Mark Me Yours [Omegaverse]

Anticipation

Fair warning that this chapter has some religious discussion. It is not my intention to hate on any religion or cause any offence, and I hope I did the topic justice. If I have stepped out of line, please let me know.

Scott smiled fondly at the picture frame on his desk. The shell Ryan found for him was taped to the glass, and inside was a picture of Ryan from the Butterfly Pavilion. It was Scott's favorite photo from their trip. Ryan was practically covered in rainbow lorikeets, a smile on his face, and the sun hit his eyes just right, making them glow a honeyed gold. His birthday gift graced his office couch, and a picture of the two of them on the beach was his new phone background.

He knew that trip was a good idea. Just last week he'd put their newfound knowledge of Ryan's kink to good use, when they had their own private Halloween party. It had been a super memorable night. There were families with young children that lived in Scott's apartment complex, and while they had fun for a while passing out treats at the door with a scary movie playing in the background, eventually they'd decided to leave the bowl outside with a "take one" note on it in favor of some more adult entertainment

A set of theatrical vampire teeth and a bottle of strawberry syrup was well worth the stained sheets. Coupled with some party store accessories, Scott had made quite the handsome vampire. The syrup's color was bright enough to not look too much like blood, which was nice because he had been conscious about triggering Ryan's phobia. And Ryan had looked just as great in his own costume, conceding to wear whatever Scott picked out for him. A set of red horns and a tiny red cape, and Scott had his own personal succubus.

His fridge was stocked with protein and sports drinks, and he had several boxes of meal bars in his cabinets. Their appetites would nosedive once things got underway, but maintaining energy would be crucial. He was about as prepared as any professional reproductive health expert could ever hope to be. Tomorrow, he'll go off his own hormone blockers. In two days, Ryan will start staying with him. Then, it will be a waiting game for things to get started.

Of course, being off his blockers also meant that he couldn't perform his job safely. So, he had been rushing around these past few days trying to get everything done in order for things to operate smoothly while he was on leave. All his active patients and appointments were either either rescheduled or temporarily transfered to another doctor on staff. He double checked again on the status of prescriptions. He was twice as busy as usual.

His co-workers were in good spirits about the whole thing, offering their support and congratulations. Dr. Bromsfeld even made sure to pull him aside and give him a little one-on-one firsthand advice about what to expect in the moments right up to and immediately after the mating mark itself was made. It was the same advice his father had given him, but Scott thanked him all the same.

Scott's family was almost more excited than he was. They were planning a big dinner out with some extended relatives to officially welcome Ryan in. Nevermind that there was still a small wedding being planned. Scott's mother insisted that a wedding and a mating were two different things, and both deserved to be celebrated.

His parents were also planning to go big for Christmas this year. Once he found out, Ryan had told him he was looking forward to it, since his family didn't celebrate Christmas. Scott was surprised to learn that Ryan didn't really participate in any holidays growing up.

They'd discussed it several times before, but another reason for Ryan's family not celebrating some of the more common secular holidays was because they were Muslim. Ryan was never clear on if it was because of their religious beliefs that his parents had disowned and estranged him, though it was possible he was simply too young to remember. All he knew, was his father was a devout believer, and that somehow had something to do with it. They certainly had nothing to do with him now.