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There weren’t that many holidays that Rain really believed in like the Summer Solstice. He liked the Winter Solstice celebrations for the lightness it brought in the dark months, and he did appreciate Liberation Day and Pack Week for the days off. But the Summer Solstice was something special. It made him feel like he was a part of something bigger than himself.
The Summer Solstice was technically just about celebrating the summer, the lightness, the goodness that is life. Rain appreciated those aspects of the celebrations, he did, but he always felt more in tune with his Omega roots during the Summer Solstice. The Summer Solstice was for Omegas. There was something magical about the holiday where he could look and act however he wanted and no one could say anything about it. He loved curling up with the pack’s older Omegas and listen to their stories, soak in their wisdom and love. He loved hearing about other pack traditions from the newly joined Omegas and, of course, the gossip about the Alphas. It was the most connected he felt to his fellow Omegas every year and it always felt like a sacred time.
There was, however, one tradition in the pack that Rain loved more than the rest: the Eve Dream. On the Eve of the Summer Solstice, the pack’s unbonded Omegas would spread out in the fields and pick flowers. All the flowers would then be laid out in the square so every unbonded Omega would make their own bouquet out of seven different flowers to keep under their pillows. Legend said that the Omega who picked the correct seven flowers on the right year would dream of their future partner, their soulmate, their Alpha. Rain knew most Omegas wanted to believe in it but never expected anything out of the tradition, but he believed. Why else would the evening have such a strong sense of anticipation and hope?
Sky, one of the calmest Alphas around, was Rain’s best friend since forever. He was usually the only Alpha to join in on the flower tradition as it was aimed for unbonded Omegas, simply because he went along with most of Rain’s plans. Sky. As a general rule, Alphas didn’t join in on the festivities much during the Summer Solstice the way Omegas did (they had the Winter Solstice as “their” holiday). Rain liked making Sky do all of the things with him, though.
Rain was nineteen and still hadn’t dreamed of his Alpha yet, but he wasn’t worried. The older Omegas told stories of people finding their Alphas in their thirties. Rain didn’t want to wait that long, but he would wait if he had to.
Rain carefully looked over the flower selection and tried to get a sense of what combination he wanted to try this year. Sky had a whole list of what flowers he’d picked in what combination, but Rain liked to go by his intuition. As cliché as it sounded, he wanted to leave it up to fate.
A cluster of white plumeria caught his eye, as well as some delicate pale blue forget-me-nots and darker blue cornflowers. White jasmine, a white rose and a large pink chrysanthemum were also quickly pulled into his bouquet. Rain hesitated over his last flower but kept coming back to a beautiful pink peony. Contentment washed over him as he tied them together with a green silk ribbon and Rain couldn’t help but wish it was the magic of the Eve Dream telling him he’d made the right choice. He wanted to go home and sleep now.
As the night was slowly shifting to the early morning hours, the oldest pack Omega led them all in one of the slow, enchanting traditional songs to round off the celebrations. Rain’s fingers tingled, his whole body a little trembly. There was something in the air that Rain couldn’t put his finger on, but he liked it very much.
He hugged Sky before leaving, ignoring his best friend’s teasing comments, and kissed both his mother and father goodnight before finally, finally crawling into bed, carefully placing the bouquet of flowers under his pillow. He fought the urge to keep a hand underneath the pillow as he tried to fall asleep. The bouquet would do its magic, or wouldn’t, regardless of if he touched it or not.
It took forever for Rain’s mind to wind down and actually fall asleep, feeling too impatient to wait for sleep to come but too tired to do anything but wait. Eventually, Rain fell asleep, heart hoping to dream of his Alpha.
- - - -
Summer Solstice Day came without fanfare, grey and chilly. Rain bolted up in his bed, heart sinking. He lifted his pillow to look at the crushed bouquet of flowers. He couldn’t remember dreaming anything at all. He had been so sure it would be his year, the year he’d get to have his Eve Dream, get the chance to catch a glimpse of his future Alpha.
He tried to be cheerful when he ate breakfast but knew he probably looked defeated, his parents looking at him with sympathy in their eyes. Not even Sky being extra sweet to him as they met up made Rain feel better. It rather added to his disappointment. Sky was a good Alpha, he just wasn’t Rain’s Alpha and just for today it was a sad reminder that Rain hadn’t found his soulmate this year either.
To try and get his mind off it and to help with his usual Solstice withdrawal, Rain helped clean up around the square. There were plenty of things to occupy his mind and body with. He managed to let go of most of his feeling of loss by listening to Ple talk about how her brother Som had embarrassed himself in front of an Alpha he apparently liked. Sig’s brash commentary also helped dispel some of his melancholy.
It was growing late in the afternoon when Rain said goodbye to his friends and headed home. He needed to clean his bed, get rid of the disappointing bouquet of flowers.
A sudden downpour caused Rain to find shelter under an awning. He startled when another body collided with his and almost lost his footing. Thankfully, he was saved from falling by strong arms around his waist. Rain blinked, looking up into his savior’s eyes. They were dark and framed by soft eyelashes that Rain wanted to touch.
His stomach swooped. He recognized those eyes.
“It’s you!” he breathed.
“It’s me?”
Rain nodded. He reached up to brush a strand of hair out of the Alpha’s face. It was him. His Alpha. He had dreamed of him, just hadn’t remembered. “You’re him.”
“I’m Phayu,” the Alpha said, eyes crinkling in a smile.
Rain’s heart skipped a beat. His Alpha, Phayu, was so handsome. “A-Alpha,” he stammered.
There was a glint of recognition in Phayu’s eyes. “Did you dream of me, little Omega?” he asked.
Rain blushed. He was acutely aware that the Alpha still had his arms around his waist and that his own hands were on the Alpha’s shoulders. He should tell the Alpha to let him go, to create some distance between them, but he didn’t want to. This was his Alpha!
“I did. I-I didn’t think I did, but I did. I didn’t remember this morning, but your eyes-...”
“My sweet little Omega,” the Alpha purred, and Rain’s brain went fuzzy. “Being such a good little boy for his Alpha, dreaming of me and then finding me.”
“I found you,” Rain echoed airily.
“Good boy.”
Rain felt like his whole body was soft around the edges, his mind a little hazy, like nothing mattered except pleasing his Alpha. He wanted to hear Phayu say those words again, for Phayu to call him a good boy or his sweet little Omega.
“What’s your name, my little Omega?”
“Rain.”
Phayu chuckled. “How poetic,” he mused. He squeezed Rain a little closer to his body. “The storm and the rain. Of course.”
Rain nodded even though he didn’t quite understand what was so poetic. If his Alpha thought it was, though, then Rain would agree.
“Tell me, my little Rain,” Phayu continued, and Rain’s heart felt light at the possessive addition to his name, “where are you going?”
“H-Home,” Rain stammered, blinking. “Mama made food. I have to eat.”
Phayu nodded seriously. “Yes you do.” He looked away from Rain but Rain couldn’t stop staring at his Alpha. He was incredibly handsome. So strong. “Is it far?” Rain shook his head, contentment washing over him when Phayu smiled. “Good, then I’ll walk you. I can’t do anything about the rain, but I can make sure you don’t fall again.”
Rain nodded his acceptance and his stomach swooped when Phayu smiled at him again. In the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of his door with Phayu (his Alpha!) behind him with no recollation of how he got there at all. They were both a little wet from the downpour, but Rain didn’t care. His Alpha still looked very handsome, strands of wet hair sticking to the sides of his face. A distant voice in Rain's head worried that he looked like a drained rat, but by the look in Phayu's eyes, it didn't matter.
“This is me.”
Phayu nodded. “I see.” They fell silent, staring at each other. “Will you come find me later?” he asked eventually.
Rain was charmed to see that his Alpha looked a little unsure, eyes darting from Rain’s eyes to the door behind him. “Yes, Alpha,” Rain agreed, pleased when Phayu’s shoulders relaxed and he smiled again. He had a little mole by the corner of his mouth and Rain wanted to kiss it. He blinked when Phayu chuckled.
“You can kiss it any time you want, my little Omega.”
Rain quickly looked down, cheeks burning. He had the unfortunate habit of thinking out loud sometimes. Sky generally didn’t comment on it, though, unless Rain was being rude. Phayu put a finger under Rain’s chin and gently forced Rain’s head up.
“I mean that, Rain,” Phayu said earnestly. “You can kiss it any time, you can kiss me any time you want.” Phayu’s eyes darkened a little and Rain’s stomach swooped again. “You’re my Omega, I’m your Alpha, we belong to each other.”
He didn’t need more permission than that. Rain leaned forward, locking his arms around Phayu’s neck, and kissed him.
It felt right. Rain felt like he was complete. He hadn’t not felt complete before, but with Phayu’s arms around him, Phayu’s lips on his, Rain felt whole. He had his Alpha, finally. He had found his Alpha by having an Eve Dream at the Summer Solstice. The flowers had worked their magic, the Solstice had worked its magic.