He Hates Me, He Loves Me Not

Olivia's heart feels light and heavy at the same time.

Heavy, because there's no easy way to talk about what her family, especially her brother, went through, but also light because it doesn't feel like she's shouldering the weight of her grief alone anymore.

It's the first time she has talked with Kaiden like this, yet opening up to him is effortless. Maybe it's because Kaiden doesn't try to lecture her, a little childish himself. Maybe, as Hani said, it's the pheromones of a pregnant omega calming her nerves and loosening her inhibitions. Olivia can't say for sure.

Too absorbed in the bittersweet feeling of liberation, it takes her a while to notice the quiet sniffling next to her.

When she finally notices, she panics.

"Oh no, don't cry," she says while her hands fly everywhere, not knowing how to start consoling Kaiden.

When it doesn't work, she silently admonishes herself. She knows that some pregnant people are already emotional due to their hormones, so why didn't she control her big mouth? Why did she ruin a good mood by telling a sad story?

As Kaiden continues crying, Olivia is left not knowing what to do. "It's not good for the babies if you cry. Please don't cry," she begs.

Olivia feels like hitting herself a thousand times. What's the use of being praised for her keen sense of smell when she couldn't detect his weeping?

Grasping at straws, she asks, "How about we talk about something else?"

Kaiden doesn't say anything in response, but Olivia has already made up her mind.  If she can't comfort him, then she needs to at least distract him.

"Oh! I know!" She brings her hands to a clap, a bright idea forming in her mind. "Have you thought of their names yet?"

That seems to work because soon enough, Kaiden is wiping the tears on his face. It takes a moment but when he composes himself, he says, "I have a few ideas but nothing certain."

"Can I hear them?" She leans in close, genuinely interested.

Choosing a name for her niece was, and still is, her favorite part about her sister-in-law's pregnancy. It's silly, she knows, but going through books and trying to find names with different meanings feels like looking at the night sky for an offering. The euphoria of finding that perfect star is indescribable, and if there's nothing else she can do, then she wants to at least share that with Kaiden.

"I'm still considering some of them," he says slowly, a little hesitant, "but right now, I like Aya for the girl and Ari for the boy the most." 

"Are those nicknames?" she asks because there's nothing in common with those names except for the first letter. Olivia knows that twins are usually given names that pair with each other.

Kaiden gives a slight nod. "Yeah. It comes from Hiraya Manawari."

"It sounds like those ancient languages we learned in school," she says while cocking her head to the side.

"It is," he says with a smile, a little surprised that Olivia recognized the words. "I saw it once in a book and I haven't forgotten since."

The words sound familiar to her since it hasn't been that long since their lesson about ancient languages, but she can't recall if the same ones were ever brought up, so she asks, "What does it mean?"

Kaiden doesn't answer immediately. He looks at the ground, toeing the grass with one slipper, then he looks at the sky. It's going to turn dark any minute now, but there's still enough light for them to see each other up close.

With the beautiful twilight, it's then that Olivia catches a wistful expression on Kaiden's face. His eyes are sad but his lips are smiling, a mixture between hope and quiet surrender. It's an odd expression, one that tugs at Olivia's heartstrings.

The expression is still there when he says, "May the wishes of your heart be granted."

"Wow!" she exclaims with a hand to her heart. "I like it."

"You do?"

"Yeah, it's really sweet. Like a blessing!"

Kaiden smiles at her, sadness no longer on his face. Although he's not saying anything, there's joy in his eyes now.

Glad that she's making him feel better, especially after all her blunders, Olivia adds, "It's like you're manifesting with their names."

"Aya and Ari Yves, my babies." He gently holds his bump, feeling them through his shirt. "I hope fate takes kindly to them."

Olivia furrows her brows, unaware of this little action. There's something about the name that rings a bell, but she can't figure out the exact details.

Maybe she'll ask her brother when he calls tonight.

--

Adam is glad the day is over.

By some sort of miracle, his boss didn't force him to work more once the Alpha settled at his new room. Lying on the bed with his eyes closed, Damon told Adam to come back tomorrow.

So now, Adam gets to go home just as the sun is setting.

Thankfully, the hospital is easy to navigate. It doesn't take him long to figure out which route to take, cutting his path to the parking lot by half if he goes through the mini-park.

Adam's footsteps are heavy as he makes his way even though the day didn't turn out as bad as he initially thought.

He doesn't pause when he catches sight of two figures sitting on a bench. One of them appears to be a teenager, judging by her size and her short hair, while the other is a young man. They seem to be engaged in a good conversation, so he doesn't stop his steps because he isn't in the habit of snooping on others.

He does, however, pause when a gust of wind comes from their direction, hitting his nose with a milky scent mixed with the sweet strawberry-smelling pheromones.

The tension on his shoulders vanishes, his posture instantly relaxed. He takes a deep inhale, hoping to get his fill of that scent.

Whatever problems Adam may have is gone. The world is good again.

He wants nothing more than to curl up and cuddle, preferably in the safety of his mom's embrace, the same as he used to do when he was a mere baby.

As the scent fades, Adam takes one step closer to the source. He stops himself before he takes another.

What is he doing? Why is he acting like this? He's not some creep who comes up to random strangers and asks to be scented.

However, when another gust of wind blows to his face, he is tempted to do just that. It feels so safe, so cozy, with that scent surrounding him. It's the perfect place in the world to be. Nothing bad will ever happen if he gets one more—

He slaps his face. /What is he doing?/

He's a beta! He's not supposed to be affected by pheromones this much! Is he so stressed that he'll bother a pregnant— Wait. Pregnant? Is the Omega pregnant?

He moves closer, not to chase after the scent, but to place himself in the right angle where he can see if—oh! There it is.

Even from a distance, he can see the bump on the /obviously/ pregnant omega's stomach. He also gets a good look at his side profile, those red eyes that seem to glow in the twilight, and that cotton candy pink hair.

Well, that explains it.

Adam may be a beta but even he had to go to mandatory secondary gender classes. Everyone who finishes high school does. Recalling his lessons, it's no surprise that he acted the way he did, especially since he never expected to see a pregnant omega in this hospital.

The pheromones of a pregnant Omega are almost like a magic bullet. He's never seen it in action before, but his teachers said that one whiff is all it needs for feral alphas or omegas to retract their claws.

Their instincts dictate that they create the most stress-free environment for an expecting omega, and they can't do that if they growl and hiss. They won't immediately return to their senses, but their hostile behavior transforms into a protective one, making them much easier to subdue or rationalize with.

Experiencing it for himself, Adam can confirm that his teachers were correct in saying that even betas are affected, which also explains why no one fights in the presence of a pregnant omega. If everyone is happy and relaxed, no one will attack. It's a call for a truce in the form of a person.

No doubt, Adam thinks as he takes one last look at the Omega, evolution is wonderful. Even if his senses aren't as sharp as alphas, he's hardwired to react the same as them to some extent.

Not that he's complaining, he's enjoying it after all. Adam leaves, feeling like he's been pampered with a full body massage.

As he opens the door to his vehicle, he thinks that maybe his boss will stop being a grouch if he's around such pheromones as well.