Work Text:
What Could Be Better?
Mark knew he was not fooling anyone, even with the best suppressants money could buy, he knew people still considered him an Omega or a Beta but never an Alpha. So when he stood next to Bar, declaring his undying love for the other Omega, he could see, pity in people's faces. “Is it cause I am a ...”
Bar, being the gentle soul that he was, shook his head as quickly as possible. “No, it’s not that. " He walked closer to Mark but still kept his distance so as not to give Mark false hope. “Gun, I’ve already chosen him. I like him. I’m sorry, Mark.”
“That’s okay,” that was a lie, he knew it, and it would never be okay. Being rejected like that, he never stood a chance and yet he had to try. “I hope he makes you happy,” he wai’ed and walked away to the bar to drown his sorrows away. Big mistake on his part.
He slowly opened his eyes to only close them again. It was too bright for him to handle but he knew he had to face the consequences of last night as he felt the hangover slowly slip in. His body ached and he realised, who was the cause of that ache as he looked at, Bar’s friend Vee. The boy who had made it impossible to speak to Bar, The Alpha everyone wanted to date but was already in a relationship. The type of relationship everyone wanted to have. A relationship everyone envied. And he felt sick with guilt, not that the hangover was helping with his nausea.
He quickly got dressed and rushed out, not wanting to face the situation. If he never faces Vee, then the night never happened. ‘Yep, never happened.’ he tells himself as he rushes down the stairs.
It was safe to say Mark was confused. He knew that he liked Bar but his heart did not ache any more when he saw him with Gun. No, the feelings he had felt were slowly disappearing. He wanted to shout, everything he was told about imprinting, was starting to make sense. He could feel Vee’s presence before seeing him. Knew when Vee was with Ploy and that hurt. But what the most was every time he let his guide down, Vee would pull away. It was always something, that Ploy needed from Vee and he knew he had no right to deny Vee from being with his girlfriend. He was nothing to Vee and he knew it but being close to Vee numbed the pain he felt when he was not there.
Being introduced as his nong put a stamp on his relationship with him and made him realise that he will never be anything more than his junior. So Mark tried his best to move on and act as if the senior was not an important part of his life. But denying himself his Alpha was easier said than done. “Am I the only one who feels the pain does he not feel the same?” he asked as his friends surrounded him. He didn’t want to hear the answer, he feared the worst, because he had seen it. How Vee ran to Ploy when she called. How Vee made up excuses and never confirmed their relationship. He wished he could go back to that night he confessed his love for Bar. He would have left immediately after getting rejected. So he did the only thing he could think of, he ran. He ran into the safety of his parent's warm embrace.
His father, always the protector, hugged his son, never asking him what happened, just comforting his one and only child. His mother, the one who always wanted to solve her loved ones' problems let her husband take the lead and kept quiet and just hugged the men in her life.
A few days later she approached Mark, “Does this have to do with your Alpha?” Mark looked up from his notes, he knew missing class would have consequences, so he was catching up on the work he missed out on, “Your scent has changed,”
“Yes and no, I just needed a break,” he said closing his book.
“So, what’s his name?”
“Vee and before you ask, no you can’t meet him, It won’t work out between me and him.”
“Why?” Concern was written on her face.
“He has a girlfriend and we imprinted by mistake. So I’m trying to stay away from him. I needed to stay away from him. And I know that you want to solve this for me mom, I just only need you here for me.”
She nodded and replied, “I’m here for you my love,” she said hugging him.
Being away from Vee was not enough to deal with the heartbreak, he had felt when he saw Vee kiss Ploy, but he was determined to deal with it despite seeing Vee look like a kicked puppy. And with as much perseverance he had to stay away from him, it appeared that being Vee’s junior meant that Vee was everywhere Mark was.
Despite all his efforts, he couldn’t hurt Vee the way Vee had hurt him and he knew if he kept up with the lie, he would only hurt himself. Knowing that he was being foolish as he listened to Vee declare his love for him and how Mark was the only one Vee person who understood him, he couldn’t hold back the smile as he asked him “This stupid person, really existed?” he knew that he would never feel the same about anyone, not in this lifetime and would be only a matter of days before Vee knew it too, but he will be damned to let Vee win his heart like that. He knew he had lost when Vee sent all the messages and he couldn’t help but smile. And hearing Vee declare him his mate in front of everyone especially his family made his heart heal little by little. As he watched the sunset he finally understood when Bar told him he chose Gun. He would choose Vee over and over again. Nothing could be better.