She didn't stutter.
Liam blinked at the omega, and she hid further behind her new book.
"Don't change the topic, Baby Blue." Mar chuckled, which betrayed his words by showing nervousness.
The platinum blond alpha didn't say anything. They agreed to not keep their relationship a secret, and they also agreed to not announce it either, but now the thought of someone knowing about it hit them harder than it should.
"So, you d-did." Blue's round black eyes never left them.
"Maybe." Mar buried his face into the driver seat's cushion, and Liam was the one shrugging this time.
"I c-can tell. Liam, you're more touchy on Mar than usual. Mar, your pheromones are telling me that you're happy. You told me you're s-sad because of Laura. But when we meet Laura, you're s-spiteful. Your pheromones too, Liam. I can't really s-smell, but I've n-never seen you acting like this giddy."
"You're too observant for your own good." The blond alpha immediately said back, and he only realized it after the words left his lips.
"Listen, Blue." Mar's voice sounded defeated. "I hope this won't affect how you see us."
"No, it won't." Liam can see their reflection in those wide black eyes, like a mirror. Blue didn't even blink when she continued speaking. "Rex owes me dinner now."
"You bet on this?" The black haired alpha groaned, and Liam couldn't help but frown at the omega.
Blue nodded slowly. "Since high s-school. Rex and I l-like betting on how long until two people fuck. They don't have to mate. As long as we get confirmation that they laid hands on each other, we collect our reward. Our first bet was my brother and his current boyfriend. Both of you are on the list, and R-Rex was soooo sure that Laura was a decoy to divert attention from Liam."
"Excuse me, what?" The platinum blond alpha frowned harder, but his confusion showed.
"B-But we never got confirmation that you two did something." Black eyes reflected their shocked faces back to them. "I-I do now."
Liam took a deep breath, and he pressed his lips into a thin line. "And you decided to court that guy because he bets with you?"
"Everyone has something to hide." Mar stared back at Blue. His pheromones showed that he's kinda pissed, and that's pretty understandable. "You know ours, so what's yours, Baby Blue?"
Those black eyes blinked once. "Two years into his deployment, he was allowed to have a vacation. He didn't visit family."
Mar's lips dropped a little, and Liam knew exactly what she was talking about. The two alphas were in high school back then, and Mar's father was fussing over their annual summer vacation that his second oldest son didn't show up. Being a douchebag runs in the family, so Liam honestly didn't blame Rex for not showing up since he got his first taste of freedom outside of their father's clenches.
"He visited me." Blue laid her head on the window of the car door, her fluffy brunette hair pushed against the glass.
"Did he hurt you?" Liam's throat was dryer than he expected, and he reached for his peach tea.
Fuck, he's a qualified nerd who's studying biochemistry, but he will punch an ex-marine for Blue.
"I asked for it." Her voice was small, almost shy. Those black eyes squeezed shut for just a moment.
"Blue..." Mar reached out and touched her arms, which are still hugging the book to her chest. "No one asked for assault—"
"You misunderstood." Blue opened her eyes back up. "I asked for it. I wanted to know what it feels like to share my scent with someone else even though I have none. Novels glorify a union between an alpha and an omega when their rut and heat match. I just wanted a try, and he was as desperate as I was."
Liam's jaw hung open, and his best friend's just as pale as he is.
What the fuck?
Blue's closer to Mar than her own family, and she even kept this from the alpha. Liam's opinion about Rex isn't the best, but he genuinely thought that the fucker's attitude was enough to chase away any potential mate, and yet here they are in a car, in the middle of the day, discussing his sex life.
"He used all his off days with m-me. Every year." Black eyes moved to the scenery outside the window. "I felt a little guilty that he didn't visit you guys, but he insisted on staying."
"Are you sure you wanna court him?" Liam doesn't know how to comfort people, so he did his best. "I mean... Rex's a little... Rude. Would he even accept?"
The omega let out a chuckle, and her black eyes were directed at them once again. "I asked him two days ago. He said okay."
"Hold up, you asked him what?" Mar's voice got a little louder, but it didn't bother Blue as she's giggling to herself.
"He retired from his duties three days ago." She looked longingly into the book. "And he came to me first. I asked him to marry me in the morning after we did our usual round. He said okay. Then, he left to s-see your father."
"You asked my asshole of an older brother," The black haired alpha's eyes widened as the realization sinks in. "To marry you?"
"Ooof..." Liam looked away from the omega to hide his disappointment after she nodded. "I can't believe this shit, but whatever makes you happy, Baby Blue."
"I'm h-happy for both of you." A small smile came on her pink lips. "An alpha male with an alpha male."
Huh... Looks like Mar told the truth when he said the secret is between Liam and him.
"A... Anyways..." Blue finally put the book down on the passenger seat. "I should h-help you guys pack."
"Wait, wait, so he just said okay?" The black haired alpha mumbled out. "No gifts, no rings? Just 'okay'?"
"We haven't t-talked about it yet." The omega skittishly played with the ends of her hair. "H-he's busy w-with the v-vacation. S-so, I guess I'm b-buying the book for us. I'll g-give it to him as a reminder that h-he didn't say no."
They don't even know if Rex's gonna actually say yes to her proposal. Fuck, he might be using her the entire time. After all, no strings are attached since Blue has no scent, and Rex was careful because there's no trace of his scent on Blue either. Also, it's a fucking miracle that they don't conceive. Either they're very good with their contraception or one and or both of them got problems conceiving.
Either way, Liam will punch the fucker into a wall.