Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bitter smoke filled Reki's lungs and at the same time, his body emptied. All thoughts left his mind and all the stress from the weak seemed to evaporate. He could relax, stare unblinkingly, unthinkingly, into the leaves that poked over the high stone wall outside his bedroom window. He didn't have to think in that moment, didn't have to do anything except experience the burn in his lungs and the ache in his chest.

He was alone, his mother having taken his sister's out to visit their grandmother the next town over. Due to the situation, Reki was allowed to stay home and do what he needed to do. And what he needed to do was get high as hell and take a well deserved nap. He sat at his desk, finally releasing the breath of smoke and blowing it out his open window.

Being alone. That's what he craved. He needed the reprieve. The silence. Life was too loud the past few months. It had been too loud the last couple of weeks. He needed the silence. The empty feeling of being alone. He required a less emo drama silence and a more angsty edge lord quiet that would definitely help him get some of the emotions out of his head. So here he was, practicing smoke rings and killing his lungs with his one and only true love, Mary Jane. What a beautiful woman he had.

"Reki?"

The redhead choked at the sudden voice, coughing up smoke as his eyes began to water, spluttering as he turned around in his chair. He blew out the last bit of smoke and inhaled some actual air, amber eyes meeting aqua almost like a sunset ocean view.

"Langa? What are you- how'd you get in?!" Reki asked, voice laced with shock as the other teen stared at him curiously. "The door was cracked open. I'm sorry for intruding. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.." Langa explained, trailing off as his eyes fell on the glass instrument in Reki's hand. "What is that?"

Reki looked down at it and lifted it up to better show his friend. It was a mixture of red and orange speckled through translucent yellow glass, one end was larger and the other tapered off onto a mouth piece. It was shaped somewhat like an elephant with the trunk being the mouthpiece. "it's a bowl. You know, for smoking." Reki explained lamely, eyes drifting back to his friend who continued to stare.

"You smoke?" Langa finally asked. Reki nodded, "Not usually. Just, every now and then." He added, looking away as he brought the piece back up to his lips and used his free hand to flick a lighter at the bowl of green on the elephants back. The hot smoke filled his lungs again, burning to the point where it was uncomfortable. Reki could see Langa move to his bed from the corner of his eye, watched him take a seat on the edge and just stare at Reki with a blank expression.

Reki couldn't smell his friend at all, not over the thick smell of stinky smoke. That's probably why Reki couldn't tell the other was coming. Even if Langa was a Beta, he still had a muted scent that Reki could usually pick up on. Reki blew the smoke out of the window and coughed slightly, looking over to his friend quietly. Langa stared intently, brows furrowed only slightly and eyes glued to Reki. The boy lifted up the bowl and lighter, offering them to the other.

"Do you want a hit?"

Langa stared at him the very same way he stared at Reki when he first asked him if he wanted to try skateboarding. He looked like he was having an inner struggle. He probably shouldn't, it seemed reckless and stupid and the way Reki coughed after every exhale was enough to make him say no, but…

Where's the harm in trying?

"Sure." Langa said simply, moving further up the bed so he could sit by the window. Reki suddenly realized something as Langa settled down, his eyes glued to the bowl in his hand. It was important to him. A gift given by an old friend, hand crafted specifically for him. He trusted Langa, he did, but it was glass. It was fragile. And accidents did happen. Reki glanced up at his friend and held up a finger.

"Alright, so we have two options. As much as I trust you, I don't trust whatever gods are up in the sky so I'm not really comfortable letting you use my bowl. So we can either make you a makeshift one from a potato or you'll have to let me shotgun you." Reki spoke, slowly trailing off as he realized what he just said. He just offered to shotgun his best friend… No, Reki definitely couldn't do that. That would just be too-

"Alright, let's shotgun then."

Reki stared at him, clearing his throat and shaking his head. "Are you sure, I can just go and get a potato. It'll take like, less than five minutes-"

"Reki, I don't want to use a potato." Langa deadpanned. He had that look in his eyes. The set determined look that Reki was really beginning to hate. It was the kind he always had whenever someone challenged him to a beef or when he and Reki had their own eating contests at the burger joint.

Reki pouted, leaning back in his seat and humming in defeat. He picked his pipe back up and the lighter, flicking the wheel a few times till a flame caught. "Alright, have it your way. Just get ready to inhale the smoke." Reki said with a sigh, placing his lips around the end and sucking in, filling his lungs slowly before he set both down, holding his breath. He turned to Langa, reaching out to grab the others face and leaning in. Langa's eyes widened slightly and his lips parted. Reki stopped only centimeters away, blowing out a little bit of smoke. Langa seemed to take the hint, breathing it in.

Reki exhaled completely, watching most of the smoke get sucked into Langa's parted lips and once he was done, Reki released him and pulled away, staring as his friend choked and began hacking up a lung, coughing up smoke as his eyes watered. He hunched over, resting his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

"W-what," Langa coughed before clearing his throat, "How can you do that so easily?" He asked, looking up at Reki with a red face. Reki just shrugged and looked away with a blush, grabbing his items and taking another hit, this one more so for himself. "Practice. That was my first time shotgunning though." Reki spoke through his exhale, sighing heavily before he looked back to his friend from the corner of his eye.

Langa stared at him with a flushed face, the smell of weed clinging to his scent like a koala. He stared at Reki with those cool blue eyes which made his mouth to dry.

"Do you wanna go again?" Reki asked, swallowing the nervous lump in his throat and trying not to think about his friend in that type of way. Langa was a beta so Reki didn't have to worry about his scent. And even if he wasn't a beta, the thick smell of skunk would protect his secret.

That secret was the fact that Reki was an omega. One in heat to be exact. He was home alone taking care of himself the only way that seemed to work, using weed as a suppressor. It did it's job, make him relax, sleepy, hungry, and not a sobbing, horny, slick covered mess. It also masked his heat scent perfectly. Ah Mary Jane, our saving grace.

"Of course I do." Langa replied almost immediately, sitting up straight and leaning forward, waiting for Reki to initiate once more. The omega blushed softly from the eagerness and he turned away, repacking his bowl and flicking the lighter, taking a long drag before he leaned over and cupped Langa's face, lips almost brushing but not quite as he exhaled the smoke slowly, watching it curl around Langa's lips as he breathed it in.

And this continued.

Lidded eyes, Reki's warm hands on Langa's cool skin, the male pinned easily under hesitant fingertips. The room was hot and filled with smoke, the open window forgotten as Langa coughed up each hit, smoke swirling around them. Faintly, Reki could smell a warm toasty scent, something similar to vanilla. It filled his head with each shaky breath he took after emptying his being into Langa, filled him right back up.

Shotgunning was intimate. Reki knew that. He's seen it before, but doing it? He could see why some people were addicted to it. Watching Langa stare into his soul as he breathed in a piece of it with each hit, it felt so.. violating in a way. Like he was laying himself bare before this man and showing him his whole being and Langa just took it all in and asked for more, asked for Reki to do it again, to keep showing him this sight laid before him like a starving man staring helplessly at a table filled with food.

It was right there. He couldnt take it though. It wasn't his right. All he could do was relax. Relax and ask that his torture could continue.

Reki pulled away, watching Langa breathe out the white smoke with a shudder and less coughing. He seemed to be getting used to it now however many hits in. Reki glanced down at his desk, finding both the pipe and his little bag empty. Part of him was sad. Not because he was out of weed, oh he was definitely sad about that. But mostly he was sad that he couldn't continue this experience with Langa anymore. The other part of him was happy for that fact. He didn't have to continue to lay there as Langa devoured him with each breath.

That sounded oddly sexual and in no way did Reki need to think about it like that.

He glanced over at the older boy, raising an eyebrow when he found Langa collapsed back on his bed, head propped up on the wall as he stared at Reki quietly, pupils blown wide. Reki snorted in amusement, shaking his head quietly before he reached for his laptop. He moved from his chair to the bed, sitting with his back against the wall and the laptop in his lap. He opened up netflix and turned on a random comedy movie, lifting his arm slightly when he felt Langa's head nudge into his hip.

Reki glanced down at him, watching in amusement as the beta curled into his side, eyes glued to the screen like an innocent child. "You doing alright?" Reki asked, already knowing his friend was high as hell just from the way he blinked up at Reki slowly, his eyes seemed heavy. "Yes… I'm fine." Langa responded, looking back to the laptop slowly. "Why is that hotdog singing?"

Reki snickered, resting his hand in the others hair and petting it gently. "Don't worry about it. Just watch." Reki assured, playing with soft blue hair quietly. "What's wrong with that lady?" Langa asked quietly, one arm reaching around Reki's waist to cling to him. "That's a hotdog bun." Reki replied gently earning a pinched brow. "Why..?"

"I'm not sure. It's American." Reki replied with a shrug, relaxing as he read the subtitles on the screen, listening to Langa as he snickered to a few of the jokes. They laid like that for a bit, Langa cuddled up agaisnt Reki's stomach as the omega played with his hair, both of them only half paying attention to the movie since it was a bit hard to focus when they were both not completely there.

Reki finally broke the silence when he reached for his phone, dialing a nearby takeout restaurant and ordering them both something to eat. Langa looked up at him curiously. "What do you want to eat from the chicken place?"

"Chicken." Langa replied like a smart ass. Or a dumbass. Reki was still trying to figure out which one he was. He ended up just rolling his eyes and ordered a bucket and some side. He hung up once he was done and moved the laptop aside, stretching his arms and yawning. "I'm going to go take a quick shower to wake myself up. Go ahead and sleep if you need to. I'll wake you when the food gets here." Reki assured, crawling out of Langa's grip as the beta whined in protest. Reki ignored him, going over to rummage through his dresser for clean clothes.

"Okay.. Hey Reki, why did you start smoking?" Langa asked curiously. "It's for anxiety." Reki said automatically, not even looking up. "I don't have a medical card for it though like they do in America so don't tell anyone about it, alright? It's pretty illegal in japan."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Langa murmured, voice neutral as he rolled over onto his back, spine curling against the wall in an awkward position. He was like a cat in the way he laid there with no concern for the laws of nature.

Reki left him to nap as he headed for the bathroom, turning on the hot water and stripping down. He got into the shower, savoring the fact that he not only had the house to himself for a week, but he also had all the hot water he could ever want. His shower was quick and by the time he was done, he was feeling fresh and awake. He dried off and before getting dressed, he patted on some of his clear scent blockers. Even though Langa was a beta, he had it drilled into his head to wear them when there was someone else around, especially when that someone wasn't an omega.

Thanks, Dad.

The scent blockers went on seamlessly, disappearing against his tan skin. He stretched his arms and tilted his head side to side, flexing his legs quietly as he tested to make sure they wouldn't annoy him throughout the day and once he was satisfied, he got dressed and took his dirty clothes to the hamper. He went to the kitchen to get some water for his cottonmouth, pausing when he heard the doorbell ring.

He grabbed some cash from his wallet and went to answer the door, paying for the food before carrying the bags inside. He set everything on the table and heard his stomach rumble as he went to look for his friend.

He found him on the bed, facing the wall as he hugged Reki's pillow, breathing into it quietly. Reki snorted in amusement, reaching over and shaking his shoulder. "Langa~ Wake up, the food is here. I'm starving and I'm sure you are too." The omega crooned gently so he didn't startle his friend.

"Hm? Reki?" Langa rolled over, still cuddling Reki's pillow. He stared at him quietly before he yawned, coming up with a frown. "Why aren't you in my nest?"

Reki snorted softly, "Your nest? What are you talking about?" Reki asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed as Langa looked around quietly. "Oh.. it was a dream.. you were in my nest." The beta mumbled, sitting up slowly and rubbing his face. "keeping it warm for me while I got materials for it." He added sleepily, rubbing his cheek against the pillow. Reki rolled his eyes in amusement, shaking his head. Maybe his friend was secretly an omega and didn't want to tell him. Either way, it was hilarious. "Come on. Let's get you some food and water. You probably have cottonmouth right now, don't you?"

Langa lifted his head and smacked his lips, frowning before he nodded in agreement. "Mmhm. Dry." He replied, looking down and setting the pillow aside before he stood up. Reki followed suit, leading the way to the kitchen before he started to open up the food. Langa went to the cabinet to get a cup before he filled it with some water, standing by the sink and gulping down the cup quietly before he refilled it. Reki grabbed them both some utensils before he sat down and began to eat. Langa soon joined him and they ate in silence.

"Is this your first time getting high?" Reki asked curiously. Langa looked up with a mouthful of chicken, nodding. "It's legal back in canada but I just never had an interest in it. Or any friends who did it." Langa explained, swallowing his food before he tilted his head. "You?"

"I've been doing it for a few years. My aunt lives part time in the US so she's the one who taught me about using it for my.. medical reasons. She brings me enough during visits that I don't have to risk buying it from shady sources." Reki explained, leaning back in his chair as he chewed thoughtfully before he swallowed.

"How long does being like this usually last?" Langa asked. Reki shrugged, tilting his head as he thought it over. "We smoked all of the stuff I had for today and since it's your first time, I think the rest of the day. You'll be fine tomorrow though." Reki assured, finishing his food and relaxing, downing the rest of his water. Langa nodded, staring intently at the piece of chicken he was holding. "That movie made me scared to eat this stuff. But it tastes so good." He spoke,biting into it with a satisfied crunch. Reki chuckled in amusement, shaking his head.

"Alrighty, go back to sleep now. I don't need you acting like this when we go to S later." Reki spoke, standing up and beginning to clean up the table. Langa finished his food quickly and started to help, taking their utensils to the sink to wash them and get himself some more water before he yawned. "Should I just head home?"

Reki looked over at him and shrugged, feeling a bit touch starved due to the slight cuddling he got earlier. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't mind sharing the bed with me. You can always text your mom and ask to sleep over tonight."

"Yeah, okay. I'll do that." He replied, beginning to head back to the bedroom. Reki washed his hands and refilled his own glass, carrying it with him and setting it on the nightstand. He cleaned up his bowl, tapping his ashes out the window before he put it away in a drawer. Afterwards he set up his laptop again and played a random tv series, laying down with the covers pulled over him. Langa settled behind him a bit, watching the screen before he began to nod off, warm breath tickling against the back of Reki's neck.

The omega only sighed in content, enjoying the warmth of his friend. He was pretty touchy, especially during his heats. He was used to the skin ship his siblings would give him but now that they were gone, giving him the space he needed during his cycle, he just felt so lonely. He was used to it. He needed it during his heats..

But with Langa pressed up against his back, sleeping peacefully, Reki just couldn't tell himself that lie anymore.

Chapter Text

Reki's first inclination that they overslept was the wet feeling on his neck. The second was the distant ringing he heard from his phone. Reki blinked his eyes open slowly, staring into the darkness above him before he felt a bead of wetness drift down his neck. Reki sat up quickly and cursed, running straight to the bathroom and looking at his neck. The clear scent patch he had put on earlier was now a cloudy white color that bulged slightly, clear streaks of scent leaked slowly from the edges indicating he was desperately in need of a change. He wrinkled his nose and pulled his clothes off before he peeled off the swollen patches, dropping them each into a sealable bag before he sprayed some scent neutralizer into the bag and sealed it, dropping it into the trashcan in the bathroom. He started the hot water again, needing to take another shower before he could put on new patches.

His skin felt a bit hot and Reki knew that he would have to smoke again before they left or he wouldn't be able to focus at all while at S. He stepped into the shower, just taking a quick one to scrub his skin with odor neutralizing soap before he got out, dried off, and applied fresh scent patches. He stared into the box, counting the sheets of wax paper to see how many he had left. He was running out and would need to stop at a convenience store sometime soon to restock his supply. He would probably need to get tampons too.

Fuck you, dad.

"Reki?"

Reki jumped, quickly taking the scent patches he needed and began applying them to his skin. "Yeah, Langa?" Reki asked, patting the patches into place before he grabbed the neutralizer spray and spritzed it around the bathroom. "Were still going to S, right? Everyone is blowing up our phones." Langa replied softly, sleep still hanging in his voice.

Reki got dressed and swung the door open, nodding. "Yeah, I just took a shower to wake myself up. Go ahead and take one if you need to then we can get going." Reki assured, stepping aside. Langa nodded, stepping into the bathroom and humming softly, looking around. "Do you have any scent patches I can borrow?" He asked suddenly.

Reki paused, tilting his head. "Huh? Are you not a beta?" Langa looked back at him and shook his head, pulling down his shirt collar to show the off-white cloudy patches on his neck. "No. Do I come off as one?" He asked curiously.

Reki stared before he laughed. "Yeah you really do." He responded. Suddenly the thing he said earlier about Reki being in his nest made sense. Langa had to be an omega. It was definitely surprising but a welcomed one. "Here, there's some under here." Reki added, opening the cabinet under the sink and taking out a sheet of scent patches, setting them on the counter for him. "I'm gonna go wait in the bedroom. Let me know when you're ready."

Langa nodded, heading to the shower to turn the water on as Reki headed back to his room. He took his seat at his desk and he opened his drawer, pulling out his elephant and a second smaller bag of weed. He had three bags that he could smoke per day. One in the morning, one after school, and one before S. He had twenty two sets of bags total that he had access to help last him for three months. Seven per each of his heats and an extra he actually used for when he was anxious.

He didn't use them carelessly either. He only saw his aunt once every three months and she was the only one he could get marijuana from without having to go the shady route. Well.. she still was shady since she somehow smuggled it to Japan from America but Reki wasn't about to question her when she was already doing so much to help him. Reki packed a bit of the loose bud into the little dip in the elephant's back before he held the flame up to it's stomach. He watched it heat up for a second before he brought it to his mouth and took a long drag, inhaling the smoke slowly.

He leaned back in his chair, staring out the window into the night sky above him, staring at the twinkling stars and he let the breath out even slower then he took it in, relaxing his whole body and letting the tense stress flow out with the smoke. He did it again, and again, and again until his mind was clear and his head didn't ache. He didn't have to think. Not now. Reki leaned forward, tapping the elephant lightly agaisnt the windowsill to knock out the spent ashes before he cleaned up, shoving everything back into his drawer. He closed his window and stretched, turning around when he heard Langa's footsteps approach his room.

"You ready?" Reki asked, smiling at his friend brightly. Langa smiled back and nodded, sniffing softly. "Yep, let's get going!"

They headed to the front door, both of them grabbing their stuff before they picked up their boards and headed out. The road was lit dimly by street lamps and a few stray cars passed by. The two of them skated in sync, dipping in around each other, pushing and pulling with the others rhythm. They fell in a sort of beat, heading straight to the Sia la Luce.

They saw the car waiting outside of the restaurant. Shadow glared at them angrily as they approached. He wore his hair up and in an erratic fashion as usual, face covered in makeup looking like a rejected KISS groupie. He rested his knuckles on his hips, "We should've just left you two good for nothing! We've been waiting for about twenty minutes!" Shadow snapped at them angrily as the two teens hurried into the car. "Sorry! Sorry! We slept in a bit. We're here though!" Reki replied quickly as they buckled their seatbelts.

"We? Were you two sleeping together or something?" Miya spoke, wrinkling his brows as he poked his head out of the back row, glancing between the two. He wore his usual getup. Green cat eared hoodie, black and purple striped gloves, shorts, and his weird cat tail. "Yeah, we had a sleepover." Reki shrugged, "We both felt like taking naps so we watched some TV and passed out. Why head home when we'll be seeing each other again in a little bit?"

Miya narrowed his eyes at Reki before he scoffed, looking away without another word. Shadow got into the driver's seat, the passenger door opened as Cherry joined them with a tired sigh. "Don't you two know anything about punctuality?" He grouched, glaring at the two through the rear view mirror with piercing yellow eyes framed neatly by long pink locks.

"Sorry.." Reki and Langa said together in unison. The man hummed in acknowledgment, looking back towards the window as Joe tapped on the glass. His hulking frame blocked out the whole view and warm red eyes stared in through the glass. Cherry huffed and rolled the window down. "I didn't know we were on a Safari but here's a gorilla looking for kibble."

"How ironic, I found a four eyed weasel looking for constant attention." Joe retorted easily, looking past him and towards the others. "Make sure to meet me back here once you guys get back from S. There's something we need to discuss." Joe announced to all of them.

"Huh? What is it?" Reki asked curiously. Joe just smiled, face looking a bit tired. "You'll see when you get here. Have fun tonight." Joe spoke, straightening up and patting the side of the car before he headed back to his restaurant, heading inside. Cherry rolled the window up and sighed as Shadow began to drive.

"Do you know what that was about?" Reki asked, looking towards the pink haired man. Cherry glanced into the mirror again, holding Reki's eyes. "I have my suspicions as usual." He said simply.

"Isn't he coming to S with us?" Langa asked instead. Cherry glanced to him, sharp eyes softening a bit. "Not tonight. I don't know why exactly but he's mentioned to me that he's not feeling well. Carla analyzed him while we were inside. He's running a fever and he was showing signs of fatigue. He's coming down with something." Cherry spoke, looking out the window instead and sighing softly. "That big oaf isn't usually the type to get sick. He's too stupid for that."

"I hope it's nothing serious." Miya spoke quietly from the back seat. He was hidden from view and Reki couldn't see him even when he turned his head to glance back there. He was hiding.

Reki swallowed thickly, one problem being replaced with another. He was indeed worried about Joe, but he was more worried about Miya. He still needed to talk to him about what happened before. Reki really didn't want to but he was going to do it tonight. Apologize to him for the way he acted. He had to. He didn't want to lose Miya over something so stupid that he did. It had only been a week since the competition with Adam but Reki and Miya had barely spoken to each other after it.

All because of Reki breaking his promise.

Reki swallowed his nerves and leaned his head back, closing his eyes as he relaxed, inhaling as he pretended to fill his lungs with smoke before he exhaled all of his worries, expelling them with the smoke. He repeated it a few times, holding his breath till his lungs burned before he slowly let it out.

The rest of the ride was silent, the faint music from the radio was all they had to fill in the emptiness from the ride. It seemed way too quiet and Reki knew it was because of the distance between him and Miya.

_______________________________________

Arriving at S was as eventful as it usually was. Skaters raced around them, dipping in front of the car, a few hung off the back for a free ride while others zipped by, waving to the others on the inside. Shadow parked the car in his usual spot and they all got out. Reki held the door, waiting on miya who clambered over the back seat. He paused when he saw Reki, shooting him a glare before he got out and proceeded to ignore him.

Reki just sighed and closed the door, looking down at him before glancing at the others. "Miya, follow me." Reki spoke, looking back towards the younger boy. He stopped and turned to side eye Reki, that angry glint still very much there. "What? Gonna take me off somewhere and leave me again?"

Reki paused and shook his head, "Please, I need to make things right with you." Reki spoke, dropping his board down and resting his foot on it. "So will you come with me?"

Miya stood there for a moment, staring at Reki before he dropped his own board, getting on it. "Fine, lead the way." Reki nodded, waving to the others to go on ahead before he pushed off and began to head off towards a spot of seclusion, waiting until he couldn't hear any of the buzz from the crowd before he stopped. He got off his board and turned around, watching miya come to a stop a few feet away. As Reki opened his mouth to speak, Miya interrupted him.

"I'm not interested in what you have to say."

Well this was going swimmingly so far.

"Miya, please. I just want you to hear me out-" Reki began but the shorter male turned on him with a vicious look.

"And I just wanted you to stay but you abandoned us!" He snapped, eyes big and teary with anger and pain. "Then you just walk back in like none of it mattered and you didn't break your promise- you said you'd never leave and you did! Do you not care?! Do you not see how hurt I am?!" Miya seethed, hanging his head before he turned away, hugging himself tightly, trying to stave off the cold emptiness he felt.

They were alone. Just the two of them stood along a secluded walkway inside S. The stars hung above them like distant spotlights and the trees whispered their gossip about the dramatic scene in front of them, voices carried on the wind. It was chilly out that night. The air was clear too, only the distant scent of the other skaters met Reki's nose.

Miya stood before him with his back to Reki, scentless. He still hasn't presented. He was still so young. Around the same age as Koyomi. Reki hated how small Miya looked. How small he looked because of Reki.

The boy stepped closer to the other, reaching out hesitantly and resting a hand on his shoulder. Surprisingly, Miya didn't shrug it off. "Miya, I'm sorry. I broke my promise to you. I was so stupid and I hurt you because of it. I don't want to be the reason why you cry. I never want to be the reason. If you give me another chance, I assure you, I'll keep my promise this time. I won't leave you or the others ever again." Reki spoke weakly, staring down at the other. Miya reached up, resting his own hand on top on Reki's and he gripped it tightly, shaking.

Nails dug into his skin but Reki didn't pull away. He just pulled Miya closer. The shorter boy sniffled, turning around and hiding his face away into Reki's chest, arms wrapping around his waist. "If you break this promise, I'll kill you." Was all he said before he hugged Reki tighter. He pulled away before Reki could hug him back and he punched him angrily. Reki flinched, hugging his stomach and groaning.

"O-okay.. I deserved that.." He wheezed. "Damn right you did. Now come on, let's go skateboard." Miya ordered, voice steady now. Completely the opposite of the shaky pitiful warble it was before. Reki watched the other scrub at his face with his sleeve before his face poked out, tinted pink and rubbed dry from leftover tears. Reki nodded, straightening up and ruffling the others wispy black hair.

"Yeah, yeah. Show me what you got, you freaking tsundere." Reki spoke, a smile making it's way onto his face as Miya turned on him spluttering. "I-I'm not a tsundere!" He yelled, watching Reki snicker at him before his face hardened and he growled, throwing his board down and getting onto it, beginning to skate back towards the others. "Why do I even bother with you?"

Reki chased after him, jumping on his board and rolling up next to the other with a grin on his face. "It's cause I'm so lovable." He said proudly, shoving his hands into his pockets as Miya sighed. "You're only lovable cause you look and act like a mutt."

"Sometimes I feel like you actually hate me but I know you don't. You're just a tsundere about it." Reki continued to tease, earning a glare from his friend. "Fine fine, I'll stop." He sighed, slowing down once they approached the crowd. They spotted their friends and of course, there was Adam.

Reki put his foot down, stopping himself completely before he picked up his board and walked the rest of the way, noticing Langa had yet another bouquet of roses and this time, a blue and pink teddy bear. Reki raised an eyebrow as he approached before a thick scent assaulted his nose. Reki gagged, quickly reaching up to pinch his nose before the musk made him react anymore. It was clearly an alpha scent. Most definitely Adams.

It was floral and powdery. Breathing it in made Reki's throat run dry and sting. He remembered it vividly from his first time meeting Adam. The man didn't seem to believe in scent patches and preferred to let his scent run wild at S. Yeah, there weren't any rules against it. Just one where alphas in rut werent allowed and neither were omegas in heat unless they were using heavy duty suppressors. Reki was indeed using MJ so he was technically allowed here. As long as no one could tell, he was good.

Adam on the other hand didn't seem to care that his scent was running wild. And he was technically the creator of S and since it was Adam, no one dared to say anything.

"What's wrong, little Reki? Can't stand the scent of a true alpha?" Adam drawled, watching in amusement as the teen searched his pockets. "No, just that scent of yours." Reki muttered, pulling out his nose plug and pinching it onto his nose. He had to start bringing one because the first time Adam showed up at S, Reki almost had a panic attack just from how strong the alphas scent was.

"Good. Scents are meant for those who are compatible. Isn't that right, Snow Bunny?" Adam turned his red gaze on Langa. Ever since their tournament, Adam had stopped showing up at S with his mask on. He still wore his hair in a crazy erratic mess and he wore extravagant costumes but the mask was gone.

Langa lifted his gaze to meet Adam's, cocking his head to the side. "I guess? I mean that's what they say in school." He replied, glancing back down at the stuff in his hands. "Thanks. I'll put it with the rest." He adds, turning his gaze to Shadow. "Can I have the keys so I can go put this in the car?"

"Sure. Make sure you lock it once you're done." Shadow groaned, pulling his keys from his pocket and offering them to Langa who took them and walked off. Reki watched him go before he looked to the others, spotting Snake, or Tadashi as he recently learned his name was, standing a few feet behind Adam.

Reki met his gaze, raising a hand to wave to him which was returned with a curt nod, a small, almost invisible smile rested on his face. Reki couldn't be bothered with Adam but his secretary was cool. He skated nice too.

"So Cherry, I have to ask, what happened to Joe?" Adam asked, turning his attention to his old friend now that his love interest wasn't anywhere in sight. "He stayed home. Claimed he wasn't feeling well." Cherry replied simply, side eyeing the blue haired male with a bit of trepidation.

"Oh? I thought he was too stupid to get sick." Adam hummed in thought, pulling out his silver tin and lighting a cigarette which he pulled from it. Cherry drew his brows together in distaste. "And you would know all about that, wouldn't you? It's been years, Adam. Don't act like it's only been days."

Adam took a long drag from the cigarette before he blew it out slowly, eyeing Cherry with a blank expression before he smirked. "Of course, I wouldn't dream of it." He assured, gaze dragging down Cherry's figure before he hummed, turning instead and beginning to walk away. "Enjoy your night, folks. I'm looking forward to destroying you all in the Wave." Adam called cheerfully, disappearing into the crowd with Tadashi behind him.

Reki tilted his head in contusion. "The what?"

Miya sighed loudly from next to him, glancing up at him with an annoyed look. "Does the mutt not even know how to check his phone or did he forget to read?" He asked snarkily, smirking in amusement as Reki glared back at him. Reki reached for his phone and checked his messages, listening as Cherry began to explain.

"Adam sent a notification for an event tonight called the Wave. All skaters who dare will all skate down the path at once. Injuries are expected. Same rules apply. You can interfere with your opponent as much as youd like." The pink haired male spoke as he stared down the road at where Adam disappeared. "I planned to repay him for sending me to the hospital earlier but if I end up there again, that gorilla won't let me hear the end of it."

"Yeah, we have to go see what's up with him later tonight so you're not allowed to get yourself killed." Miya teased, skating around the group slowly. He seemed restless which was a bit unusual though since they would be skating against Adam, it seemed justified.

_______________________________________

Reki didn't ever want to participate in another Wave again. It started off alright. A bit crowded but fine. The first turn, most people were gone. Adam was in the lead and so was Langa. Cherry and Miya were close behind. Shadow was busy trying to take out as many people as possible but he got wiped after someone kamikazed themselves straight into him.

Reki lasted a bit longer than he expected. He made it to the third bend before he got rammed by another person and was sent flying into a couple of bushes. After that, Langa had dropped from the race and rushed to check in on Reki, pulling him out of the bush and dusting him off as Reki bitched about a fistful of leaves being where they shouldn't be.

The night ended with Adam as the obvious champion, the Alpha pouting about Langa pulling from the race too quickly while they loaded their boards back into the car. Reki closed the door, sighing heavily as he reached up and pulled off his nose plug, taking a deep breath of fresh air only to retch and throw the door back open, leaning out of the car and gagging onto the pavement. Nothing came up thankfully but that disgusting scent of Adam's filled his nose.

Reki put the nose plug back on and looked back into the car, confused. "What the hell is making the car smell like that?!" Reki asked, covering his mouth to hopefully try and get the scent to stay as much out if his system as he could get it.

"I'm assuming Adam must've scented that bear he gave to Langa." Cherry spoke, rolling the windows down from the front seat as Shadow wrinkled his nose. "Ugh, the alpha scent is going to make me nauseous." He muttered. "At least he smells like flowers."

"Way ahead of you on that front." Reki muttered, glaring at the bear that Langa had seated between them. "If you're not going to get rid of it, can you at least hang it out the window? It reeks." Reki begged, looking up at his friend.

"Says you. You smell like you got sprayed by a skunk." Miya muttered from the back. Reki flushed and furrowed his eyebrows, wondering if he remembered to spray himself with his scent neutralizer after he smoked. It shouldn't be that strong either way.

"I can't just toss it. It's really cute." Langa spoke, taking the bear and getting out of the car. He stuffed the bear into his bag and strapped the bag to the top of the car before he got back in. "Problem solved." He spoke as Shadow backed out of the parking spot and began to drive away.

Reki rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance, rubbing his arms and looking down at the cuts that were already beginning to scab over. He could feel his skin start to heat up and he knew he would have to get home soon to smoke before his heat came back full force.

"I'll help you wash your arms up when we get back to the restaurant." Miya offered, peeking over the seat at Reki. Reki looked up and nodded, smiling appreciatively before he sighed, ah right. They were going to talk to Joe now..

Hopefully it would be over quickly.

Chapter Text

They made it to the Sia La Luce and upon walking inside, the fresh scent of basil and warm bread greeted Reki's nose. It was soothing after the assault of Adam's horrid scent and it made his stomach rumble just thinking about whatever good food the man had cooking. Joe, oddly enough, was no where to be seen. "I'll go find the gorilla. Miya, go take care of Reki." Cherry sighed, walking into the back of the restaurant and looking around before he disappeared behind a door. "Don't say it like that. It sounds like I have to actually take care if him." Miya muttered, setting his bag and his board down along an empty wall.

"I can do it if you don't want to." Langa offered, looking over from where he sat his board, having left his bag outside due to Reki's nose. "I said I'll do it." Miya snapped, glaring at Langa before he marched over to the bathroom and pulled the door open and heading in. Reki laughed in amusement at the look on Langa's face before he followed after the younger boy, standing next to him by the sink as he turned the warm water on. Reki reached his arms under the water, letting Miya drag the hot water up and over his arms. Reki hissed softly from the slight sting of the water touching his cuts but he didn't pull away, watching Miya get some soap before he started to scrub his arms.

After rinsing them off, they headed back into the seating area. Shadow had brought out some drinks from the kitchen as well as a first aid kit, leaving it on one of the tables for them to use before he disappears into the bathroom that they just came out of. Reki relaxes in a chair, picking up a glass of water and drinking it down greedily, holding his other arm still as Miya begins to bandage up a few of his larger cuts.

Langa pulled up a seat next to them, offering them a basket of bread sticks. "Looks like Joe made a batch recently." He spoke, picking up one of the garlicky sticks and he bit into it. "Hell yes, I'm starving." Reki reached for one, sinking his teeth into the still warm bread. Shadow left the bathroom, his makeup washed away and his hair down, just as Cherry returned Joe. He looked worse now that Reki was seeing him in the full light. His skin seemed paler, his red eyes were full and his hair was unkept like he just woke up. It seemed like he did though judging from the sleepy yawn.

"Alright everyone, gather around." Joe spoke, his voice deeper and more husky, a bit scratchy even. Reki furrowed his eyebrows and sniffed once, twice, three times… Joe smelled like weed? Cherry walked over and took a seat next to Langa as Shadow pulled a chair up from one of the other tables. Miya ignored Joe, focusing more on Reki's arms then on the man but he was still listening.

"So, I'll get right to it. It may come as a surprise, it may not, but I'm an Alpha. I'm unmated and I don't intend on taking on a mate either. I'm perfectly alright with being a bachelor and I want to stay this way. Though I recently learned from my doctor that this choice of mine isn't very good for my health. Either I have to take on a mate and have pups, or I can start a pack." Joe spread his arms, looking at the others with a small smile. "I guess you can figure out which option I'm more privy to."

The group of them stared at the other for a few moments. Even Miya looked up from tending to Reki's scratches to stare at the man. Reki felt anxious. He knew the possibility of Joe being an alpha high, pretty high actually. The man was a beast in every sense of the word and he defined alpha in every way. Tall, muscular, attractive, competitive, and from his interactions with Cherry, aggressive. Reki didn't want to believe it though. He always gave everyone the benefit of the doubt even though he really shouldn't. It's just that..he didn't want to be scared of every person that could be an alpha. He didn't want to live his life like that's and he was trying so hard but even now, in the presence of Joe, the man he knew to be kind, caring, protective, and sweet, he could feel his heart beat pick up just from the thought of being in the same room as an alpha.

"You want us to be your pack?" Shadow asked curiously, staring at the other man who just nodded. "Yeah, if you're all comfortable with it." Joe replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not gonna force you so if you don't want to, I can always ask others. You guys are just close to me already and I feel like it would be easier to maintain a pack with you five since we practically see each other every day at S."

"So we're the first people you've asked." Cherry asked, staring at the other who quirked an eyebrow. "Yes. Hard to believe?" Cherry scoffed at the response. "What, hard to believe you ask a group of unidentified men and children about forming a pack instead of your gang of omegas? Yes actually, it's pretty unbelievable."

"I told you I wasn't interested in a mate. And I don't care that you're all identified. That doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I can see myself caring for all of you as an alpha and that's it. Besides, I know what you are Cherry, so don't act like I'm swinging in the dark here." Joe responded a bit heatedly. Cherry frowned and crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. His mask was down and his glasses were back on. He stared at the table in front of him, thinking it over quietly.

"Um...what's a pack? Ive heard about it but I don't really know what it is." Miya spoke up, looking at everyone individually. "A pack is basically a family made from relations out of blood. It can be however big or small but the general rule is a pack is usually five or more people." Langa began, drumming his fingers on the table. "it can also be a mixture of whatever genders but usually there's one alpha who acts as the pack leader, either a second alpha or a beta who acts as the second leader, and then the rest of the pack can be a mix of alpha, beta, or omega. The pack acts like a normal family unit. Scenting, group sleeping, bonding activities. Each individual is expected to participate and be active in the pack of it'll cause the whole pack to collapse."

"Wait, so why is your health declining and how will this help you?" Miya frowned, focusing his attention on Joe who pulled up a proper seat and sat by their table, reaching for a bread stick. "About one in twelve alphas suffer from Hyper Baby Fever. It's more common in omegas with every one in five suffering from it. HBF is basically your run of the mill Baby Fever but on steroids. The desire to start a family increases tenfold and ignoring that desire can be compromising to physical and mental health. Usually, baby fever comes from the desire to start a family. At least that's true with betas who aren't influenced by primal urges. For alphas and omegas, not always, but usually, our urge for reproduction comes from those urges. Heat cycles, rut cycles, they're all left over from when we were neanderthals. The whole mindset to have as many kids as possible, to keep our lineage alive. It's still so prevalent in our gene pool today that it results in HBF." Joe began to explain the situation, staring at a piece of art on the wall as he spoke.

"So basically, I have HBF and I don't want kids. I don't want a mate. Not yet at least. I'm twenty right years old. I'd say I'm pretty young but back when this trait was more useful, I'd be near the end of my lifespan. Basically, my body is trying to force me to take on a mate and the only way to remedy it without listening, is to start a pack."

Miya listened intently, so did Reki. He's never heard of such a thing before. "Would I still even be allowed to start a pack with you since I'm still unpresented?" Miya asked curiously. "Of course. You won't be able to scent anyone until you do present but we'll still be able to mark you as ours." Joe explained.

"What if I present as a beta? Besides you? Everyone here could be betas." Miya continued to question. He was still young and a lot of these questions wouldn't be answered until his last year of junior high when he finally did present. "It would still work. The bond would be there but the process of scenting wouldn't be as strong. Betas do have their own scents. You'll be able to pick them out if you hang out with them long enough, spend enough time trying to pick it out. It'll be harder for others to discern whether or not you're in a pack if a majority of the members are betas but beta dominated packs are still a thing."

"If we do start a pack, does that mean well have to out ourselves to each other?" Langa asked curiously. Reki glanced up to stare at him. This whole time he was just drinking in the information and trying not to let the fact that he was on the verge of a panic attack show. He never once thought that he would have to out himself to everyone and frankly the idea terrified him. He hated it, hated his father. Why did he have to interfere with his life like this? Reki didn't want to be scared anymore. He didn't want to live like this.

"Eventually, yes. That's only if you are willing to start this pack with me. Again, I'm not trying to pressure any of you to make this decision." Joe spoke softly, popping the last bite of bread into his mouth before he leaned back in his seat, staring at the others. "I respect you guys. A lot. I don't care about what your genders are."

"I see…" Langa trailed off and the table fell silent. Reki swallowed thickly and glanced around. How many of them were actually alphas? How many of them did he actually have to worry about? Shadow seemed to be another likely candidate. He was loud, aggressive, and strong. Miya was still a pup so Reki didn't have to worry about him for a while, even if he did present as an alpha at fourteen. Langa was an omega and he was Reki's best friend. Reki trusted him more then anyone else here. Trusted him almost as much as he trusted his own family. No, scratch that. He did trust him as much as he trusted his family. All that left was Cherry. He was cool and collected so he didn't seem the type to be an alpha but his aggressive and cold nature did seem telling. He was confusing to Reki.

"I'm a beta." Reki flinched as the silence was broken, all eyes turning to stare at Shadow. He pulled his shirt down a bit to expose the slightly off colored glands on his neck. They weren't dark like that of an omega or alpha, the clear sign of a beta. Reki breathed a silent sigh of relief, thankful that that was one less potential alpha he had to worry about.

Cherry sighed loudly, clenching his fists. "If any of you speak a word of this to anyone…" he let the threat hang there before he lowered his voice. "I am an omega." He revealed, glancing at Joe who smiled cheekily at him. "This oaf here has known for a while so if he can keep it a secret, I expect you four to do so as well." Cherry added, glancing around the table.

Reki nodded, relaxing as he laid back in his seat, eyes falling shut. Alright, only Joe was an alpha. This was great. He could handle just one alpha. He could keep himself steady with just one.

"I'm an alpha as well." Reki's eyes flew open and he stared at Langa with wide, shocked eyes. "What?"

Langa met his gaze curiously, staring into his soul with soft blue orbs. "I'm an alpha." He repeated coolly, tilting his head as he stared into the panicked amber eyes. "Reki? What's wrong?"

Reki could feel his eyes begin to burn up, his chest felt tight like he had just exhaled all of the smoke in his lungs but he couldn't breathe back in. He was suffocating. "i-" Reki stood up and waved his hand from the concerned looks he received. "need a minute." He finished, leaving the table quickly and retreating to the closest place to could. Back to the bathroom. He locked the heavy wood door behind him and took a shaky breath, beginning to panic.

Langa was in his house. Langa was in his bed. Langa would touch Reki, hold him, yeah shared a bed. Reki shot gunned Langa earlier. Langa was an alpha. Langa was an alpha. An alpha did all of those things. Bad alpha. Alpha bad. No more alphas.

Reki felt himself choke as he stumbled to the sink, gasping for air as he turned on the cold water and splashed some of it into his face. His skin burned and at this point he didn't know if it was from his oncoming heat or his nerves. He just knew he needed a smoke. Bad.

He can't believe it. Langa, a stupid fucking alpha? It seemed impossible. Was he lying? Trying not to out himself as an omega? Why? Why?! He could handle Joe being an alpha. Joe stuck to himself. He didn't come near Reki or his family and he wasn't Reki's best friend. Langa was. Langa did all of that. He was too close to Reki for the omega to ignore anymore. He needed to put space between them-

There was a soft knock on the door causing Reki to jerk with fear. He clutched the counter top and stared at the door, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. "Reki, I have something for you." Joe's face came through the door soft and muffled. "Its a gift from Mary." He added knowingly. Reki hesitated, staring at the door before he slowly inches over to it, standing by the door. "How do you know I know Mary?" He asked hesitantly.

"I can smell her on you. Come on, open the door and take it. Come back out when your ready." Joe spoke assuringly, voice still even and gentle. Reki didn't want to. He really didn't want to. The door was keeping him safe. Opening it would be letting them in. The alphas.. they couldn't be trusted.

Reki swallowed the feelings of fear he had, hands shaking as he reached for the knob. He didn't want to feel this way anymore. He didn't want to be scared of everyone around him. He didn't want to avoid Langa again, didn't want to see Joe hurting. He just wanted to be happy. He wanted to live the life he should be living in the first place, the life he would've been living it it wasn't for what that fucker did to him.

Reki fumbled with the lock before he cracked the door open, staring up at Joe through the tiny opening he made. Joe didn't try to force the door open, didn't try to come inside. He just smiled at Reki gently and offered him the thin brown stick and a hot pink lighter. "Go ahead and do what you have to do. We'll be here waiting for when you're ready."

Reki looked away, taking the items and nodding as he slipped back into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Joe waited for a moment and raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit warm when he didn't hear the door lock up again. He turned back to the others and walked over, taking his seat once more.

"Did.. did I do something wrong?" Langa asked, looking to Joe once the older alpha took his seat "Hm? Not at all." Joe replied, relaxing in his seat. "We can continue talking about the whole pack situation once Reki calms down and joins us again."

"But.. Why is he worked up in the first place? I've never seen him like that before." Langa continued, glancing back to the bathroom door and staring at it worriedly. He looked like he did back when Reki stopped showing up at S. He looked scared, confused, and lonely. Like he was on the verge of losing his best friend again. Joe had a feeling that that wasn't the case this time.

"Well, judging from his reaction to the whole situation, my best guess is he's dealing with trauma that is alpha oriented. It's quite a common thing, especially around young omegas." Cherry spoke, raising his cup of tea to his lips and taking a sip. "When Joe first mentioned that he was an alpha, Reki looked like he was ready to leave. Like he wanted to disappear. When Shadow said he was a beta, he seemed relieved. Same as when I revealed that I was an omega. The possibility of there being less alphas was making him feel more comfortable, then you, his closest friend, came out to us as an alpha. Hes probably panicking now about it. Thinking over all of the times you two were alone and so close. You two mentioned having a sleepover earlier as well, meaning you were both sharing a room." Cherry continued, focusing his eyes on Langa.

"You two have been so close but he's only now finding out that you're an alpha. It's interesting."

Langa shrugged, looking away. "Earlier he told me that he thought I was a beta this whole time." Langa admitted, voice monotonous yet it carried a worried undertone.

"You do have a very docile personality. Anyone who wasn't trained in identifying secondary genders would assume you were either beta or omega." Cherry murmured, watching the teen quietly.

"Hold on a minute. So Reki has some kind of trauma that makes him terrified of alphas? Does anyone know what happened?" Shadow suddenly asked. Langa shook his head and so did Miya. "it's not our place to ask either. If Reki wants us to know, he'll tell us. Other than that, all we can do is support him. Let him know that were here for him and we always will be." Miya spoke, his eyes had been glued to the bathroom this whole time. He was too nice for his own good. Too loyal. A dog that stuck by his friends no matter how many times he was jaded.

"Yeah, I don't really care about what happened. As long as we can help him." Langa agreed. They fell into a comfortable silence, listening to the soft italian music that played through the restaurant. Eventually, the door cracked open and Reki stepped out of the bathroom, pausing when he saw everyone stare at him. He cleared his throat and approached, hesitating by his seat which was directly across from Langa before he sat down, keeping his eyes on the table.

Miya wrinkled his nose. "You stink even worse then before." He spoke, staring at Reki who smiled awkwardly. "Yeah.. sorry about that but I don't have anything to mask it right now." He replied, listening to Miya as he huffed. "Whatever. I don't know what's going on with you right now but you better not break your promise again. Got it?" Miya grumbled, glaring weakly at Reki who just nodded. "I won't." He assured. Miya nodded, looking away with satisfaction.

"Well, going back to the reason we're all here," Joe brought everyone's attention back to the topic at hand. "What is everyone's thoughts on starting a pack?"

The table fell silent. No one seemed to want to be the first one to answer. It was almost like those days in school when the answer was so obvious but no one wanted to even try. To put themselves out there and have the slightest chance that somehow they get it wrong.

"Well…" surprisingly, Reki was the first to speak. He didn't mean to, could already feel everyone's eyes on him. He stared at the empty basket of bread sticks and took a deep breath, still able to taste the foul stench on his tongue. His nerves were gone, yes, but new ones were arising. The nerves that came with putting his self out there. Putting himself in a vulnerable position in front of everyone.

"I would like to.. to be in a pack with you guys. I can't promise that I'll be normal.. Alphas.. terrify me to be honest. I want to though. I want to help. And… maybe this could help me too. I trust you guys. I really do so.. please let me start a pack with you guys!" Reki bowed his head, shutting his eyes tightly and waiting for a response from anyone.

It was silent for what seemed like minutes. Reki could feel his heart beating in his throat and he let out a shaky breath as he felt Miya lean against him, an arm around his shoulder. "I'm down. It seems like it would be a good experience." He spoke.

"I would like to join as well then." Langa spoke and Shadow sighed heavily. "Guess I have to say yes too then. Every pack needs at least one beta." He spoke, looking over to Cherry who was sipping on his tea.

"Hm?" Cherry asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you joining or what?" Shadow asked annoyed. Cherry scoffed, setting his cup down. "That's a given. As much as I hate this bastard, he's the only other decent skater at S that can keep up with me. Langa and Adam are both super human freaks so they don't count."

"I'm a freak?" Langa asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he stared at Cherry who say next go him. "Yes. Though in this context it's a compliment." The older man replied simply.

"I see were all in agreement then?" Joe asked, looking at each of them individually. They nodded and the man sighed in relief. "Thank you everyone. I really didn't want to ask anyone else." He spoke, standing up and stretching his arms tiredly.

"Good for you and all but uh.. what do we do now? Seal it with a kiss?" Shadow asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Cause if that's the case, I quit."

"No, not necessarily a kiss. We scent each other. That enforces our pack bond." Cherry explained, standing up as well and undoing the front of his hakama. Reki's eyes widened as he watched the older omega undress his top half. He stood before them bare chested before looking around. "What?"

"You pervert. We're not scenting in the middle of my fucking restaurant! Go upstairs!" Joe snapped, pointing back to the kitchen. Cherry flushed and glared at the alpha. "Oh please, you've probably fucked on every table in here!"

Amist the bickering, they headed up to the second floor of the restaurant. Joe's personal living area, his home. It was clean and smelled earthy and leafy like fresh tea. It was pleasant and soothing, relaxing. The alphas true scent, not hidden by suppressors or patches. Reki felt no panic at all. It was great. He could enjoy himself without fear.

They gathered in the living room. It was warm, the heater humming softly in the corner. The house gave off a naturally safe and cozy vibe. "So… how does scenting in a pack work? I mean, is it just like rubbing your cheek on someone like you would do with your parents?" Langa asked, looking around at the others before he looked to Joe and Cherry.

"No, that's more docile compared to scenting among a pack. It's practically the same as scenting your mate. It's intimate. It's embarrassing. But eventually you'll get used to it. You'll crave it once it is established. Being in a pack isn't just fun and games. It's an emotional bond. Mental too. If you don't take it seriously you can end up hurting yourself and the rest of us." Cherry explained, arms crossed over his chest as Joe pulled off his grey sweatshirt.

His tanned skin flexed over large muscles, one hand reaching to the other and he picked at his wrist, pulling off a scent patch and then another from the other wrist. He then began to pick at his neck, peeling off the three that were there. "Come here, Karou." Joe spoke, reaching for the other who sighed, waving his hand. "Hold on a second. Let me relax and take my own off. I'm also still explaining things." Cherry replied, turning back to the others as he started to do the same as Joe, peeling off his scent patches.

"You lot have to remember that scenting is practically sacred. No negativity. No bad thoughts, words, emotions. None of that. Understood?" Cherry lectured, getting a quiet 'yes, sir' from the group before he nodded.

"Alright. Let's begin, Kojiro."

Chapter Text

The bitter taste of smoke hung in the back of Reki's throat and he focused on it completely, eyes glued to the scene in front of him. He could feel his arm brushing agaisnt Langa's, who sat next to him on the couch. It was enough to make his skin crawl and his stomach churn. He hated it. He never felt this way before about Langa. He loved his best friend, loved it when they would touch because Reki was usually a touch starved mess and Langa was always more then happy to humor him. But now that Reki knew, knew that his best friend was an alpha, a stupid fucking alpha, suddenly Reki couldn't even stomach the briefest of touches from him. It made him feel sick with himself. Why was he like this?

Reki swallowed his nerves, returning his attention to Cherry and Joe who stood across from him, Langa, and Miya. Shadow sat a bit off to Reki's right in an armchair, staring at the other two with an almost incredulous look as they scented each other. Cherry and Joe were usually butting heads but at that moment, they just both just seemed so relaxed. Touching each other slowly, smearing scent glands over exposed skin.

Both of their eyes were hooded. Cherry hand his wrists against Joe's neck, spreading his scent along tan skin stretched over thick cords of muscle. It was slow, sensual. They were right when they said it was intimate. They were so close, breath mingling between them, heated. Reki swore he could see goosebumps rise on Joe's arms from where Cherry touched him. The soft touches trailed down Joe's arms, Cherry's wrists leaving a trail of soft florals and fresh linen scent behind.

Cherry touched their wrists together, seeming to be the one who was leading the scenting, and held their scent glands close, a small shudder running through both of them from the contact. Reki could feel his throat tighten as he watched Joe take control of the process, hands grabbing at Cherry's waist gently before he leaned in, neck bared as he guided it over Cherry's cheek and down to his neck. Their scent glands touched and both of them winced, shuddering once more before they both leaned in, touching their scent glands again. Cherry gasped softly, hands resting uselessly on Joe's chest as Joe ran his wrists up Cherry's pale back, spreading his own earthy scent.

It felt like Reki was watching a porno. It was sensual, erotic even. Reki felt out of place. A peeping Tom. This was only for those who trusted the other completely and Reki felt like he was an imposter. The two of them switched sides, touching their opposite scent glands to the others and Joe held Cherry tightly, holding him still as Cherry seemed to melt into him, legs going weak.

Joe held him for a moment before pulling away, guiding Cherry to the love seat, setting him down. Cherry blinked up at him hazily before he looked around, suddenly feeling self conscious. He fixed his hakama, covering his chest. Joe turned to the rest of them and crossed his arms. "Alright, which of you is next?"

And so they scented each other. Shadow went first, standing up and approaching the alpha as he removed his shirt. They scented each other, scent glands rubbing lightly against each other. Neither of them had as strong a reaction as when Joe and Cherry scented each other. Shadow pulled away after they finished, skin tinted pink, and he went to do Cherry next. Cherry sat up slowly, still a bit dazed from his scenting with Joe. He had undone his shirt once more, seeming to have forgotten that he wasn't just scenting Joe that night.

Joe turned to Reki, Miya, and Langa, raising an eyebrow expectantly. "I guess we'll clockwise. I'll go next." Miya stood up and walked over to Joe, staring up at him before he took off his shirt. Joe just chuckled in amusement, reaching his hand up and brushing his wrist against Miya's cheek before he dragged it down to his neck, repeating it on the other side. Miya seemed awkward in Joe's touch, squirming from the unusual hands on his body and the tingling the scenting left behind. At one point, miya started laughing as Joe's fingers feathered over his ribs, the boy immediately biting his lip. He looked like he was about to smack Joe's hands away but he refrained.

Joe held his hands up in surrender, smiling gently. "Sorry. I'll have to remember you're ticklish." He spoke, voice warm and soothing. Miya had almost violated what cherry had said earlier about keeping the scenting free of negativity. Thankfully, he stopped himself and Joe was more than understanding.

Miya nodded and headed off to the other two, scenting Cherry afterwards then Shadow. Miya also didn't seem to have the same kind of reaction that Joe and Cherry had before. Could it just be because those two were used to each other? Closer than the rest?

"Reki." The omega flinched, pulling himself out of his thoughts before he turned to look at Joe with big eyes. Joe stared back, his red eyes were warm like fresh honey, trapping Reki in his gaze. "Come here. Let me scent you." Joe spoke, holding both of his hands out, palms up.

Reki stared before he swallowed around the lump in his throat, forcing himself to stand on jello like legs. He was going to let an alpha touch him. Scent him. He could do this. It was Joe. Joe was a good guy. Reki took one step them another, flinching when he heard Joe's soft encouraging croon. Once Reki stood in front of him, he raised his shaky hands to pull off his shirt, setting it on the coffee table along with the others. Afterwards, his hand hovered over his wrist, picking lightly at his scent patch before he took a deep breath to steady himself, pulling it off quickly. He repeated this with each patch, setting them on the table next to his shirt.

Reki stared at the large hands in front of him, tanned and strong. He could see a few callouses from where he stood. Thick fingers and large palms. Reki reached for them after a moment and he rested his own in the large grasp, warmth flooding into his body. Joe was like a giant heater or something.

"Reki, you're an omega, aren't you?" Joe's voice was low, a soft whisper that Reki could barely hear. The boy looked up and nodded, shrinking away a bit. "That's alright. I know you're uncomfortable. Scared probably. But I just wanted to warm you. Because of our genders being opposites, the scenting will feel like ice is being poured down your spine. It'll be a rush. Electrifying. I don't want you to panic when you feel it. Just know that it's natural." Joe explained, squeezing Reki's hands gently before releasing his grip, still holding them but not holding them down. "If you want to stop, tell me. Don't be afraid to stop me. We can try again when you're ready or not at all if it's too much. Alright?"

Reki nodded, staring anywhere but Joe's eyes.

"Repeat that last part for me." Joe urged gently, a small amused smile on his face. It was like he was talking to a pup. Reki bowed his head, hunching his shoulders in embarrassment. "It's okay to take a break." He spoke softly.

"One more time. Say it so you know it's true." Joe repeated, his voice still low and quiet, a warm thrum, warmer than his hands. Reki glanced up, staring into warm wine red pools. "It's okay to take a break." He said again, taking a deep breath before he let it out, looking back down to their hands. "Good boy. That's what I like to hear. I'm going to start now so you can see what you should do when it's your turn, alright?"

Reki nodded, watching Joe's hands slide out from underbeath his and run underneath his arms, stopping just as their scent glands brushed agaisnt each other. It was a tingling feeling, shocking Reki like he just got zapped with some static. He gasped and jerked away slightly, eyes widening a bit. Joe held still, not moving to chase after him which made Reki feel greatful. He took a small breath and swallowed, reaching back to rest his hands back in place. He felt that little shock again but he didn't pull away this time, shaking a bit from the feeling. It didn't feel like ice. More like a thin stream of hot water. It made his skin burn from the contact but not in a bad way.

It was like holding a bowl of hot ramen on a cold day. A heating pad on his stomach during his period. A warm cat curled up in his lap purring. It was good. It was nice. Reki relaxed into it, staring at their hands quietly. After a moment, Joe continued, dragging his wrists up Reki's arms, stepping a bit closer as he went. Reki didn't mind. He felt so content. So happy and relaxed from the warmth that tingled over his skin. Clothes fresh from the dryer, still warm and covered in a bit of static. Laying in the grass on a summer day, sunbathing on the beach while soaking in the rays. The kitchen during the holidays, the stove heating up the whole house.

Soon they were chest to chest, Joe's head leaning down to hold their necks together. Reki leaned into him, face buried in Joe's strong chest, feeling safer than he's ever felt in an alphas hold before. "This is going to be more intense, alright? You might collapse. Is it alright if I hold you up?" Joe whispered into his ear, warm breath ghosting his skin. Reki hummed weakly, nodding his head as strong arms wrapped gently around his waist, holding them flush together as Joe rested their scent glands together.

Reki keened softly, choking on a small sob as he clung to Joe, shutting his eyes tightly. Saying it would be intense was putting it mildly. Reki did indeed collapse, Joe holding him up as he continued to scent Reki, dousing him in his soothing herbal scent. It felt like he was a pup again. His mom holding him tightly as he cried into her shoulder, scared and empty. She filled him back up with warmth and love. That's what Joe was doing right now. That's what this pack would do for him. He would be okay. He won't be scared forever.

It took a moment for Reki to realize the scenting was over. Joe had just been holding onto him, waiting for Reki to come to again. The omega looked up slowly, meeting Joe's gentle smile. "Hey. Feeling alright?" Joe asked gently. Reki nodded, laying his head down once more and blinking a few times before he realized he had been crying. He pulled away a bit, reaching up to wipe at his face. "how embarrassing.." he mumbled.

"No, it's not. This is a safe place, Reki. You're alright here." Joe assured before he nodded towards the others. "Now go on, go scent them. It's not going to be as intense since none of them are alphas so you'll be okay." Joe ruffled Reki's hair, his kind smile not leaving his face once. Reki nodded, flushing a bit before he headed over to Cherry next.

Langa stood from the couch once Joe turned to him. He pulled his shirt off and his scent patches, walking up to the other alpha. His nose was being filled with the scents of everyone else. Florals, woody scents, cinnamon, tea leaves, linens. It was a bit overwhelming but it was so soothing at the same time. His anatomy teachers always said that packs were meant to be just like mates. Their scents would flow together and mingle and just work.

"So it's your first time scenting someone outside of your family, right?" Joe asked, cocking his head to the side. Langa nodded, sniffing the leftover scents that clung to Joe's skin. They were fresh and easy on the nose but at the same time, foreign. He wasn't used to being exposed to so many new scents at once and he wasn't used to reacting to them like this. Usually scents didn't bother him. He could rarely smell them so potently but these ones made his skin itch.

He didn't know if it was all of them or certain ones in particular that were doing this to him.

"Alright, then. Well start off slow like I did with Reki. It's going to feel a bit odd, like an overwhelming feeling. Like a playful jolt. It's not going to hurt though. Understand?" Joe spoke, hands outstretched and inviting. Langa nodded once more, placing his own hands in Joe's grasp. "I understand."

"Good. Let's get started then." He trailed his hands under Langa's own, traveling up his arms and resting their glands together lightly. It was like he said, a little shock. It made Langa flinch on instinct but he quickly returned, eyes wide in wonder as a feeling of warmth swept into him. It was like a reminder that he wasn't alone. Nights spent around a campfire back in Canada with his parents and extended family.

It was the promise of family. The promise that he wouldn't be alone anymore. Langa melted into the touch, relaxing completely as they began to scent each other.

It didn't take long for the scenting with Joe to be finished. He stepped away and relaxed on the now empty couch, allowing Langa to stumble over to the mess of bodies on the loveseat. Cherry had his arm around Shadow's neck, head resting on the betas shoulder almost like he was dozing off. Shadow had his eyes closed as well, his usual scowl was relaxed, still there but not as intense. Reki sat on the arm of the furniture, Miya in his lap as he scented the small pup.

Miya seemed embarrassed, face flushed softly and gaze downcasted as Reki rubbed their cheeks together lazily. Reki seemed so relaxed and content. It was soothing, to Langa. Especially after seeing his friend so anxious less than twenty minutes ago. The scents that mingled in the air seemed slightly sweeter than before. Cherry's eyes flicked open as Langa approached, lifting his head as he stood up. He was taller than Langa, staring down at him with glittering gold eyes that made the alpha tense up slightly. He was intimidating, especially as an omega. He gave off the air of power and regal dominance. He was the type to rule so easily.

Scenting Cherry gave him an odd sensation. It wasn't the warm feeling like with Joe and it wasn't cold either. It was just electrifying. He could feel his hairs stand up on the back of his neck and along his arms. Goosebumps formed where they pleased with no rhyme or reason. Cherry's cool touch leaving ghostly shivers to travel down Lange's spine as his fingers ghosted up the alphas biceps to connect his wrists with Langa's neck, the glands brushing each other.

The feeling was enough to make Langa forget how to breathe for a brief moment, soft florals invaded his senses and for a moment he felt like he could taste cotton on his tongue and lilac at the back of his throat. It was over almost as fast as it had began and Langa was left reeling, catching his breath as Cherry watched him with a cloudy gaze. He seemed like he wanted to say something but instead he made his way over to Joe on the couch. Cherry began to fix his hakama once more, covering his skin and taking a moment to collect himself. He seemed just as effected as the rest of them, gaze hazy and movement a tad bit clumsy.

Langa turned his gaze back to the rest of the pack, watching Shadow stand to meet him. The room seemed oddly silent, like no one wanted to break the silence. That or everyone was just too content to do so. The scenting left a ghostly warm feeling in the center of Langa's stomach, Shadow's tentative touch left a sweet tickle in Langa's nose. He couldn't place his finger on what it was, but the betas scent was slowly starting to come out now that Langa paid closer attention. Langa didn't react as strongly with scenting Shadow as he did Cherry and Joe. That was probably because his secondary gender was that of a beta.

Shadow pulled away once they were done and went to get dressed, hands fumbling slightly. Langa turned his gaze to Reki and Miya, the omega still clinging to the pup and showering him in gentle persistent scenting. Miya looked up with a flushed face and squirmed. "Hey- Reki, let go. I have to scent with Langa." The younger boy spoke, voice meek as he tugged lightly at Reki's arms.

The omega opened his eyes slowly and lifted his head like he was just waking up from a nap. He looked exhausted, dreary and out of it as he slowly released Miya. The preteen stood up and straightened his clothes, smelling like a mix of florals and warm earthy undertones. Matcha and cinnamon mostly.

Miya looked up at Langa, minty green eyes met aqua pools and the younger one looked away quickly, clearing his throat. "I don't understand how you guys aren't as embarrassed as I am." Miya mumbled, shutting his eyes as Langa rested his hands on his shoulders.

"We're mostly being driven by instinct right now. I don't think any of us are actually all there right now." Langa mumbled, beginning to repeat the motions he did with everyone prior as he stared at Miya quietly. He always admired the younger man. He was a great skater and had a fun and impish personality. He was a loyal friend and always looked out for the rest of them even if he didn't like to show it. Langa smiled as he ran his wrists down Miya's arms, rubbing them over where the others' scent glands will be one day.

"I'm sure we'll die of embarrassment later, but right now I'm just…" Langa didn't know how he felt at that moment. He was content and happy. He felt needed. He felt warm. Like he was back in his family home in Canada except everyone in this room was there. He felt like he just won a competition and he was standing at the finish line with his heart still racing and his body burning from exertion.

"I'm happy. This is nice and I like it." Langa finished, smiling softly at the shorter male who just nodded slowly, looking back towards Reki who seemed to have begun to nod off on the love seat, body twitching every now and then every time his neck touched the cushion.

"You get to deal with that now. Have fun." Miya mumbled, heading to the table to retrieve his clothes just like Shadow did. Langa looked Reki over and hesitated in approaching him, thinking back to how the other reacted downstairs when Langa revealed his secondary gender.

The look of panic and fear that washed over his face hurt Langa. Not because it was aimed at him. No, it was because Langa promised himself that he wouldn't do anything to ever evoke that face from his friend again and here he was, making Reki scared just by being himself.

Langa loved his friend a lot more then he wanted to admit and he hated anything that would make Reki dislike him. Langa was scared.

Scared that the two of them will never be the same again.

Langa liked hanging out with Reki. Loved seeing him at school and going to S together late at night. He loved wasting the day away with him whether it was at the skatepark or in bed watching a stupid sausage movie while he couldn't even focus on what the characters were saying because Reki was making his own silly commentary that was a lot more interesting then whatever the characters were saying.

He liked waking up to Reki looking down at him in amusement, warm brown eyes full of mirth as he compared Langa to a cat. He liked the way Reki would emphasize this remark by scratching at Langa's scalp and having the other lean into his touch. Langa didn't want to lose any of that. He didn't want to lose Reki.

"Reki?" Langa spoke softly, reaching his hand out and offering it to his friend who fought a losing battle of opening his eyes. They flickered open before fluttering shut, a soft whine coming from his throat before he lifted his head and cracked them open, looking up at Langa with a soft frown. "Mm?"

"It's time for us to scent. Can you stand up?" Langa asked gently, watching as Reki sniffed and leaned towards his hand, inhaling the alphas scent before he flinched for a moment, eyes opening fully almost in fear. Langa froze, as did everyone else in the room.

Reki stared at the hand quietly before his eyes traced up Langa's arm to his face, relaxing slowly and reaching up to grip at Langa's wrist, taking his time to familiarize himself with Langa's scent. Langa relaxed as well, breathing a sigh of relief as he observed the omega quietly.

Reki's brown eyes were slightly red from the weed, his skin was warm and sunkissed. His hair was messy and falling from his headband, strands hanging in his face. His nose brushed against Langa's scent gland on his inner wrist, eyebrows furrowing slightly before he hummed quietly to himself, brushing his cheek against Langa's wrist and proceeding to scent him.

Langa shivered and breathed out a shaky sigh of relief, eyes glued to his friend who used his other hand to grab Langa by the shoulder and suddenly pull him down onto the loveseat. Langa yelped in surprise, feeling a weight settle on top of him as Reki took the lead with the scenting, wrists running over pale skin and smearing against the alphas neck. Langa took a shaky breath, looking up at Reki's face only to meet clouded eyes and a look of mute determination.

"R-Reki?"

The omega ignored him, perched atop Langa's torso like he wasn't just terrified of his friend only seconds prior.

Reki couldn't really hear Langa or anyone else. Cherry even approached and called his name a few times but Reki was too busy with something even more important.

Langa stunk. He had his sweet marshmallow scent and some other delightful odor that he couldn't place a finger on and he had the scent of their pack mates. Joe's earthy matcha musk. Cherry's sweet linen lilac medley. The soft honeysuckle scent that was Shadow's. Then there were the scents that stuck to him throughout the day. The chicken from dinner, the bitter smoke from their shotgun session, Reki's laundry detergent from when Langa slept in his bed and Reki's shampoo from the shower after their nap. The faint scent of exhaust from being in the city, garlic from the breadsticks Joe made them, and the disgustingly insulting scent of Adam.

Reki had to get rid of it. He had to cover it with his own scent. Only then everything would be fine.

"It's like he's hypnotized or something. What'd you do to him, Langa?" Shadow asked, staring at the two quietly as Langa tilting his head, making way for the omega who was on a mission.

"I-I don't know? I mean, it's better than him being a-afraid of me, right?" Langa asked meekly, groaning softly as Reki leaned forward, getting tired of using his hands and now rubbing his neck along the others. They both shuddered from the feeling, Reki collapsing on top of Langa for a brief moment as they both laid there, catching their breaths.

"Do we let this continue or what?" Cherry asked, genuinely at a loss for words as he looked towards Joe. He really must be at a loss if he was turning towards the gorilla for advice.

"I mean, I guess? They aren't fighting. Or fucking. Please don't start fucking." Joe tacked on, turning his gaze to Langa who flushed darkly.

"Yeah, please don't. There are children present." Miya added, crossing his arms and rubbing his sleeve at his cheek, smearing the scent of the others onto his clothes subconsciously.

"We- we're not going to! We're friends! Nothing like that!" Langa fussed, face tinted pink. He flinched slightly when Reki settled fully on top of him, cheek smashed against Langa's chest as he grumbled softly and closed his eyes once more, seeming satisfied with his scenting and beginning to doze off right on top of Langa.

Langa stared at him quietly in surprise before he relaxed and sighed softly, leaning his head back. "Joe, is it okay if we crash on your couch?" Langa asked quietly, looking up at the other alpha who watched in amusement.

"Sure. If I wake up to white spots on the cushions though, you're both in trouble."

"Can we please not talk about that while I'm here?" Miya snarked, looking up at the alpha who laughed. "Sorry kiddo. I'll watch myself." Joe replied, leaning over Reki and Langa as he pulled the blanket off the back of the couch. He sniffed and paused, staring down at the two of them in surprise as Langa stared back curiously.

"What is it?" He asked, watching Joe step back and turn to Cherry.

"Have Carla check out Reki for me." He ordered, voice unusually serious. Cherry quirked an eyebrow, looking up at the alpha.

"What are you looking to find?" He asked, heading towards the stairs. He returned shortly with his board and held her out toward the loveseat where Langa was lying. Legs hanging off the arm while Reki laid curled up on top of him, legs hanging off the front. Carla did a scan and a brief moment of silence followed before she displayed Reki's vitals.

Cherry looked them over before his eyes widened. "That moron's in heat?!"

Chapter Text

Langa stared up at Cherry in utter shock before he looked down at Reki, eyes wide and body frozen. The soft scent of cinnamon that drifted off of his friend was mellow yet spicy. It wasn't too sweet or too intense. It seemed somewhat watery as well. "Are you sure? He doesn't smell like he's in heat." Langa spoke up, watching as Cherry pulled at Reki's shoulders forcing the younger omega to sit up.

Reki groaned in annoyance, head lolling to the side as he refused to wake up for anyone. "Reki, so help me, if you don't wake up this instance-"

"Alright, easy with him. He's been through a lot today. Let him rest." Joe intervened, resting his hand on Cherry's shoulder. The pink haired man turned on him with a glare.

"Absolutely not. He's in heat. Just because he doesn't smell like it yet doesn't mean he won't later and I refuse to be in the same house as two alpha's fighting over an omega on his cycle." Cherry retorted, the earlier calm now gone as he and Joe returned to their usual snappy selves.

"Well you know there won't be any fighting because I would knock Langa out immediately." Joe shrugged his shoulders as if the discussion was over.

Langa sat up, resting his hand on Reki's shoulder as he looked up at the other alpha. "I'm not letting you take advantage of Reki like that!"

"Wow. We really made the perv the pack alpha, didn't we?" Miya muttered, glaring at Joe who looked between the two before he held his hands up.

"Wait a minute, I didn't mean it like that. I'm not interested in Reki like that. I can handle myself around heat cycles so I would be okay if his scent suddenly spikes." Joe explained, pointing to Langa. "But you, can you control yourself around omegas in heat or will I have to knock you out?"

"No one is knocking anyone out. We're not getting to that point to begin with. I have suppressants so I'm gonna make him take some once I can get him to wake up." Cherry shook Reki again before glaring at him in annoyance. "Miya, get the ice water."

"Oooh I like this plan." The little gremlin smirked before he ran down the stairs and disappeared.

"You all realize that the kitchen for the restaurant isn't my personal kitchen, right?" Joe asked, watching the pup run off.

Shadow snorted. "Hey, who is bougie enough to have more than one kitchen in their house? That's what I thought."

Joe shook his head and sighed as he plopped back down in his seat. Miya ran back up the stairs and slid across the wood floor with his socks on, coming to a stop by Cherry with a glass of water, a few ice cubes clinking against the glass.

"Thank you, Miya." Cherry grabbed the cup and dribbled a bit of it on the back of Reki's neck.

The response was almost instantaneous. The omega yelped and jumped out of his seat, eyes wide as he immediately stumbled and tripped over his feet, face planting into the couch where Joe was sitting. A second passed followed by a whine as Reki sat up slowly, rubbing at his face as he looked around.

"What the heck? What's going on?" He mumbled, looking back towards the others and staring up at Cherry quietly.

"You're in heat, Reki. Come with me, I'll give you some medicine." Cherry spoke, beckoning for the other to follow as he headed to the bathroom.

Reki frowned and hesitated before he shot up and ran after the other. "Cherry, wait-"

Langa watched them disappear down the hall and sighed heavily, falling back against the loveseat and laying back where he was. He missed the weight that Reki provided before they were both separated, longing for the warmth to return as he began to feel chilly without him. There was a heater running nearby but it didn't help when Langa was longing for skinship.

Reki followed after Cherry, not really knowing where they were going since he's never been in Joe's house before but he knew the older omega had probably been there more than a few times. With how often they clashed and how well they acted when scenting eachother be earlier, Reki had a hunch that they were a lot closer then they let on. Cherry opened a door which lead into what seemed like Joe's room. It smelled like matcha and skunk which Reki found intriguing. He didn't peg Joe to be a smoker but he realized then and there that it really did suit his vibe.

Cherry made his way into the bathroom and started to rifle through the medicine cabinet as Reki followed a bit slower, looking around. The bed was in the middle of the room, headboard pressed against one wall and what looked like a pair of handcuffs glinted from the two posts. Reki glanced away from them quickly, continuing to look around. The comforter was a nice navy blue, the pillows were a cool grey color which matched the sheets. The dresser had a few pictures and pieces of jewelry which Reki had seen the alpha wearing occasionally.

It felt weird addressing him as an alpha. It felt weird standing in his bedroom while Cherry rifled through his bathroom. It just… it was so unlike him to be able to stand here and inhale the scent of an alpha and not feel his heart jump into his throat. He couldn't taste bile on his tongue and his lungs didn't suddenly malfunction. He could breathe in the scent and feel relaxed instead of terrified. Was it really that easy? Was he not scared of alphas anymore? Or was it just Joe?

"Here, take this." Cherry held his hand out. Reki reached out to take whatever the older omega was offering him and he watched him drop a familiar pink pill in his hand. Reki recoiled and shook his head.

"This is O-phlex, isn't it? I can't take it." Reki pinched the pill and held it up so he could get a better look at it, seeing the Signature Ω imprinted on the pill.

"What do you mean you can't?" Cherry asked, staring at Reki like he grew a second head. The only light in the room came from the moon and the street lamps that glowed outside and filtered in through floor to ceiling windows. Reki offered Cherry the pill back, avoiding his eyes.

"A lot of the common over the counter suppressors react negatively with me. I usually get sick and have to stay in bed regardless. Since I can't take typical suppressors and I can't find one that doesn't kill my body, I usually just smoke a blunt and call it a day. I smoked in the bathroom so I'll be fine until I go home later." Reki explained, rubbing at his neck nervously as Cherry took the pill quietly, letting an uncomfortable silence fall over them.

Reki was expecting more questions or maybe even just an 'Oh, okay.' but he got neither from Cherry. The male stood at the sink, staring at the bottle of O-phlex for a moment before he returned the pink pill and capped it, returning it to the open cabinet, grabbing something else before closing it.

"Reki, are you a recessive omega, by any chance?" Cherry finally asked as Reki turned to leave the bedroom. Cherry followed as Reki paused by the door, caught off guard by the question.

"Uh- y-yeah. That's what the doctor said. Why's that?" The younger male asked hesitantly as Cherry just shrugged.

"It's a common downside that recessive omegas find in their every day lives. Most suppressors are too harsh on their systems and leave them feeling half dead. I was just wondering if that's what you were struggling with." Cherry spoke as Reki stared at him, eyebrows furrowed. Reki had a feeling that Cherry wasn't being honest with him but Reki couldn't call him out on it. One, because Cherry was scary and Reki didn't want to deal with anger at the moment, and two, because Reki also wasn't being a hundred percent honest.

"R-Right. Yeah, that's exactly it." Reki replied hesitantly, watching Cherry offer him the other thing he had grabbed from the cabinet. It was a sheet of wax paper, pink scent patches stuck to it. “Put these on before we go back out. For my sake of mind.” He ordered. Reki grabbed the sheet thankfully and compiled, patting the patches into place. Hopefully with this, he wouldn't cause any more issues with his new pack.

Hopefully.

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"So, is there a reason why Cherry has some suppressants here or are you gonna pretend that some pretty big gossip didn't just pop up out of nowhere?" Miya asked, turning his attention to Joe who sat sprawled out on the couch, arms spread over the back. He was still shirtless, the tattoo on his shoulder distorted slightly from the way his arm was bent.

"He's spent his heat here a few times and no, it's not in that type of way. We've known each other for a long time so my pheromones help him out when he's in need." Joe said simply, tacking on the last part knowing that Miya was about to give him grief over the odd relationship the two of them had.

"Uh huh. I'm sure that's everything." Miya snickered in amusement before he turned his attention to Langa. "What about you? You're not gonna try and jump Reki now that you know he's an omega, right?" Miya asked, tone suddenly turning rather serious.

Langa furrowed his eyebrows. "What does that have to do with anything all of a sudden? And no, Reki being an omega doesn't change the way I see or feel about him. He's still just my best friend." Langa explained. Honestly he was already romantically interested in Reki before he even knew that the other was an omega.

Reki being an omega doesn't change anything. Langa would still like him even if he was another alpha or if he was a beta. Langa didn't mind it either way. Not like it mattered. Reki didn't see him the same way, and the fact that Langa was an alpha definitely meant that Reki wouldn't be interested in him. No one knew why, but Reki wasn't comfortable around alphas, period.

That included Langa.

The teen sighed and stretched out on the loveseat, legs hanging over the arm and dangling as he reached for his phone in his pocket. It was close to three am and Langa felt so heavy and tired. He knew he wouldn't be able to make it home safely in this state. He was about to fall asleep moments prior when he was tangled up with Reki.

That was a lie, his heart was pounding a mile a minute yet at the same time he felt so relaxed and comfortable.

He wanted to fall asleep already but he couldn't, not until he knew if Reki was okay or not.

"I'm taking your word for it so don't go lying to me, got it?" Miya huffed, plopping down on the opposite end of the couch from Joe. Shadow was lounged in the armchair, silently taking in the exchange. Langa liked how his friends were. He was thankful Miya was so protective over Reki. He also liked that Shadow was very ride or die for the rest of them… within reason of course.

Joe acted pretty carefree and relaxed but he was very calm and dependable when things got uneasy, like earlier when Reki locked himself in the bathroom. Cherry seemed scary and aggressive but he really was just a very worried and caring person.

"So, I for one am gonna be spending the night. That's fine, right?" Shadow asked, looking towards Joe who nodded, eyes closed as he relaxed.

"S'fine by me. I only got a twin bed in the guest room though and Cherry is probably gonna take that so the rest of you guys gotta fight over the couch and shit. And don't break anything." Joe tacked on, lifting his head and glaring at all of them.

"We're not animals. The only one you should probably worry about is Reki." Miya huffed in annoyance.

"Worry about me, why?" Reki asked, returning with Cherry who looked rather… deep in thought. Langa raised an eyebrow at the older man but turned towards his friend quietly, glad to see that he wasn't in a panicked state.

"You're a clumsy oaf who will probably break something before the night is over with." Miya teased as Reki flushed slightly.

"Hey, rude." He muttered softly, choking back a yawn before he rubbed his eyes. "Anyways, what are we doing? If we're having a sleepover I call dibs on the couch."

"Hey! No fair, you can't just come in here and snatch the couch like that!" Shadow argued as he sat up in the chair angrily.

"Reki, can we share the couch?" Miya asked, grabbing one of the throw pillows and hugging it to his chest, looking up at the teen who just shrugged.

"Sure, I don't mind."

"Wait a fuckin minute-"

"Dibs on the loveseat." Langa rolled onto his side and pulled the blanket from earlier around himself, stuffing a throw pillow underneath his head.

"You fuckin brats! I'm not sleeping on the floor!" Shadow yelled angrily as Joe stood up from the couch and walked over. Wordlessly, he reached for the side of the armchair and pulled a small lever causing the armchair to recline back. Shadow fell back into it with wide eyes before he settled down slightly.

"Okay, yeah. I like this." He mumbled.

"Good. Now stop yelling." Cherry muttered, rubbing his face tiredly. "Ugh, it's so late. I'm going to bed. Goodnight everyone, try not to get an STD from the furniture. God knows how many times he's brought someone home and ignored the bedroom."

"I am RIGHT HERE!" Miya yelled, wrinkling his nose as Joe growled.

"That was uncalled for, you four eyed weasel!" Joe shouted before he turned to the others. "I promise, I haven't done anything questionable on these bits of furniture." He assured them quickly.

"If you have, I'm suing." Reki said in a muffled voice, side eyeing the alpha tentatively.

Joe sighed heavily before he nodded, rubbing his head. "Fine, fine. I'll grab some pillows and blankets for you guys." Joe dragged the hand down his face and stared at the lot of misfits and weirdos that were now camping out in his living room. Curse his HBF for putting him in a corner like this. He knew this was going to start becoming a regular occurrence. His house was gonna go from bachelor pad to pack house and while he knew he needed it, and part of him secretly enjoyed it, he was going to complain about it for the foreseeable future. He turned his back and sauntered off back down the hallway.

Reki plopped himself down on the couch, reaching forward to grab his shirt and he began to pull it back on. As soon as he was done, Miya threw the pillow he was hugging before at Reki’s head. “Hey!” Reki spluttered, looking over at the younger kid who just looked away, smiling innocently. “What was that for?”

Miya looked back at him and raised his eyebrows. “Do you not remember holding me hostage just minutes ago while you drowned me in your scent? I probably smell like a mutt right now!” Miya teased, gesturing to himself. Reki furrowed his eyebrows, trying to think. He barely remembered the scenting session to be honest. He remembered the feeling of bliss and calm, but nothing else. The room reeked of pheromones but in a nice way. Everything was so soothing and screamed safe to him. The flower scents and the tea and then there was that sugary scent that stood out. Usually only omegas smelled sweet and sugary, but Reki's eyes drifted to Langa who was already staring at him quietly, unmoving.

Reki flinched and Langa looked away, furrowing his brows slightly. “I- uh.. I don't remember.. did I do something wrong?” Reki asked, looking back to Miya who stared at him quietly with wide eyes. “You had me trapped in your arms like I was your newborn pup.” Miya explained, watching as Reki's face colored.

“O-oh- I'm so sorry, Miya!” Reki began but the younger boy waved him off. “Shut up, it's fine. Not like I hated it or anything-” He muttered before his eyes widened and he pointed at Reki sternly. “I didn't mean it like that- what I meant was-”

“Did I interrupt a confession of love? Miya, I'm disappointed.” Joe returned with blankets and pillows under each arm. He dropped all of the pillows on top of the pup who squeaked indignantly and grabbed the nearest pillow, whacking the older man with it. “SHUT UP! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!”

“Miya.. I didn't know you felt that way…” Reki spoke, hugging himself as he leaned away from the other. “Like I'm flattered, but you're too young for me!” Reki added, choking on a laugh as a pillow was swung at him hard.

“Children, children!” Cherry snapped at them, standing in the hallway dressed in a change of pajamas that fit him oddly well. Definitely his own clothes that he either brought with him or left here. “It's fucking three am and if I am kept from my beauty sleep any longer then necessary simply because you brats want to stay up and gossip, so help me God, I will make you all pay.” His voice dripped with venom and he stared at them all with a gloomy expression.

“Yes, sir.” Miya and Reki replied in unison. Cherry nodded and turned back around, heading back to the guest room. Joe stood with his arms crossed, watching the omega leave before he looked back to the others. “Well then, now that little miss princess has put a halt to the night. I'm going to bed.” Joe nodded his head to the others and began to walk towards the hallway. Along the way, he flicked the light switch shutting them all in darkness.

“Hey! Can't you at least wait until we get all situated!” Shadow called after him in annoyance before he grumbled. He let out an oomf sound followed by a growl. “Damnit Miya, how the hell did you hit me in the dark?”

“Loud mouth makes for an easy target.” Miya replied hauntingly. Pale light flooded the room causing reki to flinch, looking over he could see that Langa turned on the light to his phone flash, offering them enough light to organize themselves and distribute the pillows and blankets. Langa already had a blanket, but Reki tossed another one at him simply because it was a throw pillow and they weren't that comfortable. It landed on his lap and Langa grabbed it, sitting up long enough to shove it behind his head before he flopped back down, thanking Reki.

Miya threw a blanket at Shadow as well and then they started trying to figure out how to share the couch. They could both take one end of the couch but then it would be a bit cramped on either end for them. Reki got a pillow settled behind his head and was busy throwing his blanket over him when Miya threw his pillow down between Reki and the couch, near Reki's chest. “Scoot over a bit.” Miya ordered. Reki lifted his eyebrows in confusion but did as he was told, scooting over enough for Miya. The smaller boy flopped down right next to him, settling in between Reki and the back of the couch and he pulled his own blanket over him. Miya didn't seem bothered by the close proximity and with that being Reki's only worry, he also settled in and laid his head back, sighing in content. With the both of them cuddled up next to each other, the couch felt really warm.

Langa turned the light off without a word once everyone was settled but he stared at the faint outline of the couch, could just barely make out Reki's outline with Miya snuggled into his chest, and Langa felt… jealous? Hurt? He wanted to be on the couch with them. He also wanted to cuddle with Reki. Like earlier that day on the bed when they were watching movies together or even earlier that hour with Reki on top of Langa, seeking out his comfort. It wasn't because he loved him, he did. He really did love Reki, but it was just… nice… having someone you could trust enough to just lay with like that.. It was nice. It was intoxicating. Langa wanted it again.

Langa cursed himself silently, hoping that sometime soon, Reki would feel comfortable with him again.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Reki woke with a start, light filling the room and he laid there stiffly, the scent of an alpha touching his nose, his throat. He smelled matcha and coffee, heard quiet footsteps roam the room. His neck felt itchy, a clear sign that his scent patches were due for a change, close to overflowing. Reki felt an elbow in his ribs, slowly willing up enough courage to look around the room. He was in someplace he didn't recognize, head cloudy with panic. Looking around, he spotted Langa across from him still asleep, and Shadow a little way back also passed out snoring quietly in the recliner. Miya laid with his back to Reki, one of his arms jutting into the older boys ribs. Looking beyond, Reki spotted Joe moving around in the kitchen, making himself a cup of coffee. Reki slowly took a deep breath, faintly able to detect the fading scent of security that had gripped them all last night. Reki couldn't quite relax fully though, his mind racing, his pulse picking up. He tried to focus on something, anything, that would help him calm down.

He knew he was safe. Knew Joe wasn't going to hurt him, knew Langa was asleep and wouldn't do anything either. He was still terrified though, his adrenaline high. All he could think about was what had happened to him, the guy wrenching smell of an alpha near him, his whole body feeling hot with fear-

Reki flinched when he saw Joe’s silhouette in the entryway to the living room. Stared at him with wide eyes, stuck still. He wanted to get up and run but knew he couldn't. Knew he was fucked-

“Hey kid,” Joe's voice was deeper than usual, groggy with sleep. Morning voice. “There's half a joint in my room. Ashtray near the window. I left out some new patches for you. Cherry mentioned them last night. Go help yourself. I can smell you from here.” Joe nodded his head towards the hallway, pulling the mug of coffee up to his lips and taking a sip. He leaned against the doorway, looking down at his mug.

Reki couldn't speak, trying to process the information as best as he could. He slowly untangled himself from the couch, Miya whining softly at being jostled. Reki kept his eyes on the alpha, freezing when Joe moved though the man simply turned around and returned to deeper in the kitchen. “There's some wipes on the counter in the bathroom, or you can use the shower in the guest bathroom for replacing your patches. The shower in there has deodorizing soap.” Joe called quietly, mindful of the others who were still asleep but loud enough for Reki to hear. He grunted in acknowledgement, making his way down the hallway to Joe’s bedroom. He shut the door behind himself, contemplating for a moment to lock it. He really wanted to lock it but he didn't let himself.

Joe wasn't going to come barging in. Joe didn't just tell him those things to “lure” Reki to his room so he could do something to him. Reki refused to believe it, refused to indulge in his anxiety. He went over to the table in the corner, looking down at the ashtray where a half smoked joint laid and he grabbed it, finding the same pink lighter from the night prior resting next to it.

Reki's hands moved urgently, snatching up the joint and stuffing it between his lips, tasting the leftover smoke from when Joe had smoked the first half of it. He fumbled with the window, pushing the large pane open just enough for him to blow the smoke out of before he fiddled with the lighter, cursing when it took multiple attempts to flick and flare with light. He puffed the joint quietly, watching the tip glow warmly underneath the orange flame and eventually he was able to take a long drag from it, thick white smoke filling his lungs like he was a damn humidifier. His body relaxed under the burn in his chest and his head emptied with the slow exhale of smoke that he aimed out the window.

He worked the joint over a few times, his head growing foggy and his body growing numb. Eventually he heard a quiet knock at the door behind him. Looking over his shoulder he watched it crack open slowly. Joe poked his head in, looking over at Reki curiously. “You good?” He asked.

Reki nodded, pinching the joint delicately from his lips. “Better.” Reki admitted, breathing a puff out the window. “Thank you. For all of this.” Reki murmured, head clear from his anxiety, just a bit. His fear was still there, but it was just easier to rationalize it now. He was slowly able to ignore the nightmare that woke him.

“What's an alpha for if not to find the best drugs.” Joe shrugged jokingly and Reki cracked a smile. “You need some new clothes? I have some odds and ends lying around. Something close to your size probably.” Joe offered. Reki's clothes were beginning to smell like his heat, the patches on his body in desperate need of a change. Reki flushed and nodded, taking one last hit from the joint, trying desperately not to choke but doing so anyway. The last bit was always the worst.

Joe left briefly to go to the guest room, Reki able to see him walk into the other room. Could hear him faintly. ”Jeez Karou, at least sleep with clothes on when there's guests over.” Joe muttered in annoaynce. It sounded like he got whacked with a pillow afterwards. Joe returned shortly after with a large T-shirt and some shorts. Reki could tell they were both too big, but the shorts had a drawstring so he could make it work. The shorts were a pale green and had some kind of lettering across the back while the shirt was more plain. It looked a bit raggedy. “Bathrooms this way.” Joe said, beckoning Reki out of the room. The omega left the spent joint in the ashtray and made his way to follow, doubling back after a moment to grab the sheet of scent patches. These ones were larger and in a vibrant yellow color.

Once Reki was in the bathroom, he locked the door behind him and turned the hot water on, quickly stripping down and beginning to peel the patches off of himself. He looked around for a baggie for a moment before realizing that Joe had the fancy brand of patches that came with a sealable bag on the back of each sheet of patches. He stuffed the used patches inside of it and spotted scent neutralizer on the shelf, spritzing some into the bag before he sealed and tossed it. He hurried into the shower and almost melted underneath the hot water. With Joe living above his restaurant, he had the added perk of using his restaurant's industrial hot water heater. This was the hottest shower Reki ever had and he really hoped it wasn't his last. Reki could see a tub in the opposite corner of the bathroom and he was tempted to ask Joe if he could borrow it one day.

He found the scent neutralizing soap and washed himself thoroughly, breathing in the hot steam from the shower and overall being in so much bliss. His skin burned, the water melting away all of his stress and anxiety. Reki feels like this was the best kind of therapy. A horribly hot shower and a bomb ass joint end. He could enjoy the rest of his life if he could do this every day. No bad days ahead of him. Just hot showers and weed. What a life.

Reki stayed in the shower maybe a bit too long because when he finally got out, his skin was tinted pink and he felt so clean. Like he was disinfected with how hot the water was. He felt fresh and new. Like he could return to the others and ignore the fear in his head over the fact that there were two alphas in the house with him. Hell, he felt like he could go flop down on top of Langa and scent him like he did yesterday…

Why was that Reki's first thought?

His face was red and thankfully he had an excuse. He dried off quickly and applied the yellow patches, pulling the clothes on over top. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Joe gave him clothes that had previously belonged to another omega. The shirt was raggedy, mainly because it was made to be that way with small cuts to the grey fabric to give it room to curl and show off additional skin. It wasn't horrible, little one inch cuts around the shoulders and waist. The pants were far worse, saying ‘Bombastic’ across the ass in a darker green glitter. They were definitely meant for someone with a rounder behind then Reki.

Fresh clothes were better than putting on the same clothes he's been wearing since the day prior, clothes that were covered in so many foreign scents and sweat and whatever else. He left the bathroom and went back to the living room, looking around. Everyone in the living room was still fast asleep but Reki could smell Cherry’s fresh scent and followed it to the kitchen. Him and Joe were sitting at the kitchen table, both nursing two different mugs of coffee. Joe's being a light green with some old logo on it while Cherry has a pink one that was in a different style, taller and more curved. Reki was beginning to understand that the two were a lot closer than they let on.

He thought back to the suppressants in Joe's bathroom, the small pink patches that were obviously meant for an omega rather than the large ones he was wearing now. The pajamas that cherry oh so conveniently had. And now the mug? Reki kept quiet though. He knew if he asked then he would just get yelled at by the both of them.

“Did you dress him in the leftover clothes of your floozies?” Cherry asked dryly, eyeing up Reki who looked down at himself. That would make sense if he did.

“What? It's all I had. My clothes all smell like me and my pants would all fall off of him.” Joe shrugged, beckoning Reki over to take a seat. “You want some coffee?”

“No, just some water please.” Reki replied softly, “Where do you keep your glasses?” Reki wondered why Joe had so many seats and chairs in his house when he was the only one living there, but chalked it up to the fact that he probably entertained his ‘floozies’ whenever he had them over. Joe nodded his head towards a particular cabinet and Reki wandered over, opening up and grabbing the first cup he saw. Reki noticed it was a mix of graphic cups with logos and designs from varying other restaurants and some that looked like you could find them in souvenir shops, and even more that Reki recognized from the restaurant down below.

The cup he had grabbed was from a place in the United States. Reki recognized it as his aunt's home town. How funny. He went over to the tap and filled it up before heading over to sit at the table next to Cherry. While he was equally as nervous around the older omega, it just felt more proper to sit next to him. Especially since Reki now suspected something.. more… going on between the two.

The three of them sat in silence. Reki felt uncomfortable, looking between the two, but they didn't seem to care. Cherry looked to be deep in thought and Joe was scrolling on his phone. Glancing out the window, it was still dark, though the sun was beginning to rise slowly. The world seemed almost greyish blue beneath the slight bits of morning light.

“You want a ride home?” Cherry suddenly pulled Reki from his thoughts and he looked up at the omega curiously. “Sorry?”

“I will be taking my leave soon. I still have to get ready for work. I was wondering if you wanted a ride. With you still being on your heat cycle and now wearing clothes that barely cover anything, I think it would be safer for me to take you home.” Cherry explained, looking pointedly down at the shorts Reki wore.

Reki followed his gaze and while the bottoms were fine when he was standing, they rode up quite a bit when he sat, showing off quite a bit of his legs. Reki flushed softly and nodded, agreeing with Cherry. “Yeah… I'll take you up on that.” He replied. Cherry nodded and downed the rest of his coffee, ignoring the clearly burning hot liquid. Afterwards, he stood up and went to go get himself ready. Reki followed suit, finishing his water and standing from the table.

Reki gathered his clothes and put his shoes on, making sure he had his phone and his wallet. He waved goodbye to Joe who stayed in the kitchen the whole time, the alpha enjoying the sunrise which he could see from his kitchen window. Joe waved back, a small smile tugging at his lips. Reki went to meet Cherry by the stairs which lead down to the restaurant. On the way over, he passed by the loveseat where Langa laid. The alphas arm reached out and grabbed Reki by the shirt, pulling on it a bit. Reki jumped and froze, looking down to meet sleepy blue eyes.

Langa had his fingers hooked loosely on the shirt, face barely lifted, hair a mess. A red stress line from the pillow spread across his cheek leaving a perfect indent of the wrinkles from the fabric. “You leaving, Reki?” Langa asked, voice full of sleep and quiet.

Reki nodded, “Yeah, Cherry is driving me home.” Reki replied quietly, watching as Langa released him. “Okay… drive safe. I'll see you later.” Langa yawned and laid his head back down. Reki hurried away from the couch, his heart beat picking up a bit. Langa never replaced the scent patches he took off last night, the faint scent of sugar tickling at Reki's nose. He smelled like a bag of marshmallows. It was unique, definitely not a scent an alpha would have.

Reki tried his best to ignore the thoughts of the alpha, his friend, the one person he really didn't want to avoid but really didn't have any other choice at the moment, and he followed Cherry downstairs. They both grabbed their skateboards on the way out and Cherry lead Reki to where he parked his car on the street. Reki stowed his board in the back seat and they headed to Reki's house. The drive was quiet, Reki unknowing of how to break the silence and Cherry not minding it. He seemed like he was still lost in thought over whatever he was thinking about earlier. Or maybe not. Reki didn't know.

The drive didn't take horrible long. It was only ten minutes and as Reki unbuckled his seatbelt, Cherry turned to him. “Some advice, Reki. Don't leave the house when you're in heat. Even if you medicate yourself and wear your patches. The world is cruel. You can do everything right and still end up getting hurt.” Cherry spoke sternly, watching as Reki ducked his head at the scolding.

He knew he shouldn't leave the house on his heat, but smoking really left him feeling fine. Like he was normal and clear headed. Cherry was right though, it was asking for trouble. Though, even if his scent did leak through his patches, it wasn't nearly as enticing or sweet as that of a normal omega. It was just the way it was for bitched omegas. Reki looked back up at Cherry who watched him with a cool light brown gaze.

“I understand. Thank you for looking after me.” Reki replied quietly. Cherry just nodded, letting the younger omega out of the car and waiting till he went inside before he left. Reki made his way to his room and immediately flopped down into the comfort of his own bed. His nest if you could even call it that. Reki chuckled bitterly at the thought and sighed heavily. Maybe he should take Cherry's advice seriously. Stay home. Watch TV. Sleep. Order food. Omegas really did have it tough with their heats. Their stupid fucking heats that just ruin everything. Reki said it once and he'll say it a thousand times. Say it every single fucking time he needed to. Every time his life was negatively impacted because of the decisions someone else made for him.

Thanks. Dad.

Chapter Text

Miya spent the next few days as he usually did. School, practice, train, skate. He didn't stray from his usual routine often. It was the only thing that kept him focused and centered when he was anxious and right now, his anxiety was high. Reki hadn't met up with them for a few days. Joe and Cherry had told all of them that they had to meet up at least semi often at Joe's apartment for pack bonding activities and more scenting. Reki hadn't shown up for the last two sessions. Cherry, at the first session, mentioned that Reki wouldn't be joining them simply because he was in heat and it was dangerous. Miya understood that, and understood that omegas in heat had it rough. He wanted his friend back though. He had been in a funk all day, just thinking about that stupid idiot.

Miya never would've guessed that Reki was an omega, though if he gave it serious thought… No, not even then. Reki was just Reki. Miya would've thought beta for sure. He was too nice to be an alpha, too weak on top of it. He didn't have the same kind of personality as an omega either. Omegas were supposed to be shy and sweet and Reki, while he was nice, Miya wouldnt call him sweet, and he was horribly out going. Constantly bugging Miya even when he told him off and made fun of him. Miya thought it over again, kicking up his board and grinding against a rail before flipping off and landing neatly, continuing on with his training. The skate park was crowded, people doing their own tricks, practicing. A couple of people stumbled off every now and then but got right back up and tried again. Some people were chatting, catching up with their friends.

Reki did give that kind homey vibe that omegas have. Miya would sometimes get that feeling that Reki was trying to take care of him though he never thought too hard on it. Especially since only a few days ago did they just start being friends again after that whole thing with stupid Adam. Miya pulled his board up, stepping off and heading to get some water from the bench. A small group of older kids hung around, whispering excitedly to each other.

“-thats so weird!” One of them spoke in a hushed tone though their disbelief only carried their voice.

“Hell yeah it is! You're telling me there's a way to make someone present a certain way?” Another asked, the two of them clearly looking towards another kid who nodded quickly.

“I heard about it from my big brother and his friends. Apparently it's called Bitching-”

“SHHH!” one of the boys interrupted the others, looking pointedly at Miya though the boy ignored them, simply grabbing his water and taking a sip from it. The group of boys stared at him for a moment and a different one spoke. “Let's go talk somewhere else. Chinen would totally snitch if he heard this.” He sneered, looking back at Miya pointedly with a glare. Miya raised an eyebrow and looked over at them, watching the group shove off to go find some other corner to talk about Bitching in. Whatever that meant.

Forcing someone to present a certain way? There's no way that could be true. He wouldve heard about it on the news if scientists had found out how to do it. That does sound like it would be an interesting paper, though why they would choose such a vulgar name for it, Miya didn't know. Well, he did. Cause obviously it wasn't real.

He decided he was tired of the skate park, gathering his things and leaving the large warehouse. It was bright outside, not a cloud in the sky, a warm breeze pulling at his clothes. He contemplated whether or not he had time to go home for a bit but decided that he would rather just go straight to Joe's and hang out there a bit longer. Maybe make Joe make him something to eat that didn't have stupid tomatoes in it. Miya tossed down his board and kicked off, feeling the pavement underneath his board, listened to the thrum of the wheels and the bouncing slightly as he went over every line in the sidewalk. He thought about it his whole way there.

If there was a way to influence the gender you presented as, he might be interested in it. It would be nice to be a beta. Not have to deal with all of the scents of the world or the mating cycles the other two genders had to go through. Originally, Miya always wanted to be an alpha. Everyone did though. Alphas were strong and cool and useful. They were sought out for many different reasons and usually made a lot of money and were successful. Until recently, Miya wanted to be an alpha.

Until he found out Reki didn't like alphas.

So maybe he would be better off as a beta. Miya could see the way Reki avoided Joe and Langa originally. When he found out they were alphas. The only reason he calmed down was due to the scenting. And then he was clinging onto Miya, one of the only ones without a scent, and just smothered him so sweetly… Miya had mentioned it already but Reki wasn't sweet. He wasn't supposed to be. The fact that he was an omega shouldn't be making Miya change the way he saw the other. That would just be wrong.

The sun was on its way down. There would still be a few hours before Sia La Luce closed and until then, Miya would just be hanging out somewhere doing his homework. Might as well bug his friends while he did it. Maybe do some more research into that whole influenced presenting thing those guys were talking about. He wondered why they were keeping it hushed. He knew it was because they didn't want him knowing, because it was inherently bad, they knew they would get in trouble for talking about it.

But why?

What was it?

Miya kicked up his board and carried it into the restaurant with him, walking over to the bar and sitting down at it. It was surprisingly empty, Joe looking up and greeting him from behind the counter where he polished a few glasses. He wore that dumb white chef's coat, hair pulled back out of his face. Miya pulled his back into his lap and pulled out a few books and worksheets he had to complete by the next day along with his cat pencil case. “Hey Joe, I have a question for you.” Miya began, looking up at the alpha who hummed in acknowledgement, setting the glass he was holding down and walking over to stand in front of Miya.

“Sure Miya, what is it?”

“Well. You're older and know a lot about secondary genders, right?” Miya asked curiously. The alpha nodded, lifting his hand and waving it a bit. “I know a decent amount. I'm not like an expert or anything but I took a class on it for credit when I was learning to cook in Italy.” Joe explained. Miya nodded and continued. “Could you tell me about ‘Bitching’? I heard that its a way to influence-” Before Miya even got out the rest of his sentence, Joe’s eyes widened and his jaw drop, a look of absolute disgust on his face. It killed the words in miya's throat, his voice faltering and trailing off.

“Where the hell did you learn that word?” Joe asked quietly, his voice unnaturally low. He sounded horrified. Disgusted. Miya suddenly wanted to know even more what the word meant. What could've caused such a reaction from the usually collected alpha?

“I… heard some guys at school mention it. I was just wondering-” Miya tried but Joe just shook his head. “Absolutely not. I'm not discussing that with you. You're too young. It's horrible. Horrible shit. Don't ever bring it up again!” Joe bulldozed him, suddenly tense and weird. Miya was way too curious now.

“What did I just walk in on?” Miya looked over to see Cherry walking in through the door. He looked annoyed by Joe but the alpha didn't seem to care, keeping his eyes on Miya. “Joe won't tell me what Bitching is.” Miya explained simply.

Cherry paused in his tracks, staring at Miya with wide eyes like Miya had just slapped him with his words. Miya squinted his eyes slightly, studying both of them but Cherry coughed, clearing his throat. “Okay… was not expecting that.” He replied stiffly, looking over at Joe who finally met his gaze.

“Now you see why?” Joe asked, pointing to Miya. “You better not hang out with those boys ever again. You avoid them at all costs. You hear me? Report them if you have to. No, report them anyways. They're criminals. Talking about that word like that. Horrible children.” The alpha rambled, annoyed, angry.

Miya frowned in annoyance. “I still don't know what it is so I can't take you seriously. Isn't it just a way to influence the gender you present as?” Miya asked as he looked between the two adults. Joe wrinkled his nose and while Cherry looked equally as disturbed, he just sighed.

“It's much more demented and complicated than that.” Cherry began. Joe glanced over at him, searching his face for a moment before he began to look a bit shocked. “You're going to tell him?” Joe asked incredulously, looking almost betrayed. Cherry nodded and looked pointedly at Miya. “This little imp here won't just sit still and listen to our warnings. Better he hear from people who actually know and care then some hooligans who think it's some cool fad!” Cherry replied sternly, turning his attention back to Joe. “Besides, he's thirteen. Not nine. He’s getting to the age where he should know what's going on in the world to try and protect himself.”

Miya looked between the two adults and heard the front door chime, looking over to see a group of customers walk in. Joe glanced over at them as well and sighed heavily. “Fine. But we do this later after close and we don't talk about it again until then. I do not want that word brought up in my restaurant ever again. You'll disgrace Sia La Luce with language like that.” Joe spoke sternly before he put on a welcoming smile, heading out to greet the customers and to show them to their seats. Miya watched quietly before Cherry took the seat next to him, getting his attention.

“Are you sure you're ready to hear about something like that? It's pretty gruesome and barbaric. Highly illegal as well.” Cherry warned, watching Miya with calculating eyes just to see how the pup would react to the information. Miya only burned more with curiosity, nodding along. He simply needed to know at this point. What was Bitching and what did it entail?

“Do your homework. We will finish this conversation later. Just know that we tried to warn you.” Cherry spoke softly, pulling out his laptop and beginning to work on it, typing away on the keys. Miya listened to the faint clacking, soft and seemingly distant even though it was right next to him. He stared down at his own school work and did his best to concentrate. He could hear Joe talking to the customers, explaining what a few of the menu items were and answering questions on the dishes and the wines he had available. Miya contemplated looking online to curb his curiosity, typing ‘What does Bitched mean?’ in the search bar and going from there, but he decided against it, knowing that if he saw some imagery that proved just how disturbing the word actually was, then he wouldn't be able to sleep for weeks.

Better to just listen and be patient.

No matter how much it ate at him to know.

Joe returned to the counter and went into the back to get started on the dishes the table had ordered, talking to a few of his employees. Miya could barely hear them, and didn't care to listen much. He stared at the math problem before him, tapping his pencil to the paper. The restaurant had a cozy feeling, warm lights overhead and wood accents all over. There was a bunch decor that just screamed little Italy to Miya like the wooden barrel in the corner topped with flower arrangements and the brick walls. The smell of garlic and herbs hung in the air as well as the tangy scent of freshly poured wine. Quiet music played, easily mixing with the gentle chatter from the patrons and yet Miya couldn't bring himself to focus. He knew why honestly.

Miya didn't care about the conversation anymore, didn't want to know for any reason other than the fact that it was something he shouldn't know, so obviously now he needed to know. In all actuality, he was looking for something to distract himself because all he could think about was Reki. What was he doing right now? Did he miss them? When was he going to come back? Did he think about them at all?

Miya groaned and dropped his head down onto the book in front of him, hearing a pause to the clicking next to him. Cherry peered down at him through delicately rimmed glasses and the omega raised an eyebrow at him. “What's got you all frustrated?” Cherry asked, somewhat perturbed by the young boys actions. Miya usually wasn't very emotional. He was bratty and cocky and that was all to Cherry's knowledge. Miya looked up at him with a pout, arms resting on the table and face smushed into the page.

“He's probably throwing a tantrum because he misses his big brother.” Joe interrupted, setting down two plates for them. One was a plate of Carbonara and the other was a Ragù dish.

“This doesn't have tomatoes in it, right?” Miya asked, ignoring the quip because honestly, yeah. He really missed Reki. A lot. And denying it would get him nowhere. He pulled the plate closer to himself, studying it. “It's Ragú in Bianco, no tomatoes whatsoever for our picky little pup.” Joe replied proudly, seeming over the frustration he had earlier due to the topic of bitching.

“Ignoring taunts now? My, the little boy has grown.” Cherry added, earning a glaring side eye from the ‘little boy’ in question. “Can you guys back off?” Miya asked, grabbing a fork from the pre roll next to him and stabbing up some of the pasta, annoyed with the two. Mainly Cherry, Joe actually has the decency to feed Miya while he teases him so it balances out. Cherry just sits there and acts snide constantly.

“I wasn't expecting you guys to be here already.” Langa popped up behind Miya and took the seat on his other side, sitting sideways so he could face Miya and Cherry. Miya thought he caught a whiff of something sweet but paid it no mind. The other probably just had a treat or something.

“You're the one here earlier than usual. What's up with that?” Miya asked. He already knew the answer. Reki wasn't available so Langa had nothing better to do than to find them. He was always with Reki, hanging out with him, visiting his house, talking to him. They watched movies together. Miya didn't get to do that.

Langa just shrugged. “Reki wasn't around so I actually was able to focus on my homework and got it done already. He also wasn't at the skatepark so I didn't really hang out there much either.” Langa explained, blue hair being brushed away from his face and tucked behind his ear. Miya knew it, the other also missed Reki. A lot. Langa looked like a bored energetic puppy, pouting slightly at the thought of their friend. Miya sighed in annoyance, looking back down at his food and stuffing a bite into his mouth.

Cherry picked at his dish as well, ignoring the conversation to do his own work and Joe looked over at Langa. “You hungry?” He asked, preparing to make the other something as well but Langa just shook his head. “I haven't had much of an appetite recently.” He admitted, watching Joe who gave him a pointed look. “You're not going into rut, right?”

Langa’s cheeks colored a bit and he shook his head. “No, I had mine recently actually. I'm not due for another two months.” He assured, watching as the older alpha nodded.

“What's rut got to do with appetite?” Miya asked curiously. He would be placed in his schools mandatory secondary gender class next year, which he found stupid that they waited so long to teach to students, but he was already full of questions he felt like he ought to know about since he may or may not present as an alpha.

Joe turned his warm red eyes on Miya and crossed his arms, the white chef's coat stretching dangerously right across his forearms. Miya was worried the clothes would rip but thankfully they didn't. “When omegas go into heat, they usually stock up on calories. That means an increase in appetite and usually various cravings. Their bodies do this to create a fat store for them during the week where they are vulnerable. Alphas on the other hand usually lose their appetites. Usually for the sole purpose of focusing on the needs of their mate instead of their own.” Joe explained, choosing his words carefully so he could keep them as PG as possible.

Miya hummed in thought, sending a prayer up above in hopes of presenting as a beta, and he got back to his meal without another word. Having a secondary gender sounded like a pain in the butt. Being an alpha and having to take care of someone? No thanks. Sounds annoying. Being an omega and needing to be taken care of? Miya would rather stick his tongue on a ramp and let someone skate over it. If there was a God out there, may she bless him with the blissful indifference of a beta.

People came and went and the time ticked by slowly. The group didn't talk much. Cherry too focused on work and Miya tried to focus on his homework. He was smart. Math was his best subject, but at the moment his concentration was evading him. He glared at the paper, rereading the problem several different times before he decided to say forget it and turn in a blank paper. His grades could suffer for all he cared. He needed a break from the mental anguish this paper was giving him.

Langa didn't speak much to begin with, more of an attentive listener than a mouthy alpha. Mainly the issue was he didn't have his other half to draw out his stupidity. Miya knew just how much of an idiot he could be when the other idiot was present. Joe left the three to work but checked in on them several times, chatting idly every time he passed by. Him and Reki were the social butterflies of their pack. The ones who could ramble for hours endlessly, the ones that the rest of them would rather listen to then sit awkwardly in silence.

They were like the birds in the early morning when the sun began to shine and it was so weird to stand in the light without the noise around them.

Shadow came in about ten minutes to close, making his way over to the group. Joe had sent his employees home and was taking care of the last tables tab, wishing them all a wonderful night before sending them off. The four of them waited for Joe to finish closing up, the sound of change rattling as he counted his drawer and the shuffling of thin paper as he organized receipts. Paperwork didn't take long. Miya didn't know if it was because Joe owned the restaurant and did it so many times that it became easy for him or if because he owned the restaurant, he slacked off with it.

It was simply something Miya didn't know.

“So,” Miya began, looking between the two older members of their pack. “What's Bitching?”

Joe flinched like Miya just called his mother a harlot out of nowhere and his shoulders sagged heavily, a loud groan coming from him. Shadow looked disturbed. “Where the fuck did that come?” He asked, looking between Joe and Cherry as if they poisoned the mind of the youngest member.

Langa looked confused mainly, looking at everyone's reaction. “I mean, Miya's cursed before, hasn't he? What's with this reaction?” Langa questioned, furrowing thin eyebrows. Miya cocked his head towards the alpha. “You don't know what it means either?” He asked. Langa looked back to Miya and shrugged, “I mean, it's slang where I'm from. But it's like another way to say ‘What's up’ or ‘That's cool’.” Langa explained, thinking it over a bit. “Y’know, like… you learned how to Ollie in two weeks? That's bitching! Good job!”

“Never say that again!” Cherry growled causing the alpha to jump and straighten up. “Y-yes sir!”

“Bitching isn't cool or a good thing. With you being from Canada, you probably know it under a different name. Forced Gender Presentation.” Joe offered, organizing his papers and putting everything into an envelope before he sealed it and put it into his drawer. He began to wipe down the counter in front of him. It was spotless, but Miya assumed it was something to keep his hands busy while he thought over his words. “There was a study in America about twenty or thirty years back. I forget which. They were trying to test out a theory. This theory was that if you kept unpresented pups with a strict population of a certain secondary gender, that pup would present as the opposite of that gender as a biological balance.” Joe began, a solemn look on his face. “This theory started since there always seemed to be an influx of alpha's presenting roughly ten to fifteen years after a war due to the draft. Pups were left with just the omegas around to take care of them and people thought they saw a correlation.”

Cherry took a turn at explaining, “Children are already born with their secondary gender hidden in their biological code. You can get DNA tests to find out what a child's secondary gender is before it presents, but those tests are usually rather expensive so most parents aim for the surprise. They allow things to happen naturally. Studies show that typically it ends up with children adapting better since they don't have the expectations for how they should act for their whole lives. This however wasn't discovered until around the time of that study.” Cherry explained, handing the conversation back over to Joe who nodded.

“The study was called ‘Secondary Hope'. They wanted to figure out if there was a way to produce a larger, more even number of Alphas and Omegas. They had several different controls with varying factors. There were several teams that were made up of all omegas with four different pups and another couple teams that were all alphas with four pups. Several years passed and the scientists kept eyes on the groups. Alpha scientists with the alpha groups, omega scientists with the omega groups. They were trying not to mix any factors. The pups were all orphans and were basically placed with fosters. That was the government's way to get around the whole human testing dilemma… God, they were all orphans…” Joe sounded sick, dragging a heavy hand down his face.

Cherry took back over, clearing his throat. His fingers drummed against the wood bar, a hollow noise. Miya felt shaky but he didn't know why. Langa looked sick, pinching his nose.. maybe it was the pheromones coming off of the others? They stopped wearing scent patches whenever meeting here since they were going to remove them anyways to scent each other. Shadow was busy scrolling on his phone, turned away from the conversation like he was trying to shut it out. Miya suddenly regretted asking, but he couldn't stop now. He still doesn't understand what was going on.

“The pups started presenting eventually. The ones from the omega groups presented randomly with no rhyme or reason. A majority of them were betas and alphas but that's a normal percentage. They still had a few omega presentations though. About twenty five percent actually which is relatively high for the time.” Cherry prattled on, trying to distract himself with the numbers and the facts. “The non control groups also had the same results. These groups had mixed parental figures like alphas and omegas, betas and omegas, alphas and betas. The parental figures were also allowed to mingle with mixed genders outside of the test. The control groups were not since they wanted to keep pheromones clean and strictly Alpha or Omega.” Cherry spoke monotonously though even he was starting to get choked up, hands beginning to shake on the counter.

Miya stared at him quietly, Langa barely breathed next to him. The two of them fully invested with pits in their stomachs. Cherry looked to Joe, hoping he would take the conversation back but Joe looked like he was about as green as his hair. Shadow spoke this time, drawing all of their attention. “The control group with the alphas had all omega presentations. It was because they were molesting the kids which caused their DNA to forcefully change into that of omegas. Kids who were supposed to be betas and alphas became recessive omegas. That's what Bitching is. That's what it means to be Bitched.” Shadow’s voice was grave, he spit the words like venom, like they personal burned his own tongue. He sounded disgusted and angry and pissed off with the world.

Miya stared at him, feeling like the world was spinning. His shoulders heaved with a gag and he stood up quickly, running himself to the bathroom. Langa looked like he was contemplating following, like he was ready to crawl into a hole and die. Miya lost his stomach, bile fresh on his tongue, the Ragú he ate only hours before leaving his system in a rush and bringing forth a wave of tears and nausea. His body convulsed, heaving up everything he could into the toilet and when he was done, he flopped down onto the floor, back against the cold tile wall and he panted heavily, staring wide eyed at the wall opposite of him. He wanted a shower and a cat and a long cry in his bed. He didn't want to do anything for the rest of the night or tomorrow.

Miya wanted a hug. He really could go for a hug right about now. After a few minutes of waiting for the room to stop spinning, he pushed himself to his feet and went to rinse his mouth, washing his face and cleaning up the restroom a bit. It smelled bad from the puke but after flushing it away, there wasn't anything else he could do about it. Leaving the restroom, Miya made his way back to the group just as the front door opened. He looked up as the bell chimed and his eyes widened when he saw Reki walk in carrying his skateboard.

Reki's face immediately morphed into something disgusted, waving a hand in front of his nose. “Yeesh, who died? Why does it smell so bad in here?” He asked, looking over at the others. Miya ignored them and ran straight for Reki, clasping him in a hug. Reki stumbled a bit and let out an uneasy laugh, dropping his board down so he could hug Miya back tightly. He was warm and smelled like his typical deodorant. “Hey Miya, what's gotten into you? You got me thinking someone actually did die.” Reki looked back to the others, hugging Miya just a bit tighter as the younger boy buried his face into Reki's chest, taking a shaky breath. “Did… did someone die??” Reki asked quietly.

“No. God, no. We were just talking about a really heavy topic. Miya and Langa heard an inappropriate word for the first time and Miya wouldn't drop the subject so we told them. And now he's traumatized.” Cherry went for joking originally but as he actually spoke the whole sentence, he deflated a bit, feeling overall a sense of guilt. Reki furrowed his eyebrows, pulling Miya in tighter and looking down at him.

“Oh jeez, what did those old geezers say to you? Don't worry about it, we'll chuck that word in the trash and we'll never talk about it again.” Reki spoke gently, a small smile on his face when Miya looked up at him. Reki was comforting, smiling a bit wider when he made eye contact with Miya. He looked the same as usual, as he always did, but for some reason.. he felt safer then he usually did. Like Miya could rely on him more. Could melt into him more.

“Reki..” Langa was standing from his seat to greet the other but he didn't move, remembering the last time he approached the red head. Reki was scared of him now. Reki stared Langa down curiously and Miya expected him to step away like he did the last time, but Reki just cocked his head. “Yeah, what's up?” Reki asked before he offered another goofy smile. “Are you also scarred for life and need a hug from your big brother?” Reki asked teasingly. Langa simply nodded, a very real and scared look on his face.

Reki's smile faltered and he grimaced. “Yeesh you guys.. Alright, c’mere you big scaredy cat.” Reki released one arm from Miya and beckoned Langa over with it. Langa wasted no time in hurrying over and laying his head on Reki's shoulder, clinging to him much in the same way Miya was doing. Reki had an amused but also disgruntled look on his face. Not from having Langa near him, just because now he felt like a stereotypical omega having to be the primary source of comfort for everyone else. “What the hell did you guys even talk about to get this reaction from these guys? Do I even want to know?” Reki asked, looking over at the other three who stared back quietly.

“I didn't want to tell them. Cherry made me tell them.” Joe snitched immediately, pointing to the pink haired omega who simply slammed his hands on the counter as he stood up.

“I was trying to convince Miya to report those kids who he heard that word from by explaining just how messed up it is! I didn't know he would throw up!!” Cherry yelled, glaring at the taller alpha who growled in annoyance.

“I will report them. Oh God, will I report them. One of them said he heard it from his big brother. I'll report his brother too. Oh my god-” Miya trailed off, voice wobbling but Reki hushed him, resting a comforting hand on the back of his head and guiding miya's face back into his shirt, letting the younger boy hide from the world. “It's okay, Miya. Everything will be fine.” Reki's voice was calming and collected. He was holding them steady, reassuring them. Reki's voice was so sweet… Miya couldn't ignore it anymore. Reki being an omega really did suit him…

They stayed like that for a bit, Reki leaning his head against Langa’s and ignoring the small hitch in the alphas breath before the alpha cuddled in closer, seeking more comfort. Langa missed Reki a lot. His anxiety over what happened the last time only being tripled due to the long isolation from him due to Reki's heat. But now here he was, holding Langa, unblinking, telling him it would all be alright. He could just hold onto him and try and process everything he just learned. Langa was thankful, that Reki was there. That Reki was holding him. He smelled faintly of cinnamon, still wearing his scent patches but the smell lingered on him delicately. It felt like a lull.

“Shall we move this upstairs? I need a shower and a change of clothes.” Joe spoke up, interrupting the trio. Miya felt much more steady and while he wanted nothing more but to stay attached to Reki's front, he begrudgingly let go because he also felt like he needed a shower. Langa followed suit, looking less sick in the face and more relaxed. Reki seemed like his usual self, if not just a little tense. Reki picked his board back up and went to place it along the wall and out of the way so no one could trip over it, placing it between Miya's and Langa's. “Speaking of shower, I was wondering if I could borrow your bath?” Reki ventured, turning his attention to Joe who just raised an eyebrow.

“Me too. I feel disgusting.” Miya piped in, feeling grimy and gross from throwing up earlier. “I want a bath too…” Langa mumbled softly.

“I didn't even agree to Reki, let alone you two. Why do you guys want to use my bath??” Joe asked, looking mainly at Reki. The omega smiled sheepishly, “Because your hot water is amazing and it made me feel really nice?” Reki offered, hopefully. Joe rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. “The tub in the guest bathroom is only big enough for one person at a time. We don't have time for everyone to bathe.”

“The tub in your bathroom is big enough for all of us and then some.” Cherry interjected, staring the alpha down who paused and stared back with a half hearted glare. Shadow watched on in mute annoaynce before his face pinched. “How do you know his tub is that big?” Shadow asked curiously. Cherry's cheeks colored slightly and he cleared his throat.

“I've walked in on him having his way with several different women before. It was quite disgusting.” Cherry explained though that begged the question as to why he was even going into Joe's bathroom to begin with. “Oh shut up, do you want to use the godly hot water from this place in a sort of hot spring fashion or do you want to act all fussy and ask for details you don't need?” Cherry snapped, leaving the counter and making his way to the stairs. “Everyone can take turns showering in the guest bathroom and then they can meet in the master bathroom for the big tub privilege!” Cherry shouted.

“Who said anything about any of you guys using EITHER of my bathrooms?!” Joe yelled after him angrily, watching Cherry turn on him with a glare. “Oh shut it, you gorilla! We're pack bonding in your hot water! This is all because you can't make a commitment to an omega and need our help to not end up in your own sort of hot water!” Cherry stuck Joe with a look that had the argument dying in the alphas throat. To Reki, it seemed like Cherry's words had a second meaning behind them… though he couldn't quite figure out what.

Joe sighed heavily and his shoulders sagged, cherry continuing up the stairs without waiting for an answer. “Fine. Fine fine fine. You guys can borrow some clothes for after the shower but I don't want any complaints about any of them.” Joe spoke sternly, watching as the others began to head up the stairs. “I brought my own this time! Thank you though!” Reki grinned appreciatively and called dibs on taking the shower first. Well… second. Cherry was already slamming the door behind him, obviously still peeved over the argument he had with Joe. Reki wondered why exactly. The two had had more explosive fights that ended in calmer resolutions then this one. Reki side eyed the alpha who did his best to appear like he wasn't staring down the hallway.

Reki felt a hand on his arm and he wanted to snatch it away, wanted to step back and tell the other off but he held himself still. It wouldn't be fair to Langa for him to react that way. Reki could barely believe he reacted so well earlier but as he turned to look at the person who was touching him, he found Miya instead, holding onto his arm like a lost pup.

“Are you still shaken up about whatever it was you guys were talking about earlier?” Reki asked, tugging his arm up gently. Miya got the hint and released his arm, letting Reki instead wrap it around the boy's shoulders. Miya simply nodded but didn't say anything else, leaning his face against Reki's side and watching the others. Shadow was busy rock paper scissoring Langa for third spot in line to use the shower and Langa was really just winning because he threw rock twice in a row, sticking his tongue out at the beta who cursed him out.

Eventually, Miya looked up at Reki. “Are you okay?” He asked quietly. Reki lead them over to the loveseat and they sat down together, Reki pulling Miya in close. As much as Miya was seeking Reki out for comfort, Reki was doing the same with Miya. The boy hadn't yet presented and so he was still scentless, not carrying the smell of an alpha like Joe or Langa. He also didn't scare Reki like Cherry did, or give off such an uncaring vibe as Shadow. While Reki knew that Shadow did indeed care for him and everyone else there, he was more emotionally constipated and didn't like talking about feelings with others. And that's really what Reki needed right now. Miya usually was very bratty and would easily make fun of Reki if he acted sad or depressed, but he knew that deep down, Miya genuinely did care and would be there for him if he needed him. Which Reki did.

“Honestly? I'm nauseous right now. Not as much as I was last time. It was worse… well, because it was all so sudden.” Reki explained quietly, keeping his eyes trained on the others as he rested his chin on the top of miya's head. “I… thought for sure that Langa was a beta. And then he wasn't. And so I thought.. you know, he had to be an omega. Cause he was talking about building a nest..” Reki explained, feeling his throat burn a bit. “So I was comfortable with him. I felt safe. And then he just.. I-” Reki couldn't find the words anymore and it frustrated him.

“You felt lied to? Tricked?” Miya asked, voice a soft murmur. Barely there. As much as Reki didn't want to agree, he did. He felt like the rug was pulled out from under him at that moment and it gutted him. He knew it wasn't purposeful. Knew that Langa would never try and hurt him ever and especially not like that… but Reki couldn't help the way he felt. The way he reacted. He never expected his own father to hurt him like that… so why should he trust anyone else?

Miya took a shaky breath as Reki's grip on him tightened, looking up a bit to try and see the others' faces but Reki just… wasn't there. He was physically, but he looked gone. Miya smelled the softest hint of something sweet. Something spicy. And it was gone. “Reki?” Miya asked, the older boy looking down at him with glassy eyes. “Are you going to be okay?” Miya asked. Because he didn't know what else to ask. He didn't want to ask… about what happened. About why the other was so scared of alpha's. After what he learned about today, Miya realized that the world was a scary place. That he really didn't want to know about everything wrong with the world. All he knew is that he wanted to take care of his friends. His pack. And that right now, the only person who really was able to bring him comfort was currently dying internally every day due to the stress and trauma of something that happened. Something that Miya couldn't stop. That he can't help with.

“Eventually. Someday.” Reki tried for a smile but it came out pretty wobbly. “I'm here right now. And I'm trying. My hearts beating a million times a second right now and I feel like I want to go home but.. I'm doing something about my fear and that's really helping me.” Reki's words came out a bit more confidently. “I trust everyone here a lot. More than anyone else in my life. And so I'm just… hoping that I can heal. Even if it's just a bit.” Reki smiled again and this time, Miya felt a little spark of hope, the same spark that Reki felt. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright for Reki. It would definitely take time, but he would get there eventually.

And he'll have his pack with him every step of the way.

The bathroom door opened and Cherry stepped out followed by a cloud of steam and wrapped in a green robe, looking back at the others in the living room. “Whoever's next, showers open.” He called, turning towards the end of the hallway where he went to disappear into Joe's room. Reki squeezed Miya gently and nodded his head. “That's my cue. I'll see you in a bit.” Reki laughed, standing up and grabbing his bag before he hurried to the bathroom, hoping that the smoke he had before heading over was enough to keep him stable enough. He was also hoping the hot shower would work it's magic like it did last time and keep him from freaking out while he was sitting naked in a tub with the others.

With the alphas….

Oh God, what did he get himself into??

Chapter Text

Reki's shower was about as mind numbing as the last one he had. Even after Cherry used it, the water was boiling and refreshing. The pressure was amazing too, dragging down Reki's spine, pelting against his scalp. Reki never considered ever calling a shower orgasmic before but damn was this close enough. The way the water enveloped him, washed over him, pulled at him. He was so ready to collapse into that tub and soak until the water turned cold. He scrubbed himself from head to toe with that scent neutralizing soap. While it wouldn't do him any good in the long run, he needed it for his own sense of ease. Reki and the others would be sweating in the hot water, their glands on overdrive due to the heat. Their scents would all come out and mingle with each other. Maybe that's why Cherry called it a bonding exercise.

Once his mind was empty, when he no longer thought about anything except chasing the feeling of the hot water on his sensitive skin, he got out and dried off. He dressed himself briefly in the fresh clothes he brought with him and headed over to Joe's room. Glancing over his shoulder, he could hear Shadow still arguing with Langa over using the shower next. Miya threw Reki a shit eating grin as he slipped into the bathroom right after him, closing the door. Reki couldn't help but snicker and roll his eyes, feeling the chill of the apartment pull at his heated skin. He made his way into the bathroom where the room was already steamy. Cherry sat naked in the tub, hot water still pouring in from the faucet.

Cherry was right. The tub was massive. Big enough for at least eight people. With how big it was, it was still being filled with steaming hot water, Cherry leaning his head back in content. Joe was also in the restroom, setting up towels and stacks of clothes, double checking everything to make sure he had enough for everyone. Neither of them greeted him, Joe keeping his eyes on the piles before him in thought and maybe out of respect, ignoring the naked omega in the tub and giving Reki his space since he knew of the others' aversion. Cherry had his eyes closed, not even realizing that Reki was there.

Reki stripped out of his clothes and folded them neatly, resting them on the counter near Joe before he went to the tub and stepped in. The water was hot. Hotter than it was in the shower. Steam curled off of it and clouded Reki's mind. It was almost suffocating how hot it was, tickling at his skin almost as if it was cooking him alive. He took a few steps and sank in against the back wall, putting his arms up over the sides to rest there as he did. His head lolled, the water splashing a bit and rising a bit higher due to displacement. Cherry finally opened his eyes and glanced over at Reki. His hair was down and his glasses were gone, pale skin stretched milky and unblemished down his chest tinted pink from the heat. Reki kept his eyes to himself, knowing that the other omega was gorgeous. He didn't want to stare, didn't want to think about him at all. Not only would Reki get envious of him, of his body, a normal omega with curves and natural beauty, he might also react in a way he really didn't want to.

I.e by getting hard.

And so he ignored the other, keeping his eyes closed. Cherry was a natural omega, unlike him. He had wider hips and a bit of a broader chest. His features were delicate and charming. Reki was none of those things. His hips didn't flare like the others and there was barely any distinction between his chest and his waist. He wasn't supposed to to begin with. This is just how he ended up and it sucked. What was that word called? Body envy? Yeah. That. That's what Reki had.

Constantly comparing himself to the omegas he didn't look like and constantly looking at the betas and alpha with envy because that's what he should've been. Reki sank further into the tub and tried to push the thoughts from his head. He's supposed to be relaxing right now. Not wallowing in his own pity. He could smell the delicate scent coming off of Cherry, sweet lilacs and fresh linen. The guy smelled like a bottle of Febreeze. It was nice.

Joe had left the bathroom at one point but Reki didn't realize, only opening his eyes when he heard footsteps and soon Miya came in wrapped in a towel. He tossed it into the hamper nearby and made his way into the tub, hissing softly. “How are you guys doing this? It's boiling!!” The younger boy whined, earning a laugh from Reki. “You'll get used to it eventually. It's nice when you finally get in.” Reki replied, watching as Miya slowly made his way into the water, muttering and bitching about the heat.

“Omegas are typically better at handling higher temperatures.” Cherry murmured, sinking low into the water until it came up to his chin, letting his hair fall into the water below. “We crave heat usually because most omegas have anemia due to their menstrual cycles.”

Miya muttered something explicit about how the heat could go fuck itself and he managed to finally settle himself into the bath, making himself comfortable between the two omegas. The door opened shortly after and Langa appeared with a towel wrapped around his waist. Reki wondered if the other was going to get shy or flustered, that would be a sight to see, but Langa just pulled off his towel and threw it into the hamper. Reki averted his gaze, looking over at Miya instead. “Took you so long to get into the water that Langa had enough time to shower.” He teased, watching the younger boy roll his eyes in annoyance, cheeks flushed pink from the heat.

Langa got in slowly, hissing at the sensation but he didn't take nearly as long to get in as Miya did, settling himself in on Reki's other side and groaning. “You know, I think I'm gonna make you guys all take ice baths with me one day.” He announced, slightly pained from the heat. The poor guy hated the heat. He almost passed out the one time they went to the beach. It was a bit stuffy in the bathroom, but Reki actually quite liked it. Langa smelled like toasted sugar, a marshmallow over a bonfire.

“I think that's a little mean.” Cherry rolled his eyes at the alpha who just huffed in response, looking over at Reki curiously. Reki raised an eyebrow, expecting Langa to say something but the door opened once more and Shadow walked in butt naked.

“Jeez, smells like a s'more in here. What's up with that?” He asked, walking over to the tub and splashing up a bit of water as he got in and sank down, groaning in delight as the water enveloped him. “Oh yeah, that's the stuff.”

“I don't smell anything?” Miya muttered, sniffing the air a few times before he hesitated, eyes wide. “Wait, this isn't one of those pranks where you fart and say you smell popcorn is it?” He asked in annoyance, glaring at the beta who just glared back. “Do I look like an asshole to you?”

“This isn't that at all.” Cherry sighed, breaking up the fight before he turned his attention to shadow. “You have a strong nose for a beta. Its those two over there. Their scents are mingling and making it smell like s'mores in here.” Cherry explained, turning his yellow eyes on Reki and Langa. Reki cocked his head and looked over at Langa who looked at him at the same time.

“Huh, I guess you're right. We do smell like s'mores.” Reki smiled, watching as Langa just continued to stare at him. “I smell like cinnamon according to my family. And you smell like marshmallows.” He added, waiting for Langa to say something. Anything. Langa just continued to stare, blue eyes deep and dazzling. In the light in the bathroom, they looked a bit more greenish than usual. The red flush on his cheeks reached up to his ears and down his neck, standing out against his pale skin.

“I like s'mores. It reminds me of Canada.” Langa finally mumbled, looking away. Reki hummed in thought and crossed his arms over his chest. “I can see that. You used to have a lot of bonfires there, didn't you?” Reki asked, thinking aloud more then actually trying to have a conversation. “I haven't had a bonfire in a while. Why don't we go camping and make some s'mores? I think that'll be a good pack bonding activity!” Reki looked around at the group curiously.

“I'm all for doing things that don't involve my bathrooms.” Joe spoke as he walked in. He was also butt ass naked and Reki's eyes widened as they immediately made eye contact with Joe's… you know what.

“JESUS CHRIST, PUT A LEASH ON THAT THING!” Reki shouted, immediately covering his eyes and miya's. He heard Miya go ‘Ow’ as he accidentally smacked him in the side of the head in his frenzy to protect his innocence.

“It's my own fucking home, Reki!” Joe groaned in annoyance though there was no real anger behind it. He simply just got into the tub, sitting between Shadow and Langa and rolling his shoulders. “It's out of sight now. You can stop being dramatic.” He mused, watching Reki as the red head slowly lowered his hand, face flushed bright red and it wasn't from the heat. “That should be illegal.” Reki finally muttered, looking over to Miya to check in on him. Miya looked slightly annoyed but he didn't say anything, probably thankful that he didn't get flashed the same way Reki did.

“I'm gonna agree with Reki. That thing looks like a weapon.” Shadow teased, snickering at Joe who glared at him in a deadpan. “Alright, anyone else wanna crack jokes about my genitals before we drop the subject and forget this ever happened?” Joe asked, looking around the group.

“Drop the subject like that thing dropped out of you? I don't think we have the same kind of velocity.” Langa muttered, side eyeing Joe like the other alpha personally offended him.

“What does that even mean?!” Joe sputtered, looking over at the younger alpha who just looked away, shrugging his shoulders. “Made sense to me.”

“It made sense to me too. I think your brain went to the wrong head.” Cherry snickered, smirking at Joe who spun his head over to look at him, fixing him with a glare. “That's enough out of you, you weasel!”

“Do you give your omega like a two month head start on pregnancy? Cause I think the sperm that comes out of you has enough room to develop in there.” Miya joined in, just wanting to fuck with the alpha who balked at the words coming from their youngest’s mouth.

“What-?!”

“I mean that's one race I would lose willingly. There's at least a four bedroom apartment in there.” Langa added in and Reki choked, thinking back on the size of Joe's testicles and he buried his face in his hands, unable to contain his laughter any longer.

“OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF ALL OF YOU!” Joe yelled though he wasn't mad. If anything, he was trying to hide his own smile and failing. He dragged a hand down his face and started to chuckle, groaning in a mix of embarrassment and amusement. “Jesus Christ, all of you are fucking assholes!” Joe laughed, shaking his head at the lot of them as the group began to laugh with him, their scents mingling together and filling the steamy bathroom.

The water was up to Reki's collarbones with the way he was sitting, looking around the group with a small smile on his face. It was.. nice. Really nice. To be able to relax with these guys and feel welcomed and at home. Langa had a stupid grin on his face, looking back at Reki, his eyes sparkling softly in the light. He was looking at Reki the same way he usually did when something funny happened and Reki felt fuzzy inside. Like he did before he found out the other was an alpha. And it made him happy. His smile got a bit wider, looking over to the others as well. Joe watched everyone in amusement, a tired but content smile on his face. Cherry was snickering to himself, covering his mouth with his hand and Miya had both of his hands on his face, trying to catch his breath. Shadow was wiping a tear from his eye, elbowing Joe in a friendly manner.

“Alright, I'm done. Promise.” He assured, taking a breath to steady himself. The pack devolved into a bit of mindless chatter, topics coming and going easily. They talked about what they were going to do after the bath and they were torn between going out and skating together or staying in, having another sleepover, and scenting each other again. “We should watch a scary movie.” Miya suggested, getting a wicked smile on his face.

Reki curled his lip a bit in disgust. “Ew, definitely not.” He replied, already knowing that Miya was picking on him with the suggestion. Reki didn't like horror and was sure he would have nightmares tonight if they did watch a scary movie.

“I think a scary movie sounds wonderful. Nothing like making a nest in the living room and piling together. The fear will make us bond more.” Cherry teased, also picking up on the fact that Miya was picking on Reki.

“I like scary movies.” Shadow added, looking at Reki with a smile.

“Oh come on guys, we all know Reki doesn't do well with ghosts. Stop trying to fuck with him.” Joe waved his hand at the others but he was smiling, amused with them.

Langa dropped his voice down, imitating Joe like he did that one time at the beach. “Don't worry bae, I'll protect you.” He teased Reki, putting on the most serious face he could muster. Reki just rolled his eyes with a snicker of amusement. “Oh, my hero.” He drawled, looking back at the others who continued to look at him mischievously. Reki frowned and scooted away from them, instead settling himself, and he can't believe he was saying this part either, between the two alphas.

Joe stiffened up a bit but he didn't seem uncomfortable or annoyed. More surprised. Reki was also surprised with himself, but if he was going to get over his fear, he was going to have to face it one way or another. Langa instinctively leaned his head on Reki's shoulder, his marshmallow scent smelling calming and gentle. Warm and soothing. He was at ease, not a stressed thought to him in the slightest. Reki stiffened originally at the touch but he relaxed into it almost immediately after smelling his scent, leaning his head on top of the others and letting his eyes fall shut. Joe's matcha scent was earthy and grounding, smelling fresh and grassy with a hint of something else that just pulled Reki further into a content headspace.

Miya whined at the loss of the other next to him, pouting at the trio across from him. “Give him back!” Miya ordered, watching as Joe just laughed him off. “We didn't steal him or anything. He came over here because some people like to threaten others.” Joe teased, wrapping an arm around Reki and Langa and pulling them in closer to him, basically hugging Reki between them which the omega surprisingly didn't mind as much as he thought he would. Joe was warm but in a different way then the water was. He didn't feel hot but more like a cozy cabin in the woods in the middle of fall. He felt like a safe place for a weary traveler to sit with a hot meal greeting them. Langa was pressed up against his other side and he felt slightly cooler then Reki, skin still warm but not the same temperature as Reki's. It was slightly off putting but just made Reki want to do something about it. Langa was cold. He needed to fix it…

Langa was more than content, eyes sleepy and practically glued shut as he laid his cheek on Reki's shoulder. His skin tingled where ever it met the others and he felt so calm, his head practically empty. He could be asked anything about snowboarding and would probably get every question wrong because the only thing on his mind right now was Reki and his soothing cinnamon scent. Langa's head was swimming with the scents of the others. They werent overpowering, but they were just too much for him right now. Like they were all talking to him at once but he couldn't wrap his head around any of their words.

But right now their voices were muffled, both in the figurative and literal sense. Langa felt like his head was underwater, practically falling asleep against Reki who was beginning to rub his cheek against the top of Langa's head. His scent was beginning to spike a bit, though it was more than welcomed by Langa, wanting nothing more than to drown in everything Reki. The group continued talking and Langa felt Joe release his hold on him but neither Reki nor Langa moved, enjoying the touch, the skinship. Reki eventually tilted his head the other way, leaning it against Joe's chest since his arm was still up and laying behind the both of them on the edge of the tub, and he began scenting the alpha quietly, eyes lidded and unfocused.

Joe watched him quietly with a content smile, letting the omega do as he pleased. “Those two are already zoned out without us.” Cherry remarked, eyeing up the two quietly. Reki shifted his eyes over to the other omega and smiled all dopey. Miya snorted, watching them almost enviously. “These two idiots. I swear.”

“I think it's nice. Reki's really settling in. I didn't expect him to be this comfortable around either of us this quickly.” Joe spoke, keeping his voice low so he didn't disturb the omega next to him. He really was happy with how this was turning out. It seemed like they were able to help each other. Joe's symptoms of HBF were slowly going away. He was able to sleep better at night and actually stomach the food he tried to eat. His nerves were practically gone and he was feeling less territorial around others. Well, almost completely.

Joe’s eyes drifted to Kaoru who was laughing at something Shadow said, imagine that, and he couldn't help but trace his eyes over the other. They've known each other for forever. Practically forever. They were so young when they first met that Joe barely remembered there ever being a before. Growing up it was just him and Kaoru, constantly butting heads, constantly telling eachother off. There was the constant drone of insults at each other and even the softest of words spoken so earnestly underneath bed sheets and from behind shaky palms.

Kaoru was always a constant in his life. A constant pain in the ass and a constant sense of comfort. He was one of the first things that popped into his head when asked about beauty or perfection. He felt damned having fallen for such a perfectly abusive person, someone who cut him deep so easily and did it with the most annoyed look on his face. Like he was forcing the other to hurt him in a one-sided masochistic affair.

The way he said Adam’s name when Joe was the one before him. The way his face relaxed when Adam appeared at S. The way he thought of Adam, Joe knew he thought of him, whenever they laid together…

Joe felt a stiff arm against his chest, Reki pushing at him with all of his might but all he managed to do was push himself into Langa's lap. “What's wrong, Reki?” Joe asked curiously, looking down at the omega who just wrinkled his nose, eyes on him but not seeing him.

“Stinky.” Reki muttered, wrinkling his nose as he moved to Langa's other side, putting him back in between Miya and Langa. Langa looked startled from the movement, the water having splashed him in the face when Reki pushed himself away from Joe, but he didn't really seem bothered by the whole commotion. “Did you not shower properly? How are you stinky?” Miya asked, scooting in closer to Reki and just as he hoped, Reki turned his attention onto him, beginning to scent the smaller boy carefully. This time he actually used his wrists instead of just rubbing his cheek on the other, wanting to make sure Miya was properly covered in his scent.

“Joe's scent took on a bit of a sour note. It means he was thinking of something unsavory. What was it?” Kaoru asked curiously, turning those lovely golden eyes on Joe who simply ignored his gaze in favor of watching their little omega scent their little pup.

“Nothing important. Just thinking about my HBF symptoms.” Joe replied, watching as Miya practically preened under the affection of Reki. He really was like a black cat. Aggressive and hissy at first and a big old cuddle bug once he came out of his shell. It seemed he just really liked Reki the most out of all of them. It wasn't hard to wonder why. Reki was an extrovert with the penchant to make people he interacted with feel special and included. Reki got an amused look on his face, seeming to have come out of his headspace a little bit and he gently bit Miya on the cheek causing the pup to whine and bat at him. The two devolved into a childish slap fight, Reki snickering the whole time as Miya cursed him out for biting him to begin with.

“Are you still experiencing symptoms?” Shadow asked, catching Joe's attention. He had completely forgot about the conversation, becoming too invested in the way the two youngest members of his pack played with each other. “Huh? Oh yeah. A little nausea here and there mainly and then territorial issues.” Joe explained, leaning his head back and staring up at the bathroom ceiling. He blinked a few times and flushed, hoping no one else noticed the blue lacey bra that his last fuck buddy left on the light fixture. It must've gotten caught when they were throwing clothes around in their haste to… get on with it.

“What kind of territorial issues?” Langa asked curiously, looking up at the alpha who tilted his head, looking over at the younger male curiously. “Mmm.. I don't like strangers to begin with. I mean. Omegas are always welcomed but other alpha's and betas usually rub me the wrong way. Usually just because of me being a dominant alpha. With HBF though, that dislike of other alpha and betas usually spikes and if I see one of them near someone or something I think of as mine,” Joe let the word hang in the air, tilting his head back to resume looking at the ceiling. “Then I want to make them leave. Whatever means necessary. I don't trust them not to do something to ruin my peace.”

“Wait, does that mean you don't like me or Shadow?” Langa asked, pointing to himself curiously as he watched the larger alpha. Joe snickered softly, “No, no. Well, maybe at first. But you guys grew on me. And I realized you weren't a threat. And now I consider you guys also mine. My pack, I mean.” Joe explained, letting his eyes fall shut in content, enjoying the hot water, the scents of his family. Reki's scent was the thickest at the moment, having already scent marked three of them with his spicy scent. Joe had a bemusing thought about it smelling like Christmas in his bathroom. Joe's eyes wandered back to the omega in question and found him eyeing up Kaoru, his scenting to Miya having become more laxed and a little lazy. Joe had a feeling Reki was still not quite as comfortable around Kaoru and Shadow as he was around Langa and Miya which made sense. The former two were more temperamental and enjoyed their personal space.

Shadow noticed Reki's looks though and puzzled together the same things Joe did. Shadow reached his arm out, wrist up invitingly and Reki watched him with dilating eyes before he shimmied through the water and the tangle of legs to make his way over to the beta and began scenting him. “Do you guys know exactly why Reki gets so into this?” Miya asked a bit sleepily. It seemed that getting scented, though Miya wasn't able to smell it much, was enough to calm him and relax him quite a bit.

“It's obvious. He's overly anxious and this is like a drug for him.” Kaoru replied simply, watching Reki quietly. “He's claiming us as his own sort of safe place and it's helping with his anxiety. You know that term.. what was it? No thoughts, head empty? As much as it usually applies to Reki, it's the befitting of him right now when he's doing his best to let go.”

“Let go?” Miya echoed curiously, turning his attention from Kaoru to Reki, watching the omega quietly. Shadow was trying to scent Reki back but the omega simply grumbled at him, more intent on marking the others then being marked himself. He was on a mission after all.

“The more we smell like him, the less he has to be afraid of.” Joe explained, gesturing mainly to himself and Langa. “We can't smell like alphas if we smell like him.” He added, watching Langa lift his arm and sniff at himself. “I smell like Reki.” He said dumbly, blinking owlishly.

“With those two, their personalities aren't the best so he's scared of them being mean to them. Scenting then if the best way to make them nicer to him so even if they act like they usually do, Reki won't be as sensitive to it.” Joe continued before he looked back over at Reki who once again turned his attention back to Kaoru. The older omega eyed him up quietly and huffed, uncrossing his arms eventually and opening them invitingly to Reki.

“Younger omegas have a penchant for it. Call it a bratty side. Using their age and standing in a room to get away with acting insolent.” Kaoru muttered though he didn't have any venom behind his words, keeping his voice neutral if not slightly affectionate. Reki came over next to him and dragged his wrist up Kaoru’s arm, Kaoru mimicking the action to Reki who rumbled indignantly.

“You need to be scented too, you brat.” Kaoru muttered and eventually Reki let him, the two beginning to scent each other in tandem and Joe could tell that they were both forgetting that the rest of them existed.

“Omegas in packs usually get away with a lot more.” Joe explained, watching the two quietly though he was talking to Miya. “Having an omega in a pack or even several is a good thing because they usually take care of the rest of the pack emotionally. Reki's a good example of that. He usually brightens up the mood whenever it gets too dark.” Joe rambled, really just filling in the calm whe quiet with his own narrative. Miya thought back to earlier in the restaurant when Reki showed up and immediately helped him and Langa clear their heads after learning about that word.

Shadow stretched his arms, the scent of cinnamon hugging him tightly and the beta groaned. “Alright, that was nice while it lasted but I'm getting out now.” He announced, standing up without making too many waves and he stepped out of the tub. Joe looked over his shoulder and told him which stack of clothes on the counter were his own and the beta proceeded to start drying off and getting dressed. Miya stood and followed suit, wrapping himself up in a towel and taking his time in drying off. Joe and Langa did the same, leaving just the two omega in the tub. Once he was dried off, Joe started to dress himself though he paused midway through, looking over to the others.

Reki and Kaoru still sat in the tub, Reki with his head on Kaoru's chest. They both had their arms around each other, eyes shut and looking like they were napping, Kaoru's chin resting on Reki's head. As much as Joe liked the sight, he didn't want to leave them in there alone like this. With how blissed out they were, one could easily drown. Joe made his way over and reached for Kaoru's shoulder, touching it lightly. Kaoru actually growled at him which was hilarious, his growl slightly higher pitched than usual. “C'mon you two. You guys can cuddle in the living room. The waters getting cold and it's time to get out.” Joe crooned, watching Reki blink his eyes open sleepily before he reached for Joe. Joe wondered if this is what it would be like to have pups. Pulling them out of the tub when they undoubtedly fell asleep in his mates arms.

Joe picked Reki up easily and swung him out of the tub, setting him down on the bath mat on his feet. Shadow was there with a towel, wrapping it around Reki who grabbed it thankfully and began to dry himself off. Afterwards, Joe reached for Kaoru. The other omega easily getting scooped up in strong arms and Joe set him down next to Reki. While Reki looked like a sleepy pup, Kaoru looked like a regal emperor, grabbing himself a towel and draping it over himself like it was made of fine silk. The pack got dressed in quiet and headed to the living room. Joe hung back a minute to change the pants he just put on since they got wet by pulling the two omegas from the tub.

This time, they started properly scenting each other. Not just a one sided bout like Reki was doing in the bathroom. He settled himself on the larger couch and watched the group quietly, eyes lidded and sleep pulling at him though he knew he needed to stay away if just for a bit longer. Eventually the whole room was filled with their mingling scents. Scents of Matcha and Honeysuckle and lilac and marshmallows and cinnamon. Reki smelled something else but didn't quite know what it was just yet.

Langa took a seat next to Reki and Miya took his other side, Joe and Cherry sinking into a pile on the loveseat together and Shadow great fully took his solitary seat in the armchair. The beta preferring it. Reki didn't know how much longer he was awake for, but eventually he found himself with his head in Langa's lap, miya tangled up with him as they laid together on the couch. His eyes falling shut and his skin feeling warm to the touch. His head felt easy and clear and all he knew was that he was safe.

Langa kept his eyes on Reki, the omegas face resting on his thigh with Miya hugged to his chest. Miya looked content, but definitely a bit bored, looking over at the others. Joe sat with his arms stretched over the back of the love seat, Cherry sitting sideways with his legs in the alphas lap scrolling on his phone quietly. Shadow looked like he was about to all asleep. “So how about that scary movie?” Miya asked, raising his eyebrows. “Reki's sleeping and he's out like a light so he'll probably sleep through the whole thing.” He added.

Langa reached for Reki, running his fingers through damp red hair and the omega simply hummed in content, nuzzling his face into Langa's thigh and hugging Miya tighter. “Yeah, he's gone.” Langa confirmed, looking to the others as well. Joe looked uneasy about the whole thing but Cherry and Shadow were still down for a good horror movie. Joe sighed heavily and then gave Langa a pointed look. “Fine, but it's your fault if Reki wakes up and gets scared.”

Langa balked at his words, “My fault??” He asked and Joe just nodded. “You're the one in charge of keeping him safe. You guys are courting after all.” Joe replied matter of factly. Langa stared at him with his mouth open, Cherry choking on nothing and eventually he started snickering, trying hard to hold in his laughter. Joe looked over at him in confusion before his eyes widened. “You LIED to me?!”

“I did no such thing!” Cherry giggled, looking up at the alpha with a shit eating grin. “I said that I thought they would start courting and there you go, thinking they already were! How much of an idiot could you possibly be?” He barked, laughing harder at the look on Joe’s face.

Reki groaned softly and Joe grabbed Cherry by the leg, shushing him. “Alright alright, don't go waking the pup you asshole.” Joe muttered, watching Cherry who quieted down a bit but he was still snickering. “Langa, are you gonna start courting Reki?” Miya asked, looking up at the young alpha who flushed at the direct question.

“I can't answer that. That's a Reki question.” Langa said immediately, pointing at the sleeping omega who was scenting the alphas leg while he slept. “And last I checked, Reki was still hesitant around me because of my gender.” He added. He knew that Reki was putting on a show before. Langa looked into Reki's eyes enough to be able to see the glint of unease when Langa first approached him. Reki was doing his best not to hurt Langa and damn did it make Langa love him even more. Reki only fully relaxed when they were all in the tub. He would have to see how Reki would react in the morning. If he was even there. He left before any of them woke up the last time. When they all formed the pack…

“Hey Reki, are you in love with anyone?” Miya asked jokingly, shaking the omega gently more so to make a show about how utterly out the omega was. Reki grumbled and groaned, face pinching up all cute and his nose wrinkled. A strand of red hair fell in his face and started tickling at his eyes so Langa brushed it back, watching Reki settle back in again and take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he sank back into sleep. “Leave him alone, Miya.” Langa mumbled softly, hoping not to wake the omega. Miya rolled his eyes, “Yeah, if I wake him then we can't watch a movie.”

“..mmm… Langa..” Reki murmured.

Langa stared down at him quietly and then he felt the heat rise to his cheeks. Miya snorted, slapping a hand over his mouth but it was hard to do since Reki practically had him pinned. Reki groaned again in annoyance and this time he leaned down, biting Miya on the top of the head.

“OW!” Miya yelled, looking up at Reki with a wide eyed glare. “You fucking mutt! You dumb dog!” Miya gaped at him and Reki simply pinched his cheek in retort. “People are trying to sleep here, you know.”

“You're the only one! If youre going to sleep, go steal one of the beds!” Miya replied, sitting up and looking down at the other. Reki laid his head back in Langa's lap and shook his head. “Nope! My packs here. I'm sleeping here.” He replied finally, completely unaware of any of the conversation that was had prior.

“Hey Reki, can you get up for a second? If you're gonna sleep, I want to get in a more comfortable position.” Langa asked, looking down at the omega. Reki cracked open his eyes and looked up at Langa. There it was again, that worried glint…

“Okay..” Reki spoke hesitantly, sitting up for a bit. Miya pushed him softly, playfully and Reki snickered, pushing back until the two were fighting again. Miya shoved Reki's face and the omega grappled him in a headlock, taunting him. “Oh c'mon kitty kitty. You can do better than that!” Reki goaded, Miya beginning to flail and whine angrily. “Shut up, you damn slime!” He snapped back, letting out a surprised noise as he was tilted and dropped off of the couch. Miya stumbled to the floor and looked back at Reki who smirked in victory, crossing his arms. “That's what you get for trying to kick me off the couch!” Reki flopped back down on the couch and froze when he ended up laying almost fully on top of Langa. Reki leaned his head back, looking up at the alpha who stared back quietly, waiting for Reki's reaction.

Langa had shifted over while the two were playing, his back against the arm of the couch with a pillow behind him for comfort and he put one of his legs up on the couch along the back with his other hanging off the couch. Reki laid between his legs now with his head on the others stomach, face dusting a bit pink. “Aw, poor Miya got booted from the kiddy couch. How depressing.” Cherry teased, watching as Miya stuck his tongue out at him and climbed back on the couch, sitting between Reki's legs. “You cant get rid of me that easily, you dog!”

Reki looked to Miya and snickered, relaxing a bit but he was still tense. Not because Langa was an alpha.. but because Langa was Langa. He could smell his scent so potent and it made him want to relax and tense up at the same time. He was warm underneath Reki, whether it be lingering from the bath or not. He was and it made Reki's skin tingle. It was comfortable.

Annoyingly so.

Reki did have a small crush on Langa. Who wouldn't? They would have to be insane not to.. He was attractive and soft spoken and nice and a great athlete. Reki should've known he was an alpha from the start but he tried not to assume things about people. No one would assume he was an omega to begin with. Not everyone fit into stereotypes and he wished that was the same with Langa. How he wished it so much. He would've asked Langa out immediately if he was an omega. He doubted the other would've said yes. Typical omegas weren't usually gay for other omegas but every now and then some were… Who was Reki kidding? He wouldn't have risked their friendship for something like that.

But would it be a risk? Langa was a steadfast friend. Even when Reki was in his feelings and being horrible to him, Langa didn't go anywhere. Sought him out. Looked for him. Waited for him. Would he stop being friends with Reki simply if Reki confessed to him? Reki doubted it. Langa probably would just say sorry in that way that Canadians do and tell Reki that he was flattered but not into him the same way and would ask if Reki wanted to go to the skate park with him. Reki would feel a little hurt for few days and eventually come around again. He always did for Langa.

Maybe that would happen still. Even with them being on opposite ends of the gender spectrum. Maybe Reki would come around again and still ask out an alpha Langa and maybe he would still get rejected and get all butt hurt like he did in his original mental scenario. And maybe they would be alright afterwards. They would still be friends…

Reki missed when life wasn't so full of maybe’s and hopefully’s and all that kinda stuff. He missed when it was linear and there was always a surefire outcome to any situation though he doubts he remembers those days as well as he claims to.

Reki laid there as Joe turned on the TV and began to scroll through some streaming service, looking for a movie for them to watch. Reki began to wonder what Langa thought of when Reki came out to them. Did he feel anything at finding out Reki was an omega? Was he excited? Did he feel like he had a chance like Reki did at the thought of the other being an omega? What a stupid thought. Langa probably thought nothing about it. He wasn't the kind to think differently about someone based off of something like gender. He was… he was really just perfect. Reki really didn't understand his own emotions and thoughts. Here he was terrified of alphas… Here he was actually contemplating asking an alpha out-

Reki dragged a hand down his face, too deep in thought to even register that the rest of his pack encouraged Joe to put on a scary movie but thankfully the alpha ignored them, sticking to some kind of thriller to stick to the general theme but to make it easy for Reki to handle. The opening began to play and Reki was more so staring at the wall, wondering how weird it would be, how disgruntled the look Langa would give him would be, if he asked the other if he found him attractive with the knowledge of Reki being an omega. Langa would probably give him a dumbfounded, almost annoyed look. Reki would probably ask them while they were eating their lunch together at school or maybe while they hung out at his place eating whatever treat his mom prepared for them. Reki would have to ask while Langa was eating. He would be in the best mood then.. and Langa would be mid bite and look at him with quirked brows and a dead look in his eye. Reki could see it perfectly. The way his hair would fall into his face and the way his mouth would be hanging open mid bite. The slightly pink hue to his lips and the way his teeth would sit so perfectly in his mouth. Reki would see the fangs now in his imagination. The slightly longer canines meant for marking.

The image that flashed in his head wasn't as friendly or enjoyable. The glint of fangs above him as he was being held down. The sour scent of being suffocated with pheromones. Reki felt a hand on his shoulder, could feel them around his neck. His skin burned. He heard his father's voice, smelled the putrid scent of alcohol, could feel the pain of-

“Reki?” Langa's voice was soft and it felt like ice water against his skin. Reki blinked, glancing around the room though his body was stiff. He wasn't home anymore. Langa shook his shoulder gently and Reki leaned his head back, looking up at the other. Langa's gaze was worried. Gentle blue eyes and a slight pinch to his face. Reki took a deep breath, realizing he stopped breathing, trying to keep the smell of alcohol and pheromones from his nose. He could smell the gentle scent of marshmallows the most. Faintly, very faintly, he could smell everyone else. Flowers and Matcha. But mainly marshmallows. Reki realized Langa was letting out soothing pheromones which was why he could mainly smell him. That and their proximity. They were so close. Reki laying on top of him. It's no wonder Langa noticed how stiff Reki was. That Reki stopped breathing. Reki closed his eyes and leaned his head against Langa's arm that was still holding onto his shoulder, his scent glands right there. They filled Reki's head with sweet scents and warm thoughts. Reki wished he couldve smelled Langa from the beginning. When they first met. He probably smelled so nice when he was happy. Reki wondered what he smelled like when he did his first Ollie. How vibrant his scent must've been.

Langa could smell the bitter fear on Reki. His eyes looked hollow when he looked back at Langa, empty and glassy. But they colored up a bit when he saw Langa. That devoid look left slowly and even though Reki didn't say anything, Langa could smell his scent improve as well. Could smell the spice of cinnamon become less powdery and woody and get more warm and toasted. He smelled like a fresh curl of cinnamon bark. Like a pack of Red Hots candy. Langa wondered if they sold those in Japan. And when Reki leaned feverish skin against his arm, his scent taking on a gentle note as the bitterness left completely, Langa wanted nothing more than to pull the other into a hug. He refrained though, scared of pushing the other past what he could handle. Langa didn't know what Reki could handle. Reki tried to act tough, tried to be a rock for everyone else and he was. He was strong for others…

But when it came to himself, Reki was so delicate and the knowledge of that didn't sit right with Langa. Like watching a great big tree that protected people beneath its branches from the rain and snow only to see it get toppled by a storm when there was no one else around. It sent him reeling. Left him confused and upset. If Langa could do nothing to hold Reki together, he would at least be there to help block the blows. Wherever they came from. Whenever they struck.

Hesitantly, Langa removed his hand from Reki's shoulder and placed it on the others cheek, cradling his face and urging the other to look up at him. Reki kept his eyes closed, his pulse beating against Langa's fingertips. Erratic. Tense. Reki's face pinched a bit and he took another deep breath, holding it for a while before slowly letting it out. He did this a few times in the long drawn out moment that Langa watched him and Langa recognized it from that day when he caught Reki smoking in his room. Holding the bitter smoke in his lungs until he couldn't anymore and slowly releasing the white cloud out the window, eyes burning but he looked so at peace then. Relaxed and calm and okay. Langa wondered if Reki was imagining himself there right now. At his desk with his window open. The glass pipe in his steady hands. Reki's face bathed in the warm yellow light from the sun out the window.

Reki's eyes opened and looked up at Langa, warm amber pools that looked serene. At peace. He calmed himself down, it looked like, and he offered Langa a smile, as warm as the setting sun and just as easy on the eyes. Langa felt like an intruder. Like he shouldn't be enjoying that moment as much as he was. Reki didn't say anything, that glint of worry nowhere to be seen in the others warm gaze and trust me, Langa checked. Looked for it for so long in that brief span of time. The omega looked away, and Langa was left breathless and aching. His heart hurt with how useless he felt, but it's never felt more full before. With how Reki smiled at him, Langa could feel himself getting his hopes up for something.

Maybe something more.

Chapter Text

The next time the pack met up, it was time to go to S. Reki was the first to show up at the Sia La Luce this time around, Joe looking up at the chime of the door and greeting Reki as he usually did. “Hey kid.” Joe's voice was warm like a low rumble. Reki looked up at him and smiled, greeting him back in a relaxed manner. Joe was pleased, watching as Reki came to sit at the bar and chat with him, Joe placing a basket of fresh bread in front of him which Reki immediately began to enjoy, talking around the food in his mouth. Joe just listened to it, the aimless chatter. The relaxed way the omega spoke. He didn't immediately look around for the others when he saw Joe and he didn't hesitate to come over and close the distance between them. Joe was proud to put it simply. Happy that Reki was adapting to being in the presence of an alpha so quickly.

Joe closed up the shop and looked over to Reki who was finishing off the bread, feeling eyes on him and looking up to meet Joe's gaze curiously. Joe offered a sly smile. “Wanna hang out with MJ?”

Reki's eyes widened slightly and he swallowed the mouthful of bread, a smile creeping at his lips. “You serious? Hell yeah I want to!” He replied, shooting out of his chair. Joe beckoned him to follow and he led the other upstairs to his home. When he walked in, Joe smelled the distinct scent of their pack. He could pick out a few scents individually like Reki's and Langa’s, but Cherry's and Shadow's mixed in together with them both being floral. Another scent mingled in but it wasn't very strong. Joe could barely detect it, let alone figure out what it was. Reki paused briefly in the living room and stared at the new couches, looking them over curiously. “Did you go furniture shopping?” The omega asked.

Joe glanced over. The original couch and loveseat he had were now gone, replaced by two couches. “Mmhm, they're futons.” Joe replied, resting his hands on his hips as he stared at them. “I mean, I have you guys sleeping over at least once, maybe twice a week now. Might as well get something so everyone can stretch out. Poor Shadow's getting a crick in his back from the recliner.” Joe replied, pointing to the recliner in question which he kept. It matched more with the futons then it did with the original couches to begin with.

“Oh..” Reki said quietly, staring at the living room for a moment longer. Joe side eyed him, wondering just what the other was thinking. Reki was usually really easy to read. He kept his heart on his sleeve and was open with them about his emotions. Usually. Reki looked over to Joe with a bright smile. “That's really nice of you, Joe. Thank you!”

Joe nodded and smiled back, telling him it wasn't anything important as he turned towards the hallway and continued on to his bedroom. His room was dark due to the thick curtains he kept over the windows. He pulled them back letting in the last bits of sunlight, cracking open the window. Reki sat himself in one of the two chairs at the table in the corner of the room, right by the window and Joe opened the cabinet of his dresser that sat next to him and pulled out a tray piled with paraphernalia. Joe set it on the table and sat down in front of it, moving aside some blacked out jars and a grinder. Reki watched him curiously as he worked, opening one of the jars.

Joe offered the flip top jar to Reki. “Smell that.” He said, and Reki was taking the jar and bringing it to his nose, taking a deep inhale of it and letting it out with a content sigh. “Oh yeah, that's the good stuff.” Reki spoke dreamily as Joe chuckled, taking the jar back. There was a printed design along the side of the jar of just a bunch of different pairs of breasts. They differed in color and size and some of them were wearing bras while most of them weren't. A gag gift from one of his old hook up partners, and he pulled out one of the nugs that he kept in it, putting it into the grinder and beginning to get to work. The room quickly began to take on the smell of weed, the two of them relaxed from the scent of it. Reki watched Joe quietly, watched his hands work. Watched him pack two joints using preformed cones and twist off the ends of them once they were filled with all of the crumbs he had.

Joe glanced over at Reki curiously and offered him one of the joints. “You want your own or do you want to share one and smoke the other with me at S?” Joe asked, watching as Reki took the joint. “I'm down to share. I don't need much.” Reki replied, staring at the joint appreciatively. It was big. Reki had all of his stuff prebagged by his aunt and portioned out for him. This was about the size of three or four of his bags. “Alright then. Go ahead and light her up.” Joe stuck the other joint into a scent proof tube and twisted a cap on. He left it on the table before he stood and went to root through his closet. Reki grabbed the pink lighter off the tray and flicked it, lighting the end of the joint and letting it catch before he dropped his hand and took a drag from it, letting the smoke sit in his lungs as he looked over at Joe. The alpha was in the middle of changing, currently only wearing a pair of boxers with his back to Reki. The omega looked away immediately, trying not to think too hard on the fact that the other was there. Almost completely naked.

They bathed together already. It's not like he hasn't seen Joe without clothes before. Joe was always practically shirtless while at S to begin with. But it was more than that. Joe was attractive. Everyone knew that. He was hot. Looking like a snack most of the time. The guy was older then Reki though, much older then Reki, and while Reki himself didn't really care. He knew the other would. Joe was too nice to even look at Reki in that sort of way which just made him even more attractive. Reki stared down at the pink lighter in his hand. A soft baby girl pink. It was the same one he's used at Joe's place both times he's smoked there previously. Reki ran his thumb over the pink plastic and glanced back over at Joe, letting out the puff of smoke he had been holding, his lungs yelling at him for a break as the alpha approached him now wearing a pair of ripped jeans. Reki held up the joint, coughing heavily into his arm. Joe was still shirtless, grabbing the joint and setting himself back down into the chair as he puffed on it a few times.

“There's some drinks in the kitchen if you need something.” Joe offered after a moment but Reki just waved him off, needing to relax and stop coughing before he could even think about moving. That hit was a lot harsher then he thought it would be. Stronger more like. Joe just chuckled in amusement and pinched the joint between two fingers, blowing out a puff of smoke towards the window. Joe watched the younger lay his head against the table and take a few deep breaths of clean air before he finally pushed himself up, excusing himself to get a drink. “Can you bring me some water as well?” Joe called, smirking at the younger who gave him an annoyed look at basically being tricked into being the waterboy.

Reki returned shortly after and he sat down two glasses of water, taking the joint back from Joe and settling himself in his seat as Joe grabbed a glass and chugged half of it, sighing in content as the cold water helped his scratchy throat. The room was silent save for the sound of the city drifting in through the open window, the city beginning to quiet down just a bit as the sun went down and Joe enjoyed the last bits of warmth from it. It felt nice on his skin.

“So… are you and Cherry a thing?” Reki asked out of nowhere. Joe blew out the smoke in his lungs forcefully and coughed, looking over at the omega with wide eyes. “What?”

Reki watched him for a moment, taking the joint back. It was halfway gone, burning brightly at the end as he took a drag. Reki's scent was warm and woody like fresh cinnamon. Joe felt like he had stuck his head in a box of cinnamon toast crunch. Reki looked up at Joe with those amber eyes of his, one arm hung over the back of his chair and the other holding the joint as he breathed out a bit of the smoke. “You guys are like.. really close.. and are super comfortable with each other. Even if you argue a lot. He keeps clothes here and patches and suppressants. When we first formed the pack, you guys scented each other really easily. Like you've done it a hundred times prior.” Reki rambled, taking another pull from the joint before offering it back to Joe.

Joe took it and sighed heavily, turning his attention out the window again as he puffed on it. He thought Reki's words over for a hot minute before he shrugged. “I mean. It's complicated. We're not a thing.. but we're not NOT a thing. Y'know?” Joe waved his hand over and when he looked back, Reki was giving him a look that told him he in fact did not know. Joe blew out the smoke and flicked the joint over the ashtray to get rid of the tail of ash that was forming, watching as some birds flew by his window. He thought over his words again and Reki gave him time to think, the silence around them comfortable though Joe felt slightly anxious.

“Well.. Cherry and I heat share.” Joe admitted, looking back to the other for a reaction but the omega seemed deep in thought. Right, he was high now. “What's that? Heat share? Like.. share heats?” Reki asked, fumbling with the words and Joe nodded. “Exactly like that.” He confirmed, looking back towards the window. “We've been doing it for a while. Started around highschool I think. We don't always share it with each other but he usually spends his heats here at my place. Particularly in the guest room. Sometimes his heats aren't bad and he just wants to be in my home and sometimes they are bad and he wants some help with them.” Joe stated simply. He offered Reki back the joint and the other took it easily, staring at the grinder on the table as he thought over the revelation.

“Are you… allowed to tell me that?” Reki asked, thinking about how Cherry would probably gut the both of them now that Joe mentioned their secret. Joe smiled in amusement. “You gonna tell anyone I told you?” Joe asked, putting the question back on Reki who shook his head quickly. “Then it's fine. I trust you, Reki. You got a good head on your shoulders.” Joe praised, stretching out and lounging in his chair. Reki kept his eyes on the grinder and blew out the smoke once his lungs began to burn and he quickly drank down some water, handing the joint back to Joe. “I'm good on the rest of that.” Reki coughed, clearing his throat as the alpha nodded along.

They fell back in silence and for whatever reason, Reki felt like he could share his own secrets with Joe. He was their pack alpha after all. He was supposed to be trustworthy and while Reki thought it over, he found himself drinking in the scent of matcha. Refreshing and vegetal. It was soothing and Reki found it quite pleasant. He thought about how it smelled with lilacs and wondered if there would be something between the two eventually or not. If they ever talked about dating or not. Joe was an attractive alpha who was easy going and laid back. He was kind and considerate. Reki knew that first hand. With how Joe talked to Reki when it came to skating against Adam and how he was always keeping Reki's feelings in mind when he found out the other was avoidant of alphas. Obviously Cherry should know it too since the alpha would take care of him during his heat even if they weren't… you know. Doing it.

Then Reki thought about Joe's downsides. He was a player. Always had women hanging off of him one way or another. Everywhere they went. Didn't matter if it was S or Miyakojima. He was always flirting with someone, eyes wandering, smile working it's magic for him. Reki could understand why Cherry wouldn't go for him with that aspect involved. Besides, Cherry knew Joe a whole lot better than Reki did so obviously he knew whether or not he wanted anything with the alpha.

Reki pushed the thoughts from his head. He shouldn't be trying to play matchmaker or anything. He was struggling with his own shit right now. “Hey Joe?” Reki's voice sounded a bit strained. Joe looked over at him, puffing on the joint. Reki's face was morphed into something akin to hesitancy. Maybe shame. The alpha raised an eyebrow, smelling a tinge of fear on the other, and he waited it out, waited for Reki to say something or for him to decide against whatever he was going to say.

“I uhm.. I-” Reki fumbled with the words a bit. He didn't even know if he should bring it up or not. If he should tell someone or not. He never told anyone. His mom knew simply because she witnessed it. Came right back home shortly after leaving simply because she forgot Koyomi’s school bag and that was the only reason his torture stopped. His brain was too muddled to clearly think it through. The thought popped into his head and he wanted to trust Joe. Wanted to tell him everything, to explain why he was the way that he was. Joe would understand and Joe wouldn't look at him any differently.

“I never told anyone this before..” Reki finally got out, avoiding the others' gaze. Joe put out the joint once it got too short, rolling the end of it around in the ashtray to snuff out the ember. Joe didn't say anything and he simply waited, letting Reki teeter on the edge of will he or won't he. Letting Reki think it over a bit longer. “The reason I'm.. I'm weird- with alphas.. I was bitched. By my Dad. I don't like alpha scent. It makes me sick. And if I'm near alphas it reminds me of that time. And I freeze up and start to suffocate and-” Reki began to ramble, the words pouring out as soon as the B-word left his mouth. His skin was warm from the sun and from anxiety, but mainly from talking about the incident. Joe's matcha scent filled his lungs mixed with the skunk of pot smoke and it did nothing but wrap him up in a soothing hug, helping him empty his head with words that poured from his mouth. He rambled, talking about how his mother came home one day and came to his room because his little sister left her bag in there when she was doing homework the day prior and how she saw what was happening and how he's never seen his mother so angry before. Mentioned it was the first time he ever saw an alpha lose to an omega. How he's never seen an alpha bleed before then. He talked about whatever came to mind, mentioned the things he needed to get out but never had anyone to tell them to. Anyone he felt safe enough to tell them to. He didn't look at Joe, just vomited his words out in rapid succession, trying not to break down any more then he had already.

Joe listened to everything, let Reki speak and processed his words in silence. Reki's scent spiked a few times, short intense bursts of fear that quickly disappeared, swallowed by the calming scent of matcha. Joe chanced a glance at the omega who had tears streaming down his face, staring unseeingly at the wall as he spoke. Joe could tell the other needed this. Needed to vent, to dumb his frustrations and fears and he simply felt honored with the fact that Reki trusted him enough to tell him. Eventually Reki trailed off and sat there, struggling to figure out what to do next. What could you do next after everything that he went through? The fact that someone so close to you could hurt you in such a way, being scarred for life by someone meant to protect you. How do you recover from that? How do you move past it? Forget it? Ignore it, cover it up?

Reki was doing his best to heal and it was taking so much out of him. Some days the wounds felt non-existent, like he dreamt them up. And some days they felt so fresh and raw that Reki could still smell the scent of pheromones coming out of him. Other days it was a mix of the two. Starting with being so overwhelmingly scared and hurt and then suddenly being numb to it. Like he was detached from his body. Like it didn't matter if it happened or would happen again. Like he wasn't himself. Like he didn't care-

Reki took a deep breath, his lungs aching. His throat felt horrible. A mixture of coughing and rambling with a dry throat. He felt like he had a cold coming on but knew it was simply a side effect of being so small and weak. Joe pushed his water glass closer to him and Reki looked down at it, forgetting Joe was even there to begin with. He took the glass and sipped on it quietly, feeling… better. The thoughts were there. Destructive as usual. But… his chest felt lighter. Like he just shrugged off a weighted blanket that he had been wearing for years. Sure, he still felt too hot and his shoulders ached from carrying it for so long, but the heat was dissipating and he could finally stand up straight.

“Thank you. For sharing that with me, Reki.” Joe's voice was soft and felt foreign for a moment, drifting through the moment of silence between them. Reki had been talking for so long that he felt like he forgot what Joe sounded like. “I'm sorry that you had to go through that, but I'm here for you if you need me. You can always come to me for anything. And…thank you. For trusting me. I know it isn't easy, but it means a great deal to me.” Joe had a hard time finding his words and that just made Reki smile, reaching up to wipe at his face. It felt good to know that even someone as perfect as Joe didn't have all the answers or the right words. It felt more genuine to see him struggle a bit. Reki forgot that skate boarding and emotions didn't fall under the same category.

They sat in silence for a bit, Reki calming down after the emotional ordeal and Joe cleaning up his gardening supplies. The alpha set the tray back into the cabinet and grabbed a can of Oder neutralizing spray before the bedroom door opened. Cherry stood there with the rest of the pack, looking in on the two and furrowing his eyebrows. His nose wrinkled from the smell and he immediately glared at Joe. “What did you do?” He asked accusingly.

Joe cocked his head and placed a hand on his hip. “I don't know why you're getting all fussy with me. You know what I did. Reki and I smoked a bit. Big deal.” The alpha rolled his eyes. He spritzed some of the freshener at the omega who flinched back at the spray. “No you fucking imbecilic gorilla, I'm talking about the stress scent in the air! What did you do to Reki?!” Cherry growled lowly, pinning Joe with a deadly look. Joe looked back at Reki who raised his hands defensively.

“Wait wait wait, Joe didn't do anything wrong!” Reki spoke quickly, standing up from where he was seated and coming to stand next to the alpha. “I was just… upset. And he smoked me out to help with it.” Reki explained quietly. He didn't want to bring up why he was upset. It felt wrong to tell just Joe and not everyone else. They were a pack. They needed to trust each other and hiding something felt wrong. Felt dirty. But he didn't think he was ready yet to tell everyone. Didn't want them to look at him differently. Joe was just.. he seemed steady and supportive. Reki trusted him a lot and it's not like he didn't trust the others. He did- He really did… but it just scared him too much. To bring it up. To tell all of them..

Joe spritzed the room down and soon the scent of Reki's anguish and the smell of pot dissipated. They filed out of the room and into the living room and Reki paused as they all began to leave. He smelled cinnamon. Heavy cinnamon. He sniffed the air a bit but Shadow called to him, telling him to hurry his butt up or they were leaving him so Reki hurried down the stairs and followed suit. He grabbed his board and they piled into Cherry's car this time. Except for Joe. The alpha made a comment about the car being too small for him even though it had enough seats and he decided to take his motorcycle. Cherry popped the hatch for them while Miya took the back seat, Shadow sitting shotgun.

Langa got into the hatch first and as Reki followed, he smelled the scent of cinnamon again. He sat down, legs tangled with Langa's, their boards resting next to them and Langa pulled the hatch down. Reki watched the other curiously, Langa meeting his gaze with an innocent question on his face. Reki didn't say anything, just continued to stare. Langa was pale, or more so, had ‘fair skin’ as his mother would say. It was a beauty standard mainly among omegas but it seemed like Langa partook in them as well with his longer fine hair and seemingly perfect skin. Reki wanted to curse him to be a bit uglier cause it just wasn't fair that an alpha of all people would be legitimately perfect. While staring at him, Reki noticed Langa shift something around in his mouth and he raised an eyebrow, asking the other if he had something in his mouth.

“Oh yeah, my mom bought some candy the other day since it was on sale. You want one?” Langa asked, voice sweet just like his scent though it was currently hidden behind a patch. Reki cursed himself silently as he realized. He should've put some patches on… it wasn't a big deal since he wasn't in heat, but it was slightly embarrassing. Thinking back on it, Cherry was also wearing patches. He wondered if Joe was too. If he wasn't, Reki wouldn't feel as embarrassed but… then ALL of the omegas at S would be all over him.

Reki hoped he was wearing patches.

“Sure. I'll take one.” Reki replied, watching Langa dig into his shirt pocket. “You hiding sweets back here? I want one!” Miya popped his head over the back of the seat and Langa pulled two little cellophane packets from his pocket. Inside them were red disks. Reki grabbed one and the other was given to their youngest pack member and they opened them, popping them into their mouths. Miya immediately wrinkled his nose, a bitter look on his face. “Oh God, that's strong?!” He seemed confused, spitting the candy back into the wrapper and sticking his tongue out. Reki agreed with him on the strong taste. It was overwhelming cinnamon flavored which is what he smelled earlier. Langa looked up at Miya confused.

“Really? You don't like it?” He asked, the candy stuck in his cheek while he spoke. “I mean, it is intense but I like it. We had candy like this back in Canada.” Langa added, looking to Reki who shrugged. “It's not bad, but I think you have to have a taste for it. Most people aren't huge on spicy cinnamon.” Reki explained, watching Langa curiously. Langa had a look to him, almost pleased. Maybe a little happy?

“That's okay. Means I don't have to share it, right?” Langa asked, meeting Reki's gaze and while Reki felt like he should know what the other was talking about, he was at a loss for words.

The rest of the drive to S was done with general chatter, the lot of them talking about who was going to be at the track that night and what was going to happen. Shadow talked about how he was beefin’ with someone new and Miya talked about how he was going to try and skate a new record for himself. Cherry talked a bit about technique with Miya and gave him a few new pointers according to Carla’s recommendations. Reki sat with his legs tangled with Langa's, looking over the L2S and performing a few minor adjustments to it. Tuning it if you would. Looking out the back of the hatch, they could see Joe following behind them like a body guard. The idea was laughable.

Arriving at S was as entertaining and chaotic as usual. The way people dipped in and out of the road, the flashy clothes and costumes people wore. Reki loved the atmosphere that was there. The only thing he really didn't like was Adam. Mainly because he projected his scent like crazy but so far, it didn't seem like he was there. Cherry parked the car and they all got out, Shadow immediately splitting off from them to go fight with whoever and Miya said he would catch them later and made his way to the track. “You two can go ahead and scram. I have to talk to the brain dead one for a moment.” Cherry spoke as Joe parked his bike next to the car. Joe pulled his helmet off and gave Cherry an unamused look. “To what do I owe the great displeasure?”

Cherry didn't say anything else though he did stick Joe with a look. The alpha stared back at the other and sighed heavily, setting his helmet down on the bike and getting off of it. “Okay, lead the way, princess.” Joe replied tiredly and Cherry practically growled. “Do NOT call me princess!” he replied as the two walked off together, disappearing into the crowd just like the others did. It was just Reki and Langa now who looked over at each other. Reki could taste the overwhelming flavor of cinnamon on his tongue, the candy nothing but a small disc in his mouth and it looked like Langa was busy unwrapping another piece, using one hand and his teeth to get through the flimsy wrapper since the other hand was holding his board.

They threw down their boards and started to skate with each other, cruising along and dipping through people, maneuvering out of the way easily of others and practicing new tricks. It felt nice to just glide along with the trees around them. They made their way over to the collection of ramps, Reki choosing the empty vert ramp to practice a few jumps on, Langa not far behind him. It was nice to feel the air around him. To feel like he was floating for that brief moment before gravity pulled him right back down. Reki could feel the wind tug at his clothes and he loved the vibration of the board as it rolled over the skatelite of the ramp.

Eventually Reki caught his board midair and tilted himself forward, stepping onto the platform above the ramp. Langa continued to ride, looking over to Reki who made himself comfortable on top of the ramp and pulled out his phone, beginning to record the other. The first thing he saw when he looked through his camera and focused it on Langa was the other's warm smile. Reki noticed it before but the way Langa smiled at him versus when he smiled at other people was different. It was more serene, like he was at ease completely, like his mind was empty of trouble. Reki was probably imagining it but it was comforting to think about.

“What are you doing?” Langa asked as he skated back up towards Reki, inverting himself and catching the lip of the ramp in a hand plant. He looked over at Reki and Reki guided the camera to him, smirking in amusement. “How long can you hold that for?” Reki asked as Langa brought his board back down and resumed skating. “Not very.” He admitted truthfully, raising his voice to be heard over the sound of wheels on ramp.

Reki hummed in acknowledgement, “It's been a bit since I recorded you so I thought I would. It's crazy to see how much you've progressed in just a few months so I'm wondering if you'll become a skating god between now and the next few.” Reki called back, enjoying the feeling of awe he got when Langa pushed himself just a bit harder, getting just a bit more serious with the camera on him, and he launched himself up a decent amount into the air, performing a few spins.

“Look at you, you little show goat.” Reki teased as Langa laughed, doing a few more tricks that he knew, performing just for Reki. And the camera. But it was Reki's camera. It was nice to be able to get this kind of angle on the action, being so close to him, but the only downside is whenever Langa launched into the air next to Reki, he didn't get to properly display the scale of just how high the alpha jumped. But oh well, he knew. Everyone who knew Langa knew…

Reki wondered what went through Langa's head whenever he made his jumps. Reki could ask, probably would one day. Reki knew that the answer would probably be some whimsy response that made sense to only Langa but he was fine with that. He could always just substitute his own commentary in…

’I like to imagine that I'm a hungry piranha jumping to eat some poutine that someone's dangling above the water.’

Reki snickered in amusement because of course his only thought would have something to do with food. If Langa wasn't thinking about skateboarding, he was probably thinking about food. Reki leaned back a bit as Langa skated up on him again, catching his board and stepping onto the ramp in front of Reki. The omega fumbled with his phone and ended the recording, putting it away for a bit. “What's up with you?” He asked, looking back to Langa who settled himself down next to Reki, resting his board next to him. Langa hung his legs over the edge of the ramp and leaned back on his hands, looking up at the sky and so Reki followed his gaze.

It was a clear night. Barely any clouds in the sky and the tall trees around them painted nice black silhouettes against the dark navy sky. It was lit up with stars like a field of fireflies and Reki wondered briefly what the night sky in Canada looked like. Canada was huge. So much bigger than Japan and it was on the opposite end of the world from them. It also had a lot more deserted wilderness.. The sky there must be beautiful on a night like this. Reki wondered if Langa missed it. The sky…

Of course he would. Something as breathtaking as that must be something he thought about often. Reki hadn't even seen it and he missed it. A type of yearning for the world that existed without him. If a Reki went to Canada to stare up at the sky and no one was there to witness it, would they even know he was gone?

Reki shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He didn't even know what he was thinking about anymore. His thoughts are growing scrambled and not making sense anymore. Maybe he should cut back on the smoking but he knew that was never going to happen. Langa broke the silence, looking over at Reki with those gentle eyes like powdered snow. Freshly fallen… there Reki goes talking about things he's never seen before. It doesn't snow in Okinawa and he's never been north enough to see it.

“Is this okay?” Langa asked, watching Reki curiously. Reki could smell the bite of cinnamon on the other breath, could taste it lingering on his own tongue. Reki had a brief thought, one real quick that left his mind whirling almost as if it jumbled his head at how fast it ran through his head. If Langa had cinnamon on his breath and Reki would taste it, wasn't it almost as if they just…?

“Is what okay?” Reki drawled, trying his best not to look to the others lips as they pursed but if he didn't look, how would he know they were pursed to begin with? Langa looked so good beneath the stars. Reki questioned the gods and demanded to know whose bright idea it was to make this guy a fucking alpha. Clearly, Langa screamed pretty like an omega, but oh fucking well. Reki was stuck with a pretty alpha.

…. Not that Langa was an alpha he was stuck with… like dating or anything.. like they were a couple…

Reki really hated his head. Just three weeks ago he was hiding in the bathroom because he found out the other was an alpha. And now here he was, having constant thoughts about being with him. In that way… What a load of bull. “Us. Being close like this.” Langa replied, his voice gentle like he was scared of scaring Reki. “I thought about it in the car… I should've sat with Miya. Instead of cramming in the hatch with you..” Langa continued and Reki listened quietly, thinking over his words. Langa talked about how he should've given Reki space yet here they were, thighs brushing between them.

Reki let out a breathy laugh, looking away from Langa and looking back up at the sky. The moon hung above them, slowly getting to its peak in the sky before it would begin its descent. Reki really didn't know what was wrong with him. He would smell a few alpha scents on their way over to the ramp and it made his skin crawl. Thinking about his dad sent him into a panic attack and thinking about any random alpha made him want to run away and hide in his room.. But thinking about Langa? That was okay. His scent was nice. It didn't send shivers down his spine like it did originally. The shivers were slower now. They were warm instead of cool and unsettling. He could imagine the scent of marshmallows and wanted nothing more then to ask Langa to take at least one scent patch off so Reki could bury his face in the others gland.

And Joe too. The other alpha didn't scare him as much as he used to be, which was funny. He was big and made of pure muscle which was terrifying on anyone else but with it being Joe specifically, he felt more at ease. Was it because they were pack now? Because Reki was exposed to their scents so regularly? That he was scented by the two already? Reki had so many questions and barely any answers, but he did have one.

“Yeah, this is good.” Reki replied, smiling over at the other as he brought his gaze back to Langa's cool aqua blue eyes. Langa stared at him for a moment, lips parted like he was going to say something and as he opened his mouth, as he exhaled to say something, Joe called up to them from the bottom of the vert ramp. They both turned their attention down to the alpha, seeing Cherry with him as well. Cherry looked a bit less sour then he did before, looking up at them curiously. “Are you two on a date?” He asked the question innocently though the look on his face was far from. “We can always come back later!”

“Kaoru!” Joe hissed, looking over at the other. Reki rolled his eyes and wanted to make a biting remark about how they weren't, but the two of them might as well be, but he held his tongue. Joe should be proud of him. Reki grabbed his board and slid down the ramp, walking over to the two with Langa right behind him.

“What's up, guys?” Reki asked, smelling Joe's thick matcha scent mingled with the smell of weed. “Shadow won his beef against the other guy. He almost lost it too. Apparently the other guy, people call him Moose, doesn't have a sense of smell and Shadow’s go to clown move for today was squirting him with that liquid ass stuff that he put in a water gun.” Joe explained with a grimace on his face. “Don't go near the rink for the rest of the night.”

“Yeesh, poor Miya. He's skating on it right now, isn't he?” Reki snickered softly in amusement, imagining Miya immediately skating into a cloud of ass and keeling over dead from the stench. “I wouldn't want to be him right now.”

And Reki was correct in that assumption. Miya was not having a good time in the slightest. His nose burned. His eyes watered. His lungs ached. His head was muddled and he felt so incredibly sick, discombobulated. The sad part was… he didn't even get hit with the stench they were talking about.

“He'll be fine. There's plenty of open air out here and a nice breeze is setting in according to Carla. The stench will hit him once and he'll be caught off guard but as long as he keeps going, the smell won't linger for him.” Cherry explained as they moved away from the ramp. A group of other skaters started walking towards it so they wanted to get out of the way. Reki could smell an alpha among the group, unconsciously stepping closer to Langa and Joe, standing between them as if they were his own personal guards. He didn't even realize what he did, but Joe did. Joe ruffled his red hair with a large hand and Reki waved him off, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked up at the other. Joe simply flashed Reki the tube from earlier. The one with the joint in it and Joe raised an eyebrow, shaking the tube almost like it was a treat and Reki was a dog.

He felt insulted, but really it was his own doing. Reki would never turn down a chance to smoke.

”Hey, watch it!” Someone yelled from behind them. A few more startled and angry comments followed and Reki looked over his shoulder, wondering what the fuss was about. Miya stumbled into view, eyes wide and face pale. He looked horrified. Reki turned towards him, blood running cold. “Miya?!” He called, making his way to the other. Miya looked in his direction but he didn't think the other actually saw him. Just began running towards him blindly. Reki ran towards him as well, closing the space between them and pulling Miya into his arms. The younger boy buried his face in Reki's chest, gulping down breaths as he whimpered and shook like a leaf. Reki had so many questions, his mind immediately jumping to the worst case scenario. Miya was doused in someone's scent. It was citrusy and sharp with a bitter tang of anxiety. It was sour and rotting, horrified, scared. Something else stood out about it though.

It was the scent of an omega.

“Miya? What happened?” Reki asked anxiously, looking down at the boy worriedly. He felt the others crowd in around him, also trying to figure out what was wrong. Miya's grip on him was strong, refusing to let Reki go and Reki brushed his fingers through the others hair, trying to understand why the other was so panicked, why he reeked of a strange omega, why he wouldn't speak-

Reki's face softened a bit at the thought and he started to release calming pheromones. The effect was instantaneous, Miya whimpering as his knees buckled, slumping against the older omega who held him tightly, crooning over him. “Oh jeez, Miya. You picked the worst time..” Reki mumbled, petting the others hair slowly, feeling silky black locks drift through his fingers.

“What do you mean? What's wrong?” Langa asked anxiously from Reki's right. “Why's the kid smell like he just downed a pitcher of margaritas?” Joe questioned from his left.

“You idiots, he's presenting.” Cherry butted in, standing in front of Reki and looking down at their youngest member. “C'mon, we're leaving. Let's get him back to the car. Langa, go find Shadow and tell him we're leaving.” Cherry ordered, keeping his eyes on Miya who was still shaking, hanging off Reki like a child throwing a tantrum.

Miya felt like his head was going to explode. Everything smelled so strong and angry and bitter. Like if you take one of those movie scenes where the main character is drugged or drunk and they do the effects where the world looks so bright and shaky, and make that how Miya is smelling the world but everything is a million times more stinky then it ever should be. That's what he was dealing with. His stomach was flipping over and over again and he wanted to throw up, wanted to curl into a ball and die. His skin was crawling, itchy, like he had a bunch of bugs under his clothes.

One thing was for certain, among the intense smell o vision he was experiencing, he could pick out the faintest scent of cinnamon. Originally, Miya didn't know why that was important, wandering through the streets of the mountain and trying so damn hard to not throw up as he got assaulted by scents of B.O and alcohol among many others. He still tasted the candy on his tongue though and eventually, Miya had a single thought in his head. Cinnamon scent must be Langa. Reki was with Langa. Need to find Reki.

Why? He didn't really know. He knew the others presence calmed him a lot, especially in the most recent weeks, but he didn't know why he wanted to see Reki so badly right now. He felt terribly anxious, like something bad was going to happen. Like he was going to get hurt if he didn't find his pack.

”Do you smell that? Smell's fucking nice!” Someone spoke to their buddy, someone sniffing the hair and humming in agreement. ”Mmm.. Omega.”

People were too close to him. There were too many people in his way. He needed to get through. Needed to find Langa. Find Reki. He shoved past some people and that's when he heard it. Reki calling his name. Miya couldn't see too far in front of him, mainly because he couldn't focus. His eyes hurt and even though it wasn't that bright at the moment, the lights around them being few and far between, everything felt too bright. Miya took off towards Reki's voice and let out a whimper when he felt familiar arms hold tight around him. He buried his face into the front of Reki's shirt, that strong cinnamon smell present. For a moment in his head, Miya wondered why Reki smelled like cinnamon. What were he and Langa doing..??

Then Miya remembered the day they all used Joe’s bathroom like a sauna. How Shadow said they smelled like s'mores. Reki saying that his family claimed he smelled like cinnamon. Miya was chasing Reki's scent this whole time. The sweet scent of cinnamon. It smelled slightly sour at the moment, as Reki tried talking to him but Miya didn't want to talk right now. He wanted to hide. Wanted to find somewhere dark to lay down and hide from the world. Reki's fingers were in his hair, brushing the hair from his face to try and get a better look at him.

Reki's scent turned sweeter and Miya inhaled it greedily, collapsing against the other as he dug his fingers into the back of Reki's shirt, holding on like a lifeline. His head immediately started feeling better. It wasn't instant, but it felt like sitting in front of a fan on a hot day. It was nice. Parts of him were still sweaty and hot and if the fan wasn't on him, he felt like he was dying again.

“Come on Miya, let's head back to the car.” Reki's voice came out softer then he wanted it to but he didn't care, his attention solely on his friend. Miya didn't move and so Reki leaned down a bit, Miya whimpering from being moved and Reki scooped him up in his arms. Miya didn't fight him, just settled with his face back in Reki's shirt. Langa had skated off to go find Shadow and the two older members of the pack escorted Reki back to the car. Miya's scent was potent and heavy, drawing in the attention of the bystanders who looked on. Reki could feel eyes on them, could see people watching them. Could see the dirty gazes of alphas and Reki could feel his lips curl back in a growl that didn't leave his throat. He heard one though. From Joe.

Joe stared down the others and that's the only reason no one dared approach them as they walked. Miya's scent picked up a bit in agitation, reacting to the bitterness in Reki's scent and Reki did his best to calm down and focus. Miya smelled sour but Reki was chalking that up to the stress of presenting in such a crowded place. His scent however had an odd sweetness to it. It was familiar but Reki couldn't quite place it just yet.

Cherry popped the hatch to his car and Reki crawled in with Miya, crossing his legs under him and resting the younger boy in his lap. The others stood outside near the open hatch, waiting for the other two members of their pack to return and it didn't take long. Langa and Shadow skated up to them, coming to a stop outside the car where the group was. Miya had calmed down a bit but his skin felt feverish where it met Reki's, his head laid against Reki's shoulder and his forehead resting against Reki's collarbone. “What's going on..? Why am I like this?” Miya whimpered, voice sounding about as drained as Miya looked. He looked over to the others, green eyes bleary and wet.

“You're just coming of age. That's all.” Reki replied simply, rubbing the others back as Cherry sat on the edge of the trunk and leaned over, holding the back of his hand against Miya's forehead. “Yes, there's nothing to worry about. You're just in the first stage of presenting. We're going to take you home. Stage two is usually heat so it would be best to get you back to your parents so they can take care of you.” Cherry explained gently, his presence calming even if his scent was hidden behind patches.

“What? N-No, my parents are out of town right now.” Miya spoke worriedly, straightening up a bit. “What do you mean I'm going to go into heat?!” He asked, suddenly sounding angry. Reki remembered the feeling. His first heat was the absolute worst. His doctor mentioned it was harder for him due to his trauma.

“It's a maybe, not a done deal. Sometimes when you present, you can experience your first cycle but it's different for everyone. It's just to be on the safe side.” Cherry explained, pulling his hand back. “But it is inconvenient for your parents to be out of town right now. You'll need someone there with you if you do end up entering your cycle who will be able to make sure you eat and drink properly.” Cherry explained.

“He can stay at my place for the time being. Use the guest room.” Joe offered, hands planted on his hips. His jacket was open and hanging off of his shoulders. Reki wrinkled his nose and pulled Miya closer to him, glaring at Joe. “What the fuck dude?” Shadow asked, looking to Joe who looked back at him in confusion.

“What?”

“Knock it off you two.” Cherry interrupted, looking between Reki and Shadow. “I know it sounds like a bad idea but that gorilla is practically immune to heat scent.” He defended. “He would actually be a good candidate to house Miya in case he does end up going into heat.”

“Wait, you guys thought I was going to try and take advantage of Miya?” Joe stuck out his tongue in disgust, full body shivering in discomfort. “That's just nasty.”

“That's how we felt.” Reki muttered, looking back down to Miya who looked a sickly shade of green, nauseated by the changes to his body. “I don't like this. I hate puberty. What the fuck man.” Miya whispered under his breath, pissed off with what was going on. Reki just nodded and began to scent Miya, crooning his sympathies as Miya relaxed into him, basking in the scenting.

“Is this the same thing you've been doing this whole time? Scenting me?” Miya asked sleepily, looking up at Reki and his head flopped back a bit like he couldn't keep it up. “Yeah, it is, now hold still. Just relax and take a nap.” Reki ordered, cupping the back of miya's head and guiding it back to his shoulder so he could lean on Reki while Reki continued to scent him. “Mm… this is great. Maybe I do like this.” Miya mumbled, letting his eyes fall shut. Reki just chuckled in amusement as Cherry stood up and shut the hatch on them. Shadow went to the front seat and opened the door as Cherry followed to the driver's seat. As Langa moved around to get into the car, he was suddenly tackled from behind.

“LANGAAA!” An excited voice yelled. Reki craned his neck to be able to see the other and he saw Langa hunched over a bit, getting pulled into a headlock by someone he's never seen before. Langa's face went green and he gagged, pushing at the stranger.

“Oh my God, Moose, you stink!” Langa pinched his nose, eyes watering. Reki was able to get a better look at the stranger now. He looked like a foreigner, warm brown hair and pale green eyes. He was tall, taller then Joe by a few centimeters and he was dressed in some baggy cargo pants and a black compression shirt. The guy was built from what Reki could see. And attractive.

“Really? That's what everyone's been saying. I can't smell a thing though.” The stranger, Moose, spoke with a snicker as Langa gave him an annoyed look. “That's because this clown over here sprayed you with a foul smelling liquid.” Cherry interrupted, also pinching his nose in disgust. Reki was thankful he and Miya were safe from the smell. “I don't know how or why you two seem to know each other, but now's not the time. We're having an emergency so please cut it short.”

“Oh shit, my B.” Moose spoke, raising his hands to placate Cherry and he took a few steps back before looking back to Langa. “I'll find you later. I'm in the area for a few months. You still on Diskord? My handle’s the same.” Moose shot finger guns at Langa. “I got a lot of questions for you, Mister Snow, but I'll leave you for now. Catch ya later!” And with that, he was gone about as fast as he showed up.

Langa turned to the car and immediately got doused with Oder neutralizing spray by Cherry. “He got that stench on you and you're not getting into my car like that.” The omega growled, continuing to spray Langa who started coughing from the fumes. Only when the bottle started to spit as it got close to empty did Cherry stop and allow Langa to get into the car.

“I feel wet.” Langa whined, buckling himself into his seat. “Suck it up.” Cherry started the car and they began to make their way off the mountain. It was weird being in the car without being next to Langa. Reki thinks this is their first time not sitting in the same seat together…

“So Langa… How do you know that other guy?” Reki asked curiously. Langa shifted around in his seat, turning to look back at Reki and Miya. Miya seemed to be taking Reki's earlier words into consideration, nodding off against the other. “You mean Moose? He was a friend of mine back in Canada. I don't know what he's doing here in Okinawa.” Langa replied, pulling out his phone as it buzzed a few times. And a few times more. And some more…

Langa stared at all of the messages as they came in. “Is that him?” Reki asked because it just seemed fitting for the situation. Langa nodded, “He's very chatty.” Was all he said, muting his phone for the time being. “We used to snowboard occasionally though not often since I usually did it with my dad. We competed a few times as well and he's good.”

Reki hummed, waiting for Langa to continue but Langa didn't seem inclined to do so. He sat sideways in his seat on the opposite side of the car from Reki, arms crossed over the back of the seat with his chin on his arms, watching the two of them quietly. Reki was curious though. Langa didn't talk about Canada much. He wished he did though Reki knew it was probably because he didn't want to end up missing it. Langa came from the snowy mountains and now he liked in the sub-tropics. He got hot really easily and loved it when it was slightly chilly in the middle of the night. He probably missed Canada more then he was letting on and while Reki really wanted to ask him about it.. Langa was going to be graduating soon. He would be able to move back if he really wanted to. Reki didn't want that.

“I find it absurd that the only person from Canada you have ever mentioned is a dope named Moose.” Cherry piped in from up front. Shadow cocked his head and looked over at the other. “Why's that absurd?” He asked, looking at the notifications on his phone. Cherry pinched his brows together and looked like he was trying really hard not to look over at Shadow like he was an idiot only because they were driving on a mountain. “Shadow… Do you know what lives in Canada?” Cherry asked. Shadow nodded along, “Yeah, penguins. Bears. That kinda stuff.”

“Moose also live in Canada.” Cherry explained slowly. Shadow blinked at him and cocked his head. “Yeah… that's why I'm wondering why it's weird that his name is Moose when he lives in Canada.” Shadow replied, getting slightly annoyed. Cherry gripped he steering wheel, speaking through gritted teeth. “Moose as in the animal, you dimwit. Canada is known for its population of Moose. So the fact that there is a man named after that animal from that country is fucking idiotic.”

Langa looked towards the front and smiled softly in amusement. “His real name is Rory but everyone gave him the nickname of Moose when we were little cause he got kicked in the face by a baby and almost trampled by the mom.” Langa explained as Reki balked at him. “He what?!”

“There was a baby moose stuck on a frozen lake cause it couldn't get any traction and kept falling when it was trying to get up and he went out to help it. Got it back to shore and it kicked him in the face as it stumbled up the bank. Then the mom got mad that he was near it and tried to stomp on him.” Langa explained as Reki blinked at him slowly.

“Here I thought it was just because of his height.”

“Well, kinda yeah. Only the neighborhood kids called him Moose originally and then the adults started calling him that as well when he got his growth spurt. The coaches at school loved him and were constantly fighting over which sports team he was going to be on.” Langa continued, leaning his head back against the car door.

“You guys seem close.” Shadow commented, really not paying attention to the conversation. He bested Moose already so he didn't give two hoots about him in the slightest. “We ran into each other a lot at school and in competitions. He's really friendly and talks to everyone.” Langa explained. “You should invite him to skate with us then. He had a board and beefed with Shadow so obviously he knows how to. I think it would be fun.” Reki said excitedly, wanting to meet Langa's old friend and see just how good he actually was.

Langa didn't like the idea too much but couldn't explain why, so he just hesitantly agreed. The ride back became silent save for Miya groaning and grumbling every now and then. Reki did his best to console him but there was only so much one could do for someone who was presenting. They arrived back at the Sia La Luce and made their way inside, Reki carrying Miya up to the second floor and to the guest room per Joe's instructions. The room, even though Cherry used it very often, had no scent to it. It didn't look lived in either but Reki knew there was at least clothes in the drawers of the dresser. Cherry probably kept only a few of his personal items here and made sure they were out of sight. Reki laid Miya down on the bed and started to tuck him in, pausing when Miya grabbed onto his shirt.

“Are you leaving?” Miya asked quietly, rolling onto his side and staring up at Reki. He reminded Reki a lot of Koyomi at the moment and Reki just wanted to stay and coddle his younger sibling. Koyomi was usually really independent and as much as Reki didn't want to admit it, she would probably present as an alpha based off of personality alone. Some nights however, when the weather got bad, she would crawl into his bed with him and cling to his shirt while Reki was half asleep, throwing a sleepy arm over her and scenting her with his eyes closed. Koyomi hated to admit it but she still needed her big brother sometimes.

Reki sat on the edge of the bed and reached for Miya, ruffling his black hair. Miya's scent had toned down though it was overwhelming since he didn't know how to control it yet. “No, not yet. Poor little Miya, you scared?” Reki asked teasingly. Miya didn't say anything, just looked away. A telltale sign that he was, in fact, scared. Reki smoothed the hair down and cupped miya's face, pinching his cheek gently to make the other look at him. “Relax, shorty. There's nothing to be scared of.” Reki did his best to assure Miya but the other just looked a bit nauseous. Reki couldn't tell if that was from nerves or if it was from the actual overwhelming feeling of having all of your senses be ten times more sharp for the next three to sixteen hours. The length of sensitivity would vary person to person. Reki presented for eight hours and was bed bound for the rest of the day due to his symptoms. Reki thankfully didn't go into heat for a while after he presented. His mother was actually worried about him because of it and of course he went to the doctor again. The doctor told them it was because his body was confused and trying to rewire itself. Either Reki wasn't supposed to have a heat at all or he was supposed to have a rut originally. They would never know. Regardless, his first heat was delayed and when it did eventually come, it came with a vengeance.

“When I first presented, I was at the skate park near my house with a few friends. The first thing I smelled was the hot asphalt since it was summer time. It fucking REEEEKED.” Reki recounted, turning around and flopping down onto the bed next to Miya. He did his best to keep his scent calm and soothing. It was hard since he really had to focus on it but he could manage this much for Miya. “I didn't know what was going on cause I presented early. My mom hadnt had the talk with me just yet on what I would experience so…” Reki gave Miya a pointed look, finding the omega staring at him curiously. “Don't laugh at this part okay? But I just started crying cause I was so scared and lost.” Reki totally expected Miya to laugh. The way Reki spoke about the memory, he did his best to make it light hearted and silly. To take miya's mind off of his own situation.

“One of my friend's moms was there and she carried me home cause I couldn't walk. I went to bed and slept for most of it. Your body just needs some time to get used to the change. You'll start noticing pheromones and releasing them yourself.” Reki continued, rolling onto his side so he could face Miya who was mirroring him, the two now face to face. “Until you learn to control them, your emotions will be on display. People will know if you're angry or scared or happy or anything. You can start wearing scent patches now. You can also start scenting with me and the others if you're up for it.” Reki added, watching as Miya reached for his neck and rubbed at it tenderly, the scent of fruit kicking up a bit stronger.

“Scent patches… Are my glands supposed to start itching?” Miya asked curiously, “Cause they itch a lot right now.” He continued to rub at his neck and Reki just nodded. “They're adapting to producing pheromones and scent oil. They'll be slightly irritated for the next few days. Rubbing them like that helps exude your scent so just remember that's it's rude to do in public places or near strangers.” Reki chided, watching as miya's hand twitched and he pulled it from his neck, apologizing. “What are you sorry for? I'm not a stranger and this isn't the public.” Reki teased, watching as miya's cheeks colored and he averted his gaze.

“Reki… what do I smell like?” Miya asked curiously, voice small and sleepy. Reki hummed in thought, sniffing the air a few times and trying to place the smell. He's definitely smelled it before. It was sweet and tart and citrusy. Very fresh… “You smell like… like fresh limes!” Reki replied certain, smiling at the other. “That's why Joe said you smelled like a margarita!”

Miya furrowed his eyebrows. “Isn't that a type of alcohol?” He questioned and Reki just snickered. “It's a mixed drink. It's alcohol mixed with lime juice.” Reki explained though he didn't quite know either. He wasn't old enough to drink. Reki continued to talk about this and that, telling Miya a bit more about what he remembered from when he first presented and Miya listened quietly, asking questions here and there whenever Reki mentioned something he wasn't familiar with. Eventually, with Reki's constant drone, Miya dozed off and breathed slowly, hair falling into his face.

Reki sat up slowly and brushed the hair out of Miya's face, petting his hair softly. “Goodnight Miya. I'll be in the living room when you wake up.” Reki whispered though he knows the other didn't hear him. He got out of bed and made his way to the door, turning the lights out and closing the door quietly behind him.

Chapter Text

The early morning was Joe’s reprieve. When the city was still silent; as silent as a city could be, and when there wasnt another soul around to bother him. When he was alone with just his thoughts. He pulled himself from his bed and took a quick shower, enjoying the ice cold water on his skin that helped snap him awake clearly. It was early. Maybe four thirty? He never kept track. Why so early? There was only so much that weed and late night skateboarding could do for insomnia. Usually he would bring home a partner to help release a bit more of his pent up energy, but with the situation they had last night, it would probably be in poor taste. Getting dressed, Joe left his bedroom and paused in the hallway, sniffing the air. It was still faint, but it was setting in. The scent of heat. Joe walked past the guest room where Miya was currently and he made his way through his dark home, guided only by memory, to the living room, looking at the sight before him.

Both of the futons were laid open and in use, the scent of their pack mingling in the air, sweet and floral. Reki and Cherry were sharing a futon, Cherry having made a fuss over it because of how inappropriate it would be for an unmated pair to sleep together. Reki and Langa both seemed a bit annoyed with him, which Joe found amusing. Joe could still remember the look on Reki's face specifically. A look that just screamed ’Oh really, now?!’ Knowing about the hypocrisy behind Cherry's words but not wanting to admit that he knew. Joe knew that Cherry was really just trying to help Reki out. The older omega worried about Reki with how violently he reacted when he found out the others were alphas. Cherry was doing it out of care, and didn't seem to realize that Reki was becoming more comfortable with the two of them.

Langa and Shadow shared the other futon, Langa splayed out like a leaf and Shadow sleeping on the edge of the bed, looking like he was avoiding Langa. Reki and Cherry appeared to be cuddling and Joe couldn't help but take a few pictures. Kaoru wasn't wearing his glasses and his hair was down, some of it stuck in his mouth and laid the wrong way. Reki had his face in Kaoru's chest, snoring quietly. Joe knew that contrary to expectations, Kaoru ran cold at night and loved to cuddle even if he would never admit it. Now he had proof. Usually Joe couldn't get a picture because he was the one getting cuddled. Joe turned his back on the two omegas and turned his attention to the opposite futon.

Joe went around to the side where Langa was and he shook the other awake gently. “Hey, kid.” Joe whispered, watching Langa groan and recoil a bit before his eyes cracked open, looking up at Joe blearily. “Mm?” Langa just hummed. “You should probably think about heading home soon. Miya's going into heat so I don't want you smelling it.” Joe whispered, crouched next to the futon. Langa furrowed his eyebrows and wrinkled his nose at the news. “Mm.. okay..” Langa sat up slowly as Joe stood, rubbing his face to try and wake himself up. He seemed exhausted though Joe knew from past experience that Langa was just not a morning person. He was the classic stereotype of a teenage boy that would sleep in until noon if given the chance.

Joe made his way to the kitchen afterwards, feeling for the light switch. There were two lights in his kitchen, one that was significantly dimmer than the other that he would leave on at night whenever he had company over so if they needed anything, they could see. He never had enough company to have people asleep in the living room however so with his pack’s comfort in mind, he opted out of keeping the kitchen light on. Joe put on a pot of coffee only because he knew Kaoru would be getting up soon. Joe drank coffee every now and then. Maybe twice a week if he felt like it, but typically he drank tea in the morning. He grabbed his kettle and filled it with some water, setting it on the stove to heat up. Moving to sit at the kitchen table, Joe sat in his seat and relaxed, staring out the window quietly.

Joe started contemplating what to make for breakfast. He himself usually ate something light, his guests on the other hand… he didn't quite know. Kaoru would just have the coffee and be set until lunch time. Miya was a light eater which Joe didn't like but he couldn't help. Reki and Langa on the other hand… Reki never stayed long enough to have breakfast and Langa had been having a smaller appetite than usual. Joe worried for him but didn't know what it could be. The others rut wasn't coming for a while according to his own tracking. That would leave something like stress or anxiety. Maybe Langa also was dealing with HBF like Joe was. Joe remembered getting diagnosed with it while he was still in highschool with Kaoru. His appetite just dropped almost entirely and not even Kaoru's futily disguised eating competitions could make him eat a full meal.

Joe allowed himself to lose himself in memories, watching the sky go from dark navy to a bluish grey. Langa came into the kitchen at one point and got himself some water to drink, dressed back in his clothes from the day prior. He didn't say much and Joe didn't offer any words. The silence comfortable between them at least Joe hoped so. Langa was a quiet kid. He was close to them yeah but nowhere near as close as he was with Reki. Joe had a feeling the other was going to take a while to open up to them the same way he was with Reki, if he even wanted to. Langa left shortly after, Joe hearing the soft click of the door at the bottom of the stairs. It was a good thing he did. Not even a few minutes later did Joe smell a spike in heat scent, the smell beginning to cloud the house.

Joe pushed himself from his seat and grabbed himself a mug, pouring in some boiling water from his kettle and popping a tea bag in to start steeping. He headed to his pantry afterwards and pilfered through it, finding a few things like trail mix, soft dried fruit, and granola bars that he could offer to Miya. He also grabbed one of his water bottles that he would use when he went to the gym, filling it with ice and some water from the tap. The water bottle was insulated and would keep it cold for a while. A little trick he would use with Kaoru whenever he took care of the omega in heat. With the body overheating, the cold water would feel practically godly and would encourage him to drink more and keep his fluids up. Joe carried the armful of stuff to the hallway and down to the guest bedroom, knocking gently on the door.

A beat passed and eventually, Joe's sensitive ears heard Miya groan in annoyance. Joe opened the door and stepped in, finding Miya with his head shoved under a pillow. The boy was shirtless at the moment but thankfully was still dressed from the waist down, laying on his stomach with the blanket kicked to the floor. Joe set the food down on the nightstand and pressed the cold water to Miya's back. The young boy whined and tensed up, gripping the pillow tighter before he relaxed, pulling his head out from under the pillow. His hair was a mess and his eyes were cloudy. Joe kept the lights off though a bit of light from the kitchen drifted in through the hallway. Just a bit. Not enough to be offensive though Miya grimaced at it anyways.

“Here, drink.” Joe spoke simply, offering the water to Miya who groaned quietly but eventually reached for it with shaky hands. Miya chugged greedily at the water, a thin stream trailing down his chin and throat. Joe waited patiently, letting Miya drink as much or as little as he wanted and Miya eventually pulled the bottle from his mouth. Joe took it to place it on the nightstand, finding it empty. He'll refill it when he was done in here. Next he grabbed one of the granola bars, offering it to Miya. “Eat this. It has chocolate chips.” Joe encouraged, wanting the other to eat something. Presenting took a lot of energy and Joe didn't know when the last time the other ate was.

Miya wrinkled his nose at the thought of eating something. “I don't want that.” He replied softly, trying to get comfortable in the bed but he couldn't. “My whole body hurts.” Miya groaned, stretching his limbs to try and get them to pop but he couldn't. He rubbed at his arms, trying to massage the tender flesh but it didn't help either. Joe brought the food package closer and tried again. “That's why I want you to eat this. The chocolate helps with the discomfort.” Joe explained, “The magnesium in it helps relieve cramping and relaxes muscles.”

Miya glared up at the alpha distrustfully and he furrowed his brows. “Are you serious? You're not just trying to make me eat something?” Miya asked. The thought of eating anything made him feel nauseous but he was nauseous to begin with. Joe nodded along. “Honestly, I'm doing both. But I'm not lying. Haven't you ever heard that omegas on their periods crave chocolate? It's because it actually helps them feel better. Now eat. I'll leave once you finish your food.” Joe ordered, keeping his voice low and neutral. Miya huffed softly but took the granola bar anyways, unwrapping it quietly and beginning to nibble on it.

They sat in silence for a bit until Miya, about a third of the way through the granola bar, finally spoke again. “Where's everyone else?” He asked quietly. Joe stood away from the bed, arms crossed against his chest and he nodded his head towards the slightly open door. “I sent Langa home a bit ago so he wouldn't smell your scent. The others are still sleeping in the living room.” Joe replied, watching Miya look out the door and continue to pick at the granola. “Can I go out?” Miya questioned and Joe hummed in thought.

“Probably not the best idea. It's your first heat and that's something you have to discuss with the others. I don't think Shadow would want to be around while your in heat but I'm not sure about Reki and Cherry. Omegas can either be really close with eachother during their cycles or they can be really catty about it. It all depends on instincts.” Joe explained, watching as Miya looked away from the door and stared at the foot of the bed, chewing quietly. He was taking his time with eating and Joe knew it was because he didn't want to be alone. He was anxious and scared. Joe could smell it, but even if he was immune to the others scent, it was still best to give him his time to focus on his heat. Joe didn't want to be in the room with Miya when Miya started producing slick. No sir, no how, no way.

Several more minutes passed by and Miya finally finished his granola bar, Joe taking the wrapper from him and ruffling his hair gently, Miya whining from the touch. “I'll bring you more water. Eat if you get hungry and call me if you need anything, alright?” Joe ordered, grabbing the bottle from the nightstand. “I need to be shot and put out of my misery.” Miya replied hauntingly. Joe ignored him and left the room, closing the door behind him. He paused when he saw Reki standing in the hallway. The omega looked up at him quietly and Joe had a feeling that Reki had been standing there for a bit. Reki was leaning against the wall, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His hair was a wild mess, sticking up every which way like it was done by a squirrel.

“Good morning.” Joe greeted, watching Reki nod his head, holding back a yawn. “Morning. How's Miya doing?” Reki asked sleepily, pushing off the wall so he could face the other head on. Joe wondered if the other had been watching him, paranoid, and Joe wouldn't mind if he was. There was nothing for Reki to worry about but it was better for Reki to see that with his own eyes. “He's hating life but he'll be okay. Do you want to go see him? I'm sure he would really like that.” Joe murmured, stepping aside in case Reki wanted to head in. Reki stared at the door hesitantly and sniffed the air. Miya's scent had turned sweeter, smelling like a key lime pie at the moment with his heat present.

“Yeah… I'll go see him for a bit.” Reki replied quietly before he flicked his gaze back up at Joe and then quickly looked away, a bit of embarrassment settling on his face as he grinned awkwardly. “Ern… do you by any chance.. have.. you know…” Reki questioned hesitantly. Joe stared him down for a moment before a slightly metallic scent hit him. He pointed to the hallway bathroom. “Bottom drawer on the right. Help yourself.” Joe replied with a ghost of a smile. Reki nodded his head, cheeks tinged pink as he went to the restroom to take care of himself. Joe guessed the other’s cycle hit. Omegas usually got their period about a week or two after their heat. Joe left the hallway and went to the kitchen to refill the water bottle, popping his head out of the kitchen when he heard the bathroom door open. “Take this in with you please. If he drains it again, bring it out so I can refill it.” Joe ordered, offering Reki the bottle.

Reki nodded and took it gingerly, turning to face the door. He knocked gently, hearing Miya groan before he opened the door. Joe heard miya's tone change, more relieved as he called the other omegas name. Joe returned to the kitchen to leave the others be and he picked up his mug of tea that now had time to cool off. Joe took a sip from it as he returned to his seat at the kitchen table, enjoying the peace that returned to him. Once again, it didn't last too long. Kaoru slowly stepped into the kitchen, rubbing at his eyes as he made his way to the fridge. He didn't say anything to Joe and Joe didn't say anything back, listening instead as he heard his fridge door open and heard a few things get shuffled aside so Kaoru could take out the oatmilk Joe would buy specifically for him. Kaoru went over to the coffee pot and set the carton down, opening a cubbard to get his favorite mug that he left at Joe's place and he started to make his coffee, adding too much sugar the way he usually did. Joe could taste it on his lips the same way he used to taste it on the others…

“Two weeks from now. Have you decided?” Joe asked quietly, finally looking away from the window to take in the view. Kaoru was wearing a pair of pajamas that were too big on top and fit just right on the bottom. A long sleeved baby blue top that looked beautiful against his silky pink hair and a pair of matching shorts that reached just above his knee. Modest yet enticing. That was Kaoru's whole thing. Kaoru stuck Joe with an annoyed look, stirring his mug. “I haven't even had a sip of my coffee and you're trying to jump me? Disgusting.” Kaoru muttered, voice slightly hoarse from sleep. Joe just stared him down, narrowing his gaze. “Would you rather I ask later when everyone's up and listening in?” Joe asked, cocking his head a bit. “I've asked you several other times as well and you keep brushing me off saying you'll think about it. I need to know so I can make arrangements.”

Kaoru took a sip from his coffee and made a face like it was too bitter for him. Like Joe had ruined the flavor for him. “So you can invite over some of your hussies?” Kaoru asked, annoyed. Peeved. Whatever he was, it was infuriating Joe. “Only if you decide not to heat share with me, yeah.” Joe replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. Things were tense about the topic. Had been since the last time Joe was in rut. When… Kaoru said Adam's name. When Joe had to send Kaoru away. When he couldn't take anyone else because they weren't Kaoru-

“You know, normal people just stay home by themselves and masturbate. Why can't you be normal?” Kaoru asked, leaning back against the counter. Usually he would've come to sit by now. Even if they were arguing. They always argued. They always stuck near the other no matter what. So why was he staying away now? Why was Kaoru pulling away? Joe rolled his eyes and Kaoru scoffed at him. Joe set his mug down and stood up, walking over to the other. Kaoru gripped the edge of the counter like he was being cornered, his hold on the pink mug tightening up slightly and he lifted his chin to look at Joe quietly.

“Why does it bother you who I share my rut with when you're the one avoiding me?” Joe asked quietly, voice dropping in tone and Kaoru looked away, turning his face away from Joe. Pink hair curtained his face and while Joe loved the pink locks, he hated when they covered the other's face. “Your rut is intense. It lasts too long and it's a toll on my body when I'm not on my own cycle.” Kaoru was fumbling with excuses and Joe just sighed, leaning in as he put his hands on the counter, this time actually caging the other in between his arms as Kaoru stiffened, ready to throw a punch if he felt threatened. “You should try being more honest, Kaoru. I think things would work out better for the both of us if you did.”

“Honest? How much more honest do I need to be when I tell you you're going to get an STD and die an early death if you continue on like this?” Kaoru asked, lifting his chin defiantly and turning back to stick Joe with his icy gold glare. God, Joe loved him so much but damn did it hurt. How could he continue to love the other when everything he got back was laced with venom? With anger and spite? Every look, every word… Joe felt like a masochistic goon for chasing the other. They had their moments though. The moments that made it worth it. That made all the headaches feel like they weren't for nothing. Like maybe, just maybe, he wasn't being delusional…

Who was he kidding? He was being delusional. He was being so utterly hopeless and moronic but it was worth it to feel like he could have something with the other. Even if it was a lie.

“Scared of losing me, Kaoru? Isn't that a cute look on you.” Joe teased, leaning away from the other. He wasn't going to get an answer. He knew he wasn't. Knew Kaoru well enough to know that the other would just glare at him until the topic was dropped. And that's what he did as Joe stepped away, turning his attention away so he could return to his tea. They stayed in silence and Kaoru finally moved to the table, sitting across from Joe but a seat over. Joe wondered what the other was thinking, but knew he wouldn't get an honest answer. Knew it was futile to ask. Knew he was fine living in mystery. As long as Kaoru stayed by him, as long as he had the other in his life, Joe was fine with keeping everything bottled up. Choking down his words so he didn't hurt the other, biting back insults he knew would genuinely cut the other deep, that he knew would send the other away. No matter how much Kaoru hurt Joe, Joe could never hurt the other. Could never bite back with the same fierceness that Kaoru hit him with. He wanted to, wanted to show the other just how much he hurt Joe with his words, but wanted Kaoru more. Wanted to keep him close. Close enough to touch, to smell, to taste-

Joe felt like his rut was coming faster than he expected. Sighing heavily as he pulled out his phone and started shooting a few texts to his usual hook up partners. He set his phone down knowing it would be a bit until he got a response back from any of them. He was an early bird and his usual crowd stayed up late and slept in late. “You guys working on tearing the place down?” Reki asked, walking into the kitchen with the water bottle in hand. He refilled it, not getting answered by either of them. Reki looked over at them, glancing over his shoulder and he looked like he was contemplating saying something until he decided that maybe he should intervene a little bit.

“What's got you guys so sour this early?” Reki asked, able to smell the scent of bitter leaves and mildew in the air. “Mind your business, Reki.” Kaoru muttered, mug held up to his lips though he wasn't drinking from it. Trying to hide from Joe's scent using the aroma of the coffee. Reki at that point felt like he should take Cherry's word to heart. The other omega was scary to him but he didn't want the tense atmosphere at the moment. Not when Miya was freaking out next door going through his first heat. “I would like to but my pack members are currently making the kitchen smell really bad, and I really don't want Miya to get caught up in this scent. He's panicked enough as is and the smell of you guys arguing is just going to make things worse. So I just want to help. What's up?” Reki asked once more.

Joe rumbled softly in amusement and turned his attention to Reki, “We're fine, Reki. Just the usual. You know how we are. I'll make sure miya doesn't have to deal with the scent, alright?” Joe consoled, standing up from the table and going to stand before Reki. Reki looked up at him quietly and then looked away, looking like he wanted to say more but Joe just rested a hand on his back and guided him out of the kitchen. Kaoru stayed seated, not saying anything else as they left. As much as Joe wanted to say something to comfort Reki, to explain the situation, Joe really had no words.

“Are you okay?” Reki asked, letting Joe lead him back down the hallway. Reki cracked open the door to the guest room and returned the water bottle to the nightstand, looking Miya over a bit before he stepped back out and closed the door. “I'm fine, Reki. It's nothing I'm not used to.” Joe went for light-hearted but Reki didn't seem convinced, staring up at Joe quietly with a concerned expression on his face. Maybe eventually Joe could tell Reki all of his troubles but for the time being, he was still content with keeping them right where they were. Bottled up at the bottom of his heart.

“C'mon, let's smoke.” Joe motioned to his bedroom behind Reki. Reki hesitated but did as the other said and went along to the alphas room. He didn't go for the chair though. Instead he laid across the foot of the bed. Joe didn't pay him any attention though he did think it was rather cute, and he went to get his supplies. He had the joint still from the night prior and pulled it from the tube, putting it between his lips and holding it there as he cracked the window. There was silence between them. Both lost in thought, trying to find words of comfort and trying to ignore the problem at hand. Joe grabbed his pink lighter, a zippo that he had had for years. Originally, it belonged to Kaoru who got it back in highschool when he used to smoke cigarettes. When Kaoru quit, he threw it away. Joe kept it. Refilled it when it needed to be and it stayed in his room most of the time. Joe wondered if Kaoru knew he had it. If he would recognize it if he ever saw it.

He lit the end of his joint and watched it burn, smelled it's putrid smoke that he had grown to love. The end of the joint glowed faintly in the dim room, the sun was on the opposite side of the building but he could still see the way it lit up the world before his bedroom window. Joe turned away and pulled the joint from his lips, holding his hit and walking over to the bed. Reki laid on his side, arm curled under his head as he stared at the blank TV on the wall. His eyes flicked up to meet Joe's before glancing down at the outstretched joint in the alphas hand. Reki contemplated it for a moment and took the joint, sitting up and taking a few small hits from it as Joe looked over his shoulder towards the window and blew smoke towards it.

“You guys were arguing over something serious.” Reki stated quietly. Joe ignored him for a second, taking the joint back and taking another hit from it as he thought over a response. Talking with Reki was nice. The kid pushed when he thought it was appropriate and listened well. He seemed to understand Joe, or at least Joe felt like he was being understood. Or maybe it was just his own feelings of comfort clouding his thoughts. Maybe he was just happy to finally have someone to listen to him and not lash out at him when he talked about his love life. Maybe it was just the weed. Maybe he was delusional.

The smoke tasted bitter but it made his head hurt less. It burned his lungs but made the room feel less suffocating. “Serious is putting it heavily. I was just talking to him about helping me out for my rut. It's in two weeks.” Joe explained, wondering where his conviction to keep the topic to himself just went. “He didn't want to heat share with me so I said I would find another partner and he got mad.” Joe shrugged, staring out the window because looking back at Reki just felt… exposing.

Joe however did take a seat on the bed, leaving some space between them. He passed the joint back and while Reki contemplated once more of denying it, the headspace it would put him in was just too tempting. Too comforting. Reki took the joint and hit it silently as Joe fiddled with the lighter, rubbing his thumb over the pink casing where a design used to be, long gone after many years of Joe using it as a worry stone. He could faintly feel the etch of the cherry fruit design, remembering that it used to be so stupid and gaudy when he first saw it. He would give Kaoru all kinds of shit for it and when the other had tossed it, Joe had come to be obsessed with the way the design felt under his thumb. Rubbing at it when he was in thought to the point where it was all but gone unless you held it up to the light and tilted it just right. “Why did he get mad?” Reki asked curiously, choking on the smoke and coughing into his arm. Joe took the joint and patted the other on the back as Reki pushed himself up a bit, holding himself up on one arm.

“Hell if I know. He likes to be difficult.” Joe muttered and Reki elbowed him in the side. “What?” Joe asked, honestly surprised by the others' actions. “Don't go around saying that. That's mean.” Reki puffed, blowing smoke up at Joe who simply snickered, waving the smoke away. “He's mean to me, though?” Joe replied, cocking his head. “He can be mean to me but I can't be mean to him?”

“Neither of you should be mean to the other.” Reki dropped himself back down but this time he laid his head on Joe's thigh, crossing his arms over his chest. Joe leaned back on one of his hands, watching the other as he puffed on his joint. His head was feeling a bit cloudy but he knew that Reki was doing his best to keep the mood light after what happened earlier in the kitchen. “I know, I know. I'm not mean to him. Promise.” Joe held back the laugh, his mood honestly having improved a lot from what it was in the kitchen. He left his phone there and he wondered if he would get a message back soon though he knew he still had hours to go before then.

“Do you have feelings for him?” Reki asked. Joe looked down to meet the amber gaze of the other and Reki's eyes were just so innocent and curious. Like a little child asking if his daddy loved his mommy more than anything. Joe faltered a bit and Reki looked away quickly, feeling as if he overstepped. They stayed in silence, Joe trying to figure out his own turmoil and Reki wondering why he kept pushing. Why he couldn't just leave things be. “I do.” Joe murmured softly and he sighed, rubbing at his face.

“I really do.”

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“What are you doing here at this time?” Nanako asked, looking down the hallway when she heard the front door open. Langa closed the door behind him and bent down to take his shoes off. “Hey Mom. One of my pack members went into heat so I came home early.” Langa explained, stopping at one of the doors to drop his bag off in his room before he continued down the hallway to butt his cheek against his mothers in greeting. Nanako nodded her head, accepting the affection from her usually reserved son. The house was cold, the way they both preferred it after many years of living in Canada. Langa welcomed the chilly air against his skin because it seemed like everyone else in this city needed it to be blazing hot. Joe's house was always really warm which no one else seemed to mind. Even Reki's house was warm all the time. Not as warm as Joe's but definitely higher then Langa would prefer. He could feel the cold from the tile seep through his socks, his body relaxing from the familiar scent of his home and the blissful temperature.

Langa thought back to his own rut that was coming in the near future and wondered just what he was going to do. He missed Canada for many reasons. The biggest really was just the cold. His ruts were never too bad but it was mainly because he would lay buried in the snow in his backyard for hours on end. His childhood home was far from any other houses so he never had to worry about anyone else smelling his scent. His mom would cancel any plans to have company over on the days he was on his cycle. But now he lived in Okinawa, a place that never got cold. Langa didn't consider 18 degrees cold when he was used to -8 on a good day. How he missed the snow. Originally, when he first moved to Okinawa with his mom, he had contemplated moving back to his hometown in a few years. Now though, he didn't think he could bear it. Maybe he could look into buying or renting a cabin during his cycle and just fly back to enjoy his usual routine of letting the falling snow soothe his overheated skin, but that seemed excessive and out of budget.

“I hope your pack member is doing alright. Are they somewhere safe?” Nanako asked curiously, leading Langa to the living room so they could sit on the couch and chat. “He's staying at the pack alphas house because his parents are out of town.” Langa replied quietly, pulling his knees up to his chest. Nanako furrowed her eyebrows worriedly, a look she couldn't help but wear often. “Will he be alright staying at an alphas place?”

“We were worried about that too at first, but an omega, he's close to the pack alpha, assured us that the one in heat would be fine. He said the alpha doesn't react to the smell of heat.” Langa explained, thinking it over quietly as he leaned his head back against the couch. It wasn't the one they used to have. A lot of their furniture was bought new since it was easier to sell most of their old stuff and replace it. There were some pieces of furniture that his mother kept due to sentimental value, but a lot of it was replaced. This couch was comfier than their old one, but it was leather instead of fabric and it felt weird against his skin.

“You know, you never told me anything about your pack before…” Nanako began, not wanting to push but how could she not? Her teenage son had gone and joined a pack and while she was happy that he was making friends and close connections, she's just now finding out one of them is old enough to own a house?! While she never pried into her son's personal life and trusted him to speak to her if anything was ever bothering him, she felt entitled to understand just what sort of people her only pup was interacting with!

Langa blinked slowly and hugged his legs, tilting his head to look over at his mother. “Have I never talked about them before?” He asked, almost surprised with himself. They were important to him and he just couldn't believe that he never mentioned them at all. Nanako’s smile hurt just a bit but she tried to hide it. “You don't talk to me much about your personal life, Langa. You don't have to tell me everything, but it would make me happy if you just shared a little.”

Langa nodded and frowned, wanting to apologize but instead, he started talking about his pack mates. “It started with Joe. He's our packs alpha. He's really nice and like a big brother. I think he's… twenty five? Twenty six?” Langa thought it over for a moment but continued anyway. “I met him through my friend, Reki. He's the one who taught me to skateboard. I met all of them through skateboarding…” Langa really was happy that he ran into Reki. He opened the world to him in a way that he could've never imagine and really.. he helped him a lot. With experiencing the world and with dealing with the grief over losing his father. Langa had a hunch that he would still be as shut off from the world as he was when he first moved here if it wasn't for Reki. “Joe has a medical condition and he asked the rest of us if we would start a pack with him to help that medical condition.”

“Is it Hyperactive Baby Fever?” Nanako interrupted curiously. Langa nodded, looking up to meet her warm brown gaze. It was a cooler brown than Reki's. Similar to chocolate bloom. “Yeah, how'd you know?” Langa asked curiously. Nanako smiled a bit awkwardly, thinking back to when she first started dating Oliver. He was practically obsessed with her, staring at her so openly until she looked to him and he would look away immediately out of embarrassment. He would bring her courting gifts like her favorite jewelry and would hold onto anything she was going to get rid of. He kept her favorite mug for weeks that she mentioned throwing away because of a chip in it. She had found it one morning after having spent the night there and teased him about it endlessly. Eventually he explained to her about his condition, and told her that he wanted her wholly. Couldn't do anything without thinking about her and proposed to her then and there. They weren't even dating for that long but she never regretted a single moment of it. She looked into the condition on her own afterwards and did her best to help him though there was no need. His symptoms lessened after they bonded.

“Oh, it just sounded similar to something I heard of in the past.” She smiled softly, waving for Langa to continue. “Well.. it's Joe, me, Reki, Miya, Shadow, and Cherry in the pack. Cherry is the omega who knows Joe. They're the same age and they've known each other for a long time. Shadow is a beta and he's really grumpy but he's reliable. He works at a flower shop. Miya is the youngest in the pack and he just presented last night.” Langa explained, enjoying as the cold seeped into his skin. The leather couch under him felt warm though which was slightly irritating, heating up from his body temperature and beginning to stick to his skin.

“You have someone that young in the pack??” Nanako asked immediately before she paused, wanting to ask why exactly someone so young was hanging out with a bunch of twenty five year olds but this was the first time Langa was opening up to her. She didn't want to flip her shit and have Langa close himself off. Langa hummed, “Yeah. We all met through skateboarding and he's really good so we usually meet to to skate together at the skatepark.” He explained, trying to explain it in a way that would make his mother not question it any further. It was a bit weird when you looked at it like that, but obviously they were just a family unit with no shared blood between them. He also did his best to not mention S specifically.

“Ahhhh… I see. And since his parents are out of town, he's staying with the pack alpha who is like a big brother to all of you?” Nanako asked hesitantly as Langa nodded. “Exactly.” Nanako thought it over for a bit, digesting the information. She could smell a slew of scents all over Langa. Varying different genders and scents. Flowers mainly and some tea scent. She wondered who belonged to who. “And what about Reki?” She asked curiously.

Langa didn't make eye contact this time. “What about him?” He asked quietly. “Well, it's the first I'm hearing that name. You mentioned he taught you to skateboard? Or was that Joe?” She asked, already mixing up the details a bit. “No, it was Reki. He's my best friend… I've never mentioned him?” Langa furrowed his eyebrows and Nanako’s eyes widened slightly. “Well no, not by name. But you have mentioned a friend several times.” Nanako spoke quickly. Was Reki the girl that was no girl? The one Langa was having issues with? It seemed like they worked things out thankfully. Nanako wanted to ask how things were going but didn't want to bring up the topic in case they ended things badly.

“What about him?” Langa asked again, maybe a bit… was he being bashful? Oh.. okay Nanako, stay calm! Don't overreact! You may have been right originally about your son having a crush but you need to stay calm or you'll scare him! This is the most Langa had spoken about his personal life in a long time! “Well, what's he like? Does he live nearby? Do you guys have any plans coming up in the future?” Nanako asked curiously, already knowing that she was going to be calling Masae once it was a more appropriate time in the morning to tell her all about how her son was finally opening up to her.

Langa wondered why his mother was asking for so many details but he guessed she was just being an excited mother. He never had friends back in Canada since he really only hung out with his dad. And it was the first time he could actually talk about Reki with someone… “He lives a few streets over. About twelve minutes from here on skateboard.” Langa began, doing his best to answer his mom's questions. “He's really nice. Very excitable and smart. He built my skateboard custom for me.. incorporated special mechanics to it to make it similar to a snowboard for me. He painted the bottom of it himself and everything.” Nanako thought back to when Langa had shown the board off to Oliver, talking about it the same way he was now, excited with a bit of a glow to him. Nanako really wanted to meet Reki now. She bet he was an amazing young man to have her usually stoic son speak so animatedly about him.

“He's patient and kind and he sticks up for his friends a lot. That's one of the reasons we're close with Miya. It's cause there was this one guy, Adam, who said something mean to Miya and Reki told him off. Started a whole beef with him to try and make him apologize to Miya.” Langa realized he shouldn't speak anymore on that part. He really shouldn't mention that Adam sent Reki to the hospital afterwards or his mother would be traumatized. “He makes me really happy. I'm… glad we moved here. Cause I got to meet him and everyone else.” Langa explained, trailing off a bit to try and keep himself from prattling on too much longer.

“I see. I'm glad that you were able to meet so many wonderful people.” Nanako smiled softly, looking at her son. He really did seem happy. Like everything leading up to this was behind him and he could live for himself. Like he would be okay. Nanako really wanted to meet all of them… “You should invite your pack over! I can cook for everyone and I can meet all of them!” She offered, wanting to show interest in her son's personal life but mainly she wanted to know what her son was doing hanging out with a bunch of grown men.

Langa looked a bit hesitant at the idea but shrugged. “I'll ask them but I don't know how good of an idea it would be.” Langa mumbled, imagining mainly how Shadow would act in front of his mom. He was oftentimes brash and loud but he wondered if he would act like he did at the flower shop in front of his mother. He really hoped not because he only acted like that since he was in love with his manager. “If not all of them, at least just this Reki guy. I would love to meet him and thank him for being your friend. I've never seen you so happy before and I want to make sure he knows just how much I appreciate him.” Nanako spoke kindly, reaching over to rub her thumb against Langa's cheek. Her son's face felt a bit warm and he avoided her gaze.

“Have Reki come over?” Langa ventured quietly, wondering for a brief moment if the other would accept or not. He probably would. Reki asked about Langa's home life from time to time. Said his mom wanted to have a big dinner one night with Langa and his Mom but she would have to get everything together after they were done with their family trip.. Langa then wondered if it would be an issue for Reki now that he knew Langa was an alpha. Would it be weird for Langa to invite him over? Would it be… promiscuous? “I'll see what I can do.” Langa replied, though he didn't have high hopes. He didn't have to worry though.

Reki would be coming over rather soon.

Chapter Text

It was a hot night on the mountain, many people were gathered for one of Adam's contests. The sky was clear and the moon was bright, the breeze non-existent. The air felt stagnant and though Reki wore scent patches that night, it did nothing to save him from the people who didn't. The scents of alphas and omegas mingled heavily, clouding the air, making Reki nauseous. He wanted nothing more then to go home and lay down, sleep off the nausea that came with the assault of unregulated pheromones. A pit sat in his stomach and while staying near Joe and Langa helped, it only did so much.

Mainly he could only stay near Joe, the alphas pheromones masking most of the others around them. Langa on the other hand was being crowded by roses and powdery scents, Adam sticking to him like glue with sickly sweet words and disgusting flirtations. Reki couldn't stand the smell, the sight, the jealousy that came from it. Why wouldn't Langa push Adam away? Why did he have to humor the alpha? Was Langa… into him? Or the way he acted? Was he weird like that?

Joe and him were leaning against an old concrete cylinder that stood taller than both of them. Shadow was with them, sneering at some of the other skaters who were practicing on the half pike. He was like a Chihuahua barking at passerbys from the window. Cherry was a bit away with Miya, their youngest following Cherry around due to his air freshener like scent that helped him with the onslaught of fresh scents. Thankfully for Miya, his heat only lasted about three days. Reki was slightly jealous though he really shouldn't be. With being a recessive omega, his heats weren't as strong as those as a normal omegas. Every omegas heat cycle lasted differently. Some were blessed with shorter ones and others cursed with longer ones. Reki experiences a full seven day heat though it wasn't horribly intense. Miya seemed to have a rather light heat when Reki spoke with him earlier after it had ended. Mainly just cramping and overheating though he did ask if some of his other symptoms were normal.

Thankfully Cherry was there to answer those questions. “The lack of slick and the intense nausea are normal since it's your first time. You are reaching puberty but your body is still maturing.” Cherry spoke simply, his voice more technical which is exactly why Reki was glad he was there. When it came to biology, Cherry didn't seem to bat an eye when he had to talk about the dirty stuff. “As you age a few more years, your body will properly adjust and you'll be experiencing full on heats like everyone else.”

Reki prayed for Miya's comfort though there was very little that could be done. Maybe when he's a bit older, Miya would start smoking with him. That would be fun. It was up to the other though Reki didn't think he would be down. Miya was pretty straight laced and he also was in national tournaments rather often and would eventually be drug tested like everyone else. Reki looked up when he heard laughter, looking over to Langa. His friend was there again, the one from Canada. Moose stood next to Langa with an arm over his shoulder, a big grin on his face as he laughed in Adam's face. Adam didn't seem too pleased, glaring up at Moose in annoyance. Langa looked a bit lost until Moose said something Reki couldn't quite hear. Whether it was because he was too far away or because it was in English, Reki couldn't tell. Langa's face morphed into one of understanding and he explained something, Moose immediately halting in his laughter to side eye Adam.

Moose whispered something to Langa and pointed at Adam, raising an eyebrow and honestly looking a bit lost. Langa nodded and Moose shrugged, throwing a peace sign up to Adam and saying something else in a crude manner. Langa waved to Adam who didn't seem too pleased and Langa made his way over to the group with Moose following behind him. Reki straightened up a bit, wondering if he would finally be able to talk to the other. Thankfully, unlike the first time Moose made his appearance, he didn't smell like rancid shit. Langa stopped a bit near Reki, Reki recoiling a bit from the harsh scent of roses, and Langa raised his hand to gesture to Moose. “Guys, this is Moose. Moose, these are my pack mates.” Langa spoke, seeming a bit upset though Reki didn't know why.

Moose smiled brightly at the lot of them, Cherry and Miya drifting back towards the group to listen in on the conversation. “Hey everyone! Call me Moose. It's nice to meet all of you. It's nice that Langa has made friends!” Moose spoke carefully. Reki didn't realize it the first time, probably since his attention was divided, but Moose had a thicker accent then Langa and stumbled his words a bit. His sentences seemed more stiff as well.

“It's nice to meet you too, Moose. I'm Reki.” Reki introduced himself. The others followed, chiming in with just their names. It was a rather short introduction, the others nowhere near as outgoing as Reki was. “What brings you to Okinawa?” Reki asked once the introduction was over with. Moose thought it over for a moment, brows pinching. “I'm helping my mother's friends cousin. She had a surgery and needs a person to help with chores. The friend is very busy, and I like to travel, so I came instead.” Moose replied, smiling when he got his whole sentence out. He looked to Langa. “That's good right?”

Langa just nodded. Reki couldn't help but wonder why the other looked so worried. He would have to ask later, preferably after Langa no longer smelled like the weirdo who ran the place. “Langa said you guys used to snowboard together, right? How'd you get into skateboarding?” Reki continued, looking over the board that Moose had tucked under his arm. It was a long board like Langa's. Reki wondered if he also preferred it since it was more similar to a snowboard.

“I learned growing up before the snow. I came from further south in Canada and moved to Whistler when I was around nine or ten. I was a skater since age five.” Moose explained, turning most if not all of his attention to Reki. Reki couldn't smell a scent coming off of him, wondering if the other was wearing scent patches or if he was a beta.

“Whistler… Thats in British Columbia, isn't it?” Cherry asked, finally joining the conversation. Moose nodded. “I grew up there. Moose moved in during the beginning of middle school. Or junior high. Whichever you want to call it.” Langa explained, looking back to his friend. “How are you liking Japan so far?”

Moose beamed at him, “It is very nice! The people are friendly and a lot of them stop me to talk on the streets. They say I am very tall!” And Reki had to agree with him. Moose was indeed very tall. Joe was the tallest person he knew and Moose was almost a whole head taller than him. The conversation devolved into some mindless chatter. Really just between Reki and Moose. It was just like Langa said prior, Moose was indeed friendly and definitely very chatty.

Eventually, Moose got called over by another group of skaters and he excused himself, telling them all he would see them around and specifically telling Langa that they would catch up later. Langa didn't seem too interested in the conversation which Reki was curious about. “Hey man, what's up with you?” Reki asked after Shadow and Miya had wandered off, Joe and Cherry beginning to bicker over who would win in the upcoming competition. Langa raised an eyebrow and looked over at Reki curiously. “What do you mean?”

“I dunno, you just don't seem too happy about Moose being around. I was wondering if everything was alright with you guys.” Reki replied, doing his best not to breathe with his nose. Adams' scent was so thick and potent. He had to have smeared his scent over Langa and it made Reki's skint crawl. Why would he do that? Reki had the urge to cover it with his own. Wanted to reach out and fix the other but… that would be weird, wouldn't it? They usually only scented while at Joe's place. When it was necessary… they weren't a pack because they wanted to be. It was to help Joe… Reki stared at the asphalt as the realization sunk in. It would be weird for him to act like a pack with the others when it wasn't necessary, wouldn't it?

“Oh… that. It's nothing serious.” Langa explained quietly, also looking down at the asphalt. Reki felt like there was practically a chasm between them. He was probably overthinking it but he couldn't help it. That's just what he did best. “I think… I'm being competitive. And I'm the only one who realizes it's a competition.” Langa tried again without revealing too much before he nodded. “I worry that he wants the same thing as me, and I want to keep it to myself.”

Reki raised his head and looked over at Langa who genuinely looked slightly annoyed. Reki blinked at him a few times before he grinned softly. “Are you trying to say you're jealous? Or possessive?” Reki asked teasingly, watching Langa meet his gaze with those aqua eyes that looked like the ocean and sparkled just as bright. God, Reki wanted to gag himself for how cringey his inner monologue was. How cliche was it to compare someone's blue eyes to the ocean or the sky? It might've been super cliche but it was true. Startling blue depths he could get lost in. Ones he could drown in.

“Maybe. That probably makes more sense.” Langa replied as he watched Reki, eyes drifting down to stare at something on Reki's face before he looked away, his cheeks tinged the slightest bit of pink. Reki couldn't help himself. Maybe he could be a little slick. Maybe Langa wouldn't notice… Reki would have to get his scent patch off, at least the one on his wrist. Preferably without Langa knowing. He scratched at his wrist, pulling the clear patch off and shoving it into his pocket. This was such a stupid idea. Such a stupid thing that he wanted. He should just ask. Could just ask. Langa would probably agree, would always give in to whatever absurd request Reki had for him. Was the whole reason he got onto a skateboard in the first place was just to humor Reki and bend to his whims. Reki should just be honest, tell him that Adam's scent bothered him and that he wanted to get it off of Langa.

Reki reached out to clasp the other on the arm, Langa's eyes flicking up to meet Reki's. He looked excited almost, hopeful maybe. Reki was terrified. The slight brush of Langa's jacket against his fingers and suddenly his wrist was slammed back against the concrete cylinder. It scratched at the back of his hand and Reki recoiled, finding himself pinned by a large hand. “Now now little Reki, what do you think you're doing?” Adam's voice was sickly sweet and Reki wanted to cut his arm off just to get away from the other. The pungent scent of alpha assaulted his senses, digging into his skin, clawing under his shirt and touching him–

“Were you about to scent my little Eve? How disgusting of you~” Adam's voice dropped a bit, Reki feeling suffocated, his skin overheated with panic- he heard voices, others talking, people yelling, all he could focus on was the alpha. The threat. The danger. Adam's grip was iron like and bruising against his skin. Tight enough to hurt. “Do you really think a proper alpha like Langa would want a recessive freak like you hanging off of him? Oh please, don't make me laugh-”

Reki couldn't process what happened after. He was too scared, eyes wide and unseeing, focused only on the cruel smile and the glint of fangs he knew all too well. Joe came out of nowhere like a freight train, Cherry yelling at him to go for the shoulder and Joe decked Adam hard. Adam immediately released Reki's wrist and stumbled back, Reki doing the same, his heart pounding in his throat as he clutched his hand to his chest. Arms caged around him and he resisted, voice gone, his chest burning, throat dry. He needed to escape, to leave, go somewhere-

“Reki-”

“Don't even think about it while you smell like that.”

“What the hell is your problem, Adam?!”

“Reki?!”

“You pack quite the punch. I can see why Cherry calls you a gorilla!”

It was too loud. Too smelly. Noisy. Reki smelled the scent of lilacs and took a loud raggedy breath, feeling tears stream down his face. The arms that were pulling at him pulled tighter and Reki's face was pulled into a chest, the scent of lilacs and linens flooding his nose and making him go limp. He was in Cherry's arms, the older omega hugging him tightly. Maybe out of comfort or panic, Reki couldn't tell. The scent was fresh and sweet, clean and slightly peppery, tickling his nose. He was filled with thoughts of the house above the restaurant, the hot showers he would take and the tangled mess of limbs he would take up in, the feeling of comfort from being surrounded by others who just wanted somewhere safe to belong. Reki could see himself in the living room, shirtless and laying on the couch, watching his pack mates scent each other with a lazy urgency. Could feel fingers in his hair, soothing him with gentle pets, firm and warm.

Reki laid limp in Cherry's arms, the older omega glaring at the scene before him. Joe stood before him, back to him while he faced down Adam, fists clenched tight. Cherry kept a close eye on the situation, knowing that if he didn't pay attention and keep Joe in line, he might actually kill Adam. He almost did with that punch, originally aiming for the other's head. Adam held his arm loosely, mainly looking unbothered by the strike that could've easily dented a metal pole. Langa stood next to Joe, eyes glued to Reki looking absolutely mortified. He had already tried to run to Reki but Cherry told him to stay away. He was doused in Adam's scent and would do nothing but make the situation worse.

“You stay the hell away from him, Adam.” Joe's voice came out deadly calm. Cherry flinched from the tone, never having heard it from the alpha before. Cherry's also never seen Joe throw a punch before. Let alone at Adam. “Oh trust me, Kojiro. I have no interest in tainted omegas. I simply want to make sure that gnat knows better than to try and cover my scent with his own.” Adam spoke simply, staring Joe down with a bemused look. “A little bit of alpha pheromones and he's crumbling. What kind of pathetic-”

“Shut your damn mouth, you piece of shit or you'll bite the curb.” Joe seethed, his voice getting darker. Cherry took a few steps back, dragging Reki with him. He's definitely never seen Joe like this before. Never seen him so angry, so violent. He wanted to stay and talk Joe down from making a horrible mistake, mainly killing Adam, but he had to think about Reki. He couldn't just drop him off somewhere and he couldn't think too hard about fixing the problem, his concentration all focused on keeping his scent soothing and comforting, putting Reki out in a muted headspace.

Adam paused and stared Joe down with an annoyed look, knowing that no matter how much he tried to let on that the punch didn't hurt, he was wonderful at masking his pain, his arm was throbbing and he could very easily be murdered by the alpha before him. Joe seemed like he wasn't scared of the possibility of jail at the moment either. His brownish red eyes were narrowed and his nose was wrinkled like Adam's scent was enough to make him vomit. And to think there was a time when he and Cherry used to bask in Adam's scent…

“Don't tell me you're-” Adam was about to spit some filth about Joe having some sort of misplaced feelings for the little recessive omega, mention something about how he didn't realize Reki was that good of a lay to have the womanizer himself trying to protect his honor, only to be stopped by Langa's voice.

“Go away Adam.” Langa murmured, not even sparing the alpha a glance. Adam stared at Langa quietly, never having been told off by him before. “Eve?” He questioned, puffing out a chuckle because who was he kidding, even if Langa told him to leave, he wouldn't even think about-

“I said to leave.” Langa's gaze snapped to Adam and he felt his blood run cold. Langa's face was laxed, not a single wrinkle or furrow in sight yet his eyes were dangerous, lit up with pure rage that Adam hesitantly took a step back. This was odd. Something he's never felt before. He never ran from a fight, was easily facing Joe with the others anger on full display but now, a single look from Langa and he was feeling his knees begin to shake? Something wasn't right. Something wasn't adding up.

Langa looked away from Adam, knowing he would be leaving soon unless he wanted to deal with both Joe and him at once. Langa stared at Reki, the other leaning against Cherry's chest with his eyes closed and his breathing even. Langa wanted nothing more then to go over and help, to take him from Cherry and carry him to the car so he could relax and recover. Reki needed help and he could do nothing to help him? Why couldn't he go over? Why can't he help?

Joe approached the others, ignoring the way Langa was seemingly glued in place. He was stuck under Cherry's words, not daring to come any closer lest he make things worse. Joe looked down at Reki who looked passed out, breathing shallowly, barely able to keep himself standing. Cherry's scent lessened a bit and Reki's eyes snapped open, straightening up and gasping for air like he was just pulled from an icy lake. Joe spread his own comforting scent, hoping it would help. Reki was hyperventilating, breathing in the mix of scents and his breathing slowed a bit, pausing for a moment as his eyes drifted up to meet Joe's. “There you go, kid.” Joe's voice was surprisingly gentle, a complete one eighty from when he was speaking to Adam. “It's time to go. We're going to find the others and head home.” Joe added, lifting his arm towards the other with his wrist up, offering his scent gland but Reki ignored it, instead throwing himself into the others chest.

“Jeez kid, he scared you bad, huh?” Joe sounded slightly peeved, slightly worried. He held Reki and rubbed a hand down his back, looking up to Cherry. “Let's head back to the car. I'll call Shadow and Miya when we get there.” Joe spoke, looking over to talk to Langa, to tell him to follow at a distance until they could spray him with some Odor neutralizer, but Langa was nowhere to be seen.

Langa had gone off to find Adam. He skated through the streets of S, narrowly avoiding other skaters who yelled at him for almost running into him. The scent of everyone around him was overpowering, different scents of alphas and omegas, some scents of sex as people had wandered off to dark corners to enjoy whatever fantasy they had. Langa could smell the scent of beer and weed, now having a name for the smell since he knew from Reki just what it was. There was the smell of cinnamon on his own breath, could still taste the candy on his tongue. He had become obsessed with them. A crutch if you would. Something to chew on to keep him from wanting to bite the real thing. S smelled like body odor and woods, the trees rising up high around them, at some points being the only thing he could see.

Despite all of these different smells, the scent of powdery roses blanketed all of them. Adam releasing his scent shamelessly with no thought or care for anyone else in the vicinity. Most people didn't care. Some of them loved it, deluding themselves with his scent, basking in it. Langa used to not mind it. It smelled like roses. He liked roses. Who didn't like roses? He remembered his dad bringing him mom roses every Saturday whenever the shops in town got their shipments in. Every single Saturday like clockwork he would come home with a bouquet and his mother would leave them be for a few days until they started to wilt. She would dry them afterwards and crush the petals and keep them in large jars on display. Even now she had a cabinet in her room dedicated to keeping them. One of the few personal items she clung to fiercely during the move. Langa saw roses as a symbol of immense love simply because of his parents.

The smell was beginning to make him sick.

Adam was easy to find even if it took a while to come face to face with him. He came to a stop right before him, cutting off his path as he talked with Snake. Adam raised a brow and looked down at Langa curiously, “Why hello there, Eve. Decided to crawl back to me?” Adam asked tauntingly.

“I'm challenging you to a beef.” Langa spoke, ignoring everything Adam had to say. “I want you to never spread your scent around S ever again.” This would help Reki. He had seemed to enjoy S a lot before Adam started coming. The scents of everyone else around didn't bother him as much as Adam's did. If Adam's scent was gone, Reki wouldn't be scared anymore. That's all Langa wanted, for Reki to be comfortable. For him to be happy.

“Oho? A rather big stipulation on your end if I do say so myself. This is my home after all and you want me to treat it like a place where I can't be myself?” Adam's voice took on a slightly venomous edge. Langa didn't bat an eye, staring up into blood red pools unblinkingly as Adam developed a cruel smile. “I guess I should have a prize just as heavy from you then. Very well. If I win…” Adam paused for dramatic effect, bringing his hand up to grip Langa's chin though Langa smacked the hand away. He couldn't be near Reki right now simply because he smelled like the man before him right now. That thought alone pissed him off. Adam seemed annoyed but even more pleased, a sadistic grin, teeth on display, fangs hungry. “Your nape. I'll leave my mark on it.”

Snake's eyes widened at the words from Adam and he stepped forward, looking as if he was going to intervene. In any other situation, he wouldn't. Would be beat, punished, disciplined, anything like that if he stepped out of line- but marking the other as a means of reward?! That was simply too much. That was unexcusable.

“Deal.”

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Miya smelled the distant scent of cinnamon. He chalked it up to just being Langa with that weird spicy candy he liked, but it smelled more.. powdery. Like it was cut with something. Like it wasn't pure cinnamon. Mixed with sawdust or talc. It wasnt easy on the nose like Reki's scent was. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't good. An inbetween that just.. made Miya feel uncomfortable. He could smell Joe and Cherry as well which made him feel concerned. Cherry's scent was sweeter than usual and Joe’s had some underlying bitterness. Something felt wrong though and the feeling sat heavy in his stomach.

Just to soothe his anxiety, Miya started following the scents, skating past other S goers and trying his best to not get sick from the onslaught of different scents. He could smell leaves and sugar and salt. Some people smelled like fruit and others smelled like wood. Some smelled like laundry and someone even smelled like car oil. Being on the mountain top helped, allowing the scents to disperse and not feel like they were overpowering Miya's nose. He actually would've liked to relax a little and explore the world that was unlocked for him a bit more but at the moment, he was too worried.

Miya's neck itched from the patches that Reki had helped him apply, the older omega having explained the rules and knowledge about wearing them. “Most boxes come with several sheets of patches. Each sheet has the exact number of patches for all of your scent glands and they're usually laid out in the exact way you put them on.” Reki explained back at Joe’s, the two of them in the guest bathroom with the box sitting between them. Reki pulled a sheet out, having brought a box of his preferred brand of clear patches for Miya to try out. Miya had made a face at the thought of wearing Cherry's pink patches and Joe's patches were far too big for him, so Reki brought some over.

Miya grabbed a sheet as well and stared at it, eyeing up the neatly placed stickers. There was a big one set in the top middle and two smaller ones on either side. There were small printed labels next to each one as well, labeling wrists, nape, thighs, chest, telling the user exactly where each one went and a diagram on the box that showed a girl in a loose white tank top and shorts applying one to her inner thigh, a few colored patches on her neck and wrists to show off where some of the patches went. “How many scent glands do I even have?” Miya whispered moreso in disbelief then anything, staring at the sheet as Reki started applying some to his neck using the mirror for help.

“Thirteen of them. The nape, either side of the neck, one on each wrist and each ankle, two large ones on the inner thigh, one on the lower back..” Reki started counting on his fingers as he listed them off. “Two on either side of the stomach and a large one in the middle of the chest. Some scent glands are just more potent then the rest like the ones on the neck and thighs. The ones on the ankles, and wrists aren't as strong. Others like the ones on the chest and back are only strong when under stress or when in heat. They usually.. you know, encourage mating.” Reki shrugged, feeling a bit of heat in his cheeks. Miya felt his own face dark a bit with embarrassment and he wrinkled his nose, peeling a scent patch off and slapping it on his wrist.

“Careful, if you don't put them on flat, they could leak your scent and will cause irritation.” Reki explained, showing his own wrist to Miya. His patch was practically seamless with his skin, the only way you could tell it was there was from the slight shine it had when it hit the light. Miya's scent patch on the other hand was slightly crooked and creased. He picked at it and straightened it out, doing his best to make it lay flat. “There you go.” Reki encouraged, smiling at Miya who looked up, feeling a bit proud of himself. “Now you just have to do that with the rest.”

The patches felt odd, something he would eventually need to get used to but for the time being, Miya would be irritated by them. The wind blew hard, carrying a hot breeze with it. The first breeze Miya felt all night, and it was enough to carry the scents away from his nose. Miya furrowed his brows and came to a stop, sniffing the air and trying to find the other scents again. Almost immediately, his phone started to ring. Miya picked it up, hearing Cherry's grim voice.

“Hey, meet back at the car. We're leaving.” Cherry spoke, Miya able to hear Joe's voice speaking in the background but nothing else. “Is everything alright?” Miya asked, beginning to skate to where he remembered the car being parked. It seemed like the last few times they've been to S, they had to leave for one reason or another.

“I'll explain when you get here.” Cherry replied, hanging up immediately. Miya pinched his brows together and shoved his phone back into his pocket, kicking off a bit harder to push himself along faster. A thousand different thoughts ran through his head. He kept thinking back to the cinnamon scent he smelled. It made him think something was wrong with Reki, but he was there when Reki was applying his scent patches so he shouldn't be able to smell Reki to begin with. The paranoia was there though, eating away at Miya slowly, painfully. He felt it in his throat.

“Hey twerp,” Shadow skated up next to Miya, voice a bit gruff. “You heard from Cherry yet?” Shadow's voice held a bit of worry though he did his best not to show it. Miya nodded along and the two of them went on in silence. Miya smelled the potent scent of Cherry and Joe again, this time Cherry smelled a bit agitated, his lilac scent smelling a bit off putting. The car came into view and they could see Cherry standing behind the car, hatch open and Joe sitting in the trunk, the two of them bickering. The scent of cinnamon wasn't as chalky as it was before, but it wasn't sweet like Reki's usually was.

“-And you really shouldn't have just assaulted him like that!” Cherry was busy chiding Joe, hands on his hips as he glared down at the alpha. Joe rolled his eyes, his jaw set stiff. He genuinely seemed upset, which Miya doesn't feel like he's ever seen before. Coming to a stop near them, Miya glanced into the open trunk and stiffened up when he saw Reki tucked into the trunk, knees pulled to his chest and face hidden in his arms. “What else was I supposed to do? It's Adam we're talking about. If I told him off or just grabbed him, he would've made the situation worse!” Joe defended. Miya squeezed passed him, Joe's figure blocking up most of the hatch. Joe lifted his arm without looking over, letting Miya through while he continued to speak to Cherry. Reki lifted his head when he felt the car shift from the added weight and Miya felt his heart drop, Reki's gaze cold and empty.

“Reki..?” Miya called hesitantly, scooting over so he was next to the other. Reki made a small noise, putting his head back down and hiding his face. Miya touched his arm and Reki flinched away from the touch, pressing himself back into the corner. “Give him a little space, Miya. He's sensitive to touch right now.” Joe’s voice drifted back over his shoulder, the older man softening his tone. Miya looked back at him, looking between him and Cherry, both of whom looked a mix of angry and worried.

“What the hell happened?” Miya asked, his voice feeling wobbly. What could've possibly happened that made Reki shut down like this? Miya had seen Reki scared before, had seen him in his head and over thinking and wanting to shut himself down, wanted to shut the world out just to protect himself, but this wasn't it. This was worse, it seemed like. Miya smelled the scent of roses hanging in the air, smeared across them but the scents of Cherry and Joe were working hard to smother it.

Cherry looked like he was trying to find the right words and in all honesty, he didn't know what happened to begin with. He just knew that Adam was on Reki and that Reki was panicking. “Adam showered his pheromones all over Reki. Reki shut down because of the intense alpha scent.” Joe explained as best as he could, shifting his body so he could face the two in the trunk. Miya furrowed his eyebrows, having more questions then answers at this point. He looked back to Reki and stared at the other, wanting to talk to him, to scent him, to offer him the same comfort he had offered Miya previously..

Miya's eyes drifted down to Reki's hand that was gripping his opposite arm. It was slightly bloody, the skin along the back of his hand was broken and scabbing over and the skin around his wrist was beginning to discolor into a bruise. Miya felt his throat tighten, his skin tingling with anxiety. What could he do to help?

“Where's Langa at?” Shadow asked, turning his attention to the two other adults. Cherry shrugged, “I called him a few times but I keep getting sent to voicemail. He disappeared when we started moving Reki to the car.” Cherry explained, checking his phone in the futile hope that Langa would call him back. “It's not like him to just disappear like that. Do you think he went to go fight Adam?” Shadow asked curiously, kicking his board up and grabbing Miya’s as well, going to load the boards up in the back seat.

“Him? Standing up to Adam? Telling him off?” Joe asked, slightly annoyed. “I doubt it.” He looked back to Reki who had shifted a bit, leaning his head back to take deep breaths. His face looked paler than usual, eyes shut tight. He massaged at his wrist, the one without a scent patch, a habit most people picked up to help relieve tension.

Joe's voice was more bitter then he intended. Cherry noticed, eyeing the alpha quietly though he didn't say anything else. Miya settled himself down next to Reki, leaving a little bit of space between them. He wanted to help but didn't know how, so the only thing he could think of to keep himself sane was to stay close to the other. Just in case he needed him.

“Miya,” Cherry's voice was gentle, as gentle as it could be when he was as irritated as he was. “Take off one or two of your patches. I'm sure Reki would appreciate having your scent right now.” He encouraged. Miya looked over at him and thought it over for a moment before he picked at his wrist, pulling off the scent patch he worked so hard to put on properly. The patch itself was slightly opaque due to a mix of sweat and scent oil, the slightly tangy scent of limes tickled at Miya's nose. He could barely smell it, taking a deep breath to try and concentrate on making it a bit stronger. He was still learning to control his scent, working on how to keep it in and let out out slowly. He let out too much, the smell of limes flooding the car. Miya flinched from how potent the scent was and he looked over to Cherry, to apologize for letting out too much but he didn't get a chance, a pair of arms wrapping around him and pulling him further into the trunk.

Miya squawked, falling back against Reki's chest as the older omega looked him over. Miya looked up at Reki, the emotionless face from before was replaced with a focused, worried look. Miya furrowed his eyebrows, “What? What's wrong?” He asked, Reki touching at his face and turning it this way and that, examining him.

“What happened? Why do you smell like that?” Reki asked quietly, his voice small but serious. Miya gaped at him in confusion and Joe chuckled softly, watching them. “Reki, are you worried about your little brother?” Joe teased, trying to lighten the mood now that Reki was coming out of his shock.

Reki narrowed his gaze at Joe, and hugged Miya tighter, not answering him. Miya smelled a sort of metallic tang to Reki's scent, reminiscent of blood but not quite. Joe smelled it too, eyes widening slightly and he leaned back, cracking a nervous smile. “Hey now kid, I'm not the reason why he smells upset! I thought we were bros!” Joe defended himself, almost hurt but not quite. He knew that Reki wasn't actually apprehensive of him, just seeing everyone in the immediate vicinity as a threat, but still, it did hurt a little bit. Miya's scent was slightly rotten with worry, Reki immediately picking up on it. Of the pack, those two were the closest in age and seem to have a very tight knit bond to each other. Joe was glad that Miya's scent was enough to help Reki recover from his shock.

Reki kept his narrowed gaze on Joe for a bit longer, the look almost like a glare but there wasn't any of the venom behind it. Reki was scared but he was more upset at the thought of Miya being scared then anything else so he was going to do his best to protect him. Reki nuzzled his face into Miya's hair and tried to rub his neck on the other, wrinkling his nose and reaching up to pull at his scent patches. The thick scent of cinnamon mixed with limes in the small car, Reki's scent smelling less powdery and more potent and sweet as he tries to comfort Miya, covering his worried scent with his own. Miya melted into the touch and laid pliant in the others lap, whining softly as Reki practically doused him in the spicy sweet burn of cinnamon.

Langa hesitantly approached the car, standing a decent way away from it. Cherry was the first to notice him, going to his driver's seat to retrieve the can of odor neutralizer. He had replaced it after last time thankfully and wordlessly sprayed the young alpha down. Langa stood still obediently, wanting nothing more then to check in on Reki. Once Cherry gave him the okay, Langa approached the trunk. Joe was in his way, eyeing Langa up curiously with his arms crossed over his chest. Langa could see Reki and Miya behind him, his eyes focused on Reki. Reki didn't look up at him at all, too enamored with making sure Miya was properly scented and safe. Langa swallowed the lump in his throat, able to smell the cooling scents of fear and worry and pain that hung in the air.

“Langa, where were you just now?” Joe asked quietly, drawing Langa's attention from the omega. Langa pursed his lips, not wanting to speak Adam's name just in case it scared Reki. “I was making a deal with someone.” Langa explained quietly, taking note of the stern gaze Joe gave him. Joe seemed unhappy though Langa didn't know why. Reki lifted his head when he heard Langa's name, locking eyes with the blue haired alpha who looked back to him immediately when he saw the other move. Reki didn't say anything, only reached his hand towards the other and that was all Langa needed, pushing past Joe who begrudgingly let him through.

The trunk was cramped with the three of them in it, Joe standing up and leaving to give them more space. Langa standing on one leg and the other bent underneath him, braced against the hard plastic that lined the trunk. Reki touched Langa's face gently, fingers ghosting against his skin. Langa felt like electricity was tickling down his spine, Reki's touch grazing from his cheek down to his neck and curling his grip around the back, touching against the scent patch that sat on the nape of his neck. Langa shuddered from the touch, being pulled in by the omega, Reki wanting Langa closer and Langa drifting in. Who would Langa be to deny Reki? Reki's touch was almost all that Langa lived for. It was gentle and warm and made his heart beat like crazy. It made Langa feel everything. The warm blood running through his veins, the delicate breeze during the day, the gentle kiss of the sun on his skin-

Reki kept guiding Langa closer and closer, eyes falling shut. Langa's eyes only widened, wondering just what Reki was going to do. Kiss him? Was he about to kiss him?! Langa felt like he wasn't ready but he was about to be. Would work hard to make Reki happy, to keep him safe-

Reki touched their forehead together, taking a deep breath before his eyes fluttered open. He seemed annoyed, the fingers against the back of Langa's neck dug nails into this skin gently, peeling the scent patch from Langa's nape. Langa choked on a breath, face red as Reki dropped his head to Langa's shoulder, inhaling the scent of marshmallows and toasted sugar from the others scent gland. Langa's scent coming out warm and sweeter than usual. Reki wanted to taste it, wanted to bite the other. Wanted to mark him. Keep Adam away from him. Keep Langa all to himself.

Reki wanted to do something wrong. Something he would regret. Something drastic and dangerous.

Langa wanted to let him.

Chapter Text

Reki was not proud of how he acted on the way back to the house. Miya and Langa left him in the hatch after Reki managed to calm himself down a bit and they were both sitting in the back seat. Cherry advised them to give Reki some space to get his thoughts in order and while Reki did want more skinship, more warmth, more touch, he agreed that he did indeed need some space. For reasons he was not proud to admit, Reki needed to be away from Langa for causing issues with himself and from Miya to keep the poor boys innocence. Reki laid along the hatch, staring up at the ceiling. He had everyone's scents in his nose, his head fuzzy and full of cotton.

Langa's scent was all he could focus on at that moment though, the singular thought of wanting to taste him hanging in the forefront of Reki's mind. Reki wondered if Langa tasted as sweet as he smelled. If it would make Reki's tongue tingle in delight the same way it did when he ate actual marshmallows. Reki ran his thumb over the scent patch he had pulled off Langa's neck prior, feeling the adhesive stick to his fingers slightly. He could find out. Secretly, without the other knowing… It was a horrible thought. He knew that much. Langa would probably be horrified if he knew. If he knew about the things Reki thought about him.

Would he though? He let stupid Adam do this kind of shit. Let the man do whatever he wanted to Langa with no thought of how it would make Reki
anyone else feel. Reki brought the patch to his face, the scent of marshmallows and sugar filling his nose in the most delectable way. Reki wanted nothing more than to lay in bed and get lost in the scent, Langa's arms around him, soft hair tickling his face, the bare graze of lips against his ear as Langa told him whatever it was he was going to say on the vert ramp…

The scent patch tasted a bit bitter, a mix of adhesive and sweat. It was slightly sweet though, just slightly. It was enough though, enough for Reki to get what he wanted. He knew what he wanted. It was Langa. So painfully, it was Langa. The one person who became so consistent in his life, the one who almost always put him first. He looked at Reki in a way that made Reki feel special, whether Reki was imaging it or not was none of his business. He could allow himself to be naive. Let himself fall…

and maybe Langa would catch him.

Just like he did at the island. Catch him right before he hit the ground, pull him close, steady him, look at him with those aqua eyes and leave Reki feeling tingly and breathless and so utterly hopelessly in love.

God, why did it have to be him?

Reki felt the car stop and his eyes shot open, quickly pulling the patch from his mouth and sitting up. He could hear the faint rumble of Joe's motorcycle, pulling up next to them and driving away as he went to park it around in the garage at the back of the building. Reki's face felt warm and he immediately made eye contact with Langa who was looking back at him, Langa looking almost awestruck as he stared. Reki felt embarrassed, shy, oh jeez, did he see anything?

“You okay back there, Reki? We're back at Joe's.” Cherry called, opening his door. Reki didn't reply, looking away from Langa though he knew from his peripheral vision that Langa didn't look away from him. Reki's skin felt hot and his own patches that held onto his glands were beginning to itch and feel uncomfortable, overloaded already with all of the intense emotions that Reki had gone through in just the last few hours. Cherry opened the hatch for Reki and Reki hurried out of the trunk, hurrying off away from the group. He needed to shower. Bad. His scent patches were itching and he couldn't pull them off just yet or all the emotions he was feeling would be out for everyone to smell. His fear, anger, arousal, jealousy, pain-

Reki stumbled down the alleyway that lead to the garage where Joe was, hanging up his helmet with his back to Reki. “Is that door unlocked?” Reki asked, causing the other to stiffen and look over his shoulder, eyeing Reki up. “Yeah, you need to shit or something?” Joe asked, wondering why Reki was rushing inside, all signs of his previous emotional turmoil almost gone, or maybe the shutdown had just been repurposed into a manic storm of anxiety.

“Sure. Go with that.” Reki replied, brushing past him and grabbing the doorknob, hurrying inside and shutting the door behind him. He navigated as best as he could through the hallway, having never been in this particular area of the shop but he managed to find his way to the staircase that led up to the home above. He went straight for the bathroom, shutting the door behind him before he stripped out of his clothes and hurriedly peeled off the scent patches. His neck in particular felt raw, the patches cloudy and at their max capacity for containing the scent oil his glands produced. He tossed them into a bag and sprayed the ever loving shit out of it with odor neutralizer, sealing the bag and throwing it into the trash before he sprayed the bathroom down. He could barely smell anything now which was good.

Reki turned the shower on, stepping underneath the cold spray that heated up almost instantly, steam surrounding him and carrying away the tension from his body. When he breathed it in, his throat felt hot, burning, like it was filled of smoke- God Reki could go for a smoke right now. He definitely needed it after what happened with Adam. He knew in the sanest parts of his brain that Adam was not his father. The pain inflicted by him hurt almost as much though. The fear that Adam infected Reki with, the utter helplessness Reki felt because of him, they were just all too similar to what happened back then. The back of his hand stung from the hot water, the skin stretching uncomfortably around the scabs and his wrist twinged with pain when Reki moved it. The heat from the water was almost unbearable but it was necessary, kept his head right where it needed to be under the hot water from the shower. He was in Joe's guest bathroom on the second floor of the Sia La Luce at the age of seventeen and not at home at ten years old pinned beneath a monster. He would never be back there. He would never experience that again.

The mantra in his head repeated over and over again, his skin slowly growing numb to the heat and Reki swayed a bit before he caught himself. Maybe he should get out now… the thought came across his mind and he reached for the shower door only to realize he had yet to even wash himself. His mind was beginning to scatter and as he reached for the soap, his wrist shooting a line of pain up his arm, he realized there was little he could do at this point to stop it. Reki remembered putting soap into his hand and scrubbing at his scalp, not knowing which soap exactly he was using and not caring to begin with. His mind kept getting flashes, pulling up old memories he wanted no part in, showing him the things that made him want to vomit. He could hear those words his father always whispered to him in the back of his head, the only thing that brought him comfort in those hours when his mom wasn't home.

’Stay still for me, or I'll go to your sister's room instead.’

Reki heaved at the sudden scent of an alpha, mouth watering as bile rose from his stomach and he did his best to keep himself balanced as he coughed up the bile. He hadnt eaten anything in a while, thankful that there wasn't anything in his stomach for him to worry about. Reki tried hard to remember what his mantra was, what he was saying to keep himself put. Where was he again? Reki flinched when he heard a knock at the door, spitting toward the drain. The smell of bile hit his nose, disgusting and offensive but no where near as much as the scent of the alpha.

“Reki? It's Joe.” A voice called from outside the door. Reki pressed his back against the wall, the tile cold and unforgiving, urging him to pull away but Reki wanted more space between him and the alpha, staring at the door with his heart in his throat. “Are you alright, Reki?”

Reki didn't answer, doing his best to stay silent though he knew for sure that the stranger could hear his heart beating from the other side of the door. Reki felt his ears burn and it wasn't from the water. They were straining, listening for any sign that the other was going to try to force his way into the bathroom. Did Reki lock the door??

He heard voices, terrified of what they could be saying. More alphas? The voices bickered and suddenly the knob clicked and the door slowly swung open. Reki smelled the soft scent of flowers and the scent of an omega, eyes widening slightly as Cherry poked his head in. His hair was down, contrary to how it usually was at S. He locked his eyes on Reki and pinched neat eyebrows together a bit, staring at the other as Reki stared back, practically shoved into the corner of the shower. “Reki, are you okay?” Cherry asked, voice unnaturally soft for the omega. Cherry usually was rather stern and argumentative, offering advice when needed but usually he didn't like to be bothered by others.

Reki opened his mouth to speak, to tell Cherry he was fine and that he should leave so Reki could finish his shower, say that he would be out in a bit- but his head was all sorts of jumbled. He couldn't figure out why he was so upset. The events of the night clouding up in his head and switching places, getting mixed around- was he upset because Langa left? Did it start with Adam or was there something to do with Moose? When did he start thinking about his dad?

Reki closed his mouth and shook his head from side to side, feeling lost and confused and a heavy sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. Cherry pursed his lips and glanced over his shoulder for a moment before looking back to Reki. “Do you want to be alone or do you want comfort? The pack is due for a scenting.” Cherry started, waiting for Reki to say something or indicate anything. Reki nodded his head and Cherry mimicked him. “Comfort and scenting? I agree, that does sound quite nice. Why don't you rinse up and get out of the shower?” Cherry pushed the door open a bit more and stepped in. He was changed into some comfy clothes, what looked like an old purple jersey from highschool with his name printed on the front and some loose fitting checkered pajama bottoms. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, waiting almost. Like he didn't want to leave Reki alone.

Reki appreciated it.

Reki put his head under the water and rinsed off, skin having grown cold since he was out from under the spray for so long. He turned the water off afterwards and got out, grabbing a towel to dry himself with. Cherry pointed to the vanity of the bathroom. “Go ahead and brush your teeth, I can smell the vomit from here.” He ordered and while it sounded mean, Cherry's voice was soft. Reki felt like he was imposing. Like he was being an inconvenience. He knew that was just his doubts, his anxiety, but it was hard to think of anything else when he was as traumatized as he was. At one point, Joe had gone shopping, stocking the bathroom with a bunch of extra toothbrushes and toiletries for the lot of them to use since they slept over at his house often enough.

Reki brushed his teeth and rinsed with mouthwash, throwing the red toothbrush into the cup with a bunch of different colored ones. Reki had the towel wrapped around his waist, realizing after a moment that he was so hell bent on showering originally that he didn't have any clothes to change into. He could put his old outfit back on but he really didn't want to wear jeans at that moment and the clothes still held the faint scent of roses from Adam's pheromones. The scent was enough to make Reki feel like he was going to vomit again. “C'mon, I'll lend you some clothes.” Cherry spoke, beckoning Reki over to him. Reki followed him without question, hesitating when the door opened but eventually stepping out. The scent of his pack mates filled the air and Reki could feel his chest tighten at the scent of the alphas, looking down the hallway towards the living room and freezing when he saw them.

Langa was in front, Joe standing behind him with a firm hand on Langa's arm. Langa looked like he was pulling against Joe, eyes lighting up slightly when he saw Reki step out of the bathroom. “Reki!” Langa called, innocent and sweet. Joe looked concerned, keeping Langa put as he watched Reki and Cherry. Cherry opened the door to the guest room where he usually slept and beckoned for Reki to follow once more. Reki felt trapped under the gaze of Langa and Joe, wanting to step back into the bathroom and properly lock himself up. He felt horrible. Wanted to forget everything that happened and go back to how he was before. Neither of them had ever hurt him but he couldn't help the tight feeling of suffocation in his throat at the smell of them.

“Reki?” Langa's voice softened, hesitated, face falling a bit as he realized that Reki was not okay and was not happy to see him. Reki took a step back, ready to retreat and admit he was not ready to deal with the world but damnit, who was in this day and age? Cherry grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into the bedroom as Reki yelped.

“Joe won't let Langa come down the hallway so you'll be safe in here.” Cherry explained, voice sounding a bit gruff. Reki had a feeling Cherry didn't do the protective caring bit quite often and felt bad that he was imposing on the other. “I'll bring you something to drink and some snacks in a bit once I get you dressed.” He added, heading to the dresser and pulling open the top drawer to find a stack of neatly folded clothes. Cherry pulled out a matching pastel yellow set of pajamas, offering them to Reki who took them quietly. Cherry continued to ramble as Reki set the clothes down and started to get dressed, movements feeling stiff. He felt so disgusted with himself. Part of him wanted to go home so he didn't have to bother the others anymore. All he ever did was inconvenience them. Cause them issues with his own problems.

“Reki, sit down. Stay put.” Cherry ordered, Reki freezing with the damp towel in his arms. The pajamas were long on him and the shoulder of the shirt was beginning to slide down his arm. He sat on the edge of the bed, stiff as a board as Cherry took the towel from his arms and left the room promptly. Reki really wanted to leave now, his mind going off and traveling at a million miles a minute- What if Cherry was complaining about him? What is Joe was just as annoyed and they were just helping him because they felt responsible? Reki's eyes drifted towards the window and he wondered if he could jump down from there. He probably could. Had enough falls from a skateboard that he didn't fear the second story. He pushed himself from the bed and froze as the door opened once more, Cherry standing there with an armful of supplies.

Cherry stared at Reki with wide eyes and Reki ignored his gaze, trying to hide his scent as best as he could but it was hard with his heart pounding the way it was. “I said to sit and stay put.” Cherry reiterated, reaching for Reki and putting a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down on the bed. Reki went easily, not saying a word as he stared at the window. Cherry dropped his stuff on the bed, a few bags of trail mix, granola bars, water bottle, some kind of soda, a bag of pretzels- Cherry held a small towel, turning to Reki and staring down at the other for a moment before he reached his hand out, cupping Reki's cheek gently which caused the younger boy to flinch. Cherry tilted Reki's chin up and for a moment, Reki continued to avoid the others' gaze. He wanted to disappear, to leave. To find safety in his closet at home. It was a small and dark place, a place big enough for only him. A place no one could find him, could look at him. He was a burden, a failure, a used and broken failure-

Reki's eyes glanced up to look at Cherry's and he flinched once more from the look on Cherry's face. “Reki,” Cherry's voice came out unnaturally soft. It sounded pained. “I know that I am not good at comforting others. I suck with my emotions and express them wrong when I try to share with others. I am brash and aggressive and I dislike soft mushy things.” Cherry explained, talking about himself like he was talking about any other person. It was plain and critical though there was a touch of apology. “I know that I do not express it well but I do genuinely care for you and the others. Please put aside my harshness and allow me to help you to the best of my capabilities.”

Reki stayed silent, Cherry's hand feeling cool and gentle against his cheek. The other omegas thumb brushed above Reki's cheek bone, brushing away the tears that began to fall. Cherry dropped the towel and brought his other hand up to hold the other side of Reki's face, fingers cold and comforting against heated skin. Reki shut his eyes tight and leaned his head against Cherry's hands, nodding his head weakly as Cherry dried his tears and gently marked him in his lilac scent. Cherry picked up the towel once more and began to dry Reki's hair which was still rather damp, ruffling red locks with the fluffy white towel and not saying another word. Reki sat there pliant under his touch, sniffling softly and leaning his head back when Cherry pushed against his forehead. Cherry wiped his nose with the towel, muttering softly about Reki being a snotty brat. Well, not just a snotty brat. Cherry's snotty brat.

“What ever am I going to do with you, Reki? You are such a little cry baby. You know you don't have to hide your emotions like that? You don't need to put yourself in the corner. We're a pack. You can come to us when you're sad or scared. I know I'm not the best at comforting others, I actually hate whiny children, but I will put that aside for you, Reki. You can be my whiny child. But just this once.” Cherry rambled, Reki feeling fresh tears in his eyes as Cherry spoke and the older man just huffed, “Oh good heavens… There, there, Reki.”

Reki leaned forward and nudged his face into Cherry's stomach, the other omega wrapping his arms around Reki and hugging him tightly, comfortingly. Reki buried his head into Cherry's shirt, wrapping his arms around Cherry's waist and holding onto him tightly as Cherry murmured about how the other was going to get snot on his shirt and how he was going to have to change though he held onto Reki like no one could pull him from his grasp. Reki felt better, a lot better, as Cherry called him a crybaby and an idiot for trying to hide from their pack like that. There was a soft knock at the door and Joe cracked it open, taking in the sight quietly with warm brownish red eyes. Reki peeked out at him from over his arm, sniffling as Joe looked from him to Cherry.

Cherry looked back at Joe, petting Reki's hair affectionately. “What is it, you oaf?” Cherry asked, cheeks tinged pink in embarrassment over the fact that he was caught acting all soft for someone else. He hated that it was Joe. The alpha himself smelled like nothing, having just doused himself with odor neutralizer and put on fresh scent patches, the orange patches visible over the neck of his cream colored shirt. “I just wanted to say that I packed a little something for Reki if he was up for it.” Joe began, turning his attention back to Reki, eyes full of understanding. “Don't feel obligated, but I know a smoke helps me calm down every now and then.” Joe added, “I'll be hanging out in the living room. I'll see you guys later.” And with that, he closed the door. Cherry pursed his lips, thinking about all the shit he was going to get later from the alpha about how Cherry was the worst but only option to send in to help Reki. Originally, Joe was going to go in but he decided better of it in just a split second, calling Cherry over to deal with the situation instead.

Cherry had his suspicion of what was going on with Reki, his secondary gender as a recessive omega and his fear of alphas, it didn't take a psychology major (which he was) to know that obviously the other had bad experiences with alphas. Most likely experiences in the sexual abuse category and even more likely at a premature age given the fact that Reki was still a minor. What Cherry didn't understand was how quickly Reki seemed to have opened up to Joe. He knew the alpha was popular but he didn't expect Reki to yearn for an older man like that. Was that part of the trauma? Cherry had asked Joe about it previously at S. The time before this when Miya had presented. Cherry called Joe aside and interrogated him about his relationship with Reki. They were alone too often. Cherry knew that Joe wouldn't do anything, knew that the alpha had strict morals though he needed to make sure the idiot wasn't being too nice and accidentally leading Reki on. Joe had done it often enough. Plenty of times. Cherry himself having fallen victim to sweet words and gentle caresses only to be slapped in the face when another omega received the same attention from the alpha.

As much as he loved Joe, Joe was nothing but emotional damaged wrapped in an appealing exterior. He assured Cherry that day at S that there was nothing like Cherry had described going on between himself and the young omega and explained that Reki had just decided that Joe was the best person to talk about his issues with. Joe assured Cherry that the other would explain to the rest of them one day, but for the time being to be patient. Cherry didn't like those words but he understood now that he misread the situation horrendously. Of course Reki would choose Joe to open up to. If Cherry was right about Reki's issues, he was the best option. Joe was outgoing and kind and naturally exuded a comforting atmosphere. Cherry was bad with emotions and came across rude in most instances, Shadow was the same way and he and Reki weren't close enough emotionally for Reki to talk about such heavy topics with him. Miya was too young for the same reasons and Langa.. Cherry wasn't quite sure why not Langa. The most obvious reason was that he was an Alpha; but Joe was also an alpha. There seemed to be a weird back and forth between them.

Yearning then denial, excitement then trepidation.

Cherry glanced down at Reki who laid pliant against him, arms hugging loosely right above where Cherry's hips flared, reminding Cherry of a pup hanging off of their mother. Cherry thinks he was beginning to understand the emotions of the one leaning on him, the one with so much going on in his head that it left him paralyzed. “Do you want to go do that stuff?” Cherry asked quietly, “I will let you go do it alone and to think if that's what you want. Or I will send someone else in if you do not want to be alone. I do not like the smell of that stuff.”

Reki squeezed Cherry a bit, hugging him a little tighter before he pulled away, wiping at his face. “It's okay. I can do it alone.” Reki spoke, voice sounding small and tired. The poor boy was probably exhausted. Cherry nodded and took a step back, watching Reki grab the water bottle and a bag of pretzels before he stood, standing there awkwardly for a moment before he offered Cherry a small smile. “Thank you.. for all of that. It really helped me a lot.” He spoke, his words sounding genuine and soft. Cherry felt a little tight in the throat and just nodded, watching as Reki left. With the door shut behind him, Cherry turned back to his dresser, looking for a new shirt to replace the one he was wearing. He was not joking about the mucus.

Reki stepped into Joe's room and went to the table by the window. The window was cracked already and in the ashtray that looked like it had been empty recently was a neatly packed joint. Joe seemed to be uncharacteristically meticulous in his personal life, keeping things organized and tidy. The room was neat and clean, Reki looking around quietly. It was also absent of scent, Joe probably having sprayed it down after rolling the joint. Something that Reki noticed that he hadn't seen previously, many times just because the alpha kept the curtains closed in his room and it was usually dark, was a large mirror that was on the ceiling. Reki stared at it quietly before he walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it and laying back to stare at his reflection. Who would have a mirror directly above their bed? That seemed weird, watching yourself while you slept..

Reki shook his head and stood back up, heading back to the table and taking a seat there instead. The pink lighter sat waiting for him and he picked it up along with the joint, lighting the end of it and taking his first hit. The smoke smelled familiar and bitter, like coffee fresh from the pot. It was calming and made him feel… happy. It helped him relax, easing the tension in his shoulders as he slumped against the chair and held his breath, the smoke swirling as it rose from the heated tip of the joint. He blew it out slowly, looking out the window as the smoke disappeared in the breeze. It was dark out but the streets were lit by the street lights, a few houses having their porch lights on. Reki could feel the warm air from outside drift in through the open window, feeling it grace across his arms and his face. Reki took another hit, feeling the thicker paper of the joint end between his lips, dry against his lips, sticking slightly when he pulled it from his mouth. The trees outside the window swayed slightly, bringing in the sound of the rustling leaves.

Joe's room was a bit colder than usual. Unlike the rest of his home which was usually warm, the bedroom was slightly chilly even. Maybe because Joe spent the most time in it? Maybe because he liked to sleep in the cold? Reki didn't know and didn't care to ask. The question didn't entice him that much. Reki did however wonder about Joe and Cherry's relationship. The two seemed to be at an odd standstill, misunderstandings and miscommunications. Or maybe. It's a lack of communication. Cherry mentioned hating mushy emotions and well, Joe seemed to have a lot of them when it came to the older omega.

The third hit left Reki choking, coughing into his arm as he hunched over the table, clearing his throat. He set the joint down in the ashtray and reached for the water he had grabbed earlier, taking a few sips from it to calm his throat. The door opened quietly, Reki glancing up expecting Joe or Cherry maybe. Hell, Miya would've been his next guess, but Langa was the one who poked his head in, eyes immediately finding Reki and they both froze, staring at each other quietly. Reki felt his heart ache. How he wanted nothing more then to invite Langa over and pull their seats next to eachother and just start blabbing to him about anything and everything. How he wanted Langa to listen quietly with that little smile on his face, eyes on Reki like Reki was telling him the greatest story ever. How he wanted Langa to just be able to exist with him without Reki flipping his guts and feeling his lungs collapse. With the smoke in his lungs and the high in his head, Reki felt nothing but romantic anxiety towards the alpha, his earlier turmoil having been exhaled along with the smoke out the window.

Langa cleared his throat, averting his gaze to instead look at the joint, studying the smoke that came off the end. “Hey.. I'm sorry if you want to be left alone, but I just wanted.. to see you. To make sure you were okay.” Langa spoke softly, voice barely carrying across the room. Reki felt his throat tighten and he wanted to tell Langa it was okay. Wanted to touch his face, feel his warmth, smell his scent. Why did his scent have to freak him out right now? He was just doing fine. He was FINE for weeks and now? Because of fucking stupid Adam? He wasn't fine?? What kind of laughable shit was this? Reki couldn't figure it out, looking over at the joint and reaching for it as his throat felt dry and sore.

Langa's eyes followed Reki's fingers and Reki paused, looking back to the other quietly. An idea coming to mind. “Do you want to smoke?” Reki asked, voice soft, scared. Not of Langa. Scared of breaking the atmosphere. Scared that Langa would disappear if Reki spoke too loudly. Langa was stepping into the room before the question was even fully formed, nodding his head as he closed the door behind him. Reki pointed to the chair next to him, putting the joint between his lips once more and slowly hitting it, watching as Langa moved almost eagerly, striding across the room and taking a seat next to Reki at the table. Reki offered him the joint and Langa took it, their fingers brushing and Reki felt his skin tingle, resting his hand on his cheek and blowing the smoke out the window. “Breathe it in slowly. Make sure you don't take too big of a-” as he spoke, Langa hit the joint a little too hard and immediately spluttered into a coughing fit, sticking his tongue out from the taste as Reki snickered in amusement, leaning back in his seat to watch the other as he hacked up a lung and tried his best to not make too much noise.

“Do you want to try that again, but slower this time?” Reki asked when Langa was no longer on the brink of death. Langa gave him a small glare and wrinkled his nose, bringing the end back up to his lips and he hit it once more, face pinching in disgust. The puff of smoke he let out this time was a lot smaller though he still coughed most of it out, shaking his head as he offered the joint back to Reki. “I don't like that.” Langa mumbled, wiping at his mouth on the back of his sleeve. Reki took it back easily and shrugged, “You didn't mind it too much last time in my room.” Reki recalled, watching Langa as he took a hit easily.

“That was different. It wasn't through a joint. You.. shot me or whatever.” Langa defended, looking at Reki like the other was making an unfair comparison. Right.. the shotgunning. That seemed so long ago. Reki missed that. The days when he didn't know what Langa was. When he could take a nap with the other without feeling scared or worried. The days when Langa was just the guy he had a crush on.. The guy who sits so still under Reki's shaky hands, who looked at him so .. full of want and hunger. Waiting for Reki to breathe the smoke into his mouth. Reki wanted to do that again…

They should do that again.

“Do you want to do that again?” Reki asked, offering, hoping that the feeling was mutual. His lips so close to Langa's, the other breathing him in, hands stiff where they laid in his lap, Reki's own caressing his cheeks, tracing his jaw. “Is that alright?” Langa asked, tilting his head towards Reki, eyes narrowed, hiding his own excitement.

Reki nodded, beckoning for Langa to scoot his chair towards him. The chairs faced each other, knees knocking in between each other as they got close. Langa looking to Reki, eyes slightly wide, excited, hopeful. Reki knew it was just because he got to get high without the aggressive smoke from the joint, shot gunning was easier on the lungs of the recipient to begin with. Reki took his hit, breathing in a decent amount and setting the joint down in the ashtray, turning to Langa and leaning in. Reki's fingertips found Langa's skin, slightly warm to the touch but cooler than Reki's own warm body. The other's skin was soft. Reki wanted to pet him. To let his fingers roam and explore, to feel his cheek against the others bare shoulder or chest, to have Langa's fingertips ghost up his back and down his chest.

Reki exhaled all of his desires to Langa and Langa breathed them in greedily, eyelids hooding slightly and he leaned in a touch closer, wanting to get every last bit. A bit of smoke clouded them, some that just didn't make it through Langa's lips. A damn shame, Reki thought, a shame that he was just like that smoke. Langa held his breath for a moment before slowly letting it out, not moving from where he was previously, breath ghosting against Reki's face. It smelled like weed and cinnamon, the other having Reki's scent on his lips. Reki felt his face flush slightly, wanting to take the leap and just kiss Langa until he could also taste cinnamon on his own tongue. Till all he could focus on was Langa. He knew it was just the candy he was smelling and damnit he wanted to yell at the other, tell him off for messing with Reki's emotions. Didn't he know how much it hurt to smell and see the other with so much interest in his scent but none in him? God, it killed him. Gutted him.

Langa murmured, Reki able to feel the sound reverberating against his lips. “More.” Langa's voice sounded strained, excited, breathy. Reki leaned back a bit, only what was necessary, and he grabbed the joint once more, looking to the other as he pulled a hit. Langa watched him with unfocused eyes trained on Reki's lips, watching the way they wrapped around the joint. Reki felt the smoke in his lungs, leaning in as he put the joint down, breathing the smoke out before Langa was ready. Langa jerked forward, closer then he really needed to be, nose brushing against Reki's. Reki felt a shiver go down his back, felt like he wanted to close the distance. He chuckled softly, the smoke stuttering out from between his lips and Langa grabbed Reki by the knee, Reki tensing up because he was ticklish there. Langa squeezed the spot between his thigh and his knee, Reki letting out a soft whine in warning, Langa smiling at him playfully. Reki felt so weak in that moment, the way Langa looked at him. His gaze was gentle, sweet. He looked at Reki like he looked at the ocean waves, like he looked at him whenever he was getting some air on a ramp. He looked so happy to see Reki and it hurt so much.

It gave Reki so much false hope.

Reki needed another hit, leaning back to take it, Langa's hand not moving from Reki's thigh, thumb brushing over the yellow pant leg of the shorts Reki was borrowing, brushing unexpectedly against skin. Langa seemed lost in thought, watching Reki, Reki's face flushed, he was blaming it on the coughing. Reki took another hit, his head feeling so full and so empty. He was on the edge of being too high, the room beginning to spin, his head feeling like it was going to come off. Reki leaned in for another, Langa meeting him quicker this time, breathing in the smoke that Reki breathed out, his hand loosely gripped onto Reki's knee, his touch feeling too hot yet not enough. Reki exhaled his lungs, feeling warm in his stomach, his chest. Langa breathed in deep, leaning in closer as the smoke started to thin, wanting to get as much as possible-

Langa's lips brushed against Reki's, soft and warm like sun kissed satin and Reki gasped softly, the feeling lasting only for a second as Langa quickly pulled back, eyes wide. He went to say something, to apologize, lips parting to speak but Reki touched his cheek, guiding him back in and Langa went willingly. Reki kissed him, lips moving slowly against Langa's, clumsy and innocent. Langa's were the same, inexperienced and hesitant, following suit. Kissing back.

Reki inhaled deeply, Langa pausing a beat to let him breathe, not going any further away than Reki's gingerly placed hand. Reki couldn't think about much, didn't want to think about anything really, but he thought about how Langa didn't dare to move further than Reki's grasp. He could think about the taste of cinnamon, the scent of it in his nose. Or maybe that was just his own scent, slowly seeping out, full of want, dulled down from the weed. It took a while to break through the barrier of the scent neutralizing soap but with his emotions spiking up like they were doing, it had an easier time to come out. Langa was kissing him back, Reki's eyes closed, Langa's lidded, leaning in closer, chasing Reki's lips each time they parted for breath. Reki felt the pit in his stomach heat up and get lighter, stirring in his gut, his groin. Langa's hand shifted up Reki's thigh just a bit, under the yellow fabric of the shorts, an effect from Langa leaning in further until Reki's back hit the back of the chair, Langa now standing over him, bent over as they kissed. Reki used his other hand to cup the opposite side of Langa's face, cradling his face, feeling the tickle of blue hair brushing against the back of his injured hand. Reki could taste the cinnamon, Langa's tongue warm against his lips and Reki opened his mouth slightly, swiping his own tongue against the others. He didn't know what he was doing, neither of them did, but they didn't care, both obsessed with the moment, with eachother.

The room felt warmer, Reki wanting more, wanting Langa on top of him, touching him, hands under his shirt. Langa wanted those things too. Wanted Reki to hold him, to call his name-

Langa pulled back a bit, breathing in deeply, Reki's scent clouding his head. “Reki-” His voice came out breathy and Reki didn't let him leave for too long, chasing his lips and capturing them again. They had each other pinned, Reki with a hand on his thigh and the other on his arm, long thin fingers against his skin and Langa by the face, slightly shorter fingers calloused but the way they gently scratched his skin was intoxicating. Reki hummed against Langa's lips, Langa chasing the feeling, wanting more of him, more sensations, feelings, wanting everything from Reki.

All of it.

Langa leaned back once more, Reki letting him this time, pupils blown wide. They both were, staring at each other, the soft tingling sensation in their lips mutual, on fire, craving the previous friction. Langa sat back in his chair, trying to catch his breath. Reki leaned forward again, not wanting Langa to go too far. Wanting Langa to touch him more, hold him, but all that was left was the hand on Reki's thigh holding on like a lifeline. Holding onto him like he was scared he was dreaming and he wanted to bring Reki with him when he woke up.

Langa went to speak, to explain himself, to question Reki, to confess?? Reki didn't know, he didn't care. He wanted whatever words Langa had to say to come out so he could interrupt him and tell him how he felt but neither of those things happened, the bedroom door opening quickly. They both whipped their heads over to look at the intruder, eyes wide when they met the pissed off look of the older omega. “Langa, you fucking idiot!” Cherry growled, walking over and grabbing Langa by the back of the shirt collar, Langa yelping as Cherry easily pulled him out of the chair and towards the door. Langa reached a hand towards Reki, getting dragged along like he weighed absolutely nothing. “Reki-!” Langa called, unable to stop his own fate and Reki was too high and breathless to do anything either. The door slammed shut as Cherry pulled Langa from the room and Reki was left in the dark silent bedroom.

He was barely able to process the events that just happened, reaching up to touch his lips and feeling them soft and tingly beneath his shaky fingertips. They kissed. They actually kissed. And it wasn't just some accidental lip touch- Well… it was originally. But they didn't matter. Langa actually kissed him back! Even deepened the kiss all on his own! Chased Reki's lips and spoke his name and looked at him with such debauchery that it was almost abnormal for him. Reki really wished Cherry didn't interrupt just now, and was really upset that he did! But Reki knew that Cherry was just trying to look out for him. Reki not even half an hour previously was having a horrible panic attack and was about to jump out of a window to avoid everyone, and now here Langa was intruding on what was supposed to be Reki's safe time.

Reki himself didn't understand how his emotions could swing so drastically from one extreme to the other, how he could be so utterly terrified and traumatized one minute and then perfectly fine the next. It's not like the trauma was recent. It has been years since he last saw his father. He forgot most of the incidents but the paralyzing fear and gut wrenching anxiety never left him. Glimpses of what did happen to him appeared easily with the scent of an alpha nearby and until just the past few weeks, Reki couldn't stand being near an alpha.

As much as Reki wanted to go find the others, his body felt numb and moving his head too much left him dizzy, so he stayed in the room for a bit longer, deciding to eat some pretzels since his stomach was growling at him and continuing to sip on his water until it was empty. He had put the rest of the joint out, leaving about half of it in the ashtray for later. Reki's head was swimming and his chest felt tingly, like he was going to hyperventilate from how damn excited he was. This meant Langa liked him back, right? They could hang out with the pack for a bit and then sneak off to talk by themselves properly. Reki could tell him how he felt, how he really cared about Langa and had been crushing on him for months now and Langa could tell him that the feelings were mutual. They could be boyfriends and go on dates and go skating together. Reki could scent Langa and could feel proud that Langa was covered in his scent while in public. He could steal kisses from him whenever he wanted and fix his stupidly pretty hair whenever it hung in his face. Reki would be able to call Langa his, and he could be happy. To think he would ever be able to feel this way about an alpha…

Reki stood from the chair with his trash and made his way to the bedroom door, ready to face the others and see Langa again.

Cherry dragged the teenager to the living room, oozing anger and dropping Langa off at one of the couches, pointing at him menacingly. “Stay right here or I swear, you'll be bald by the time I'm done with you.” Cherry ordered, not giving Langa a chance to reply as he spun around and went to the kitchen. He heard Shadow giggle and start teasing Langa, the young alpha looking absolutely traumatized and breathless where he sat on the floor. Miya whacked Langa with a pillow. “Did you go bother Reki? What the heck man?!” Miya sounded almost as angry as Cherry.

Cherry stepped into the kitchen and turned his attention on Joe who sipped on his mug of tea quietly, raising an eyebrow. “What kind of protector are you, letting him pass you like this?!” Cherry snapped, stepping up to the slightly taller male who raised an eyebrow. Setting his mug down on the counter that he was leaning against, Joe gave Cherry his full attention. “You see, I was heavily distracted by a devilish little omega. I was also not the only one who was supposed to be keeping an eye on the hallway.” Joe replied, eyes focused on Cherry. The alpha was being more direct for whatever reason. Cherry assumed it was because his rut cycle was due in about a week now. The way Joe stared at Cherry made the omega feel weak in the knees, but Cherry wouldn't let the other know that.

“Don't try and blame this on me! You're the one who got thirsty over the fact that I was just trying to comfort someone!” Cherry snapped, keeping his voice down in a harsh whisper. When he came out of the bedroom previously and spoke to Joe, Joe looked at him like Cherry was sin incarnate. “You know, I listened in for a moment before opening the door, wanting to know if Reki was having a breakdown or not before I barged in and offered him some pot.” Joe had said at that point, “And I heard almost everything.” He continued, placing a hand on Cherry's hip and stepping in close, voice dropping a bit in octave as he murmured against the omegas ear. “Y'know, you would make a great mom…”

Cherry pressed a hand to Joe's face, pushing him away with a flush. “Don't even start with that shit. I don't want kids and I definitely don't want yours.” Cherry growled, faltering when he just met the smouldering gaze of warm brown eyes. Joe pressed kisses to the palm smushed against his mouth and Cherry yanked his hand away as if he was being burned, stepping back from Joe who licked his lips in delight. “My, my, who said anything about having my pups?” Joe asked, a playful glint in those eyes, voice sounding sweet and delectable. He was dangerous and Cherry knew it, face almost the same shade of pink as his hair. “Shut up, you nasty gorilla. Don't bring up me and children in the same sentence ever again. Do you understand me? Or should I try sign language to get the point across better?” Cherry snapped, trying his best to keep his composure.

Joe smirked at him, not saying another word but he didn't need to. Cherry could practically read the words clear as day on his face. The way Joe smiled at him, the glint in his eyes. Cherry hated every bit of it. Hated it because he loved it so much. Life would be so much easier if he could forget about the past and move on to something better- someone better. Joe stepped closer once more, large hands hovering over Cherry's waist and Cherry could feel the pressure of his touch without Joe even needing to make contact. “You sure you don't want to heatshare with me, Kaoru? I always enjoy myself so much better when it's with you.” Joe purred, voice rumbling softly between them. Cherry felt heat in his stomach and placed a hand on Joe's chest, pushing at him.

“You're crowding me, oaf.” Cherry replied, voice stern but it wobbled a bit. He wanted to say yes. Gods, how he wanted to say yes. His excuse as to why he couldn't was pathetic and they both knew it but Cherry couldn't tell him the truth. He was too ashamed of it, and hated himself for it. “You have to lean in if you want to smell the intensity of the flowers, Kaoru.” Joe replied easily, taking Cherry's hand that was on his chest and leading it up to his face, inhaling deeply from the scent gland. “You smell just as excited as I am, so why don't you let me kick everyone else out and we take this to the bedroom?”

Cherry's eyes widened. “Okay, now that's too far! Reki is in no shape to go home right now!” Cherry argued, pulling at his wrist and Joe released him, easily being able to keep Cherry pinned right there if he wanted to. Cherry knew that for a fact. “Then I'll do my best to keep you quiet and I can have you while the others sleep.” Joe replied, stumbling back when Cherry punched him in the nose. Cherry was red in the face, eyes wide as he stared at the alpha. Joe lifted his head, taking a few more steps back and he licked his lip that had a thin trail of blood on it from his nose. Joe didn't seem too bothered. If anything, he seemed elated. “Right, right. I'll stop. Time for me to behave now.” Joe murmured, watching Cherry with amusement clear in his eyes.

Cherry had spun on his heel and left the kitchen, stopping only when he realized there was one missing from the livingroom. He knew where to look immediately, and that's what brought him to his current predicament. Joe shrugged at him, “I could smell them the whole time. Reki's scent didn't spike negatively and he always calms down from his panic attacks immediately with some weed. I assumed they were talking it out.” Joe replied simply, watching Cherry with those predatory eyes. “I think we should do the same. Split a joint and chat about our feelings.” Joe offered, smiling softly. There was no sign that Cherry even punched him to begin with. The blood easily wiped away. There was a slight bit of redness, but nothing that would linger for long. His face was like a brick wall.

“That's not an excuse! Something horrible could've happened!” Cherry snapped, looking up at Joe angrily as Joe licked his tongue over his upper teeth. “Something horrible, huh? Between those two? The only horrible thing they could have happened to them is to not be able to speak their feelings for each other. Those kids are whipped for each other. Much like how I am for you.” Joe turned his head and shrugged, reaching for his tea and bringing the green mug to his lips, taking a sip.

Cherry stared at Joe for a moment with his eyes wide and his jaw practically hanging open. “You are such a fucking thick headed asshole, you know that?” Cherry whispered, crossing his arms over his chest like he was hugging himself, putting his walls up. After years, hell, a decade!, of watching this man chase after and swoon over and sleep with so many people, it was laughable to hear him say such a thing to Cherry. Cherry knew he wasn't perfect, had his own issues, his lingering feelings for Adam that he couldn't get rid of, the ones that made him feel so disgusting and worthless. Even after everything that happened, Cherry just wanted Adam to be happy at the very least. Even if years ago he was the one who made Adam happy. Adam had shaped much of Cherry's teenage years, being someone that Cherry admired and looked up to. Someone he loved so reverently.

His feelings had mostly changed, but that longing never did and it's a curse to him now. Keeping him from chasing what he wanted now. Cherry was desperate, he never wanted to be alone, ever. If it weren't for his own issues, he would climb this here gorilla like a tree and ignore everything he knew about how often the other took people to the bedroom. He could ignore it when it was his own feelings, but he couldn't risk Joe's feelings again. Couldn't think nor speak of Adam again when being embraced by the other.

Joe side eyed Cherry, enjoying his tea with the same languid expression in his eyes as a cat enjoying a sunny window. “You need to be castrated.” Cherry stated, watching Joe who simply shrugged. “If that's what it takes for you to stay with me.” He replied simply, trailing off when he saw Reki enter the kitchen. He picked up on the scents on Reki immediately and smiled to himself in amusement. Oh yeah, they were doing more than just talking it out in there. Reki threw away a wrapper and an empty water bottle, glancing up to look at the two curiously. “Uh.. I'm getting some weird deja vu here. Is it just me?” Reki questioned, looking between the two.

Joe shrugged his shoulders, nodding his head towards Cherry. “He's usually the reason we're in these situations.” Joe replied, staring at Cherry over the lip of his mug. Cherry gaped at him and Reki just furrowed his eyebrows. “Yikes man, I think you're the one who needs a smoke now. There's the better half of a joint left in there. Go crazy.” Reki teased the alpha, walking to the fridge instead and beginning to rifle around for something else to drink. He came back out with a can, staring at the lable intensely. “Okay, did you lace that stuff with something? I suddenly can't read.” He muttered, pulling the can closer to his face and squinting at it.

“No, it's just in Italian. It's San Pellegrino. That's the orange flavored one.” Joe explained, watching Reki's face morph into one of understanding. “Ohhh, right, right, Santa Pageant-tino. Gotcha.” Reki replied, sending a smirk at Joe as he lifted the can. “I'm taking this.” He added, cracking it open. “Had a feeling you would as soon as it came out of the fridge.” Joe replied bemused, watching as Reki took a sip of the drink. Cherry was slightly irked at how natural Joe was acting. Was he the only one put out by the conversation they were just having?

“Not bad,” Reki hummed, closing the fridge and waving to the other two. “I'm gonna be in the living room then. Please don't kill each other.” Reki called over his shoulder as he made his way to the archway to the living room. Joe watched him go and sighed, pushing himself off the counter top and going to follow. Cherry stood there, hands clenched tightly, watching the other walk away. Joe stopped and looked over his shoulder, staring at Cherry quietly for a moment before he smiled softly, sweetly. Like he was staring at something precious. Like he wasn't staring at Cherry.

“I'll see you in the living room.”

Langa had moved to the couch eventually, sitting on the one that faced the hallway and staring at the hallway intently. Miya sat next to him, bullying him to put it simply. Calling him all kinds of names for going to harass Reki when he was as upset as he was. Langa knew Miya was worried, maybe slightly jealous. Out of the whole pack, they were the most attached to him. Always vying for his attention, his affection. Langa knew Miya saw Reki as a big brother he never had. A sibling who would look out for him, who cared about him in a way his parents couldn't. Langa on the other hand, he felt like receiving a glance from Reki would ease his mind in a way he only got back home deep in the snow.

Langa perked up when he saw Reki, face heating up a bit when the other glanced up at him and smiled, eyes sweet. Langa swallowed thickly, eyes widening slightly when Reki immediately disappeared into the kitchen. He felt like his head was full of cotton, thoughts in slow motion. He wondered where the other went, where Reki went without him. Miya also perked up, calling out to the other right as he disappeared and immediately deflating. “What did you do to him? Why is he leaving us?” Miya grumbled, looking over to Langa with a glare. Langa looked back, cocking his head slightly. “What did I.. do?” He repeated, thinking back to what happened in the room and he looked away immediately, face feeling too warm. He was glad he was wearing scent patches because his scent would immediately give away his thoughts when he was as high as he was at that moment.

Miya stared at him for a moment and furrowed his eyebrows. “Oh God, you did do something!” Miya hissed, grabbing Langa by the shoulder and shaking him. “I swear to God, if you hurt Reki-” Miya began, freezing when Reki came right back out from the kitchen, making his way directly over to them. The pleasant scent of cinnamon washed over both of them and they both scooted away from each other, obviously indicating to Reki to sit between them. Reki set a drink down on the coffee table and plopped down between them, wrapping an arm around Miya and dragging him in for a scenting as Miya squeaked from the sudden assault.

“Come here! You smell like a margarita again!” Reki teased, biting Miya on the cheek as the younger boy yelped, trying to shove a hand at Reki's face but Reki wouldn't budge. “Hold stillll!” Reki snickered, rubbing his wrist against Miya's forehead. “Simmmbaaa, remember who you arrrre.”

“THAT IS NOT HOW IT GOES!” Miya snapped, grabbing Reki by the shirt collar and pulling, earning a snicker from the older boy. Langa was pushed and jostled several times, bouncing along with them on the couch and simply just enjoying the few moments when Reki accidentally bumped into him. Langa watched the ordeal quietly, leaning back a bit when Miya started flailing so he didn't get hit by accident. He was slightly jealous, wishing Reki would scent him like that and bite him the same way, but Langa knew he didn't really have to worry about it too much. Miya wouldn't ever be interested in Reki in that sort of way. In the same way Langa is currently. Moose on the other hand… Reki was exactly his type from what Langa remembered.

Miya broke out of Reki's grasp, panting from the effort and glaring at the other omega who simply smiled languidly at him, leaning back against Langa's shoulder as he turned to face Miya. “What's wrong, is little Miya tired?” Reki crooned, watching Miya glare at him with tinted cheeks. Langa leaned his head against the back of Reki's, able to smell his cinnamon scent so strongly since his nape was right there. It was light and sweet, smelling like homemade graham crackers. Langa's eyes drifted shut and he started to doze off a bit, barely hearing the other two as they started to bicker and barely noticing as Miya tackled Reki and bumped Langa. Reki was with him and liked Langa the same way Langa liked him. At least, that's what Langa thought with the way Reki kissed him. He was so panicked that he ruined everything when he got too close, letting his own fantasies take over and accidentally brushing his lips against the others. But then Reki pulled him back in and kissed him like he had been waiting for the chance and Langa couldn't stop thinking about how pretty Reki looked that close up.

Langa felt Reki stiffen and Langa opened his eyes, blinking a few times when he realized his face was now buried in the back of Reki's neck. Langa sat up quickly and looked to Reki who stared back at him with big eyes. Miya was clutched tightly to his chest, the younger boy struggling against Reki with his face buried in Reki's yellow shirt. “S-Sorry-” Langa stuttered out, feeling his heartbeat pick up but Reki just smiled at him, soft and sleepy. “S’okay. I don't mind.” Reki replied quietly, eyes dropping down from Langa's gaze to his lips for a moment before flicking back up, his scent spiking a bit. “You should do it again. I like it.”

Langa felt his breath stick in his throat, trying his best to reason with himself that Reki was simply just telling him that cuddling was okay, but all he could think about was that Reki wanted him to kiss him again. Langa was thinking about it. Reki didn't state it explicitly though, and Langa didn't want to cross any boundaries.

His mother always said that alphas were thick headed when it came to the obvious signs omegas gave them…

Maybe he needed to talk to her. Clarify some things.

Chapter Text

The atmosphere was… odd to say the least. Joe was back in the kitchen, a paring knife in one hand and a strawberry in the other. He couldn't hear much from the living room besides Reki and Shadow bickering, the omega having definitely relaxed after his smoke session. Joe had followed his example and went to finish the rest of the joint off, trying to ignore the heat under his skin that was creeping up his back. Reki had mentioned prior that smoking helped him out with his heat symptoms, but Joe didn't get that same effect from it. While it did take the edge off, it definitely wasn't enough to keep Joe sane in these trying times. The taste of smoke was bitter in the back of his throat but the cottony feeling in his head was enough to take the chip off of his shoulder and the itch out of his skin.

When Joe was coming out of the room, the smell of skunk thick in his nose and the annoying heat on his skin slowly waning away, he could hear Miya mention something about wanting something to eat. That was rare coming from the pup. He was rarely ever hungry and when he was, he would usually just eat protein supplements like an insane person. And so Joe dipped back into the kitchen and began to root around for something he knew Miya would actually consider eating and not call junk. That's how he got to where he was now, carefully cutting strawberry tops and slicing the fruit into neat thin slices. The smell of strawberries was thick in his nose and it made his stomach grumble from the sweet scent. He popped a berry in his mouth every now and then, chewing as he remembered that these were in fact not berries and then getting slightly ticked off but he didn't care too much about it in all honesty. Joe also had a few bananas (actual berries) he had to get through by the next few days so he grabbed them and began slicing them up as well when he ran out of strawberries. He arranged everything neatly into individual bowls for everyone, knowing that if he provided, all of them would happily eat and if for whatever reason someone didn't want some fresh fruit, Langa would surely take their portion for them.

The arrangements reminded him of his time working at a nursing home when he was just beginning to get into the restaurant industry. Everyone started somewhere and he started as a prep cook making sandwiches and fruit bowls for the elderly. He missed those days sometimes but the amount of frustrating days he had due to corporate was enough to keep him from wanting to do anything similar. Joe liked being in control but he liked to think it wasn't in a toxic alpha kinda way. He liked knowing where everything was, who was doing what and where. He was an organized person with a meticulous work ethic. Things needed to be perfect, especially when he was in rut. Joe hated half-assing things so if he was going to dedicate himself to something, he was going to put his whole being into it. Whether it's his restaurant, his skating, his food, or his bedroom activities; Joe was going to make sure everything (and everyone) was satisfied with what he did. Especially himself.

Joe put all the bowls on a tray, because of course he would have a serving tray in his personal kitchen, and he carried everything out to the living room, spoons included. Reki was the first to notice him. Cherry actively ignored Joe due to what happened earlier, Langa too busy falling asleep against Reki, and Miya smothered in Reki's embrace, mumbling about how stinky Reki was. Shadow was busy scrolling for something on the TV. “Oho? What do we have here?” Reki asked, raising his brows over at Joe. That effectively gained everyone's attention, save for Cherry who wanted nothing to do with Joe at the moment.

“Freshly sliced strawberries and bananas. Please enjoy,” Joe set the tray down on the coffee table, picking up a bowl and a spoon and beginning to pass them out to everyone. “What brought this on?” Shadow questioned, taking the bowl gratefully and sniffing at the fruit. “This smells fantastic!” He added.

“Thought you guys might be hungry.” Joe replied simply, settling down on the futon next to Cherry. The other startled slightly and Joe made sure not to react, taking a spoonful of fruit and bringing it to his lips. He was pleased to see Miya sit up with the bowl of fruit in his hands, bringing a bite of strawberry to his mouth to eat it happily. Langa on the other hand held his bowl gingerly and stared at it, not digging in like he usually would. Joe raised an eyebrow, watching him for a moment before he looked at Reki who was savoring a bite of strawberry. “You're the best Joe, thank you!” Reki spoke, seeming to be picking around the banana and only eating the strawberries.

Joe grunted in response, feeling satisfied that at least most of the pack was enjoying the fruit. Shadow was basically done with it already, a first since usually Langa was the one packing away the food the fastest. “Reki,” Langa looked over to the red head and Reki glanced up, spoon hanging in his mouth. “You don't like bananas, do you?” Langa asked, voice soft, sleepy.

Reki just shrugged, “I don't dislike them, I'm just not in the mood for them. I actually only like the ones that are still kinda green.” Reki explained, looking down at the bowl that was now picked clean of strawberries. “Then I'll give you my strawberries for your bananas, how's that sound?” Langa offered. Reki's cheeks colored a bit and he nodded, offering his bowl to Langa. “Here, scoop your bananas over and I'll just take your bowl.” Reki smiled softly, looking back up to Langa. “Thanks!”

Joe quirked his brows and once they switched fruit, both of them began to eat quietly. Joe felt a smile ghost across his lips and he averted his gaze, finally understanding Langa's drop in appetite. It wasn't HBF or a messed up rut cycle. He was courting Reki and didn't want to eat until Reki was satisfied, even if Reki wasn't present. Joe held his bowl in one hand and leaned back against the futon, resting his elbow on the arm of the couch and resting his temple against his knuckles, losing himself in thought. It reminded him of when he was back in highschool, when his own appetite dropped suddenly…

Originally, Joe chalked it up to the weather. It was too hot to have an appetite. Eating or drinking anything made his gut active which made him feel too hot for his own skin, even if he ate cold stuff like chilled watermelon or fruit pops. Kaoru would make fun of him, tease him about having a puny stomach or being too wimpy for the heat unlike he was. Joe remembered the day distantly but they were in the P.E field, Joe laying across a bench with his uniform shirt rolled up and glaring up at the sky. It was the evening, it was cloudy, it wasn't even hot that day but still, Joe wanted nothing to do with the chicken wrap Kaoru was dangling over his face. It had been two weeks since Joe had had a proper meal and the omega was beginning to take notice, his original mocking attitude now turning into one of hesitant concern.

“Don't you want even a bite? You used to try and steal this off my plate all the time like the dumb gorilla you are!” Kaoru’s words were annoyed, though his tone was worried. That's how he was, constantly trying to hide his true emotions though failing obnoxiously as soon as he got upset. Joe wrinkled his nose at the smell, juicy chicken and freshly grated cheese and crisp lettuce.. usually he went to town on the wrap but the smell just churned his stomach. Joe waved his hand at the wrap, grunting in discomfort as the scent tickled his nose. He didn't want any of it. Felt like he would rather run laps then put anything in his mouth. Kaoru sat next to his head on the bench, huffing in annoyance as he brought the wrap up to his own mouth and took a bite. Joe laid his arm over his face, trying to ignore the smell of chicken and focus instead on the faint scent of flowers. Kaoru didn't wear scent patches when they were in school, his scent on the lighter side since he took suppressants every day. It was there if you knew about it, if you looked for it, but gone if you didn't pay attention.

The scent of linen and flowers tickled his nose, soft and comforting, slightly peppery probably with worry. Joe inhaled deeply and held it, savoring the scent, not wanting to let it go, wanting to drown in it, live in it, be a part of it. He let the breath out slowly and cracked his eyes open, moving his arm down slightly to look up at Kaoru. The omega was scrolling on his phone, chewing his food quietly, his lip piercing glinting in the sunlight. Kaoru's eyes were focused on whatever he was reading, soft and golden in color, his long hair pulled back in a ponytail with a few longer strands in the front covering half his face. Joe knew from prior experience that the strands were silky smooth and smelled like vanilla from the omegas shampoo.

Kaoru paused mid bite, staring at his phone with wide eyes before he glanced over to Joe. Joe quirked a brow at him, wondering what got Kaoru looking all surprised and flustered. Maybe a porn pop up? Who knows. Joe never asked. Kaoru seemed to come to a decision in a split second and he pulled the half of the wrap from his mouth, shoving his phone in his pocket. “Jeez, I'm stuffed. I don't think I could eat another bite.” Kaoru sighed heavily, words sounding bolder than they should. It felt like he was up to something. Kaoru wrapped the remainder of the food back up in its original paper wrapper and made a show of patting his stomach. “I feel like I'm gonna bust if I try and finish it. Will you finish it for me? I'd feel bad throwing it away after having spent money on it.” Kaoru once again offered the wrap to Joe.

Joe obviously wrinkled his nose, “I don't want your leftovers, weasel.” Joe replied simply, watching Kaoru glare at him. “Did you catch what I got? Ain't no way you're full after just that.” Joe added, suspicious of the other who looked away with a flush to his cheeks. “Shut up, you stupid gorilla! You're not supposed to question an omega when they're not hungry!” Kaoru muttered, leaving the wrap on the bench instead and reaching into his breast pocket for his pack of cigarettes. He pulled his pink lighter out with the carton, picking out a cig and popping it between his lips as he put the carton away. “You're gonna get us chased by the groundskeeper, again.” Joe chided, watching Kaoru flick the lighter a few times to get it to catch. The cartoon Cherry on the side of it caught Joe’s eye.

“Maybe you should eat something so you have the energy to run away. You'll get caught at this rate.” Kaoru muttered, lighting the cigarette and taking a drag as he put his lighter away. The scent of smoke was nauseating. Joe didn't like it. It covered the already faint smell of flowers and Joe moved his arm so his nose was hidden in the crook of his elbow, only smelling his own scent at that point.

“Since when did you worry so much about me, princess? That's not like you.” Joe retorted, looking up at Kaoru who sent him a sideways glare, pretty yellow eyes narrowing at him in distaste. “Don't call me that.” Kaoru warned, blowing a puff of smoke out the corner of his mouth respectfully away from Joe. “Or what, princess?” Joe asked teasingly, watching the way Kaoru's cheeks tinged the same color pink as his pretty hair. “If I'm a princess, does that make you King Kong?” Kaoru asked with a smirk as Joe's own smile fell into an annoyed frown.

They eventually did get yelled at by the groundskeeper and chased across campus. As Kaoru had mentioned, Joe was caught after he lost his footing and tripped on the sidewalk. He was thoroughly scolded for delinquent activities even though he argued that he wasn't even the one smoking, and eventually was released after they made a call to his grandmother about the situation. Joe wasn't too worried about it, his Nonna was more annoyed at being contacted during her favorite show then worried about Joe hanging out with a smoker. Everyone smoked in Italy, especially the teenagers.

She had given him plenty of grief about not smoking already so he knew the worst that was gonna happen when he got home was she was gonna offer him a cigarette and tell him to grow a pair.

They left school together even if they didn't act like they did it on purpose. Kaoru was putting his stuff into his locker rather slowly, waiting for Joe to show up and speed up his movements to be able to leave slightly earlier than Joe. Joe with his longer legs would walk slightly faster just to catch up to Kaoru and conveniently fall in step next to him. Kaoru smelled more like vanilla at the moment, having spritzed himself with his favorite perfume to hide the smell of cigarettes. It didn't work obviously and while it wasn't a pleasant smell, Joe liked it almost as much as Kaoru's usual scent.

“Where are you headed?” Kaoru asked, not sparing Joe a glance as he pulled out his carton of cigarettes again. Joe watched his fingers quietly and looked away when the other flicked the lighter. “Dunno. Somewhere, I guess. Not ready to head home yet so I'm just walking.” Joe explained, not letting himself look at the other because then he would be stuck staring at pale lips wrapped around the butt of a cigarette and thin fingers tracing feather light touches up his chin to said lips, pinching the cigarette gently to pull it from his lips so he could blow the smoke away on the wind. God, Joe was whipped and he hated it.

“Come with me to the burger place then. I'll look pathetic if I'm eating by myself.” Kaoru ordered, looking up at the flowers blooming on the trees that lined the sidewalk. “You would look pathetic regardless.” Joe replied without thinking, sinking into their usual banter. Kaoru bumped him with his elbow, a bit of force behind it but Joe didn't really register it, mind wandering. After a moment, he felt another jab to his arm by Kaoru's elbow and then a third followed when Joe didn't react. “Jeez, your mind is eating itself since you're not feeding it. You don't have long left at this point with how tiny it is already.” Kaoru egged on, waiting for Joe to retort one way or another but Joe just looked over at him, not saying a word.

Kaoru made a face of discontent, a flash of something, anxiety maybe, going across his eyes before he looked away. “What's the matter with you? Like seriously?” Kaoru huffed, unused to Joe when he was subdued. He didn't like it. Made him feel like there was genuinely something wrong. Joe thought the same originally, wondering if he was dying or something along the lines. He had gone to see his family doctor eventually and was diagnosed with the likelihood of Hyperactive Baby Fever. Now Joe just understood that he was experiencing an uncontrollable influx of hormones and there wasn't anything he could do to ease the tension rising from it. He just had to deal with it. That was it. There was no medication he could take, no shots or pills or elixirs would help. The doctor only mentioned he should start a pack or find himself a lifelong mate and with Joe still being in highschool, the idea of either made his skin crawl. He didn't know many people he would be comfortable forming a pack with, and the only one he wanted as a mate was… taken.

They didn't say anything else as they walked, but Kaoru led the way to the burger place and Joe followed obediently, finding them a seat at a table while Kaoru went up to order. Before long, Kaoru returned with a tray full of food, twice the amount he would usually order, and he sat a chocolate shake down in front of Joe. Joe stared at it for a moment before he flicked his eyes up to look at the omega who ignored him, sitting down across from Joe and pulling the tray in front of him.

“What are you doing?” Joe asked suspiciously, resting his chin on his knuckles as he stared at the other. Kaoru looked up at him, furrowing his brows. “What? I'm eating my food, obviously.” He replied simply, unwrapping a burger and taking a bite from it. “You bought half the menu.” Joe iterated, looking at the assortment of burger wrappers and trays of fries and chicken nuggets. “I didn't know what I wanted so I got everything.” Kaoru spoke around his mouthful of food. His lip piercing had Joe's full attention, Joe wondering what it would feel like to play with it with his tongue.

“Really now? So what's your plan?” Joe asked, wondering what way Kaoru was going to try and force him to eat this time. “I'm gonna wait and see how long that chocolate shake goes untouched for.” Kaoru replied, swallowing his bite of burger. Joe quirked an eyebrow and watched him for a moment longer. “That's it?” He questioned and Kaoru nodded. “Yup.”

It fell silent between them, Joe wondering just what was going on and Kaoru wondering how many sandwiches he could actually get through for his plan to take effect. Joe jiggled his leg under the table, trying his best to take his mind off of things but Kaoru was beginning to smell like lilacs again, the smell finally breaking free of the perfume and the cigarette smoke. It made Joe hungry but not necessarily for food. He already knew the omega wasn't interested in him. Kaoru made it abundantly clear every single day with the way he treated Joe. Joe wondered sometimes if it was just leftover from when they were kids. If Kaoru was interested in him and just didn't know how to go about it because that was definitely something that Kaoru would do.

Other times, like when they met Adam, Joe realized that he was just being hopeful. Kaoru didn't look at him the same way he looked at that other guy. Joe wasn't blind. He could see it clear as day. Even if it wasn't clear by the way Kaoru looked at Adam, it was clear in the way he started smoking like Adam. Same brand and everything. Joe knew he was probably thinking about the other alpha every time he lit one up, basking in the scent that hung off of Adam every time they saw him. Joe wanted nothing more than to let himself be delusional, but he really couldn't. He couldn't take it. Not right now. Not with these hormones.

Joe was trying to figure out how to bring up the big issue. The main issue.

Joe opened his mouth to bring it up but Kaoru interrupted him with a groan, plopping back in his seat with a half eaten chicken sandwich in front of him. There were a few wrappers and an open container of cheese fries. Kaoru looked slightly sick, pushing the tray of untouched food away from him. Joe went to chide him, to call him an idiot, to tell him he needed to not waste food and to eat in moderation, but Kaoru spoke first.

“Alpha, finish it for me?” Kaoru asked, giving Joe a look that wasn't exactly pleading or begging or anything of the such. He looked tired, delicate. Hair falling from his ponytail and hanging in his face in messy pink strands. Joe could feel his heart beat quicker and his skin grow warm, unconsciously reaching over to take a sandwich from the tray and beginning to unwrap it without a word. Joe finally ate something, wordlessly finishing off the rest of the food without any objections or complaints. Kaoru watched him eat quietly and sipped on his drink, waiting patiently for Joe to finish.

Joe didn't know why Karou called him that, and wondered why he would even think about calling Joe by that term. Calling him Alpha was just too intimate. Practically calling him “Dear” or “Husband”. Joe eventually, on the last burger, realized Kaoru just biologically tricked him into eating a meal. The taste of the burger went from salty and greasy goodness to bland mush in his mouth when he finally understood that.. that it was a trick. A lie.

Yeah, he did it because he was worried. Joe hasn't really been eating, hadn't been sleeping, or drinking. Kaoru did it because he was desperate. Because he wanted to help Joe any way he could. Even if it meant calling him Alpha. Even if it meant giving Joe this false hope. Joe wanted to be thankful. Wanted to feel anything other than this disgusting pit of displeasure. He felt disgusted with himself for feeling wronged. Joe would've done the same thing in Kaoru's position if it meant making Karou eat, but he.. he felt so utterly hopeless.

He hated feeling hopeless.

“I'm moving to Italy after graduation.” Joe spoke quietly, wincing as the words sounded so venomous. He swallowed the lump in his throat, avoiding Kaoru's wide eye stare of surprise and shock. “W-what? So suddenly?” Kaoru asked softly, Joe closing his eyes to try and keep himself from seeing the hurt look on his face.

“I got accepted into that culinary school. I'll be staying with my zios and working at the retirement facility my zio works at. I'll be getting hands-on training while I go to school.” Joe continued softly, wiping his mouth on a napkin. The chocolate shake remained untouched. Joe didn't necessarily like chocolate, but Kaoru probably got it for him because Joe would always steal the last half of Kaoru's chocolate shakes simply because the omega forgot about them and Joe wanted to taste Kaoru's lips without actually making a move on him.

“Oh… congratulations then.” Kaoru's voice was soft. Awkward. He seemed upset, though not exactly surprised. “You'll be gone for four years then, won't you?” Kaoru asked, clearing his throat and lacing his fingers. He forced a smile, trying to look amused. “I'll finally get some peace and quiet around here without your big mouth.” Kaoru joked with a small laugh. Gentle like a little bell. Joe glanced up and saw the emotional flush to Kaoru's cheeks and the watery gaze but he blinked and they were gone, Kaoru looking genuinely relieved. Course he would be. It was just Joe being delusional again. Hoping that Kaoru would miss him. Would want him to stay.

“Yeah..” Joe replied, dragging a hand down his face and he took a deep breath, smelling Adam's cigarettes. Even though he knew it wasn't Adam's fault, even if Adam wasn't there, Kaoru would still have no feelings for Joe, but even still, Adam's scent. It was enough to remind Joe that Kaoru wasn't, and would never be his.

Joe dropped his hand from his face and smiled softly, genuinely, the food in his stomach threatening to come up with a vengeance. “It's just four years. Bet you would be so lost without me.” Joe replied, doing his best to be light hearted. Kaoru rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Sure I would. Like you've ever led me to anything good.” Kaoru replied antagonistically. Joe shrugged his shoulders and waved him off. “I took us to that mall a few months back. You wouldn't have met Adam if I didn't.”

Kaoru smiled, features softening at the mention of the other alpha's name. “Okay, maybe you are good for something.” Kaoru had said, voice gentle, whimsical. Joe wished he would speak like that towards Joe. Kaoru smiled genuinely, the corners of his eyes crinkling and his lips pulling back to show utterly perfect teeth. Joe felt his heart drop, eyes widening slightly from the sight. Kaoru's scent spiked a bit, floral and fresh, reminiscent of springtime. “I hope you have fun in Italy, Kojiro. I'm sure you'll be… I'm sure you'll be fine.” Kaoru's voice was unnaturally soft. It made Joe feel so weak. So utterly pathetic.

“Thank you, Kaoru. You too.”

“Earth to gorilla!!” Cherry practically yelled into Joe's ear causing the alpha to startle, slices of fruit falling into his lap from how hard he jumped. “Oddio, che cazzo?!” Joe snapped, looking over to Cherry as he held a hand over his ear. “Don't you che cazzo me! We've been calling you for like, five minutes!” Cherry snapped, glaring at Joe who gritted his teeth in annoyance. He didn't mean to think so deeply about the past. He didn't mean to bring up those bitter feelings from before. Joe thought he was done with them. Done with everything.

He should've known better.

Joe took a deep breath and rubbed his face, doing his best to will away the sudden anger he felt. It was like he was eighteen again. Like he was back at the burger joint with his hands clenched so tight that his nails dug into his palms. “Sorry. I was thinking about something.” Joe stood up from the couch and cleaned up the bit of spilled fruit. He didn't eat much, his appetite gone. His skin was beginning to crawl again. Joe gathered up the bowls and spoons, stacking the tray neatly. “I think I'll pass on the pack scenting tonight. My rut is coming soon so I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable with my scent. I think it would be best if you guys didn't come over until my rut is over with.” Joe spoke carefully, trying to keep his voice level. “I'll be turning in for tonight. You guys can either leave or spend the night. I don't mind either way. After tomorrow though, I'll be closing the restaurant for my cycle.” Joe straightened up and headed to the kitchen, leaving the group quiet.

Cherry stared after him with wide eyes, having been a very long time since he saw Joe with such an expression on his face. A mix of hurt and anger. What was he thinking about just now? What could it have been to make Joe feel that way? Reki excused himself from the futon and stood, making his way to the kitchen without a word. Cherry felt slightly jealous, wishing he could be the one to go check on his friend, but he knew it would be best if he didnt. Cherry did find it weird that Reki could go after Joe so easily though. He was just having a horrible panic attack and now he was willingly heading off to be alone with an alpha who just announced he was near rut? Cherry snorted softly, remembering what Joe said about Reki previously in the kitchen. Reki calmed down almost immediately after smoking. It seemed Reki had a great deal of trust in Joe. Enough to help him ignore his trauma, whatever it was, and spend time alone with an alpha close to his cycle.

Cherry was envious of both of them. Of Reki for being able to approach Joe so easily when he was upset and of Joe for being someone Reki felt so comfortable around. Cherry did his best to ignore the feelings, knowing he had no right to feel them. He was standing in his own way and as much as he wanted it to be different, he knew he wasn't going to change.

“Are you okay, Joe?” Reki asked, following Joe into the kitchen as the taller man took the dirty dishes to the sink and began to wash and rinse them. “Peachy.” Joe replied, his shoulders carrying a lot of tension beneath the cream colored shirt he wore. Joe didn't say anything else as he started to scrub the dishes, Reki hesitated for a moment before he came to stand next to the other, leaning back against the counter and looking up at Joe. The alpha ignored him, face set in a scowl as he stared down at the dishes like they personally offended him.

“Is it Cherry?” Reki asked, watching as Joe took a deep breath in. Reki stepped away, feeling as if he should probably leave lest he make the issue worse, but part of him felt like he needed to stay. “Of course it's him.” Joe replied softly, shoulders sagging as he braced his hands on the counter, hanging his head. “When is it not him? He is everything wrong with me.” Joe let out a dry laugh and shook his head quickly. “Ignore me, I was.. I was thinking about things I shouldn't have back there. Pair it with hormones and I'm a mess right now.” Joe did his best to dismiss himself, seeming like he was trying to assure Reki that he wasn't a threat.

Reki on the other hand was just below being high as a kite and Joe was wearing scent patches. The house smelled like strawberries and their mixed cacophony of pack scents and that subtle scent of Italian herbs that rose up from the restaurant beneath. At this point, Joe wasn't an alpha that Reki should be afraid of. He was just Joe. “I get what you mean.” Reki said softly, looking away from the other and he settled back into his original position next to Joe. Joe side eyed him and relaxed after a moment, looking back to the sink of half clean dishes. Joe resumed what he was doing and they stood in silence for a bit longer while Joe thought over his feelings.

“My rut is scheduled for the twenty-third, however, I feel like it'll come a few days early. Cherry and I have been butting heads lately. Not like we usually do.. but more personal. I feel.. angry with him, but I don't have the right to. He doesn't owe me anything.” Joe rinsed the dishes quietly and stacked them into the dish rack, washing his hands afterwards and he grabbed a towel to begin drying the bowls and spoons. “I just need some time to try and get my mind right. I'll settle back down after my rut is over. Things can go back to normal and y'know, I'll stop being a dick.” Joe tried for humor, giving Reki a sorrowful smile and Reki did his best to hide his pity.

“Yeah.. normal.” Reki puffed out, looking away for a few moments as Joe returned to drying the dishes. He didn't really know what to say to Joe, whether he should assure the other he wasn't being as much of a dick as he thought or if he should try to change the subject. Joe on the other hand was just tired. He was thinking about going to bed already, whether or not he actually would fall asleep was beyond him, but he was craving the comfort of his mattress. Joe dried his hands off and stopped by the fridge to grab a drink for himself, pausing next to Reki and reaching a hand up to ruffle red locks. Reki ducked his head into the touch, grumbling softly acting as if he was more put out then anything, but Joe could tell from Reki's scent that the omega wasn't upset. “You're too young to be worrying about everyone all of the time.” Joe teased, watching as Reki rolled his eyes and waved Joe's hand away.

“Y'all are too old to be needing me to worry about you guys yet here I am.” Reki stuck his tongue out. Joe pinched Reki's cheek the way his Nonna always pinched his and Reki groaned again, this time in an agitated way. Joe snickered in amusement and patted Reki on the shoulder. “Goodnight, kid. Sleep tight. Don't get too cozy with Langa, now. Miya would be traumatized.” Joe teased, heading to the entryway of the kitchen as heat bloomed across Reki's face. Joe left the kitchen in a better mood then when he went in, but it slowly melted away as he made his way to the bedroom. He contemplated rolling another joint, closing the bedroom door behind him and staring towards the parted curtains for a long beat before he decided to do just that. Joe grabbed out his tray and his jars, settling down in the chair at the table and beginning to roll a few joints just to have on hand.

His head was beginning to wander again and Joe dragged a hand down his face, hoping that another quick smoke would help his brain quiet down. His phone vibrated a few times and beeped, signaling a few back to back text messages and Joe let them sit for a bit as he finished rolling his joints. He rolled four total, twisting them each off and putting three of them into some doob tubes for later use. Joe cleaned up his tray a bit before piling his contraband back onto it, leaning over to open the cabinet and haphazardly shoving the tray onto its shelf. The pink lighter sat on the table where it belonged, a constant reminder to Joe that that was all he could really claim from Cherry. The things that Cherry would throw away. The bits of himself he deemed no longer important. That's all Joe could hope to possess. To call his own.

Joe grabbed it and flicked the top open, hitting the flint wheel a few times till a flame caught and Joe lit the joint he tucked between his lips, waiting for the end to begin to glow and smoke before he took a long hit from it, flicking the zippo shut. His thumb rubbed over the etch of the cherry along the front of the lighter, long gone but Joe could still see it. Could still see the day Cherry bought it and showed it off, all excited to start smoking like Adam. Cherry had been debating between this one and one with his favorite band on it, standing at the stall at the mall for hours until he finally made his decision. The clerk was so annoyed with him that she didn't even ID him for it, wanting him as far from her booth as possible.

Joe held the joint between his fingers and dropped it from his mouth, instead raising the lighter up and pressing a single soft kiss against the metal that warmed up quickly in his palm. Even if Cherry no longer loved these parts of himself, Joe couldn't help but cling to them. The parts Cherry wanted to forget, they were precious memories to Joe. The day after Joe told Cherry about his plans to leave for Italy, Adam announced he was leaving for America. It was genuinely a punch to the gut for both of them. Joe was angry more than anything. He respected Adam greatly and enjoyed his company as a friend. Joe was jealous of him for obvious reasons. Adam and Cherry had something going on, at least that's what Joe thought at the time. He wouldn't be surprised if Cherry thought the same… but Joe was so angry.

While he was jealous of Adam, the only reason he made plans to go abroad was just because he knew Cherry would have Adam there to fill in for the absence Joe would leave. Joe knew how much Cherry hated being alone, and suddenly, in the span of two days, he lost both of his friends. Cherry was obviously devastated the weeks that followed. Adam had disappeared in the blink of an eye, the two of them never were told anything about his personal life so they couldn't even keep in touch with him. The night Adam broke the news, Adam was the first to depart leaving them both alone at the dock. Joe had watched Adam's figure grow distant until it disappeared from sight entirely. Cherry refused to look up from where he stood staring out onto the water, hands gripping the railing tightly. He was stiff as a board. Joe stepped over to him and didn't say a word, shoulder to shoulder with the omega for what felt like hours as the waves lapped beneath them.

Cherry refused to talk about Adam after that, and it wasn't long before graduation came and went. Cherry stood outside Joe's house as Joe loaded his bags into the taxi that was taking him to the airport. Their goodbye was awkward, bitterness masked with usual dry banter from Cherry and Joe wanted nothing more than to cancel everything and stay, but he knew that wouldn't help Cherry. Cherry wouldn't open up to him about the destructive thoughts plaguing his mind. He would curse Joe out instead for giving up such an opportunity. So Joe got into the taxi and the car started moving down the street. Joe watched out the window the whole way. Cherry turned away almost immediately and began to make his way home before Joe was even out of sight. As he went, Joe saw Cherry throw a pink object into the trash can on the side of the road.

Joe didn't remember the next part too well. He knew what happened, but didn't remember doing it. Joe told the taxi to pull over and he quickly exited the car. Cherry had already rounded the corner out of sight when Joe made it to where he was and he immediately peered into the trash can. As he thought, the lighter sat at the top looking too bright and cute to be surrounded by empty cups and old food wrappers. The lighter was snatched up and Joe stared down the street where Cherry had been just moments before, gone from sight. The faint smell of flowers and vanilla perfume hung in the air and Joe felt like he was going to puke.

He had left early for the airport, arriving hours before his departure time. The zippo was tiny in his hands, unmarred even after all the use Cherry had put it through. Bright and cheerful, cute and feminine. It matched Cherry almost to a T, save for the cheerful bit. Joe didn't know why he grabbed it. Why he launched himself out of the back of the taxi on the hunch that it was the pink thing that got tossed. He didn't know why, but..

The lighter went with him to Italy. At the age of eighteen, the first thing Joe did when he landed was he bought himself a pack of cigarettes. It was the same brand Cherry smoked, the same brand Adam smoked, but Joe never cared much for the cigarette scent on Adam. He always hated the smell of cigarettes in general, not seeing the appeal. Not wanting to ever deal with a chronic smoker.

Every time Joe missed Cherry, missed him real bad. Missed him like he was going to book a flight home and drop out of school, Joe lit up a cigarette and watched it burn, the smoke surrounding him on his little balcony. It clung to his clothes and made his stomach churn but if he closed his eyes, Joe could smell the scent of lilacs with it and feel the cool silky touch of pink hair gracing against his bare arms.

Joe took a staggering breath and pulled the joint to his lips, taking a much needed drag from the joint and trying desperately to ignore the memories that came crashing down on him. His phone buzzed again and Joe stuck the joint between his lips, puffing out in annoyance as he tossed the zippo to his other hand so he could grab his phone with his dominant hand. He had a few messages from one of his fuck buddies. She was off for two days that fell in line with the beginning of his rut and was offering to take care of him for those two days. Joe sent her a text back telling her it sounded like a lovely idea.

‘You sure you don't want me all week?’

’Haha, while I would love to, I have a job and bills. I'm sure you can find one or two more people to help you for the other days!’

Joe hummed in agreement to himself, blowing smoke from the corner of his mouth and checking his messages once more. He had gotten similar messages from his other contacts, people offering to help him on this day or that day but not every day. Joe knew he shouldn't be picky, but it just made him uncomfortable when he was in such an emotionally intimate situation, aka his rut, and to have his partner, his dubbed omega, change every day or two. It fucked with his head. Made Joe feel unstable. He liked having control and waking up in the middle of rut to a new person every day didn't sit right with him.

Joe didn't bother responding to the message. He didn't really need to. He could send another message later if he really wanted to, but instead he needed some time to not worry about it. Joe was still waiting for a text from someone in particular, a pretty omega woman, about if her schedule would allow her to be with him the full week. Joe settled into his seat and relaxed as best as he could, leaning his head back and staring up at the wall.

The bedroom was decorated in a loose sense. There was a few art pieces on the walls and a fake potted plant by the bed. Joe liked the look of having a plant in his room, but he kept the room too dark to keep any actual plants. He preferred the bedroom to be dark and cold, especially when he was in rut. He would probably drop the temperature a bit lower when he actually started his rut. Joe blew out a thick cloud of smoke and paused, realizing he forgot to crack the window. Joe sighed heavily and leaned over towards the window, undoing the latch and cracking it open as he sucked on the joint. “I need to get my head on straight…” Joe muttered to himself, blowing some smoke out the window before he relaxed back into his seat, reaching forward to dust the ash out the open window. He had an ashtray but he stuck it back in the cabinet, another thing he had forgotten. Joe dragged a hand down his face and groaned softly in annoyance.

His phone buzzed a few more times and Joe stared at it for a bit, contemplating whether he wanted to keep being social or to be broody for a bit. Joe was usually an attentive partner and answered pretty quickly to texts, even if it was a minute or two in between. Grabbing his phone, he flipped it over as he blew out some smoke. Speak of the devil, it was the omega he was waiting on.

’Hey big guy, you still need a partner for your rut? I got approval for the time off if I need it.’

Joe sighed in some odd convoluted mix of relief and disappointment. He was happy to have found a partner. ‘Course he was. His ruts sucked when he was alone, a horrible mixture of paranoia and endless thoughts of a certain pink haired individual… Having a partner made him focus on other things, mainly them.

Entirely.

He just wished that Cherry would stop messin with him. Maybe after his rut, Joe would draw a line in the sand between them. That would involve ending their heat share arrangement… Joe couldn't do that. Not after what happened four years ago. Not after the state he found Cherry in when he came back from Italy. Joe tried to think it over, tried to figure out a way to separate himself from the omega in a way that was feasible but effective. He could try limiting contact with him, but Cherry frequented his restaurant and they both went to S together, and on top of that, they were a part of the same pack now!!

Joe racked his brain a bit more. He could have Cherry limit his necessities in Joe's apartment, make it less lived in on Cherry's part, but the thought of losing Cherry's presence in his home made his physically sick. Like he would rather tear the whole apartment down brick by brick with his bare hands then to leave it feeling empty without Cherry's occupancy.

The only other thing Joe could think of was to just leave everything the way it was. Suffer his fate as a simp for the sole purpose of the fact that he couldn't bare to set any boundaries with Cherry. The relationship was toxic. It was unhealthy. One sided. Parasitic. Joe laughed at the thought. Cherry would only take what he wanted from Joe. Help during his heat, Joe's undying affection and loyalty, his company, his everything. Joe would receive nothing but Cherry's presence and the sight of him in Joe's bed during his heats. For a few hours after the heat was over, Joe would be allowed to bask in Cherry's scent but the omega always made sure to clear the scent with some Odor neutralizing spray. Joe really hated that stuff sometimes. Even when Cherry would just spend the night in the guest room, he made sure to erase any trace of himself, leaving Joe to collapse in the guest bed after Cherry left, desperately searching for just a hint of those lilacs.

Joe was always sorely disappointed.

Story of his life.

The sound of footsteps echoed quietly through the hallway and Joe paused, listening in. Too light to be Langa's, too careful to be Reki's. Not light enough to be Miya's and definitely lighter and quieter then Shadow’s. Joe knew those steps, focused on the way they came to a stop outside his bedroom door. It was silent for what felt like minutes, Cherry hesitating. Standing just behind the door, thinking about Joe. He had to be. Why else would he be there?? That was enough for Joe, setting the joint on the table, not caring if it set fire to the table or not. He stood from the table and went to the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. He hesitated, listened again, and waited for just a few moments. Joe wanted to open the door, to see Cherry's face on the other side, wanted to pull him into the room and scent him the way he craved to. Faintly, he could smell his scent, delicate and flowery and full of trepidation.

Joe grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open, definitely not expecting Cherry to be standing there with his hand raised to knock. Cherry jumped back and stared up at Joe with wide eyes, Joe reaching towards him and stopping short of grabbing Cherry by the shirt. His fingers flexed, Cherry staring at Joe's hand with shock, brows raised as he watched the way Joe's hand twitched. Gold eyes flicked back to Joe, Joe staring him down with a look of hunger and pain.

“You should go before I drag you in here, Kaoru.” Joe spoke softly, giving the other a warning. As much as he wanted to bring Kaoru into his room, to cover him in his scent, to bask in the other softer sweeter scent, he wanted him so bad, he knew that would be a mistake. It would be forceful, it would be one sided…

While Joe didn't want to ruin what he had with Cherry, he also didn't want to have the other come to hate him. Joe thought about Reki as well and his trauma, the sensitive secret Reki had shared with him. Joe didn't think he could live with himself if he broke that trust Reki had with him. Being no better than the alpha who hurt him.

Joe twitched when Kaoru stepped forward, forcing tanned fingers to graze across pale skin and princess pink hair. Both were soft against his rough skin, silky and smooth, cool to the touch. Joe felt his breath catch in his throat, eyes dilating as he curled his fingers around the back of Kaoru's head, tangling his fingers in pink hair and holding onto him so gently like he was afraid of hurting the other but he was not letting go for anything.

“Do you have a partner for your rut?” Kaoru asked, voice leveled and all signs of uncertainty were gone from his face. It was replaced with a sort of angry determination. Joe shook his head, stepping closer to Kaoru, leaving his room and bringing his other hand up to cup the other side of Kaoru's face, brushing his thumb gently across the skin under Kaoru's eye, brushing away a dark pink eyelash that had stuck to his cheek. Golden eyes were focused on him and him alone and the feeling had Joe up on cloud nine. All of his anger and sadness and pain from just moments before were gone. All he could think about was Kaoru.

“So you're still looking for someone then?” Kaoru wasn't wearing his glasses, looking up at Joe. Kaoru was far-sighted so he probably couldn't see Joe all that clearly. His nose wrinkled slightly in that way it did when he was trying to focus and Joe couldn't help but smile. “Know someone who's willing?” Joe asked, voice coming out as a soft rumble. Kaoru huffed in annoyance, his cheeks coloring a bit. “It's because of me you were put out in the first place. It would only be right of me to try and fix this issue for you.” Kaoru explained, he seemed restless, arms raising and falling until he eventually crossed them against his chest. Joe wanted to know why he was anxious. Wanted to fix the issue so Kaoru could be comfortable.

“Aren't you sweet.” Joe murmured, bringing his hand down from Kaoru's cheeks to his jaw, tracing his thumb along the plush bottom lip. Kaoru arched an eyebrow, “What the hell are you doing, you dumb gorilla?” Kaoru's voice was rough, Joe blinking as he flinched back. He stood in his room, having never left it, the imaginary touch of Kaoru's hair against his still outstretched fingertips. Kaoru stared at him in bewilderment, staring at Joe like the other just insulted his mother.

Joe snatched his hand back, realizing that it was all just in his head. Kaoru's soft words, his touch, his willingness to stay with Joe. To stay. It was a sick illusion.

“You need to leave.” Joe averted his gaze, his chest heating up and not in a good way. His throat burned with bile like he was about to throw up, turning his back to Kaoru who stood wide eyed in the doorway as Joe retreated into his room, going to close the door behind him. Kaoru grabbed the door and pushed it back, catching Joe off guard. He should've expected it. The omega was stubborn and always seemed to know the best time to push Joe's buttons. Joe ignored him and kept walking, making his way to the bathroom and pushing that door closed behind him as well. Kaoru jammed his foot in the door and pushed but Joe held it in place, not pushing any further because he didn't want to hurt Kaoru but he didn't want to give up the only form of barrier between him and the other.

“What is your problem?!” Kaoru asked, voice pissed off. Joe felt the strongest urge to let the door go and to try and fix the situation, try and calm the omega down, croon over him and coddle him and make sure he wouldn't leave -

But Joe needed him to go. It would only hurt more if he stayed. “You. You're my problem.” Joe spat, not meeting Kaoru's gaze because he knew as soon as he did, it would be over for him. He would cave in, roll over like a scared dog. All Joe wanted was Kaoru. His love, his company. Everything about him. He wanted him happy, never wanted to be the cause for any stress but no matter how hard he tried, things always exploded between them. His obsession with the other is what causes it. His utter need to have him. It was going good for so long and then-

“What did I do to cause that blow up earlier?” Kaoru asked, pushing his shoulder into the door but Joe held firm. “Don't even start with this, Kaoru.” Joe couldn't make himself say the others' names with any venom. “You're going to pry, and pick, and question me, dissect me with your words like you always do, and when I tell you how I really feel, you'll pull away like I'm a nuisance. Let's just skip all the extra steps and get to the part where you leave me the hell alone!” Joe's voice came out louder than he intended.

“Damnit, Kojiro! Open the fucking door!” Kaoru snapped, peering in around the crack as best as he could but still Joe ignored him. “Why do you care, Kaoru? I need to be alone right now and you're being a dick about it!” Kaoru scent was beginning to fill the small space Joe was stuck in, soft and sweet with a tinge of anger. Joe wondered how such a scent could exist and smell so divine all at the same time.

“I'm not trying to start a fight, I just want to talk and you started running from me!” Kaoru sounded exasperated. Joe admitted that he was right in that aspect, but at that point, the other should've taken the hint! “Just open the door and let me-” Kaoru threw himself at the door again in a futile attempt to make Joe budge. Kaoru let out a pained yelp and the pressure from the other side of the door vanished. Joe immediately swung it open, eyes wide and slightly panicked as he reached for Kaoru. Kaoru was holding a hand firmly against his shoulder, head tilted down with his hair in his face.

“Kaoru-” Joe began but Kaoru lashed out, grabbing Joe firmly by the collar of his cream colored shirt and he yanked on it hard, pulling Joe down a bit as the shirt creaked in revolt. “Don't run from me again or I'll get real mad.” Kaoru hissed, forcing Joe to look him in the eye. Kaoru's eyes were angry and hurt. He seemed scared. What the hell was going through his head to make him so scared??

“You lied. About being hurt.” Joe bit out, trying to keep his head focused on the bright side that Kaoru wasn't actually in pain but it was hard when all he could think about was how yet again, Kaoru lied to Joe to get what he wanted. “You..” Joe felt his voice wobble and Kaoru's face fell immediately, staring up at Joe with wide eyes.

Joe took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, trying to forget everything, his head was slightly fuzzy from the high he was on but all he could smell was Kaoru's lilac scent and it hurt to breathe at that point. “You need to leave me alone, Kaoru.”

“Kojiro-”

“Kaoru!” Joe cut him off, staring down at him with watery eyes and Kaoru flinched back, grip loosening from Joe's collar.

“I-”

“Need to leave.” Joe reiterated, watching as Kaoru stiffened up and averted his gaze, hair falling over his eyes but Joe could see the way Kaoru's bottom lip trembled and then was settled with a stiff bite. “Right. I'll go.” Kaoru's voice sounded hoarse, wobbly. Joe wanted nothing more then to pull him into a hug and beg him to stay. How it pained Joe physically to do this to Kaoru but he needed to put distance between them. He couldn't keep doing this relationship they had, couldn't keep expecting things from Kaoru that he knew Kaoru couldn't give him. It wasn't his fault. Kaoru simply didn't love Joe the way Joe loved him, and that was fine. Joe wasn't upset about that, Kaoru didn't know the way Joe felt.

“I still want to talk to you.. before I leave.” Kaoru looked back up at Joe with determination, tightening his grip on Joe's shirt once more before he released it. “Please, just give me a few minutes and then I'll leave. I won't bother you until after you regulate after your rut.” Kaoru continued, looking into soft brown eyes. Joe wanted nothing more than to seek out Kaoru's touch again. It felt soothing against his feverish skin.

Instead Joe walked over to his table and grabbed his joint, hands shaking as he brought it back to his lips and snatched the lighter, the cherry at the end having gone out. Kaoru followed him and sat at the table with Joe, waiting for the other to calm down a bit. Joe took a long hit from his joint, placing the lighter back in its original spot. Joe didn't sit though, he began to pace, back and forth, to the door and back to the window, long legs carrying him easily across the room in just a few steps. The smoke tasted rancid in the back of his throat, a result of relighting the already burnt end and because of his nerves being fried from his emotions.

At this point, Joe didn't care if the smoke filled his room or not. It would be an easy fix to get it out. He had an air purifier somewhere in his laundry room that he used during his ruts to keep the apartment as scent free as possible. He needed to pace at the moment, too full of nervous energy to sit still. Joe refused to speak first, not the one wanting to have a conversation at the moment but of course, he would eventually give in, like he always did, and he would be the first to speak.

Cherry sat at the table, eyes averted. He was waiting for Joe to relax a bit before he spoke, but it seemed Joe was too anxious to wait. Minutes passed by and eventually, Joe, without looking to the other, said “What do you want from me, Kaoru?”

Cherry stared at the hot pink lighter on the table and reached for it, picking it up and examining it. It looked familiar. Cherry wondered if he's seen Joe use it before, but quickly waved the idea off. Joe usually smoked in private. Every now and then he would smoke at S, but he usually bummed a light from one of his fangirls or he used some cheap yellow bic lighter to take care of it. Flipping it in his hand a few times, Cherry was reminded of when he used to smoke back in highschool. He had a lighter the exact same color, except his lighter had a cherry design engraved into the front of it. Cherry noticed a glint of a design, a flash in the pale light coming from the open window. He paused and stared at it, slowly tilting the lighter back and forth as the engraved markings of a Cherry appeared in a glare.

Cherry flipped the lighter and stared at the bottom where he got his initials engraved when he first purchased his lighter and sure enough, SYK stared back at him. Cherry had thrown this lighter away years ago. Hell, it's been nine, almost ten years at this point!! Cherry continued to stare at the lighter before his eyes flicked to Joe, watching the alpha pace like a dog in a cage. “I’m not sure I understand the question.” Cherry replied, trying to wrack his brain for why and how Joe has his lighter from almost a decade prior. Cherry doesn't even remember what he did with it. He got rid of it when the other left because he was quitting smoking, unable to stand the taste of it after what happened with Adam.

“Why are you here? I'm going into rut soon, and I'm trying not to jump your bones and you know it. You know how I feel and you keep coming to bother me! I only have so much restraint.” Joe continued, voice coming out rushed. He could feel Cherry's eyes on him. “You didn't seem to have to restrain yourself when you were with Reki.” Cherry replied, knowing that he was pushing buttons he shouldn't be but he needed to know. He needed clear answers and he just couldn't ask the questions he needed to.

Joe finally looked at him and for the first time in a while, Joe seemed genuinely angry with Cherry. “He's a kid!” The alpha snapped, “He's like a little brother to me! Besides he's not-”

“You go out with twenty year olds, young isn't usually an issue for you. But sure. Forget that. What about any of your other omegas? You'd be trying to pounce on them if they were here, wouldn't you?” Cherry asked, feeling exasperated. He was hoping the answer would be no, because that would just mean his theory was correct. But the implications of him being right… They were messy.

“No, not even if any of them were here.” Joe growled, waving his hand as he returned to pacing, not noticing the lighter in Cherry's hand though Cherry did curl his fingers around it when Joe turned to face him. “I would be faring better if they were here. I wouldn't be as agitated and my rut would probably come on time instead of starting early like it is already.” While Joe wasn't in rut yet, he knew that it was going to come in the next day or two at the rate his emotions were going.

“And it's coming early because I'm here?” Cherry asked, watching as Joe nodded, puffing on his joint like a chimney. The room reeked of marijuana and Cherry's own peppery distressed scent. “Because I'm the omega you imprinted on?” Cherry continued, watching as Joe began to nod again before he paused, the words finally processing. He had stopped mid step, frozen in place with his back to Cherry.

That was all Cherry needed to know. He clutched the lighter tight and watched as Joe turned to look at him, staring at Cherry quietly before his eyes flicked to the lighter in Cherry's hand. Cherry, during his time in college, took psychology and one of the units his professor taught was on the thought process and emotions of alphas and omegas with various different hormonal inbalances. At one point they touched base on HBF. Cherry had done some light research on it when he was in highschool, trying to figure out how to help Joe but eventually Joe left and he dropped interest in the subject. When it was brought up again in college, Cherry again did the necessary research but nothing more. Afterwards, when Joe brought it up earlier when he started the pack, Cherry did a true deep dive into the subject. He learned at that point that alphas with HBF usually imprint on an omega and will spend the rest of their life chasing that omega.

Originally, Cherry thought Joe hadn't yet imprinted on anyone. An imprint wasn't something someone could control, and it was done at random in most cases. Cherry had this thought simply because of how active Joe's bedroom life was. Surely he wouldn't spend all this time bedding various omegas if he had already imprinted on someone.

Cherry didn't need any further confirmation. “For how long?” Cherry whispered, feeling rather emotional now. Joe nodded towards the lighter, “Since before you bought that.” He replied, moving towards the bed and dropping down onto it like a bag of bricks. Joe looked exhausted, pinching the red tip of the joint between his fingers and putting it out, not even wincing from the burn. Cherry felt his stomach drop and he took a deep breath, trying to find some words to say but nothing came to mind. Bit by bit, pieces started to come together and Cherry stared up at Joe quietly, the alpha ignoring his gaze.

“Now that you understand, can you leave me alone for a bit? You smell… so good right now. And you are in so much distress.. I can't think of anything other than you right now and it's… it's making everything hurt.” Joe spoke gently, voice dropping down to match Cherry's in volume. His voice was a deep rumble, trying to be comforting. Cherry knew now that every sweet word Joe ever spoke to him was coming from the heart. Every time he ever dropped everything for Cherry, every time he would do him a favor no matter how big, every time he looked at Cherry like Cherry was something precious and Cherry stupidly thought every single time that there was no way he was looking at Cherry with such a gaze… Cherry knew now that he was really and truly such an idiot.

“I-” Cherry began, words dying in his throat when Joe's reddish brown gaze flicked up to meet him. His eyes were sad and tired. Cherry's throat dried up with that look, refusing to work anymore and so Cherry simply nodded, standing up quickly and making his way past the alpha who watched him go quietly. Cherry reached the door, hand resting on the handle for a moment. A moment of hesitation. A moment of doubt, fear. Something akin to worry maybe? He didn't know. He was shit with emotions as he always made very clear. Cherry was a small angry pink cactus that was suddenly given human emotions one day and all he wanted was a hug due to the torment he felt but how could he ever ask that of someone when he knew that he was asking them to sacrifice their own comfort for his own? How could he ask others to willingly prick themselves on his thorny exterior just for a moment of comfort for himself?

Cherry looked back at Joe, Joe watching Cherry quietly, shoulders sagged and his shirt rumpled where Cherry had grabbed him earlier around the collar. Joe looked almost hopeful, what with Cherry stopping to spare him another look. That look was enough for Cherry to make up his mind.

Cherry left.

Chapter Text

When Cherry abruptly left the apartment, Reki didn't really know what to think. The peppery scent of displeasure followed the older omega out of the room and the four of them were left to watch, too confused to say anything until they heard the sound of the front door slam shut. Reki looked towards the hallway where Joe had disappeared previously and for yet another moment that night, Reki felt a nervous pang in his chest. He was exhausted, currently halfway sprawled across Langa's lap with Miya tangled between his legs, but he found himself extracting himself from the comforting pile of limbs and trying to force himself up. Langa's fingers grasped around Reki's wrist and Reki looked back at worried aqua eyes. Langa's bottom lip was pursed and he seemed tense, but after a moment, Langa released Reki's arm and averted his gaze.

“Everything okay?” Reki asked softly, wondering what seemed to put the alpha in a tense mood as he stood up all the way. Langa didn't seem like talking though, he just nodded. Reki wondered if Langa was just being clingy since he was high. Reki got clingy so it would only make sense if Langa did too. It was only Langa's second time smoking marijuana so Reki honestly didn't know how the other would act. Langa didn't say anything else in the few beats of silence so Reki reached over and poked the other in the cheek. “I'll be back in a bit. Just gonna go check on Joe. See if he's okay.” Reki explained, watching as Langa nodded again.

“Are you sure you should be around an alpha who's probably in a bad mood?” Miya asked, drawing Reki's attention. “Like, no offense, but I really don't think it's a good idea. I mean, after what happened earlier…” Miya fumbled with his words a bit and from the corner of his eye, Reki could see Shadow nodding along with what Miya was saying.

“I'll be fine. Joe's got scent patches on.” Reki replied firmly, waving the others off as he made his way to the hallway. In any other situation, Reki wouldn't have bothered. Even if an alpha was wearing scent patches, usually just the knowledge that he would be alone with an upset alpha was enough to make his skin crawl and for bile to rise in his throat. Reki wasn't proud to admit it, but he probably wouldn't do the same thing even if the alpha in question was Langa. Joe on the other hand, Reki couldn't quite explain why, but he felt safe with him. Reki wondered briefly if it was because he knew the other had feelings for someone else already, but even then, that wasn't enough to explain the amount of trust he had for the alpha.

Joe's bedroom door was shut, Reki stood outside of it for a moment and then quietly raised his hand to knock before he heard Joe's voice. “Come in, Reki.” The voice was soft, muffled by the door and Reki wondered how Joe knew it was him. Reki didn't hesitate for long, opening the door and stepping into the room. It was dark. Joe sat on the bed, eyes trained on the slightly open window. He was angled with his back to Reki, though Reki could see a little bit of his face. The room smelled peppery and a mix of all kinds of emotions, wild deviations between anxiety and sadness and excitement. Joe's scent was strangely absent in the room. Reki realized at that point that Joe's scent was beginning to become scarce in his own home. Reki wondered why, sniffing softly and unable to detect the scent of matcha in the slightest. Reki knew the alpha sprayed odor neutralizer in the bedroom previously so Reki could comfortably be in here, but it was odd that it was completely absent. He couldn't even smell it in the hallway.

Reki made his way over to the bed, Joe not reacting to his presence in the slightest. Reki took that as a silent invitation to stay. Joe wouldn't have invited him in if he didn't want the other around. Reki plopped down on the bed next to Joe and scooted back a bit. The bed was a bit taller than his own, almost having to hop his way up. His legs dangled over the edge, kicking his feet absently as he stared at the wall in front of him. Joe radiated warmth, Reki able to feel it coming off of him in the little bit of space between them. Reki wondered if that was why Joe's bedroom was always so cold. Thinking back on it, Joe was always warm like the pavement in the middle of summer, so it wasn't just because the other was close to his rut cycle. Reki didn't know what to say and Joe didn't offer anything. Normally, Reki would be crawling out of his skin from the quiet that hung over them, itching to fill in the silence with some sort of mindless rant simply because he felt awkward, yet for some reason he felt comfortable at that moment.

Joe leaned back and that meant he leaned back against Reki. Reki made a soft noise of shock, briefly believing the other was going to flop back on him because that's what an older brother would do, what he would do to Koyomi whenever she came to bug him. But Joe didn't go any further than some light pressure, Reki simply pushed over slightly lopsided. Reki pushed back against Joe until he was pressed into the alphas back, cheek squished against the soft shirt Joe wore, face pressed somewhere between the alphas shoulder blades. From where he was, Reki could hear a soft rhythmic tapping against Joe's back. It took him a moment to realize he was hearing Joe's heartbeat, thumping so loudly in his chest that Reki could hear it even though his ear wasn't pressed to the other's skin. It was loud and quick, Joe taking a stuttering breath. It sounded raspy.

Reki felt his stomach sink a bit and he pushed back a bit more against Joe's back, his question coming without any words and Joe’s answer came the same way, a reassuring nudge back. Reki did his best to ignore the sympathy pains he felt in his chest, dropping his gaze to his lap where his hands picked at the yellow shorts Cherry had lent him. He wondered what exactly happened between the two older skaters, but he knew it wasn't his business. He was an outsider to their relationship and whatever was transpiring was their business and not his. He would worry, but he wouldn't pry. He couldn't bring himself to. Especially not right now.

Joe pretended everything was alright, and Reki pretended not to hear the soft sniffles coming from the other.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

It didn't take long for Reki to have his hands full. Only a day without his pack and Reki needed an adult. He was basically an adult at seventeen years old, but he needed an adultier adult. Joe had become unreachable after the pack left his home the next morning which was understandable; and Cherry, well, Reki didn't often try to contact Cherry via text or call, but he had tried and got no answer from him either. Reki wondered briefly if Cherry had blocked all of them after whatever happened between him and Joe the night prior, Joe having never explained anything about the conflicting scents, but Reki chalked it up to the fact that it was a week day and Cherry was a proper adult with a job. He was probably busy doing whatever it was an AI calligrapher did.

Reki was (originally) alone at the skatepark, Langa having left Joe's apartment first that day with a brief mention of needing to speak with his mother and help her with errands. Reki felt a pang in his chest when the other left and for the rest of the day (until now) Reki couldn't stop thinking about him. About what happened the night before. About them kissing-

It was the only thought in his head. Soft lips against his own, fumbled movements and the hand on his thigh that squeezed him just right, nervous but excited- the scent of toasted sugar that spiked in sweetness whenever Reki dragged Langa back in when he tried to break the kiss. Langa's cheeks were tinged pink, his lips wet with spit and he looked so awestruck in the dim light from the moon. Reki could see him clear as day and missed him even more…

But right now, something else was clouding up his thoughts. Reki pressed the top of his phone screen to his lips and looked back to Miya worriedly, the young omega flushed bright red in embarrassment with anxious tears in his eyes which he refused to let fall. He avoided Reki's gaze out of embarrassment, Reki's purple hoodie tied around the younger omegas waist because, well, his menstrual cycle started and he was not prepared. Reki smelled Miya's anxious scent before he saw him, looking up to see the other skating towards him at full speed until he practically threw himself into Reki's chest, shakily grabbing the purple hoodie and whimpering out “I- I'm bleeding a-and I don't know w-what to do-”

And Reki also didn't know what to do.

Hence why he was looking for an adult.

“Can you try calling your mom? They should know what to do.” Reki explained, gesturing for Miya to follow him as he stowed his phone back in the pocket of his faded black jeans. Beneath his hoodie, Reki wore a yellow tank top with a graphic design on the front. He angled his board closer to him with his foot and stepped on. Miya followed suit, shaking his head. “She- um.. broke her phone. And my dad turns his off when he's at work.” Miya stammered, avoiding Reki's gaze still. Reki clicked his tongue a bit and sighed.

“Oh well. What can you do? I'll do my best but it's definitely not going to be painless.” Reki muttered, noticing that Miya looked a bit green. “It's already pretty painful. How much worse can it get?” He whispered, rubbing at his face. Reki felt sympathy pains. His first few periods sucked mainly due to being bitched. Now, he cramped, yeah, but nowhere near as bad as when he first started. “Well, I'm gonna make it hella awkward whether I want to or not. C'mon, let's stop by the pharmacy.” Reki pushed off and Miya followed after him a bit shakily. Reki took notice, making sure to keep the pace slow for the other.

They picked up their boards when they got to the store and Reki led the way in, wrapping an arm around Miya’s shoulders who looked like he was about to collapse. “You okay?” Reki asked gently, leading the way to the aisle they needed. “It feels like I'm being stabbed in my no-no square.” Miya dead panned, looking up at Reki. He was no longer red in the face. He looked pretty pale in all actuality and Reki brought his wrist up and scented the other’s cheek gently.

“That would be your cramps. We'll get you some Cramprin and some chocolate. What style of underwear do you wear? Boxers?” Reki asked, looking to the wall of sanitary products. Boxes of pads and tampons lined the shelves in various assortments of absorbency and brands. Reki was eyeing the assorted boxes, neither of them knowing just what Miya's flow was going to be like for the next week.

“Uh… briefs..? Why does that matter?” Miya mumbled shyly, watching as Reki grabbed a box off the shelf. “Cause I need to know if we need to get you a pack of underwear or not. Most pads you need briefs or something of similar style. The wingless pads can be used with boxers or boxer briefs but I personally have issues with keeping them in place at that point.” Reki explained, showing Miya the box and the younger boy shook his head. “I don't want those.”

Reki looked down at him, seeing a nervous look on Miya's face. Miya glanced up at him and then quickly looked away, staring at all of the options instead. “Isnt there anything with less… trash?” Miya practically begged. He seemed worried, almost panicked. Reki knew that Miya was uncomfortable because of his period, knew that he was probably super embarrassed and didn't want to be in public anymore, let alone feeling grossed out from the feeling of blood in his pants, but it seemed like there was something else going on. Like Miya was frightened about something.

“Uh..” Reki looked back to the box of pads and then looked back at the wall. “Tampons are smaller and technically have less waste with them.. but if you're worried about the trash… I mean, there's a menstrual cup?” Reki offered hesitantly, personally feeling uncomfortable with them. He didn't even like tampons and usually only used them when absolutely necessary, so he was a bit put off offering them to someone else, especially someone so young.

“What's that? The cup?” Miya asked, lighting up a bit. Reki put the pads back and reached for the smaller box with the cup. He made sure to grab the smallest size. “This is a menstrual cup. It's silicone and reusable. You put it in and it creates a seal and catches all the.. y'know, blood. And you have to take it out, dump the stuff, wash it, and put it back in.” Reki explained briefly, watching as Miya took the box and stared at it curiously, reading the directions on the side.

“So there's no other trash that goes with it? I could use this one forever?” Miya seemed hopeful. Reki was beginning to grow more curious as to why the other was so hung up on the whole trash part. “Not exactly forever, but I think they last a few years.” Reki explained, trying to wrack his brain. Was Miya really just very environmentally conscious?

“I'll take this one then.” Miya claimed, looking back up to Reki and immediately flinching under the other's intense stare. “W-what?” He asked hesitantly. Reki just shrugged, ruffling the others' hair. “Nothin,” Reki offered a light hearted smile. “Don't worry about it. I'm getting the pads just in case you change your mind.” And with that, they walked around the store a bit more. First to get the pain killers and then to get some chocolate bars. Reki had an extra heating pad at home he could give to the younger and with that, they went to checkout before Reki led the way back to his place.

Miya had been to the Kyan household a few times now and with each visit, it didn't get any less weird for him. Reki's mother, Masae, poked her head around the corner of the hallway as they took their shoes off by the door. “Oh, Miya!” She exclaimed excitedly when she saw the pup. “What a pleasant surprise! What brings you today?” She asked, stepping over to greet them. One of the previous times Miya was over, she had asked him with such a sweet smile if she could call him by his first name and Miya felt like he might've teared up a bit when he said yes. She was a warm woman, sweet and smelling slightly of sugar and slightly of flowers. Maybe peony? Miya didn't notice the scent prior since this was his first time seeing her since presenting.

“Hello, Mrs. Kyan-”

“You know I told you to call me Auntie. Jeez, even Masae would sound warmer!” She pouted a bit but brushed it off in favor of a winning smile. Miya could see where Reki got it from. “Though really it's whatever you feel comfortable with. If you prefer to call me Mrs. Kyan, I won't stop you. I'll be a little sad though.” She teased.

“Leave him alone Ma,” Reki leaned down a bit to butt his cheek against hers in greeting. “I don't wanna hear it from you, Reki. Why don't you bring him around more often? You should have friends over more. Better yet, you should bring that pack of yours over so I can finally meet them!” Masae pinched Reki's cheek slightly and Reki wrinkled his nose and pulled away.

“You've already met Miya and Langa. What more do you want from me?” He nudged Miya along down the hallway and followed after, moving as he spoke to his mom to try and get her to leave them be and take a hint. “Your whole pack does not consist of just two other members! I want to meet all of them!” She insisted, glaring at her son before she turned warm amber eyes on Miya. “Please enjoy your stay today, I'll bring some snacks to the room in a bit!”

Miya felt his cheeks color and he nodded, “Thank you, Auntie!” He called back, being pushed around the corner. Reki snorted in amusement, shaking his head. “You know she's gonna try and steal you now.” He joked, leading the way to his room. The scent of cinnamon grew stronger and Miya followed Reki into the bedroom, each breath filled with the soft sweet scent of fragrant cinnamon. “She might contact your mom and offer her a lump sum in exchange.”

Miya cocked his head at the comment as Reki began to root around his drawers. “Lump sum? Like, buy me?” He questioned. He knew it was a joke, but it sounded like a rather nice thought. Every time he came to the Kyan house, he always felt very welcomed and wanted. Masae was a kind woman who was warm to everyone, at least that was the vibe Miya got from her. She adored Miya and was comfortable with him from the start, talking to him like he was.. another son. It was enough to make Miya's chest feel fuzzy.

“Yup. She always said she never needed another boy but I think you changed her mind.” Reki snickered, offering Miya a stack of clothes. “I'll take the stuff you're wearing right now and toss it in the wash so you can wear it home. After you've showered, do some research on how to use a menstrual cup. I am absolutely no help when it comes to that.” Reki added, nodding his head to the door. “Do you remember where the bathroom is?”

Miya stood there for a moment stiff as a board with his heart in his throat, staring at the clothes in his arms. Reki cocked his head at the silence and after a moment, Miya took a deep breath, eyes seeming a bit wet- actually very wet- “Y-yeah! I remember.” Miya turned his back to Reki and headed for the door, avoiding Reki's gaze. “Wait a second- Are you alright?!” Reki questioned, following after Miya who just nodded, not stopping as he made a beeline for the bathroom, keeping his back to Reki who continued to follow after him.

“Wait a second-” Miya stepped into the bathroom and went to close the door but Reki grabbed it, stopping him. Miya's scent smelled a bit on the tarter side, vibrant and fragrant and fresh. It wasn't a bad smell, but Reki couldn't tell what the other was thinking or why he was crying. “I don't know!” Miya rushed out, staring at Reki's shirt and refusing to meet the others' gaze. “I feel like crying but I'm not sad! I just.. I like your mom. She's nice. That's it.” And with that, Miya pushed on the door. Reki took the hint and allowed it to close, staring at it for a moment before he laughed softly, dragging a hand down his face.

Miya stood in the bathroom for a second, taking a deep breath to try and calm himself down. He didn't know why he was suddenly crying at the thought of being wanted, but he was and it felt nice. He left the pile of clothes on the counter along with the box containing the cup and he hurriedly stripped from his clothes, turning on the water and stepping into the shower. The smell of blood hit him and he wrinkled his nose, wondering if everyone else they talked to could smell it as well. The thought was mortifying. Miya washed the tears from his face though fresh ones took their place soon after and Miya tried really hard not to think about it, to ignore the hollow feeling in his stomach about why he liked the Kyan’s so much and why he needed to have the cup instead of the easy pad option.

Miya used whatever soap smelled like Reki and he washed himself from head to toe with it, scrubbing some parts more than others just to make sure he got all of the blood from his skin and when he was done, he rinsed off. The bathroom was warm from a mix of the hot water and just because the Kyan house was kept on the warmer side. Miya dried off and pulled on the shirt Reki gave him, baby blue and a bit oversized if it was on Reki but on Miya it was way too big. He sat himself down on the toilet and reached for his phone, beginning to do research on the cup. He removed it from its packaging already and it looked harmless, but also, Miya had never stuck anything inside of himself so the task at hand was rather daunting.

Miya made a discovery soon afterwards that no one in his life ever cared to mention to him. A common fact that he really wished someone, ANYONE, could have muttered to him before he was feeling his heart sink to his stomach in absolute dread. All day, Miya had been having absolutely killer cramps. It started after he had left the pack house, though he had been feeling random abdominal pain in the days leading up to this, barely able to walk through the front door to his house without a limp, doing his best to act normal so his parents wouldn't question anything. He laid in his bed for hours in pain he's never felt before, wondering to every damned God in this world just what the fuck they decided to do to him? Eventually, he heard his parents leave and while Miya wanted nothing more than to stay in his room, he felt like he was going to go crazy. He left the house as well, barely paying attention to where he was going but he knew that he needed to go somewhere that wasn't his bedroom. It just didn't feel right. Didn't feel comfortable. That's what eventually led him to Reki, and now here he was, frantically googling on his phone for answers he hoped didn't mean death to him.

’In the case of Dominant Omegas, also referred to as Prime Omegas, as opposed to Natural or Recessive Omegas, presentation is typically followed by a short heat. Roughly two weeks after that first heat, male Dominant Omegas in particular will develop an external reproductive opening similar to that of a woman's vagina. Recessive Omegas do not experience this phenomenon, and Natural Omegas have a rare chance of experiencing this development. The development of this reproductive opening is usually accompanied by mild to intense cramping. The opening begins developing around the time of presentation and fully surfaces around the time of the Dominant Omegas first period.’

Miya was ready to throw his phone through the wall, taking a deep shuddering breath. Why the hell did nobody ever mention this to him? He understood why his parents never breathed a word of it before, but Reki? Cherry? Joe?! They were all so protective and told him all about being an omega from scent glands to patches and reproductive health, (Cherry gave Miya the birds and the bees talk whether Miya wanted to hear it or not) that Miya couldn't believe that none of them even mentioned the fact that his BODY WAS GOING TO CUT ITSELF OPEN!?! He had so many questions, most of which he knew Google was going to be no help in answering because of how specific they were. What the hell were all of these new words? Miya scrolled through a few different articles but they weren't much help, going back and forth between various other topics even when Miya did his best to narrow the search and use better key words, but nothing was working. He needed Cherry around to answer his questions for him because he already knew Reki was going to get all squirmy and red at the questions Miya had.

Miya took a deep, shaky breath, and tried not to cry again.

He failed miserably. He hated being an omega.

Afterwards, Miya decided to return to the task at hand. Inserting the menstrual cup. It took several minutes and several failed attempts went by before Miya eventually got something right and fit the cup into place.

It.

Hurt.

Like a bitch.

There were articles online, which he read with tears in his eyes, talking about it being a bit uncomfortable to use for first timers due to the learning curve, but Miya was not expecting this amount of pain to begin with. He was sure he was doing something wrong, usually that was the case for everything, but the Internet assured him it was just because it was his first time. He even double checked the packaging and found that the cup was indeed the smallest size on the market and it was on the softer side. In the end however, he got it in and chalked up the pain to the fact that he was tense as hell and it was his first time ever using a product like this before. And oh yeah, probably also because HIS STUPID BODY JUST RANDOMLY OPENED A GREAT DIVIDE BETWEEN HIS FUCKING LEGS!?

Miya washed his hands thoroughly and finished getting dressed, tossing the box into the waste basket and gathering up his clothes. Leaving the restroom left him with some anxiety, his stomach thoroughly churned from the fact that his insides were leaking out of him only a few moments ago and now he had a cork shoved inside of him to keep it there. Miya trailed back to Reki's room, hesitating outside the open door for a moment only for Reki to practically jump out of the bedroom to surprise Miya who stumbled back. “What the heck?!” Miya squeaked as Reki snickered, beckoning for Miya to follow him instead of answering him. “You're so uptight for a pup. Relax a bit, you're not gonna get jumped here.” Reki teased, leading the way to where the washer and dryer were.

Miya wrinkled his nose and didn't comment for a moment until, “I dunno, your sister can be pretty cutthroat.” Miya joked, watching as Reki paused ahead of him before he looked back and snickered. “You don't know the half of it. She wants to be a psychologist when she grows up so she started studying psycho analysis or whatever. The emotional trauma she's learned to inflict is beyond mortal comprehension.” Reki wiggled his fingers at Miya who rolled his eyes, throwing his clothes into the washer. They got the machine running and Miya followed Reki back to his room. He ignored the other afterwards and went straight for the bed, flopping down and taking a deep breath. Miya's lower back ached painfully and the stabbing pain between his legs lessened a bit from the shower but if he shifted the wrong way, he could feel it resurface, like a knife twisting in the wound.

The bed dipped behind him and Miya didn't acknowledge it, listening to the sound of the paper bag from the pharmacy and the soft rattle of a pill bottle. That got Miya's attention. He lifted his head and looked back at Reki, the older omega reading the directions quietly, probably looking for the recommended dose before he uncapped the bottle and broke the seal, popping out two pills and offering them to Miya. “Here, my mom brought some snacks and drinks while you were in the shower. You like peach tea?” Reki questioned, dropping the two pills in Miya's outstretched hand before he stood and went to his desk. Miya hummed in affirmation, popping the pills in his mouth and then taking the offered cup from Reki, drinking down the tea greedily. It was warm, still fresh and fragrant as hell. Fruity and a bit sweet.

Reki moved the tray from the desk to the bed, setting down an assortment of freshly sliced fruits and a few slices of some kind of warm brown cake with cream colored frosting. Miya could smell a mix of spices coming off it, mainly cinnamon though he couldn't quite tell if it was the cake or if it was Reki. Miya didn't want to get up just yet and Reki didn't make him, grabbing his laptop and settling himself on the bed next to Miya who was curled up in a ball by the pillows, propped up only enough to be able to drink the tea. Reki leaned his back to the wall and began to type quietly, pulling up something for them to watch together. Miya ignored it for the first bit and eventually, the whacky dialogue caught his attention, making him sit up and look at the screen with a wince as his stomach tightened in a cramp.

On the screen, Miya recognized some type of anime, never being one to watch it himself, but Miya heard it in the English dub, furrowing his eyebrows at the voices. “What the fuck is this?” He asked, understanding bits and pieces. His English was okay, and thankfully they spoke a bit slowly, but he heard a few words he didn't understand, thankful for the Japanese subtitles at the bottom of the screen. “It's an abridged version of that swim anime.” Reki explained, watching as the characters stood outside of what looked like a warehouse. “What's abridged?” Miya questioned, finally rearranging himself while being mindful of the tray of food. He sat next to Reki with his legs criss crossed, dropping his head on Reki's shoulder.

“Abridged just means that someone changed the dialogue and sounds to make it more comedic.” Reki continued, the group on the screen now standing in front of a pool. “Why does the little one have tattoos?” Miya squinted his eyes at the screen realizing that the tattoos in question were just poorly edited on. “Because he was in prison.” Reki shrugged his shoulders and Miya side eyed him, “Aren't they highschoolers?”

Reki just snickered, “Yeah, but the guys who edited this are American.”

Miya rolled his eyes again and sighed, grabbing some fruit and beginning to munch on it while they watched the series. It was stupid and explicit in some parts but Miya had to admit, it was pretty funny. Miya assumed it wasn't Reki's first time watching this because he recognized a few of the jokes as things Reki himself had said previously.

“Hey!” Miya jumped slightly and looked up, spotting Reki's younger sister in the doorway with a big smile on her face. The bedroom door had been left slightly open and Koyomi took that as invitation to come chat with the two. “I feel like it's been forever since you've been over, Miya!” Koyomi spoke, making her way over to the bed and plopping down on Reki's otherside.

“It has been awhile. How are you, Koyomi?” Miya asked politely, watching as she mirrored him by leaning against Reki's other shoulder. Reki had paused the video, looking down at her. “Don't you know how rude it is to barge into someone's bedroom uninvited?” He asked, watching as she blew a raspberry at him.

“I'm always invited in here!” She stated which obviously was a lie since it was Reki's room. She turned her attention back to Miya. “I'm doing good, Miya! Thank you for asking. What have you been up to? I saw in the SK8 Week magazine that you were in a tournament recently?” She inquired. Miya nodded, beginning to chat with her a bit. Miya did his best to be polite but he could feel his heart picking up a bit. He didn't know why, though he could probably take a good guess. Koyomi was cute.

Miya at the moment wasn't thinking too hard about relationships. He didn't think even if he were approached with the idea of dating someone, he would agree. His head was too preoccupied with other things.

They talked for a bit though Miya eventually passed the conversation to Reki, more content with letting the two siblings chat with each other while he simply listened. Koyomi eventually sat up and started arguing with Reki about something mundane, which skater they thought had better flips or something along those lines. Miya didn't know cause he was busy passing out, his stomach full and his cramps finally subsiding and the scent of cinnamon and peach thick in his nose.