"How did you know it would work, though? Or did you just do all that for the minute possibility that it could?" Ashly looks expectantly at him, but Alex still has no idea what she's talking about, having a bit of a hard time thinking clearly anyway, having her so close, every part of her touching, and touched by Ashly, sending delicious sensations through him. "Can you please elaborate?" He takes a breath to get a grip, gently and slowly running his fingers along Ashly's back, pleased to feel her skin and body and reacting to her touch as well. "You know, getting me into the heat and then taking advantage of it..." Ashly raises an eyebrow, watching him closely. A hand comes around Alex's neck, her fingers splaying over his throat. "Oh, that." Alex remembers, of course, swallowing a tiny lump down where he's intently aware of Ashly's touch. He knows he would deserve some punishment for fooling her like that. "I told you my feelings made me do some unorthodox things." He swallows h
About the Monika and Sam relationship before their breakup: Monika knows her mate is shy and reserved by nature; she knows this. Even Sam expresses his feelings in an equally quiet way, preferring to show his love through his actions and touches rather than words. He loves Monika so much and for so long that he guards his love so jealously, so closely to his heart. He has loved Monika from afar, through his loneliness and tears, and from the quietest corners of his desolated heart; so, in a sense, this love is sometimes his even more than it is Monika. Of course , he's not going to be able to just say it casually. He also doesn't know how to put it into words most of the time. No words in this world can describe the magnitude of his love, his adoration, his fondness, and his devotion to his monika. It's impossible for him to say it all, so he shows it instead. Besides, he likes taking care of Monika, making sure that Monika eats well and sleeps well, leaning against Monika, holding
The next time someone reacts so strongly to Monika'mate' is Monika's overprotective uncle. It's one of the weekends of their summer break, and Sam is staying the night. It's not the first time he's met Monika's uncle, and it's definitely not the first time he's been to Monika's house either, but it's the first time he stays over. It's actually the first time ever that they're spending the night together, and Monika's uncle just happens to be home for the weekend. He's in the USA most of the time; why would he just fly back to her home country for a weekend, unannounced? Sam thinks that it's probably purposeful, but he just greets him respectfully. Meanwhile, Monika stares at her uncle balefully before she says something to him and then tugs Sam up to her room. Monika Uncle is not ice cold with Sam anymore, but he's not exactly warm and friendly either. Sam is the boy who dares to steal his precious Monika heart, and he's pretty sure he'll get castrated if he breaks Monika's heart.
Eventually, Monika falls back onto the bed, pulling Sam down with her because she has her arms looped around Sam's neck. Her hair fans prettily around her face, and Sam leans down to kiss the corner of her lips. "Your brother is home today, you know?" Monika reminds him; her voice is barely above a whisper. The words are spoken like a secret into the small space between their lips: "And your wall is really thin." "Monika," Sam snorts fondly, "you are very mean." Monika giggles again. She pulls Sam down and gives her another long, hard kiss. "You're the one who went and got excited all by yourself." "Your enthusiasm says otherwise." "You were the one who attacked me first." "You were the one who suggested it." Monika is silent for a while, a sign that she has nothing witty to refute, so she just sighs, "You're lucky. I like you so much." He really is. Sam bites his lips and collapses onto Monika's chest, nosing along the column of Monika's neck. One of Monika's arms moves down
[PHYSICAL TOUCHES] For all her bold declarations in public, her private affection, and her over-the-top gifts, Monika is quite reserved around other people when it comes to physical intimacy. She's not physically intimate with Sam when people are around, but that isn't to say she's not physically affectionate. She is; she's just subtle about it. She sneaks in a kiss when they turn down a corner, holds Sam's hand as she tugs Sam everywhere she wants to go, and hugs Sam when she pleases. But Monika doesn't cling to him in public; she doesn't do PDA; she's her own person, and she likes her space. Sam understands that. When they're in public, she sits next to Sam , but only close enough for their elbows to touch and their knees to knock against one another. Sometimes she sits in front of Sam. They share food or play footsie under the table, but they don't always hold hands on top. Usually, when they sit across from each other in the library, Monika likes to reach over and write somethin
[ACT OF SERVICE] The knowledge of Sam leaving for the States has always been a touchy subject between them. Monika accepts it, but she's not happy about it. Sam isn't happy about it either, but it's his dream; he wants to earn money from him and Monika. Even Monika will get millions from her uncle, but Sam wants to give Monika a better future. He loves them both. His dream and his mate He can't choose. Thankfully, Monika understands that just because he's leaving for a few years doesn't mean he loves Monika any less. It's just that the thought of a long-distance relationship is difficult. For him, who has loved Monika so much and for so long that it's practically who he is at this point, Monika isn't just a part of his life; she's the center of the Sam universe, the arrow that points north, and the sail that will take him home. To part with him—even if it's for his brother—is unbearably painful. For Monika too, because even though she hasn't loved Sam for long, she loves him just
Sebestian and Allen greeted Alex stiffly when they got to the bar. They looked at Alex like they were just waiting for him to run off again. But Alex had gone to his apartment that afternoon and packed a bag to take to Ashly's house. They were calling it a trial run for now, but he had hope that it would become permanent as soon as Ashly was comfortable with that. He wasn't going to run. Nothing could make Alex leave his family behind again. But of course, no one is going to believe him. Well, it's not like Alex wants everyone to believe him either; for him, only two people matter: himself and his mate. But of course Alex knows how important Sebestian and Allen are to Ashly. They are like family to her; they are with her in her most critical time. When she delivers their baby, she cries alone. Sebestian and Allen have her back, so they deserve an answer from Alex. Alex was on his way back to their table with some drinks when he heard Sebestian say, "Now you're saying you don't want
“Maybe we all could have done better for her, but hey, it's ok.” Allen said it softly and wryly. She was quiet for a moment. Eventually, she murmured, “A couple months after your brother called and talked, God know what shit, there were disputes among the shareholders of his company. None of them thought Ashly was fit to inherit because they’re a bunch of bigoted assholes, and the fact that she’s a single parent was just one more reason for them to disapprove of her. And of course, her being an Omega is a big reason. In order to help her late father's company, she threw herself into her work. She stopped mentioning you. We thought she was over you until you showed up again three months ago. Me and Sebestian know what happened between you guys three months ago, but of course we know we can't control Ashly because she is an adult and mature person.” Alex scrubbed his face with both hands. They came away wet, so he wiped them on his jacket. “Maybe that would have been better,” he said.
One look at you, and my whole life falls into line. "The moment I saw you, everything kind of fell into place. I knew there was something about you that made my heart stop a bit every time I was around you. And as you said, you feel like you can't breathe around them." I prayed for you before I called you mine. "Growing up with my dad, I always thought there was something wrong with me being an omega. I didn't understand what I was feeling. Then I met you, and everything finally made sense." I can't believe it's true sometimes. "After the moment I first kissed you, I knew that I didn't care what anyone thought about me. I went through so many years of hiding who I was, and with you, I was finally about to put the past behind me." I can't believe it's true. "I cannot believe I am marrying the man I love right here and right now. I just want you to know that I will always be there for you, no matter what comes our way." I get to love you; it's the best thing that I'll ever do. A
Sam cries with her, quieter, needing to spend comfort more than to receive it, his chest leaden with soreness, and he is constricted, but surprised, to find the beast slithered back to where it came from, letting him breathe a little easier. Monika has been quiet for a few minutes, but Sam just strokes her hair and back, giving her space. "Did you draw them because you couldn't talk to anyone?" Sam feels a surge of cold rippling down his spine, even though it's almost too warm inside, with the sun streaming in through the windows. "Yes. I'm bad at writing and talking about how I feel, so I draw." He inhales Monika again, taking comfort and strength, reminding himself that he has no reason to keep hurting in silence. "You're not bad at it. When you do, you're not. You just have to do it more." Monika moves back, forcing Sam to open his arms, his head moving up, following Monika standing. She offers a hand to Sam. "It's uncomfortable here; let's get into bed." Sam smiles softly,
When Sam moved in, he stored a few things in the barely furnished room next to their bedroom. Monika never figured out what to do with The black box caught her eye that day, but Sam pulled her into a hug and kissed every thought out of her. She was so happy to be living together that Monika forgot all about it. Sam is cooking, and Monika is bored—or, rather, avoiding reading another bland work report—so she showers, puts on some casual clothes, earrings, the new necklace she got from Sam, and a couple of her favorite rings, and wanders a bit back and forth. As she passes the room, she suddenly halts, looking at the door. She's clueless as to why the box resurfaces in her memory, and she could just ask Sam about it, but what kinds of secrets could he have in there he wouldn't want Monika to see? Monika scoffs at himself, opens the door, and finds the box gone from where it was on the shelf. Odd. She looks around the room, but she can't find it—the only thing that hasn't been there
"I do. I miss you, baby. So much. So fucking much. So damn much." Monika chuckled as she relaxed against the embrace. He knew it was too early, and he promised to take things slow, but he couldn't help himself when Monika was the one who initiated the move. He slowly snaked his arms around her waist and snuggled his head around Monika's neck. He felt her sobbing lightly, and he let her be. He himself wanted to cry over what's happening right now. He was waiting for months—years even—to touch Monika again, to see her, to hug her, and now that it's finally happening, it's too much for his vulnerable heart. "I love you, Monika." Silence. "And it's not the platonic kind of love. I love you more than that." "No shit, Sherlock," Monika muttered, and Sam laughed so loudly at the latter's reaction. "What? You really believe I'll pretend to be in a relationship to prevent my manager from interfering with my partner or my career? I did that because I wanted to be with you," Sam shoved playf
Flashback:- "Happy birthday, baby!" They were in the Monika room. The girl was celebrating her birthday, and her uncle arranged a special birthday party so she could spend the day with her friends. It might be Monika's big day, and she should be spending it with her family, but she doesn't mind having birthday friends too; she loves her family so much, and she knows that without them, she wouldn't be where she is right now. Sam was also there to celebrate with her. He was supposed to be a special surprise for her, yet Sam, thanks to his loud, unstoppable mouth, accidentally slipped this information when he was talking to Monika, so instead, he'll be a surprise guest to her uncle, who is already waiting outside. "You can't see the bride before the wedding, Sam!" The birthday girl gasped playfully. Sam was wearing a black and white button-down shirt and some fitted jeans, while Monika was wearing an all-white dress—the perfect outfit for a wedding ceremony. "If you and I are married,
The junior staff's little stunt caught Monika's attention the most, and she tilted her head to see Sam just sitting there, his face contorted and, most of all, confused. She stared at him too, and just like everyone else, she was waiting for his next move. Sam knew he couldn't escape this situation, so he took a deep breath before putting down his cup of cold soda. He stood up and nervously pulled on his clothes before walking towards the crowd where his friends were. His friends parted and cleared the path for him, and without them on the way, he could now perfectly see the face of the woman who had been taunting his daydreams and was visiting his mind once in a while. Once he was a few feet away from the woman, he shifted his eyes to his friends. He was afraid to meet the pair of black eyes that were already looking at him, but he needed to. "Hi," Sam croaked, his voice a little bit pitchy and high. He cleared his throat before trying again. "Hi," he said once more. "Hello, Sam," M
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you!" Ashly was holding a large cake in her hands and walked through the door as Adom's friends sang him his birthday song with Alex and their friends, including Allen and Sebestian. They were going to surprise Ashly and Alex. Today Ashly and Alex are waiting for many things, and they just pray to God that everything will be fine after today. Everyone will be happy and move on from pain. It was Adom's official seventh birthday, and Alex and Ashly held an exclusive house party for their adorable son. "Happy birthday, my adorable panda!" Ashly grinned widely at the celebrant. "Make a wish already and blow out your candle. This cake is really so heavy for me to carry." Adom laughed adoringly at his mom, nodded, and closed his eyes. Everybody was silent as Adom made his wish, and everybody cheered when he blew out the candle. Both Alex and Ashly pressed a soft kiss on their son's cheeks
She always feels it in her stomach. hollowing anguish, coiling around her guts, taking up every space, rough and sore. It’s shock at first, smothering all other emotions. Shock is followed by betrayal, anger, and cold-hearted resolve. Tears keep falling and falling, wetting her hands, clothes, her phone, and their smiling faces. Then she thinks it’s clear enough. He has a new love and a new life, and isn’t it better and easier if he doesn’t have to explain anything to her? The photos disappear in the bin, and she’ll pretend it was never hers to wear. He doesn’t want to hear it anyway. Not a word, not a single one, not from her mouth, not in her voice, not while seeing her face. Never again. Monika understands everything now. It all makes sense. She can get over it; she will; she’s done it before. She can’t get over it. She takes out the pictures from the bin before anyone can get rid of them, and she keeps them in a box even when she moves. She drinks too much to drown out the
Everything is going well in Ashly and Alex's lives. They fell into something of a rhythm, going to work together during the week, coming home and having dinner with Adom, and putting him to bed. On the weekends, they had family time and took Adom to the park, the aquarium, or just to the grocery store with them. It had been so easy to insert himself into their lives. Alex was almost afraid that he was dreaming, and when he woke up, he’d be on the other side of the world again. But every time he woke up now, Ashly was beside him in bed, usually curled up in Alex's arms and drooling against his chest. It's really felt so good. It was a fantastic way to wake up. The company merger was nearly finished, as Alex and Ashly planned. Alex had tentative plans to step down as CEO if he could convince Ashly to take him on as a personal assistant. So far, Ashly thought the idea was ridiculous, but Alex was fairly confident he could talk her around. And he really wants to be around his mate all