It was before dawn when Raphael woke. The wind and the rain were already beginning to assault his house. There were less than six hours before the storm would make landfall.

He showered, dressed, and forced himself to eat something despite the fact that his stomach was in knots. The thought of leaving his perch on top of the hill and heading down to the questionable safety of the soup kitchen had kept him awake for half the night. When he had slept, he had been plagued by nightmares of being swept underwater.

But he had made up his mind. He was going and there was no backing down. Lupita and the others were counting on him to be there and he wasn't one to leave others hanging. If there had been plenty of volunteers where his absence wouldn't be felt he might have seriously considered staying home. Sadly, that wasn't the case.

So it was that Raphael found himself bicycling through the early morning darkness towards the soup kitchen. He didn't bother with the roundabout route this morning. The only thought in his mind was to get to his destination as quickly as possible. It didn't matter if anyone saw him, he wasn't going to stop for anything.

The path ahead of him was only dimly lit by the headlight of his bicycle. He couldn't avoid the large, lake sized, puddles that stretched across the road this time. More than once he found himself doused by icy water as he splashed through it. The angry roar of the waves crashing against the nearby shore, coupled with the unsettling darkness and the unknown depths of the puddles that he was barreling towards, made his heart race. More than once he felt like he was going to puke along the side of the road. The only thing that kept him going was fear of remaining outside any longer than he had to in this weather.

Thankfully, when he finally hit Main Street the street lights illuminated the road much more thoroughly. Their dull orange glow made it immediately obvious that there were more people out and about than he thought there would be. Boats and rafts of various makes and models had been pulled out of the water and were mounted on trailers parked along the sides of the street. People moved back and forth between the different trailers, some of which were hooked to vehicles, and seemed to be coordinating with one another.

It was at least somewhat reassuring to know that a concerted effort was being made to ensure the safety of the populace. Raphael just hoped that he wouldn't need their help. He was forced to slow down as he passed down the street and weaved his way through the collection of volunteers, police, and various other public safety and emergency personnel.

As he passed a large, flat bottomed, boat that looked newer than most of the others, Raphael locked eyes with a familiar, curly haired, alpha. His heart lodged in his throat and he caught himself slamming on the brakes of his bicycle before he fully knew what he was doing. He climbed off his bicycle and let it fall to the ground as he stepped towards the boat.

Adrenaline rushed in his ears. The amount of anticipation and fear in the air around him was so thick he could almost taste it. It felt like the entire island was bracing for the storm. Whatever happened over the next few hours, it wasn't going to be pretty. This thought alone caused him to stand his ground as Marcos climbed down off the boat, and stepped towards him.

"What are you doing here? You should be somewhere safe." Marcos pitched his voice just shy of a yell as the wind threatened to drown him out completely.

"I'm volunteering..." Raphael wasn't prepared for how quickly his voice was silenced. Before he could try again, Marcos gestured to an open door on the front of one of La Bonita's many bars. He nodded, and followed the alpha inside.

Raphael had passed Guillermo's many times over the years, but he had never been inside. He wasn't one for social drinking, or drinking in general really. He wasn't a teetotaler, but drinking alone had never appealed to him and he hadn't really ever had anyone that he wanted to drink with. Right now however, he was grateful the building's sturdy construction and ability to block out the wind and to provide shelter from the rain.

"You were saying?" Marcos asked him as they moved to stand near the back of the room.

It looked like a meeting had been held not that long ago. Maps and detailed drawings of predicted flood zones littered the table. The bar had likely served as a meeting place to finalize their plans for the rest of the day. Everyone outside right now was preparing to do everything in their power to ensure that no lives were lost during this hurricane. Raphael couldn't help but envy their fearlessness a little bit.

"I'm volunteering at the soup kitchen," said Raphael, avoiding Marcos' gaze as he tried to wrap his head around exactly what it was he wanted to say right now. "I didn't realize you would be out here right now."

"I thought you might be," said Marcos. Raphael couldn't be certain, but he thought the alpha sounded pleased.

"Look, I don't want you to get the wrong idea..." Raphael's voice trailed off as he finally allowed his eyes to drift up to Marcos' face. What had he been saying? The thoughts flew out of his head as one domineering realization settled over him.

"I don't want to give up on us," said Raphael as he released a shaky breath. "The things I said before were harsh. I thought I meant them, but I'm not so sure anymore. I wasn't going to stop when I saw you," he admitted, "but I suddenly felt like I would regret it forever if I didn't tell you how I felt before the storm hits."

"It's not that I'm not happy about it," Marcos sounded much more serious than Raphael had expected, "but why change your mind all of a sudden. You said that kids were a deal breaker for you and that you weren't interested in an alpha that wanted a family like that."

Raphael self-consciously pressed a hand to his stomach. "I...I still don't know what I want. Not really. I just know that if I make this decision based on the hell I went through as a kid then I never really escaped from it. I can’t let what my parents put me through continue to rob me of my ability to make decisions for myself.”

Marcos reached out and gently caressed Raphael's cheek. "I find myself surrounded by other alphas right now. They keep talking about their omegas and how much they want to keep them and their children safe. All it's done is make me think of you and how much I want to be that for you. I can't get you out of my thoughts, Raphael.

"Ultimately, the decision is yours, but I want you to know that I would love to help you raise this baby together if it turns out that you're pregnant." Marcos sighed and let his hand drop away from Raphael's face. "As much as I want children though, I want you more."

His words sent goosebumps prickling across Raphael's skin. For a brief moment, a picture of the future crystallized in his mind. Raphael saw himself, sitting on the front porch of his house beside Marcos while a little boy played with a great big dog. A feeling of contentment bubbled through him at the sight of that image. Could he really overturn the misery of his own childhood and provide a safe, fulfilling, environment for a baby to grow up in?

"I can't make this decision right now," said Raphael, laying a hand on Marcos' chest. As much as he wanted to give Marcos the answer he sought, there simply wasn't enough time. A lifetime worth of self-doubt wouldn't be turned over so easily.

"I don't expect you to," said Marcos, wrapping his hand around the one Raphael had placed on his chest. "All I want is for you to know that you're safe with me. My heart and soul rest here on Catalejo island. I have no aspirations to be anything more than what I am. I could never resent you, or our children if we have them, because I am already content with my life. The only thing missing is you."

Raphael felt his heart beat quicken at Marcos' words. With every breath he felt like the alpha was drawing him steadily closer. His fears, his worries, they still existed but they were slowly being pushed aside by Marcos' calm persistence. Like waves against a stone, slowly eroding away the roughness until only a smooth surface remained.

"Marcos..."

"Marcos!" A voice shouted from outside. "We're getting ready to head out. Where are you?"

"Just a minute, I'll be right there!" Marcos shouted back. He glared towards the front door and the person seeking him slunk back out into the rain.

"I have to go," Marcos sighed as he looked back at Raphael. "This storm won't wait." He kissed Raphael's hand before letting it go.

"Marcos, wait." Raphael was speaking before he had finished thinking again.

The alpha froze mid-step. His eyes were full of hope as he gazed into Raphael's face. It was clear that whatever Raphael said next would stick with Marcos for the rest of the day. On some level he felt like he had the power to determine Marcos' fate with what he chose to say.

"I...I want you to come back to me," said Raphael. He caught hold of a handful of Marcos' jacket and pulled him close once more. "Come back and be my alpha."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Marcos'. The heat of that kiss warmed him through to his core and sent a thrill down his spine. He desperately wanted, needed, the alpha to know what he felt. All of the feelings that he couldn't put into words were conveyed through that kiss. Raphael desperately hoped that it would be enough.

When the kiss broke, Marcos breathlessly pressed his forehead against Raphael's. "Stay safe," he said as his eyes fell closed. "I'll always find my way back to you. I won't abandon my omega."

Before Raphael could reply, Marcos pressed his lips against his forehead. Then the alpha turned and strode purposefully towards the front door of the bar. He paused and looked back at Raphael with a hopeful smile before disappearing out into the rain.

Raphael's cheeks were burning. His heart wouldn't stop pounding. He hadn't left his house this morning determined to reconcile with Marcos. If he hadn't seen the alpha outside on his way through, none of this would have even happened. Yet it had. He ran to the front door just in time to see Marcos' boat towed away by a large truck.

The words, the kiss, it almost felt like a dream. Whatever happened next, he had an alpha now. Marcos had called him his omega. The way he said it made Raphael feel like he was more than just a possession. His past alphas had never made him feel like that. This was something more and it warmed him to his very core.

"Oye! You there, is this your bike?" Someone was yelling at Raphael. "Can you get it out of the way!?"

"Sorry," Raphael shouted, though he still wasn't sure who was talking to him. He sprinted out into the rain, picked up his bike, and quickly began wheeling it towards the soup kitchen. The sky was beginning to lighten a little. The dark gray clouds overhead still blocked out any trace of the sun.

A truck towing a rowboat passed him slowly. Raphael caught himself trying not to think about the impending flood. His alpha would be out there battling against the storm to try and rescue people. The only thing he could do now was help Lupita and the others as much as possible.

He mounted his bike and headed through the wind and the rain. When he arrived at the soup kitchen, there were already more vehicles lining the road than he had remembered seeing before. A dozen different bicycles were stacked up on the grass outside. Dozens more people were streaming towards the shelter on foot.

Raphael left his bike with the others and quickly made his way inside.

Despite the fact that he had helped set everything up yesterday, Raphael hadn't been prepared for the sheer number of people that would be coming to them.

The dining room had been filled with makeshift cots and mattresses. Many of these had already been claimed by people and families that had arrived earlier. The room had felt big yesterday during the preparations but now it already felt far too small. He knew that there were more accommodations up on the second floor of the building, but those were going to run out far too fast. What would they do when they ran out of room?

"Raphael!" Logan's voice carried over the low murmur of conversation that filled the room. The fashionable omega was standing by the door to the kitchen waving Raphael over.

Raphael made his way through the dining room, trying his best not to get in anyone's way or drip on anything. When he finally reached the kitchen door, Logan dragged him inside. Lupita, Miguel, the kitchen staff, and a few others were already gathered.

"Good, we're all here." Lupita sounded relieved. "Before we get started, Raphael make sure you grab a spot for yourself as soon as we're through here. I hope you brought dry clothes, because it's going to be a long miserable day if you're soaked to the bone the entire time."

"I did," Raphael assured her. He was thankful he had had the foresight to pack some extras.

"We saved a spot for you by us," said Miguel with a nod. His daughter was tucked safely into the sling across his chest. Raphael couldn't imagine having to look after a baby during a time like this. Would he reach a point where he would rather have his child by his side than risk leaving them in anyone else's care?

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Raphael nodded to Miguel and Logan. He had spent so much of his life avoiding other people, that he hadn't been prepared for how quickly the two of them had accepted him. It was a little overwhelming to be perfectly honest. He was still certain that he didn't care for people in general, but Miguel and Logan weren't so bad.

"I know we went over all of your assignments yesterday," said Lupita as she turned her eyes to each of them. "I'm not going to waste time here by going over them all again. Instead, I just want to remind you that we're here to help one another. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed, ask for help. These people have come to us for safety and shelter. It won't do for us to be panicking because we're getting overworked. It's up to us to remain calm and professional and give these people the stability they need to make it through this storm. Understood?"

Raphael caught himself nodding along with the rest of the group. As long as he was able to stay busy and not think about the storm or the flood, he knew he would be fine. He just needed to stay focused.