Liberation: Oscar's Story

Chapter 20: Pt. 1

Saying that Oscar was nervous was an understatement.

He didn't understand how others did it. He'd seen Cai on dates before. Granted, it wasn't by choice, but Oscar envied how careless his Beta was. While Oscar was a nervous wreck on the day of his date, Cai had always been cheerful and upbeat. Oscar hated the smug grin his Beta had passed him as he fretted over his clothes and worried about the theater they had chosen to go to on their date. Cai found his anxiety to be unfounded. ("Chill," he laughed. "Ananya will like whatever you guys do.") Oscar had rewarded Cai's relaxed response with a scowl.

As he sat in the theater, though, with his mate nestled beside him, Oscar felt himself growing more and more at ease. His conversation with Ananya had lightened the load on his shoulders and he was able to sit comfortably. His fingers absently stroked her soft skin, tracing the small bumps on her arm. Now and then, his hand would travel upward to her neck and press carefully against her pulse, searching for the perfect place to mark his claim. When he'd notice himself doing so, he'd quickly pull away, not wanting to make her uncomfortable, though he doubted Ananya understood why he was so focused on her heartbeat.

"Look at those zombies!" She marveled, pointing at the screen. "Aren't the special effects awesome? It actually looks like their skin is dripping!"

"Yes..." Oscar turned his face to hide the greenish tone his skin was taking. "It's very...graphic."

"It's not bad. I can see some points that they missed, though. Oh, look, he's really enjoying that brain," Ananya mentioned casually, her doe-eyes fixated on the gruesome scene playing before them. It took Oscar a moment to regain his composure, and he thought for a while why he'd picked an apocalyptic movie out of all movies for a second date, when he realized that the movie wasn't his choice; it was Ananya's.

"So," he cleared his throat when the commercials came on. "How long have you been fascinated with apocalyptic movies?"

"I'd say since high school. It's an embarrassing reason, though."

"Really? Now I'm even more curious." He smirked.

Ananya blushed. "My aunt hated them. She said they were a waste of time and fictitious. I wanted to spite her, so I watched a lot of them with my uncle. It gave her another reason to dislike me, but she also kept her distance from me for a long time." She hummed. "I guess she thought I was interested in cannibalism."

"Zombies and cannibals are on two different spectrums, aren't they?"

"Not really. They both lust for human flesh." Ananya shrugged. "I-I'm not a cannibal, though. I just wanted to spite her." She laughed. "Quite honestly, though, I started enjoying zombie movies because of the diversity in them. A lot of these movies were made in the West, which is more accepting of...of our kind. They have characters of all species and abilities, so I enjoy watching them to see the diversity." She smiled. "Very rarely do they play here in Bourdier. It's considered malicious propaganda."

"Really?" Oscar frowned. "It doesn't seem malicious."

"People here say it frames us as 'normal' which is misleading according to them."

"That's bullshit." He scowled. "You're perfectly normal. Zombies and cannibals aren't normal. They should be more worried about an apocalypse than physically limited beings."

"If only everyone thought like you did, Oscar," Ananya said. "I grew up this way, though. I'm used to it."

"What way?"

"Isolated." Her gaze grew distant, and she remembered with a spine-tingling shiver the darkness that had consumed her many times during her childhood. She remembered the sting of leather and the bite of long, polished fingernails. You listen to me, and you'll be safe, my fragile, fragile girl. "My aunt kept me in the house most of the time. She said it was to keep me safe." It was to keep her reputation safe.

"She did?" Oscar studied her. "And do you believe that?"

"I don't have any reason to believe otherwise." Ananya chewed the inside of her mouth. "My aunt's just strict. She's not a bad person...I don't think so."

"Strict is better than abusive," Oscar mused. His attention was taken by the movie starting up again, and he didn't notice Ananya flinching at his comment.

"Yes..." she grew quiet, her small pink tongue peeking from her lips to moisten them, wiping them clear of her guilt and lie. Her spine tingled. Starting a relationship on a fib? Her subconscious scolded her.

The movie continued for another hour or so, and as it played Ananya's spirits lifted once again. She would bounce in her chair whenever a raid appeared and she'd groan when they'd disappear. Oscar took note of her enthusiasm with a smitten smile. He noticed as well that she'd blush when the main couple took the stage. She focused with rapt intrigue on their romantic encounters and would bounce her leg when they'd kiss on screen.

As the end credits played, Oscar stood and stretched his arms high above his head. His back popped and his tense muscles cracked. "Sorry," he flushed.

"It's okay." Ananya watched him with a smile. She was so short, Oscar realized, that she was swinging her feet as she watched him, the soles of her shoes hovering over the ground. With ease, he lifted her and set her down, but his hands remained on her waist.

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "What?" She teased. "Don't you want to let go?"

His arms tightened around her. "Not really," he admitted and bent his head. His mouth fell on the base of her neck, where her pulse was racing madly. "Is this okay?"

"Eep!" Ananya squeaked, her head spinning around wildly. "O-Oscar! We're in public!" Her cheeks darkened maddeningly.

He gave a husky chuckle and pecked her lips. "I apologize. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He moved back, but Ananya grabbed his arm.

"W-Wait..." cautiously, she looked around. The showing room was empty. "It's okay." Her fingers wrapped around his shirt and tugged him down. "Just another quick one."

Oscar grinned. "As you wish," he said and kissed her, taking one of her wrists in his hand, and holding her close to his body. He felt her fit perfectly in his arms, like the moment when a book is just the right size to create an even row on a bookshelf. The small sound that left her throat brought a low growl out of him and he pressed his mouth against hers with deeper passion. They broke apart once to breathe and then resumed their fervent display of affection.

"Do you want to go out for a snack?" Ananya asked when the two finally decided to leave the theater. She went to get her backpack, but Oscar took it before she could and slung it over his shoulder. "Hey!" She laughed.