Strawberry Coffee - Chapter Two
CW: Abusive behaviors mentioned, character death mentioned, mildly suggestive content (mains scenting in the presence of each other)
"Because I'm an omega..."
"It doesn't make a difference to me, as long as you feel comfortable around me, that's all that matters." Ray could hear the sincerity in Sand's voice, he knew this stranger wouldn't hurt him, he wasn't sure how he knew, but he did. "I'm Sand, by the way, if I'm going to be your knight in shining armor you should at least know my name." Ray's heart skipped a beat, he couldn't deny that Sand was incredibly hot, and when he smiled... it awoke something inside Ray that he hadn't felt before.
"Ray, and if I didn't already say this, I appreciate you being my savior." This time, it was Sand's heart that had skipped a beat. Ray's voice was so soft and gentle, that it sent tingles down Sand's spine in the best way possible. He already knew that Ray was about to become a problem that Sand would be running headfirst into given the chance. "Okay, let's go find my bandmates. One of them is bound to be sober enough to take us to my place." he sensed the hesitation from Ray.
"I know the club owners, it'll be okay. I promise." Ray nodded and allowed Sand to take hold of his hand and lead them out into the crowded club and over to the bar. "P'New, I need help." Sand yelled over the music and a particularly loud group of college guys who were howling like stray dogs behind him. "Sand baby, what are you doing here still?! You should have left hours ago and... who is this little one?" Ray hid behind Sand's shoulder, he didn't like being perceived by others.
"That's what I need help with, Ray got stuck in the bathroom and can't just leave by himself. Do you know where my bandmates are? We need someone to take us home." New stood on her tiptoes and scanned the club, "Tul looks like he's walking over here with Boss. Sit down and blend in, I don't know who is here tonight but let's not find out the hard way huh?" Sand and Ray each took up a stool as they waited for Tul and Boss to make their way through the crowd.
"Oh good! Sand, you're still here! Listen, I heard a few patrons mentioning that the cops set up a checkpoint on the road to your apartment. They're stopping everyone to look for minors out after curfew, we gotta get you out of here... who is this?" Boss asked, he was speaking a mile a minute the moment he got to the two. Tul came up behind him looking much more sober than he had an hour ago. "This is Ray and the reason we need help." Tul shook his head, his junior suddenly looking much younger than usual.
"Another minor?! Jesus... okay, we need to figure out how to get you two home and past that checkpoint." Sand looked between Boss and Tul, his eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. "I can take them. I'll take the van, use the tarp to cover the drum kit and have them hidden underneath. As long as they don't check the van, we'll be okay." Tul pat his pockets looking for his keys, "Are you even sober enough to drive? They can arrest you for that and then we'll really be screwed."
"Sand's right, it won't matter if the cops check the van or not. If you're arrested, they'll be stranded in the van for at least 12 hours." New states as she looks between Boss and Tul. "I'm fine. The last drink I had was two hours ago, the checkpoint will slow the traffic down a bit so it won't be hard to drive like normal. We don't really have another choice here." Sand nods in agreement. As long as Tul can keep up an act, they would be okay.
"Okay, Sand you climb in first. Ray is smaller so he'll have to just fit himself in whatever space is left." Tul directs the two ten minutes later. Tul had driven the van up to the loading dock of the club and ushered them out under the guise of being roadies, it was easier than walking them to the van in the parking lot and it avoided any hidden cops that could be lurking about. Sand climbed into the back of the van and sat cross-legged right up against the kick drum. There really wasn't much space left so when Ray climbed in after him, he had no choice but to sit on his lap.
"Now stay quiet and don't move, duck your heads a little so the tarp lays properly. Okay, this just might work after all." Tul states as he closes up the van and climbs into the front seat. The ride was anything but smooth, Sand had wrapped his arms around Ray's waist to hold him as close to his chest as possible, their heads tucked into each other's necks. "I'm not holding you too tightly right?" Sand whispers trying to adjust his grip on Ray's hips to not hurt him.
"You're fine, sorry if I'm killing your legs." Sand smirks slightly. Despite being in a pretty serious situation, he couldn't deny that holding Ray like this was actually kind of nice. Sand was about to respond when the Van rolled to a complete stop; they weren't anywhere near Sand's apartment yet which meant they were at the checkpoint. Sand pulled Ray closer to him and tried to steady his breathing so it wouldn't be heard if the cops decided to check the back.
Ray could feel how fast and hard Sand's heart was beating and wondered if the older could feel the same from him. "Good evening officer, I'm heading home from a gig. Yes, that's right. Just about 10 minutes down the 505. Yes sir." Tul's voice carried through the van, they couldn't hear what the officer was asking him. "Yeah, it's a drum kit! Kind of expensive you know, I use the tarp to protect it from dust. Would you like to see it?" Ray's eyes widened in fear.
"Thank you, sir, you have a nice night as well. Stay safe out here." Sand nearly sighed in relief but counted to thirty before he actually allowed himself the pleasure of it. "That was close..." he whispered to Ray, his voice ghosting over his pale skin and causing him to shiver slightly. "That was terrifying," Ray whispers back, his lips lightly pressed against Sand's neck. The feeling of the younger being so close made that familiar warmth activate from inside once more.
Now that they were out of imminent danger, Sand noticed just how dangerous this situation could be; for one, he was an unbound alpha in the middle of his heat holding an unbound omega on his lap who smelled intoxicating in the best way possible. Ray smelled sweet like strawberries, there was a hint of cigarette smoke that Sand assumed was from the club; the longer he focused on the younger's scent, the more he wanted to rub his nose into his scent gland.
"I would have protected you." Sand finally states once his senses came back to him. Ray shifted his weight slightly, he knew Sand could smell him and he knew it affected him. It was his job as an omega to sense when a nearby alpha was in need but to his surprise, Sand didn't try anything. He just held him close and rubbed circles on his back comfortingly while they waited for the van to stop again at Sand's apartment.
It wasn't long before the van stopped once more and Tul knocked thrice on the door to the van to indicate they were safe, "How did you two hold up back here? Everything okay?" he asked. Sand held Ray's hand as he lifted himself up and carefully climbed out of the van backward, "We're okay. A little shaken up thanks to you telling the cop they could sneak a peak at the drums but overall we'll be okay now." It took Sand a minute to get the feeling back into his legs before he could stand again.
"Thank you for helping us, I was really scared that I was going to get caught." Ray bowed politely. Tul helped Sand out of the van before shutting the doors and taking a quick look at their surroundings just to be safe. "Don't mention it. Just be careful as you head up okay? You never know if someone is lurking around waiting to report minors to the cops." Sand nods and then takes Ray's hand in his and leads him towards the apartment building.
"I hope he knows what he's doing..."
Sand hastily unlocked the door to his apartment and took a sigh of relief upon closing the door behind them, "Safe and sound at last" Ray too sighed in relief as he removed his shoes, Sand holding his arm to help him balance as he called out to his roommate. "Nick?! You home!?" The sound of bare feet on the hardwood floor echoes out and the scent of oranges wafts through the air, "Well hello, is this the cutie you texted me about? Damn, I wish I was an alpha now..."
Sand punches Nick on the shoulder and places himself in between him and Ray protectively, "Nick, this is Ray. Ray, this is my whore of a roommate Nick." Nick almost looked offended at the comment but then held his hand out to Ray, "That's king whore thank you very much and in case dick head didn't mention it yet, I'm an omega too." Ray took his hand and shook it firmly but looked slightly confused. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you two... like"
"He has no interest in me, I have no interest in him. It's simple. My scent is a turn-off for him, he hates the scent of oranges. I guess that makes it easy for him to refuse my advances." Nick answers confidently. Sand rolled his eyes but seeing Ray be more at ease made him happy; he didn't blame the younger though, their dynamic was weird for sure. What alpha was able to live with an omega that wasn't bonded to him?
"Oh, sorry. I wasn't trying to pry I just never heard of an alpha living with an omega without being bonded to each other. It's actually kind of cool." Sand smiles at Ray's response and leads him over to the couch, taking a seat next to him as Nick sits across from them. "So, are you going to sleep in Sand's room or... ?" Nick asks, Ray just looks at Sand with his big boba eyes, causing his heart to start racing again.
"He can sleep where he's most comfortable. I can sleep out here on the couch if that helps." Ray grips onto Sand's arm at the thought of him leaving him alone, "No! I'll uh... we can sleep in the same room together. I trust you." Nick smirks, "Well sounds like you have everything figured out. Should I... sleep at Boston's or..." Sand didn't answer right away, he was distracted by how cute Ray looked but quickly realized what he was hinting at.
"No, it's okay. We're just going to go to sleep." Ray nods in agreement and stands with Sand and follows him as they head towards his room. "See you tomorrow then" Nick calls out flirtatiously. Sand shakes his head, he knows what Nick is hoping will happen but he's determined to make Ray feel as comfortable as he possibly can. "I'm sorry about him, he's a special case." Sand states as he opens the door to his bedroom and gently pushes Ray inside.
"It's fine, he seems like a great friend." Sand shrugs and then sits down on his bed, patting the mattress next to him for Ray to join him. "He is, he helps me a lot. Not just with rent but with life in general. He helps manage my work schedule, my clients, and my classes. He's essentially my assistant." Ray nods along, "I know he said he doesn't help you in that way but... does he?" Sand laughs, "No, I mean he offers but I can't allow it. I uh... have a fear of accidentally bonding someone to me for life against their will."
"Have you experienced that first hand? How did that fear come about?" Sand sighs as he thinks, should he tell Ray his whole life story or should he simplify it? Does it matter? What is he expecting to gain from this situation anyway? "My mother was bonded to my father by force." he begins. "They had a one-night stand and he mated her without knowing. They were too young to understand their warning signs so she became pregnant. At first, she just wanted to have me in secret and live her life as a lone omega but he found out about the pregnancy and forced her to bond to him."
Ray clung to every word that came out of Sand's mouth, he wanted to know everything about him and maybe tell him his own life story too. "She hated him, he was abusive. He would hit her if she did something he didn't like. He was constantly cheating on her and never truly cared about me during the growth process." Ray instinctively reached for the older's hand, lacing their fingers together and leaning his head on his shoulder.
"Before giving birth to me, she stabbed him in the chest and fled here to hide behind a disguise until he forgot about us. He's never tried to find us but my mother will always be bound to him whether they like it or not. She'll never be able to truly be happy with someone she loves." Sand's voice cracks with the last sentence. He's always been very close to his mother and always wanted to see her happy and in love with someone but knew it would never happen.
"I feel for her, I understand what it's like to be in an abusive household." Sand looks down at the younger with wide eyes. "You do? Is that why..." Ray nods. His demeanor changes, he almost looks like a lost child before he explains. "My father is not a kind man. He wants everything to be perfect so that our family name remains pure." Sand wraps his arm around Ray's shoulder, pulling him closer, and comforting him.
"He didn't want a son. In his plans for his life, he had a daughter. A princess that he could parade around and use to gain intel on his clients and his competitors, someone that he could easily manipulate for his own gain. He blamed my mother for birthing a son as if it were a choice." Ray's voice cracks slightly as he tries to hold back his tears. "He refused to acknowledge me as his son. He refused to name me as his heir and he told the rest of the family that I was a bastard, birthed from a maid."
Sand heard the hurt and the anger laced in Ray's voice, he felt himself growing increasingly angrier as well. "Growing up was horrible, I couldn't fuck up even in the slightest or he would beat me. If I got a 99 on a test instead of a 100, he would throw me into the wall. If I broke curfew, he would slap me across the face. No matter what I did, whether it was right or wrong, he just ignored my existence or beat me." Sand balled his fists, he wanted to meet this guy and punch him in the face.
Ray was still a stranger to him and yet Sand wanted to see his father dead. "My mother tried to stop him several times but he would just beat her instead. I was too young to help her at the time so all I could do was cry and scream at him to stop. I told myself that when I got older, I would find a way to protect her from him but it's too late for that." tears slowly flowed from Ray's eyes at the memories he tried so hard to forget.
"She drank herself to death; at least that's what I was told when the maid came home from the hospital. My father didn't even bat an eye over the news of her passing, instead of comforting me or grieving her death, he just shoved me into my bedroom and went off to his flight out of the country. He disowned me before he got back and told me that I would be allowed to live under his roof until the day I'm bonded and then he wants nothing to do with me."
Sand found himself crying for the younger, he had always thought his life was horrible but hearing Ray's story made him thankful for the life that he had. "I've been trying to find someone to bond me to them since I was 13 years old and to be quite honest I had started giving up and thinking about joining my mother instead." Sand's heart dropped to his stomach. Even with his shitty life, he never once thought about taking his own life. He couldn't even imagine thinking that way.
Suddenly the thought of Ray no longer being alive hurt, Sand pulled the younger into his lap and hugged him tightly. Ray was surprised to see that Sand was softly sobbing into his neck as he held him, they hadn't known each other for longer than four hours and yet it was as though they had known each other for years and were just finally coming to terms with their hardships together. "How can I help you?" Sand asks softly.
"Help me?" Sand looks up into Ray's eyes, the raw emotion behind them screams something that Ray hadn't ever seen before. "I know we just met but I want to help you, I want to save you from that horrible place." Ray didn't understand. Sand wanted to save him though they just met, but why? "I know it doesn't make sense but, I can't imagine someone as kind as you just disappearing from this world due to some dick head that never deserved you."
Ray's heart rate increases, his scent releasing into the air and swirling around them like freshly fallen snow. The scent of freshly brewed coffee suddenly hit the air around them and it took Ray a moment to realize that Sand was releasing his own scent as well. "Are you saying that you'll bond me to you?" Ray asks cautiously. His heart drops when he sees Sand shake his head, "I would never bond someone to me who didn't want to be and I know you're desperate to leave that place but I refuse to bond you to me if there's a chance that your true mate is out there."
Ray understood Sand wanted to help without overstepping and he would be okay with that, at least for now. He didn't want to admit this out loud but Ray was convinced that he was in love at first sight with Sand and he now knew that it would take a lot of convincing on his part before Sand would even consider bonding him. "As long as I can be with you and out of that house, I'll do anything." Sand smiles and then places a kiss on the younger's head.
Sand knew he was making a deal with the devil here; helping a desperate omega that wanted to be bonded to anyone while he was in heat and getting desperate himself was probably the dumbest thing he could do and yet... while he wouldn't allow himself to admit this yet, Sand was already completely and irrevocably in love with Ray.
