Lemons

Viona had never had any idea about love. She didn't know how it feels to love someone. But it seemed like she was finally feeling something.

A sudden urge to protect this guy aroused in her heart.

The fact he was already hers made her feel so proud.

'So strange...'

Viona said to herself and turned to Ethan whose eyes were still smiling, but avoiding her.

"So why did you wake up this early? What are you gonna do?"

She needed to get close to Ethan and let him know she wanted to be close to him. So she intentionally leaned in and saw Ethan a little embarrassed.

"I...I thought I should just clean the house."

"This early in the morning?"

"Time doesn't matter..."

"...It does matter."

"I can do it anytime I want. I don't mind."

"Mmm..."

"Then I will help you."

"No! I will do it alone...you don't have to..."

"Why?"

"...That's my work. I will do it. You can rest."

"Ethan...do you know you are really strange? You always leave me behin-"

She couldn't complete it when Ethan suddenly flinched and looked at her with tears in his eyes.

Where was that smile on his face a while ago?

"I am sorry. I am sorry...I-"

He just apologised very easily even though he didn't do anything wrong.

That made Viona worry. Ethan was really strange.

Why was he always so guarded up against her? Why did he always nod to everything and just keep himself behind her, following whatever she did?

Something was fishy, but she needed time to figure out his problems.

What she wanted to tell was that he was strange because he asked her to rest when he should be the one to rest. Alphas are strong while omegas are weak and get tired easily.

So why did he bother to stop her when she was willing to help him?

And even crying over some of her words?

She had a bad feeling. Instead of comforting him, she was dazed for a while recalling his abnormal behavior and reactions to her. And that guy talked like a servant at some house telling he could work at anytime.

She found it really strange. Maybe his family took him all worked up and that's what he was doing it with her too?

'His father and brother. Did they perhaps not treat him well?'

Or else why would he just tear up like that?

She could tell he was scared. 

She felt like she bullied him.

If her mother were to come there and see him like that, Viona was sure she would be dead meat. Her mother respected omegas so much and she already warned Viona to always be gentle with Ethan and support him.

But she suddenly happened to recall something again.

Her mother said to be gentle with him. And she asked her to be kind to him. And she warned her about many things and it was all like she was asking her to treat him well and not to bully him.

'Does mother know something? How did she even found him for me?'

Throwing the questions for later, she tried to calm Ethan, finally succeeding not soon after.

Viona watched Ethan slowly calm down.

Then something unexpected happened!

As she waited, a lemon smell along with a faint scent of vanilla entered her nose buds.

She looked at Ethan, only to see him looking shocked and helpless.

His pheromones were releasing!

Maybe because he was crying, his pheromones flew in the air, giving Viona a new addiction.

Until Ethan managed to control his pheromones, she enjoyed the smell flying around her, making her get addicted to her omega more.

The pheromones stopped releasing, only leaving some faint evidence in the air.

"That's-"

"I am sorry. I will be careful in the future. I didn't do it on purpose. It just - just...released by themselves."

'Sigh...'

"Ethan, will you please stop apologising to me? You make me feel like we are very distant."

"I am sorry...Ah! I am sorry...I.."

Ethan finally gave up. All he had done was apologising all the time. Old habits...

"Forget it. Don't apologise again. Got it?"

As Viona asked Ethan nodded and wiped his tears, trying to hide his ugly face.

He was a big boy, but crying like a baby which made Viona feel he was lovely.

But she was sure if it was someone else to cry in front of her like that, she might have kicked them off. 

But, Ethan looked very pitiful and anyone would want to embrace him and comfort him.

'Why so pitiful looking! I want to hug him!'

That's when Viona realised something more.

He was not the same as she expected him to be.

Actually, when Viona saw Ethan for the first time, she thought he was a cold omega who didn't care about anything. But when she spent this one day with him, she realised he was totally different from what she saw before.

He was totally showing a different self from the outside. His real self was looking so pitiful.

Ethan's family was responsible for his state.

All they taught him was to let alphas do anything, don't fight back because you can't win.

If they are hurting you, just cry and beg them to stop.

That's what he was supposed to do...

That's why he eventually changed into a crybaby, not daring to oppose, only crying and begging to spare him.

He saved himself by crying and begging.

He didn't want to follow that method with Viona. He didn't want to show that ugly side to

her. But he couldn't help it. He had gotten used to crying whenever he felt helpless and his tears would just pop out automatically, even though he always wanted to look tough and strong.

He really was pitiful.

"So that is your pheromone?"

"...Yes..."

"It smells like lemon."

"...Mm."

"I like it."

"Ha?"

"I like your smell. It's very calming and delicious."

Well, that sounded perverted.

'Come on Viona, be more mature. Don't say the wrong things!'

"You...really think so?"

He slowly raised his head, eyes staring at her full of hope and energy all of a sudden as if he never cried.

"Mmm...I like it..."

Viona saw her husband suddenly smiling but quickly withdrew his lips from going more up.

A smile like that time!

'He is happy...'

So why not try to make him smile more?

"I like lemons the most, you know?"

"I always loved lemons."

"Now my husband smells like lemons, I can- can...smell them every day..."

'that was gonna sound kind of wrong.'

Ethan found it funny seeing her trying to admire his pheromones.

How could an alpha be so...cute?

His heart was trying to find out a word to describe that feeling when a word came from his brain.

'Overjoy?'

He was happy. Wasn't that why he didn't even know he was already smiling at Viona, who was blushing watching him?

Can you guess how good it was to see him smile? 

Viona couldn't get enough.

She spoke crap until it was six in the morning, just to make him happy! 

And did that stupid guy listen to all her crap!