Morning sunlight poured through the wide windows of the villa, soft and golden. The curtains swayed lightly in the ocean breeze, and Kaein stirred awake to find Lior curled against him, still asleep, hair slightly messy from the night before. His heart thudded at the sight—it still felt unreal, that the boy he had grown up with, loved in silence for so many years, was now his lover.
Kaein bent down, brushing his lips gently across Lior's forehead. "Good morning, my beloved," he whispered, almost shy despite all the years they had known each other.
Lior blinked awake, eyes still hazy with sleep, but the corners of his mouth lifted in a small smile. "Morning… beloved."
That single word, echoed back to him, was enough to make Kaein feel as though he could never need anything else.
---
After breakfast, they spent their morning sprawled across the wide couch, mugs of coffee in hand, flipping through thick Omegaverse journals that had been published by biologists and researchers after the sudden awakening of secondary genders across the world.
"Listen to this," Lior said, holding up a highlighted page. His brow furrowed in focus, lips moving as he read aloud. "Alpha rut cycles tend to appear in late twenties, early thirties, though some may experience irregular surges when emotionally stimulated or deeply bonded with their mate. Preventive measures include—"
Kaein groaned, flopping back against the cushions. "You really had to start with that one?"
Lior chuckled softly, eyes warm as he turned to him. "Of course I did. You're my beloved. If I'm studying how to take care of myself, then I also have to study how to take care of you. You can't expect me to only think about my own protections."
The word "beloved," spoken so earnestly, made Kaein's chest ache. For a moment, he forgot the embarrassment of the topic. He leaned closer, resting his chin on Lior's shoulder and murmured, "You've always been too responsible for me."
Lior tilted his head, touching his temple lightly to Kaein's. "And you've always been reckless when it comes to yourself."
They laughed softly, the easy rhythm of long years together flowing back into this new stage of their relationship. Still, beneath it all, there was a subtle weight—their world had changed. What had been childhood affection was now wrapped in instincts, biology, and new responsibilities neither of them had ever prepared for.
Lior read more seriously, noting down things in his own journal, determined not to leave any gap of knowledge. Kaein watched him, heart swelling with love but also with an odd mix of fear and awe.
---
By late morning, they decided to go shopping. At the local grocery store, they walked side by side, filling their basket with fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices. Kaein, ever restless, reached for random snacks and drinks, while Lior carefully checked expiration dates and balanced their choices.
"Do we really need five different flavors of chips?" Lior asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Kaein said solemnly, placing another bag into the cart. "It's research. What if one of them turns out to be our official couple flavor?"
Lior laughed despite himself, shaking his head. "You're unbelievable."
Back at the resort villa, they cooked together. Lior chopped vegetables with neat precision, while Kaein tried—and failed—to flip pancakes without tearing them apart. Their kitchen was filled with sizzling sounds, the rich aroma of spices, and their laughter echoing in between.
When the food was ready, they sat cross-legged on the floor with plates spread out like a picnic. Kaein fed Lior a bite of his disastrously-shaped pancake, grinning like a boy again.
"It's terrible, isn't it?" he asked.
Lior chewed thoughtfully. "Terrible," he confirmed, and then smiled. "But because it's from you, I'll eat it all."
Kaein's heart squeezed so tightly he had to lean forward and kiss the tip of Lior's nose, whispering again, "My beloved."
---
In the afternoon, they walked hand in hand to their old high school. The buildings looked smaller now, though the field was still wide, green, and endless. Standing there, memories flooded back—two boys running side by side, sharing secrets under the trees, lingering at the gates long after classes ended because neither wanted to say goodbye.
Lior bent to pick up a stray dandelion, twirling it between his fingers. "Do you remember? You used to tell me to make a wish with these."
"And you always wished for the same thing," Kaein said softly. "That we would stay together."
Lior looked at him, eyes reflecting years of quiet longing finally answered. "And we did."
They played lightly on the field, tossing a ball back and forth like teenagers again, laughing when Kaein purposely exaggerated his throws. For a little while, it was as if time itself had bent, letting them taste the sweetness of their youth again.
---
By the time they reached the hotel, the sky outside had already turned into a deep wash of indigo. The city lights glittered faintly in the distance, yet the world around them felt hushed—quiet in a way that made every small sound between them feel amplified.
Kaein carried their single overnight bag with ease, but his hand never once let go of Lior's. The simple act felt grounding, almost sacred. They had gone shopping together, cooked side by side, wandered their old school grounds—but this, stepping into a hotel room together as lovers, felt different. The threshold hummed with a nervous excitement.
The room was warm, lit by soft golden lamps. A large bed rested neatly in the center, the sheets crisp and inviting. A polished bath lay beyond a half-open sliding door, steam faintly clinging to the tiles from when staff had prepared it earlier.
Lior placed his keys on the small table by the door and turned around only to find Kaein watching him. Not the casual glance of a friend, not even the admiring gaze of a man seeing someone beautiful—this was Kaein drinking him in, as if every moment mattered.
"He still calls me beloved so easily, Lior thought, a flush rising to his cheeks. Do I really deserve to be looked at like that?"
Kaein stepped closer, cupping Lior's face gently. His thumb brushed across his cheekbone before leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead, then the tip of his nose, and finally—slowly—to his lips.
It wasn't a hungry kiss. It wasn't meant to claim or overwhelm. It was warm, tentative, and careful, as if testing how fragile this new bond between them really was. When Lior exhaled against his mouth and leaned in further, Kaein smiled against his lips.
"Beloved," he whispered, the word heavy with sincerity. "We've waited twenty years for this. I won't rush you."
Lior's heart thudded, not from fear but from the intimacy of being seen so deeply. He nodded, resting his forehead against Kaein's chest, inhaling the faint trace of cedarwood and salt that always clung to his Alpha.
They spent time in the bath first, the hot water wrapping around them like a cocoon. Lior leaned back against Kaein's chest, his hair damp and sticking to his temples. Kaein washed his shoulders with unhurried strokes, as if memorizing every line, every curve.
"Relax," Kaein murmured, lips brushing the shell of his ear. "Let me take care of you tonight."
And for once, Lior allowed himself to surrender.
When they returned to the room, they didn't go to the bed immediately. They sat on the couch by the window first, drinking cool water, watching the city lights flicker far away. Kaein wrapped a towel around Lior's shoulders even though he wasn't cold. It was less about the towel and more about the instinct to shield.
Only later, when both were ready, did they lie down on the bed together. The sheets smelled faintly of lavender. Lior curled against Kaein's side, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat under his palm. Kaein pressed another kiss to his temple, then the corner of his lips, then finally a deeper one that lingered.
But as their breaths mingled, as Kaein's hand tightened unconsciously on Lior's waist, something shifted. A faint surge of heat spilled into the air—pheromones he hadn't meant to release. Lior shivered, not out of fear but from the raw honesty of it.
"Kaein…" he whispered, voice low, almost uncertain.
Kaein's eyes softened, though his jaw tensed. "I'm trying," he admitted hoarsely. "Sometimes… I can't control it when I'm with you. But ... how do you know my scent?"
The truth trembled between them—this wasn't just love, wasn't just comfort. The bond of Alpha and Omega pulsed beneath the surface, inevitable and alive. Lior reached up, brushing his fingers along Kaein's cheek.
"I know," he said quietly. "That's why I studied, remember? I'll protect you too."
For the rest of the night, they didn't need to do more. They let themselves kiss, hold, breathe each other in until sleep finally claimed them, twined together beneath the lavender sheets.