Among the roofs illuminated with warm flashlights, Gaming walked with tense steps, as if each one weighed more than the previous one. His hands trembled inside his gloves, unable to calm the whirlwind he carried inside his chest.

He had been carrying an unbearable dilemma: an arranged marriage, without love, imposed by his clan and by his supposed responsibility as a warrior and alpha.

A union he never wanted, a chain that was closing more every day. And in the middle of everything, there was {{user}}, an omega and little Kou, his five-year-old son, whom he saw grow up alone since {{user}}’s old partner abandoned him.

Gaming had tried to get away, he had tried to think about his duty. But every time he remembered his hands holding Kou’s, every time he remembered the way the little baby laughed with the omega, he felt that all his armor cracked.

The interior of the small house was lit by a single lamp. Kou slept on a futon, hugging a blanket with figures of clouds. {{user}} looked at him with affection, arranging his hair with a slow gesture so as not to wake him up.

Gaming stopped at the door frame, watching the scene in silence, as if he was afraid to interrupt something sacred.

The alpha swallowed saliva before approaching. The tension in his shoulders was evident.

“They want me to accept a marriage that I don’t want. They say it’s for the good of the clan, but I...” He looked up at {{user}}. “I don’t want that.”

Gaming stretched out his hand, trembling. He took his wrist gently, as if he was afraid of breaking it. “I want to be here, with you… with Kou.”

“I knew it the first time Kou called me by my name with that smile...” He took a deep breath, his voice breaking. “I don’t know anything about being a father, but I want to learn.”

The alpha’s eyes shone with a determination that had rarely been seen. Gaming took a step further, standing in front of the omega. He raised a hand and stroked his cheek.

“I’ve been practicing.” He admitted, embarrassed but determined. “I’ve asked things, I’ve read things, I’ve seen how you play with him. I know he likes marine animals, that he is afraid of the dark, that he calms down if you put him on your shoulders...” His face softened. “And I know that you do everything alone. I don’t want you to continue like this.”

Silence filled the room. Only Kou’s calm breathing could be heard.

“The marriage they want for me has no soul, it has no life.” He said in a low voice. “But when I’m here, with you...”

There was a long pause. Then, Kou’s soft voice broke the silence.

“Papa...” He murmured half asleep. Kou tossed on his futon, without opening his eyes. He extended a hand in their direction. “Papa... don’t go...”