The alpha held the door open for me to pass, offering an awkward bob of his head.
This had to stop. Marcus and I were friends well before Joon had come into my life, or his. And we sure as fuck weren't going to let an omega come between us.
We had history, and if my dolls taught me anything, history meant something. It left a lasting impression.
Inside, the theater was one of our pack's favorites. A non-profit agency that worked alongside the film associations in the city had purchased the building, an old, single-screen theater nestled in the heart of downtown, right before it was marked tobe condemned. It'd cost a fortune to refurbish the place, but the people in charge were passionate about keeping things as close to the original as possible.
The lobby, all red carpets and brass fixtures alongside beautiful, decorative wood paneling, was something that was impossible to forget. They'd even found a bunch of old movie posters in the reel room when they started the project, and had them mounted and framed on the walls. It was a total blast from the past, and with all of the touches that they'd managed to salvage, like the original neon sign behind the concession stand, it felt more like a film set than an actual place.
It was kind of magic, being able to be a part of the history of the space as well as part of its future.
But the highlight of the room really was the smell. Privately, I'd always thought that if I were an omega, I would've hoped to match with a pack that smelled like the theater. Salty, hot buttered popcorn had to be the best scent in the world, well… third. I'd really gotten fond of candy apples and strawberry matcha lattes in the last few months.
Still, the siren call of movie snacks was undeniable.
"Should we get some popcorn?" I asked, rolling my shoulders and putting an easy grin on my face. Only for my shoulders to tighten right back up anyway.
I could do this. It would be hard, but I knew I could.
"As long as Joon isn't making it," Marcus teased with a laugh, making my omega blush and rub the back of his neck.
"It's harder than it looks, okay?" he mumbled, catching my hand to pull me in.
The tight, drawn-up line of my shoulders released instantly, and I kissed his temple. Seeing Joon reach for me... it made things feel a little more even, a little more like what he'd said was true.
That he still wanted me. That I wasn't some second-place consolation prize that he was keeping on the hook.
"It's popcorn," Marcus said, shaking his head as he led us to the concession stand.
"Want some of the sour snakes?" Joon asked.
I made a face. "I wish they were anything else. I always feel bad biting their heads off. It's like chomping into Potato! She so doesn't deserve that."
"If Potato was a gummy snake... what flavor would she be?" Marcus asked thoughtfully, ordering us all popcorn and sodas before adding a couple bags of sours to the pile on the counter.
"Strawberry," Joon said straight away, stealing a kiss from me—and a second for good measure.
"Too basic, she's a dignified lady," I said, thinking it over. "I think she'd want to be something tropical. Like passionfruit and pineapple."
"Those don't grow in Virginia," Marcus said, raising an eyebrow. "Has she ever even seen a pineapple before?"
Joon and I laughed.
"What does that matter?" I asked.
But maybe he had a point. Had Potato ever seen a pineapple before? And if she hadn't, what would she think of it?
"It's like those videos online," Joon said, collecting the candies to put into the front pouch of his hoodie. "You know, showing my cat things he's never seen?"
I took the popcorn and the drink that Marcus offered me with a quick thanks, nodding along with Joon's train of thought. "Should we give it a go? There's probably a ton of stuff that she's never seen."
"Like the garage!" Joon said excitedly. "And Cameo's room!"
For a moment, everything felt so normal, I'd almost forgotten how much had changed in the last few days.
Marcus shook his head, clicking his tongue disapprovingly. "I think if you tried to bring that thing into Cameo's room, he'd throw a fit."
"Right," Joon said, rolling his eyes. "So it's a day ending in 'y' then."
