Chapter Four

Author’s Note: This story is set in an alternate universe, in an imaginary town and country, and during an ambiguous time period.

Kazir pulled into the familiar driveway of his parents’ house, his small car kicking up a bit of dust as it came to a stop. 

The house, nestled on the outskirts of town, had always been a quiet retreat, surrounded by a sprawling garden that his mother adored. He could already smell the faint aroma of herbs and soil in the air as he got out of the car. 

It was Wednesday, his regular dinner night with his parents. Thirty minutes from his modest one-bedroom apartment to here was nothing; this was his weekly routine, a comforting tradition in an otherwise uneventful life.

He walked through the front door without knocking, as was his habit, letting himself in with his spare key, and was instantly greeted by the sight of his parents in the kitchen.  

His mother, dressed in her usual gardening clothes, her thick curly graying hair in two large plaits lying down her back, was chopping vegetables, and his father was stirring something in a large pot on the stove. Two large Maine Coon cats, Cat and Kitty, lay sprawled lazily on the kitchen floor, their fur catching the last rays of sunlight from the windows.  

“There’s my boy!” his mother beamed when she saw him, dropping the knife to hug him warmly. Kazir smiled and hugged her back before moving toward the sink, washing his hands before he made it to the counter to help prepare dinner.

He enjoyed cooking, a pastime he had partaken in with his parents growing up. He was a good cook, too, from years of being in the kitchen with his parents.  

He grabbed a cutting board and started to slice tomatoes, most likely picked fresh from the garden.  

“Dinner’s almost ready,” his father said without turning from the stove. “How’s your day been, son?”  

“Same as usual,” Kazir replied, trying to focus on cutting the tomatoes evenly.  

As they worked in comfortable silence, his mother started to talk, as she always did when they cooked together. “You know, Kazir, I was just thinking earlier today…” she began, her tone casual but loaded, the kind of tone Kazir had learned to be cautious of.  

“Uh-oh,” Kazir said, glancing at her with a knowing smile. “What about?” 

"Your father and I just got onto the topic of you."

"The topic of me," he reiterated gently.

The older woman nodded, her chin set. "I worry about you sometimes," she admitted, slicing cucumbers with a bit more emphasis than necessary. "You're getting older, and you're not... We haven't met any friends yet."

"I have friends."

She looked at him, her hands stalling. "You do?"

He nodded. “Many. I have... I enjoy many different hobbies, and I have formed deep friendships.” He slightly bluffed. He did have friends, good friends, but no deep friendships.

She nodded and huffed before adding, "Just no romantic connections."

He rolled his eyes, knowing what song she was about to sing. He crouched down, giving Cat a few scratches behind the ear as the large cat purred loudly in response. Kitty lazily opened one eye, watching him with mild interest.

"I want grand-babies, you know."

"Mom, you've got two other kids," Kazir said dryly, trying to steer the conversation away from himself. "There's a pretty good chance you'll get your grand-babies from them."

His mother huffed, clearly unsatisfied with that response. "Your older brother is clearly more interested in his job than in settling down. And your sister..." She shook her head and tsked.

Kitty rubbed against her shins, his beautiful thick tail up as he purred. "She's in a relationship, but who knows where that’s going. They aren't even thinking about marriage, let alone babies."

"How do you know that, dear?" his father asked, smiling at Kazir. He enjoyed teasing his wife. Kazir hoped he'd distract his mother long enough tonight.

 She paused and looked at her son. “Have they?”

Jaejoong shrugged, breaking the eye-contact. He didn’t want to put his foot in his mouth.

Kazir smiled faintly as his mother began to rant about his siblings' lack of urgency when it came to relationships and marriage. It was a well-worn topic at these dinners. His sister, the other omega in the family, had a secure relationship with a female alpha, but she and her partner weren't seemingly rushing into anything, which seemed to frustrate their mother to no end. His younger brother, the beta of the three, was dead set on never getting married after recently getting his heart destroyed by a pretty omega girlfriend.

As she went on, Kazir tuned out slightly, focusing instead on how Kitty had sprawled out on his back, waiting for more belly rubs. He gave in, running his hand through the cat’s thick fur as his mother’s words became background noise. 

This was a familiar scene—his mother worrying about her children, his father cooking calmly by her side, and the cats enjoying the quiet chaos of their home.

His father, who had remained quiet throughout his wife’s rant, suddenly turned from the stove and brought the conversation back to its original point. “But we’re talking about you, Kazir,” he said, his voice gentle but serious. “You’re turning thirty-two this year, and you haven’t dated anyone yet. Are you sure you’re not… Asexual? Are you? We’d support you, you know.”

Kazir straightened up, giving Kitty one last scratch before standing to face his parents. He wasn’t expecting his father to ask that so directly. “I’m not asexual, pop,” he said, rolling his eyes slightly.  

His mother, having calmed down from her earlier rant, nodded in agreement with his father. “We’d love you no matter what, Kazir. We just… we want you to be happy. And part of that is finding someone to share your life with.”

Kazir sighed. “I have friends,” he assured his parents, washing his hands before turning back to the tomatoes as he processed their words.  

He knew they were only concerned about him, but this conversation was becoming a routine too, one he wasn’t particularly fond of. They didn’t know everything about his life. They didn’t know that he was hiding his status as an omega, hiding his status for his own peace of mind. They also didn’t know that he wasn’t interested in women. He knew he could come out to them and they wouldn’t care, but they would care about him hiding his second gender and refraining from forming deeper romantic connections because he feared being found out.

It was hard to hide that he was an omega if he were to be naked in front of his romantic partner. Fully clothed, he could do it, but not naked.  

He sighed laboriously. “I’m just not interested right now,” Kazir said firmly, hoping that would end the conversation. 

“When will you be ready?”
“Mom,” he whined, rolling his eyes against his will in exasperation.
Never!

“Alright. Alright,” his mother said softly, not pushing the issue.
His father exchanged a glance with his mother before turning back to the stove. “Alright, son,” he said, his tone calm but still laced with concern. “Just remember, we’re here if you ever want to talk.”
“Thanks. I don’t,” Kazir said firmly, but he still felt warmth filling his stomach at his father’s words. His parents could be overbearing at times, but they meant well.

Dinner was quiet after that, filled with the sounds of clinking silverware and occasional remarks about the food, which was mostly from the garden his mother so diligently tended. Kazir appreciated the silence, grateful that the conversation hadn’t turned into a full-on interrogation about his love life—or lack thereof.

Later, after he packed the food he would be taking home with him for the rest of his meals for the week with his mother, as he sat on the couch with both cats lounging beside him, his mother came and sat down, her expression softer now. She handed him a mug of tea.
“Thank you.”
“Of course, love.”
But Kazir knew the peace wouldn’t last long.
“You know I just want you to be happy, right?” she said quietly, resting a hand on his shoulder.
Groan.
“I know, Mom,” Kazir replied, offering her a small smile.
His mother gave him a patient but exasperated look. “I just want you to find someone to connect with. You’re always by yourself, and I’m worried. You’re such a kind person, but you keep your distance from people. It’s not healthy.”

Kazir sighed, trying to steer the conversation in another direction. “I’m not by myself. I have friends. I have many hobbies, and I’ve met wonderful people through them.”

“Do you?”

His heart jumped against his ribcage at her implication. It saddened him to think his parents thought he was friendless or, maybe, hard to be liked by others? He knew he could be weird, but he could also make friends! Before he could say anything, his mother said, “It’s important to build relationships. Romantic or otherwise.”

Again, he recognized that she meant well, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit suffocated by her relentless nudging.

“Mom, I promise, I have friends. I… I’ll set up a meeting soon if that’ll make you feel better.”

“You’ll bring a friend home?”

“Mom! Don’t. A friend. Platonic.”

She nodded, satisfied for now, and leaned back, her eyes gazing out the window at the garden. “Just… we want you to be happy.”

“I am.” Kazir chuckled lightly, feeling a mix of affection and exasperation.

Her large brown eyes, reminiscent of his, were tender when she said, “We just don’t want you to spend your life alone. We want to know that you have someone. A companion to walk through life with.”

“I have many.”

She nodded and sipped her tea, but she dropped the subject.

He could tell she thought he was lying about having friends. They had had this dance too many times over the years to count. But it’s clear she wanted to respect his privacy. After all, like she said, he was a grown man. But he planned to change things this time around.

He had to set her fears to rest soon.