Special Event - An Obvious Surprise (Omar)

This story takes place after the events of Remnants of the Past, but aside from being in an official relationship with Omar, there are no spoilers for the main story.

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Omar has been acting strangely over the past few days. You've seen him sneaking out of the house at night when he thinks you're asleep, whispering with Daira behind your back, and dodging every attempt you make to accompany him somewhere.

If it were anyone else, you’d be worried, but since it’s Omar, you have no doubt he’s planning something special for you. Your love has never been the most subtle when it comes to preparing surprises, and the ridiculous excuses he’s given you for each of the previous situations only confirm your suspicions.

One morning, you caught him leaving the house with a large bundle of fabric under his arm.

"Where are you going?" you asked.

Omar froze in the doorway, staring at you with wide eyes as if you had caught him doing something illegal. "I’m going to… gather medicinal herbs. Yes, that’s it. Lots of herbs for the hospital."

You raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you need a bundle of fabric to collect herbs?"

He glanced down at the fabric in his hands, as if he hadn’t realized he was carrying it, then looked back at you. "Oh, well… Some of them are really big. Giant. You know, medicine stuff."

Before you could reply, he quickly turned and disappeared out the door.

Another day, you caught him speaking in hushed tones with Daira in the palace garden. As soon as they saw you, both fell silent, and Omar hurried to your side.

"Ah, there you are! I was just looking for you."

"Right," you said, giving Daira a quick glance. "Why do I get the feeling you two are up to something?"

Daira smiled and nodded at you respectfully. "Oh, nothing like that. My days of mischief are long over. Omar was just asking me for a favour."

And you would have believed her, if not for Omar immediately saying, "Uh, yeah. I was asking her about… um… tea recipes! I want to experiment with new flavours."

Daira barely restrained the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose at such a flimsy excuse.

"But you don’t even like tea," you said, frowning.

"What, a man can’t change his mind?" he replied nervously before glancing toward the door. "Ah, right! I have to go. They need me at the hospital. See you later!"

And with that, Omar darted away before you could say anything else. Daira simply gave you a shrug and a nervous smile.

The final confirmation comes just the night before Heartbinding Day. Omar approaches you and takes your hands, a smile he can barely contain lighting up his face.

"You better not have plans tomorrow, [petname], because I’ve prepared something special for Heartbinding Day," he says with a triumphant expression.

You chuckle. "Yeah, I already know."

Omar blinks a few times, his proud expression turning into a confused one. "What do you mean, you already know?"

"You’re not the most subtle person in the world, Omar," you reply with a raised eyebrow, opening one of the cupboards in your kitchen.

The sheer number of red and white roses is so overwhelming that they barely fit in the small space, and several tumble to the floor. Hidden among the petals, you spot the glass of one of the finest bottles of wine from Thaon.

You glance at the flowers on the floor, then look up at Omar. "The evidence speaks for itself."

Omar rolls his eyes and shuts the cupboard before wrapping his arms around you. "All right, smartass, you got me, but that doesn’t mean you know what the surprise is. Now do me a favour and act like you haven’t seen anything tomorrow, okay?"

"This better be worth it," you tease against his lips.

"Trust me, [petname]." He kisses you. "It will be."

---

But when the next day arrives, the morning starts differently than planned. Daira shows up at your door, informing you of an urgent matter that requires your attention. You have no choice but to go deal with it.

"I’ll be back in time," you promise Omar as you turn to him.

He nods. "It’s fine. Besides, I still have to finish setting everything up, and it’ll take me a while. Just make sure you’re back before nightfall." He flashes a playful smile and places his hands on his waist. "And you better not leave me hanging today. I nearly broke my back for you."

You laugh. "Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon."

---

But the day doesn’t go as expected. Time passes, and what should have been a short errand drags on longer than anticipated. By the time you finally head back, night has already fallen. Shadows blanket the city as you return home, exhaustion weighing on you and guilt settling in your chest as you pass couples enjoying a final romantic stroll under the moon before heading home.

You curse under your breath and quicken your pace. Omar has been waiting for you all day.

When you open the door to your home, the sight before you takes your breath away. Rose petals are delicately scattered across the floor, forming a path, and candlelight casts a warm glow in every corner of the house.

The air is filled with a sweet, comforting aroma… but the silence is absolute.

"Omar?"

No response.

Feeling a little uneasy, you follow the trail of petals to the bedroom. There, next to the bed, a tray with an assortment of exquisite delicacies prepared by the finest royal chefs of Thaon sits untouched beside two glasses of wine, their fresh, fruity aroma reaching your nose.

And on the bed, dressed in a brand-new but now completely wrinkled outfit, lies Omar, fast asleep.

You take in his expression of pure tranquillity and let out a long sigh as you set your things down on the armchair. The weight of the day lingers, but the sweetness of the moment overcomes it, and slowly, a soft smile forms on your lips as you approach the bed. You sit gently on the edge of the mattress and lean down to place a tender kiss on his lips.

"Happy Heartbinding Day, Omar," you whisper against his skin. "We’ll celebrate tomorrow. I swear."

After putting away the food and changing into something comfortable, you slip into bed beside your lover, wrapping your arms around him and pressing a kiss to his shoulder before joining him in the land of dreams.