Chapter Text
Their walk to the pharmacy was nothing short of comforting in spite of their strange morning, with Gideon keeping a strong hold on Harrow's hand, making it as obvious as possible to any passers by. Whilst her scent was mostly masked by her cherry perfume, Harrowhark was still highly detectable. Realistically, they both knew that without Gideon, Harrow wouldn't have left the house that day. Whenever someone happened to stop or stare just a little too long at the two of them, Gideon would make a show of pulling the omega closer to herself.
Harrow didn't have it in her to protest the alpha's actions, something in the recesses of her brain revelling in the protectiveness she was receiving from Gideon. Under her layers of skirts and tights, Harrow could feel Gideon's cum leaking into her underwear, leaving her to internally curse the redhead. She would have probably chewed Gideon out for being so primal if it hadn't made her so weak in the knees. Even the thought alone of how carelessly she had been used was driving heat to her core.
The pharmacy looked different, as it usually was every month. Everyone knew how much all of the Tri family liked gaudy decorations, and late November meant Violabeth was getting ready for Christmas. Harrow couldn't help but grimace at the decoration, doing her best to conceal it as she approached the counter. When Silas had failed to withstand Harrowhark in the coffee house, he moved on to work in the pharmacy. Somehow he wasn't too bland for the Tri family, but Harrow assumed they saw him as beneficial to stock loss prevention. He was anal about everything.
"Prescription?" Silas barked, his hand held out before Harrow could even open her mouth. The omega bit her tongue and handed over the piece of paper after struggling to pull it from her bag single-handedly just moments before. Gideon was still refusing to let go of her hand. Harrow watched as Silas eyed the two before glaring at her prescription as if that would make it disappear.
It couldn't have been more obvious that Silas did not like being a weed tender, but everyone else usually found him far too off-putting. In the pharmacy, people cared less only because they really wanted what he kept the key on. Without noticing, Harrow leant against Gideon's arm as they stood watching Silas rifle through a filing cabinet that was stuffed to the brim.
"When did you order it?" The sardonic voice called, Silas not even looking up from the filing cabinet. Gideon was too focused on why the man in front of her was so pale and angry to notice that Harrowhark was slowly losing her cool.
"Last Friday,"
"Hm. I'm not seeing it here. I shall check the back, one moment,"
Harrow mocked him in her head, wishing she could be speaking to anyone else. Only for her wish to come true in the worst way possible. A cool breeze rushed into the pharmacy as the door was opened, causing the omega to turn and see who was coming into the building. Long legs and bundles of curls, a burst of gold seemingly encircling Coronabeth as she entered, only to be closely stalked by Ianthe, who seemed to slouch more than normal when she stood beside her sister.
Bile was already making its way up her throat as Harrow squeezed Gideon's hand, the alpha finally turning around to see what was happening. Gideon emitted a low growl when she set eyes on the beta, pulling Harrow even closer than she had before, attempting to hide the omega behind herself.
"Here you go," Silas droned, just barely catching Harrowhark's attention. The omega turned to the beta on the other side of the counter, doing her best to give him a polite smile. Gideon, however, was preoccupied with watching how Ianthe's head perked up when she smelt something in the air. When the alpha caught eyes with Corona, the urgency seemed to register with the curvier of the twins. Coronabeth did her best to push her sister back through the entrance, loudly insisting that she had forgotten an important lip-gloss at home.
Ianthe caught Gideon's eyes as she was shoved out of the building, Gideon just barely catching the vile smirk that had formed on the boney beta's lips. When Harrow tapped on the alpha's shoulder after failing to get her attention through voice, Gideon looked away from the door.
"Can we go? I don't want to be here if she's here, Griddle,"
"Yep don't worry we're going," Gideon rushed, using herself as a shield around Harrow as best she could. The alpha was on high alert as they both walked towards the door, the two hoping to avoid any sour interaction. It was not their lucky day. Coronabeth and Ianthe had not made it far from the pharmacy, the two noticeable just by opening the door with how loudly they were arguing.
"Ianthe, please. I really need it,"
"Okay okay, yeah whatever Beth. But something smelt familiar in there so can ya just give me a second doll?"
The familiar, disgusting drawl made Harrow's insides curdle. She had switched from gripping Gideon's arm to hugging onto it, her mind too blocked by Ianthe to worry about how she was acting towards Gideon. The two would have been fine, if Ianthe hadn't spotted and locked eyes with Gideon. Harrowhark was just barely hidden by the redhead from afar, but that changed as the twins grew closer, Ianthe's vile smirk painting onto her face again when she noticed Harrow.
"Well, if it isn't the town's new alpha. You smell awful familiar. Not many people round here smell like that," Ianthe drawled, avoiding addressing Harrow with her words despite how often her eyes flickered to the omega. Harrowhark wanted to run. The proximity to someone who only ever wanted to hurt her had guilt rushing into her head.
"Yeah, just…checkin' out the scenery y'know? Gettin' to know the place, the people,"
"Seems like you got to know someone very we- ow! Corona! What was that for?"
"Stop being awful, Ianthe. It's exhausting. Don't make me call Jody,"
"'Don't make me call Jody' Judith Judith wah wah my sister was a big meanie! God Ronnie, I thought you were better than that," Ianthe mocked her sister after Corona had smacked her on the arm. Harrow's mind was swarmed with thoughts of how much the twin's relationship had changed in a matter of months.
A deep sadness overcame her when she remembered how close the two were before Harrowhark had gotten involved with Ianthe. The omega couldn't help but blame herself. She offered a small, wavering smile when the beautiful of the two blondes managed to catch her eye. Coronabeth's face twisted into a pout at the expression on Harrow's, leaving the smallest woman of the four confused.
"If we're done here, I wanna get back to what I was doing. Always good to see you, Coronabeth. Can't say the same about you," Gideon mused, barely addressing Ianthe, who never dropped her smile. Instead, her head tilted to the side, her murky blonde hair sliding over her shoulder.
"Off to explore the town more, hm? Or back to exploring that slut?" The boney beta spat every word from her mouth like it was rotten food. Harrow's mind drew blank, her hands releasing Gideon as the warmth drained from her body.
"Ianthe!"
"Oh what, Ronnie?"
"What did you say about my girlfriend?"
Gideon's words caught Harrowhark off guard. Her voice was stern, serious, every ounce of her usual goofiness wiped away. Despite the tears brimming Harrow's eyes, she couldn't help but notice that Gideon was moving away from her, somehow standing taller than she normally did.
"Girlfriend? They really do just let anyone live here, don't they? Says a lot about you that you'd date someone like-"
"Someone like what?"
Gideon was gone from Harrow's side completely in seconds, the hand that had kept the omega close now threatening to drive into Ianthe as a fist.
"Speak up if you got so much to say,"
"W-well I w-as just saying that-"
The beta was cut short, her words replaced with a shriek. Coronabeth erupted in a fit of strangled giggles as Ianthe doubled over, her hands gripping her face where Gideon's fist had come into contact with it. The redhead stood looking down at the bent over blonde before turning back to Harrow. Harrowhark couldn't help but pay attention to the strange feeling bubbling in her stomach as she locked eyes with Gideon, who's face was once again painted with a goofy smile.
"Ronnie! Don't just stand there! Help me!"
Ianthe sounded like a pathetic child whimpering for its mother. Harrow peered around Gideon's figure to see, despite the tears still blurring her eyes slightly. Corona walked closer to her sister with a disgusted grimace painted plainly on her face.
"Mm, you'll survive I'm sure. I'm going home to get my lip-gloss now," Corona chimed with a shrug, light returning to her face as she turned to lock eyes with Harrow, offering the omega an apologetic smile. Harrow's features softened as she remembered the heart to heart she and the blonde omega had when it came to light that Ianthe had cheated, Coronabeth being more apologetic than Harrowhark could have ever imagined.
As the taller of the twins sauntered off, her curls bouncing, Ianthe slowly stalked after her, but not before shooting a scowl at Gideon's back. Harrowhark stifled her laugh, impressed that the beta was actively avoiding her in response to Gideon's actions. A deep breath that she didn't know she had been holding left Harrow when the twins were completely gone, the smaller woman leaning into the warm chest in front of her without thought.
Fingers were tracing light patterns into Harrow's back through her clothes as her eyes drifted shut momentarily, the warmth and safety of Gideon surrounding her. Every time someone stood for her, it was a tally mark on her heart. Ones her parents had left bare throughout her childhood. In a strange series of events, Harrow's arms seemed to wrap themselves around Gideon's torso, her face pressing into the alpha's chest as she gave her a gentle squeeze.
"You okay, Nonagesimus?"
Harrowhark ignored the question, silence remaining between the two until Gideon tapped on her shoulder. She peeled herself away enough to peer up at the alpha.
"I'm okay, Griddle. Thank you," Her words were a soft sigh as she spoke. Gideon's face contorted in confusion, but Harrow decided against addressing it any further.
The omega leant back into the alpha, an unfamiliar feeling settling into her chest. Thoughts swarmed her head, though Harrow had no intention of dealing with any of them. For now it was enough to just exist in the comfort of Gideon's arms.
For now it was enough to believe the lies were over.