A/N: 

Warning - brief description of dub-con. Also, this chapter is kinda long. Please vote and comment if you like this update! Thank you!

>*<*>*<

It is close to 1 am by the time Mew steps out of the cab and reaches his apartment. The jittery brunet still couldn't believe the kind of wild turns his night took – from becoming almost penniless to landing a well-paying job courtesy of a random Samaritan by a sudden twist in fate and nearly getting molested by a rich, alpha scum – Mew faced it all.

Dropping the scruffy backpack on the grey sofa, the worn out brunet pulls the envelope of cash from his pocket. His entire body feels sore and he could use a shower badly to wash away the ugly sensations eating at him, although a reminder of that encounter will certainly haunt him until the purple bruises fade away and maybe, even longer than that.

He sighs deeply, eyeing the heavy packet and deliberates whether to forgo the shower or not. Leafing through the thick wad of cash, the bemused omega still finds the entire day bit surreal to be honest. Exhaustion wins in the end. Mew crashes on his bed instead, after changing into a pair of sweats and storing the paycheck in a safe place.

It's a good thing he cleaned up before donning his clothes back at the hotel's staff locker room. At least he can relax a bit now, knowing his rigid conscience wouldn't nag about unhygienic practices on top of the latest nightmares bound to follow him home.

When the day began, Mew had no idea he will be holding thousands of baht in his hands by the end of it! Guess all positive things do come with a catch, huh. If not for the nasty incident in the dark corridor, Mew actually enjoyed his stint of working at a high-end hotel serving the richest business class clients of Bangkok. Sure, some of them are snobs and swift to curse the staff irrespective of who's actually responsible for the errors. Yet for most of these people, the working hotel staff like Mew are nothing but uniformed robots supposed to carry out their whims.

He was happy to exist that way till his six hour shift ended.

The omega was even fascinated to observe a large group of young twenty something patrons having a great time and garnering all the attention. Must be fun to be rich, leading glamorous lives and not struggle to make ends meet daily, Mew thought while casually checking out the fabulously dressed model-like faction. Although, the omega didn't serve them, it was enough to take in how lush grass on the other side is when one's born in the right circumstances. Mew didn't begrudge the extravagant lifestyle or fortune of those young adults, merely intrigued by the show of their close bonds unlike other guests at different tables. His only regret is forgetting P'Din's words of caution to avoid darkened areas and intoxicated guests.

Mew shudders, replaying the traumatic incident still fresh in his mind before sleep could claim him.

<*>

The party is coming to an end and Mew being only a temporary replacement is told beforehand that he is free to leave two hours before the event officially wraps up. Happy that none of his worst fears manifested and the secret remained undiscovered, he let down his guard. Half-hour before Mew is set to finish his shift, he is tasked with collecting cutlery discarded in random places.

The hour though not too late by the perpetually celebrating crowd's standards, still has the well-off guests in a dancing mood over stuffing snacks and drinks atmosphere. Those who stuck to gulping expensive alcohol thankfully remained indoors vastly reducing the staff's workload. He really should have stuck with another colleague in close vicinity like he's seen others do. Instead, he trots off by himself worried his fading scent-blocker would dredge up more trouble near others.

It certainly did ... just not in the way Mew expected!

"Hey. You, white shirt!" A sharp demand pulls Mew's attention towards the alcoves where a tall man in his mid-thirties, dressed in expensive dark fabrics like the rest of patrons, is lounging next on a couch with an empty glass in hand.

He hurries over to collect the glass, missing the careful once-over and wicked grin directed towards him. It's only when the glass is casually dropped on the sofa and Mew's arm grabbed in return and smells the stench of alcohol mixed with the unmistakable scent of an aroused alpha that Mew knows beyond a doubt, he's royally screwed!

At first, Mew tried to play it dumb and hurry away before the presumptions alpha jerk could follow through with his obvious intentions. "I'll get that drink refilled for you right away, sir." He makes a move to dislodge the tenacious hold on his person to no avail.

"Not so fast pretty boy," The creep smirks, moving even closer and getting handsy now. "You didn't ask which drink I preferred." The words whispered near his ear in an attempt to come across as seductive triggers a fight or flight instinct.

"Let go je–"

Mew twists around and gets roughly pulled against a firm chest for his efforts. He bites his lips holding back a whimper as the grip turns painful. Mew is willing to bet all his art supplies there's gonna be serious bruises forming the next day. He feels sick to his stomach and is about to call out the asshole's actions again, damn the consequences when the alpha's next words throw a bucket of freezing water over him.

"Now don't be so rude, gorgeous. Or I will have to bring up your unprofessional behavior with your supervisor. Tch, it'd be a pity to see a talented help like you lose your job and future references because of a silly mistake, don't you think?" The oily tone dips into a dangerous territory, drawing an accurate picture of what happens if Mew deigns to refuse him.

Fuck! This bastard could really ruin his life within seconds if he wants, doesn't he?

It is tempting to knee the knot-head in the groin and pass few choice words describing what a filthy monster that man really is. Yet, common sense rallies citing against digging his own grave. There has to be an easy solution to this problem without aggravating the man's ire. After all, the omega has no idea how influential this guest really is. Judging by the sour and repugnant musk of the man, angering him would only cause him further doom in possibly all aspects of his life.

Sticking to the original plan is for the best. Just avoid bruising the alpha's ego and he should be safe. He can handle a little groping until then, right?

"Umm," Mew stammers, fighting hard to keep a poker face so as to not betray how freaked out he really is – cannot afford to show weakness at any cost. "W-which drink would that be, sir?"

He is slowly backed against the wall with the crazed bastard looming over him with a sadistic smile while unbuttoning the top button of his uniform, apparently confident about getting his way and Mew wants nothing more than to break his ugly mug. He is getting rather desperate to flee now. His heartbeat skyrockets and goosebumps break out over his skin even as terror roots him to the spot. It's only the thoughts of the promised paycheck and highly likely broke status if he loses this gig without payment that stops him in his tracks from making a ruckus and exacerbating the situation.

What good would it even do if he throws a punch in self-defense or screams bloody murder to draw a crowd? Who's going to believe him over a wealthy jackass in a party full of other affluent assholes? The fucking rich guys always get away with everything. It's the poor folks like Mew who ends up taking the fall every time. He has no intentions of allowing this sexual harassment to continue but Mew also cannot risk making a big scene. Not that there are any witnesses around to watch or come to his aid if he does.

Fuck, he really should have paid heed to P'Din's words.

Yes, that's right! P'Din. He said to find him if anyone harasses Mew. Yes. All he needs to do is escape this creep's clutches and take refuge in the kitchen till his shift ends. Just another half-hour and he can go home with a fat paycheck. He really is an idiot for believing his luck turned and could have a good thing happening to him without any catch.

Right, focus on surviving first. The berating can take place later.

The drunken alpha leans further into Mew's personal space, dirty paws deliberately caressing his torso, lingering near his hips and tugging at his shirt as he observes Mew's reactions, slowly wetting his lips. "Hmm, let's see ... how about 'sex in the balcony' or 'moonlight blowjob' huh?"

Mew's heart almost stops beating when the creep bends to sniff at his throat, right next to his scent glands after dropping that bomb. The murmurs of how Mew smells incredible are fire on fuel to his panicked thoughts. Discarding the clear meaning behind his use of the wrong cocktail names, it is the alpha's proximity near his neck that truly petrifies Mew.

Is the fucker trying to scent him?

Hell, if he continues to push his pudgy nose any longer, inebriated or not, the bastard is going to realize Mew is an omega and the last thing he needs is to be forcibly marked by an arrogant alpha because Mew is resistant to his advances. He should have fucking taken a larger dose of blockers or applied potent perfume or something today. Shia. Ho- what should he do now?!

Mew trembles, fear continuing to paralyze him as unwanted lips graze over his collarbone, that it takes a couple of seconds to register he's no longer being held, at least not as forcibly as before. The bastard is clearly distracted and the omega immediately takes advantage of this fact. Pushing him away harshly, he sprints towards the bright light at the end of the path, hoping to reach the door and find audience before the bastard comes to his senses.

In his hurry and traumatized state, Mew fails to notice a long leg stretched out in the dim lighting of the corridor and down he goes, defying the laws of physics to land heavily on the lap of a guest he didn't even notice was seated broodingly in this corner.

<*>

It takes less than a nanosecond to realize from the toned arms that caught his fall; he is surrounded by the overpowering scent of an alpha in his twenties.

Mew splutters, startled and his face grows heated as awareness sets in about his exact landing position. His whole body feels like it is set on fire upon their contact and those non-existent fumes seem to be going to his head, rendering him both woozy and exhilarated in its wake. A contradiction he explains away as a result of adrenaline and his highly-stressful situation. A strange awareness fills his chaotic mind, kind of like a sinister theme music in thriller dramas and his heartbeat instantly trips to match the beats of the unusual tune, his current emotions a contrast from earlier fright although not entirely dissimilar.

Even as the omega struggles to get his bearings, the cruel fate lays in wait in order to prank him.

The rich earthly aroma soon hits combined with posh cologne and an unexplainable gut feeling instantly spells out the stranger's powerful status, leaving Mew to try and shrink further as though it will miraculously teleport him to a different destination.

He automatically plans on avoiding the piercing gaze but gravity and inertia has other crazy ideas.

The sparse bulbs are located outside tactically to give private space vibes and unfortunately, due to his new position Mew catches their diagonally glaring brightness head-on. This meant the face of the alpha mere inches away from him is a blob of dark colors and pointed features, lingering side effects of the prominent LED ambush. Dumbstruck, the omega blinks a couple of times, anxiety refusing to back down as the person he is unwittingly treating as a chair remains scarily quiet, probably still stunned by the sudden turn of events. Worse, when his vision slowly clears, the first thing he notices is the sticky wet sensation of wine soaking through his shirt that also splattered over his unexpected savior's clothes.

Horror spreads faster than those yellowish stains as Mew vaguely makes out the gobsmacked, pinched expression on the mostly obscure face through his still ragged vision.

Oh great!

Out of the frying pan and into the fire!

In the span of ten minutes or so, he somehow managed to get on the wrong side of two important alpha guests in a private party held for the Bangkok's top affluent members.

Just awesome!

There is no way Mew is going to survive this night a free man, he can tell. And to make matters worse, the creep from before reaches them with a triumphant, gloating air. This could only mean the man he accidently stumbled across is an even bigger asshole, sure to back the previous bastard up and make Mew pay dearly for upsetting them both.

His hypothesis is proved correct when the other guy reaches to grab him once more but is obstructed by the alpha with sharp features holding Mew captive. Anger and something else he fails to recognize (but couldn't possibly be anything good) bleeds into the alpha's scent till Mew is almost overwhelmed by those strong pheromones.

Excellent, this stranger is noticeably even more dangerous than the leering bastard in front of them. Could his night get any worse? Wait, before the universe or higher powers watching him could get any ideas, Mew only meant it in a rhetorical sense and not as a challenge! He waits in apprehension akin to a child fearing storm hides under the blankets: trembling and terrified of the next great disturbance.

"—you stumbled over an important guest here, ruining his clothes. That is so careless of you."

The reprimand jogs his memory him of an earlier threat and insistent hands that had no business roving over his body. He cringes at that thought. However, with the reminder comes the swift unpleasant realization that he is still indeed treating this new alpha, an important guest by the creep's words, as his personal cushion-seat. Mew hastily scuttles from the warm and firm body, to stand a respectable distance from both the intimidating members of high-society. Begins bowing and apologizing profusely for his mistake.

"Are you alright?" The taller alpha asks (judging by his shadow), his deep voice sounding weird as though he's restraining himself. Maybe he is gearing up to tear Mew a big one?

Eyes glued to the marble flooring out of mortification – Mew meekly responds, he's fine and makes sure to address the guest respectfully despite the slew of forthcoming insults headed his way. Who knows, perhaps the man might still change their minds about complaining to his manager?

He still cannot bring himself to look the other alpha in the eye, even to face the anger radiating from his presence and the shuddering omega definitely doesn't want to catch the smug smiles from the alpha one. At least one good thing came from this mess. Mew is positive he stinks of expensive wine now instead of his natural musk, which means one less problem to worry about when he is ultimately thrown out by his ear. They won't be charging him with fraud if they never learn his secret!

His relief is short-lived though, as the inevitable finally happens and Mew could sense the shift in the atmosphere. Within seconds, the alpha two (tall, dark and vaguely handsome) is back on track and letting out a growl, visibly shaking in fury if the clenched fists in Mew's peripheral vision are of any indication. He almost closes his eyes, waiting for the terrifying guy to lash out and in the last second chances a glance at the first alpha. The perv alpha has paled significantly and is frowning; seemingly locking eyes with the other guest who's finally snarling threats ... except, Mew isn't his target!

"Who the fuck do you think you are Namitrapit, going around—"

Huh.

Did he miss something? Had he accidentally zoned out of an altercation while pondering over his own misfortune? Whatever the case, it is obvious these two alphas have their own beef to deal with. Or rather the young scary ones has an issue with the older perv, judging by his scary tone and growing rude remarks. This is the perfect time for him to slip away unnoticed!

If he's quick and lucky, Mew can even be out of this building with the money he's owed before the two knot-heads could even notice he's gone!

Thanking his stars for this unexpected break, the rattled omega flees to safety and doesn't rest until he's standing in front of a perplexed P'Din, who promptly turns concerned at his drenched, shivering state. The Phi soon coaxes the truth from him and promises to keep any furious alphas at bay while Mew gets ready to depart. He is grateful for P'Din's kind words and support, pulling strings to get Mew his paycheck without having to loiter unnecessarily about for the manger. He almost asks for the older omega's contact information, so they could stay in touch but ultimately decides against it. Mew didn't want to trouble the nice blond any further. As it is, P'Din already did a lot – knowingly allowed Mew to flake out early while still making sure he is paid in full.

It wasn't till he's out of the grandeur building and inside the safety of a cab that Mew was even able to breathe freely past the emotional wrangler he experienced. He survived the stint in hell and best of all his financial nightmares from the past weeks are truly over!

<*>

The weeks following that fateful night of his brief gig are some of the most peaceful days Mew experienced after his graduation.

Once upon a time, the naïve omega dreamed of making it big in the artistic world. Through his talent and a special eye for creativity alone that his professors highly and consistently praised throughout the four-year course, Mew was sure he will make waves as soon as he graduates and that his paintings will be hoisted at famous art galleries to be sold for the top price. Hmm, that dream was fun while it lasted!

Reality hit hard when politics of the business world, prospective top employers and the high-end gallery sponsors' all anticipated the same thing from him to even offer a simple opportunity to showcase his skills: a strong financial background or benefactor backing him. Barring that, they expected Mew to compensate in other ways like bending over and spreading his legs just to gain an unbiased interview.

Well, sufficient to say Mew lost his gullibility and habit of embracing hopefulness soon after that. He gained cynicism and world weary experiences in its place but clearly not enough to learn the lesson fully. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here again!

Waiting for a bus to his neighborhood at the bus stop Mew is immersed in a serious text conversation with P'Tul, uncle Khai's omega son. The older guy has always treated Mew as his own younger brother and provided excellent advice whenever he approached the Phi.

P'Tul:

How did the new commission go?

Did you get paid in full this time?

Mew:

Phi...

P'Tul:

SMH. What is it this time? What happened?

I told you to start demanding down-payment first!

Mew:

Nothing bad, Phi. It's just the brother is a broke college student..

He wanted to surprise his sick sister. I cannot quote the true price knowing he will skip meals to pay me. I know too well how that feels like.

He boards the bus and absentmindedly sits in the back, watching the tiny dots appear and disappear under P'Tul's name. Mew knows what his brother wants to say and in any other situation, he would agree with him too. Getting paid is an important part of holding any job and he is hardly in a position to take pro bono gigs. However, this is a special case. Even if Mew has to go back to juggling other part-time roles, he is happy to give the portrait for free.

P'Tul:

But you got paid right? Half the price or something

RIGHT??!!

Mew:

Er..

P'Tul:

Don't tell me you didn't even take a single baht for your hard work!

N'Mew, you cannot let people take advantage of your soft heart like this!!

A lot of people have sick sisters that doesn't mean they can–

Mew:

Her name is Jom

And, just like that he knows the older omega understood why Mew is alright with giving up this paycheck. The sick sister of his client shared the same name as his late younger sister. He is content imagining that he gifted his own sister instead. Not like Mew will suffer a lot because of one missed payment. Thanks to that temp waiter role, he was able to pay his student loan dues as well as current installment without the standard reminders from the bank. So, he can easily survive with his long-term café job just fine till the end of this month.

Still, never too late to start saving for next month's bills. Its times like this that Mew really regretted his decision to pursue his dream instead of studying something practical like engineering or other employment guaranteed career path. Freelance artist is only cool when you have millions or a stable family to support you. Maybe others in his position are able to get by well. But, Mew is slowly losing his faith that things will ever turn around for him. Perhaps, it's not too late to search for a stable work in a company setting..?

P'Tul:

Hmm, I get it now.

So you are back to looking for another job then?

I will keep an eye out and let you know if I find anything that suits you.

Mew:

Thanks P'Tul.

You're the best!

P'Tul:

I know and no need to thank me, punk!

It's my responsibility to look after you na. Don't forget to attend the family dinner on Sunday, ok?

The younger omega chuckles, responding affirmative and locks his phone. Leaning back, Mew sighs, filled with the same constant warmness Uncle Khai's family replaced in the cold void left by his own family. It sure feels good to be loved. Lost in nostalgic memories, it takes an embarrassingly long time for Mew to realize based on the stop names and unfamiliar route that he boarded the wrong bus. Dammit!

<*>

Cursing his occupied mind for the error, he gets down at the next stop and starts pulling up the maps to figure out the way back. Shia. There are no buses heading towards the location he wants from this area. He will have to trudge a few blocks and change directions to board the right bus. Just simply great!

What's with this week, no, this whole month and throwing curveballs constantly at him?

There seems to be some problem or the other waiting for Mew round the corner coming at him like a psycho with an axe! He's lucky to keep dodging the attack in the last minute! To add cherry on top, it starts raining hours earlier than the weather forecast. See, this is what Mew meant about missing the ambush by an eye's teeth. As a cautious man, he ensured an umbrella remained in his backpack since the start of this rainy season. Finally his vigilance paid off. The crowd around him expecting a cool evening, however, are caught unawares.

The pitter-patter of raindrops and sounds of hurtling traffic are oddly soothing to his ears as Mew strides in the opposite direction of traffic, casually taking in the evidently affluent neighborhood. The area appears to be a cross between housing tall buildings likely apartment blocks of the wealthy, shopping and restaurant complexes, as well as few businesses, judging by the number of people scurrying for shelter dressed in professional clothes and holding identity card tags.

Mew wonders again, how it feels to be working in a 9-5pm job and knowing your salary will deposited without fail at the end of every month. He shakes his head, mood turning blue with every step he takes that not even the posh, arty scenery manages to lift. Taking the road less traveled was his choice, he had no right to whine and throw a fit over it now. Just has to believe his perseverance and hard work pays off ... eventually.

His broody self by chance glances to his right and comes across two middle-school kids caught up in the drizzle. It is true what people say, he thinks somewhat bitterly. There's always someone who's in a worse or pitiful circumstance than us. Mew doesn't hesitate to walk up to the children and offers his umbrella with a smile.

'It's been a long while since I ran under the rain. Will definitely distract me from these melancholic thoughts.'

Nodding at the heartfelt thanks, Mew takes a deep breath and sets off in a light jog when the rain suddenly starts falling in the earnest. Surprise, surprise! The horde on the street also grows as people dash left and right akin to doomsday shuffle to get indoors. His pale blue shirt sticking to his back, Mew had no other choice but to run seeking for comfort inside an establishment that isn't already populated.

<*>

A couple of feet away from a BBQ place, a warm shelter finally, uneasiness begins to prickle at the back of the omega's neck. He checks near him, as the weirdness heightens by seconds. It's a feeling Mew was intimately familiar with always followed by a creepy stare of an alpha or a lovesick fool delusional about their chances with him. Nervous at the sudden intensity of being observed and its possible consequences in an unfamiliar territory during a terrible timing, the brunet contemplates calling for help but then dismisses the notion. It wasn't as though he has any hard proof that someone is following him other than his gut feeling and hyperconsciousness.

No, he cannot unnecessarily freak out P'Tul or his friends. If he's even right and some crazy asshole is stalking him thinking easy prey then the first thing Mew should do is ditch the bastard and reach a safe place, preferably with plenty of people in company.

He thinks he sees a figure in black moving towards him, rashly pushing people in their path and that propels Mew into reacting wildly. Recalling the chase sequences in an action movie P'Max made him and P'Tul watch during a weekend, Mew takes an unexpected detour to the right and sneaks into another alley. He doesn't stop there and runs using the short alleys to converge into the main street and enters a packed café, hiding stealthily behind a table celebrating a birthday party.

Sneaking a peek through the glass windows, Mew is certain the lone pedestrian clad in an entire black outfit – jeans and a hoodie covering their face – is the same person who randomly decided to stalk him. The tall figure appeared contemplating which way to go (further emphasizing Mew's theory) before suddenly running off straight ahead.

Heart in his throat, Mew takes a seat to halt his jelly legs from toppling over. He cannot believe what just happened. How much worse could this month end up for him? The brunet ventures another glimpse and nope, no other strangers wandering the streets in clear pursuit of anyone.

Hmm, is it possible Mew imagined this whole wild goose chase? Could it be that person in black was looking for someone and it wasn't Mew like he thought?

Well, whatever had just happened, it is true that he is rattled to the core by it. Whether he was mistaken about the encounter or not, there is no harm in taking precautions in the future. For now, it is okay to wait here and call for a cab once his overtaxed nervous system gets functioning again.

Whether it's just a coincidence or not, it certainly isn't safe for him to stick around in an unfamiliar district after a near scary incident.

Yes. That'd be the right move!

>*<*>*<

A/N:

Please vote and comment if you liked this update. Next part coming soon! Don't worry about the slow build. GulfMew interactions will take place soon, I promise.  :)

What do you think of this chapter? Is Mew being followed or was it just his imagination? Comment and let me know about your thoughts!