Chapter Text
Bangkok, Thailand, 1941.
The pilot, Perth Tanapon, was preparing for his routine flight for yet another of his humanitarian missions. His own plane, named PS SOM, was already loaded with provisions and medicine, as well as fuel for the journey, however short, which was important for his country.
His destination was in the north, among the mountains, in Chiang Mai, where, after an air raid by British troops, a small village had been drastically affected.
The plan was simple, it had to be quick. Get off at Suthep Airport, leave the necessary cargo with the military in the region, and then return safely to Bangkok, as with all its successful flights.
For Perth, flying was like breathing, easy and routine, something he had done since his youth, following in the footsteps of his father, a retired alpha colonel who had a distinguished career in aviation. Perth aspired to get there, preparing himself to be the pride of his family, who counted on his effort.
So even with heavy clouds in the sky, the alpha pilot didn't think twice before taking off. With his uniform perfectly aligned and a deep desire to help those who so desperately needed his services, Perth found himself taking flight, feeling that nervous excitement that kept him alive.
Despite the wind and unstable weather, Perth flew with mastery as usual, taking the ideal amount of time to begin spotting the mountains in the distance, ready to land in Chiang Mai, flying close to his destination.
But as if a trick being played on his overconfidence, Perth felt a sudden jolt when his plane was struck from behind, causing the experienced pilot to lose control of the aircraft in an instant.
Despite the shock of what was likely a planned air raid, Perth tried to remain calm, focusing on freeing up the weight of the supplies to attempt an emergency landing.
Despite his calm demeanor, the control panel flashed in warning, signaling the chaos his systems had been left in after the attack. It seemed like a complete power outage, preventing Perth from having the control he needed to descend safely.
As he focused on his next steps, feeling his latitude decrease with each passing minute, Perth felt another jolt, this time in one of the wings, causing his plane to lose all balance and spin into a certain crash that would have led to his death.
All Perth managed to do was adjust the angle before crashing too close to the village he was supposed to protect, feeling the impact of the fall throughout his body before completely blacking out, feeling too great a rage in his chest to accept the end.
The pain was felt before any other sensation or emotion, rising from his right leg up his spine and ending in his head, which throbbed with alertness. His whole body seemed to be screaming, but somehow, there was a part of him that felt at peace, a sensation he didn’t remember feeling since he was very young, when his omega father was still alive and taking care of him.
A soft melody could be heard in the background, while his eyes still seemed too heavy to open, as was his body, unable to move in his despair.
Somewhere between dream and consciousness, Perth felt as if he were in a jasmine field, the aroma that touched his face was comforting, warm, and too sweet to be true. It was as if he were floating in this garden that called to him, taking him to paradise for a few moments before bringing him back to reality, when he could finally open his eyes, feeling his heart stop for a few seconds at the figure before him.
“You're awake! Oh my… Your eyes are really beautiful, Mr. Pilot.”
Perth had to blink a few times to realize he wasn't dreaming, or worse, dead. Which was really difficult considering the most pretty man he had ever laid eyes on in his entire life was standing just inches from his face, his breath catching in his throat at such beauty.
The young man, clearly an omega, with fair skin and long hair that framed his delicate face, also had an innocent and playful smile, wrinkling even his eyes and highlighting his chubby cheeks. Everything about him was pretty, cute, and too attractive for Perth not to get lost for a few moments, disconcerted by a beauty worthy of paintings and epic poems.
"Can you speak? Or understand me?" The omega tilted his head slightly, still hovering over Perth, their faces too close, allowing the alpha to finally understand where that sweet jasmine scent was coming from, feeling overwhelmed again by the young man, even in such a short time.
"Mm... Where am I?" Perth managed to say, testing his hoarse voice, while looking around, but there was no answer. "Who are you?"
Perth tried to move, feeling a sharp pain in his leg and all his bones aching reflexively, while his head felt too heavy, perhaps with a bruise somewhere on his skull. He didn't seem to be in any kind of hospital or suitable place to treat any of his injuries, which confused him even more.
All he could see around him was a room, too small, too simple to have what he needed for his current condition.
“My name is Santa, and you're Perth, right, Phi? We're at my house now.”
“How… How do you know me?”
Santa didn't answer, he simply held up his Perth identification card, while continuing to sport a playful smile on his handsome face. It contained all the information they needed, his rank, name, place and date of birth.
“I found this among the wreckage of your plane, I hope you don't mind…”
"Wreckage? Was it that bad?" Perth began to slowly remember the accident, having flashes of the attack and his last memories before falling too close to one of the humble houses in the village.
"Mm... Not so bad, it might be fixable. I managed to retrieve the supplies you brought and I've already left them with the elders, Phi." Santa seemed to ramble, moving to pick up something that Perth didn't understand before feeling the icy touch on his skin. "I hope you don’t mind, but I’m applying some of the medicine you brought to your wounds. You’ll recover soon.”
“Why didn't you take me to the hospital?”
Santa's movements paused for a few seconds, lost in thought, his smile wavering for a moment before he resumed applying the medication to Perth's visible injuries.
"Our hospital was hit… We're doing our best to care for the sick as best we can right now." Santa blinked a few times, then resumed humming as he examined the pilot's body. "But you can rest assured, Phi. I know what I'm doing."
“Are you a nurse?”
"No. But I know what's needed, I always help out as much as I can here. I'm kind of a jack-of-all-trades in the village." Santa smiled again, his eyes blinking delicately, paying full attention to the alpha. "Then you were lucky to end up right in my yard, even if I lost some of my crops because of it."
Santa seemed to enjoy rambling while Perth was still trying to make sense of the whole situation. At that moment, all he knew was that he was being cared for by the most pretty and fragrant omega he’d ever met, lying practically naked in a room permeated by the scent of jasmine and a startling simplicity. His plane, his greatest achievement and most precious possession, had been hit and might never be the same again.
His leg seemed broken, and his father should have already received news from the base about the loss of his air signal. No one who knew him knew where he was, but for a moment, nothing seemed to matter more than the gentle sensation on his skin as Santa touched him with tenderness and a zeal that banished any pain and worry.
"You know... When I found you, I thought you were an angel, Phi." Santa let out a mischievous giggle. "Such a handsome officer falling from the sky right into my house... You have to admit that doesn't happen every day."
“You… still don't know me. Why do you keep calling me "Phi"?”
Santa paused to think for a few seconds, making a slight pout that melted Perth's usually icy heart even more.
“I call everyone Phi… And you're older anyway.”
“I understand that, how old are you, little one?”
“I just turned twenty-two, and you'll be twenty-five soon, won't you?”
Perth simply agreed, noticing an innocence in Santa that made him seem even younger, like a child discovering the world.
Once all his injuries had been treated and his leg immobilized, Santa appeared with a basin of water and a towel, blushing slightly in the process.
“You have a fever, Phi… Let me help you with that.”
After wetting the towel and removing the excess water, Santa began to clean Perth's neck and shoulders, averting his gaze from his toned body exposed to the dim light of the candles that surrounded the room.
Santa couldn't help but blush, especially when he noticed Perth's gaze on him, watching him with an intensity that only an alpha could possess. With every touch, his heartbeat quickened, almost audible in the silence of the room, while night fell outside.
For the first time since waking up, Perth could lose himself in the silence, noticing the nervousness in Santa who had suddenly fallen silent. His scent had become more intense, while his hand seemed to tremble as he performed the task with such care.
As soon as he needed to move further south, letting the towel hang over Perth's abdomen, Santa was stopped by a hand on his wrist, while Perth could feel his heart racing in the process.
“You can stop, I'll be fine.”
“But…”
“You don't need to try so hard.”
Santa's gaze wavered, seemingly restraining himself as much as possible before the alpha lying on his bed, exuding a combination of frankincense and other fresh herbs, making the omega nervous with his masculine pheromones.
“I-it’s okay… You can sleep in my bed, I’ll take the couch.” Santa gathered up everything he’d brought with him to take care of Perth, who was still watching his every clumsy move. “Get some rest, Phi. That way, you’ll recover soon and be able to go back to your family.”
Santa smiled one last time before leaving Perth alone, allowing the alpha to take a deep breath for the first time that confusing night.
The omega had left a trail of his scent behind, warming Perth with the warmth of his sweetness that seemed to fill every room he passed through.