32 What is Normal? What is a Family?

Aosh manages to drag Tiza halfway through the backyard before he slows down to a stop and at that point, Tiza gently twists his wrist from the other's grasp. The sun is about to set its final rays casting a glow in the backyard. If it was beautiful before it was immaculate now as golden beams highlighted the flora surrounding them.

"I'm sorry about my parents, they can be…"

A lot. His parents could be a lot. His Pops was loud and obnoxious, his Dad was clingy and worried way more than necessary. He thought that maybe if he didn't introduce Tiza by name he could dodge the inevitable parental bullet that was his fathers. But as usual, he dug his own grave with that one. He could've just told Tiza that he shouldn't come but he was still trying to squeeze in as much time with the Omega as possible. And it was sweet that the man offered to come. Aosh found it really hard to tell Tiza no anyway.

In the end, was it worth the embarrassment caused by his parents? Well...it's not like it hasn't happened before.

"They're different...but they're nice. You don't have anything to apologize about. I don't know what I was expecting but they are a lot like you."

"I guess they're a little different, maybe it's because they're fated, mates. In my opinion, my family is about as normal as they come."

"Maybe I just don't know what normal is anymore," Tiza mutters.

They continued walking, Tiza following Aosh until they are inside the gazebo where Aosh takes a seat.

"What do you mean?"

Tiza is looking down at him, his person backlit by the setting sun. He is worrying his bottom lip like he's deciding if he wants to say something. In the next moment, the Omega is sitting next to him.

"Aosh...I..you're family is nice. They love you, it's so clear to see. Somewhere I know that that's normal, but seeing it in person...I don't know it's weird. I've never had this," he gestures around them and towards the house, "...it's not normal to me."

Aosh's eyebrows knit together.

"What's normal to you?"

Emerald eyes gaze out of the entrance of the gazebo, into the ripples of the pond. He contemplates how much he should say and if he should say anything at all. He'd been an open ear for Aosh, he even came here to be emotional support for the man, the Alpha could be the same for him, right? Tiza wanted him to do the same for him...right?

"Not family dinners. Not digging in the dirt planting flowers without a care in the world. Not birthday parties. Not two loving parents."

Hell not even one loving parent, she was ripped away from him too early in life. If he thought about it too much Tiza's calculated facade of 'normalcy' would crumble, he just knows it. He's spent too long trying to get over his past, trying to shove his demons further and further into his closet until they were locked behind miles of mental padlocks. He thought he had a normal-ish life until he saw what Aosh had.

Was he jealous? They were fated mates and while Aosh was halfway across the world having a pleasant childhood, Tiza was living in what he assumed was normal because he didn't know any better. Because he didn't know anything other than that. Tiza didn't want what Aosh had, he just wanted life to be fair, just one time.

When Aosh saw that Tiza wasn't going to elaborate he didn't push him. The Alpha was beyond curious about the others' life up until they met, but it wasn't his place to pry. He hoped in time that the other would feel like he could talk about it. Aosh was happy to see that Tiza wanted to confide in him now, it was a small sign of trust.

"I feel like I understand you a little better after meeting them. They raised you well, you're very different from other Alphas I've met. You...you are the only Alpha I haven't hated."

"Can I ask you why you don't like Alphas? If you're comfortable with telling me."

Tiza's fingers fidgeted in his lap while he spoke.

"Alphas don't respect us. They want to use us or keep us as prizes. It's not as bad here, the laws are a little better, but when I was growing up…" Tiza lets out a shaky sigh and looks up at the ceiling of the gazebo, "... let's just say every encounter I've had with an Alpha has been an unsavory one. So I built up this prejudice in my head. I convinced myself that all Alphas were that way. That they all wanted the same thing. Until I met you."

'You're so kind and genuine. You refuse to fit in the mold society tries to push you in, like the one I feel trapped in. You're a self-sacrificing ray of sunshine that blinds me every time I look at you. You never ask me for anything. I feel stupid looking back at how I thought about you when we first met. You never cease to surprise me.'

Those were the words he could never say out loud. But he thought about them often enough. Aosh was too good to be true. Tiza almost had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. The fact that an Alpha like Aosh existed and the fact that he'd be able to meet him in his life, it was a blessing in disguise. Was it cheesy to say it was just what he needed?

"I should be thanking you. A lot of the things I had problems with became easier to deal with since I met you. Despite how I acted around you at the start I'm actually...really glad that we're...friends." Tiza mumbled the last word.

The Omega finds it in him to peel his eyes off the wooden boards above him to look the Alpha in the eye. A golden glow accentuates the natural shine of Aosh's raven locks and the honey pigment of his skin. Those usually dark eyes seem to sparkle in the light and Aosh is looking at him like he just told him where buried treasure was hidden.

"W-What! You got nothing to sa-say?!" Tiza's face feels hot under that intense stare.

"Ah! Sorry! Um...If it means anything, I'm sorry that you didn't get to have any of those normal things with your family. I probably take my parents for granted, so don't hear me and think that I'm not grateful to them. My Pop's always drilled into me to treat everyone the same, no matter their sex or their sub-gender. And it wasn't something I was forced to do, but it made sense for me to do so. It never mattered to me what a person was when I was growing up, all that mattered was the fruits of their behavior. I thought of you the same way."

Aosh takes a deep breath and runs his hands over his face before he continues.

"I feel like a fool now. My entire life I had this grand plan for us. I never cared about who or what you were, all I wanted was to be with you. I don't think it ever crossed my mind that you wouldn't feel the same way. It feels like I was playing house all my childhood while you were having struggles that I don't even know about. When you rejected me, I was devastated. I was confused. It was self-centered of me to think that way and not consider that you had a reason to turn me down, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apolo-"

"No, I do. Not just for my actions but for all the other Alpha's that hurt you before me. Let me make a promise to you. I promise that no other person let alone an Alpha will make you feel that way again. Whether you're my fated mate or not, you're someone I care about and I'm not going to let someone I care about be treated that way."

Aosh shifted closer and placed a hand on Tiza's folded ones in his lap.

"Family dinners, making a garden, birthday parties...If you want that too I'll give it to you. It won't make up for anything I know but...just because you didn't have a normal family doesn't mean you didn't deserve one. If it makes you happy we can do all those things and anything else you want."

A hard thumping rang in Tiza's ears and it took him a minute to realize his heart was racing. Through their joined hands the Omega could feel the other's heartbeat as steady as the tide.

Like Aosh was so sure of himself. Like he was so sure of what he wanted to give Tiza.

Tiza didn't even feel his body flinching when Aosh touched him, too enraptured by his words to even think about it. It feels like a flood of words is swirling around in his brain. There was so much to what Aosh just said. Why was he like this? Why was Aosh so good to him? Tiza wanted to ask him but all that came out was:

"Thank you."