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“Baba said he got the prettiest Omega in the world to be his mate. So I want him to be my mate.”
The tiny Human at the center of the room pointed his finger at Luhan, a fiery determination in his eyes not often seen of those at his age. The child couldn’t have been older than five, yet he was talking of things even Luhan wasn’t thinking about yet. The elder child’s eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror at the statement, and he quickly looked to his side for help from his Baba or Dad.
Like the traitor he was, His Dad chuckled while fanning himself with his hand fan, not even bothering to hide his amusement. His Baba was doing much better, wearing his normal stone-cold face. But just like his dad, there was a sparkle of amusement in his eyes, one that those outside their family rarely picked up.
At least the child's own Appa looked rather embarrassed at the words his son had said, covering his face with his hand and letting out a sigh. His Baba on the other hand was trying to coax the child into coming over, mumbling in Mandarin something about mistakes.
Luhan Huang was not amused by the adults in the room. This was embarrassing, an Alpha kid half his height telling him stupid stuff. Luhan wasn’t pretty, girls were pretty. He was a boy, boys were handsome. There was no way he would be treated like an object that omega’s often were.
From that moment Luhan had one thing set in his life.
“I will never be your mate Sehun Zhang.” Luhan huffed, getting out of his seat and marching out of the room. Sehun tried to follow him, but his Baba scooped him up and forced him to sit next to him. Luhan didn’t have to deal with stupid kids who said silly things, he was going to hang out with someone reasonable like Jongdae.
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“Luhan! Would you like something to eat?” Luhan rolled his eyes dramatically, trying to let the tiny annoying alpha know he had no interest in his bribes without saying anything. Sehun was eight, fourteen year olds didn’t hang out with kids. That’s why he was trying to talk with Jongdae and Baekhyun. Sehun’s two oldest brothers understood what it was like, they were older.
But Sehun ignored Luhan’s obvious dissatisfaction with the food offerings, bringing over yet another plate. Beside Luhan The two other brothers laughed, not at him, but their youngest brother foolishly trying to impress the older Omega. At this point, Luhan felt bad that the young Alpha wasn’t understanding anything.
“Sehun, I don’t want any of your food. Stop offering it to me.” Luhan said, not hiding his annoyance in his voice. Normally he would be proper, but his parents weren't there to see him mess up. Maybe they wouldn’t be upset anyway, the Huang Family and the Zhang family were on the same level of power and wealth, so Luhan theoretically could act however he wanted towards the other. His Baba might give him the look, but his Dad babied him so much he wouldn't get into much trouble.
When Luhan turned back to continue his conversation with his friends, both Jongdae and Baekhyun were gone, making him now stuck with the youngest Zhang Child.
“Well, If you don’t want food would you like to dance?” Luhan turned back to Sehun, noticing the Alpha’s hands were now empty. Not only did Luhan know how to dance, but he liked doing it. Mostly he practiced with his Dad who was an amazing dancer after his singing lessons.
But Sehun didn’t have any dance lessons. Not that Luhan was snooping! No, Jongdae had mentioned that only Jongin had an interest in dance when Luhan had asked if Jongdae liked to dance. Luhan would never try to figure out anything about the annoying ALpha child before him.
“You can’t dance.”
“Yes I can.” Sehun said, his voice filled with such a confidence Luhan almost would have believed him. But he knew better.
“And you’re too short.” Luhan pointed out. Sehun frowned at that, not in an upset way, but in a way that looked every bit like Luhan’s Baba when he was trying to think.
“When I am as tall as you, can I try dancing with you then?”
That was not the question Luhan was expecting. Quickly, Luhan shot back an answer without really even thinking about it.
“Yeah, if you leave me alone for the rest of the night.”
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Seasons passed, and Luhan thought little of the annoying child Alpha he knew. Sometimes Jongdae would bring him up when he came to visit and the two had tea, but that was the furthest it went. Luhan had other things to focus on. Singing for Example.
His years of singing lessons were paying off, Luhan would get to perform songs in the theater on occasion where he was well received. His Dad had cried after his first show while his Baba had offered the flowers he had brought quickly in order to soothe his dad.
But Luhan was more than his voice and had ended up becoming a rather excellent marksman. Originally he had wanted to become a master at the sword, but it didn’t turn out so good and the bow had turned out to be much more fun. It also worked as a good warning to the pesky Alphas who wouldn’t take him seriously. One almost hit and they would run off and Luhan would be free to practice by himself again.
The appearance of Alpha’s had started to become more bothersome. Luhan had fully come into being an omega, and many Alpha’s were eager to be able to join one of the most powerful clans in the land. Lucky for Luhan, he didn’t have to deal with many, his Dad sent them away the moment he picked up their intentions and saw they had nothing to offer. If that didn’t work, His Baba only had to say one thing and they never came back.
Luhan wanted a mate, and he knew what he wanted in them. The Alpha needed to come from a good family, be good at business, they must be trained in the art of combat, they needed to be attractive, his parents had to like them, and they could not treat Luhan like a soft and weak omega.
Sure, it was a lot. But Luhan was in a place where he could make such demands. Some Alpha’s he had met hit those points, but none had hit all of them. But Luhan didn’t want to settle.
What had been surprising was Jongdae getting mated first with a lovely Alpha named Minseok when Luhan was 20. Luhan knew he was picky, but it still came as a shock when the younger omega got married first.
But another set of seasons passed and Luhan failed to find a good mate. Then another.
Luhan found himself attending another gathering with the chance of maybe finding someone who fit most of his points. Worst case, he got to hang out with Baekhyun for a bit and hear him gush about the Omega he was into.
“He is just so cute, and is really good with the guitar.” Baekhyun said, smiling widely. Despite the fact the younger was an Alpha, he was still rather short and so cute he often got mistaken for an Omega. Luhan simply hummed in response, not actually listening to his friend. Did that make him a bad friend? Kind of. But Baekhyun was well aware of Luhan’s goal for the night.
“You owe me a dance.” Sehun’s annoying voice said. Luhan turned around, ready to inform the short Alpha that he in fact, would never owe him a dance when he felt the words get caught in his throat.
The man before him was not the annoying small child he knew. Sehun had grown, his eyes now level with Luhan’s own. His once awkward face looked more filled out and as if he had grown into it. The hair that was normally barely treated was swept back and done properly, and his clothing was not only matching but Luhan could dare to say it actually looked nice on him, making him look more handsome.
Wait.
No. Luhan was not going to think of the Alpha like that.
A cocky grin formed on the face of the man before him.
“You promised if I got as tall as you would dance with me.” Sehun said, holding his hand out to Luhan. The older wanted to protest, but he knew the Alpha was right. And Luhan was a Huang, Huang’s always kept their promises, even if they were really dumb.
So Luhan took the young Alpha’s hand and was led to an open area to dance. The older couldn’t lie, he was expecting Sehun to fumble, to step on his foot, to do something wrong. But he didn’t. They made it through an entire song without Sehun messing up once. People even clapped upon their performance finishing.
This wasn’t good.
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“You should take my offer seriously.” The Alpha before him said.
Luhan took a sip of his tea, savoring the sweet taste before setting it neatly on the table. To his right, the indoor garden looked rather lovely with the Lilies fully in bloom. Today had been rather pleasant until now.
“As I said, I’m not interested.” The omega reiterated, looking back at the Alpha. The man before him sighed, leaning back in his seat. Despite Luhan's words, he didn’t look annoyed. The other was concerned, but Luhan didn’t feel the need to share the others' concerns.
“Let me give this to you straight; You aren’t getting any younger Luhan.” Luhan frowned at the words, but the man went on. “I get it that you have standards and know what you want, but you have to realize that even with how attractive you are and how well off your family is, Alpha’s aren’t going to wait around for you. At this rate, most are going to start to worry you won’t even be able to have one child. I know times are changing, but most of the people who fit your standards aren’t open-minded and would rather take someone younger that isn’t such a hassle.”
The Alpha stood, offering a sad smile. “Even I am getting tired, Luhan. I still offer to be your mate, but I’m only extending it for one more year. I hope you have something figured out by then.”
Luhan didn’t look at the man as he left, instead choosing to stare out at the garden. When the door clicked shut, Luhan felt something wet on his cheek. Reaching up, he realized he was crying.
It wasn’t like he was trying to be difficult, Luhan just wanted the right mate, the right person to spend the rest of his life with. Sure, he wanted his parents to be happy and proud of his choice, but that wasn’t the only factor. None of the Alpha’s that had presented themselves had a spark to them, none of them brought challenge or made Luhan interested.
Was it selfish to want something?
Jongdae was so happy with his mate, and his mate wasn’t even of status. There had been a point where Luhan had considered he had been looking in the wrong spot, but the times he went out and met other Types of Alphas, he still felt nothing. No matter how nice they were or cold, no matter what gifts they gave, they made Luhan feel empty.
Sure, some people were okay with being content, but Luhan would rather never marry than feel so empty with a partner.
“Are my parents back?” Luhan asked, the maid stepped forward and offered a handkerchief. It was one gifted by Jongdae's Appa, Luhan recognized the beautiful stitching on it and the design. Normally Luhan wasn’t a fan of anything floral in design other than nature, but there was just something about how the other did the work that made Luhan not want to burn it. The deer on it was a nice touch too.
“They have not returned yet Master Luhan.” The woman said. It would have been great to vent to his Dad or even Baba, but it looked like he would be alone for now.
“I will not be taking any more guests for the day.” The Omega stood, having figured a bit of archery might do him some good.
The maid tried to say something But Luhan quickly left the room and made his way to the practice area. He picked his favorite bow and began the process of shooting the target over and over again. It wasn’t making him feel better, but the tears did stop clouding his vision eventually as his hands began to hurt with repeating the action of shooting so much.
“What’s on your mind?” His Dad’s voice cut into his session, causing Luhan to drop his bow in shock. Somehow his parents were always good at that, sneaking up on him despite their massive heights and larger builds.
“Am I asking for too much?” Luhan wasn’t the type to hide things from his parents, he had never been given a reason to. Even when he would sneak out to visit Jongdae, his parents would scold him for not taking a maid with him and it being dangerous over the fact he had left without asking. Baba said it was due to the fact that he knew better than to try and keep someone in that didn’t want to be in. Apparently, when his Baba and Dad first got mated they were staying at the Huang estate and his Baba’s parents tried to keep his Dad in; but his Dad didn’t want to stay in and ended up climbing over the wall and leaving.
His Dad stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, before picking up Luhan’s bow and readying an arrow. “I don’t think you are. I see nothing wrong with knowing what you want.” His dad released the arrow, perfectly hitting the center of the target. He grinned, handing the bow back to Luhan. “I think there is someone out there with everything you want. As a proud Huang, it's your job to find them and capture them. Your father didn’t realize I was the one for him for the longest time. But when there was an opening, I took the chance and helped him figure it out.” His dad winked and Luhan fake gagged. He did not need to hear about his parent's sex life.
Luhan used the bow one last time, shooting an arrow that landed a bit off from the center. Despite this, his Dad praised him. Luhan put his bow away and they headed off to dinner Where his Dad gushed to his Baba about Luhan’s skill. The troubled omega didn’t get it, but he was grateful his dad didn’t bring up his problems over dinner.
When Luhan was finished chaining for bed later he started but there was a light popping sound on his balcony. At first he brushed it off, but then it happened again. And again. It sounded like someone was throwing things onto it. Walking over, he realized it was some of the pebbles from the rock display below.
Looking down, Luhan saw the last person he expected.
“What are you doing here?” He didn’t bother hiding the annoyance in his voice. He was ready for the day to be over and to sleep his problems away. But the Alpha below him simply grinned up at his feisty words.
“Jongdae was quite upset that you canceled his visit today, he has been waiting for weeks to see you. I came to make sure you were okay.” Sehun called up, tossing another rock up. Not that the younger mentioned it, Luhan clearly remembered that Jongdae had set up a visit for today But he had told the maid he didn’t want anyone. Damn, Luhan really was a fool sometimes.
“We both know you didn’t need to come to check on me. Why did the guards even let you in so late?” Luhan asked, picking up the stones and dropping them back down. He wasn’t a monster, dropping them off to the side where they wouldn’t hit the Alpha. The clicking sounds they made hitting the ground was rather pleasant, so he took the time to drop them one at a time.
“I told them it was important.” Luhan scoffed at the words, but he let Sehun continue. “I have something I need to ask.”
“I don’t know what you need to ask so late, but go ahead.”
“Will you be my mate?”
The rest of the stones fell from Luhan’s hand as he looked down at the Alpha in pure shock. At this point he was used to the Alpha’s antics, but this, this was too much. Now the younger was making fun of him. If it were anyone else he might have broken down in tears. But Sehun was just a brat.
“Please don’t joke like that.”
“I’m not, I want you to be my mate.”
Luhan inhaled deeply, searching his mind for the proper response. What type of Alpha bothered an omega in the middle of the night and tossed rock on their balcony before asking to be mates. Surely Sehun must have knocked his head on something while coming in. Before he could tell the other to go away, Sehun spoke up again.
“I’m being serious, Luhan. I’ve always wanted you to be my mate since the first time I saw you.” Luhan had to turn around, not wanting the Alpha to see the blush forming on his face. Not that it was like he could see it with how far apart they were and due to how dark it was, but still. “Please give me a chance to prove myself.”
Luhan’s mind was racing, he needed to shut this down as quick as he could. An idea popped into his head. If Sehun wasn’t to prove himself there was something he could do. He took a deep breath and composed himself before returning to the ledge.
“Gain the favor of the Park family and bring me proof, then I shall take your offer seriously.” Luhan offered. The Park family was one of the most powerful families in the land, the Huangs and Zhangs being the closest in power. But unlike the Zhangs and Huangs, the Parks preferred to keep to themselves and were hard to get close to. From what he knew his parents nor Sehun’s parents had ever come to an agreement with the Parks when it came to business..
Much to Luhan’s surprise, Sehun simply laughed.
“That’s it?”
Really, Sehun wanted to play like this? Luhan could make things harder, he wouldn’t put up with a cocky Alpha as his mate.
“And while you’re at it, I also want you to make your own family name. Officially.”
There, now Sehun made it impossible for him to ever mate with Luhan. Getting the Park's favor was hard, but gaining the right to make a whole new family name was a whole new type of trouble. You had to have lots of money, land, and proof you could produce a good bloodline. Doing so usually involved getting recommendations from many other high-ranked familys, and Luhan doubted Sehun’s own family would want him to branch off like that. Sehun was too much of a mama’s boy.
“I’ll Do it. Then you have to take me seriously.” Sehun said, his voice still filled with confidence. Luhan chuckled to himself.
“You do both those things and I’ll even throw in a kiss Sehun. Goodnight.”
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It wasn’t possible. A full season hadn’t even passed.
Yet here was Sehun standing in his Drawing room, a grin on his face and looking as if he was the luckiest man alive. Now that Luhan could see him in the light, he realized the Alpha was even taller, a few inches over him now.
“I did it.” Sehun hadn’t even waited for Luhan to make it across the room, the younger pulling out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and holding it out. When Luhan made it to him, he took the paper from him. On it was the Park family seal, still intact, and the paper looked to be the kind used by the Parks as well.
Swiftly Luhan opened the letter, skimming over it.
On it was words of praise for the Alpha before him, complimenting him on his intelligence and fighting skill. The paper was indeed signed by the head of the Park household, the lady of the house’s signature done it with her trademark blue ink she always used.
There was no need to panic yet, Luhan had asked for two things and Sehun had only brought one. All he had to do was play it cool. “Is this all you have?” Luhan asked, setting the paper on the table and looking at the Alpha. Why did he have to look so good today, the grey ensemble looking wonderful against his skin, his hair brushed back just how Luhan liked it.
“I also have this.” Sehun pulled out another document, handing it over to Luhan again. Luhan broke the seal and read the document, seeing it was in fact a letter of approval for Sehun to have a new family name. On it was not only Luhan’s Baba’s name, but both of Sehun’s parent's signatures, and the Park one.
The only thing Luhan could think to do was sit down and stare at the paper blankly.
Sehun had done it.
Instead of making a comment or remark, The Alpha simply stood there silently as the Omega processed what had just happened. Somehow Sehun had done both the things he had asked for in an unbelievable amount of time.
“Well, since I promised, I will give you a kiss and consider you as a possible mate.” Luhan finally managed to state, his heart pounded in his chest. Why was he so nervous suddenly? The other didn’t scare him, Luhan didn’t feel the need to run. Maybe he wanted to hide his face since he was certain it was turning pink.
“You don’t have to.”
Wait, what?
“I didn’t do this to make you do anything, I just wanted to show you I was serious.”
Luhan looked up at the Alpha, the grin no longer Sehun's face. He didn’t appear to be upset, there was something there that Luhan couldn’t pick out. There was a chance he was upset and hiding it well, but that didn’t feel right.
“There is going to be a party at the Park Estate next week. I would love it if you would attend and accept a dance with me.” Sehun said, a smile slipping onto his face. The action didn’t reach his eyes, the dark brown seemed almost muted.
For some reason Luhan felt sad watching Sehun leave.
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Luhan found himself at the party at The Park estate. As much as he liked to make up excuses to Jongdae, he was in fact going since Sehun invited him. Luhan found himself dressing a little nicer than usual, even going so far as to apply charcoal to his eyes and wearing a few of his better accessories that were gold.
From across the room Luhan spotted the Alpha in all his glory. The red he wore looked stunning, the gold complimented it all nicely and made him look like a real Zhang. Then again, he wasn’t a Zhang anymore. Sehun had gained the right to his own family name, his name was now Sehun Oh.
Not sure how to approach the other after their last encounter, Luhan found himself staying on the opposite side of the room and chatting with Minseok and Jongdae. Occasionally Minseok would disappear and bring back food to the Omega, and every time Jongdae would eat it with glee. It was rather surprising, Jongdae wasn’t much of a snacker. Yet his Alpha kept doting on him and asking him if he was okay every few minutes, wrapping his arms around the Omega’s waist whenever an Alpha would come over to greet Luhan.
If Luhan hadn’t been so focused on watching Sehun from afar, he might have thought something was up.
The night went on and Luhan found himself drifting closer and closer to Sehun. The Alpha was social, talking to every person who approached him. All Luhan needed to do was go up and talk to him like normal and act like everything was fine. It wouldn’t be that hard. But for some reason, he couldn’t so he did the first thing that came to mind and grabbed and a plate of food and marched his way over to the Alpha.
“I got this for you.” Luhan said, cutting into the conversation Sehun was having with a pretty Beta girl. One look at Luhan and the girl bowed a left, clearly not wanting to get in the way of a Huang family member. Sehun looked shocked at Luhan’s gesture, but he accepted the plate and picked off something from it, and ate it.
“You look handsome, I’m glad you decided to come talk to me.” Sehun said, picking up another piece of fruit. “I’ve been waiting all night.”
“Then why didn’t you come talk to me?” Luhan asked, his voice sounding a little more whiny than intended. But Sehun didn’t react, instead gazing over at his brother across the room.
“Minseok is being a bit too possessive right now, I didn’t want to upset Jongdae.” Looking over, Luhan saw that Minseok now had both his arms around Jongdae and was holding him very close. Jongdae was a touchy person, but even this was a bit much. There was nothing sexual about the encounter, but it still was odd.
There was an awkward silence, and Luhan made his way back to Jongdae.
“Why did you come back? You should be talking with him!” Jongdae said, frowning and Luhan. The older Omega sighed, looking back over to Sehun. Already the Alpha had a few Omega around him again, and even from the distance Luhan could seem them gushing over the handsome Alpha.
“I should be looking for a mate.” Luhan said, trying to move the conversation away.
“Luhan, I really hope you aren’t stupid. I know Sehun offered to be your mate” Luhan looked back and Jongdae, a look of disbelief on his face. But the older omega didn’t understand what the other’s point was.
Seeing Luhan didn’t get it, Jongdae detached himself from his mate and took Luhan’s hands in his own. “Sehun obviously comes from a good family. He runs his own business and has been trained for combat since the age of 14. Your parents love him, and he treats you like a normal person, even if he does tease you a bit. Not to mention I know you find him attractive with how much you have been staring at him tonight. Just admit he hits all your needs in a mate.”
Now that Jongdae was saying it all out loud, he had a point. Sehun hit all the things he wanted. But there had to be something. “Yeah, but he is nineteen and I’m 25. Surely he wants someone more his age and he is only doing this to be nice.”
Jongdae’s grip tightened on Luhan’s hands. “Oh my god Luhan, Sehun doesn’t care. He’s been gushing about you for as long as I can remember. You both are adults and he really likes you.”
It made sense. Jongdae wouldn’t lie to him. And he was telling Luhan that Sehun liked him and that he liked Sehun back. It boosted his confidence immensely, Luhan squeezed his friend's hands back and smiled at him.
“Thank you Jongdae.”
Without a second thought Luhan marched his way across the room, only focusing on the Alpha he wanted. So far Sehun had done everything, Yet Luhan had never once done anything for the other. What he had planned was a risky move, but as his Dad said,`It's Huang's job to capture the attention of a mate.
Sehun was in the middle of Chatting with an Omega girl, But Luhan didn’t care. Roughly he grabbed the Alpha’s face pulling him down and planting a kiss directly on the Alpha’s lips before he could react. Instead of pulling away, the Alpha leaned into it, kissing Luhan back until the Omega pushed him away. Luhan knew his face was red, but Sehun had the faintest pink tint to his own cheeks.
“What was that for?” The Alpha asked, but he was clearly happy about the exchange. For the first time, Luhan picked up the fondness in the eyes of the other, and he understood his heart going crazy in his chest was due to the man before him.
Luhan pointed a finger directly at Sehun, not bothering to keep his voice down as he spoke.
“I want you to be my mate, Oh Sehun.”
The Alpha before him took his hand, bringing it up to his lips and planting a soft kiss on it. The small action made Luhan even more flustered, but he held his ground.
“Nothing would make me happier Luhan.”