The apartment was quiet except for the hum of the city outside. Kaein sat cross-legged on the couch, his laptop resting on the coffee table, though his attention wasn't on case files tonight. Lior leaned against the armrest beside him, head resting lightly on Kaein's shoulder. The faint mingling of wisteria and gardenia lingered between them—a reminder of the bond that had been strengthened, yet was still unmarked.
"I've been thinking," Kaein murmured, his voice low, hesitant, almost swallowed by the dim light of the room. "About… us. About marking."
Lior lifted his head, blinking slowly, sensing the tension in Kaein's pheromonal tone. Even restrained, the Alpha's underlying nervousness shimmered in the air. "You mean… permanent?" Lior asked, fingers brushing along Kaein's hand, sending small shivers up both of their spines.
Kaein nodded. "Yes. It's… terrifying, isn't it? Once it's done, there's no going back. We'd be… entwined."
Lior smiled faintly, though his own heartbeat quickened. "Entwined… forever. I've thought about it too." He shifted slightly, letting his body press closer, the faint heat of his Lunar essence brushing Kaein's Alpha skin. "The idea… it's comforting, in a primal way. But also terrifying. What if… what if we make it permanent and then…" He trailed off, unsure if he could finish.
Kaein tightened his fingers around Lior's. "And then we're inseparable. Bound completely. No choice to step back. The consequences… everything is tied together. Our moods, our cycles, our lives."
Lior exhaled slowly, leaning his forehead against Kaein's. "I like the idea. I want it. I just… I want to make sure you're ready. And that we think about the… consequences. Kids. Family. Everything."
The word hung in the air. Kaein swallowed hard, feeling the weight of it. "Children," he echoed. "I've always wanted a family someday. But… the dynamics of our world now… the Omegaverse rules… it's more than biology. It's about control, cycles, trust… pheromones. Permanent marking would mean I'd be yours in every way. You'd be mine. And our kids… they'd inherit part of that bond."
Lior's fingers traced patterns along Kaein's arm, his gardenia-laced essence mingling, soothing yet subtly dominant. "We'd have to plan. Timing, cycles… my Lunar nature… if I mark you permanently, it changes everything. I can influence your Alpha ruts, soothe you, guide you, but I also become part of your… very essence. And vice versa."
Kaein shivered at the honesty, the raw intensity of it. "I trust you," he whispered. "Even if it's frightening. Even if it's… eternal. But I need to know we can handle it. That we can still have… a choice in our daily lives. That our bond doesn't suffocate us."
"You'd never suffocate," Lior murmured, brushing lips along Kaein's jawline, trailing a teasing, possessive path down his neck. "Not when it's me. I'd make sure you breathe, laugh, live… but always mine. Always mine, Kaein."
Kaein let out a low laugh, shaky but warm. "Mine," he repeated. "You're so sure of yourself, yet… you make it feel safe. Even when it's scary."
Lior's thumb brushed over the ridge of Kaein's knuckle. "That's the thing about permanent marking. The power isn't just in pheromones or biology. It's in trust. In knowing that neither of us can—or would—betray that bond. It's not just possession. It's… safety. Belonging."
"And children," Kaein said again, voice hushed. "We'd have to think about their safety too. In this world… the way secondary genders have shifted… the rules aren't fully understood yet. Permanent marking would extend to them, in a way. Their inheritance, genetically and pheromonally."
Lior nodded, leaning closer so their breaths mingled. "I know. And we'll figure it out. Slowly. Carefully. Nothing we do has to be rushed. But I want you to know… I'm already protective. And once we mark… it's irreversible."
Kaein shivered at that, both with anticipation and nervousness. "Irreversible… that's what makes it so terrifying. And yet…" His hand brushed against Lior's chest, feeling the steady beat beneath, "I can't imagine wanting anyone else."
Lior's hand lifted to cradle Kaein's jaw, thumbs brushing lightly. "Good. Because neither can I. And if I mark you, Kaein… I won't just be yours. I'll be part of you. Your cycles, your moods, your… essence. And you'll be part of me. That's how it works with Lunars."
Kaein's lips parted slightly, breath catching. "And if we… if we choose children? Would it… make them strong? Or complicate things even more?"
"It's rare," Lior said softly, voice low, dominant yet tender. "Lunar children… they inherit something unique. Strong, aware, bonded from birth in subtle ways. But it's a responsibility. And we'd be aware. Always aware. That's why we have to consider… everything before we decide."
Kaein nodded slowly, eyes closing as he leaned into the brush of Lior's thumb along his cheek. "Everything," he echoed. "I'm scared. And yet… I feel ready. If it's with you."
Lior pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead, then nose to nose. "It's always with me, Kaein. Always."
The room grew quiet, but charged, filled with pheromonal undertones. Even without permanent marking, the soft brush of skin, the whisper of breaths, and the lingering scents of wisteria and gardenia communicated more than words ever could.
"And if we… wait," Kaein whispered, "we can… test our bond first. Before marking permanently. Learn how to manage… everything?"
"Of course," Lior murmured, drawing Kaein closer. "But remember… every time I touch you, soothe you, claim you even softly, it's a rehearsal. A reminder. That this bond… it could be eternal if we choose. And I want to be sure you want it as much as I do."
"I do," Kaein breathed, voice trembling, heart pounding. "I want it. But… I want to be sure we're safe. That we can handle it. That our children, our… future… is protected."
Lior's fingers traced the line of Kaein's jaw, tilting his head gently. "We will. We'll take it step by step. And when the time comes… when we decide to mark permanently, it won't be fear that guides us. It'll be love, trust, and desire."
The night stretched around them, soft, intimate, filled with quiet touches and gentle reassurances. Every kiss, every sigh, every whisper was a promise—a rehearsal for what could come.
Kaein's Alpha instincts pulsed faintly, soothed by Lior's Lunar presence, while Lior's rare dominance remained tempered, reassuring, protective. Neither fully awakened in the permanent sense yet, but the tension of potential, of irreversible intimacy, hovered in the air like electricity.
Finally, they settled together, bodies entwined on the couch, the city lights faintly illuminating their shared warmth.
"Tomorrow," Kaein murmured, "we'll continue… figuring it out. Our lives, our bond, our… future."
"Tomorrow," Lior echoed, pressing a soft kiss to Kaein's temple. "But tonight… just us. Just trust. Just this."
And with that, they drifted into a shared sleep, tangled together, hearts beating in quiet harmony, pheromones lingering softly, reminding them of the bond that could one day be permanent—and the choices, fears, and love entwined within it.