The relaxing scent of shampoo and nail polish filled the costumers' senses. Small chatting and gossip were the soundtrack of the rather fancy and really expensive looking beauty salon. Things like "Where did you buy that?" or "Have you seen that handsome Alpha looking at me?" could be heard from a bunch of healthy, probably mated and spoiled wives, which made Alexander roll his eyes as he entered in such exclusive place wearing plain jeans, black t-shirt, a beanie, and his signature green cardigan. The entire place fell silent, judging him as he just passed everyone to be received by no other than the owner himself – suck that, bitches. Not like he cared as long as he got to be attended by his old friend.
"I swear Laf, someday that kid is going to be the death of me!" The Omega whined while his stylish Beta friend worked his hair by rinsing it and applying some conditioner to the ends so they wouldn't spread and weaken the rest of his raven hair.
"You know that le Petit Lion only meant good for you, Mon Ami" Lafayette -or just Laf – tried to reason with him, his voice calm as he brushed out the joints and some of the tension in his friend before looking for the hairdryer. "Isn't this just natural for him as a grown Alpha, taking care of his poor single messy Omega mother?"
"Don't you dare to defend him, Laf! Alpha or not Alpha, that kid owes me and my job at least a little respect! He can't just order me around to 'rest' as if I couldn't take care of myself just fine. For fuck's sake, I RAISED HIM!" Alexander ranted, obviously still too pissed with his jerk of an Alpha son. By that the French man stopped brushing his hair.
"Really, Alexander, just really?" the shorter man looked up just to find a disappointed look on the face of his friend. "Can you take care of yourself just fine? Do I need to show you the brush?" He picked said object, seeing as it was full of knotty chunks of his hair. The only logical result of the careless bun he kept it in for days and the constant insomnia he willingly induced on himself for the sake of his work. "More like you are going to be the death of yourself if Mon Cher Philip didn't care about you."
"Don't ever mention it in front of Philip." The last thing he needed was adding his stress hair loss to the long list of things his own son scolded him for on daily basis. Lafayette only rolled his eyes. He loved his friend too much to let him down in front of his child like that, not when he knew just how much Alexander had struggled to educate and be in control of his Alpha son. The older Philip got, the harder it became for him to be the one in charge and Alexander just hated it. It was probably one of the reasons he seemed so stressed lately.
"You have my word, but I'm afraid that doesn't comes for free, my dear" he could almost hear the sly grin in Laffayette's voice "My silence, unlike the wonders I do to keep your hair, has its price, you see..." the taller male smiled mischievously, earning an annoyed groan from his companion that only made him laugh .
"And you were supposed to be my friend? What would you possibly want, you cheater?!" Alexander complained, feeling like just the entire world was conspiring against him today "I believe I'm going on suppressants again, this Omega-soothing-hormone-thing Martha suggested is not working anymore, quite the opposite!"
"Do you realize she told you to do so when Petit Lion was just a garçon, right?"
Laffayete inquired really amused with the picture his friend was describing.
"Il est un garçon" the Omega responded stubbornly, refusing to give in into the upcoming fear of his son growing up and just leaving him behind. Scratch that, he was not afraid of silly things like ENS. No way in hell something like that would happen to him. Actually, Alexander was so upset that he felt like his son could take a good time out of his sight for what he cared, he could totally use some time of not being suffocated by him. "You only have to see him, Laf. Now he behaves like he is my fucking mate! All clingy and taking over like… like…. Fuck it, Lafayette! I'm being serious! Don't laugh!"
"Okay. Okay, alright!" Said the Beta as he whipped a joyful tear off his eyes before continue "You are right, probably you shouldn't keep doing that anymore. But maybe it is… -what you say?- a little too late for that. By now, it is more likely that Petit Lion is going to keep an eye on you regardless of whether you smell like a sweet cupcake or like nothing at all, he is just used to do so, he's not gonna stop caring about you" Laffayette smiled more sadly this time as he knew his friend had already known that; that was why he seemed so worried.
"So, what am I supposed to do? It's just not fair, Laf. He has to live his own life, not just keep holding back and getting stuck with me!" Alexander ranted again as a third voice made its entrance to their conversation.
"Maybe all he needs is for you to live your own life" A black haired woman, another Beta, stepped right between the two men as she smiled fondly to both of them and of course, at the thought of her beloved son-like nephew. Her delicate features and her smile so sweet almost made her pass as an Omega, but that was more due to her personality than any possible rank she had. She was wearing a white shirt and a long loose pale blue skirt with black flats. "Maybe if he sees you moving on, at least dating someone. My poor sweet baby cares too much about you and he is probably afraid to just leave you all alone."
"Thanks, Eliza. It really cheers me up to know my own son doesn't trust me to be fine on my own unless there is someone else around to babysit me" the short man glared a little to his other supposed to be best friend. "And back off, wicked school teacher, he is MY SON not yours!"
"Actually, I think I have to agree with belle Liza this time, Mon Ami." Lafayette interrupted them before a fight started over who took better care of a now all grown up teenager almost ready for college. "If mon cher Philip sees you with another Alpha, he should have to take it down the overprotectiveness he shows around you." The French man said as if the whole thing was such a complicated algorithm problem he just solved.
Alexander glanced at him pretty unamused with his statement "Wait. Who says it has to be another Alpha? I'm fucking done being controlled by my own son, why on earth should I look for another jackass to pick on me whenever the fucker feels like it?"
"Because a full mature Alpha is the one thing Philip cannot overpower when it comes to you" Eliza explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world "Otherwise he would only scare whoever dared to take you out, even for a simple coffee."
"You can't be serious."
The Omega looked incredulous at his two 'friends' as they theorized deeper on the subject. Trying to ignore them as Lafayette worked Eliza's hair and he just stayed beside them, picking an appealing tone of nail polish for his manicure. Like hell, if Alexander was in a beauty salon already he would take the whole treatment as it was for free- thanks to his French friend's kindness- and also since he had nothing better to do -thanks to his son's not-as-kind stubbornness. Yet, he was halfway on a second layer of lime green for his right hand when he eavesdropped something that snapped him back to the Betas' conversation.
'Blind date' they said.
.
NO.
.
No. Fucking. Way. That. Shit. Would. Happen.
.
Just not gonna happen!
.
But the Beta girl then smiled to her phone. So, it happened.
.
"Eliza, tell me you didn't" He asked though "Who the fuck Alpha would you even set me up to begin with?! Angelica?!"
"Oh sweet Jesus, Alexander. Don't make such a fuss over it. It's going to be so fun!" the schoolteacher squealed as she took Alex's hand into hers, smiling brightly.
"I think you just ruined my manicure..-" The Omega tried to protest.
"Oh hush!" Eliza silenced him, not caring for Alex's claims in her excitement "We're going to a double date with Aaron and whoever his Alpha friend is! They'll meet us at Feliciano's place for dinner" she informed them, content with herself at the thought of killing two birds with one stone. She had just managed to convince her bold, stubborn best friend to go on a date, and also she could finally introduce her boyfriend to him.
"Aaron?" it took few seconds for him to connect the dots "Wait! You mean the mysterious man who you have been dating for a year without even letting us know what his rank was?! Is that Aaron?!"
Now even Lafayette leaned in, interested "Was he an Alpha all this time, Belle? Is that why you wouldn't tell us about him?" he frowned a little. Okay, maybe their group could be a little overwhelming sometimes – like most of times if Hamilton was the one to tell – but they wouldn't mean any harm. So, it hurt a little that the demiasian woman hadn't told them anything about her relationship just yet. Alexander also waited warily for his best friend's response
"What? Of course not!" Eliza looked startled at the silent looks of scolding the men were giving her, and then hurried to explain, rolling her eyes as it was her turn to be disappointed by her friends "Please guys, don't be ridiculous. I would've never kept it from you if it was something so trivial, it's not like someone can help the rank he or she has. He is a Beta, though. And we keep our relationship in secret because of our jobs" Alexander and Lafayette puzzled expressions pushed her to explain further "He is one of my student's Father. He's widowed" Oh.
Oh.
"Oui. That could be… how you say?... A little controversial" The Frenchman agrees, leaving the Omega to be the only one who still looked unsatisfied, considering why would Elizabeth say 'our jobs' if the deal was only the man was alone with a kid? Though he couldn't help snapping when the heard the easy phrase Lafayette used to excuse himself.
"Really Laf. Just, Really? Playing the speechless immigrant after 18 years just to leave me alone in awkwardness! You coward!" Both Betas just shrugged not really minding to annoy the hell out their friend. But Eliza was quick to read the shorter man's real intentions behind his facade of outrage.
"And don't you play the indignant friend, Alexander. You are not sneaking out of this and letting me down in front of my boyfriend and his friend!" Touché.
"And what should I tell to Philip?" The Omega protested, knowing he would never hear the end of this from his irrational overprotective son.
"Nothing. That's the point, you're his mom. You can do whatever you want" Shit. That's true.
But still "Don't call me mom"
"Alexander" Eliza begun on a warning tone. She practiced her patience with children every day at work. But this was not a child and she wasn't at work.
"I don't even have something to wear!"
"We'll figure it out" Lafayette offered with a bright smile on his face. Fixing Alexander's hair was one thing, but actually getting to go shopping and pick like a ton of outfits for that well hidden figure of his was something that promised the stylist a lot of fun.
"I don't have a car, cabs are expensive and I don't want them to know where I live. That's just creepy"
"I'll pick you up"
"But…-!"
"ALEXANDER!" both Betas shouted so the Omega had to shut up and stick with their plans.
"Yeah… at least let me redo my nails first" He sighed heavily as his friends started planning everything for his first date in almost two decades.
Shit, maybe he actually needed to see someone else.