Tiwa stumbles at the sight in front of him, his heart beating a million miles a minute. The harsh thrumming feels almost up to his throat as he realizes it's all happening because of him. He never expects things to escalate to this point or to see the consequences of his actions laid out before him in such a tangible way. A vale of tears rolls down his cheeks as he takes slow steps toward Jaran's drunken state.
"B-Brother!!" He calls out.
The crying is taking over, and he is sobbing heavily enough to make his body tremble under the pressure. He doesn't know what to do. His heart hurts so badly that he wishes to scream his frustrations out. Sniffling, he sits on the couch beside Jaran and reaches out with a shaky hand, hoping to wipe away the pain and frustration from the alpha's face. But deep down, he knows that some things can never be undone.
He covers his mouth, gets off the couch, and rushes toward his bed to throw himself on it. The tears continue to flow unchecked, a torrent of pain that threatens to overwhelm him. He tries to take deep breaths to calm himself, but the sobs keep coming, each one more desperate than the last, as he drowns in a sea of sadness, unable to find a way out.
Throughout the night, Tiwa shifts and rolls from left to right. Weighed down by exhaustion but unable to sink fully into sleep, he wonders if he can handle all this as an omega. The thought makes him scoff, and he punches his pillow, burying his face in the fabric. "Freaking lunatic has made my life a living hell!" he mumbles, staring at the alarm until sleep finally takes over.
As the piercing sound of the alarm reverberates in the room, Tiwa slowly opens his eyes. He sits up, rubbing his eyes and taking a deep breath, trying to shake off the remnants of his restless sleep. The events of the previous day come flooding back to him, and he can't help but feel a sense of dread creeping in.
The thought of facing another day filled with uncertainty and fear is almost suffocating. But as his brother's face comes into his mind, his legs move on their own and bring him to the living room, where the alpha scent is bitter and uninviting. Approaching a stressed alpha is not advisable for an omega, but Tiwa has no other way to know if Jaran is all right.
Jaran is already waking up and sitting on the couch with his head down. He realizes he overdid it last night, but he felt like he deserved it after everything he had been through. Fragments of memories come flooding back, and the numbness from alcohol was only a temporary escape from his overwhelming emotions. Now, in the faint scent of cinnamon and jasmine, reality hits him hard.
He stays silent, feeling guilty. Shutting his eyes, he puts his hand on Tiwa's when his little brother tries to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Tiwa. I can't believe what I've done. I feel so dumb," he implores, desperation evident in his voice. "Just a few hours ago, I promised to keep my emotions in check, yet less than 4 hours later, I broke your heart."
Tiwa sighs and settles down next to Jaran, resting his head on the alpha's side and closing his eyes. He can't help but pretend like it's nothing, even though his poor heart is holding all the emotions. "It's okay. I understand," he says as he pries his eyes open and pulls back, meeting Jaran's gaze. "Don't blame yourself. Everything will be all right."
Jaran's lips tremble. "It will never be, Tiwa, if fear seeps into every fiber of your muscles." He can see the confusion smoldering in Tiwa's eyes and looks away as he continues, "Threatening you and haunting you of losing your pride and the one you care most. You wouldn't believe me even if I told you so. I'm really losing control since the moment Pravat has come into our lives."
There is a moment of silence that they're both awkward to break into. Nothing seems helpful, so Tiwa lets out a bitter laugh. What can he do more than that? He can't blame Jaran for his actions because it's true, and even he's losing control after the worst nightmare invaded their lives. Sometimes, he doesn't know what he's doing until it's all happened. Sometimes, he gets into trouble that he's not aware of. Sometimes he just…
Thinking about those will never change anything, so he decides to get rid of the topic. It will be good for both of them. Sighing, he pulls Jaran's face away and looks him in the eyes for assurance. "Nothing will break us, even if they try, when we understand each other. Go freshen up, brother. We're going to the diner for breakfast and then pack our bags to fly over to Phitsanulok."
"Okay. Sorry once again," Jaran says, patting Tiwa's cheek affectionately before heading to the shower.
Tiwa holds his head, staring at the floor. His head fills with thoughts once more as he ponders what to do next. He tries to come up with a solution that will benefit them both. He yearns for a return to their peaceful lives, wanting nothing more than safety and security.
And it is soon, relatively, that Jaran shows up again about half an hour later, freshly showered and cleared.
Before Tiwa can get up from the couch, Jaran sits on the floor between his spread legs, relaxing. Tiwa runs his fingers through Jaran's short hair, which is soft and slightly damp from his recent shower. They sit together in comfortable silence as a sense of peace washes over them. With a slight smile, Tiwa breaks the silence and whispers, "Shall we go to the diner? I'm starving."
Jaran laughs and looks at Tiwa bemusedly before pulling him up along with himself. "Yeah," he says, still laughing a bit. Hearing him laugh after a long period brings a satisfied hum from Tiwa, so he stares at Jaran admiringly. If laughter pities their lives for some time, it will never be difficult. Jaran wraps his arm around Tiwa's shoulders protectively and leads him out of the room.