secrets and fairies. Granted, there are more trees than flowers, but that's the charm of the place. It lives up to the manor's architectural design while having an attractiveness of its own.
He wanders aimlessly along the garden path in search of nothing, only hoping to ease his mind and lighten his heart. Past the third birdhouse, he spots the one man he's hoping to avoid - Damon.
From where Kaiden is standing, he can see that Damon is having tea inside the glass greenhouse. The sunlight filters softly through the tree leaves, but even from this distance Kaiden can see him like he's up close. The Alpha looks serene, nothing near the coldness that he usually shows Kaiden, and the Omega takes a moment to soak up this side of Damon that Kaiden typically never gets to see. His eyes follow Damon's every movement: the way he lifts the cup to his lips, the finger gently tapping on one knee, and the gaze distantly staring into nowhere.
If Kaiden is not mistaken, today is one of Damon's rare days off, a chance to relax by himself with no responsibilities to burden. Relaxed is a good look on the Alpha, it takes the edge off of him, makes him look more human than divine - almost within Kaiden's reach.
Like this, with only ten feet away from each other, Kaiden feels like the distance between them is not that great. He's not the outcast of the Wester family and Damon is not the head of the Lin Finance Group. One step forward and then they'll be closer to each other.
Like this, with one silently watching while the other is silently being watched, Kaiden feels like there's more to them than steamy nights and single-sentence pleasantries. He's not some Omega he picked up at a club and Damon doesn't have a childhood lover. One shout of Damon's name and then Kaiden won't be alone anymore.
Like this, within the shelter of the trees and the humming of the birds, Kaiden feels like nothing matters aside from /them/. He knows that the world somehow brought them together. One confession to spill his heart's desires, finally admitting that he's in love - he's been hopelessly in love since that first night - and that every time he denies himself of that truth, a part of him dies.
But who is he deluding?
Knowing that the connection between them only goes one way, Kaiden turns to leave but is a second too slow.
As if sensing his presence, Damon meets his eyes. Kaiden tries to hide but it's futile, he's been spotted too.