Ash and Ambrosia // Omegaverse

vii: love as written in the stars

"How long have you known?"

Rosia glanced to the side, but beneath Ash's sharp, unwavering gaze she couldn't escape when he ambushed her on the balcony. The very place where it began. She turned her gaze back to him.

"That's why you avoided me. You hated that I was an omega so much that you couldn't stand being around me."

She protested honestly, "I never avoided you because I hated you or was mad at you, I mean it." She placed a hand on her forehead, then ran it back ruffling through her crown of hair. "I was afraid of hurting you. An alpha's scent can be very overwhelming. I needed to learn to control myself."

"Weren't you afraid I'd use my scent to seduce you?"

"Never." She shook her head.

Ash balled his fists, frustration boiling inside of him. He had one-sidedly loved her all this time, and yet she had clearly didn't even consider him an option. Alphas should be wary of omegas for their ability to make them lose their senses, yet she never considered that he could do that to her.

He furiously released his scent. The dense smell of lush, juicy apples overflowed.

"Stop it," she grunted through clenched teeth.

"No." Tears welled in his eyes. "Can't you see? Can't you tell from the smell?" he questioned. "I have feelings for you. But you've never looked at me that way, and now that I'm an omega, it's all over. You've never even considered it. But I can't hold it back when I'm with you. I always want to release it, lay it all bare for you to see. I want to give you everything, and it's hard to withstand. When you're with me, you'll only ever suffer. We can't even be friends anymore," he choked and sobbed between words.

"You're wrong." She rushed to mollify him. "We can be friends if that's what you want. I can restrain myself, I can handle this. It's okay. It's okay to be an omega, there's nothing wrong with you. Please don't worry about me."

"Why didn't you just walk past me that day?" He paused, and Rosia's strong features contorted with hurt. He wished she had never helped him, and wondered if perhaps, she ever regretted it too. He continued, explaining, "You've done if before. I saw you stand there just watching. But I never asked you about it because it didn't matter. I don't care anymore. I don't care what you do to me, but I can't ever see you suffer."

"You saw me?" She never even remembered it. Before then, she was a cold, tough uncaring lone wolf who only acted out of self interest. It was completely normal for her to turn a blind eye to bullying or people in need of help. She only did what she felt like, and frequently acted impulsively, even getting into fistfights to get her way.

She didn't really care about helping people, she was never kind, and only did what she wanted. But that changed after she met him, and slowly he convinced her to care for others too.

He whispered softly, "I know that if we stay friends, I'll hurt you. Are you really okay with that?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

"If you're just saying that because you pity me, and you don't really meant it-"

Her pheromones erupted in a raging wildfire.

The aroma was like a drug that set him ablaze and brought him to his knees. So powerful, yet undeniably irresistible.

Thirst made his throat run dry, desperately wanting more.

He had smelt his mother and his doctor and a fair amount of people by now. But nothing like this. Was it just because hers were strong?

"How do they smell? Delicious? Irresistible? Is it enough to make you go crazy?" Rosia smiled with an underlying bitterness.

He nodded, gazing up at her with uncontrollable desire in his eyes, honest and open.

"We're a fated pair."

He froze.

"But despite everything- I don't pity you. I never did. I was never nice enough to help someone out of pity. You saw it yourself." She wore a sour expression as mentioned it, but she couldn't keep lying to hide her flaws. "I brought you home because I thought you were pretty, and so I claimed you because I liked you. I don't care if you're my fated one. I loved you long before you differentiated."

"And now?"

"I still do," the smoky scent overwhelmed him, soothing and comfortable like a crackling fireplace. "I'm not a good person, but you always bring out the best in me. You're the first person I have ever wanted to protect." She smiled, with all her heart this time. "Ash, I love you."

"I love you too," he breathed.

As they held each other in a warm embrace, they each indulged in their favourite smells- one of apples on an autumn afternoon, the other of a warm blaze that alternated between a raging wildfire with the strength to protect, and a gentle fireplace to keep him warm on cold lonely nights.

Fin.