Chapter Text
June 2014
His friends had insisted, okay? Harry hadn’t even wanted to be here, honestly. The smell of all these alphas and omegas made his nose itch in a strange way. But Carla and Alessia had pushed, and Harry, to celebrate his graduation, had decided to give in. They were at the Dumbo in Bologna, the city that had welcomed him over the past year. It was an unusual place, an old railway yard where they usually held fairs or, like in this case, parties.
They were in an old warehouse, strobe lights making his vision blur, and the alcohol he’d had wasn’t helping either. One drink had turned into two, then came the shots and two more cocktails. He’d lost count. His sense of smell had become so sensitive that every odor annoyed him, especially that of the alphas around him, it was the most unbearable.
His two friends were no longer by his side, so it happened often that some alpha tried to approach him, but even in his foggy mind he wasn’t willing to accept any kind of advance. He was almost tempted to head home, but right then a new scent hit his nose. So strong it made his head spin, and not from the alcohol. Dark wood and whiskey filled his nostrils, the scent so intoxicating he couldn’t help but search for who it belonged to.
The answer came quickly, when the smell came directly from behind him and two strong hands wrapped around his waist, almost making him spill his cocktail. A sigh escaped Harry’s lips involuntarily, his curls sticking to his forehead and partly to his cheeks from the heat. The sensation of warmth only deepened when a hot breath blew against his neck, so close to his bond spot.
Shivers ran through him, contrasting with the heat radiating from this unknown alpha’s chest pressed against his back. “Want to dance?” he asked directly into Harry’s ear, his voice low but not low enough to be drowned out by the music. Harry didn’t miss the fact that his accent was far too close to home. Definitely English, like Harry.
His mouth was suddenly dry; after taking a sip of his cocktail, he found himself nodding. The music thumped in his ears and chest as he started moving his hips against the alpha’s behind him. “You’re the prettiest omega in here, you know? I managed to find you in this whole crowd.”
“Yeah?” Harry asked, feeling how slowly his own scent of vanilla and honey was becoming stronger, more dominant. The alpha noticed, groaned, and pressed a soft kiss to Harry’s neck. Harry couldn’t understand how it was possible that without even seeing his face yet, he was already so turned on by this situation.
It might also have been because he could feel, right against his ass, the alpha’s growing erection, so present it triggered the slick starting to seep out. “Fuck, sweetheart. Your scent is so sweet, I want it on me as soon as possible.”
Harry wasn’t the type to accept a situation like this, especially from an alpha he’d just met at a club, without even knowing what he looked like. But when he felt again how big he was, his scent so overwhelming and intense it almost made him submit, Harry found himself nodding. “Please…”
“Do you want to get out of here, sweetheart?” the alpha asked again, his nose brushing Harry’s earlobe before biting it lightly. The omega whined, tilting his neck even more, giving him more access.
“Yeah…”
The moment Harry turned, finally ready to see, or at least glimpse, the face of this alpha driving him insane, the lights suddenly went out, causing a loud uproar in the crowd. “Come with me, omega,” he said, taking his hand and leading him out of the club. Harry’s mind was still clouded by his scent and the alcohol, so the trip from the warehouse to the taxi station didn’t even register in his memory.
Before he could even tell the driver the address, the two of them were already kissing. Harry’s legs parted to accommodate the body above his. Their scents mixed in the back of the cab, and Harry should have been embarrassed, but he was producing so much slick he couldn’t care less.
The alpha’s kisses were so dominating and hot against his skin that Harry craved more. His fingers tangled in the other’s hair, finding it long but not as long as his own and definitely straight, not curly like his.
Their passion was only interrupted when the driver cut in, telling them they had arrived. On the dark street in Bologna, Harry could only make out the profile of this unknown alpha. A sharply defined jawline that could slice paper, lips still wet and catching the light and then… blue, blue, blue.
The blue of his eyes was almost translucent, faintly lit by a small sign at the end of the street.
“Let’s go, omega.”
Every time that word left his mouth, Harry’s legs turned to jelly, his heart skipping a beat before racing faster. Harry couldn’t believe he was literally following a stranger into an equally unfamiliar place. But their passion hadn’t stopped, not even when the alpha slid his key into the lock.
Inside the building, the alpha guided him up the stairs practically blind, since neither of them bothered to turn on the lights. Finally, they reached the alpha’s door and, once opened, his scent was everywhere, wrapping Harry up like a warm blanket. Even warmer was the tongue that stranger used to kiss him again. Harry answered with the same urgency, cupping his face in his hands, while the alpha’s hands gripped his hips again, pulling their pelvises impossibly close.
It was only when one of those hands slid down and grabbed his ass firmly that Harry had had enough. “Your room, please.”
Harry was this close to begging. His skinny jeans were practically soaked with how much slick he was producing. The alpha had noticed too, and even in the dim light, the face that looked almost too beautiful to Harry—he hoped it wasn’t some alcohol-induced trick—was tilted into a smirk.
In a blink, the alpha lifted him into his arms, and Harry wrapped his long legs around his waist. He didn’t even feel the mattress when the alpha laid him down, climbing over him again. Clothes finally left their bodies, letting the heat of their skin mingle freely. Their erections rubbed together, but what Harry wanted most was to feel the alpha between his legs.
He wanted him inside more than anything, especially when the dark wood and whiskey scent mixed with his vanilla and honey, or when groans and moans slipped between their kisses. “Fuck, sweetheart. You’re so soaking wet for me. I could just slide right in and you’d take me, yeah?” the alpha whispered in his ear, pulling another moan from Harry, who spread his legs wider.
His mind was so clouded with alcohol and passion that he found himself nodding. If this alpha wanted to take him here and now, Harry would let him. That’s what they were there for, wasn’t it?
“Alpha, please…” Their kisses grew even hotter than before, burning with an inextinguishable flame. When the alpha’s cockhead brushed against his entrance, Harry’s breath hitched in his throat.
But just as he thought it was about to happen, the alpha flipped him onto his stomach, lifting his hips. Being on all fours, completely vulnerable, made Harry’s legs tremble. He could see his long curls falling beside his face and, when he looked down, his aching erection. All he could see of the alpha was a barely noticeable tattoo just above his right knee: a smiley face with x-shaped eyes.
At that point Harry gave in, presenting himself fully to the alpha behind him, who was busy pressing kisses down his back, all the way to the curve of his ass. “I’ve never seen an omega this perfect,” he murmured from behind, as his hands spread Harry’s ass cheeks.
The rush of cool air made Harry arch even further, his mouth falling open in endless sighs. They hadn’t even really started yet, but he was already at the edge. “Ready for me, love?” the alpha asked, lining up behind him, one hand on his hip and the other gently stroking through his curls.
“Mhm, please,” Harry stammered, wanting and needing to be claimed by this alpha. His inner omega had taken full control.
The alpha didn’t make him repeat himself. As he slowly pushed into Harry, he pressed kisses to the back of his neck, dangerously close to his bond spot. For a moment, Harry was tempted to ask him to bite, to make him his completely.
The thought vanished the second the alpha was fully inside him. “Fuck, darling, you’re so tight around me. So perfect.” Hearing the alpha’s plea dragged another moan from Harry. Feeling him so big and hot inside made his eyes roll back.
When he started moving, each thrust was deliberate, yet every snap of his hips tore a choked sound from Harry’s throat. It was primal, as if both of them had unleashed their inner alpha and omega, yet at the same time the alpha’s hands touched Harry like he was the most precious thing. The contrast was so intense Harry lost the ability to speak. In his lower belly, he felt the familiar heat building, close to release, but at the same time the warmth spread to his chest where his heart raced wildly.
Could it really be possible to have such a connection with a stranger? Could it be that his omega recognized something more in this alpha? His mind couldn’t form an answer, not when the alpha’s thrusts grew stronger and faster, his fingers tangling in Harry’s curls as he pulled his back against his chest.
He cupped Harry’s face and kissed him, their features colliding in the night. When Harry finally saw his face fully, he prayed he’d see it forever. “You’re so beautiful, omega,” the alpha whispered, caressing his cheek. The tender moment shattered when Harry felt him slam deep inside, his knot swelling. Harry moaned loudly. “Please, please, please. Knot me, alpha. I need it so so much.”
The only sounds in the room were their skin meeting and the wet slap that followed each thrust. Harry could feel his slick dripping down his thighs, but the best sensation came when the knot finally swelled fully inside, spilling into him.
Harry came hard across his stomach, his body threatening to collapse into the mattress, but the alpha held him tight. Both hands pressed firmly to his chest. “Careful, sweetheart.” The fullness made Harry whimper, the pet name made him smile softly.
With careful movements, the alpha helped them both lie back on the bed. For now, they would be forced to stay joined until the knot softened. Harry’s inner omega was content, soft purrs rumbling from his chest as he curled even closer to the alpha.
“Rest, omega,” he whispered from behind Harry’s shoulder, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
“Mhm,” Harry hummed back, snuggling deeper into the alpha’s arms. The sense of safety was something he had never felt before, especially with someone he didn’t know at all.
Morning could wait.
Unfortunately, morning came and with it, a pounding headache and… well, down there too. When Harry opened his eyes, he realized the room wasn’t his. The sheets smelled like his own scent but mixed with that of an alpha.
Not just any alpha, his one-night stand. Just catching a trace of that dark wood and whiskey scent made him wet all over again. He looked around. This didn’t seem like a hotel room at all but a proper bedroom. Could it be that this stranger had actually taken him home? Maybe he was a student too, like Harry?
The room was still pretty bare; it was clear he hadn’t lived there for long. Only the clothes tossed on a chair and the desk made it look slightly lived-in. But now, as the June sunlight streamed into the room and into his thoughts, Harry didn’t know what to do. Should he stay?
What they’d shared the night before had shaken him deeply, but at the same time, he knew it was just a hook-up. With the marks of the night still all over his body, he gathered his clothes. He fixed himself up as best as he could, glancing briefly into the mirror.
He knew he’d have to face the alpha sooner or later, better sooner. But once he stepped outside the bedroom, the house was strangely quiet. His suspicion was confirmed: he was alone. In every room, the alpha’s presence was absent. Even his scent was faint, despite lingering everywhere.
No, Harry couldn’t stay. But his mum had raised him well, so after finding a scrap of paper, he wrote simply: “Thanks for the nice evening, H.”
Sure, thanking someone for a hook-up wasn’t exactly ideal, but better than leaving no trace at all, right? He left quickly, and once the mild morning air hit his face, he sighed. Food. His stomach craved food and maybe his head needed ibuprofen.
Luckily, right in front of the building he’d just left, there was a café. Inside, only older people sat chatting over breakfast. Yet something in the air reminded him so much of the alpha like his scent had been there.
But no, it was still on him. His skin still smelled of the night before.
A woman—an omega a little bit older than his mum’s—approached him from behind the counter, her scent remembering him the butter biscuits his mom cooked when he was little. Her kind gaze and grey hair tied in a neat bun gave her a gentle kind. “Buongiorno, cosa posso portarti?”
“Buongiorno, un caffè e un bombolone, per favore,” Harry answered, aware that after a year in Bologna, his accent still wasn’t perfect.
“Arrivano subito,” she said, turning. “You are English, right?”
“Yeah… but I studied here for a year. Just graduated, in fact.”
In no time, his coffee and pastry were set before him, and his stomach growled.
“Oh, congratulations then!”
“Thanks…”
The woman hummed while cleaning some glasses. “You’re the second English person I’ve met this morning. It’s unusual for such an early hour, you know?”
At that, Harry looked up from his food. Another Englishman? “Really?”
“Mhm, an alpha. Blue eyes, very handsome.” Harry’s grip tightened on his cup. “He came out of the same building as you, just a little while ago… Stopped here for breakfast. I don’t know where he went after.”
Harry nodded. Okay, so, the alpha wanted nothing to do with him. He’d given Harry time to wake up and leave without confrontation. He should’ve known.
At least he’d been polite enough not to throw him out…
“Thanks again. Have a nice day, ma’am.”
“You too, dear. Good luck.”
And Harry really hoped so.
It wasn’t long before it was time to return to Manchester. Carla and Alessia had accompanied him to the airport, and between hugs and tears, they promised to see each other again, whether in Bologna or in Manchester.
Going home after a year away weighed heavily on him. He’d known the day would come, but goodbyes were always hard.
He’d grown so attached to his two friends, they had welcomed him instantly, between classes and nights out. They’d helped him learn Italian through songs and TV shows he’d only ever watched in English before.
Now, back at his mum’s house, he was waiting to find both a place of his own and a new job. His dream was to teach English literature at university, but he knew how tough that world could be. During the month at his mum’s, his focus was gone. He couldn’t concentrate and found himself plagued with endless headaches. Even when friends invited him out, he refused, he just didn’t feel up for it. His mum, slightly worried, often shot him sidelong glances, hoping he wouldn’t notice.
One particular morning, breakfast simply wouldn’t stay down. His stomach rebelled. He rushed to the bathroom, vomiting what little he’d managed to eat. His mum followed quickly, holding his curls back. “What’s wrong with me? Why do I feel like this?” he whispered against the porcelain.
Her caresses grew gentler, and even through his tears, he could see her green eyes, so much like his, watching him with pity. “What is it?” he croaked, his throat raw. A strange sensation tightened low in his belly.
“Harry… I think you’re pregnant.”
The words choked him. No. Impossible. No.
“Harry, love, calm down. But since you’ve been back, your scent has changed. Sweeter, more… um, maternal. I don’t know how else to explain it.”
“Mum, no. It can’t be, okay? Just no!”
A thousand thoughts whirled in his mind. How? Well, obvious. When? That was the question that froze his heart. The last time he’d had sex was that night after graduation. His memories were blurry, he could hardly remember the alpha’s face. Just faintly, his scent, those blue eyes. And, most of all, he couldn’t remember if they had used protection.
Apparently not.
Flashes of that night made his skin crawl, tears springing to his eyes. His mum pulled him into her arms, stroking his hair. “How am I supposed to do this, Mum? I don’t… I don’t know him. I don’t know where he is…” Harry sobbed.
“We’ll figure it out together, love. Do you want this? Do you think… you can… you know?” She left the question open. But Harry didn’t hesitate before nodding.
“Yes, it’ll be me and my pup. We don’t need an alpha by our side.” His hand brushed his stomach.
Him and his pup.
For the first five months, Harry stuck by that decision. But when Carla and Alessia texted him saying they missed him, Harry took it as a sign.
His bump was already showing, but with a sweater, every inch of skin was hidden.
And so, five months later, Harry found himself back in Bologna. The streets around him were familiar now, and he tried to remember where that building from that night had been.
He didn’t expect the alpha to suddenly become part of his or his baby’s life. He just wanted to tell him. To close the cycle.
He walked down Via Indipendenza, turning into one of the small side streets. He vaguely remembered passing here the morning after breakfast at the café. But the doors all looked the same. He couldn’t tell which one was right.
“Cerchi qualcuno?” a woman’s voice asked behind him. Her face was familiar, her scent too. Grey hair… an omega. She was the café owner.
“Um…” Harry’s Italian was rusty after months away. “Sto cercando un ragazzo inglese, un alpha. Occhi azzurri?”
The woman’s eyes widened, then softened as she tilted her head. “We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“Mhm,” Harry murmured. “Yeah… almost five months ago now.”
As the wind shifted, the omega caught Harry’s scent. Her eyes filled with pity. “Oh…” she sighed. “Are you looking for the father?”
Tears welled at the corners of Harry’s eyes. He nodded, biting his lower lip. “It’s complicated, but yeah… Is he here? I remembered it was one of these buildings, so I thought—”
“He left, sweetheart,” she said, her hand cupping his cheek. “He left in September. He hasn’t been back since.”
Harry broke down crying right there in the street, a stranger holding him like his own mother.
“Come with me, a cup of tea will help.”
That day, the tea didn’t help much. But the woman—Ada—took him in as if he were her own son. She gave him a job at the café, food, and a roof to sleep under, since she lived alone, a widow for years. But most of all, four months later, she was there to help him through the hardest moments, when his daughter was born.
Her name was Diamante.
She had dark, curly hair like Harry’s, but her eyes… well, they were blue.