Archive of Our Own

Dylan had finally begun to believe his life could settle into something gentle... something peaceful.

After spending years feeling invisible, a shadow in his own story, he had somehow found his Alpha.

His Jun.

The one person who loved him so much it almost felt unreal.

Abandoned by his birth parents, mistreated and overlooked by the family that adopted him, Dylan grew up learning that "home" was something other people had.

But now...

now he had a place where he wasn't just tolerated, he was cherished.

With Jun by his side, and surrounded by friends who treated him like their own, Dylan finally felt something he never thought he'd taste in this lifetime:

belonging.

A real home.
A real family.

~~~~

But there is a saying: nothing is constant.

And slowly, Dylan began to notice the cracks forming in the peaceful life he had so carefully learned to trust.

Jun stepping outside to answer calls.

Jun coming home late, long after dinner had gone cold.

In the past, when Dylan didn't understand anything about corporate politics or company affairs, Jun used to tell him everything.

He would sit with him, explain documents, simplify concepts, reassure him.

Jun always made sure Dylan never felt left out or left behind.

But now... Dylan could feel the change.

Jun was hiding something.

He knew his Alpha well enough, Jun's heartbeat, Jun's scent shift, the tiny flicker in his eyes when he wasn't being fully honest.

And then there was the moment Dylan walked into the study and saw Jun quickly sliding a stack of documents into a drawer.

When Dylan asked what it was, Jun only gave a vague, gentle excuse.

Something about "work things" and "nothing important."

That hurt more than any lie could.

And it wasn't just Jun's behavior that kept gnawing at him.

One evening, Dylan gathered the courage to talk to Po... his closest friend, the one person he trusted to hear his fears without judgment.

Po listened carefully, holding Dylan's trembling hands, promising he would ask Thame if he knew anything.

Po was Thame's mate; if anyone could get a real answer, it would be him.

But when Po came back, his expression was conflicted.

He said Thame claimed he didn't know much, that it was probably "nothing serious," and that Jun was just "busy."

The problem was...

Dylan could tell that that was a lie too.

Or at least, not the whole truth.

Thame and Jun had been best friends since childhood.

There was no universe where Thame simply "didn't know."

And if Thame was hiding something...

if Po looked uncomfortable giving him that answer...

Then it could only mean one thing.

Whatever Jun was hiding, was big. Big enough for both him and Thame to lie.
Big enough to scare Dylan's heart back into old wounds he thought had healed.

The fear crawled into his chest again, cold and familiar.

Was he being replaced?
Or worse...
Was he being prepared for abandonment all over again?

~~~~

Dylan curled deeper into himself as the memories he tried so hard to bury clawed their way back up.

Because this wasn't just about Jun coming home late
or hiding documents
or Thame's vague answers.

This fear... this hollow ache... had roots far deeper than the present.

It began with his sister.

Dylan had an older sister, only two years older than him.
Both born Omega.
Both treated as curses.

Their father hated them for it...
spat venom, threw things, drank, screamed that Omegas were "burdens" and "worthless."

But his sister... she shielded him.
Every single time.

She would hold him when he cried, hide him behind her when their father raged, whisper that someday they would leave and find a real home.

He believed her.

Until the night he overheard the truth.
The night everything shattered.

Their father was planning to sell her.
To an older Alpha as "compensation" for a debt.

She was twelve.

Twelve.

And she was supposed to be taken away like property.

So she ran.
But she didn't run alone.

She took Dylan's hand, whispered "Don't look back," and dragged him through the back of the village in the cold, dark night.

Dylan never knew where they were going, only that she kept him close, kept him safe.

Until they were found.

A group of Alphas, hired to retrieve what his father wanted to sell.

Dylan remembered their voices.
Their snarls.
Their hands reaching for them.

He remembered his sister's grip tightening as she pulled him behind her, refusing to let go.

"Run, Dylan," she whispered, soft but trembling.
"Please... run."

"I don't want to leave you" he sobbed.

But she pushed him away.
Hard.

And then...
she stepped toward the Alphas.

Sacrificing herself.

So that Dylan could escape.

His last sight of her was her small figure disappearing behind the bodies of men far too big, far too cruel.

He never saw her again.

Never heard her voice.
Never learned if she lived or died.

Just emptiness.
And guilt.
And a terror of Alphas that never left his bones.

~~~~

Foster care wasn't any kinder.

They gave him food, a bed
but Omega children were treated as servants.
The Alpha kids lounged like royalty while the Omegas scrubbed floors, washed dishes, carried laundry.

Every mistake ended with punishment.
Every day reminded him that his designation determined his worth.

By the time he was a teenager, Dylan didn't just fear Alphas...

He hated himself for being an Omega.

Until he met Jun. 
His fated Mate
His alpha.

Jun, who spoke softly.
Who never raised a hand.
Who never made him feel small.

Jun, who waited outside his door because he didn't want to startle him.
Who asked before touching him.
Who held him like something precious.

Jun, who made him believe
love wasn't a trap
or a debt
or a weapon.

Jun, who showed him what safety could taste like.

Jun, who made him feel...
for the first time in his life...
that being an Omega wasn't something to survive, but something that could be loved.

But now...

Seeing Jun lie,
seeing Jun hide,
seeing Thame dodge questions.

It felt like the same old storm returning to swallow him whole.

And the same fear whispered in his chest:

What if history was repeating?
What if love was never meant to stay?

~~~~

Dylan might have believed Thame.

He might have accepted Po's worried insistence that he was overthinking, that Jun was just busy, that everything was fine.

Maybe his questions were intrusive.
Maybe he was being insecure.
Maybe he was digging where he shouldn't.

He told himself all of that.

But that night... everything shattered.

When Jun returned home, Dylan smelled it.

Another Omega's scent.

Faint.
Soft.
Barely there.

But familiar enough to punch the air out of his lungs.

Dylan froze in the hallway, his heart thundering.
It wasn't the scent alone, it was Jun's scent layered beneath it.

A shift.

A heaviness.

Something that felt like...

guilt.

Jun didn't notice Dylan at first.
He was tired, rubbing his forehead, muttering something about paperwork.
But Dylan could barely hear him over the sound of his own pulse threatening to crack his ribs.

His chest tightened so painfully he thought he might collapse.

Because suddenly...
too suddenly...
he remembered a voice he spent years trying to forget.

His foster mother's voice, sharp and cold, echoing in his skull:

"No Alpha stays loyal.
Once they're done with you, they find a replacement."

She used to say it like it was a law of nature.
A truth Dylan couldn't escape.

A prophecy meant to follow every Omega she raised.

And standing there, in the dim light of their home, Jun's home, their home. Dylan felt that prophecy sinking its claws back into him.

The scent.
The secrets.
The lies in Thame's eyes.
The documents Jun hid.
The changes in their bond.

It all connected into one terrifying conclusion:

Jun was replacing him.

History was repeating itself.

And no matter how much Dylan wished he wasn't that scared, abandoned child anymore...

the fear tasted exactly the same.

~~~~

The following week, Dylan began to disappear...

not physically, but in every way that mattered.

He pulled back from conversations.
He avoided eye contact.
He stayed quiet during meals, during group outings, during moments that used to make him laugh.

He barely looked at Jun...
let alone spoke to him.

And Jun was not a naïve Alpha.
He was many things... gentle, attentive, deeply in tune with Dylan... but never blind.

He noticed everything.

The way Dylan's scent dimmed, turning dull and depressed around the edges.
The way Dylan flinched slightly when Jun walked into a room, as if unsure of his own place there.
The way Dylan's smiles became brittle, forced, or simply vanished.

Jun could feel the doubt radiating from his Omega.
He could feel Dylan's self-worth unraveling thread by fragile thread.

And it terrified him.

So Jun tried... he really tried.

He drifted closer, brushing their scents together whenever Dylan would allow even the smallest touch.
He wrapped comforting notes of reassurance and love into his pheromones, hoping it would soothe whatever was hurting his mate.

He bought little gifts, things Dylan liked, things Dylan mentioned once in passing, things that reminded Jun of him.
He cooked Dylan's favorite dishes.
He left affectionately written notes on Dylan's pillow.
He even tried using their bond mark, sending warmth through it, gentle pulses of "I'm here, love."

But none of it reached him.

Dylan remained distant.
Quiet.
Wounded.

None of Jun's efforts could lift the storm settling in Dylan's chest.

And Jun didn't understand why
didn't understand what he did, didn't do, or what had changed.

All he knew was that something was breaking.

Something was slipping away.

And for the first time since they bonded,
Jun felt afraid.

~~~~

Jun was reaching his limit.

For days he tried everything... affection, gifts, gentle scenting, reassurance... but Dylan only drifted further from him.
Every time Jun tried to come close, Dylan stepped back.
Every time Jun tried to soothe him, Dylan's scent only grew more brittle, more wounded.

Finally, frustrated and on the verge of breaking, he dragged Thame out to the café near his office.

The moment they sat down, Jun didn't even wait for coffee.

"Do you know what's going on?" he demanded, voice tight. "Is Dylan talking to Po? Did Po say anything?"

Thame blinked, startled by Jun's harsh tone.
But when he looked at his friend's face... tired, desperate, scared... Thame exhaled softly.

He set down his cup.
"Jun... I wasn't going to say anything unless it got serious."

Jun's jaw clenched.
"It is serious."

Thame nodded, expression shifting into something apologetic and heavy.

"Po came to me a few days ago," he admitted. "He said Dylan's been... paranoid. He thinks you're hiding something from him."

Jun stared at him, stunned.
"What?"

Thame rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable.
"I told Po it was nothing. That you weren't that type of Alpha. And I asked him to reassure Dylan."

Jun's breath hitched.
He leaned back in his chair, eyes unfocused as the truth settled over him like ice.

He thought he hid things well.
He thought Dylan wouldn't notice the missing documents, the late nights, the hushed phone calls.

He thought he was protecting Dylan from false hope.

But he forgot something important
Dylan wasn't blind.
Dylan wasn't naive.

Dylan felt everything.

Thame watched Jun's expression crumble and sighed.

"Jun, listen to me," he said quietly. "Dylan's reacting like someone who's terrified. Whatever he thinks you're hiding... it's hurting him."

Jun's hands trembled slightly.

Thame reached across the table, voice serious for once.

"If there's something he deserves to know... tell him. Now. Before you lose him."

Jun's breath came out shaky, almost a growl of pain.

"What have I done..."
His voice cracked.

He dragged a hand through his hair, elbows on the table, looking utterly helpless.

He wasn't angry at Dylan.
He was angry at himself.

He was trying so hard to protect the man he loved
and in the process, he ended up being the reason Dylan spiraled.

Before Thame could say more, the bell above the café door chimed softly.

Jun and Thame both looked up.

A girl in her late 30's with kind eyes walk in. 

She joined their table. 

"You must be jun..." A girl ask. Jun nodded. 

~~~~

Dylan was not in the mood to go out.

He barely wanted to leave his room these days.

But Po insisted.
Po insisted with the kind of stubbornness only a best friend could have.

"Get dressed," Po said, arms crossed as he stood in Dylan's doorway.
"I'm not leaving without you."

Dylan sighed, exhausted in a way he couldn't explain.
But Po wasn't taking no for an answer.

So Dylan agreed.

After few hours, To Po's relief and quiet pride, Dylan slowly began to loosen up.

They went shopping first, wandering through stores without any particular plan.
Po made Dylan try silly hats, outrageous sunglasses, and clothes far too colorful for his usual taste.

Dylan actually laughed.

A real laugh.
Soft, small, but genuine.

Po hadn't heard that in weeks.

They watched a movie after that, some action comedy Po chose specifically because it required zero emotional energy.
Dylan ate popcorn, even joked once or twice.

He looked... lighter.
For the first time since everything began.

Po hoped the worst was behind him.

At evening, when both friends get tired of their little adventurous day, They planned to leave.

"Po, We were near Thame's office, If you want you can go to him. I can go home by myself." Dylan said, completely aware of his best friend love sick puppy tantrum. 

After Jun, Thame is the only alpha who made dylan safe in their first meeting. his respect for other omega's is something that Dylan became fond off easily...

"Nope, Today is bestie day. Mate can wait." Po said smugly.

"You sure, I don't want to see sad puppy angry pouting because I can't let his omega meet him." Dylan said teasingly, His face contains the rare site of adoration for another couple. 

"Nah, he won't. And if he will you can just scold him, you know how much he is scared of you." Po replied still looking at his phone.

"He is not scared of me, he respects me. There is a difference." Dylan said flipping his finger over other's head.

"Yeah! yeah same thing, He won't be mad at you for long. and see ride will be here in 2 min." Po said cheerfully, showing his phone to dylan. 

Dylan sigh as they started to wait for their cab.

Po glanced up casually... then paused.

"Oh... Jun's here," Po said, nudging Dylan lightly. "Look."

Dylan turned.

And the moment he did, that fragile, hard-earned peace shattered.

Across the parking lot, Jun stepped out of a café.

And a girl... an Omega girl -  walked right behind him.

Before Dylan could blink, she stumbled on the last step, and Jun instinctively reached out, steadying her.
One arm around her shoulders.
Her hands lightly gripping his sleeve.
His face close to hers as he checked if she was okay.

It looked like a hug.

It looked intimate.
Familiar.
Warm.

Dylan stopped breathing.

Po's smile fell instantly.
"Dylan... wait..."

But Dylan's expression had already collapsed.

His scent spiked sharp with fear.
His eyes widened with devastation.
His fingers tightened around the shopping bags until the plastic creaked.

Because he knew that scent.
The faint Omega scent on Jun from days ago.

The one that haunted him.

Now it had a face.

And his Alpha was touching her.

Not coldly.
Not formally.

Gently.
The same gentle way Jun touched him.

Every insecurity... every childhood scar... rushed back like a tidal wave.

His foster mother's voice.
His abandonment.
His sister's sacrifice.
His father's hatred.
Every moment that taught him he was replaceable.

"No Alpha stays loyal."

The words echoed in his skull.

Dylan took a step back without realizing it.

His throat tightened painfully.

His entire demeanor changed 
his shoulders folding inward,
his eyes going hollow,
his scent collapsing into despair and panic.

Po grabbed his arm quickly.

"Dylan... listen to me...
don't jump to conclusions, okay? It's not what it looks like..."

Dylan didn't hear him.

Or maybe he couldn't.

Because in front of him, Jun was still gently holding another Omega.

And to Dylan's wounded heart...

it looked like the beginning of the end.

~~~~

On reaching home, Dylan still crying started packing,

"Dylan, hey... slow down. Breathe," Po whispered, trying not to spook him further.

But the moment Po's voice softened, Dylan's walls cracked.

"I can't... Po, I can't anymore," Dylan choked out, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, even though the tears kept spilling. "I've been suspicious for days. I kept telling myself I'm imagining it, that I'm just overthinking again but... today..." He broke off, voice shaking. "Today was the last straw."

Po's chest tightened, watching the usually quiet, composed Dylan come undone.

"I know Jun would never deliberately hurt me. I know that," Dylan continued, forcing the words through small sobs. "He loves our bond. He respects it. He protects it. But love..." His breath hitched. "Love can fade, Po. And if he doesn't... feel the same anymore... I'm not going to force him to stay. I won't trap him in something he doesn't want."

Po exhaled shakily. "Dylan..."

"If Jun has someone else in his heart," Dylan whispered, "I'll leave him. For good. Because I... I love him too much to become a burden."

Po suddenly held his shoulders firmly. "Listen to me," he said, voice steady and soothing. "You're not a burden. And you're not alone. If you're really thinking of breaking the bond, then... stay with me for a while. At least until it's done. You can't leave the city while the process is ongoing, you know that."

Dylan blinked rapidly, shaking his head. "Po, no. I can't trouble you..."

"You're not troubling me," Po cut in, stubborn as ever. "You're my friend. My family. I won't let you stay alone in that apartment with these thoughts eating you alive. Come home with me. Thame won't bother you. I'll make sure of it."

"Po..."

"I'm serious," Po said, squeezing Dylan's shoulder. "Neither I nor Thame will force you into anything. We won't push you to talk. We just want you safe. Stay with us."

There was a long, painful pause.

Dylan finally nodded, defeated. "...Okay."

Po exhaled in relief.

Dylan reached into his bag with trembling hands, took out the envelope he had been carrying for days, and placed the Bond Dissolving Form on their dining table.

The sound of the paper hitting the wood was soft... yet final.

Without another word, Dylan followed Po out.

~~~~

Jun stood outside the apartment door longer than he ever had in his life.

His hand hovered over the doorknob, cold sweat gathering at his nape.
His heart pounded so hard it felt like the entire hallway could hear it.

He drew in a slow, shaky breath, trying to steady the storm inside him.

How do I explain this?
How do I tell him?
How will he take the news?
Will he trust me after all this?

For days, he had practiced the words he wanted to say.

He wanted to finally tell Dylan the truth.
That he had found her.
Dylan's sister.
The sister who disappeared while saving him.
The sister who still haunted Dylan's nightmares.

He wanted to tell him why he'd been leaving the house so often, why he'd been late, why his messages had become short and vague.
Every single night, he was working toward this... toward giving Dylan something precious.

Because no matter how many times Dylan claimed he didn't miss his family, no matter how often he said what's gone is gone, Jun knew better.
He saw the way Dylan's eyes softened whenever siblings were mentioned.
He saw the hidden grief, the guilt Dylan carried for something that was never his fault.

They were just children.

And Jun knew Dylan's insecurities like his own heartbeat... the way every careless comment about "weak omegas" hit him, the way it made him shrink into himself.

Sometimes Jun wanted to hunt down every person who ever made his omega feel small.
He wanted to ruin them.

But that wouldn't heal Dylan's heart.

This... finding his sister, bringing her back into his life...
This was the one thing Jun knew could help Dylan truly heal.

Aish...

He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

He imagined Dylan's entire face lighting up, imagined the tension melting from his small shoulders, imagined pulling him close without guilt, without secrets.

He'll be happy. He has to be.

That hope was the only thing pushing him forward.

Finally, Jun turned the knob and stepped inside.

But the moment the door opened, Jun froze.

Something was off.

Horribly off.

He waited for that familiar soft scent...
Dylan's calming mix of mint and warmth that always greeted him, even on bad days.

But tonight...

It wasn't there.

Not fully.

Just a faint trace, like a scent that had been drifting away slowly... painfully... for hours.

Jun's chest tightened.
His feet automatically carried him inside.

"Dylan?" he called, trying to keep his voice steady.

Silence.

No footsteps from the kitchen.
No hum from the studio room.
Nothing.

"Baby?" Jun called again, louder this time.

Still nothing.

His breathing became shallow. The air felt thin.
Something inside him began to twist... panic, fear, guilt all crashing together.

He walked deeper inside and nearly stumbled when he saw the dining table.

Because lying on top of it, neatly placed, almost too calm...

was an envelope.

And beside it...

A government-issued form.

Jun reached for it with trembling hands.

The heading punched him in the chest:

"BOND DISSOLVING FORM"

His vision blurred.

His knees buckled, and he gripped the edge of the table to keep from collapsing.
It felt as if the ground itself had cracked open beneath him.

"No... no, no, no..." he whispered, heart pounding so hard it hurt. "Dylan... why...?"

His hands shook violently as he tore open the envelope.

Dylan's handwriting greeted him... careful, neat, painfully steady.

But the words...

With every line, Jun felt another part of him break.

'Jun,
I'm sorry I couldn't say any of this in person. I know running away is selfish, but I don't know how else to protect both of us anymore.'

Jun swallowed hard, breath stuttering.

'I saw you today... with her. I knew I shouldn't jump to conclusions, but for days I've felt you slipping away. I tried to ignore it, but I can't lie to myself anymore.'

Jun's jaw clenched as the letter blurred again with tears.

'I trust you. I always have. But trust cannot stop fear. Not when your alpha looks happier with someone else than with you.'

Jun's breath caught in his throat.
He pressed the paper harder to his chest.

'If your feelings changed, it's okay. I won't blame you. I won't hate you. I won't bind you to someone you no longer want.'

'I love you more than my pride, Jun. That's why I'm letting you go.'

Jun's entire body trembled.

He had to sit.
He had to breathe.
He had to not scream.

'I'm staying somewhere safe, so please don't worry.' 

'I'll return for the final meeting to sign the bond dissolving papers.'

'Please don't blame yourself. Even if this ends, I'll always be grateful that I got to be yours once.
yours Dylan'

The last line shattered him.

Jun clutched the letter to his chest, knuckles white.

A raw sound escaped him... half scream, half sob... and he finally crumpled to his knees on the floor.

His omega's scent was gone.
The house was empty.
And the bond that kept him alive...

was slipping through his fingers.

Jun didn't wait, he can't break right now. 

He needs to find his omega, he needs to tell him truth before he lost dylan for good.

~~~~

At Thame-Po condo

Thame unlocked the front door, already loosening his tie when a strange heaviness hit his senses.

The apartment didn't smell like home.

The familiar sweetness of Po's scent... warm, citrusy, comforting... was faint, buried under layers of distress. And underneath it, sharp and suffocating, was the unmistakable scent of heartbreak.

And it wasn't Po's.

Thame's heart dropped.

"Po?" he called, voice taut.

He didn't wait for a response. He stepped inside quickly, following the trail of emotional scents until he found Po sitting on the living room couch... shoulders tense, eyes red, scent spiraling with stress.

Before Po could even say a word, Thame crossed the room and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Po instantly melted into him, fists clutching Thame's shirt as if grounding himself.

Thame whispered into his hair, "Love, what's wrong? What happened?"

Po took a shaky breath. "Dylan... Dylan is here."

Thame pulled back just enough to look at him. His eyes widened slightly. "Dylan? Why? What happened?"

Before Po could explain, a hard, frantic knock slammed against their front door.

Three sharp bangs.

Po flinched. Thame stiffened.

Po stood first and walked to the door, swallowing nervously. When he opened it...

Jun stood there.

But not the Jun they knew.

His eyes were bloodshot, red rims exposing how long he had been crying. His breath was uneven, scent unsteady... painful to inhale, even for an alpha.

"Po," Jun said hoarsely. "Where is Dylan?"

Po's expression hardened immediately. "You're not coming inside."

Jun blinked. "Po, please..."

"No," Po snapped, his voice shaking with anger. "You don't get to see him. Not after whatever you did."

Jun tried to keep calm. "I didn't... Po, please, he misunderstood..."

"And whose fault is that?" Po stepped forward, blocking the doorway with his entire body despite being physically smaller. "You hid things from him for weeks. He cried until he couldn't breathe, Jun."

Jun's face crumpled.

"I just... I need to explain. Please let me talk to him."

When Po still didn't move, Jun's alpha aura flickered, unintentionally, but powerful.

Po gasped, knees buckling slightly under the pressure.

Jun immediately panicked and tried to pull it back, but the desperation leaking from him made his control weak.

"Po!" Thame rushed forward and caught his omega before he stumbled.

Then Thame turned sharply toward Jun.

"Jun, enough."

Jun froze.

Thame had never used that tone with him. Not in all their years of friendship.

And when Thame really looked at him... really saw him... his chest tightened.

Jun's shoulders were trembling. His clothes were wrinkled as if he'd run all the way there. His eyes... Thame had never seen them so full of guilt, fear, and despair.

This wasn't an angry alpha.

This was a man terrified of losing the person he loved.

Thame exhaled quietly and brushed Po's hair comfortingly before looking at his mate.

"Po," he said softly, "Dylan asked... to let jun come..."

Po's head snapped toward him in disbelief. "What? Why would he...?"

"Because Dylan doesn't want to run anymore," Thame muttered gently. "He wants to talk..."

Po's eyes softened, just a little... but his glare at Jun remained.

Jun swallowed hard. "Please... I won't go near him unless he allow me. I just... I just need to be close. I need to explain myself before it's too late."

Po stared at him for a long moment.

Then he stepped aside.

But before Jun could pass, Po grabbed his arm with trembling fingers.

"If you hurt him again," Po said quietly, voice low and deadly, "I swear, Jun... I will make sure you never see him again. Not in this life."

Jun nodded immediately, submissively. "I won't. I swear. I'll die before I hurt him again."

Po held his gaze for a second, then released him.

Thame gave Jun a reassuring pat on the shoulder, guiding him toward the guest room.

Jun whispered shakily, "Thank you... both of you," before disappearing down the hallway, leaving behind a trail of raw desperation.

Po closed the door behind him, heart aching.

Thame pulled him close again, murmuring, "Everything will be okay."

But Po's voice trembled as he whispered back...

"I hope so... for Dylan's sake."

~~~~

Dylan sat on the edge of the guest bed, unpacking slowly.
Or trying to.

His hands trembled too much.

Every shirt he took out felt heavier than the last, as if soaked with the weight of the moment.

He tried to focus on folding, placing things neatly, doing anything to keep his mind from spiraling...

But then...

A sudden, warm tug pulsed against his neck.

Right on his bond mark.

Dylan froze.

Another pulse... gentle, hesitant... desperate.

His breath caught.

Jun.

Jun had found out.

Jun was trying to reach him through the bond.

The pull wasn't strong... Jun wasn't forcing anything.
It was soft, trembling, almost like a question.

A plea.

Dylan's fingers instinctively moved up, touching his mark lightly.
His chest tightened painfully as memories washed over him.

Flashback Years Ago

Dylan curled on the couch, small and shaking, fighting back tears. It was his sister's birthday, and he misses her.

Jun didn't barge in.
He didn't demand answers.

He simply sat at door, fingers gently brushed against his own bond mark. 

A gentle pulse of warmth followed.

A signal.
A silent "I'm here."
A reminder.

Another time... when Dylan was recovering from a nightmare.
Another pulse.
Another gentle nudge through their bond.

Not forceful.
Just present.

Jun always waited.
Always asked without words.
Always let Dylan come to him in his own time.

And now...

Dylan felt that same signal.

Faint.
Fragile.
Begging.

Tears filled his eyes before he even realized it, slipping down his cheeks silently.
His hand pressed tighter against his mark.

"I know..." he whispered shakily. "I know you're calling me..."

But his heart hurt too much to answer.

He wiped his tears quickly when a knock sounded on the door.

Dylan took a shaky breath, stood up, and opened it.

Thame stood there, expression tense but gentle.
His scent was calm, steady the exact opposite of what Dylan felt inside.

"Dylan," Thame said softly. "Jun is here..."

Dylan swallowed thickly. "I... I figured."

Thame opened his mouth to continue, but suddenly his posture stiffened.

A scent hit them both... sharp, overwhelming, trembling with fear and desperation.

Jun's scent.

His alpha scent, pushed out uncontrollably.

It rolled through the apartment like a storm.

Dylan's breath caught, instincts reacting before thought.

"Thame," Dylan said quietly, gripping the doorframe for balance, "Jun's losing control."

Thame's eyes widened. "He must've sensed your scent drop. Or your crying."

"Go to Po," Dylan whispered, trying to steady his breathing. "Calm him down. And... send Jun to me."

Thame blinked. "Are you sure?"

Dylan hesitated... just for a second.

Then he nodded.

"If he stays out there, he'll overwhelm Po."
"And if he stays alone, he'll hurt himself."

Thame understood immediately.

He squeezed Dylan's shoulder once... firm, reassuring... before stepping back.

"I'll bring him to you."

Dylan closed the door softly, pressed a hand to his trembling chest, and whispered...

"...Jun."

As the alpha's scent grew stronger in the hallway.

In five years of loving Jun,
Dylan had never seen him lose control.

Jun was the calmest alpha Dylan had ever known... steady, respectful, gentle in every sense.
A man who never raised his voice.
Never let his aura overwhelm anyone.
Never used his strength to intimidate, not even by accident.

Even when Dylan spiraled...
Even when Dylan doubted himself...
Even when Dylan made mistakes...

Jun never lost his cool.

He was a safe place.
A constant.
A promise.

And today...

Jun was losing himself.

Because of him.

The alpha scent rolled through the hall like a crashing wave... too strong, too desperate, too raw.
Dylan tried to breathe through it, but instinct took over faster than reason.

His knees buckled.
His body curled inward.
His arms wrapped around himself.

He folded into a tight ball on the floor beside the bed, trembling, small, overwhelmed.

His own scent... fear and heartbreak... filled the room.

And that was the sight Jun walked into.

The moment Jun stepped through the doorway, his breath hitched so sharply it hurt.

There, on the carpet, curled up like a terrified child...

Dylan.
His Dylan.

Jun's entire body jolted.

His alpha instinct slammed into place...

Protect.
Calm.
Hold.
Stop frightening him.

His overwhelming aura receded instantly, pulled back with painful force.
His scent softened... still shaky but no longer crushing.

Tears gathered in Jun's eyes so fast his vision blurred.

"Dylan..." he whispered, voice breaking.

Because Dylan wasn't just scared
He was scared of him.

The thought shattered Jun's heart.

He took one step closer, then stopped himself, terrified of making things worse.

"Baby..." Jun choked out, hand trembling as he reached out but didn't touch him. "I... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean... I swear I didn't mean to scare you."

Dylan didn't lift his head.

He shook harder, small whimpers escaping before he could stop them.

Jun fell to his knees instantly, distance closing but still not touching, giving Dylan as much space as he could.

His voice cracked again

"Please... look at me."

Dylan could hear it in his voice.

The desperation.
The fear.
The raw ache bleeding through every syllable.

And he could feel it in Jun's scent.

It was still powerful... Jun was an alpha, after all.
But it wasn't crushing anymore.
It wasn't demanding or dominant.

It was trembling.

Unsteady.

Frightening only because it felt like Jun was falling apart.

Not intimidating....
breaking.

That was what made Dylan's chest hurt the most.

Slowly... very slowly... Dylan lifted his head from where he had curled into himself.

His vision was still blurred with tears, his lashes still damp, but when he finally looked...

His heart shattered.

Jun was kneeling on the floor in front of him, shoulders hunched, breath shaking like each inhale hurt. His shirt was wrinkled, hair messed from running his hands through it too many times.

But it was his face...

Jun's eyes were swollen and red, fresh tears hanging helplessly on his lashes. His lips trembled as if he was fighting sobs. His entire expression was twisted with agony... fear, guilt, heartbreak all tangled into one.

He didn't look like an alpha.

He looked like a man terrified of losing the person he loved most.

"Dylan..." Jun whispered, voice rough, barely holding together. "I'm so sorry... I'm so, so sorry."

Dylan's breath hitched painfully.

He had expected anger.
He had expected explanations.
He had expected frustration or annoyance or even coldness.

But not this.
Not Jun kneeling, broken, begging for air.

Dylan's fingers curled weakly against the floor as he whispered, voice cracking...

"Jun... why do you look like that...?"

Jun let out a choked sound... half a sob, half a breath.

"Because I thought I lost you," he whispered, tears falling freely now. "And I can't... I can't do this if you're scared of me. I can't breathe if you're hurting because of me..."

Dylan's heart clenched so sharply it felt like it might split open.

In five years, he had never seen Jun cry.

And now... Jun was crying because of him.

"I will..." Jun continued, voice trembling, "I will tell you everything. Every late-night call... the distance... everything..."
His breath hitched, breaking into another ragged sob. "But please let me explain. Please, Dylan... just one chance. One chance to prove myself."

Dylan didn't say anything, he didn't move... but instead he release his own scent which he know can calm him alpha.

Jun swallowed hard, brushing away the wetness on his cheeks before lifting his gaze to Dylan again.

"Can I... hold your hands?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Dylan hesitated for a heartbeat... then nodded softly.

Jun reached out slowly, so slowly it almost hurt, his fingers trembling as they closed around Dylan's hand. It felt like he was touching something fragile, something he was terrified of losing forever.

"Dylan," Jun began, his voice unsteady, "I didn't hide the truth because I stopped loving you... or because I wanted to shut you out."
His grip tightened just slightly, desperate yet gentle.
"I kept it from you because I was scared."

Dylan looked up, confusion flickering through his teary eyes.

Jun took a shaky breath.
"The omega you saw with me... she isn't my mistress, she isn't someone I'm sneaking around with."
His voice cracked.
"She's your sister, Dylan. The one you thought you lost years ago."

Dylan's breath faltered, chest rising sharply as the world tilted beneath him.

"I saw the way you blamed yourself for not saving her," Jun continued, his thumb brushing over Dylan's knuckles. "I saw how you missed her every single day... how it ate you from the inside. And I... I couldn't watch you suffer like that anymore."

"So I hired a private investigator. Every late-night call, every message I deleted, every document I hid from you... they were leads. Clues. Hints about where she might be."

Dylan stared at him, eyes wide, tears pooling again.

"I didn't tell you," Jun whispered, "because I didn't want to give you false hope. I didn't want to watch you shatter all over again if it turned out she wasn't alive."

His voice trembled as he continued,
"Today... was the first time I met her. I finally found her. And I came back as soon as I can because I wanted to tell you everything. I planned to take you to her, to show you she's alive. I imagined your smile... your relief..."

His voice broke completely.

"But I didn't realize how much my silence was hurting you. I didn't see what it was doing to us."
A sob escaped him.
"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry you had to feel that pain because of me."

He lifted Dylan's hand to his forehead, closing his eyes as if praying.

"Please... please give me another chance. Let me make this right. I swear, I will never shut you out again. Just... don't walk away from me. Not like this."

Jun's scent, trembling and desperate, wrapped around them... full of regret, love, and fear of losing the one person he cherished beyond anything.

Dylan's fingers tightened around his hand.

And Jun's breath hitched... hope flickering painfully in his chest.

~~~~

Next afternoon

The cafe Jun chose was small, quiet, tucked away in a corner of the city where the evening sun filtered through the windows in soft gold.
Perfect for something fragile... like a reunion fifteen years overdue.

Dylan sat beside Jun, not across from him, close enough that their knees brushed every time Dylan shifted.

And he shifted a lot.

His leg bounced under the table.
His fingers fidgeted with the hem of his sleeves.
His scent flickered between nervous, hopeful, overwhelmed.

Jun felt it immediately.

He leaned closer and let his calming alpha scent wrap around Dylan like a warm blanket slow, steady, grounding.

Dylan froze for a moment... then exhaled, feeling his shoulders ease.
He turned to Jun, eyes soft, lips lifting in a shy, grateful smile.

Jun gave him a small reassuring nod.

Without thinking, Dylan reached under the table and slid his hand into Jun's.

Jun intertwined their fingers instantly, squeezing lightly.

"Whenever you're ready," Jun murmured.

Dylan swallowed. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready."

Jun's thumb brushed soothing circles across Dylan's skin.

"You're not alone," he whispered. "You never will be."

Before Dylan could respond, the soft chime of the cafe door rang.

Both of them instinctively turned.

A woman in her mid-twenties stepped inside... hair tied back, eyes sharp, posture tense as if always expecting danger. There was something familiar in the way she scanned the room, calculating exits the way Dylan once did.

Dylan stopped breathing.

Jun's hand tightened around his.

"That's... her," Jun whispered.

Dylan's heart pounded painfully.

His sister looked around, uncertain... until her eyes landed on Jun.

Recognition flickered. Jun stood and gave her a small, welcoming nod.

Then her gaze shifted to Dylan.

She froze.

Her lips parted.

Disbelief, shock, fear, hope everything flashed across her face at once.

Dylan couldn't move.
Couldn't blink.
Couldn't breathe.

It felt like he was twelve again, running through the night, her hand in his...
And then losing that hand forever.

His sister took a shaky step forward.

"...Dylan?"

The single word shattered him.

Dylan stood up abruptly, the chair scraping loudly, but he didn't hear it.

His vision blurred.

"Phi...?"

Her hand flew to her mouth, a sob choking out of her.

"God... Dylan... Is it really you." she whispered, stumbling toward him.

And Dylan moved...
tripping over his own feet, almost collapsing into her as he reached her.

They collided in a tight, trembling embrace.

She wrapped her arms around him like she was terrified he'd vanish.
Dylan buried his face in her shoulder, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"You're alive..." Dylan choked, gripping her back.
"I thought... I thought I lost you..."

His sister shook her head, sobbing softly.

"I looked for you," she whispered. "Everywhere. I thought something happened to you. I thought..." her voice cracked, "...I failed you."

"No!" Dylan pulled back just enough to clutch her face between his palms.
"You saved me. You saved my life."

"I never wanted to leave you," she whispered. "I never wanted to..."

"You didn't." Dylan shook his head violently. "You didn't leave me. You saved me."

Jun stood a few steps away, eyes soft, watching the siblings cling to each other like they were trying to make up for every lost year in a single breath.

Dylan's scent was a whirlwind relief, disbelief, broken joy but no longer fear.

After a long moment, Dylan pulled his sister into another tight hug.

And this time, he smiled through his tears.

When he finally sat down again, Dylan hold jun's hand again but this type it is not out of fear but pure love. 

His sister noticed.

Her eyes softened with gratitude as she looked at Jun.

And Dylan whispered, voice trembling but full of love:

"My alpha brought you back to me."

~~~~

They returned home close to midnight.

Dylan had spent the entire day with his sister, laughing, crying, reminiscing... slipping back into a version of himself Jun had only heard in stories.
The carefree Dylan.
The Dylan who lived before fear and survival shaped him.

To Jun, seeing that version again felt like a miracle.

Nothing mattered more than his omega's happiness. Nothing.

Dylan, exhausted from the emotional whirlwind, headed straight to their bedroom.
Jun chuckled softly, fondness swelling in his chest, and went to the kitchen to warm two glasses of milk.

When he returned, he found Dylan sprawled on the bed, still in his outside clothes, blinking drowsily up at the ceiling.

Jun placed the glasses on the nightstand and approached him.

"Dylan..." Jun whispered, brushing a hand through his hair. "Baby, you'll sleep uncomfortable like this. Let's get you changed."

Dylan's eyes fluttered open, heavy with sleep and trust.

"Alpha..." he mumbled, lifting his arms toward him with a lazy pout.
"...help me na..."

Jun's heart melted completely.

He smiled soft, helpless, utterly in love and carefully helped Dylan change into his pajamas.
It felt like a privilege, not a chore.
Seeing Dylan this relaxed, this open, after weeks of distance... it made Jun's chest ache with gratefulness.

When he was done, Jun nudged a warm glass toward him.

"Drink this before sleeping, baby."

And because Jun was gentle again, because Jun was his again, Dylan obeyed without a word, drinking while never taking his eyes off his alpha.

When Jun stood up to take the glasses back to the kitchen, Dylan immediately grabbed his wrist.

"Where are you going?" he asked, pout deepening.

Jun chuckled. "Just to put this in the sink. I'll be back in a second."

Dylan reluctantly let go.

When Jun returned, Dylan was sitting exactly where he left him.

Waiting.

"You should sleep, baby," Jun said, sitting beside him.

But Dylan didn't wait for permission.
He pulled Jun down beside him and settled with his head on Jun's chest, listening to the steady, calming heartbeat that had always anchored him.

Jun adjusted their positions so Dylan wouldn't strain his neck and wrapped an arm around him.

For a long while, they stayed like that quiet, breathing each other in, letting the bond settle after chaos.

Finally, Dylan whispered:

"Jun..."

"Hm?"

"I never thought you were cheating on me."

Jun froze.

Dylan continued softly.

"I know what kind of alpha you are. I knew you'd never intentionally hurt me."

His fingers curled into Jun's shirt.

"But I was scared."

His voice trembled.

"My mind kept telling me... maybe you were tired of me. Maybe you didn't want me anymore. Maybe I wasn't good enough."

Jun's breath hitched.

Dylan swallowed hard.

"You don't know how it feels to grow up being told you're unwanted... that omegas are replaceable. That we're easy to get bored of."

A tear slipped from his eye and hit Jun's skin.

"And when you started acting distant... when you came home smelling like someone else... it felt like all those things were true."

Jun tightened his hold around him, chest burning with guilt.

"I thought you were slipping away," Dylan said hoarsely.
"And I thought maybe if you found someone better... stronger... you wouldn't need me anymore."

"Baby..." Jun whispered, voice breaking.

Dylan shook his head.

"I didn't leave because I wanted to. I left because I thought staying would make you miserable. I thought I was becoming a burden. And the idea of watching you fall out of love with me... Jun, it was killing me."

Jun's eyes stung.

He cupped Dylan's face gently, wiping his tears with his thumb.

"I left because I thought... maybe I should go before you did," Dylan finished, voice barely above a whisper.

Then Dylan looked up eyes glassy, vulnerable, heartbreakingly sincere.

"But even then... even when I signed that bond dissolving form... I kept hoping you'd stop me. That there was an explanation."

His voice softened into a smile small, fragile, real.

"Because no matter how scared I was... I never stopped loving you."

He leaned up and pressed a trembling kiss to Jun's lips.

"And I was right," he whispered. "You didn't betray me. You never did."

"Jun... thank you for not giving up on me. For choosing me even when I wasn't choosing myself."

Silence.
Soft.
Heavy.
Beautiful.

Jun held his face with both hands, forehead pressing against Dylan's.

His voice came out raw, thick with emotion.

"Dylan... look at me."

Dylan met his gaze.

"I love you," Jun whispered. "Not because of the bond, not because you're my omega... but because you're you."

"I love your strength. I love your softness. I love your stubbornness. I love the way you smile, the way you trust, the way you try even when life gave you nothing."

"I love every part of you. Every fear. Every scar. Every insecurity."

He kissed Dylan's forehead, voice shaking.

"And I swear to you... on my life, on this bond... I will never let you feel abandoned again."

"I will never let your past dictate your worth."

"I will never make you question your place in my life."

"You are my home, Dylan. My mate. My heart."

Jun's tears fell onto Dylan's cheeks as he whispered:

"I will never break you. I will only love you."

Dylan exhaled shakily and melted into Jun's embrace.

And in that quiet, warm room, surrounded by the soft light of their shared lamp and the scent of their bond weaving back together...

Dylan finally believed him.