unbreakable bonds

ch. 4

The festival continued to hum with life around them, but for Zee and Nunew, it was as if the world had shrunk to just the two of them. Standing so close, with only the occasional passerby interrupting their moment, they were both quietly absorbing the gravity of what had just happened.

Zee, ever composed, cleared his throat and took a small step back to give them both a moment to breathe. “Want to walk?” he asked, his voice steady but his eyes warm as they lingered on Nunew’s face.

Nunew nodded, his heart still racing from their intense first meeting. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Without another word, they began to walk side by side, moving slowly away from the heart of the festival and into a quieter part of the square. Lanterns hung from the trees, casting a soft, golden glow over the path. For a few moments, neither of them spoke, but the silence wasn’t awkward—it felt… natural, like they didn’t need to rush.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” Nunew finally said, breaking the quiet, his voice soft but sincere. “I mean, I knew someday I’d meet my alpha, but… it still feels unreal.”

Zee smiled, glancing over at him. “Same here. I always knew it would happen, but you can’t really prepare for something like this, can you?”

Nunew shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. “No, you can’t.”

As they walked, Zee found himself studying Nunew, not just with his eyes but with his senses. Everything about the omega drew him in—the way he moved, the softness in his expression, the gentle confidence he carried despite the whirlwind of emotions they were both feeling. There was something magnetic about Nunew, something Zee couldn’t quite explain but knew he didn’t want to ignore.

“Tell me about your family,” Zee said after a moment, genuinely curious. “I heard there are four of you.”

Nunew chuckled lightly. “Yeah, it’s me, Kirin—he’s my twin—and then there’s Nat and Yim. Nat’s the youngest, and Yim’s just a bit older than him. It’s chaos most of the time, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Zee smiled, imagining the bustling home full of energy. “Sounds like a lot of fun. I’ve got three brothers myself—Lian who is my twin, Max, and Tutor. It’s not much quieter with them around, trust me.”

“Seems like we’ve got a lot in common already,” Nunew remarked, his smile growing. “I guess we both know what it’s like to be surrounded by family all the time.”

“Yeah, family’s everything to me,” Zee said quietly, his tone deepening with sincerity. “We’re close, even when things get crazy. Sounds like it’s the same for you.”

Nunew nodded, his heart warming at Zee’s words. It wasn’t just the connection between them that was forming—it was the realization that they both valued the same things, shared the same kind of bond with their families. It made everything feel… right.

As they continued to walk, they passed a small garden tucked away at the edge of the square, the soft fragrance of blooming flowers drifting through the air. Zee paused, gesturing toward a nearby bench. “Want to sit for a bit?”

Nunew agreed, and they both settled onto the bench, the night air cool but comfortable. For a moment, they simply sat there, side by side, the quiet hum of the festival in the distance. Zee glanced over at Nunew, noticing the way the light played across his features, softening the curve of his cheek and making his eyes sparkle.

“What are you thinking?” Zee asked, his voice low but full of curiosity.

Nunew hesitated for a moment, then smiled. “I’m thinking about how different this all feels than I imagined. I thought meeting my alpha would be overwhelming, but… it feels easy, being around you.”

Zee felt a warm swell in his chest at Nunew’s words. “I know what you mean. I thought it would be intense, like everything would change in an instant, but being with you feels… natural. Like we’re supposed to be here, like this.”

Nunew looked down, his cheeks flushing slightly. “I guess fate knew what it was doing.”

Zee’s lips quirked into a smile, his eyes soft as he looked at Nunew. “Yeah, I think it did.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a while longer, the connection between them growing with every passing moment. Zee could feel it—the pull, the deep sense of belonging that came from being near Nunew. It wasn’t just physical attraction or the bond of alpha and omega. It was something more, something deeper. And it was only getting stronger.

After a while, Nunew turned to him, his expression a little more serious. “Do you think this will change everything? For us, I mean. With our families, with our lives…”

Zee took a deep breath, his gaze steady as he met Nunew’s eyes. “It’ll change things, sure. But it doesn’t have to be scary. I think it’ll bring us closer to the people we love. And as long as we’re together, we’ll figure everything out.”

Nunew smiled, reassured by Zee’s words. There was something about the way Zee spoke that made him feel safe, like everything would be okay no matter what came their way. He could already feel the bond growing, becoming stronger with each moment they spent together.

“I’m glad it’s you,” Nunew said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Zee’s heart skipped a beat at those words, and he reached out, gently brushing his fingers against Nunew’s hand. “Me too, Nhu. Me too.”

The night continued to stretch on, but neither of them minded. They had all the time in the world now, and as they sat there under the soft glow of the lanterns, getting to know each other, they knew that this was only the beginning of something incredible—something unbreakable.