rain in your heart - patpran

3.

"Pran," the head omega says, guiding him to his temporary accommodation. He knows that he'll have to share a room with Pat once they're married, but he's secretly happy that they aren't forcing the both of them to immediately live together. "You'll be staying here for now. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask Paa- she's in the tent next to yours."

"Of course." Pran says, bowing at her with a polite smile, one that she returns before walking away, her scent tinged with agitation. Distantly he thinks that it's probably because of how Pat had stormed out of the head alpha's tent after introductions, without any attempt to hide his discomfort.

As if on cue, Paa walks out of her tent to welcome him, probably hearing their voices outside. Her face lights up with a wide smile, and Pran wonders if Pat shares the same warm smile that all his family members seem to have.

Not that he's likely to see it anytime soon.

"Hi, P'Pran!" she says, walking towards him with a slight bow, "welcome to the pack!"

"Thank you," he replies with a bow of his own, and Paa giggles at his formality.

"You really are as gorgeous as Pa said," she states and Pran's cheeks heat up at that, unsure of how to respond to the sudden compliment.

"Please take your time settling in!" Paa continues, not affected by the lack of response. Pran exhales, relieved at her outgoing and light-hearted personality. "And if you need any help, do call for me! There's a festival today, in about three hours, which you'll likely have to attend. I'll see you then!"

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The festivities, Pran finds out later, were set up specifically for him- a formal introduction to the members of the pack and an announcement of his arranged marriage to the head alpha's heir.

"I am incredibly honoured to be welcoming Pran as my son in law," Ming announces, eyes sweeping over the assembly, commanding attention as he speaks with an air of confidence. "I hope you all will extend a warm welcome to him as well."

Ming turns to look at Pran after that, a signal that it's his turn to address the crowd gathered ahead of them.

Pran bows at them, once, twice- in utmost respect, remembering what his mother used to tell him, "To command respect, you must also give it."

He speaks with a practiced confidence, though he lacks the natural authority that the head alpha exudes- he has been trained to, afterall, as the head alpha's son.

"I am deeply grateful to every pack member here, for welcoming me with open arms. I hope to return your kindness by contributing to the pack activities and administration. Thank you immensely."

He bows again, to conclude, and he can sense Ming's proud stare. He bristles under it, both nervous and excited knowing he has impressed the head alpha.

For a while after that, he mingles with the members of the pack who approach him to talk- some of them offering their warm welcomes to him, some with questions about his origins and the pack he had left behind. He answers their questions with the warmest smile he can muster, trying to carry himself with the poised elegance that his mother had instilled in him. Throughout the interactions, he's acutely aware of Pat's eyes on him, a scathing glare. He tries to not let it affect him.

"P'Pran!" Paa calls out, drawing his attention, "would you like to have dinner with me?"

He smiles at her as he nods, letting her usher him to where the food is being served. He meets Pat's eyes across the room as he moves through the crowd. The alpha immediately averts his gaze, staring down at the floor instead.

"P'Pran," Paa begins, waving her hands around as she talks excitedly, "is there any particular role you're interested in? There's archery, hunting, of course, babysitting and daycare too! There's also embroidery and stitching-"

"Paa," he gently interrupts, "what about the healer's unit? I'm interested in that."

"Oh." Paa's smile falters, the cheerfulness on her face replaced with guilt as she rubs the back of her neck with one of her hands, "I don't know, P'. Hia is in charge of the healers' unit, since he's currently the commander in charge of our soldiers. They are closely linked units, after all."

Pran takes a shaky breath. He had been hoping to get a spot in the healers' unit- a small step towards actually pursuing his dream.

Paa's face only crumples even more with guilt. "I can talk to Hia, and you can talk to my father. I'm sure-"

"It's okay." Pran replies, shaking his head as he absentmindedly picks at the food on his plate. "I understand that Pat might not trust me with such an important role yet. I don't want to go against his beliefs."

Paa nods, eyes shining with compassion. Pran continues, "In that case, I am interested in hunting and archery."

"Oh!" Paa's face lights up again, "I have a friend who's an archery trainer! She's one of the rare three omegas doing archery right now, I'm sure she'll be of great help. As for hunting, I do have one of my other friends..."

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As the night darkens, Pran decides it's time to return to his tent. The long horseback journey has truly exhausted him, and his calves throb with a dull ache as he makes his way towards his quarters.

As he weaves through the crowd gathered for the festivities, he catches that familiar scent of rain, and he hears Pat clear his throat behind, an obvious attempt at grabbing his attention.

'What does this alpha think of himself?' Pran thinks, deliberately ignoring him as he continues trudging ahead, trying to mask the fatigue in his steps. But the scent persists, lingering behind him and Pat finally calls out for him, giving up on his attempt at grabbing Pran's attention wordlessly.

"Pran." Pat says, and Pran stops in his tracks to turn and look at him, offering a polite bow. The alpha returns it, though he fidgets with his fingers, uncharacteristically hesitant.

"Your speech back there," Pat begins, "It- you did great."

Pran bites back a smile at that, pleased at the compliment. He'd been proud of it too, and he nods in response, just a little flustered under the alpha's gaze. "Thank you."

The alpha hums, a deep rumble that resonates in him and lodges itself deep into a crevice of Pran's heart. "Is there any particular role you're interested in, yet?"

"Yes," Pran says, "I would like to be a healer."

The shock on Pat's face is immediate, and he cuts Pran off, "I'm afraid you can't- not yet-"

Pran smiles at him, a sad one, "I know. Until I gain your trust, I'd like to work with the archery and hunting units, instead."

He knows that Pat has noticed his use of the word 'until', knows that he understands the implication, can see Pat biting back his tongue to hold himself back from saying something harsh.

"Hunting- I can talk to the head about that." Pat says in a calculated tone, "But Archery, are you sure about that?" The alpha's hesitation is palpable, and Pran lets it hang in the air for a moment.

"Yes." he affirms, "I've been training for a while in my own pack."

Pat nods in response. Pran waits for him to say something, anything, still hopeful. But when it becomes clear that there won't be any further response, he bows at the alpha again before walking towards his accommodation.

'Why is he worried about me joining archery?' he muses as he gets under the furs of his mattress. It's the one he used at his old pack, and had asked his parents and his friends to scent it for him before he left.

He inhales, letting the blend of his favourite scents comfort him as slumber takes over.