The night air was still cool against Lior's cheeks as he wiped the last trace of tears away. Sitting on the bench, he could still feel the warmth of Kaein's hand on his back, steady and grounding. It had been a long evening of tangled feelings, but now a quiet calm surrounded them.
Kaein glanced at him, eyes softened. "You look tired. Want to come home with me? My place is not far. Mom will be happy to see you again."
Lior blinked, surprised, but then a faint smile tugged at his lips. "Your hometown? Now?"
"Mm," Kaein stood, stretching. "I'll feel better if you're with me. And I want you to stay where you're loved." His tone was simple, but it left no space for Lior to refuse.
The journey didn't take long—just a short ride, then a walk through quiet streets where lamps glowed like fireflies. Compared to the restless city, Kaein's neighborhood felt untouched by time: small houses with front gardens, laundry lines swaying lightly in the night breeze, the faint sound of cicadas chirping.
By the time they reached a modest two-story house with a small wooden gate, Lior felt a warmth creeping into his chest. This was… different.
The door opened even before Kaein knocked. A woman in her forties, hair tied back neatly, stepped out with a bright smile. "Kaein! You didn't say you were coming tonight." Her eyes fell on Lior, and her smile grew even warmer. "And you brought Lior with you."
Lior flushed, bowing slightly. "G-Good evening, Auntie."
"Come inside quickly, both of you," she said, bustling them in. "It's late. You must be hungry, no? I'll heat something up."
"No need, Mom," Kaein said, a little embarrassed. "We already ate."
His mother waved a hand as if brushing away his words. "Nonsense. A little soup will help you sleep." She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Lior standing in the hallway, shoes in his hand, staring at the homely warmth of the living room. Family photos lined the walls. The faint scent of herbs lingered. It was… comforting in a way he hadn't felt for years.
Kaein leaned in, his voice low. "She really likes you, you know. She thinks of you as family."
Lior's chest tightened. Family. It had been so long since he'd been welcomed into someone's home like this.
The house smelled faintly of herbs and simmering broth, a kind of warmth that seeped into Lior's chest the moment he stepped inside. Kaein's mother fussed over them both, ushering them to the living room, asking whether they had eaten, if they were tired, if they wanted tea. She touched Lior's arm so gently, as though he belonged here just as much as her son. For someone like him, who only hours ago had been rejected by his own family, the kindness felt overwhelming.
"You'll stay here as long as you want," she insisted with a soft smile, the kind only mothers could give. "This is your home too."
Lior's throat ached, and all he could do was bow his head. Kaein answered in his stead, his voice confident and soothing. "We'll be fine, Mom. Thanks for letting us stay."
They ate the warm soup together at the dining table. Kaein's mom asked simple questions—about school, meals, sleep—nothing heavy, but every word carried a kind of tenderness that left Lior feeling oddly vulnerable.
When they finished, she patted Lior's hand. "You'll stay here tonight. Kaein's room still has space. You boys can talk until you sleep."
Lior nearly choked. "I–In his room?"
Kaein smirked faintly, clearly amused at his reaction. "Don't worry. I won't eat you alive."
Lior flushed red, glaring at him, but Kaein only chuckled and led him upstairs.
---
Kaein's room was simple but warm. A neat desk by the window, a bed pushed against the wall, bookshelves stuffed with novels, manga, and little trinkets that spoke of years of living.
Lior stepped in carefully, eyes roaming with curiosity. He had been here before, briefly, but this time he noticed more. The desk lamp cast a soft glow, highlighting the rows of books stacked with near-obsessive care. Some were familiar titles, some foreign. But what caught his eye this time was the small pile of colorful manga volumes tucked on the lowest shelf, half-hidden.
Lior crouched down. His fingers brushed over the covers—wolves, flowers, strange titles, characters entangled in close embraces.
His gaze narrowed. Many of them shared one strange word he had only vaguely heard of: Omegaverse.
"Manga?" he murmured, running a finger lightly along the edge of one volume. Then he frowned. "Wait… Omegaverse?"
He picked one volume out carefully, turning it over in his hands. "...Kaein," he called softly, almost embarrassed, "what are these?"
Kaein, who had been leaning against the window frame watching him with an unreadable expression, tensed almost imperceptibly. His lips curled into a faint smile. "Ah. So you finally noticed."
Kaein, who had been folding extra blankets on the bed, stiffened slightly. He turned, his ears flushing faintly as he saw what Lior held. "Ah... that..." He scratched the back of his neck, awkwardly walking over. "Those are... mangas. Stories about a... fictional world called the omegaverse."
"Omegaverse?" Lior repeated, his brows furrowing in innocent curiosity. "You read these?"
Kaein stiffened for a second, then let out a breath and leaned casually against the wall, though a faint pink dusted his ears. "Yeah. I do."
Lior tilted his head, his expression torn between curiosity and embarrassment. "What… exactly are they?"
Kaein crossed the room and gently took the book from his hands, closing it with care. "They're… well, stories set in another kind of world. An alternate society. The Omegaverse." He sat on the edge of the bed, patting the spot beside him. Lior obeyed, perching with cautious interest.
"In this world," Kaein continued, "people are divided into secondary genders—Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. Alphas are dominant, protective… Betas are kind of neutral, and Omegas are… the ones most deeply cherished, but also the most vulnerable."
Lior listened intently, his fingers twisting nervously in his lap.
Kaein's gaze grew softer as he explained. "Omegas… they can be marked. By an Alpha. That mark binds them for life, a bond no one can break. It's a promise of loyalty, of possession, of… eternal love. If I had someone I truly loved, someone I wanted to keep by my side forever…" His voice dropped, almost a whisper. "I'd want to mark them. To make sure they'd never be alone, never be taken from me. That bond… it's unshakable."
Lior's chest tightened. There was a hunger in Kaein's words, an intensity that both frightened and fascinated him. "That person must be… loved so much," he said softly. His lips trembled into a faint smile. "Do you… have someone you like?"
The question hung in the air like a fragile thread.
Kaein's eyes flickered toward him, sharp and searching. "Why do you ask?"
Lior flushed, quickly looking away. His heart thudded painfully in his chest, as though it already knew the answer but feared to hear it aloud. "I just… wondered. If you talk like that, it sounds as if you already have someone in mind."
Kaein leaned back slightly, watching him with quiet intensity. "Then let me ask you, Lior. Which gender do you like? In this… A/B/O setting."
The question jolted Lior, but after a moment of thought, his answer came clear, even if it embarrassed him to say it aloud. "…Omega," he admitted in a low voice. "Because… I can be loved by someone eternally. I can be marked, I can belong. Someone would never let me go. Even if the whole world hated me, one person would stay." He gave a small, almost broken laugh. "But… those things are just fiction, aren't they? Real life isn't that simple."
Kaein's throat tightened at the sight of him—his fragile smile, his quiet longing. He wanted to say no, it doesn't have to be fiction. If you let me, I could give you that kind of love. But the words stuck to his tongue, heavy and dangerous. Instead, he reached out, brushing his fingers against Lior's hand where it rested on the bedspread.
"You deserve it, you know," he said softly. "Even if it's only fiction to some people, for you… it could be real. If someone really loved you, they'd never let you go."
Lior's eyes shimmered. He tried to speak but couldn't, his throat thick with unshed tears. The warmth of Kaein's touch spread through him like sunlight breaking into a long winter.
Silence stretched, thick but tender. Kaein finally broke it with a wry smile. "So… do you want me to lend you some of the books? You can see how it all works."
Lior let out a small laugh, wiping his eyes quickly. "I don't know if I'd even understand them."
"I'll explain," Kaein said easily, his voice low but filled with sincerity. "Every detail. Until you understand it all."
Lior looked at him then, truly looked. The lines of Kaein's face, the steadiness in his gaze, the quiet passion that burned beneath his calm words. His heart fluttered in confusion and something deeper he dared not name.
He set the manga back on the shelf and whispered, almost to himself, "If someone like you loved someone… that person would be the happiest in the world."
Kaein's lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile. "Maybe," he murmured. "Or maybe they'd be the most possessed."
Lior shivered, though not entirely from fear. The intensity in Kaein's tone left his heart restless long after they lay down to sleep in the quiet of his hometown, where the night carried with it the promise of both comfort… and something much more dangerous.