Chapter Text
It's a chilly afternoon as three friends stroll through Bryant Park's Winter Village, admiring its snowy wonderland. The young married Alpha-Omega couple has seen snow once before on a ski trip, but other than that, none of them ever experienced anything quite like the freezing East Coast temperatures. Rey Kenobi wholeheartedly appreciates the heavy coat that her sister-in-law, Rose, had packed for their adventures in New York City.
Longing to touch the sparkling white snow, Rey removes her mittens and tucks them inside her coat pockets. She grazes her bare fingers through the fluffy substance sitting atop a waist-high stone enclosure. The contradictory feeling of the soft powder melting under her fingertips slightly amuses her as it also crunches loudly under her new winter boots.
Back where she lived in warm Southern California, her only encounter with anything frozen was the confectionary kind that she would buy from the grocery store or local street vendor.
When they approach the frosted park entrance, a jazzy rendition of "Sleigh Ride" is playing from the hidden overhead speakers. Everything inside the park is completely covered in string lights; from small pop-up shops to all of the trees. As of right now, the decorations' golden glow cannot be seen just yet, due to the bright sun shining above. The only reason why she is able to spot the lights during the day is from the full catalog of photos clogging up their group chat.
Shutting her weary eyes, Rey attempts to divert all the sweet and savory aromas circulating around the common area by breathing through her mouth and out from her nose.
She relaxes on a park bench with her brother’s better half, "I can't believe the year is over and we're in New York."
"Oh, my God, I know! The holiday season is so magical here!! I cannot wait for our reservation in those cozy, little igloos!! I gotta text Poe for ETA updates." Always so full of delight, the shorter friend of the two bounces in her seat as she grabs her cell phone in excitement.
This entire week has passed by in an absolute blur, and if it wasn't for her two best friends, Rey would still be in her bed keeping the blinds closed.
After many years of habitually believing the worst in everything and everyone, how did she become so hopeful? Was it when she landed her dream job in college? Or maybe it was way before that at her adoption hearing? She tries to pinpoint the exact time frame, but fails to make sense of it all; just like this entire fucked up, life-altering situation.
Up until three weeks ago, she could always be found late at night in her office, striving to perfect every assignment with her work-wife, Rose Tico who hyphenated Kenobi on her wedding day. Instead of becoming enemies, the two women complemented each other in ways that best showcased their creativity and work ethic. Being an Alpha helped Rey step into the leadership role whereas Rose encompassed the communication and problem solving skills as an Omega. The duo was unstoppable.
That all changed a month ago when a poor excuse of a Beta from their office suffered the wrath of Rey after putting his disgusting hands on Rose. Lines were drawn, sides were taken. It was all those who stood against Rey versus the few who stood alongside her.
"Ooohhhhhh, he's about twenty minutes away!! Right on time," Rose cheers.
Time. What a fickle bitch. The clocks must have decided to speed back up this week without any warning. Days after the company's HR director determined her employment had been suspended until further notice, time ceased to exist for Rey. She acknowledged that it was her own damn fault for being so naïve , for becoming too comfortable in one place and allowing herself to feel as if she belonged somewhere.
It took her almost fifteen years to call California "home"....but….was it really? Because of these recent developments in her professional life, she wasn’t so sure anymore.
Growing up in the sweltering Mojave Desert, her childhood could easily be described as unbearingly lonesome and unfortunately unforgettable. Once that pounding sun set below the horizon, the darkness of time mocked her for dreaming about her family's return. Moving from one stranger's home to the next, Rey was given zero opportunities to ever venture out of the sunny state that held her prisoner while in foster care. As the long nights blended into weeks, weeks into years, Rey's fragmented memories of her parents began to fade away. The only tiny glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel was her first best friend and adoptive brother, Finn Kenobi.
"REY!! Have you seen the inside of this place!?" Finn rounds the corner and comes rushing out of a small building.
"Will you tone it down, you nutter!?" He pulls her up from her seat while Rose just shakes her head at the two siblings. "It's just a park lavatory, how could it possibl-ohhhhhhhh….OH WOW!!" Rey's jaw drops in amazement from just viewing the entryway. Looking back at Finn, she asks with a wide grin, "Does it get fancier once you go inside?"
Nodding his head excitedly, Finn pushes her toward the Ladies' Room as Rose comes into view, "Go find the Parks Director, Rey, and ask if they need a graphic designer for their website. It's truly a sight to behold....oh baby, I'm gonna cry," Finn jokingly holds back fake tears and Rose pats his back, continuing to shake her head.
Rey smirks at her dorky older brother and enters the park's unbelievably lavish facility as her ears recognize a string orchestra’s soft swells of “O Holy Night” floating down from the ceiling.
Giving the restroom attendant a small smile, she peeks behind a couple of unoccupied, hand-crafted stall doors and is reminded of the time she and Finn both stumbled upon the Taj Mahal of all bathrooms while attending a wedding with their adoptive parents. That discovery sparked their joint obsession of fancy bathrooms as they grew up, sending each other commode photos from time to time.
Walking over to the dark granite sink, Rey decides to wash her hands just to fully experience some of the fancy loo’s amenities. While adjusting the knobs for warmer water, she lets the steady flow trickle through her fingers as her eyes meet in the mirror. Her sullen gaze catches her off guard as she stares and studies her haunted hazel eyes.
The last time this hollow reflection presented itself was right before her adoptive parents had given her that life changing second chance.
She had been on the edge of giving up all hope and succumbing to her decade-long stint in the system when an older husband and wife appeared in Rey's life. Placing a hand over her chest, she feels that gentle squeeze within the confines of her beating heart as she thinks about Obi and Satine Kenobi. They were two of the kindest, most generous human beings on the face of the Earth. Rey first met the Kenobis and their adoptive son, Finn, about fifteen years ago when she was fostered by them for eight months. Back then, she wanted nothing to do with Finn while he was just as determined as he was today, cracking through his sister's tough exterior.
Unbeknownst to both children, simmering below the surface, Rey was on the verge of presenting her Alpha designation. They were finally getting along until one day, something inside Rey snapped. The catalyst to this heartbreaking event occurred in the Kenobi household when a small, very quiet, foster child cried out the only two words she knew how to say: mama and blanket. When Rey had noticed Finn was all wrapped up in the little girl's only possession, she chased him from room to room. He pleaded with her to listen, but the rage bubbling inside blinded all rational thought, and Finn was forcefully shoved into a bookshelf.
This huge misunderstanding not only led to Rey's removal from the only place that had just begun to feel like home, but she was deemed too violent to be around small children.
Luckily for these future siblings, they were reunited four years later, due solely to the dedicated and never ending research of Obi and Satine. Once they discovered Rey was just an ill-equipped female Alpha, everything made sense, especially when Finn's same designation had emerged upon Rey's absence.
She can hear the muffled whispers of Rose and Finn outside the fancy bathroom. Rolling her eyes in the mirror, she lets her hands air dry for a second before ripping off a sheet of paper towel.
"Come on, girl!! Poe should be here any minute. Don't let me find you all curled up on the sofa in there. Yeah, that's right, Finn told me the men's room has one too!"
"Baby, don't yell, just give her another minute," Finn says loud enough for Rey to hear.
It took her years to understand why the Kenobis, including her brother, ever wanted her to be part of their family; a teenage female Alpha suffering from severe abandonment issues. Even after being on this planet for a quarter of a century, it still baffles Rey that her friends want her sorry ass in their lives.
She finally walks out, motioning with her thumb over a shoulder, "That's unbelievable! It looks like that fancy bathroom we both got locked out of when we were kids. Remember? It was at one of the weddings we went to years ago with Mum and Dah. Well, for obvious reasons, this one doesn't have a giant hot tub, but it's real close."
"Is there a fancy bathroom distributor that donates the extra ones to parks instead of luxurious hotels or something?" Finn asks, tapping a gloved-pointer finger against his chin.
"You two are so strange; you're lucky I love all your quirks," Rose laughs as Finn wraps his arms tightly around her waist.
"Thanks, baby," he brushes his nose against Rose's for a little eskimo kiss.
"Awww," pretending to vomit, Rey gags, "And you two are so gross.”
"Ha ha ha, Rey. Just wait for the day you find your soulmate," Rose mocks while sticking her tongue out, prompting Rey to do the same right back.
Scoffing up into the sky, "Yeah, right! Cause an unemployed, ornery Alpha is what alllll the Omegas and Betas are having wet dreams about these days!"
"Ladies…..behave yourselves. Let's go look at the shops before Poe gets here." Finn tries to direct the conversation elsewhere.
Rose shoots a sympathetic look at her sister-in-law, "Rey, you know I believe there's someone for everyone." She links her arm through Rey's as Finn grabs onto her free hand.
I'm not so sure about that, Rose.
The first store they enter contains a wide variety of "I Love NY" shirts and memorabilia. Rey approaches some postcards and twirls the stand around to look at the entire selection. One of the photos has an airplane along with Santa Claus in his sleigh being flown by those famous reindeer.
After yesterday's flight, the jet-lagged trio had been greeted by an energetic Poe Dameron, who can only be described as a royal pain in Rey's ass. He immediately planted a slobbery kiss upon her cheek, and pretended to be in shock when she pushed him away. "Aww, a month apart and still nothing?! Stop hiding your true feelings for me!"
Although he has a big heart, Poe always ruined that one attribute with his even bigger mouth.
This whole trip was his brilliant idea after all.
Sighing, Rey continues to spin through the cards and finds herself slightly impressed by all of New York's landmarks. She always dreamed of traveling, but as of last month, Rey was definitely not on board with the plan to visit NYC. The altercation with her co-worker had happened on day two of Poe's week-long stay for Friendsgiving. Her suspension left Rey's finances, apartment, and future with the company all up in the air.
Poe had told her to keep her chin up and hopefully her company would make the right decision before the holidays. She now knows he tried his best to keep her spirits up by cooking her favorite dishes that week; it definitely helped her feel a little better.
When HR determined her time with the company was over, Rey completely shut down in her bedroom. She was a little relieved that Poe was already back in New York and could not witness her sorrowful state of distress. The moment her termination became known amongst her friends, Rey knew her life would not be the same.
"Where the hell is Poe and when are we eating?"
Rose rolls her eyes at her sister-in-law, "Rey, cut the guy some slack! You slept on his couch last night, so you know he had to wake up early today for work. Not to mention all the food he had to make for the restaurant’s pop-up here in the park and for us ."
"He can’t say no to his boss right now, not with that upcoming promotion he’s excited about," Finn adds. The only person who ever attempted to calmly throw a bucket full of ice on that temper of hers.
Responding to both, Rey says, “I know, I know. It’s just all these vendors are making it difficult for me to concentrate. I didn’t eat breakfast earlier and everything smells amazing! My money is on reserve for emergencies right now, and NO , I don’t want you to buy me food,” shooting Finn a pointed look.
Refusing to be donned as a Debbie Downer for the next few weeks, Rey takes a minute and inwardly sighs, trying to bask in the east coast's fading winter sun. She grabs a hold of Finn's backpack and wordlessly waves at him that she was zipping it up with her phone and wallet inside.
"Laaaaadies and Gentle man ...the party has arrived," Poe appears holding up a large case of food, nodding his head in the direction of the sphere-shaped globes set up in the middle of the park which allowed you and several friends to enjoy a warmer way of eating and drinking outside while encased in glass.
The conversation for the next hour was a mixture of Finn fawning over the park’s fancy bathroom, Rose gushing about the holiday magic of the city, and Poe explaining the brunch dishes he brought them; which included chocolate, hazelnut and raspberry-filled doughnuts - a chorizo with pepper jack cheese quiche - coconut chia pudding - and two different omelettes, one with spinach and feta and the other with avocado and cotija cheese.
Then there was Rey sitting stock-still, listening to the varying topics and sampling everything, except for the omelettes.
At the end of their reserved hour, the four friends begin to clean up their garbage and prepare to head back outside. Rey continues to be on the quiet side even though she wants to blow up at Poe for openly staring at her the whole time.
What the hell is his problem?
Not even trying to hide the fact that something is on his mind, Poe squints those stupid eyes of his directly at Rey, and says, “Heya, Sunshine….I couldn't help but notice how you were overly enjoying everything except for my omelettes. Did you take your Vitamin D this morning?"
Furrowing her brows at him, "of course I took my suppressants….why would you ask me that?"
"Oh, no reason. Just wondering what was up with all the orgasmic mmmm's and ahhhh's you were making cause it sounds like you might not have taken the correct dosage for the day."
With a shocked gasp, Rey exclaims, “I was not! And I took enough for the next six hours."
Looking directly at her, Finn pauses in the middle of discarding his paper plate and napkin, "Excuse me, but you brought more with you just in case, right?"
“Ummm….” Rey looks from one friend to the next as she contemplates her answer.
"Reyyyy," the group collectively sighs as they exit the little igloo. Poe grabs his ringing phone from his pocket and walks away from Finn looking like a disgruntled pelican.
"Guys, everything will be fine, so stop making this a big deal!" she haughtily reassures her friends while tightening the scarf wrapped around her neck. She's about two seconds away from stomping both feet into the pavement. Rolling her eyes at the pointed glares from Finn and Rose, she takes a minute to readjust the knitted material across her face.
They try to keep the yelling down as Poe talks to his friend with one finger plugging an ear, "Alright, so we'll meet over by Phasma's for drinks and then head to Rockefeller Center. Sounds great! Okay, bye!"
"Happy now?" Rey sharply asks, leaving only her hazel eyes exposed to the elements. She is wearing a double-layered cream colored overcoat along with her matching set of mittens and hat to complete the ensemble.
"Tens of thousands of people will be filtering into the city every hour, Rey, and a majority of them are here to see the tree lighting just like us," Finn states as a matter of fact.
"Yeah, babes. Only taking a small dosage of suppressants this morning and neglecting to bring any more for later? That was a very bull-headed thing to do, even for you," Rose pauses to click several photos of Finn posing by a statue wearing a Santa hat.
"Oh, please. My body temperature will be perfectly balanced for the next six hours, especially if it does get down as low as 22°F tonight. No one ever notices me at large gatherings like this. Take a whiff of the air!! There are enticing scents available for all designations. I know how to take care of myself if that's what you're all worried about."
Finn tries his best to lighten the mood, "Hey, sis! We all know you have a great left hook, okay? So don't overreact and get all upset. We just want this trip to be amazing after everything that happened back home."
"The last time Finn and I visited New York City, we were able to sense all the swirling, powerful aromas around us. Just an enormous combination of all these Alpha and Omega scents in one sweaty, lust-filled cesspool," Rose reminisces, wrinkling her nose.
“But that was during the summer, and this time of year is a little different,” Rey points out.
Poe wraps an arm around Rey's shoulder and says, "God only knows how many more of us Omegas plan to be out and about tonight. You're bound to trigger someone into a heat.....or perhaps, vice versa ," he jokingly sniffs her coat with a wag of his eyebrows.
Rey pushes away her annoying Omega friend's arm, "I'm covered from head to toe, you horny git. Well, besides going to the extremes of squeezing drops of lemon juice into my nasal passages, my scent gland is under like three layers of clothing. I feel perfectly fine with this morning's dose. So, if anyone scents me amongst the 'hundreds of thousands' of others, then I'll just get down on one knee and propose right there."
Snapping a selfie with the group, Poe adds, "Let's not forget to mention your love of food and these vendors stirring up not just your taste buds on every corner. Who remembers what this girl did for a free taco?!"
All three hooligans raise their hands at the same time.
Pulling down her scarf, Rey fires back, "Oh, whatever! That was one time," attempting to cover Finn's hyena-like guffaw with a mitten. "Did you also happen to forget that to this day, Fernando still says my tits help him get through those long, lonely nights? Yeah, that's right, so….HA!" She makes sure to cover her mouth and nose before walking away with her head held high.
"Sunshine, we're just trying to make sure you'll be comfortable today! Rockefeller Center is still like ten blocks up!" Poe calls after her into the chilled air.
"Thanks, but I'm okay... Dad ," she responds while walking backward, flipping off Poe as she spins around to continue walking away like a petulant teenager.
"You should be so lucky you're not my daughter, Kenobi! I'd have you locked away at home whilst sitting on my front porch yielding a shotgun."
As they turn up at the corner of 42nd and 5th Avenue, to make the seven-block trek up to their final destination, the gang stops to let Rose snap more photos of street signs and pigeons sitting on them.
Rey smiles under her scarf while shaking her head and thanking all her lucky stars in the galaxy for bringing these amazing people into her life. They were her closest friends...no, she corrected, they were her family. The ones who chose to stay with her, unlike the people with whom she shared the same DNA.
Each one of them knew exactly when to give Rey her space, as they were doing so right now.
While avoiding eye contact with every passerby along 5th Avenue's bustling sidewalk, Rey ruminates over the last three weeks.
Never in her wildest dreams could she have ever imagined the chance of scoring a job at one of the most prestigious ad agencies in Los Angeles. Accepting that position four years ago was truly one of the greatest accomplishments of her life. Rey was amazed at the notion of having just the slightest bit of monetary success and independence going into adulthood, especially never having that kind of stability and comfort for most of her life.
Twenty-year-old Rey used to wish she could go back and tell her five-year-old self to believe the words she would later hear in passing: the belonging you seek is not behind you...it is ahead.
Losing her job was devastating, but it also made Rey feel thankful that she never acquired the means to travel back in time to tell her younger self a bunch of lies.
Those eerie, dark clouds from her past were sadly forming again and seem to have been always there, hiding in plain sight. Feelings of utter desolation and betrayal began to resurface a few weeks ago, reminding her of how she used to wait by a different stranger’s door every year for her parents.
Rose and Finn have always been there for her no matter what. She considered them both her cheerleaders way before the couple actually met. They officially became mates almost four years ago, exactly a month after Rey introduced them at Rose's 21st birthday party. She knew her Omega work wife and Alpha brother would hit it off splendidly. Not even a year later, the couple wed in a small ceremony with Rey and Paige Tico, respectively holding the titles as the Best Woman and Maid of Honor.
Poe came into their lives when Rose and Finn were searching for a venue that showcased flavorful food and had a highly regarded baker to make their illustrious wedding cake. The shortest friend of the bunch was absolutely elated upon their first meeting when Poe unapologetically announced his Omega designation. Finn was totally against this entire idea, considering he is Rey’s older brother, but Rose took it upon herself to try and pay it forward in the search for her bestie’s soulmate. Her miserably failed attempts to be meddlesome in Rey’s designation department was proven in the end when the Alpha was found to be more excited about the enticing food rather than Poe's suave advances.
Anytime she is able to sniff out the extra enthusiasm pouring from Rose’s entire body, Rey has to remind her about that huge error in judgement with Poe always being presented as “Exhibit Fucking A!”
Now, here they are spending the holidays together in New York City.
Rey is fairly certain that Poe plans on introducing them to his newest Alpha obsession. For the last six months, all he did was complain about how terrible it's been working with some dickhead Alpha. But when Poe started singing praises about the same guy one day, Rey just rolled her eyes at him and said she didn't want to hear about his conquests anymore. He laughed and couldn't argue his love for such difficult men and women.
Which in Rey’s mind meant that another close friend is about to begin a new journey in life while she’s stuck behind.
Around this time last year, Poe had decided to chase his culinary career across the country, and Rey could not have been more elated for one of her friends venturing out into the great wide unknown. Sure, she missed being his taste-tester and sometimes even that annoyingly charming nature he oozed, but she would never mention the latter.
Snapping out of her reprieve, Rey looks at the upcoming street sign then reaches for her cell phone to check the time. Her pockets are empty! She pinches the bridge of her nose with her mittens as she remembers slipping it into Finn’s backpack for safe keeping.
"Fuck!" Rey swears out loud, turning the heads of an elderly couple crossing the 46th Street intersection. She apologetically shuffles her way around them and retreats back to 45th. Craning her neck at the corner, Rey attempts to pinpoint the last known location she left her friends.
As she continues walking down the next block, Rey approaches a large group of people listening to a musician play "Joy to the World" on a beautifully, holiday-decorated marimba.
How did she completely miss this jolly looking man the first time she walked by? It's kind of hard to miss someone wearing the same exact Santa suit as his proud little pup who was rounding up tips. Rey surmises it to her dark thoughts and less than joyful little world. Groaning inwardly, it dawns on her just then that Finn is also carrying her wallet!
Dammit, Kenobi!! Get your shit together!!
She silently promises to come back and tip the two performers; if she ever finds her friends again. Now even more determined to locate them, Rey is impatiently waiting for the traffic light to turn red. When the pedestrians are given the signal to safely cross, a passing sweet and spicy breeze gently caresses the tiny hairs inside her nostrils. She rubs at the tickling sensation through her scarf, then adamantly shakes her head from thinking about ways to score a free treat at a churros stand.
Suddenly, she is almost knocked to the ground, but not by a physical force as she scans her surroundings. No, Rey definitely walked into something invisible; a suffocating cloud deliciously swirling with vanilla, hazelnut, and spicy citrus scents. She feels the stirrings reminiscent of an electrical storm as every nerve ending in her body fires all at once, beginning from the top of her hair follicles then rapidly traveling down to the tips of her red-painted toes.
Even through her scarf, she catches notes of nutmeg mixed with chocolate, some kind of berry, and...and cedar?? What the hell could cause all the air to rush from her lungs like this?
Hunched over in the middle of the intersection with her head between both knees, Rey’s attempting to smother her face with her mittens, but it’s too late. Each and every breath she devours through the knitted material only solidifies the fact that her lungs and airways, her entire respiratory system, has been compromised. The burning sensation causes her vision to become hazy for seconds, maybe even minutes, as millions of tiny, little flares ignite under her skin, traveling rapidly through blood vessels causing her skin to feel extremely itchy. Her Alpha brain roars that she is completely overdressed, so Rey hurriedly rips away her scarf, hat, and unzips the heavy fucking coat that Rose had insisted she wear outside today.
Trying to remove herself from this plane of existence, Rey tightly closes her eyes and swears she can feel the heady notes begin to dissolve as she holds her precious gold locket to her chest.
Cautiously taking in a slower breath through her mouth, she removes her mittens and stuffs them in her coat pockets. Pressing the semi-warm fingers from her left hand into her throat, Rey gently slides them across her collarbone to cup the pulsating gland on her right shoulder. She lets out a low moan feeling the liquid heat pooling in her panties.
Gulping down the cold late-afternoon air for relief, Rey’s frantic eyes are now trying to focus on solid objects while in search of WHO could have caused her body to respond this way.
"Sunova-" Being pushed in all directions as tourists now have the light to walk up or down 5th Avenue, Rey feels herself drifting with the crowd as her slightly paralyzed figure gets taken across the wrong intersection.
Scoffing at the sea of people hurrying by without even a second glance, the urge to shout several obscenities at the ones gawking in her direction also fills Rey with a certain kind of rage. Right now, though, she has more important things to worry about, like her lady parts crying out in distress.
As she drops the hand from the juncture of her neck and shoulder, Rey winces at the heat emanating from her mating gland. Unable to count them all, but the 753 eyes (yes, a one-eyed pirate is staring)...are all zeroing in on her, making the hairs at the back of her neck stand up.
The strong, masculine mixture surrounds her again, igniting a spark she has briefly encountered a couple of times in her life. As it flickers down her throat, the reverberating pressure settles at the base of her spine. She visibly shudders not from the cold, which she could no longer feel, but from the rippling force between her thighs.
Frantically swiveling her head from side to side, she is unable to find a familiar face or even her own voice to yell for help. As that same sweet and spicy aroma continues circling, it strikes her like a desert storm with an all-consuming, kinetic energy visibly crackling through the air.
As Rey glances down, her eyes focus on a black glove reaching through the mass of people. A force beyond her comprehension has her extending her own hand out to this unknown being until she pulls back quickly. Cocking her head to the side, she realizes that someone is actually coming to her aid. Upon her hesitation, the gloved hand disappears within the crowd only to re-emerge seconds later completely bare.
Looking down at this hand, this large unrecognizable hand, she concludes there are only two feasible options. One being that she could accept the help from this mysterious man who obviously is not Finn or Poe….or two, she gives an Off-Broadway debut performance to her one-woman show called Solo Sex on 5th Avenue .
She takes the hand.