by Grace, Aria
Our shopping trip together was almost like a well-planned date itself.
Billy was like a kid in a candy shop as we went through the grocery store. Seeing a genuine smile on his face made my heart feel lighter than it has in weeks. I got the distinct impression he’s never really been afforded the chance to do his own shopping. Fortunately, my job pays well, and I don’t have many expenses, because there’s no way I could have said no to him when he grabbed the most expensive cut of meat from the cooler with a look of utter triumph in his eyes.
Dinner is easily the best I’ve ever had. Not just because the food is cooked to perfection, but because Billy is here. The way he sat perched on the edge of his seat as I took my first bite was adorable. And his joy is genuine as I express my enthusiasm for how delicious everything is.
He seems more alive now than I’ve ever seen him before, and that alone makes me want to be near him and protect him from the world. He’s endured more pain in his life than anyone ever should. I would do anything in my power to keep him from going through more heartache.
“I’m really glad you liked it,” Billy says as he reaches for my empty plate.
“Oh, no you don’t.” I snatch the plate away from him. “You cooked that amazing meal. I’m not letting you do the dishes too.”
“But I dirtied them up!” he protests as I rise from my chair and reach for his plate and silverware.
“Which is why you deserve to sit back and let me do the work now.” I scoot around him and head to the kitchen.
Billy frowns at me, but I can see a hint of amusement in his eyes. He’s enjoying himself.
Doing dishes for two people doesn’t take very long, and I have a dishwasher, so the entire process is over in less than ten minutes. Despite my protests, Billy grabs a broom from the garage and begins sweeping up the floor while I set the timer on the dishwasher. He’s determined to help, and nothing I can do will dissuade him from that.
Once the dishwasher is running and the kitchen is clean, I glance at the clock on the stove and realize it’s starting to get late. As much as I don’t want to say goodbye, I don’t want to push my luck. “I guess we should probably get you back home before it gets too much later.” Even as the words come out, I have to force myself to keep a straight face. I don’t want him to leave, but he needs to know he has the option to go back to Omega House if wants. I’m won’t pressure him to stay.
“Oh, I thought... I mean...” Billy looks away from me and wrings his hands as he struggles to find something to say. “Well, I wasn’t sure but...if you want me to stay, I’d like that too.”
My heart contracts, and I feel like I’m going to burst. I have to swallow back my excitement to keep from punching the air in triumph.
“Yeah, of course. The couch pulls out into a bed, and I’ve got extra blankets and pillows. You can definitely stay if you’d like.” I silently pray I’m not coming across as overeager.
“I was just thinking, maybe, I could make you breakfast tomorrow since it didn’t really work out today.” Billy sounds uncertain, but the look in his eyes makes it clear this is something he wants to do.
“I would love that. I do have work tomorrow, but I can take you back to Omega House after breakfast.” Now I’m wishing I had taken tomorrow off work too, just in case.
“I...” He sounds like he’s about to protest but changes his mind a moment later. “That would be nice.”
“Billy, I want you to know you can tell me what you want. If you’re uncomfortable with anything, or if you want something, just say so. Please. You’ll never make me mad by telling me your needs.” I take a deep breath and lean against the counter. “You’re important to me, and that means your happiness is important to me as well.”
“My...” Billy swallows hard and looks away from me. For a moment, I worry I’ve said something wrong. But when he looks back at me, he’s smiling. “Thank you, Landon. I mean it.”
“Want to watch a movie?” Changing the subject to something a little more upbeat seems like the smart move right now. Things are going so well, I don’t want to risk ruining it. “I’ve got popcorn, and we bought that tub of ice cream. We can curl up on the couch with snacks and see what’s on Netflix.”
“Snacks?” Billy gives me an incredulous look. “You just finished off that huge dinner and you’re talking about snacks?”
I waggle my eyebrows and pat my stomach. “I’m a growing boy, what can I say?”
“I’m stuffed.” Billy shakes his head. “I don’t see how you have any room after that massive steak you ate.”
“I always have room for ice cream,” I say as I open up the freezer. “I also hit the gym after work five nights a week, so I can indulge from time to time.”
I dig out the tub of ice cream and set it on the counter. Billy eyes it and shakes his head in mock disapproval.
“Why don’t you go ahead and pick out a movie?” I nod toward the TV in the living room. “Just hit the Netflix button on the remote.”
“What do you want to watch?” he asks as he heads toward the sofa.
“Dealer’s choice.” I reach for a bowl and two spoons, just in case. “You’re my guest, so you pick.”
“Fine, but you aren’t allowed to complain,” he announces as he drops onto the sofa and switches on the TV.
I half expect him to pick a romcom or some lighthearted Disney movie. I’m really surprised when I carry my ice cream to the living room and he’s got a rather gnarly looking zombie movie all queued up and ready to go.
“You like this stuff?” I sit down on the opposite end of the couch.
“Of course, I do.” He looks at me with a grin. “I kinda think a zombie apocalypse wouldn’t be so bad sometimes.”
I honestly can’t tell if he’s serious or not. Even if he is, given what he’s seen of the world, I can’t really blame him.
Like all zombie movies, there’s lots of blood and gore, but this one actually has a pretty decent survival plot and the characters are pretty good. Surprisingly enough, most of the main cast survives and manages to find a safe place to call home. Though the ominous ending makes it clear their long-term survival isn’t necessarily guaranteed.
“I’ve seen better.” Billy stretches his arms above his head and stifles a yawn. “I couldn’t find any of the ones I really wanted to watch though.” He shrugs and shifts on the sofa to look at me. “What did you think?”
“I actually kinda liked it. I thought it was cool when they blew up the gas station to make their escape.” It was a decent movie, but then again, I’m not really the best judge. “I haven’t seen a lot of movies recently. I’m never really home long enough to watch anything.”
Billy looks at me with a subtle frown. I can’t really read what’s going through his head, but I can tell he’s getting tired.
“You look sleepy. Why don’t I pull out the couch, and you can get ready for bed?” I rise from the sofa, so we can get it ready for him. It’s nowhere near my bed time since I’m used to being up all night and sleeping until midday, but I can always read a book in bed until I get tired.
“No, I’m fine.” Billy climbs off the couch. “I’m gonna get some ice cream now that I’ve had a chance to digest. Why don’t you choose the next movie?” He tosses the TV remote to me and marches toward the kitchen without waiting for my response.
His drastic change in comfort level makes me smile, and my desire for him increases, burning just beneath my skin. My instincts are driving me to be closer to him. To make him mine. After the day we’ve spent together, I want nothing more than to give in to the primal needs I’ve had since meeting him. But I can’t, and more importantly, I won’t push him to go any faster than he wants to go.
It’s difficult for me to cede control like this. As an alpha, I’m used to taking the lead in my relationships with omegas, but with the way Billy has been treated, he needs me to take it slower. He’ll let me know when and if he’s ready.
Until then, I have to be content with wh
at we’ve got right now. Just being in close proximity to him is enough. It has to be.
We watch movies for a few more hours, taking turns picking them out. More than once, I notice Billy start to fall asleep beside me on the sofa, but every time I suggest pulling out the bed, he protests and tells me he wants to stay up.
By the time I’m starting to feel tired, he’s passed out for the night. I can’t help but chuckle as I look at him. He’s sprawled out across the couch beside me, his head resting on the arm of the sofa, looking perfectly peaceful.
I retrieve a couple blankets and gently drape them over him. I also bring him a pillow, but I don’t want to disturb him, so I leave it on the coffee table in front of him. Hopefully, he’ll see it at some point and be able to use it.
Once I’m certain he’s securely tucked in, I head down the hall to my bedroom and get ready for bed. My heart feels light and happy to know Billy is sleeping under the same roof as I am. Even though I desperately want him in my bed, just having him close does a lot to soothe my ache for him.
With my head in the clouds, I get undressed down to my boxers and climb into bed. As I drift off to sleep, I think back over the events of the day. Billy seemed to enjoy himself, and that makes me happier than anything else ever could.
I’m not sure how long I’ve been asleep before something wakes me up. There’s a noise in the hallway that doesn’t sound like anything I’m used to hearing in my house. Holding my breath, I listen intently for the sound to repeat.
There’s a gentle creak as my bedroom door is slowly pushed open, and I realize someone is entering the room.
Billy must be looking for the bathroom. I don’t want to embarrass him, so I keep my mouth shut and pretend to be asleep. I’m sure he’ll figure it out quickly enough.
But he lingers by the door for a moment without moving. My heart is hammering in my chest as I lay motionless in my bed. I don’t know what to do, and I don’t trust myself to speak. In the foggy haze of my sleep, I’m vaguely aware of the erection in my boxers, and I’m grateful I’m lying on my side so it’s not visible to Billy.
A few more awkward moments pass before he moves farther into the room. His breathing sounds unstable as he circles around the bed, like he just ran a marathon.
My eyes are glued to him as he stands on the far side of the bed. But after a moment of hesitation, he pulls back the covers and climbs onto the mattress.
Whatever is happening, the motion of the bed moving is more than enough to have woken me up. So, I begin to stir. “Billy?” I ask sleepily. “Are you okay?”
Billy freezes in place. I can’t see his expression, but he seems to be trying to figure out what to say. “I just...” He sighs and sits on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t mean to wake you up. I know this is going to sound dumb, but...I had a bad dream.”
66
Billy
I hold my breath as I wait for his response. I knew this was a bad idea when I got up off the couch, but fear and pain drove me toward him. The dream had been so vivid, so near, that when I woke up, the only thing I wanted was to know I wasn’t alone and that Landon was near. The thought of trying to sleep again, with that dream still lingering in my mind, was terrifying to me.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Landon asks as he sits up on one elbow. I hear him move around, and a second later, the lamp on his nightstand clicks on.
I feel my cheeks flush at the sight of him. He’s shirtless and the blankets have pooled around his waist where I can just see the band of his boxers. He told me he works out, but the sight of his muscled chest and stomach are still a little unreal to me. That hunger in my chest I’ve been trying to ignore is quickly turning into a pang of desire.
I want him.
“Billy?” Landon verbally prods me to answer his earlier question.
I clear my throat and shake my head slowly. “I...I don’t really want to think about it anymore.” I avert my gaze from his gorgeous body and hope my voice isn’t as shaky as the rest of my body feels. “I just didn’t want to be alone. I’m sorry for waking you up. I know you’ve got to work tomorrow.”
“Hey, it’s fine. If you need some company, then I’m right here.” He leans back against the headboard and looks at me with a soft smile on his lips. As I turn my eyes to meet his, I catch sight of a rather prominent erection tenting beneath his blankets. He notices my stare and quickly shifts to obscure it from my sight. “Um, sorry about that. Blood flow, morning wood, it’s kind of...embarrassing.” Landon snaps his gaze away from me and rubs the back of his head awkwardly.
That’s when I feel something inside me click into place. An understanding that I haven’t had before. I need Landon. Not just in a physical or an emotional sense, or as some sort of support system. No, I need him as a part of me. The two of us aren’t separate individuals, we’re two halves of a whole. Soul mates. No, more than that. Fated mates.
I almost laugh at the thought. Fated mates are like an old folk tale I’ve always assumed are just a myth. Stories about omegas have been passed down through the generations to make pathetic omegas like myself find hope that things could get better for them. Someday, if they were one of the lucky few, they could meet their fated mate and all their past hurts and woes would be healed.
Everything would be better. Like magic.
It seemed like a fairy tale until right this minute.
Now that I’m here with Landon, I realize there’s nothing magical about it. My past with Louie won’t just go away and never hurt me again. But I can have a future that doesn’t have to be defined by what happened to me before.
All I need is Landon. And if I’m reading the signs right, Landon needs me.
I slide across the bed until I’m sitting directly beside him, facing the headboard. He meets my gaze, but there is definitely some hesitation in his eyes. He doesn’t know what to do either. I can tell he wants to give in too, but he’s afraid to take the lead.
He’s afraid of hurting me.
And of course, I’m afraid of that too. The logical side of me knows Landon would never hurt me. But there still a part of me that’s resistant to the idea of trusting an alpha. That part is screaming at me to run back to Omega House because this is possibly the worst thing I could ever do.
I’m choosing to ignore that part. “Did you mean what you said earlier?” I whisper, needing some reassurance before I commit to anything. “About how all I have to do is tell you what I want, what I need?”
“Yes.” His eyes are desperate, and his voice is trembling with need.
“And what if I need you?”
“I would give myself to you, without hesitation.” He sounds almost as if he’s pleading, but I don’t know if it’s with me or himself.
“And if I tell you to stop? If I tell you it’s too much too soon?” I don’t want to be a tease and the guilt of toying with him is overwhelming, but I need to hear his answer in his own words.
Landon swallows before tentatively caressing my cheek with the palm of his hand. “I would do it in a heartbeat.” His eyes are searching mine for answers neither of us have. “I wasn’t lying when I told you I want you to be happy.”
“Even if… I mean, even if you’re with me… Like, in me?” I want to close my eyes and hid under a pillow as my cheeks burn with heat, but I don’t move an inch.
Then suddenly, my lips are drifting closer to his.
“It would be agony,” he admits. “But my pleasure is not worth your pain. Nothing is.” Based on the sincerity reflecting in his eyes, I know he’s serious. He’s not just telling me what I want to hear. The screaming, terrified part of my brain is finally mollified by his words and fades into the background.
I press closer to him, meeting his lips with mine. The kiss is tentative at first, questioning. He’s holding back though. I can feel his muscles trembling like a bungee cord stretched to its limit.
“You’re not going to break me, Landon.” I pull back slightly to catch my breath. “I need this. I
need you to chase away my nightmares. Replace them with something better. Something I can cherish. Replace them with you.”
“Billy...” He gently pulls me to him and presses his lips to mine once more.
His lips are warm and soft as he kisses me. Instinctively, I open my mouth and he claims it completely. His tongue is gentle as it meets mine, and for the first time ever, I know what it’s like to experience a kiss I want to lose myself in.
Landon shifts positions, encircling his arms around me and gently lowering me to the bed. He makes me feel precious as he cradles me in his arms, treating me so serenely. It’s tantalizing to me, and my cock is already stirring, growing hard and pressing against my pants.
Landon hovers over me, kissing my lips and neck as his hand strays down my chest and caresses the growing bulge in my pants. I moan under his touch and my hips involuntarily buck up against his hand. I want more of his attention. I want to feel closer to him.
He unfastens the button on my jeans and helps me slide out of them. Insecure about my near skeletal frame, I blush under his gaze.
“You’re beautiful.” Landon kisses me again. “Every part of you.”
I smile, appreciating the lie but uncomfortable with it. “You don’t have to say stuff like that. It’s just going to go to me head.”
He grins as he slides down my body toward my aching cock. “I mean it.” He takes my dick in his hand and gently strokes it. “You deserve to have someone tell you how attractive you are because it’s true.”
Before I can say anything else, he slides his lips around my cock. The warmth of his mouth and the softness of his lips sends shivers down my spine. This kind of gentle, loving attention is completely foreign to me. I can safely say I’ve never had a blowjob before. Louie and every alpha before him had only been interested in one thing, and it wasn’t making my cock feel like it was in heaven.
Landon’s mouth and tongue slide around me in a wet, sloppy mess that feels like nothing I’ve ever felt before. Of course, I’ve touched myself. I’m a man, after all. I’ve certainly fucked my own hand plenty of times, but what Landon’s doing to me now makes all that pale in comparison. My balls are so tight I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to hold myself back for more than a few seconds longer.
