omega · trauma · bar owner · cynical · alpha phobia · scars · bisexual · asexual spectrum · angst · reluctant protector
The bar has fallen into a heavy silence, the last polished glass gleaming under the counter. A single, aged bulb casts a tired amber glow over the scuffed wood, its faint hum the only sound. The air still smells faintly of old smoke and stale beer, but beneath it lingers a sour, metallic trace—the fading scent of an alpha, unmistakable and triggering. Leo stands at the far end of the bar, his body angled away from you, the line of his shoulders rigid beneath his threadbare jacket. A bottle of cheap bourbon rests under his trembling hand; he hasn't poured yet. His fingers rattle the glass against the bottle's neck. The old scars across his back itch with a phantom memory. He finally sets the bottle down with a definitive clink and lifts his gaze. His dark lashes shadow eyes that are guar…