Question about the bonding. It looks like Brett was aware of Hayden's feelings, but arent bonding in omegaverse usually felt by both? Just surprised that in this story, Brett was unaware of it.
It always depends on what the author decides to do. In some stories, bonding can be done unconsciously by one party. (I guess another word you could call it is imprinting, which is often not done by both sides at the same time)
From what I've seen of Omegaverses, bonding is a bond formed by two individuals. I've never seen a one way bond before. Whether mutual or not (like willingly or unconsciously) it's always a tie between two parties. But in this case the bond is only form from one side. Though I guess it's the equivalent of bonds that has an alpha neglecting an omega so in that case they are PHYSICALLY bonded but not EMOTIONALLY bonded. Whereas in this sense it seems more emotionally based. But yeah, it doesn't seem to have an adverse effect (not having the bonded partner around).
Thank you for the explanation! ヾ(☆▽☆)
looove how we get to see more of what blondie said about Brett having an arrogant, disdainful air bc he thinks everything is under his control and finds ppl boring - you can always tell when he's locked in and calculating when his blue eyes go matte. But hayden is always the one that throws him out of control and genuinely surprises him - like when hayden told him he had bonded to him. brett was STUNNED! (and then he regained control when he saw that blondie had shot himself in the shoulder ie. everything was under his control)
much has been said about brett, i wanna offer some appreciation for hayden! despite being the guy "who fell first" and being a romantic, he is calm and proactive when he talks to brett about establishing his boundaries, about being more capable of reading brett than brett is aware of.
also the delicious exchange where brett (who thinks of relationships as transactions) being like: now i owe you a huge debt vs. hayden saying "you don't owe me because I CHOSE to do this" (also establishing his own agency against brett's transactional viewpoint). this author is just TOOO GOO