Closure

An older woman answers the door, and the first thing that catches Tiza's eye is how her hair shimmers in the light. Next is her emerald eyes, followed by her complexion. The Omega has to stop the gasp that threatens to leave him, as this woman looks eerily similar to his late mother.

"Puis-je vous aider?"

Tiza swallows down his anxiety before he answers, "I-I'm here to see Roland Jeannot. Is he here? He's... my uncle."

"Ah, pardon," she says, opening the door wider, "You must be Tiza! You actually came! Come in, come in!"

They enter and Tiza is surprised once more. The grungy, cold, and dirty interior he had grown up in had been completely done away with. The building still looked dilapidated on the outside but inside it's been remodeled. It felt warm and inviting like a home should be. But because of the memories that still echoed and seeped through the cracks in the walls, no amount of paint and pictures would make it welcoming; especially to the man who had known the horrors this house has seen.

"And you are…?" Tiza questions as she led them through the living room. He was sure he had never seen this person before.

"Roland's wife," she smiled warmly, "Geneva."

She stops to pull Tiza into a hug, one that makes him freeze on the spot, "I-I didn't know he remarried."

While he's being squeezed he looks around, noting the pictures that do hang in the house are of his uncle and this woman. It's so uncanny, like he's stepped into an alternate universe. The man in the pictures couldn't be the man he feared.

"I'm sure he's mentioned it in one of his emails, we have been together for almost a year. I'm so glad I can finally meet you, he has told me so much. Sean couldn't come?" she asks, eyeing the Alpha that's been looming protectively behind Tiza.

"Ah no...this is my friend. Sean just had a baby so he's not able to travel," Tiza lied, but then he paused, "What-what has he told you?"

"Only good things. He thinks so highly of you both, so you can imagine how sad he's been without you here. Roland will be so happy that he's a grandfather! He's been getting worse, at this point it's just a matter of time," she quietly says, her face falling, "Knowing that might make him feel better. You boys are all he talks about. He's such a family man, you know. The fact you came will mean the world to him."

Her sadness is almost contagious. To the point Tiza catches himself from consoling her, this was his uncle they were talking about. He can't help but be befuddled by her words. All he talks about is them? He never gave them the time of day growing up! His uncle beat and berated Tiza daily; he was far from a 'family man'. Now the Omega doesn't know what to expect.

She continues to lead them to his uncle's room, towards the back of the house.

"Please take all the time you need," she opens the door, and the duo walk inside.

...............................................

Aosh tries to contain himself as he sees Roland Jeannot for the first time. The Alpha despised this man, just being in the same room made his blood boil. But this was Tiza's time to make peace, so he kept his mouth shut and hovered behind Tiza watching the dying man carefully.

The Omega has stalled in front of the closed door, fear paralyzing his legs. Aosh leans down to whisper in his ear, "You can do this, I'll be right behind you."

Tiza nods his head, using his cane to help propel him to where his uncle lays in bed. He thought that his uncle looked bad before they left; with his unkempt hair, dirty beard, and the smell of alcohol wafting off of him at all times.

But this...he looked better and worse at the same time. Better in that he resembled how he looked before his mother died, well groomed and gentlemanly. Worse by the way his eyes have sunk in and his skin clung to his bones. Roland's pale complexion was bordering translucent and cold, his breathing was edged in a wheeze; he looked like a husk of the man Tiza had come to fear.

But Tiza feared nonetheless, because old habits die harder than the ones that caused them. Roland's eyes land on the Omega, his lips upturn in a smile. A cold sweat breaks out under Tiza's collar.

"You finally came back and you couldn't bring your brother with you?"

Tiza stops by the edge of the bed, his expression complicated, and tries to find the words that seem stuck in his throat.

"He-he doesn't want to see you," he manages.

"But you did," Roland laughs, his smile widening enough to show all the teeth that are missing and the ones that have begun to rot away.

"Good boy, c'mere and let me get a good look at you," a boney finger gestures Tiza closer. When Tiza makes no move, the other man labors to sit up.

"Just as disobedient as always, but at least I've got one son who loves me," he grumbles.

"I'm not your son."

"I raised you when you had no one, you're my son if I say you are," he coughs into his hand.

"I would've been better off on the streets than with you!" Tiza snaps, venom lacing his words, until he catches himself and slaps a hand over his mouth. He'd get beat for talking back like that.

"There it is," Roland points a shaky finger Tiza's way, "That's what was missing, you look just like her now. You've never had that fire in your eyes like she did. She'd yell at me just like that," he sighs.

Tiza's face twists in disgust and he takes a step back, bumping into Aosh.

"What's wrong, I don't bite. I did call you here for an apology." Roland's coaxing doesn't bring Tiza any closer but he continues.

"Death puts things into perspective, boy. Things that have happened, to you, to Sean….to your mother. I think it calls to make amends," his eyes are soft, trying to coax the Omega further.

"You want to apologize?" Tiza is shocked, he takes a step closer in disbelief. He didn't know what he was expecting from all this but not that.

Roland grabs Tiza abruptly by the front of his shirt. "Why would I apologize, when I was the one who was wronged? Me and Lefèvre had a deal! You ruined everything!"

"Don't fucking touch me!" Tiza's cane jabs Roland in the chest to get away.

Grabbing the cane, Roland tugs it forward, causing Tiza to tumble on top of him. Cold hands clutch at Tiza, digging into his sides.

"Your skin is smooth just like your mothers'," he breathes heavily, his features deranged, "You've always had her eyes, but when you look at me like that, with the same distaste that used to dance across her vision, it riles me up. It makes me want to do terrible things to you, just like I did to her."

Pulled by his waist to pry him out of his assailant's grasp, Tiza stumbles back as Aosh comes between them. The Alpha protectively stands between them, but his uncle's words have Tiza approaching again, too shocked by what he said to care that he was just grabbed moments earlier.

"What do you mean by terrible things? What did you do to my mother?!" Tiza cries. Aosh wont let him any closer; keeping him away with just a hand to his chest.

Roland bares his teeth at Tiza, "It should've been you six feet under. Not my angel. You murdered her by existing. She should've never saved your life, you're worthless compared to her-!"

Aosh's other hand clutches Roland's throat, "You want to say that again?" he growls.

"What are you going to do? I'm already dying," the older man laughs.

Aosh grinds his teeth, but his grip doesn't lessen. It only gets more brutal.

He can feel the muscles of Roland's throat jump and constrict as he tries to breathe. The feel of it just causes Aosh's fingers to dig into his flesh; testing to see how far he could go. It was clear now. This man murdered Tiza's mother. Tried to kill the love of his life. This monster single handedly ruined Tiza's life and made him suffer again and again!

"Do you think your life is worth more than his?!" Aosh bellows.

Roland lets out a strangled gasp as Aosh starts to put his body weight into his hold on the man.

"I wish I could personally see you walk through the gates of hell. And see all the ways the devil tears your hideous soul apart. Ways I'll never be able to. You disgust me," the Alpha sneers.

Part of Aosh just wants to make him meet his fate early. He wants to be the one to see life leave his eyes and feel the rapid thrum of Roland's heart go silent under his fingers. So much so he presses harder until the other's hands weakly scratch at him to pry his hand away. Violent red marks are scratched into Aosh's hands, drawing blood up to the surface, but he doesn't let go. Weakly Roland's legs start to kick under the blankets, trying to knee the Alpha above him to no avail.

Aosh has no intention of letting go.

From where Tiza stands he can see his mate shaking, every vein in his arm visible as he strains himself in holding his uncle down. Aosh's eyes are dark and dangerous like he could snap in any second.

"You're a worm. Pathetic. Die," the Alpha whispers, eye's trained on Roland's face as it turns blue and his eyes start to roll in the back of his head.

A hand, soft and gentle, lands on Aosh's shoulder.

"Aosh...let go."

"No," he growls.

Those gentle hands snake around Aosh's tense body and hold him. With Tiza's chest pressed against Aosh's back, he can feel the rapid beating of his fated mate's heart.

"Please…"

Aosh's hand shoves Roland further into the bed, but ultimately releases; leaving Roland violently gasping for air. Tiza manages to pull Aosh back enough to where he feels like the Alpha won't try anything and let's go. His uncle is a wheezing heap on the bed, just looking at him is putting a sour taste in his mouth. Getting him back for what he did to his mother wouldn't change anything, nor would punishing him for the years of abuse he gave.

If anything today has shown him one thing. His uncle isn't untouchable. Roland wasn't exempt from punishment and his judgement day was soon at hand. The fear his uncle instilled in him has loomed over every aspect of his life, but it didn't have to control him. It was as if all of his past trauma was manifest in this man. It was ugly and pitiful just like him, but after Roland dies then what? Then they were just memories, just the past.

At first it felt impossible to escape his past, or even the man in front of him. But soon he would be gone, the only thing left of him was a hideous stain in the hearts and minds of all the people he affected. But stains could be removed. With time they become forgotten.

"Death really is too good for you," Tiza mumbles, "I hope you've repented. Not just to me, but to everyone you've hurt. I'm sure there's something worse than death waiting for you on the other side either way. C'mon Aosh, let's go," Tiza picks up his cane where it fell some time ago and leads Aosh out of the room.

"Geneva!" they hear Roland call as they close the door.

In the next moment the woman is rushing down the hallway. Tiza steps in front of her.

"You deserve better," he says, gesturing to the bruises that mottled her arms. They were all too familiar, and Tiza noticed them right away when they met. She was just another victim like him.

"Whatever he's said to keep you here, it isn't worth it," he continues, "And he deserves what's coming to him, don't let him guilt you into thinking otherwise."

Her eyes' have gone wide, shimmering from unshed tears at being seen through so easily. She goes to say something but Roland's hoarse yelling cuts her off. Geneva's face pales in fear, Tiza is certain, then she brushes past them and into the room. He sighs.

The Omega continues to drag Aosh out of the house. In his mind he says his final goodbyes to the place that was his own personal hell, and as he shut the front door he shut that part of his life out for good. Tiza had gotten his closure and then some, now he was looking towards the future.

......................................

The crisp breeze kicked up leaves, making them swirl about along the ground. The unlucky ones got caught under the shoes of passersby, although there were few in the cemetery at this time of day. They get crushed into the cobblestone as the Alpha and Omega make their way down the winding path.

The two haven't said much on their walk over here, if anything at all. There was too much to unpack, too much to say about what happened, so they both opted to say nothing. Aosh has taken to following Tiza quietly, head down and keeping his distance.

He's not happy, that much the Omega can tell. Tiza looks like he's trying to retrace his steps, walking this way and that until he perks up and settles on a path that leads to the far side of the cemetery. He comes to a stop a few feet away from a gravestone.

"Could you give us a moment?" he asks.

Aosh nods his head, eyes to the grass surrounding his boots.

The last time Tiza was here was right before he left the country. He had begged Sean to let him say goodbye because he couldn't leave without telling Maman. The stone is cold to the touch, even so he runs his fingertips across it. He didn't visit her much, only when something new in his life happened. She needed to know, since she couldn't be there.

Remembering how he had come at one point to gush about his supposed fated mate Valencia makes him angry if only for a little bit. Tiza needed to set the record straight. With a little difficulty he lowers himself to sit against her gravestone like he used to when he was a child that could fit snugly into her lap.

"I'm sorry it's been so long. That one month turned into a couple years. It's all Sean's fault, you know how he is."

Tiza runs his fingers through the grass, "He'll be dead soon, Maman, I hope that brings you peace. Thank you, by the way. I know I've said it before but...I feel like I get it now. Why you did it. Maybe it's because I've never felt the same way about somebody before…"

Tiza glances up where Aosh stands by the path shuffling his feet, "But I get it. Wanting to do anything for something that you love. Sorry for not understanding sooner."

Plucking up blades of grass Tiza begins to fiddle with them as he talks, "I used to wonder that if you knew I would be an Omega if you would still die for me. I like to think so, maybe this is just me trying to make myself feel better but...I think I'm doing pretty good for not being everything you wanted."

The blade of grass bends as he weaves it with another, fingers working as languidy as his words.

"I'm happy now. I feel like I'm living my life and not yours. And I think I'm done wondering if you'd be proud of me or not," Tiza deems his little project finished and holds up the grass ring he wove just out of Aosh's view.

"You would like Aosh, Maman. And even if you didn't it's too bad I guess. I've already decided, and I've become pretty stubborn since we last talked. Even so I hope he gets your blessing, and if not I'm going to pretend he has it anyway," he chuckles.

Tucking the grass ring into his jacket pocket, Tiza uses her gravestone to anchor himself back up, gives it a rub, and says goodbye. He walks back to Aosh, feeling lighter than air despite how heavy this day has been so far. He was ready for whatever was to come. As one door closes another one opens and he is about to run through it.