Amicus

They moved deeper into the twilight woods, the damp earth muffling their footsteps. Amor nudged Obsessio playfully. "Hey, why didn't you just bag one of those wolves earlier? You totally could've taken one," he teased, a mischievous glint in his eye. "S-Class Alpha power, right?"

Obsessio snorted, rolling his eyes. "Hahaha, real funny. Seriously, Ve? Hadeh..." He shook his head, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. "You think I could solo a whole wolf pack? That's seriously over the top, even for your jokes."

"Ehhh..." Amor drawled, feigning deep thought. "I dunno... Thought my S-Class Alpha buddy was supposed to be crazy strong. Guess I overestimated." He poked Obsessio's arm.

Obsessio stopped walking, turning to face Amor fully. His Alpha aura flared subtly – not threatening, but intensely focused. "Shut it," he said, his voice dropping to a low, proud rumble. A confident smirk played on his lips. "I am an S-Class Alpha. Strong as hell. You just don't know the half of it." He leaned in slightly, his gaze sharpening. "But you were there, Ve. If I went charging in, guns blazing, what about the others? What if they circled back and targeted you?" His voice softened, laced with a protectiveness that cut through his earlier annoyance. "My priority? Protecting you. Always." He tapped Amor's chest lightly with his knuckle for emphasis.

Amor's breath hitched. The intensity in Obsessio's eyes, the raw admission of protection... Heat flooded his cheeks. "Ehhhh...." was all he managed, suddenly finding the forest floor incredibly interesting, thoroughly flustered.

Obsessio saw the blush and chuckled, the tension easing. "Alright, alright. Enough messing around." He clapped Amor on the shoulder, steering him forward. "Move it, before it's legit midnight. Starving over here." He scanned the undergrowth. "Rabbit's easier prey tonight. Less fuss. C'mon, eyes sharp."

"Okeh, okeh..." Amor mumbled, still slightly pink but following obediently, the Alpha's words about protection echoing in his mind louder than any hunger pang. Rabbit it was. But the warmth in his chest? That was all Sio. They pressed on, the hunt now tinged with a new layer of unspoken understanding, the bond between Alpha and Omega deepening under the watchful gaze of the rising moon. Before the moon's high, Obsessio thought, urgency returning. Find food. Get home. Keep him safe.

The path back towards the cottage wound through sun-dappled clearings. Suddenly, Amor stopped, pointing excitedly. "Hey, Sio! Look! A whole bunch of rabbits!" His eyes sparkled with innocent delight. "Never thought I'd see rabbits way out here!"

Obsessio's gaze followed Amor's finger, but instead of sharing the wonder, his expression hardened. "Where d'you think rabbits come from, Ve?" His voice held an unfamiliar edge, sharp and cynical. "Not magic. Greedy humans. They trap 'em in the wild, drag 'em out, cage 'em up – either as pets or..." He made a harsh, dismissive gesture. "...for selling. Meat, fur. Whatever pays."

Amor blinked, the joy draining from his face, replaced by confusion. Obsessio's bitterness felt jarring, out of place. "Oh... really? I... I didn't know that." He felt a prickle of unease. Sio seemed... off. Strange.

"Doesn't matter now," Obsessio declared abruptly, his Alpha focus snapping onto the unsuspecting creatures. "C'mon. Let's catch some." His tone brooked no argument.

Before Amor could process the sudden shift, Obsessio was moving – low, fast, and predatory. Amor followed hesitantly, caught between his own discomfort and the ingrained impulse not to question the Alpha leading him. They chased, cornered, and managed to grab five panicked rabbits, bundling them awkwardly into a makeshift sack Amor held. The fluffy warmth felt wrong against his skin after Obsessio's words.

"Finally! Five," Amor said, trying to inject some normalcy, shifting the squirming sack. "Let's head back? We can... cook them at home?" He suggested tentatively, hoping the familiar cottage walls would diffuse the strange tension thickening the air.

"No." The word cracked like a whip. Obsessio turned, his eyes dark, intense, fixed on Amor. "We eat here. Now. No need to go back." It wasn't a suggestion; it was a command, laced with an Alpha's impatient dominance. A low growl seemed to vibrate just beneath the surface of his words.

Amor flinched, physically recoiling from the unexpected harshness. His heart hammered against his ribs. What just happened? One moment they were walking peacefully, the next... this? Obsessio had been fine moments ago – playful, even protective. Now he radiated a barely contained, simmering anger that felt alien and frightening. The sweet scent of crushed grass and damp earth was suddenly overpowered by the raw, aggressive pheromones rolling off the Alpha – a scent that made Amor's Omega instincts scream danger. He stood frozen, clutching the sack of rabbits, utterly bewildered and more than a little scared, the peaceful forest clearing now feeling like a cage with a predator whose mood had shifted with terrifying speed.

—

Amor pushed aside the confusing rejection from earlier. Probably just not in the mood for jokes, he reasoned, burying the awkwardness. Neither of them knew much about adult complexities anyway... Best not to dwell on it.

They headed out to gather firewood for the rabbit Obsessio had caught. Amor returned, arms laden with only a modest bundle. Obsessio's eyes narrowed, his Alpha voice sharpening instantly. "That's it? Seriously?" He stalked closer, the air crackling with sudden tension. "Told you to grab a big load. Was I not clear enough? Or do I need to spell it out louder next time?" His tone was clipped, demanding.

Amor flinched, the small pile of wood suddenly feeling heavy with inadequacy. He shrank back slightly under the unexpected intensity. "S-sorry," he stammered, avoiding Obsessio's piercing gaze. "It was pitch black out there... couldn't find much. This was all I could manage." His voice was small, confused by the Alpha's sudden harshness.

Obsessio let out a short, frustrated breath, nostrils flaring slightly as he caught Amor's anxious scent – sweet milk soured by distress. "Forget it," he snapped, the word harsh. "Just... get the fire going. Now." He thrust the cleaned rabbit meat towards Amor. "I'll prep this."

Amor scrambled to obey, kneeling by the pit. He frantically rubbed the fire sticks together, hands trembling. Sparks fizzed weakly, dying instantly on the damp tinder. Nothing caught. Sweat beaded on his forehead, panic rising with each failed attempt.

Obsessio finished skinning the rabbit and stalked over. Seeing the cold, dark pit and Amor's futile efforts, his patience snapped. "Can't even light a damn fire?" he growled, the rumble low and dangerous in his chest. Pure Alpha frustration, amplified by hunger and the day's stresses, laced his words. "What is your problem?"

"I... I'm sorry..." Amor whispered, the apology barely audible. He hunched his shoulders, looking impossibly small.

The tension thickened, suffocating. Amor froze, unsure what to do, his mind racing.

Maybe... maybe he's just hangry? Really, really hangry?

But the raw edge in Obsessio's voice, the way his Alpha energy felt like a physical pressure in the clearing – it felt deeper, more volatile. The easy camaraderie from the waterfall felt like a lifetime ago. This unfamiliar anger, this unpredictable shift in the Alpha who'd protected him... it was terrifying. The peaceful forest suddenly felt charged and dangerous, the silence between them heavy with unspoken conflict. Amor kept his eyes fixed on the unlit kindling, afraid to move, afraid to breathe too loud