There is silence for a long moment, both of them breathing hard. Pravat still lies heavily on top of Tiwa, but he can't find it in himself to care. It isn't until Pravat moves off of him and he hears him working to zip up his pants that everything hits Tiwa like a freight train. What had he done? His vision is still blurry, and wet droplets cling to the edges of his eyelashes as he tries to force his body into relaxation.
The fever of heat starts to rise again, making him feel even more uncomfortable. His shoulder throbs in pain, and he worries that it might be injured from the intense fucking he just went through. As he reaches up to rub his shoulder, he feels a scabbed bite mark and freezes in terror. Tears well up in his eyes as he wonders why all of this is happening to him and where it will ultimately lead him.
He snaps out of his thoughts when he feels a comforting hand on his cheek, catching his tears. He places his hands over Pravat's and sobs uncontrollably, tears streaming down his cheeks. "P-Pravat!" His hands tremble with emotion once again.
"Baby deer," Pravat calls out with worry, pulling Tiwa into his lap. He allows him to lean against his shoulders and tries to comfort him. "Don't," he says, reaching up to swipe at the tears that make their way down Tiwa's cheeks.
"I'm scared!" Tiwa closes his teary eyes and turns around, shuddering as he buries his head in the crook of Pravat's neck and scents himself on him.
"You have me." Pravat pulls back, gazes at Tiwa lovingly, and kisses him before wiping his lower lip with his thumb. "I hate to say this, but we need to keep moving if you want to perform at the concert," he says, gesturing toward Tiwa's costumes and belongings by the door. True to his word, Pravat takes charge and makes the necessary arrangements with Decha over the phone to address the situation.
Tiwa tries to move, but his legs feel wobbly, so he leans on Pravat for support. He knows he needs to be done but doubts his strength. Wanting to boost his courage, Pravat gives Tiwa a pill to swallow. Tiwa trusts him and doesn't question it. Gradually, the darkness in his vision fades, allowing him to continue with the day.
Tiwa refreshes and gets ready quickly with Pravat's help, all the while thinking about the concert. There are many things that he needs to care for and handle after this, but he doesn't want to trash his mind about them now. Four lives tangle with his fate, and he has to remind himself not to break their dreams because of his distraction.
Standing like a statue, he stares at the floor and works out some things in mind until a pair of legs halt their movement in front of him. He bites his lip worriedly and looks up to meet Pravat's gaze, which is trying to read through his soul. Neither talk, for the time being; Pravat's nose softly presses into Tiwa's cheek, almost as if a soundless question is asking whether he's okay.
Tiwa leans into the touch for a split second before wrapping his arms around Pravat and nodding. He feels more lightheaded as warmth fills him up.
Pravat releases his pheromones and covers Tiwa with his scent, wanting to shield him from the other alphas when he leaves his embrace. Because the smell of Tiwa is still strong in the enclosed space, even if he takes a remedy, and it's at high risk if he wanders around, especially when he's in heat. To an alpha, the smell of omega in heat is like a five-course dinner to a starving man. It is irresistible.
Pravat pulls Tiwa unimaginably closer and licks the already hard bite on the junction of the neck and shoulder to let him breathe and gather the remainder of his sanity, organizing his meddled mind into something that can resemble order. He then grabs a black scarf and ties it around Tiwa's neck, not to cover the love bites but to keep him warm and comfortable on the stage with his musk scent.
***
Jaran loses his temper, tearing around all things in his way and raising his voice at his bandmates for a mistake they are not responsible for. He understands what he is doing wrong, but the rage boiling inside him does not comprehend anything. It wants to express its feelings until the person who is responsible for all this gets into his hands and provides a satisfying explanation.
"I think I have given Tiwa so much freedom that he forgets who he is. Others may not recognize his true identity, but he must realize that he is an omega and shouldn't wander outside alone." Growling, Jaran clenches his fist and hits the wall in anger. "It's the first time Tiwa has disappeared without informing me, especially with the concert approaching." Unsatisfied, he groans and hits the wall once more.
He has noticed the subtle differences in Tiwa's behavior ever since Pravat entered their lives. The undeniable chemistry between them is evident in their stares, gestures, and conversations. Despite wanting to address the situation, Jaran refrains from acting impulsively due to past events in their hometown. Although he tries to convince himself that there's nothing to be concerned about, he can't help but feel like Tiwa is testing his patience.
Glancing at his watch, he lets out an animalistic growl when Tiwa still doesn't arrive. He curses himself for not ignoring the manager's words and leaving the arena to find Tiwa when he knows of his absence. Despite receiving a text from Tiwa reassuring him not to worry and that he would be on time, Jaran tries to contact him again with no response to his calls or texts.
As time goes by without any sign of Tiwa, Jaran starts to have suspicions about his safety. However, the manager claims that Pravat has been sent to look for him. Jaran gets into a fight with the elder alpha and attempts to leave the arena, but higher officials get involved and demand an explanation. To avoid causing a scene, Jaran and the others choose to keep quiet about the situation and pretend that everything is normal.
When Kay slaps his shoulder and motions for him to go on stage, Jaran snaps out of his thoughts. Uncertain of what to expect, he braces himself for any outcome. Taking a deep breath, he puts on the guitar strap, steps onto the stage, and starts playing. The sensation that engulfs him as he strums the chords takes him by surprise, like a sudden surge of electricity coursing through his entire body.
A small smile forms on his lips when he hears a familiar voice. The anger that was present before begins to dissipate as Tiwa nods at him from the cage he's kept in and starts singing a song that feels like pure magic, sending energy coursing through his veins and fingers. Without even thinking, Jaran knows exactly where to move next; the lyrics flow effortlessly from Tiwa's lips, bypassing his brain altogether. This sensation is one that he experiences every time they take the stage together.
***
Tiwa is thankful that he reaches the stage on time and saves his band from potential embarrassment. It's all thanks to Pravat that the reputation and pride they maintain are secure. Holding the bars of a cage, Tiwa works his voice over the scales from his natural tenor down into a happy squeal for some songs, soaring into falsetto for others as he dances inside the cage and works for the crowd.
Today's concept revolves around a caged bird begging for freedom and eventually being set free. He represents that bird, anxiously waiting to leave the cage and join the stage during the last song. For now, he hangs in the air, appreciating the setting more than ever before as it conceals his delightful scent from others. Pravat stands by the stage, keeping a close eye on him to offer assistance if needed.
Tiwa always performs his act with precision, but today he can feel a change in the atmosphere. As he sings a song, the audience listens in silence and sings along softly. However, when he breaks free from his cage, the spotlight shines on him, and the crowd erupts in cheers and begins dancing. It's as if they have all been liberated from their constraints. The overwhelming cheer fills Tiwa with a sense of euphoria that he can only experience on stage, where his body and mind come together in perfect harmony.
Exhausted yet exhilarated, the band takes their bows under the spotlight before leaving the stage. Decha approaches Tiwa, slapping him on the shoulder and praising his performance. "You rock it, Tiwa. When you jumped from the cage, it was like a real bird catching its freedom. It was amazing!"
Tiwa's eyes are rapt at it, unconsciously nodding along at the words. Then, suddenly, his vision starts to go wide when a familiar figure turns him around and forces itself on him. Instead of welcoming the warmth, his body shudders in fear when Jaran hugs him because there's still a niggling voice at the back of his head that only adds fuel to his scariness.
Just as he fears, Jaran pulls away immediately when he gets a whiff of his scent and stares at him wide-eyed before ripping the black scarf from his neck. That's when Tiwa catches something in Jaran's eyes; he swears he sees a flash of anger, and he understands, but he's not going to question it. He doesn't really feel up to protesting, though, so he allows it.
Jaran curls his fist around the scarf and pushes past Tiwa to attack Pravat, who runs toward them. The bitchiness in the place makes Tiwa's nose itch. A small portion of his instinct urges him to defend his mate against his brother, who misunderstands everything. In fact, if Pravat hadn't taken responsibility, the concert wouldn't have gone well.
Tiwa rushes in between them and puts his hand on Jaran's chest, stopping him from fighting, but it seems to be the very thing that makes him stop. The anger that Jaran has been bottling up for months finally erupts in full force. Tiwa hopes he won't drown in the intensity of it. He opens his mouth to say something, but Jaran has already raised his hand to stop him.
"Shut the fuck up!" Jaran glares and spits out another sentence from his gritted teeth. "I don't want to hear anything from you, traitor. I trusted you, but you stabbed me in the back."
Tiwa flinches, wanting to oppose them, but his head is empty of any words. He has nothing to say except that maybe hearing it from Jaran makes him feel much more hollow. He can understand that if he says anything when Jaran is blinded by anger, nothing will change. So he looks down with tears in his eyes and accepts everything, whatever Jaran is saying.
"Everyone was worried when you left the meet and greet without saying anything, but you-" Jaran seethes, grabbing Tiwa by the collar and shaking him violently. "I'm too embarrassed to say that. You're a disgusting omega bitch, and you always have been!"
Tiwa's face goes pale, his light brown eyes wide with heartbreak, as their bandmates shift uneasily behind him, none brave enough to risk angering Jaran further. The bitter scent of Jaran's anger surrounds Tiwa, causing his temple to explode with pain. He barely catches sight of a huge fist aiming at Jaran's face and landing square against his cheek, throwing his head to the left and making him see stars for a startling moment.
Pinning a gaze at Jaran, Pravat pulls Tiwa to his side and runs a hand along his hair as he sobs, fat tears streaming down his face as if the first drop has loosened something old and enormous inside him. Pravat gathers Tiwa carefully against his chest and lets him burrow into his jacket while dragging him out of the arena.