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The last thing Gustave would ever have considered himself was a traditionalist.
An alpha who only wanted an omega, or thought that he could only have an omega for his true mate.
What bullshit. He'd rather mate someone who didn't mind that he spent more time in his workshop than at home, and to hell with whatever their gender was. It hadn't mattered to him, and it never would matter.
Sophie, a beta with a soft scent of fresh linen and with the kindest eyes he had ever seen, had been the easy choice. He'd fallen in love with her, with her laughter, with her teasing, and with the way she never made him feel strange for the things that he'd wanted. She hadn't wanted the same, and despite him asking, they hadn't exchanged mated bites.
(Though he was proud that she'd let him hold her hands while she gommaged. It had been something she refused to share with anyone else and he held that close in his heart.)
All of that to say, when he had met Verso, and the soft scent of a hearth, of home, of curling up in front of a warm fire with mulled wine on a cold day had wrapped around him, clearly a beta, and yet just as treasured, just as welcome, he'd melted into it before he'd even realized it. (That might have had to do with the fact that that scent was the last thing he smelled before he thought he was about to die, but then he didn't die, and strong arms had carried him and Maelle safely away.)
Verso had been a study in endless contradictions. A liar, a fraud, someone who had kept secrets from them that had nearly led to their death multiple times over. But at the end of it all, when the full, agonizing story had finally poured out of him like a tidal wave that could not be stopped, it had been Gustave who had stepped up, forgiven him, and focused on moving forward.
He'd never regretted it. Not for a single moment, but especially not when Verso had shot him a small, pleased smile, and the scent of a warm hearth had gone soft and welcoming. Gustave had sat down next to Verso and refused to move for the remainder of the evening so he could soak himself in it. He wanted to make Verso smell like that every single day he could - content. Unafraid, and maybe, just a little bit happy. He deserved it, and hadn't had enough of it in his life.
Which was why, now that their adventure was, at last, done, and Maelle would be leaving the canvas in the morning after staying a few extra weeks to help in the rebuilding efforts and to say goodbye to everyone, a party was being thrown. Emma's bright idea of a Masquerade ball (to help reintroduce those who had been gommaged in a new way, to encourage everyone to mingle and meet each other) had thrown all of Lumiere into a wild tizzy.
Costumes and masks were being made and sold and designed, each one more elaborate than the last, and Gustave had shook his head, watching as the excitement built. He hadn't expected Verso to even be interested in the event, let alone design his own mask, but when Verso had shown him the mask that looked as though it was made of black cracked marble filled in with gold had made him gasp at its beauty. He'd memorized the sight of it, and when Verso had asked how his own mask was coming along, if he was planning to attend, Gustave had immediately lied and said it was a surprise.
That had apparently pleased Verso and he'd been given a grin that had made his heart turn over in his chest. But if Verso wanted to be found at the masquerade by him, then he would make sure of it, and dance in front of everyone with him, so they all knew that he was taken, and ask to court Verso properly. Court him with the intention of a mating, and sharing a mating bite. Gustave shuddered happily at the thought and made his way to his workshop to get started in earnest. He didn't have long.
--
Verso was lucky.
Verso nodded along when Sciel said that for the fourth time, furiously working the sewing machine in front of her with the jacket that she was sewing shoots of golden thread into that would match his mask. Thankfully the rest of his clothes (all black, to match the aesthetic) didn't require any sort of design, but the jacket... he had wanted his jacket to match his mask.
He had wanted to show off for Gustave, just the tiniest bit. Verso had known that decades on the Continent had stripped him of all the traditional omega qualities that alphas prized in a mate, but Gustave didn't seem to mind, and had looked thrilled to find out what mask he would be wearing.
Not to mention, being back around Lumiere, around other people, and around a compatible alpha, his cycle had finally solidified into what it was supposed to be, and Sciel had informed him that his scent was starting to change and shift to a more natural omega scent with far more facets and depth. He'd never disliked that he smelled partially like fire (and Gustave had always seemed to enjoy his scent), but now there was much more to his scent, something woodsy that he was pleased with that lingered in his hair and on his wrists.
Sciel also said he smelled dangerous, though he didn't know what that meant and he hoped that Gustave did not mind, whatever it was. No matter what, Gustave would find him, and they would dance, and perhaps he would... he would make an offer for them to...
Verso shook his head and ordered himself not to think about it. If he thought about it, he ran the chance to being disappointed. A dance with Gustave, a chance to spend time with the alpha and bask in his scent, that was all he really wanted from the evening. Imagining or wishing anything more was... was foolish, and he didn't want to set himself up for disappointment. That was the last thing he wanted to risk. He couldn't do that to himself.
"There," Sciel announced, shaking out the jacket, offering it to Verso. "I think that is going to look magnificent with your mask, what do you think?"
Verso took the jacket and nodded firmly at the sight of it. "Perfect," he announced, and gave her another smile, hugging it to his chest. "Thank you for helping me," he added when she gave him a smile and a wink.
"You're going to knock him off his feet," Sciel promised, her voice soft. "He's not going to know what hit him and I can't wait to see it."
Verso couldn't help the real smile that he managed to give her, taking a deep breath, before he thanked her again and made his way back to the apartment over Mathilde's that he had made his own. The rest of his suit was hanging in his bedroom and he made sure it was freshly pressed and ironed, just like a proper omega would have ready for their alpha.
--
The party was... was wildly successful.
Everyone in Lumiere appeared to be in attendance, and Gustave had made sure to find his sister first, giving her a tight hug to congratulate her on the idea before losing himself in the crush of the party. He had Verso to find and ask to court, and it was going to take time to find him in the sea of sparkling masks. He stepped into the ballroom and immediately froze, the most tantalizing scent he had ever smelled making him stop in his tracks.
"Yeah, he's been having that effect on people all night," Alan said, looking over at Gustave with a huff. The man looked absolutely thunderstruck and he fought down a snort. "You should go say hi," he added, taking a long sip of his champagne. The sooner Gustave and Verso left the party, clearly wrapped up in each other, it would be for the better. Every single alpha who walked into the ballroom had surrounded Verso, and though he seemed to be enjoying playing the coquette for the time being, from where he could see, Verso kept scanning the crowd, clearly, obviously looking for someone.
Alan turned to look at Gustave again and found him striding pointedly away from the ballroom, headed into the rest of the party and groaned, resigning himself to dealing with whatever these two were going to get up to for the remainder of the evening. He sighed and took a long sip of his champagne. He would have to find much more entertaining company for the evening if those two were going to get up to something ridiculous, and it looked like they were.
Gustave strode quickly, making his way away from the intoxicating, cloying scent of the omega that was in the ballroom and focused on searching the rest of the party. It was massive, but he kept his eyes peeled for the black mask with gold cracks. Verso had wanted to be found, had showed him the mask, and he was not going to miss Verso. He knew his scent, knew it as well as he could know any other, and he was not going to let that stop him from finding and asking Verso to court him, at last. He just had to keep looking. He would find Verso, he would. Verso was here waiting for him, somewhere.
--
Verso checked the clock at the back of the room as the dancing at last began in earnest. He turned down alpha after alpha asking for his hand to dance and tried not to growl as he thought about the one alpha that he was waiting for. He could have sworn that he had smelled Gustave come closer multiple times, only to turn and make an abrupt exit from the ballroom. He fidgeted and took a slower sip of his water, managing a smile when the alpha next to him offered him another compliment on his mask, clearly gearing up to ask him for a dance.
Verso sighed and steeled himself to turn her down again. There was only one alpha that he was waiting for, and Gustave would find him eventually. He would. He'd... well. He hadn't promised, but Gustave knew what his mask looked like, Gustave was going to find him.
--
Gustave tried not to growl in absolute frustration as he stalked toward the ballroom once more. He'd made two full laps of the party and had not caught a single whiff of Verso's scent, which meant that he was in the ballroom (his heart leapt at the idea that Verso was waiting to be asked to dance by him), but he would need to brave the scent of the omega that all of the other alphas were clearly clustering around. He avoided the crowd and circulated the room, twice, looking out at the dancing couples and the other people lingering at the sides of the dance, but there was no sign of the black mask with gold cracks and he wanted to snarl, because how was he supposed to find Verso when all he could smell was that omega?
Gustave tried not to growl, and he wondered if Verso had decided to forgo coming for the evening, had skipped it when he realized just how many people were going to be there? Was Verso not here, despite promising that he would be? He stopped in the doorway of the ballroom again, casting a scowl at the large cluster of alphas that were clearly around a poor omega that was trying not to be overwhelmed by them all. He didn't want to risk giving Verso the wrong impression or he would have immediately stepped through the crowd and asked them to dance. They deserved to avoid the suffocation of all of those alphas. It was too much for him and he wasn't the center of attention of all of it.
But more importantly, where was Verso, and why hadn't Gustave been able to find him? He wanted to dance with Verso, he wanted to ask to court him, wanted to maybe even kiss him, if Verso had allowed it, and here he was, standing on the edge of the ballroom, watching all of the dancing couples with barely restrained jealousy, ready to start growling, because he couldn't find his beta all because this one omega's scent was so strong and so overpowering that-
"Gustave?"
Gustave hadn't registered the shifting of the group to his side, but the omega had clearly gotten up to leave, because the crowd had parted for him, and that was when Gustave realized three things in tremendously abrupt succession.
One. The drugging, intoxicating scent of the omega that he knew he would never forget... actually belonged to Verso.
Two. Verso was clearly not a beta, never had been by what his nose was telling him, and had always been an omega, for all that he might not have smelled like one.
Three. Verso was clearly upset and likely thought Gustave had been avoiding him all evening, if the hurt and confused expression on his face was any sort of indication.
Putain de bordel de merde.
Verso looked gorgeous. Absolutely breathtaking, his mask matching his jacket in a way that threatened to steal Gustave's breath from him, because he'd never seen anything so beautiful in all of his days. However, the clear hurt and upset expression on Verso's face was going to require addressing immediately, and he wasn't about to do it with a crowd of alphas standing around both of them.
Stepping forward, Gustave gave Verso a shy smile and bared his neck, watching Verso's eyes widen at the gesture before he stepped closer and held out his hand, clearing his throat. "I've been looking for you all evening," he stated, even though that got him a suspicious look. "Would you dance with me? Please?"
Verso hesitated, before holding out his hand. "Yes."
Gustave carefully took Verso's hand when it was offered to him and lifted it up to his lips, pressing a soft, gentle kiss to it, which made some of the upset fade from Verso's expression at least, as he led the way to the dance floor. The other alphas around them were astonished, and Gustave couldn't help the flare of pride that Verso had picked him when he could have had any of them and brought Verso onto the dance floor, carefully spinning Verso into his arms, before they began to dance slowly together.
After a few minutes of dancing together, Verso narrowed his eyes in determination, and in a quick switch of positions, took the lead and began to lead Gustave across the floor. Gustave's eyes widened before he was laughing, his entire face lit up in joy, his scent bursting with pleasure that nearly had Verso demanding Gustave kiss him right then and there, only to sway closer, letting him continue to lead without any sort of protest or attempt to take back control.
"Your jacket looks beautiful," Gustave complimented after they had danced a full circuit around the room without doing anything more than stare into each other's eyes. "It matches your mask perfectly. You've done a magnificent job on it."
Verso tipped his chin up, preening. "I had help on the jacket, but I made the mask myself."
Gustave smiled and tried not to shiver under the flood of scent that suddenly surrounded him from Verso. He could almost taste how pleased Verso had been with the compliment. And before, where his scent had been the soft warmth of the hearth, now it was... was home. It was fresh bread, good wine, warmth, and sunshine, all wrapped up in one, and he never wanted to smell anything else ever again. He wanted to bury himself in the scent and inhale it for hours until it was branded on his very soul.
Verso groaned, low and deep in his throat at the way Gustave's scent shifted, growing deeper and more intent, the scent of petrichor, electricity, oil, and gunpowder circling around him like a net he was becoming trapped in. This was what he'd spent wanting all evening, but Gustave had been avoiding him and he needed to know why.
"Why did you stay away from me for so long?" Verso asked, lifting his eyes to Gustave's. "I kept smelling you come closer, and then you'd move away again. Why?"
Gustave flushed and cleared his throat. "I didn't do it on purpose," he admitted, looking at Verso. "I..." He groaned and looked up at the ceiling. "You're going to laugh at me," he warned and met Verso's eyes again. "I thought you were a beta. I was looking for your scent. I've been hunting for it all night. That one I've known for months now. Hearth. Home. That's what I've been looking for."
Verso blinked. "I... what?"
Gustave huffed and shrugged and leaned in to press their foreheads together without bumping their masks as they swayed together, carefully shifting them again so he could take control of the dance again and press Verso closer to him so he could make sure he heard the truth of his words. "I painted my mask gold with chroma because I wanted to match yours. I thought you might wear black so I..." he gestured down to his mix of gray and white. "I wore something to compliment. But when I smelled you for the first time tonight... I didn't realize it was you."
Verso was stunned, and let Gustave lead them on another circle around the room.
"Truthfully," Gustave said, giving Verso a shy look. "I was upset at whatever omega was attending tonight that smelled so good and was attracting so much attention, because it was preventing me from finding you and that was all that I cared about, and all I have cared about all night. Was finding you, because..." he paused and cleared his throat. "I had an important question I wanted to ask you."
"Had?" Verso forced himself to ask, tugging them to a stop so they could step off the dance floor and to the back of the ballroom where the windows were open and led to a balcony where they could have a moment of privacy together. His heart was pounding, and he refused to be upset that he might have lost Gustave already when he had not even had a chance to have him, all because Gustave hadn't known.
"Have," Gustave corrected as soon as they were mostly alone on the balcony, watching Verso's shoulders immediately relax and that same shy smile from before return. He took both of Verso's hands and drew him to the edge of the balcony and looked up at the shine of the dome. "If I had my way, we'd be standing under the proper stars while I do this, but I can't quite figure out how to do that with the dome just yet. Soon, though."
Verso stepped closer and gave Gustave's hands a squeeze in return. "I'd like that," he admitted, softly. "But, you thought I was a beta, and you still..."
"Your designation doesn't matter to me. It's never mattered to me. Whether you were a beta, or an omega, or an alpha. It never mattered. I wanted you, Verso." Gustave paused and amended, sheepishly. "I want you," he corrected, his voice softening. "If you would, um. Consent to being courted, I want to um. Do this properly. You deserve to be courted properly, to be showered in gifts, and, and treated right. Anything you want, everything you deserve. "
Verso let out a soft whine and leaned in to press their foreheads together again. "Alpha," he whispered.
Gustave shuddered and squeezed Verso's hands tighter. "Verso," he whispered back, inhaling how much deeper and heavier Verso's scent had gotten and knew what he wanted, what they both wanted. "Omega."
Verso's breath caught and a full-body tremble went through him as he swallowed and opened his eyes to look at Gustave, to meet his eyes through the mask. "I had thought..." he started, and paused. "I don't... I don't like having my scent like this, all of the time. Everyone knowing everything I'm thinking or feeling."
Gustave nodded, stroking his thumbs over the back of Verso's hands. "Of course. That makes sense."
"But, but I thought. Tonight, you, you deserved to get to see me, fully. To have me be a proper omega for you," Verso admitted, squirming against the performative instinct, while another part of him wanted to roll over and show his belly to Gustave. The conflict had never bothered him as much as it had the past few weeks. "So I could be worthy of an alpha like you, Gustave."
Gustave huffed and shook his head. "Verso," he corrected, his voice firming. "You never have to be a proper omega for me. What I want is the man who I thought was a beta, who regularly knocks me on my ass in training, who is utterly brilliant and refuses to admit as much, and is stronger, and braver, than I could ever be." He reached up and cupped Verso's chin in his palm. "I don't want whatever picture of omegas is in your mind. That's never what I've wanted. I want you. I want to court you."
Verso blinked at Gustave and his brows wrinkled in confusion. "But Gustave-"
"No," Gustave interrupted, reaching out to press his forefinger against Verso's lips. "I want you, Verso. As I've known you these past few months. However and in whatever way that means to you." He gave Verso a small smile. "I would, however, be honored if you would consider taking a shirt or two of mine for your nest, if that's something you want."
"I don't-" Verso snapped his mouth shut and looked away from Gustave, shame-faced. Another way in which he was an imperfect omega. He hadn't wanted his nest where he could squirrel things away that smelled like Gustave. He wanted to move into Gustave's apartment, to be surrounded by his scent all of the time. "I don't have a nest," he admitted, gritting the confession out through his teeth.
Gustave waited for Verso to look at him again, though it was clear the confession had cost Verso a great deal of his pride and he was waiting to be censured on what proper omegas should do and have. "Okay," he said, offering Verso a smile. "If that changes, you're welcome to steal some of my shirts. Or would you like something else, instead?"
Verso bit down the urge to demand space in Gustave's home, because that was patently absurd and not something he should even be considering demanding, let alone wondering how Gustave would react to it. He frowned and looked down at the handsome vest his alpha had worn to match him, with the white shirt that matched his mask underneath, smoothing his hand over it. Flicking his eyes up, Verso straightened his shoulders and met Gustave's eyes dead-on. Gustave had said he didn't mind that he didn't act like a traditional omega, and it was time to see how true that was.
"Then, while we're courting, when, when we decide to spend the night together, we are doing it in your apartment. So I can be surrounded by your scent. That's what I want," Verso demanded. "I've, I've been imagining you for a long time, alpha. I hope that you aren't expecting a long courting period."
Gustave laughed, his head falling back, delighted, and shook his head. "I will absolutely need to clean and dust my apartment before you descend upon it, so please give me at least two days. But then you are welcome whenever you like, as often as you like. I know I'd like having you in my space like that."
Verso blinked, because that... it was that easy? "You do not mind?"
Gustave tilted his head. "Why would I mind? Having the omega I am courting around me all the time? Sound to me like a perfect opportunity to spoil you regularly like you deserve. I couldn't imagine anything more perfect." He grinned at Verso. "We're already used to living around each other after traveling so long, it will be wonderful having you around all of the time again. I've missed you."
Verso stared at Gustave, his heart soaring, his scent giving away how happy he was, but it was worth it for the way it made his alpha's eyes sparkle in the candle light from inside. "I've missed you too," he admitted. It had been difficult to learn to sleep alone again. "And we can... we can visit the Continent, and Monoco?"
Gustave lit up. "Yes! I would love to go back to his Station, I want to spend days studying the trains, and you could tell me so much more about them, I've been wanting to go for so long. I have to finish my current project on the power set up for the city, but once that is complete, if you'd like to go visit Monoco, I would love that, Verso!"
The alpha was so excited about the prospect, Verso stepped forward and buried his face in the arch of his alpha's throat, right against his scent gland, purring softly in pleasure. Gustave truly didn't mind. When two strong arms came around him and held him close, and one buried into his hair and began petting him slowly, Verso fought down the urge to purr for only a minute before he gave in.
"You can have anything you want. And if I am busy and you want to go, you are always welcome to go and I will join you after," Gustave breathed softly into Verso's hair. "I love how strong you are, Verso. You do not need to stay here and play house for me. If anything, I want to do that for you. I love doing that for you, taking care of you and spoiling you." He paused and smiled. "Not to spoil one of my planned courting gifts, but I do promise that at least one of them is something sharp and shiny that I know you would appreciate."
Verso wasn't expecting the laugh that broke out of his throat, but when Gustave's scent went all deeply pleased at it, he pulled himself back and met his alpha's eyes, barring his neck for Gustave in the proper tradition. "I would be honored to accept your offer of courting, alpha," he stated formally, before stepping closer. "However, you are not allowed to wait more than a week to let me start climbing into your bed."
Gustave let out a low, pleased growl. "I would never dream of disappointing my omega in such a way. I'll make sure my apartment is clean."
Verso nodded, and tucked his fingers into Gustave's belt and tugged him closer until they were pressed together from hip to chest. "You do that, alpha. And you had best expect to also receive courting gifts in return. I would not have anyone doubting my claim on my alpha." He let out a low rumble and felt Gustave shiver against him. "I don't plan on letting anyone else think they have a chance with you. You are mine."
"Yours," Gustave promised, shivering at the pleased, deep purr that got him from Verso that seemed to reverberate through his entire body. "Yours, omega. All yours." He reached up and pressed his thumb to Verso's lips, glancing up at him again. "Can I-"
Verso cut off the question with a desperate kiss, wrapping his arms around Gustave's shoulders, pressing in closer to him. He swallowed the deep moan that seemed to rumble out of his alpha, kissing him harder and more insistently until his alpha was melting for him, and they had to break apart for air. "Don't keep me waiting long, alpha, please," he begged.
Gustave laughed weakly, his head falling back. "I am tempted to take you back to my apartment right now, so you can walk down to the market tomorrow with my mark on your neck."
Verso couldn't keep the desperate whine that escaped him a moment later from sneaking out of his mouth, and he flushed when Gustave looked at him, pointedly. He cleared his throat and looked away from Gustave and out over the gardens. "I... you want me that badly?"
"Verso," Gustave breathed, his voice soft. "I have spent the entire evening practically shoving people out of the way, trying to find you so I could ask to court you. Now you ask me how badly I want you?" He shuddered and breathed out, slow and rough. He reached out and tipped Verso's chin so the omega was looking at him again. "Do you want me to show you?"
Verso's mouth went dry at the dark, intent look in Gustave's eyes. There's a promise there, filled with heat, and desire and everything he had ever dreamed of wanting from an alpha. "Yes, alpha. Please."
Gustave growled, kissed Verso rough and desperate, before taking his hand. "No making fun of how much of a mess my room is. I spent hours picking out the right outfit for tonight."
Verso purred, pleased that his alpha had gone to such lengths to attempt to impress him. "I will only mock you for it a little bit." He paused, thoughtfully. "Unless of course, my mouth is occupied with something else."
Gustave groaned and pulled Verso out and into the gardens. "Come with me, I know the fastest way home." He kept their fingers tangled together, even as they raced across Lumiere's rooftops until they at last tumbled into his messy bed, clawing and clinging together until they were a sweaty pile of limbs, covered in marks, scratches, and blatant claims. It was perfect, it was everything he ever wanted.
Which made it all the easier, when Verso stepped out of his shower the following morning, his marked and thoroughly claimed body on full display while he dried his hair, that Gustave blurted, without thinking about it. "Stay." It was a single word, but it had snapped Verso's full attention to him. "Please stay," he amended.
Verso let out a low growl and let the towel drop to the floor, stalking his alpha, pressing him back into the messy sheets that smelled perfect, that smelled like them. "My alpha," Verso promised, seizing Gustave's lips in another kiss. When Gustave's fingers immediately tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, and his alpha spread his legs, letting him sink closer, until they were melting into each other, all over again.
Gustave rolled Verso over and into the sheets with a deep, possessive growl, and proceeded to show him just how grateful he was that Verso had claimed him in return. He was an alpha who had been picked by the strongest omega that he knew. There was no greater compliment. Verso was his, and he, well. He was happily Verso's. The marks on their necks said so.
(That, of course, did not stop Emma from reading both of them the riot act for turning up the market the following day nonchalantly looking like they had gotten mauled, but. Well. Neither of them were afraid to send a message that they were both thoroughly off-limits.)
(Sophie, however, had taken one look at both of them, and laughed for the better part of five minutes before wishing them well. Gustave had thanked her, then allowed Verso to drag him home to possessively cover him in even more marks, because he just wanted to make sure that everyone knew Gustave was taken. Several times over.)