Age 22, The New Neighbours
Fatin POV (Age 22)
After a couple of months, they got new neighbours.
The pair heard whoever it was moving in on Saturday, though they missed them in the halls by the time that they headed out.
Fatin could smell the scent of the pair as she walked through the hall. An alpha and an omega- likely mated.
She met her first neighbour in the afternoon.
Fatin was working when she heard something hit the floor followed by a ‘dang it’. Leah wasn’t home so Fatin popped her head out, noting the blonde omega looking close to tears as she picked up her groceries. It was a mess, items rolling every which way as she floundered to gather them.
“Hey, do you want some help?”
The blonde eyed her warily, and Fatin understood why. Some alphas were jerks which is why Leah would normally be sent to check out what was happening if it involved an omega. It was a comfort thing that she respected, never wanting to feel imposing with her status. Fatin respected the need for comfort and boundaries unlike many. However now, there was no one; the omega seemed more distressed by the situation than the premise of Fatin offering a hand.
“Um, sure. Thank you.”
“It’s fine. I think your eggs are beyond saviour though.” She eyed up the crushed gooey remnants coating the carpet.
“Oh.” The girl laughed. “Yeah, they’ve seen better days. Think that’s the meaning of a barnyard explosion. I’m Shelby by the way.”
“Fatin,” she said with a smile as she began packing the things in the bag. “Need a hand in with that?”
“Uhh…” Shelby drummed her nails on her arm. “I’m mated. My mate might get upset if-”
“I’m mated too,” Fatin said, clearing the air.
“You’re mated?”
“Yeah. Met Leah when I was seven, kind of stick out like a sore thumb around most our age so it’s nice to run into someone else who is.”
“It is.” Shelby smiled, sighing with relief as her shoulders relaxed from their tense state. “Toni and I only know one other mated couple. We met at twelve, so a good bit after y’all. We’ve never met someone who was mated before us though. Isn’t seven kinda…”
“Hectic? Yeah. We found out after I got sent to the principal for throwing fries at Leah because she wouldn’t eat her lunch.”
“She wouldn’t eat?”
“Nope. My brain just figured, you know, lob shit at her and she’ll eat. Unsurprisingly it did not go down well, she hated me for months.”
Shelby laughed, pushing open her apartment. “The eggs-”
“I’ll grab some cleaning supplies and sort it out later.”
“Thank you. You’re so sweet. Where do you live?”
“Just up the hall from you.”
Fatin dropped two bags of groceries on the table and then began helping Shelby to unpack. She could smell the distress on the omega but knew it was likely from dropping everything rather than her presence.
“We have spare eggs too if you need them. They’re one of Leah’s safe foods so we tend to always have a shit tonne of those and waffles.”
“Safe foods?”
“Leah’s autistic.”
Shelby’s anxiety soothed slightly at that. “Toni has PTSD, she’s open about it so wouldn’t mind me saying.”
“Is she particular with food too?”
“No, very protective with nests though. She can be kinda standoffish at times but she’s really a tedd-”
“Who the fuck are you?” A short brunette entered. Her features were hardened, jaw flexing as she took in the person in her apartment.
Fatin knew why, Shelby smelled like distress and Fatin was an unknown alpha in their place.
“Hey, I-”
“Get out.”
“Toni this is-”
“Get. Out,” she warned firmer, eyes tinted gold.
“Ookay,” Fatin said. “I’m just gonna…”
However, at that moment Leah passed the door and stilled when she smelled the warning scents rolling off Toni. Her eyes peaked in the apartment; spotting Fatin who had her hands held up like she was at gunpoint.
“Babe, you okay?”
“Yep. New neighbours.” Fatin took a breath. “This is my mate, Leah.”
“Your mate?” The brunette, Toni- Fatin guessed, dropped her shoulders. Her eyes mellowed as she smelled Leah’s worry. “Shit, my bad. We’ve just had some run-ins with some alphas who were total dicks.”
Leah passed Toni, moving to Fatin’s side for comfort. She played nervously with Fatin’s top, burying her head into her neck.
“No worries, we get it. Same issues. We uh, we’re gonna head home but we’re just up the hall if you need anything.”
Shelby nodded and smiled, though didn’t move a muscle as she watched Leah with worry. “Thanks for the help.”
“Anytime.” Fatin squeezed Leah gently, kissing her cheek. “Come on, let’s go home angel.”
Fatin brought some eggs over an hour later, knocking on their door.
“Hey,” Toni said.
“Hey, egg delivery. Figured you may want them after the whole…”
Shelby laughed from where she sat on the sofa. “How’s Leah?”
“She’s fine. Her hormones are just kind of off lately.”
“Have you two…”
“No, we haven’t hit the second puberty yet. We’re trying to be wary because we’ve been mated so long and Leah’s emotions and senses are all over the place anyway. There was nothing you did wrong today she’s just been really on edge lately.”
“If you need anything we’re here. We hit ours at eighteen and that was a mess. I mean, from what Shelby said you’ve been mated way longer, but we get it to a degree. We’ve been there.”
Fatin nodded. “I think we’re a way off it yet but she’s just on an emotional rollercoaster right now. It sucks ass when you can’t do shit to help. The doctor tried her on these shots but it just made her sick.”
Toni nodded. “If you want to head over for a game night, you’re welcome. Chilled, just the four of us. We can order takeout or whatever.”
“Would you be cool if I brought food for us? Leah is particular with what she eats at the moment.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Shelby ate nothing but toast with marmite for a month when her hormones changed.”
“Toni, you tell one more person that and you’re out on the darn street.”
Chuckling, Fatin stepped back. “I’m gonna get back to Leah but we will take you up on that offer.”
They ended up there the next weekend, Leah tucked into Fatin’s side as they played Monopoly.
“Fucking jail again?” Toni groaned.
“Sucks to be you Shalifoe,” Fatin grinned, collecting more money from the community chest.
Over the course of the night Leah relaxed, ending up in the kitchen with Shelby as they talked about something animatedly.
“Shelby hasn’t let many people in since high school. She had a rough parting from her parents.” Toni watched them with a smile. “It’s nice seeing her happy again. Most relaxed I’ve seen her in years.”
“Leah too.”
“We should do this more often, maybe once a week?”
“Yeah. I’d like that.”
Leah threw her head back in a laugh. It was a sight that warmed Fatin because other than their friends from college she rarely got to see Leah so relaxed around people.
They become closer each week, normally ending up at each other’s apartments far more often than just on game days.
One day Fatin came home and could smell Leah’s distress, yet when she opened their apartment door she was nowhere to be found.
Her head ticked up when a knock sounded on the door.
It was Toni looking slightly flustered behind it.
“Leah?”
“Our place, they’re watching a film. She had a panic attack and dropped a plate, I cleared it up and Shelby got a movie up. Her scent is off, so we guessed…”
“I was away for work but only for the evening. Leah’s normally fine because it’s only a day and I was just an hour away. She normally calls when-”
“She’s okay. Don’t know what caused it but she’s at ours and could likely do with you.”
Nodding Fatin dropped her stuff and grabbed a hoodie. When she walked into the apartment it smelled like fear but Leah was nestled in a blanket watching Pitch Perfect happily with Shelby, even laughing at the screen.
“Hey babe.”
“Fatin?” Leah’s voice was broken and scratchy as she left the blanket bundle and jumped into her arms. “I missed you. You didn’t text when you-”
“My phone broke on the way back. The idiot I was travelling with asked to borrow it to text his partner then dropped it down the fucking drain. By the time we got it out it was fucked. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Shelby and I have been watching a film, I’m all good now.”
“Promise?”
Leah nodded, leaning to kiss Fatin. “All good. Can we go home though?”
Fatin nodded, whispering a thank you to the pair as she held Leah and walked her back. She smiled as her mate tugged her beneath the sheets.
They were damn lucky to have those two in their lives.