Cherries and Scotch

"I just don't understand," Chrys sighed in frustration. "We're doing fine and he wants to get married but there's a major problem because of the law."

"What don't you understand, Chrys?" Erwin is just a little confused with the situation.

This was the first time the two had been together in months. The first time Chrys managed to sneak past their boyfriend. Chrys' boyfriend did not like Erwin, so Romero forbade Chrys from going to go see him. But that was impossible for the two, they had known each other since childhood, and you can't exactly throw something like that away.

"The bonding, it will not work!" Chrys was very frustrated with the situation and blamed themselves for it, their whiskey scent being a bit more prominent. "No matter how many times we try, we can't bond."

"Well," Erwin thought about his next choice of words carefully. "How many times have you tried with him?"

"Too many to fucking count," Chrys down the rum and coke in their hands. "It, my body just won't let me bond with him. It's pissing him off."

"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, he's not fated to bond with you, Chrys," Erwin poured himself another glass.

"What do you mean by that?" Chrys furrowed their eyebrows in confusion.

"Bonding between parties should be seamless and effortless," Erwin takes a sip of his drink. "It should not be forced in any way, it should happen the first time. If it does not happen the first time, Darc, then it is never going to happen. This is like common knowledge for bonding and marking. You, of all people, should know this kind of information."

Chrys lowers their head fidgeting with their fingers. That feeling of doubt and self-blame was building and they didn't know why. Is their body just unwilling to surrender?

"What am I going to do?" Chrys mumbled a bit panicked, the scent of whiskey was quickly replaced by the scent of cherries. "He wants us to get married but we can't since my body won't let him bond with me."

"You leave," Erwin said in a calm and stern tone. "As I have told you time and time again, he is not the one for you and you need to leave him."

"But then, I'm alone again," Chrys sighs brushing their hair back, a bit saddened by the reality. "I don't like being alone, Erwin and you know that."

"You're never truly alone, Chrystal," Erwin set the glass down reaching his hand out to hold their hand that rested on the arm of the couch. "I'm here and I will always be here for you."

"Erwin, I'm glad, so very glad that you are a part of my life," Chrys looked at their best friend deeply. "But you will find someone eventually and I will cease to be one of the main focuses for your life."

"I don't believe your words Chrys," his eyes softened, "I've tried to bond before and it didn't work out so I had to leave the person I was with. Some people say you'll feel something when you've met your future mate, your body just knows I guess." Erwin finishes his thought as he sips his drink.

"Have they described what it was like to meet their future mate?"

He thinks for a moment. "Hmm, some describe it as like "love at first sight", they feel a sort of tingly sensation. My mother has said when she met my father, she immediately knew he was the one by having this feeling of warmth and safety around him. That's from an omega point of view but it can be different for all." He explained.

"What about from the point of view of a sub-alpha?" Chrys sort of mumbles, they looked a bit desperate.

They wanted out. They wanted security and to not fear living every day. They looked hurt.