Donovans’ was a small diner that, although screamed ‘American golden age’ from the outside, had been remodeled from the inside to give the whole restaurant a modern twist. Everything was sleek with accents of black, red, and chrome everywhere. Most of the staff were college kids so the atmosphere was lax and carefree. The fare was classic American and they claimed to have one of the best burgers in town, not that Tiza would know. He only picked this place because it was close to where he lived.

It was eleven-fifty and Tiza had just rounded the corner where Lake Street and Gatlin Avenue intersected. He walked alongside the building to get to the front entrance, only to catch a familiar smile in the window next to him.

Aosh smiled at him from where he sat at a booth, giving a small wave of his hand. Tiza really shouldn’t be surprised he was already there, it seemed like the other was a stickler for being on time. The smile wasn’t returned but he gave a curt nod of his head and made his way into the diner.

Tiza slid onto the squeaky pleather of the booth and gave the waitress his drink order when she came up right after him. She came back with water and the milkshake Aosh had ordered before Tiza arrived. Leaving them with time to look at their menus she left the two alone.

“I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

Tiza didn’t really care if he was but thought it would be courteous to say it anyway.

“Nah, just a few minutes.” Aosh grinned behind his straw, then took a sip.

“Mmn, well get whatever you want. It’s on me,” he said, flipping through the menu.

“What?”

“I’ll buy you lunch and we’ll call it even. No more buying my coffee and groceries.”

Tiza sipped his water as well, giving the other a critical eye from across the table. As much as he liked not having to pay for things, Aosh was coming dangerously close to sugar daddy territory. Tiza was not in the market for a mate, let alone a sugar daddy.

Aosh sucked at his straw thoughtfully for a moment. It wasn’t exactly even, considering how much he’d spent pursuing Tiza, but he wasn’t about to push his luck. Although he was a little putout. Did the Omega also mean he couldn’t come to the coffee shop anymore?

“Are you banning me from the coffee shop? That’s a little much don’t you think?” he joked. Tiza huffed out a dry laugh.

“I’m not going to tell you where you can or can’t go, I’m not your parents. Just stop buying me shit.”

The waitress came up again ready to take their orders.

“What can I get for you, hun?” she asked, laying a manicured hand on Aosh’s shoulder. Aosh slowly shrugged off the hand while he turned the menu’s page, and then looked at her with a smile.

“Can I get the double cheeseburger, no tomato, and extra crispy fries.”

“Sure, sure no problem,” her gaze became less soft turning to the Omega, “And you?”

Tiza tried not to glare at her, he really did, he’s not sure it came across that way though.

“I’ll just have a B.L.T, no mayonnaise, on whole wheat.”

“Ok boys, it’ll be out in a few.” She said tapping her pen on her notepad and turning on her heels headed towards the kitchen.

There was an awkward silence between the two, neither man knowing where to continue the conversation they had before.

Tiza stirred the ice in his glass around with the straw.

“So did you find a new gym, or are you just not going anymore because of me?” He said bluntly.

“No, uh, I just needed a break from weight lifting for a bit. I’ve been running, trying to build up strength in my legs.” Aosh scratches his head, avoiding eye contact from the other who was currently eyeing him.

“Mmn. So I assume whenever you decide to come back you’re going to take your ballet exam?”

Aosh was surprised. Tiza was willing to teach him again?

He grinned, “You think I can still do it? I have been out of practice for about a month. When you brought it up I think all my joints started hurting.”

“Do you know who taught you? Don’t insult my teaching skills so easily, if you fail it’s because you’re built like a tank.” Tiza huffed.

“Sorry, sorry. Just let me know when I can bother you to take it.”

The waitress arrived with their orders, setting them down in front of the men.

“Let me know if I can get you anything else, ok?” She bats her long eyelashes at Aosh, but the only one to notice is the Omega sitting across from him. Aosh digs into his food not giving her second notice.

Tiza scrutinizes his food and notices she got his order wrong.

Grabbing the wrapped set of utensils next to him he arduously scrapes away at the offensive condiment that was left on by ‘accident’.

“So, I have some questions.” He wipes the knife on the side of the plate and sets it aside.

“You said you wanted to continue our ‘game’ right? I’m all ears.”

Aosh forcefully pushed down how excited he was that Tiza was interested in knowing more about him, little did he know he hasn’t stopped smiling since he laid eyes on the Omega from the other side of the window.

“How long have you lived here?”

“Most of my life, I grew up in the suburbs.”

Tiza took a bite out of his sandwich.

“Mmn. Any siblings?”

“Only child.”

“Are you in school?”

“Yea I go to the college not too far from here like everyone else in this town. Thinking about changing my major to agricultural science and my minor to landscape architecture though, my parents need help with the family business.” the Alpha says between bites.

“Family business?”

“My family owns the largest landscaping business in the area. My Pops took over when my grandmother died years ago.”

It made sense, Tiza thought. Aosh worked at a farmers market and was getting a degree in agriculture in hopes to help his family business. It was far from what Tiza expected going off how the other looked. First impressions were everything as they say, and Tiza’s first impression of Aosh was: Alpha thug who probably has a total of three brain cells. It sounded like he had his shit together though, unlike Tiza.

“I’m sorry.” He said, taking another bite.

“It’s ok.”

  Aosh picks up his milkshake and takes another drink and Tiza catches a glimpse of his name etched on his forearm. The food in his mouth turns sour, and he swallows it before he has the chance to spit it back up on the plate. Suddenly he’s not hungry anymore, the rest of his sandwich looks unappetizing and wrong.

Taking a big swig of water, Tiza wondered why being in such close proximity to Aosh the last couple months hadn’t revealed that mate mark sooner; and why he was having such a violent reaction every time he saw it. Well, he knew why, he just didn’t know why he was so weak and couldn’t get a grip on these emotions. He felt like his body was betraying him.

“Did you hear me?”

“Huh?” Tiza hadn’t realized the Alpha was talking.

“I said do you have any plans to go to school or are you going to keep teaching ballet long term?”

Aosh had long finished his burger and picked at the scraps left on his plate. Looking at him, Tiza’s eyes were drawn to that forearm like a magnet. Even if he couldn’t see it anymore he knew it was there.

“I..uh. I don’t have the money to go to school right now.”

  He forced his eyes to look someplace else, anyplace else lest he throws up all over the table. His eyes landed on that flirt of a waitress approaching their booth once more.

“Here’s the check,” she hands the check to Aosh, “Is there anything else you need from me?”

“Yea, can we get him a to-go bo-“

“I’m fine,” Tiza grumbled out and snatched the check from the Alpha’s hand.

He only grew more annoyed when he looked at the check. If he didn’t have to take this stupid piece of paper up to the front to pay Tiza would’ve thrown it in the trash, that bitch had her phone number written on here!

Getting up, Tiza went to the front to pay. Seeing him get up in a huff Aosh promptly ignored the waitress and followed. The Omega looked angry and Aosh tentatively asked if he was alright.

Walking out of the diner Tiza chucked that piece of paper into the nearest trash can.

“I’m fine.”

He still couldn’t look at the Alpha, but his stomach ache was starting to subside. Tiza turned to walk down the street towards his place and gave a short goodbye. Aosh followed him down the street until he whirled around to ask him why he was following him.

“I, uh, can I walk you home? I mean it’s on the way to my place, right?”

Tiza relented and let the other accompany him home, both silent on the way there.

Aosh didn’t know why Tiza had gotten so angry and Tiza was too busy trying to compose himself to make idle conversation. Coming to a block before Tiza’s street, the Omega came to a stop and looked back at the other following him.

He looked into Aosh’s dark eyes, trying not to let his own drift back down to the source of his discomfort.

“We’ll part ways here.” Tiza didn’t want to chance being seen with Aosh by his brother.

“Ok, um, thanks for lunch it was nice. We should do it again sometime.” Aosh was probably pushing his luck with that last part, but he said it anyway.

“Mnm.”

Aosh watched Tiza’s back as he went down the street. Solemnly he thought that as far as first dates were concerned, this was probably the worst. But he remembered they were just friends, and that lunch wasn’t a date. Somehow that didn’t make him feel any better.