Heart-shaped locket

Today is an ordinary day—just two omegas casually watching movies and eating cheap snacks while the sun goes down, or at least, that's how it's supposed to be.

Primo wants to spend a relaxing day in their pajamas, maybe even play a shooting game or two, but instead, he gets this: flopping alone on the couch while one pink-haired Omega can't sit still since the movie started.

"You're missing the good part," he shouts to Kaiden who's doing god knows what at the back.

The blond superhero on-screen rushes to the helipad to chase after his one-armed friend. He jumps and hangs on to the escaping helicopter, and then he is dragged until the edge where he latches on to a metal bar with one hand. When the superhero flips his hold, muscles flexing as he pulls the helicopter in a show of strength, Primo presses pause on the remote.

"Come on, Kaiden!" He shouts again. "I'm not pausing this for you."

"I'll be there," a distant voice shouts back, and so Primo resumes the movie.

However, even after the scene has ended, Kaiden is nowhere to be seen.

Tired of waiting, Primo pauses the movie and heads over to where Kaiden is. The younger Omega is in his room, rummaging through the open closet. Clothes and various items are strewn here and there. It looks as if a typhoon has devastated the bedroom. Even Kaiden's nest is not spared, blankets spilling over the bed.

Primo is rendered speechless. How did Kaiden even manage to do this? He doubts those skinny arms flipped the mattress over.

"What are you doing?" Primo calls to the room, eyes still assessing the damage.

Messy pink hair peeps from a pile of clothes. The French braid that Primo carefully weaved for Kaiden is now untangled, strands of hair spilling over a sweaty face.

"I'm just looking for something," the raccoon pretending to be Kaiden says.

Primo leans against the doorway, arms crossing over his chest as he says, "What is it? I'll help you."

"It's a necklace with a heart-shaped locket. Maybe you've seen it before?" Kaiden replies before diving back into the closet.

"No, I've never seen you wear any accessory before. Are you sure it's here?"

"It's supposed to be in this box." He shows Primo a small, wooden jewelry box, opening the lid to reveal a red cushion and nothing else. "But, as you can see."

Primo goes over and takes the box from Kaiden's hands. He removes the cushion and even shakes the box upside down to check. After confirming that it's empty, he gives it back to Kaiden.

"Maybe you misplaced it," he offers a plausible explanation. "Where did you last see it?"

Kaiden hunches on his knees, shoulders drooping as he speaks, "Well, I keep it safe here. I don't even take it out … oh." His voice trails off, the realization dawning on him. "I know where it is."

Those words excite Primo. Finally, they can go back to the movie, so he asks, "Where is it?"

Kaiden gulps, unsure if he likes the answer.

--

It's surprisingly easy for him to return to the Lin Manor. Nobody stopped him on the way, but there is one thing that's keeping him from entering—he doesn't live here anymore. He can't just enter a house without its owner's permission.

He wants to tell Lucy but he doesn't want to bother her. She seems busy with something as of late, and he knows Grandpa Rei is napping at this hour. Out of options, he paces outside the front door, asking himself, what's the worst that could happen?

Before he fully convinces himself that maybe, /maybe/ trespassing isn't that bad of a crime, the door opens. Bathed in the late afternoon sun, a familiar figure emerges.

"Kaiden?" A woman in her late 40s comes closer to get a good look at him. "What are you doing here?"

Kaiden can't be any happier to see her now. "Cherry!" He pulls her into a hug, catching the Beta woman by surprise. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too." Cherry is stiff in his embrace, unused to receiving physical affection from the younger boy. Still, she doesn't push him away. Instead, she asks again, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh! Right," he says as he lets her go, his cheeks slowly heating up upon realizing what he's done. "I think I left my necklace inside. Can I come in to grab it?" And then, upon seeing her slightly frown, he hurriedly adds, "I'll be quick, I promise!"

Cherry hesitates. It's not her house and although Kaiden used to live here, she's uncertain if she has the authority to let her in. However, when she looks into his red, pleading eyes, she can't bear herself to say no. "Come in, then." She turns back to open the door for him.

"Thank you, Cherry!" He gives her another hug before bolting upstairs, all the while loudly saying, "It will only take a minute."

Kaiden doesn't take a detour, doesn't even pause over the other rooms, heading straight to where he's 99.9% sure the necklace is. He pushes the door to Damon's bedroom open and fortunately, no one's inside.

He checks the adjacent bathroom first, even going so far as to check the trash bin discreetly placed underneath the sink. Afterward, he goes to every corner of the bedroom. When he still hasn't found it, he bends low to check beneath the bed, chest pressed to the floor.

Using his phone's flashlight to sweep over the area, a glint of silver shines back at him. He strains to reach it with his short arms, silently cursing his petite stature for failing him in this moment of need, but eventually, the cold metal is within his fingers again.

When his beating heart finally calms down, only then does he check to make sure that the necklace isn't damaged. He unlocks the locket, revealing a fading picture inside. On the right is an old picture of his mother, her cotton-candy pink hair framing her soft smile, while on the right is a tiny note, 'Yours, forever,' written in neat handwriting. Kaiden heaves a sigh of relief as he clutches the necklace close to his chest.

He pushes himself off the floor, ready to leave, when all of a sudden, he hears a sharp voice shouting, "What are you doing here?"

His heart drops to the floor.