Regression of their relationship from ‘possible soul-mates’ back to ‘stalker and nervous wreck’ had Darcy uncertain as to whether his master plan was actually back on track. It took a great deal of determination to ignore Luca. Even more so to get any work done during the day with his breath at Darcy’s back. Even if they didn’t share a class, Luca was always waiting outside the door for him. He was not getting bullied currently, but he knew the next step back from this stage was their original dynamic of ‘bully and victim’.

At least when he was getting bullied, it was in small pockets throughout the day. He got breaks. He could hang out with his friends comfortably. A stalker didn’t really allow for that. And when Luca got him alone, his hands would wander, and Darcy would crumble. Every kiss was like a shot of pure adrenalin. Darcy could live off the euphoria of his lips for the rest of his life. But that was not the life he wanted for himself.

Sometimes he managed to outsmart his beta bully, slipping into the hustle and bustle of shifting students. Stealing an hour or two of his peace from the golden gaze.

In one such golden hour, another nuisance found him.

“You lost your owner, puppy?”

Darcy ignored the gruff voice, although he recognised it as one of Luca’s goons. Not that there were many other people rude enough to call an omega by the derogatory term ‘puppy’, at least not in public.

“C’mere, little puppy!” his friend called out. The two of them laughed in unison.

He sidestepped the pair, heading for his locker with hurried steps. They followed lazily, in no rush to catch up with his tiny legs. If he didn’t desperately need his gym kit for his last class, he would keep walking and squeeze himself amongst some other students milling about. He reached his locker and spun the lock clumsily. His anxiety made his fingers slip over the dial.

Dirty, meaty fists slammed into the locker above his head. Greasy breath hit his ear as the taller minion growled at him, “Where’s Luca?”

“I don’t know,” Darcy admitted with a weary sigh. He made another, slower attempt at getting the lock open. Perhaps if he didn’t look directly at them, they’d get bored and leave.

“That’s a real shame,” shorter dirtbag chuckled. “‘cause you know, normally we’d get his permission before touching you.”

Darcy jolted as an oversized hand grazed his side. Forget gym. He spun and ducked, throwing himself between tall-and-ugly’s legs as short-and-ugly snatched at his hair. He caught his barrette, the same one he had used to pin a portion of his hair back every day since middle school. His grandpa had bought it for him on a trip to the seaside. The original gawdy blue colour had faded and muted as he aged, maturing a little with him. It ripped from his hair painfully. In the split second as he skidded along the hallway floor, he had to choose between barrette and escape. He fled. He would have time to feel guilty later.

Laughter followed him until he reached the gym hall.

He apologised to the teacher for forgetting his clothes and got sent to the office to find something in the lost and found.

He was found before he could find anything wearable.

“Lose something?” Luca’s voice called from behind him.

Darcy halted his digging. He was surrounded by hole-ridden, giant-sized shorts, kneeling at the lost and found bin that had been dragged out for him by one of the sweet old ladies in the school reception. Until now, he had been alone in the corridor. It had given him some delightful silence to contemplate his own cowardice, and how he would never forgive himself for letting those goons keep his precious barrette.

Darcy didn’t turn to acknowledge Luca, he was still trying to avoid any unnecessary interaction with him.

He was not to be deterred, not that Darcy expected him to be.

“Your ears not working, puppy?” he asked with a hard edge to his tone.

Before Darcy could decide how to react, a large hand pinched the scruff of his neck. He yelped reflexively. His body followed the pull of the beta guiding him up to standing without his consent. Once he was on his feet, Luca released the skin of his neck and curled his arm around his body, presenting something to him with the other.

In his outstretched palm sat Darcy’s barrette.

Darcy gasped like a human woman would at an engagement ring and spun to face him.

“Where did you find it?” he asked, emotion brought a croak to his voice. He was so relieved he could cry.

Luca shrugged nonchalantly, but a proud smirk was twisting at the corner of his mouth. “Saw it on the floor.”

“How did you know it was mine?”

“Never seen you without it.” He leant in closer. “You’re practically naked,” he purred in his ear. Darcy flushed. He knew he was only teasing him, but the way he said that word, it made the blood rush between his legs. “You should be more careful,” Luca added quietly. Darcy’s scalp tingled when the tips of Luca’s fingers scraped through his hair, scooping up the top chunk and pinning it gently. He brushed his lips against Darcy’s forehead.

Darcy corrected him with a blushing mumble, “I didn’t lose it. It was stolen.”

“Stolen?”

“Your… friends.” It took all of his willpower not to call them what they were: thugs. “They tried to touch me. When I ran away they pulled it out of my hair.”

Amber eyes turned aflame. Luca’s body seemed to enlarge. Even the air around him changed.

“How many?” he snarled. His anger shook Darcy’s insides with tone alone, even when he knew it was not actually directed at him. “What did they look like?”

It took Darcy a few moments to gather the courage to speak with an enraged beta’s presence so close to his tiny body. “Two. One was tall and gross. The other one was short and gross.”

A huff of a laugh escaped him despite his furious demeanour. It somehow made him ten times scarier.

“They won’t touch you again,” he promised sincerely.

“Thanks,” Darcy whispered. It was awkward, thanking his bully for getting rid of… other bullies? His own henchmen, no less.

Luca took a few deep breaths, cooling down. Darcy appreciated the effort, his fight or flight was about to kick in just from the atmosphere Luca’s anger had created around him. He was right in the blast zone.

“I know you’ve been avoiding me,” Luca said slowly. “This is another reason why you need me nearby.”

Darcy said nothing. He wanted to argue, put him in his place, and tell him that he didn’t need him. But he had gotten his barrette back for him. Now wasn’t the time to be ungrateful. He was so glad to have the metal pinched atop his head again. He dropped his eyes submissively and twisted his fingers together in front of his. He was at a loss for how to thank Luca properly.

Luca’s hands cupped his jaw, drawing him in until their noses bumped. The touch soothed aches he hadn’t realised he had, buried deep inside. His scent would cling to Darcy’s skin long after he let go. He closed the minute gap between them. Darcy gazed up at him through fluttering lashes. Perhaps that was for the best. If he were able to keep his eyes open, he would be subjected to the full blast of his mate’s handsome face. He may not survive that. Not this close. Luca snatched Darcy’s bottom lip between his teeth and growled, hands clawing at his waist. Darcy whined and looked away, he still didn’t know what to do when he was kissed. His hands were bunched between them. Trapped.

At the end of the corridor, a door banged open. Luca leapt back like Darcy had just pulled a taser on him. His amber eyes were cautious, watching the figure leave their office and shuffle off out of the building. They didn’t give the pair a moment’s glance. But Luca’s body remained tensed.

He was scared to be seen with Darcy. Embarrassed. Ashamed of an omega mate.

Darcy tried so hard to keep his expression neutral. He pressed his lips together so hard it hurt. The distraction of physical pain was necessary, the emotional pain was almost overwhelming. He scooped the scattered clothes from the floor and dumped them into the lost and found bin. The building door clattered shut and Luca finally deemed it safe to approach him again. Darcy saw him unfreeze out of the corner of his eye, but refused to look at him. He stalked away in the direction of the gym. He would rather hide in the changing rooms than let some dumb beta play with his feelings any more.

Luca gave slow chase, but did not ask his what was wrong. Maybe he knew. Maybe he didn’t care. Maybe both.

The gym teacher shoo’d him away when they approached the changing rooms. Alphas, betas and those with dominant secondary genders shared one set of changing rooms, the submissive genders shared the other. Darcy hid inside for the whole class.

When he slipped out to make his way to the bus, Luca appeared at his side in seconds. He melted out of the shadows as though he had been waiting there the whole time. Darcy would not be surprised if he had. He escorted him to the bus line, watched him board, and stood on the pavement as they pulled away, all in silence.

Darcy kept his eyes trained elsewhere, but there was always a smudge of gold in the corner. Just one more month to go. Then he could come down with the most impressive fake illness the world has ever seen and disappear from Luca’s radar forever.