Deep in the heart of France, there was a small village that sat on a river. The houses decorated in an array of beautiful colours. It was such a quaint little town. Homely but lively. The town was always bustling with merchants, farmers, travelers from afar. As well as the stories they brought with them.
A sigh escaped the brunette boy's lips as he stared out of his window. He lived away from the town in a small farmhouse with his mother.
"Yuuri~"
Honey-hued eyes shifted to where the voice came from. He smiled as he saw his mother walking up the dirt path from their small farm.
"Yuuri! Come help."
He fixed his glasses before he left his windowsill perch. He moved from his room on the second floor and down the stairs. Yuuri burst out of the barn styled back door, rushing to meet his mother on the path.
He fiddled with the drooping strap of his jumpsuit. The cloth matched the colour of the cornflowers that grew wild along the path.
As he met his mother, he rolled the sleeves up on his white undershirt.
"Maman…"(Momma)
His tone was patient but it carried a slight tone of worry. Yuuri gathered the basket of vegetables and grains from his mother. A bright smile beamed on Hiroko's face.
"Please don't go into the fields by yourself."
He followed behind the petite woman as they headed for the small cottage.
"You looked so happy with your cute little nose buried in that book."
A blush swept across his cheeks. His mother held the door open for him. Once inside, he moved to the rickety old table and rested the basket on the surface as gentle as he could.
Yuuri began putting the vegetables and grains away. His mother resting in the rocking chair near the fireplace.
Once he completed his task, Yuuri grabbed the kettle from the sink and slipped back outside. The brunet boy filled his lungs with the fresh air of spring and smiled. It made him think of the little town in Russia, where his book was set.
The smile carried on his face as he wandered back inside. Yuuri headed for the fireplace, sticking the kettle on the peg near the flue. He then turned to his mother, deciding to sit beside her, laying his head on her lap.
She peeked a soft brown eye open, her expression pleasant as she carded her fingers through her son's hair.
"š'il te plait, maman, (Please, momma,) Don't go in the fields by yourself."
Tears began to well in his eyes.
"It's spring and the wolves are out and… I can't lose you like we lost Papa."
He felt a finger brush the tears from his eyes and a hand scoop under his face. She lifted his head to get a better look at him.
"My sweet hearted boy, Very well. I won't do it again, okay?"
She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his forehead as the kettle began to whistle. Yuuri lifted himself up. He snatched the heat mitt from the hook beside the fireplace so he could reach the kettle.
Yuuri poured some of the hot water in a cup before fetching the tea from the cupboard. It had a floral smell to it, roses being the prominent smell. Citrus, strawberries, and cream flowed after as minor scents. It was by far, one of Yuuri's favorite smells.
On a tray, he brought over the tea, milk, and honey, setting it on the table beside his mother.
"Maman, I'm going to head into town and pick up a few things, do you need anything?"
Hiroko's attention had been distracted by staring off into the fireplace. She turned and smiled.
"Could you pick up some meats?"
The groan that rolled off Yuuri's lips made his mother laugh. He straightened the white apron he wore.
"You do realize, if I see Jean-Jacques, you won't hear the end of it."
The brunet boy was heading for the stairs again when his mother called to him.
"Yuuri, You can't stay here forever with me. You have to get married and live a life outside of your books, have pups of your own…"
The look of torment and disgust that played on his face as he disappeared up the stairs cause his mother laugh more. When Yuuri returned, he had a small violet book and a basket.
"I'd rather find a nice hovel somewhere and set myself on fire than settle down with Jean-Jacques..."
He made a soft retching noise.
"...and have his pups…"
Yuuri shuddered. He left the sound of his mother's laughing behind, as his exited the cottage. He was hoping to avoid the staggeringly narcissistic alpha.
It was nice to be out of the cottage. This past winter had been a harsh one. Yuuri and his mother struggled to survive after his father disappeared last Spring. It was presumed that his father was devoured by the wild wolves in the area.
In an attempt to distract himself, he pulled the small book out of his basket. Yuuri buried his nose back into the captivating romantic story line. He could tell that he was growing closer to the small river town. The smells and sounds beckoned for his every sense.
The market stands were busy, farmers unloading vegetation and livestock. The merchants selling fine wears were littered all over the sides of the road. Travelers from near and afar, telling stories of adventures in far away lands.
Yuuri let out a day-dreamy sigh as he thought of the thrill of adventure.
But that was not the life of an omega. Much to Yuuri's despair, he knew what his mother said was right, even if the alpha was wrong. But the brunet boy didn't want to think about it. Not then. Not ever.
He settled on revisiting the topic in a few years.
"Bonjour Yuuri."
The brunet boy jumped, startled from his thoughts. He glanced around to see who called for him, greeted by a friendly pair of sea foam coloured eyes.
"Ah, Monsieur Celestino! Bonjour!"
Yuuri played a sweet smile on his lips, ambling over to the baker's open window. There were fresh loaves of bread displayed. And they smelled heavenly.
"How are you this morning?"
The smell of the freshly baked goods made Yuuri's stomach grumble, quite loud in fact. A baritone laugh came from the baker.
"Hungry apparently."
A furious scarlet flush painted the poor boy's cheeks as he once more looked over the bread.
"Could I get three pain de campagne loaves and a dozen brioche, š'il vous plaît?"
Celestino gave the boy a quick nod before disappearing further into the bakery. Chocolate-hued eyes glanced around the market before he spotted the cheese cart.
"Perfect!"
He whispered to himself, rocking on the balls of his feet in a gentle motion as he awaited the baker's return. It wasn't long before he returned, handing over the three loaves and a small canvas bag full of brioche.
"Merci beaucoup!(Thank you very much) Have a wonderful day, Monsieur Celestino!"
Yuuri offered another smile as he turned, waving to the baker a farewell. The brunet boy then delved deeper into the market. He headed, naturally, for the cheese cart he spotted earlier. Yuuri fetched himself a few wheels of brie and a small jar of clotted cream.
The brunet omega let out a heavenly sigh as he tore into one of the brie wheels and some of the pain de campagne. The sun peaked out from the cloud cover, warming up the already beautiful spring day.
Before a sense of dread washed over Yuuri.
His pace quickened, his gaze shifting around when he spied the bookstore. With bright gold letters, the words 'The Last Page', were splayed across the storefront. It was a breath of relief that escaped past his lips, his silly grin returning. He continued his pace, however, hearing all too familiar voices in the distance.
The bell on the bookstore door rang as Yuuri ducked within. He closed the door as gently as he could, trying not draw too much attention to it. He sheepishly peered out of the shop's front window.
Yuuri hid against the wall when the sight of a familiar red shirt came into view.
"Yuuri!"
"PUTAIN!(F*CK!)"
The brunet swore rather loud. One hand immediately covering his mouth while the other fell over his now racing heart. Once he realized the situation, he threw his arms around the other ebony-haired omega.
"Je suis désolé,(I'm so sorry) Phichit!"
The sunny deposition of the other omega calmed Yuuri a great amount. The nervous pheromones that seemed to be oozing from Yuuri slowly ceased. This Phichit put his hands up, waving them.
"It's okay, It's okay. I'd hide too."
The wink that followed that sentence caused Yuuri to laugh. He fished the violet covered book from his basket, holding it out toward Phichit.
"Finished already?"
Another scarlet flush dusted across Yuuri's face as he headed for the bookcase.
"Maman made fun of me, but I couldn't put it down. Oh, Phichit… To live a life of adventure!"
Yuuri leaned against the bookcase, inhaling the fragrant aroma of the old books. Their pages cluttered with stories of romance and adventure, and so many new things to learn.
"You bookworm."
Yuuri scowled at his good friend who chuckled at him. He gazed over the books with a love struck fondness. His fingertips brushing over the worn spines and loved pages.
"Perhaps, but it makes our corner of the world so much larger."
The brunet pulled a familiar book from the shelf, smiling as if he were greeting at an old friend. He was gentle as he dusted the cover off before turning back to the book keep.
"Anything new?"
The comfortable laugh brought made Yuuri happy.
"Not since yesterday."
Phichit spied the book that Yuuri had pulled from the shelf.
"I'll borrow this one then."
The joy in Yuuri's face was something to be treasured. Few people in the town cared for books, always too busy.
The exception was his best friend.
Yuuri stopped by every day, twice a day if he could, just to see if he had any new adventures for him.
"Again?"
Yuuri hugged the book to his chest and giggled.
"Have you read it? Adventure, and sword fights, and, of course, love. True love, Phichit."
The tanned omega shook his head at the other, finding his endearment for the book adorable.
Phichit placed a hand on the other's shoulder. As much as he loved visiting with the brunet boy, He began leading him towards the door.
"It's yours then."
A soft gasp came from Yuuri.
"Really?! Merci, Phichit!"
Another hearty laugh emerged from Phichit as he waved his friend on. He knew all too well that the boy would sit in the shop all day if it were his choice. Yuuri had hardly taken a step out of the bookshop when he buried himself back into the book.
Yuuri found himself grinning.
This book was honestly his favorite.
It wasn't long before he wandered into the middle of town. Yuuri found himself at the fountain in the town center. The brunet fell to a sit on the stone ledge. He kicked his feet against the old, creamy stone, turning the page when he found an unexpected snout in his face.
Honey-hued eyes glanced to his side, finding a rather large pink and brown hog beside him. A tanned hand reached out and scratched under its chin as he felt another snout nudge his elbow. Yuuri found himself delighted with the additional company. At his feet, he found a few more pigs of various colours.
Yuuri cleared his throat, tanned finger now pointing to a page in the first chapter.
"Oooooh~ Isn't this... ah-mazing… It's my favorite part because you'll seeee~"
His voice was silvery; melodic. It captivated any villagers in the area listening. The warmth melted into their hearts, a few found unexpected smiles on their lips.
"Here's~ where she meets prince charming~... But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter threeeeee~"
The tune was euphonic and once he finished, it had been as if passing people were awoken from a trance. Yuuri's face was rosy as he realized what had happened. He gave the pig, who seemed tolerant of his lunacy, another scratch under the chin. The small herd was soon ushered off by their farmer, the boy in a soft panic.
His gaze turned upwards, watching the fluffy white clouds drift through the sky. The next sound that left Yuuri's lips was a sound of agitation as he hopped off the fountain. He could only pray that the red-clad simpleton could be avoided.
Perhaps when he saw him, he was on his way to the pub.
When Yuuri arrived at the butcher, he peeked around the doorframe. Not a shred of scarlet in sight. He clutched his book in relief as he entered the shop.
"Bonjour Yuuri!"
The brunet omega smiled politely to the couple behind the counter. They were a very sweet pair, it was a shame about their son, nonetheless.
"Ah, Bonjour Monsieur and Madame Leroy, Lovely morning isn't it?"
The older gentleman nodded his head, leaning against the counter. Mrs. Leroy took Yuuri's hands in her own as he approached the counter.
"How is your mother, Yuuri, is she well?"
A bashful expression played on Yuuri's face.
"Yes, yes, she is doing well, tired but well. I'll let her know you asked about her."
The old butcher interrupted the two as they chatted. He gave his wife a soft look of apology for the intrusion.
"Yuuri, now what can I get for you?"
An embarrassed blush spread over those tanned cheeks.
"Ah! Yes! Pardon!"
Yuuri tapped his chin for a moment, thinking.
"Could I get two deer flanks and a pound of bacon?"
The butcher nodded, disappearing into the back. A smile passed the redhead's lips as she continued her chat with Yuuri. The two laughed and joked but before long Mr. Leroy returned with the meats wrapped in paper.
After paying the butcher, he slipped the meats into his basket and turned. He pulled the navy coloured book from his basket, ready to read it on the way home.
Yuuri's heart was racing.
He was almost out of the butcher's shop without incident. The feeling of relief was overwhelming. A notion which had presented itself too soon.
A gasp escaped past Yuuri's lips, narrowly avoiding the next patron of the butcher's shop.
"Oh! Excusez-Moi!"
The brunet omega blurted out before he realized the patron that he almost ran into, was not moving out of his way. Yuuri stepped to the side when a tawny arm shot out, preventing him from moving. A sound of surprise slipped from Yuuri. Before he quite knew what was going on, he found himself unable to escape. His back pressed against the door frame.
The scent of pine and cedar made Yuuri scrunch his nose. Only the subtle smell of peppermint eased the staggering stench. Chocolate coloured eyes trailed up from the floor with hesitation. Nervously, he caught sight of a bright rust-hued shirt.
"Bonjour Yuuri."
Yuuri clutched the navy book to his chest, creating a small barrier between the two of them. A tanned finger reached up and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He refused to allow his gaze to meet that piercing slate blue one.
"Bonjour Jean-Jacques."
Dread made his stomach churn. Before he could stop him, Jean-Jacques snatched the book that Yuuri was clinging to dearly. A sigh fell off his lips, finally meeting the blue-hued gaze of the alpha.
"Jean-Jacques, please give me my book back…"
The alpha released Yuuri from his prison against the doorframe. Jean-Jacques thumbed through the book.
"How can you read this? There are far too many words, not enough pictures."
The brunet omega scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It's called an imagination, Jean-Jacques."
The alpha tossed the book out of his father's shop before running a hand through ebony locks.
"Yuuri. It's high time you got your head out of these silly little stories of yours. You need to pay attention to more real and important things..."
Yuuri bit his lip as he watched the book fly out of the door, landing somewhere in the street. His angry honey-hued gaze shot immediately to Jean-Jacques as the alpha leaned closer.
"...Like me."
That earned the alpha a hard roll of the eyes.
"I see that you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public…"
The brunet omega dipped away from the distracted alpha with ease. Yuuri made his way for the middle of the street, where the book lay. He began dusting it off when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
Before he knew it, the brunet was spun around, pressed a little too close to the other. Jean-Jacques slid his arm around Yuuri's waist, preventing the brunet boy from escaping.
"Yuuri, it's just not right for an omega to read, Soon they start getting ideas… and thinking…"
The alpha rolled his eyes, before looking down at the beautiful brunet in his arms.
"You're a person of rare intelligence, Jean-Jacques. As in, it is rare of you to use it."
A beaming smile crossing Jean-Jacques lips.
"Why thank you Yuuri!"
Those honey coloured eyes rolled, again. Yuuri averted his gaze to the ground, anything to stop looking at the overly narcissistic alpha. It was almost dizzying now, the smell of pine and cedar. The ebon-haired alpha pulled Yuuri along beside him.
"Let's head to the pub and I can show you my trophies, some of the meat you've probably purchased…"
Yuuri slid out of Jean-Jacques grasp before he could be towed any further. He pointed the tip of the spine of his book at the other.
"I'd… just… rather not."
The brunet omega suddenly felt sick to his stomach and an indomitable urge to apologize. Something beyond his control was causing tears to well in his eyes. He found himself staring at fierce lapis hues.
Yuuri took a shaky step backward.
"Jean-Jacques Leroy."
The brunet omega was overjoyed that the dizzying pressure had been relieved. Before Yuuri could control what was going on, he pulled his hand back.
With a loud crack, he slapped Jean-Jacques across the face.
Yuuri whipped around, storming off in the direction of his cottage just outside of town.