9.FRIENDS?

~Your smile, even your scent

I’ve always waited, counting down with my fingers

No matter where I am, it’s only you~

-(IOI) I Love You, I Remember You

_____________

Stefanos:

"No one has ever stood up for me like you did."

The same sentence has been going on repeat through my head like a mantra. If I could rephrase her sentence I could always say that the words referenced a certain pick-up line that has been used by Alpha’s trying to woo Omegas: You're the first person to treat me like that. Wasn't that an alpha thing to do? I could hardly wrap my head around the thought of how foolishly bold the flower thief was becoming.

For a moment a surge of protectiveness came over me when I thought about what would have been the consequences if she told the same to other alpha’s who gave a hand in helping her? Would she say the same thing to everyone? The wolf in me almost growled with the thought yet the human side in me wasn't ready to acknowledge my wolf's sudden change in attitude to Xenia.

Why is it that every day I return home with the thought of this omega in my head, it was certainly a foreign feeling that I have never felt before and I was too scared to explore the depths of it. Considering how I was treated throughout my childhood years by my own family, it was always a risk now to break down the walls that took me so long to make.

Yet, at the end of the day this thoughts didn't take the better of me as I witnessed myself walking towards the flower cart, hand filled with a bouquet of the earliest carnations that I have plucked out this morning itself.

“Here.” I handed them to her, knowingly not making any eye contact in fear of falling for those warm brown eyes.

“Huh...where did you-uh...get this...?” She said, uncertain by my sudden appearance at her cart. At this moment I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself and never be found out

What was I seriously thinking!

"I...uh...I—‘’ Why didn't I think of something before appearing like a fool? “I...someone kind gave them to me...so I had nothing to do with them...and uh...you were the first person I could think to give.” Oh Luna! That sounded so incredibly wrong than I thought. Now what if this omega thinks I'm trying to court her or something...? Now she will definitely label me with something negative, if my idiotic entrance wasn't enough to provide otherwise.

My thoughts were answered positively when I smelled Xenia's floral scent turning sweeter and I finally took the initiative to look at her, and Luna bless me did I never regret.

She looked radiant like always but by receiving the set of beautiful flowers her beauty overpowered the most pretty amongst any omegas. Her smile was that of an angel, with her brown locks cascading down her shoulders in long locks and the front bangs kept falling over her eyes, which created a shadow from the beaming sunlight which kissed her skin like a second skin. She opted a peach dress with a cold neck shoulder and a self-made flower crown over her head. How in the world can this human-wolf be my thief of all people? She was beautiful in beyond comparison and no words could explain her.

Suddenly I turned out of my reverie. There it is again. That strange feeling of longing I shouldn't be feeling at all. Where were my walls when I needed them the most?

“Are you going to take them or am I supposed to stand here forever?” I asked, my demeanour suddenly taking a turn as the cold-me appeared back again, but I equally regretted my choice of words as I saw Xenia's face falling, but was soon again replaced with her usual playful look.

“Tsk. Can you not even for one second act like a constipated squirrel?” She said, her words carrying the sass, as my eyes widened with disbelief over her words.

C-constipated…squirrel?

“Excuse me? I come here bearing these flowers and that's all you can say to me?”

“I shall say whatever I want, however I see fit. Also, it’s not like I asked you to bring me these.” She replied by folding her hands in front of her chest not before playfully poking out her tongue to me.

This unreal brat! What does she take me as?

Well then, I won't equally succumb to that notorious behaviour as well.

“Fine then, here are your carnations, take or leave them. Do whatever you want you see fit.” I mocked back her words. With a proud grin I left the flowers on the nearest bench I could find and started walking off. It wasn't too long before I sensed her scent coming towards me this time that of a distressed one. Did my words affect her that much?

She came to a halt in front of me with a pout on her lips carrying the bouquet of carnations in one of her hands.

“I apologize for my behaviour, and yes, thank you for getting me these flowers I really needed some of this today...but...I c-couldn't find them.” I knew what she was meaning to say and that's why she was stuttering. I grew these set of carnations out of my garden in fear of her stealing them. But the purpose of growing them was that I could gift them to her myself which left me with the question again? What made me do that?

Today, when the omega showed up to steal my flowers I watched how eagerly she was searching for this certain flowers when she cutely kept repeating the words, ‘carnations’ over and over again which gave her away.

So that's how I decided in cutting them out and giving them to her here to see her beautiful smi—

No! Not again! Shut up you stupid alpha! I argued with my alpha that was keen on making me sound like a lovesick fool.

This is all your doing! I screamed to the alpha in me.

“Yeah so here, you have your carnations. Be thankful now.” I spoke, the sentence coming out blunter then I thought.

“I did thank you already, Alpha. In case you weren't listening.” She fired back, her previous attitude returning. I rolled my eyes at that, although it was hardly seen through my mask.

“I did notice that Omega. In case you were too occupied to notice.” I stated, clearly putting a stress to the word Omega just like she did

“Oh so now I'm the one in fault here? You clearly claimed the obvious when you were saying I haven't thanked you enough!” Xenia stood firm to her sport with her hands on her hips, giving me a pouty glare.

“So what if I did! At least I got you those flowers, the least you could do is thank me once more! What's so hard about that?” I knew my rebut was weak but I wouldn't back down unless this omega did.

“There! There! You see you're repeating the same thing over and over again! I humbly thanked you but then you had to become such a stupid alpha and start this debate over nothing!”

“So now what? You're labelling me as the bad guy here? Ha! I should've known better not to offer you those flowers in the first place itself!”

The debate continued like this and none of us took the initiative to back down until-

“Will you lovebirds take it to home already; I've been exposed to your verbal argument for the past hour. I don't know what it is that is making you argue in broad daylight, so I suggest you take it to your home and do whatever ever any mates do.” An old woman from the nearby shop came and lectured us as both Xenia and I put our head down in embarrassment over our childish argument. The last part made both Xenia and I turn a shade of pink as the omega tried her ways to convince the women that we weren't actually mates.

The thought only made me shudder. If I was to ever mate with this women all I can picture is a day filled with zero love and hundred present of fights and arguments. However, my wolf wasn't satisfied with how I uselessly picked fights with the omega.

With our argument finally coming to an end we both walked silently through the market place, too embarrassed to start a conversation. I wanted to laugh at the omega's sudden change as she was suddenly so quiet and wasn't uttering another single word.

“So you finally gave up?” I started, glancing at the shorter as she timidly walked by my side.

“Huh...oh...I- no l was just wondering about...what that...women said...” She said, my eyes widened with her words. As careless as she can be with her actions she was the same with her words. Why in Luna's name was she still thinking about those words? I thought.

“S-so w-what about it...?” I mentally cursed myself for stuttering. Who was the alpha here someone remind me.

“No...I didn't mean that, not like how the old women put. I was just curious to know if we could just put out our differences aside and try to become closer...” My heart suddenly skipped a beat. What was this girl getting to...no...Don’t tell me she was-

“No, no that's not what I meant just so you don't jump to conclusions you masked fool. I hardly know you to fall in love or something. Besides I don't believe in love and all, not my cup of tea. I was suggesting we could try to be friend’s maybe?”

For a moment there was a tinge of disappointment washing over me but I shrugged it off thinking it was definitely my alpha's doing. Friends she said? I don't find any wrong with that, but the thought of making someone closer to me only made me feel more insecure about myself.

If we try being friends that means our trust lies first so of course the omega will get curious over so many of the things I've been hiding. Specially my face. The realization that I had an ugly face bought a sudden dread and sadness to me. The ultimate reason why I never had any friends.

She might be all clingy and friendly with me now but once she sees me for who I truly am. Things wouldn't end so beautiful.

She will leave me.

Just like everybody else.

I stared at her tiny pretty face, still awaiting my answer which I had no idea how to give. So I left her with a small sentence, finalizing my thoughts. For now at least.

“I'll think about it.”

-Aysha